Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

[Bub13]

WELCOME TO 2051

...The new year begins with two new members of the Hall of Fame: 1B Nate Rogers and CL Ethan Villines. Rogers slugged 487 home runs in his 13-year career, collecting 2201 hits and earning 69.7 WAR. He was a five-time all-star, and won four Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves. He never won an MVP crown, but finished second twice and third once. He split his career between Philadelphia and Cleveland, and will enter the Hall as a Phillie. He appeared on 78.3% of ballots. Villines was a premier closer for over a decade, finishing with 497 career saves in 992 appearances. He spent his first seven years in Miami before moving on to six more teams over the following decade. He was a seven-time all-star and won back-to-back titles in '37 (with Atlanta) and '38 (with the Dodgers). He made it with 76.4% of the voters.
...we're now officially well into the "Sign relievers for one year deals" part of the off-season. LA usually corners the market on adding relievers, but this year they've been pretty quiet, only signing five guys. Philadelphia, however, has not, adding nine new arms to their bullpen. Brooklyn has added six, along with three catchers; that makes for an odd off-season, given that they lost an astounding 22 players, including 2/3 of their starting OF, two SP, and a handful of bench players. I guess they're rebuilding? (Fwiw, their lost WAR currently sits at a mild -1.1, so maybe they know what's what.)
...apparently everyone in MLB thinks we need starting pitching, based on the numerous trade offers I'm getting. They all fall somewhere along the axis of "Here's an old, fading SP for two young guys. Deal?" NO.
...Arizona's Nick "Biff" Quick suffered a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery, and is now out until June. Of 2052.
...in the same spring game, Brooklyn OFs Bobby Morano and Jose Moreno suffered baserunning injuries: both with hip flexor strains, both out for two days

......

...Training Camp opens! While most of the lineup is set, there are some battles for spots on the bench, in the bullpen, and in the rotation. Thirteen of fifteen position slots are filled, or at least penciled in, assuming no major injuries or flame outs. Open positions are a backup IF and backup OF. Jesse Ryder is the incumbent in the infield, but he'll face challenges from three minor league FA signings, Tyrell Bogan, Jesus Lopez (also an excellent OF), and Edwin Morales. Jules Medici and Tim Chapman, two 1B/DH types, are also getting looks, and could make me rethink my DH platoon if they hit well in camp. On the staff, the #5 spot in the rotation is open, and competing for it are Shane Walker (inside track right now), Olimpio Le Coq, Josh Irvin (trying to jump from A ball), and Mike Pearse. One relief spot is also open, with incumbent Nick Kramer hoping his experience pays off. Also getting looks are returnees Jaheim Mwaura, Jeremy Kolek, YJ Yi, and rookie Anthony Booker (up from AA). We'll have 43 players in camp this year.
...make that 44. After saying I was pretty much done for free agency, we go out and add another bat. This time, former Islander great Jeremy Dunklee will be rejoining the fold, for likely his final year before retirement. Dunklee, now 40, no longer hits for high average, but he's still got power, won't strike out, and takes a lot of walks (I said he was old). He's amassed over 2400 hits, 429 HR, and 79 WAR in his career: a borderline HoF player. He was our first hitting star, playing from '34 to '41 on the Islands, and still ranks second or third in most Islander career batting marks.

...aaaaand that's a wrap. Really, nothing else of interest happened in camp, other than minor injuries to J.J. Simmons, Adam Groff, and Kyle Johnson. Each missed a couple of weeks, but only Simmons will still be on the DL (for nearly a week) after the start of the season.
...okay, that's not quite true. We did make one more move before the end of camp. Dunklee's signing meant one less space on the roster, so I made a trade to a) relieve some of the OF prospect logjam, and b) add a decent-looking catching prospect to that barren crop. We sent OF Jaden Daniels (decent player who's made two brief MLB stops and will stick in the bigs), two semi-promising OF prospects (Roberto "Mas?" Duran and Jose Gonzales), and once-hopeful catcher T.J. Taddeo to Cleveland. In return we get catcher Mike Covington and IF Agustin Sarabia. Covington is the key here: decent hitting ceilings, nice defense, and not an absolute jerk. He'll go to AA and hopefully is just a year away, as Rob Rich's cratering offense is a real drag. Cleveland had a couple of catching prospects, so could afford to lose Covington; they also needed outfielders, so getting Daniels should be a plus. [EDIT: Cleveland has converted Daniels back to a pitcher; his terrible control made me give up on his pitching two years ago. Maybe they see him as a two-way player. Or maybe they're just dumb.]
...Getting Dunklee made me consider trading Cappuccilli at first. But with Dunklee being 40, if he can't hit this year I wanted a little more insurance at DH than the 37-year-old Faustino Whitton. Plus Cappy can play OF (which Whitton needs to be kept far away from), which helps retain some roster flexibility.
...[EDIT EDIT: Cleveland is just dumb. They waived/DFAed Daniels at the end of camp.]

......

With that, here's a look at the 2051 Opening Day roster for Your Hawaii Islanders! (Starting batters in bold, new acquisitions and rookies in itals. Handedness is batting and pitching for respective players.)

C Rob Rich, 30, L, .253/2/52, 462 AB, 0.3 WAR. Offense evaporated last year, so will start the year platooning with Whiffenpoof.
C Tom Whittington, 26, R, .244/1/9, 131 AB, 0.2 WAR. Will never be a hitting star, but may surpass Rich this year.

1B Adam Groff, 37, L, .322/21/101, 562 AB, 4.8 WAR. Has slipped a bit finally, but hopefully can wring a couple more seasons out of himself.
2B Julian Cardenas, 26, R, .190/0/5, 58 AB, -0.1 WAR (and .355 in AAA). Should hit better than his first outing last fall, but is here mostly for his stellar glove. Will be a regular defensive sub for the iron-gloved Matson.
2B Josh Matson, 27, R, .303/5/35, 310 AB, 2.0 WAR. Potentially a perennial .300+ hitter, and if he had a better (or any) glove he'd be a regular all-star.
2B/3B/SS Edwin Morales, 24, R, .292/4/15 with AAA Toledo. Stuck around because of Simmons' injury. Not much at the plate, but a dynamite fielder. Could press Ryder for the utility left-side role.
3B Bob Goodloe, 27, L, .354/15/80, 466 AB, 5.3 WAR. Those were probably career numbers at the plate, but if he produces, say, 3/4 of that, I'll be happy. Was our shortstop last year, but doesn't move as well as Simmons, so I swapped them.
SS J.J. Simmons, 28, R, .311/2/75, 644 AB, 5.8 WAR. Moving back to short after three Gold Glove seasons at third. I think he can win GGs at short too. Gets on base, scores runs, primes the offense. Will bat leadoff when back from the DL.
SS/3B Jesse Ryder, 25, R, .265/1/5, 34 AB, 0.2 WAR (also .302 in AAA). Singles hitter with a decent eye and patience. Speedy, and a solid fielder. Was very happy with his limited role last year; expect more of the same this year.

LF Cam Daley, 27, R, .338/28/107, 669 AB, 5.6 WAR. The returning batting champ had his best season in the bigs. Added 48 doubles and 18 steals. Defense has slipped from moderate to subpar, but he's too valuable at the plate to get subbed. Could end up at DH in a season or two. Beloved by the fans.
LF/DH/1B Faustino Whitton, 37, R, .245/2/15, 98 AB, 0 WAR. Wants to play more, so will start the season in a DH platoon with Dunklee. Hard worker, fun-loving. Listing him as a LF is being incredibly generous at this point.
LF/CF/RF Julius Burrows, 25, L, .304/8/60 in AAA, 2.9 WAR. One-for-three in September callup. Across-the-field backup this season, but could start one day. Has all the tools, but doesn't really excel at any of them. Will struggle against LHP.
CF/LF/1B/DH Jerry Cappuccilli, 28, L, .221/1/18, 181 AB, -0.9 WAR. Really should rebound from that terrible season. Was nearly traded, but I kept him for his versatility and decent LH bat. His platoon splits keep him from regular duty, but shouldn't kill you if he has to start.
CF Joe Lynn, 22, R, .361/1/17, 147 AB, 1.9 WAR (plus .282 in AAA). Really produced after moving into the starting lineup in mid-summer. Gets a crack at a whole season now. Solid defense, great speed, plus contact and gap power, and won't strike out.
RF Josh Frederick, 28, L, .318/34/142, 635 AB, 7.0 WAR. With Daley, has become the face of the offense. Added 26 steals and excellent defense to those hitting numbers. Another fan favorite. So nice we drafted him twice.
DH/1B Jeremy Dunklee, 40, L, .232/23/70, 531 AB, 1.2 WAR, with Cleveland. Winding down his career, and I hope signing him is more than wishful thinking on my part. Closing in on 2500 hits and 450 HR. Would love love love to see him have a nice bounceback year and go out on top. Hitting has declined, but took 91 walks last year, so he still gets on base at a high rate. Fans still love him.

SP Eric Jones, 34, L, 22-3, 3.26, 215 IP, 167 K, 5.6 WAR. Had a career season in '50, which means he's either having a nice renaissance or now has nothing left in the tank. Opening day starter.
SP Shamar Jackson, 28, R, 17-12, 4.33, 239 IP, 208 K, 2.5 WAR. Knuckleballer who is either totally on or totally off. Gets a ton of decisions, a high number of complete games and shutouts, and a lot of early removals. If he keeps his hit totals down, he'll be fine. (Gave up 245 last year, a career high.)
SP Tim Ciotta, 30, R, 9-13, 4.48, 217 IP, 219 K, 3.2 WAR (with the Cubs). Trade acquisition looking to rebound from a couple of down years, and in a contract year to boot. Rolled the dice on him after letting two long-term starters go to free agency. I like my odds.
SP Dennis Perry, 29, R, 13-8, 4.62, 183 IP, 179 K, 3.0 WAR. Had a dreadful April (ERA over ten), so for most of the season he was better than his final numbers show. Also in a contract season, and has so far been an ideal back-end starter for us. Youngsters in AAA are pushing up on him, tho.
SP Mike Pearse, 24, R, 11-5, 3.67, 140 IP, 167 K, 2.1 WAR in AA/AAA. The surprise of camp. Stole the #5 slot out from under the favorite, Josh Irvin (who also had a solid camp). Signed as a minor league free agent in '47, with an eye to becoming a AAA starter or back-of-the-bullpen guy at best. Control was his bugaboo, and while it's still not perfect, he has come a long way. Has great stuff and solid movement, and I'm pulling for the guy. Eighth round pick by the Blue Jays in '45.

CL Jon White, 34, L, 9-3, 36 SV, 2.64, 61 IP, 76 K, 2.2 WAR. Was a great pickup from the Dodgers last year. At 34, however, I hope he still has something left.
SU Ben Germann, 31, R, 2-4, 2 SV, 2.55, 42 IP, 46 K, 0.5 WAR. K/9 dropped by about 25% from '49, so I hope he can rebound from that. Was solid otherwise, giving up just 23 hits.
SU Kyle Johnson, 24, R, 3-4, 5 SV, 2.78, 32 IP, 35 K, 0.7 WAR. The reason why you always check the waiver wire. Grooming him for a move to closer after this season, as I think he's got the stuff and makeup for it.
MR Robbie Collier, 36, L, 1-1, 0 SV, 15 IP, 22 K, 0.2 WAR (with Cincy). Former starter is still rebounding from two major elbow surgeries, but if healthy has all the tools as a dynamite reliever. Our only other LH reliever, with White.
MR Alex Mahoney, 29, RH, 1-1, 1 SV, 3.31, 54 IP, 79 K, 0.8 WAR (with LA and HAW). Mid-season trade pickup who really stabilized the middle relief group after a few AAA callups failed. Will probably compete with Johnson for the closer role in '52.
MR YJ Yi, 26, R, 6-2, 5 SV, 2.43, 55 IP, 63 K in AAA (5 subpar IP with us too). A great spring finally vaulted him into an MLB role over incumbent Nick Kramer. Great stuff, groundballer. Average control.

Injuries: only Simmons, but listed above anyway.
Great camps, first men up if anyone fails: SP Josh Irvin, RP Nick Kramer and Anthony Booker, 1B/DH Tim Chapman, OF Ken Taliaferro.

......

MLB predictions are in, and for the first time in years they don't see us winning 100 games. But 99 is still good, right? We'll win the division over Oakland, Texas, and Houston (all predicted to finish over .500), while Detroit will win the Central. The East is too close to call, with Miami, Tampa, New York, and Toronto all in contention. And in more Hawaii-related news, we're predicted to finish second in both offense (to Detroit) and pitching (to Miami). Shocking. Detroit is predicted to score an astounding 938 runs. KC and Baltimore are down to lose 100 games.

In the NL, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and LA are the predicted division winners, with Brooklyn, New Orleans, and Portland pushing hard on them. St. Louis will lose around 100 games. And spare a thought for the weird prediction regarding the Phillies: they'll score 878 runs, best in the NL and 2nd in MLB overall. They'll also give up a crazy 946 runs, worst by far in MLB. Now, they did lose a few top pitchers over the winter, but their roster is not "946 runs" bad. Stay tuned...

One more piece of news: we've been named as having the best minor league system in baseball right now. We have eight players in the top 100, some of whom we actually drafted! More on this in June, with the 2051 draft and system report.

[Bub13]

April! Ah, you can finally smell the popcorn and beer. We'll play 26 games this month, 17 at home. After our opening set against Toronto, we'll actually get a day off. Scheduling weirdness right off the bat.

April 3-5 vs TORONTO
Winner of 63 games last year, MLB says they'll win 87 games and be the third-best offense in the AL. They lost 14 players, a combined 3.6 WAR, this off-season, but only so-so SP Joe Payne (1.4 WAR) really produced anything at all. They added excellent SP Alberto Reyes from Philadelphia, a pair of solid RP, and declining-but-still-productive OF/DH Aaron Harrison from Seattle. They also picked up 2B Jose Gonzalez, who doesn't hit much (.224) but is an excellent defender. Two rookies made the starting lineup: leadoff batter and LF Melvin Bernabe, a high contact speedster, and C Harry Rivers, an okay batter and solid receiver. Three rookies made the pitching staff too: SP Gary Stamp is the #9 prospect in baseball, and RP Mark Middleton and Nick Palmer are also top 30 guys. Manager Jose A Jimenez begins his fifth year in charge, and has winning seasons in every other year. (He's due for one this year.) Money and stuff: 27th in budget, 29th in payroll. Season ticket sales are up 61% too.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (22-3, 3.26) / RH Shamar Jackson (17-12, 4.33) / RH Tim Ciotta (9-13, 4.48)
TOR pitchers: RH Alberto Reyes (17-7, 3.22) / RH Gary Stamp (0-0, 0.00) / LH Chris Rivera (7-11, 4.79)

#1: WIN 4-2 ... Frederick's 2-run HR and Matson's solo shot stake an early 3-0 lead...7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 4 K for Jones
#2: LOSS 4-8 ... Jackson can't get anyone out, and Collier allows 4 hits in his inning...3 hits for Matson, and two more HR (Groff, Daley)
#3: WIN 5-3 ... strong 8.1 IP from Ciotta, despite allowing 2 runs in the 9th...3 hits for Lynn, 2nd HR for Frederick

Two wins out of three is always good.... Not much to report except that the one guy who can't hit yet is...Dunklee. Pick it up, old man! Three games doesn't say much.... Simmons' return has been delayed, for an uncertain period. Great.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland starts the season 3-0, as does Pittsburgh.... Philly wins two games, but their shaky pitching staff just lost their #2 starter for the season.... Milwaukee and Brooklyn are winless.


April 7-9 vs BALTIMORE
Winners of two titles in the late '20s, the O's are in yet another long (or is it permanent?) rebuild. Winners of 62 games last year, MLB has them winning just 60 this time around. They added only two free agents of note: SP Mike Victor from Pittsburgh and RP Tyler Trovato from San Diego. Both are okay, nothing more. The drawback to not adding anything at the plate is that there was little to begin with. LF B.J. Valencia (.267, 16 HR) is decent, but not much of a cleanup hitter; rookie DH Miguel Echevarria has promise but is a year away from hitting his stride; and RF Cesar Juarez popped 17 HR in his rookie year but batted just .222 and doesn't look much better than that. The top of the lineup also features two guys who hit .191 and .210 last year. Everyone but catcher Jeff Williams is in the bottom five of the league rankings. The bullpen is the best unit here: closer Ken Zeolla would be a star on a good team, and setup men John Starkey and Tony Gamez are legit. Manager: after leaving us, Pat Wilson couldn't wring anything out of the Rangers in three seasons, and is repeating that bad fortune in his fourth season here. Money and stuff: budget and payroll are bottom of the barrel, 36th place. The fans don't seem very interested, but season tix and attendance look to be trending upwards.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (13-8, 4.62) / RH Mike Pearse (MLB debut) / LH Eric Jones (1-0, 2.57 in '51)
BAL pitchers: RH Pat Karahalios (9-20, 4.83) / LH Jose Palomino (2-6, 4.01) / LH Rich Davis (1-0, 1.50 in '51)

#4: WIN 4-2 ... 7 IP, 13 K from Perry, already miles better than his '50 start...2 hits, RBI triple for Goodloe
#5: WIN 10-0 ... wow, a 3-hit, 14-K CG from Pearse...3 hits and an RBI from Groff
#6: WIN 6-2 ... HR from Groff and Matson, and 6 good IP from Jones...Baltimore loses their SP and C to unknown injuries

Impressive. Yes, Baltimore looks truly terrible, but I'm still happy with these games.... Quite a debut for Pearse! He did make an error, however, so it was wind sprints all the next morning for him. Tut tut.... Only one hit each so far for DH platoonees Dunklee and Whitton. Fab.... ELSEWHERE: Bad news for the Giants, with ace Jesus Chavolla going out for the season just two batters into his first game. Two days later, top MR Calvin Webster suffers the same fate.... Boston is 5-1, and 2B Mike Sanchez has a fun 11 RBI in those six games.... Nobody is undefeated, and nobody is winless, which means no fun for me.


April 1012 vs BOSTON
A nice 5-1 start for the Sox, looking to get back to the post-season for the first time in four years. They added some pop to the lineup in the fall, with four new regulars including 40-year-old 3B Paul Foster and slugging DH Sean Kropp (who also doubles as the #5 SP). Only two of last year's SP are back currently, although nominal ace Jonathan Esquivel comes off the DL in a month. Closer William Soch looks promising but is untested, with only 8 MLB innings before this year. Manager Gustavo Nunez begins his second campaign, and guided the team to 84 wins last year. Money and stuff: budget places 11th, payroll 18th. The fans still love this team, and there's a ton of money to spend, if only economizing owner Matthew Zunker would spend more of it.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (0-1, 8.53) / RH Tim Ciotta (1-0, 3.24) / RH Dennis Perry (1-0, 1.29)
BOS pitchers: RH Zion Robinson (0-0, 2.57) / RH John Sutton (0-1, 6.43) / RH Jose Ambriz (0-0, 10.80)

#7: WIN 12-6 ... 21 hits, including 5 doubles and a Goodloe HR...Jackson is smacked around again, but Yi tosses 4.1 shutout innings for the win
#8: WIN 2-1 ... much quieter tonight, and we win it on Daley's RBI single in the 10th...HR for Daley, second hit for Dunklee...10 K for Ciotta
#9: WIN 8-2 ... everyone gets a hit tonight, including 2 H and 2 RBI from Rich...Perry goes 7 IP again, fans 9

Surprised by the sweep, but not complaining.... Dunklee finally tossed in a few hits, raising his average to .174.... Still no return date for Simmons. In his place, Ryder is batting .360, and Edwin Morales is 2-for-8 in spot duty.... Single A Eureka has started their season and are off to a 5-1 roll.... ELSEWHERE: More trouble in San Fran, with 3B Austin Reinwald now out for six months. That makes for an injured list containing their 3B, ace SP, and four RP, all out long term. Plus, 1B Fernando Lerma is out until early May.... Minnesota ace Conor MacLeod is predicted by MLB to fan 365 batters this year. So far he's gone out and fanned 11 and 18 in his two starts.... Atlanta has matched Hawaii with an 8-1 start.... Portland's Gerardo Nieto is the first batter to reach replacement level, 1.0 WAR.


April 13-16 vs OAKLAND
They've only made the playoffs once over the last five seasons, but I believe last year's .500 squad will be highly competitive this year. They let former MVP Jordan Coronado go via free agency, but grabbed RF Hughie Noonan and his 33 HR from Houston, and inked high-contact defensive 2B Travis Tanner from Atlanta. Justin Sandy was also added from Milwaukee, and while he has a big power bat, he can't hit anything else. Like the Red Sox, there's a rookie closer (Jason Petty) in town, and they've finally promoted MR Jaden Davis, who has some of the heaviest stuff I've ever seen. Manager Ethan Larrison was surprisingly available after four straight division titles in Detroit and signed a five year contract. Money and stuff: budget is 15th, payroll 17th. Attendance looks unchanged after a $0.41 ticket price drop this off-season. I also like the first game starting pitcher name matchup below.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (1-0, 0.00) / LH Eric Jones (2-0, 2.77) / RH Shamar Jackson (0-1, 10.80) / RH Tim Ciotta (1-0, 2.20)
OAK pitchers: RH Mike Pearson (0-1, 5.87) / RH Jim Schwartz (1-1, 4.20) / LH Chris Larimer (2-0, 0.53) / RH Conrad Robertson (1-0, 4.80)

#10: LOSS 3-8 ... Pearse is brought down to earth, pulled after 4 IP, 5 ER...HR for Goodloe and Frederick
#11: LOSS 4-7 ... 2nd straight game yielding 3 HR...blew a 4-0 lead over the last three innings...Jones gives up 13 hits, all 3 HR
#12: WIN 7-3 ... we gave up 3 more HR, but hit 3 of our own too...lots of late runs blow open our 2-1 lead in the 7th...8 IP for Jackson, yields 3 R on 3 HR
#13: LOSS 5-9 ... we lose on a run in the 9th and 4 more in the 10th...and we give up three more HR, which is not great

Well that was a stinker. I guess we were "due" for that.... Giving up 12 home runs didn't help our cause. We hit seven out, but we're not built to try to out-power opponents.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland ties Hawaii for first in the West at 9-4. Atlanta and Washington in the NL, and Cleveland in the AL are the first teams to ten wins. Brooklyn is the first to ten losses.... Boston's Sean Kropp has hit .350 in five starts at DH, and has a 0.00 ERA in his two pitching starts.... Here's two fun headlines: "Automatic Tarp Traps Fields," then a day later "Tarp Trip More Serious than Thought for Fields." Yes, that's a month-long high ankle sprain for Detroit pitcher Mike Fields. Fun and games.

......

TL;DR Version: Nothing wrong with a 9-4 start, but it feels a bit worse than that after dropping three of our last four. We're first in runs scored, AVG, and OBP; and 6th in runs against. The team is batting .312, and nearly everyone is getting in on the act. The exception is Dunklee, batting only .121, with no HR and one RBI. Pitching has also generally gone well, with only Shamar Jackson having multiple bad starts. Early days, tho, early days. Last, only J.J. Simmons is on the injured list, and with a return date still unknown. But Jesse Ryder (.343, +0.2 ZR) has played well in his stead and already has more at bats (35) in these three weeks than he did all of last year (34).

[Bub13]

April 17-20 @ CALIFORNIA
No more talk about rebuilding for these guys, okay? Given that they haven't had a winning season since '35, and are predicted--again--to finish in the lower half of the division, with 73 wins. (They're 4-8 so far this year.) They spent little money during the off-season, adding 37-year-old (and showing it) OF Mike Wapner from Seattle, middling catcher Kevin Trotter from Atlanta, and so-so MR Jose Melendez from Minnesota. Oh, and picking up SP Jeremy DiMaggio in the Rule 5 draft from Milwaukee. There is talent here: CF Jake Glowski, LF Nate Atwater, and 1B Ricky Ochoa could start for pretty much anybody, and RF Luis Rivera (high contact) and SS Kevin Lutz (strong defense) are also decent parts. In the rotation, Jon Carlsen and Ken Demers are a strong 1-2 punch, and a sane front office would trade them both for a pile of prospects. But not here. Manager Matt Sargent went from being let go by us to managing this bunch, in just a matter of days. Tall order, big guy. Money and stuff: 28th ranked budget, 30th payroll. The good news here is their 3rd ranked prospect pool, led by #5 OF Mauricio Marquez, and with four others in the top 100. All look very promising.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (2-0, 1.93) / RH Mike Pearse (1-1, 3.46) / LH Eric Jones (2-1, 4.64) / RH Shamar Jackson (1-1, 7.50)
CAL pitchers: RH Mike Hosey (1-1, 7.71) / RH Ryan Kuehner (0-1, 8.74) / RH Jeremy DiMaggio (0-2, 5.74) / RH Jon Carlsen (1-1, 6.11)

#14: WIN 13-6 ... we score in 8 different innings...5 HR and 5 doubles too...Perry struggles, leaving in the 5th after surrendering 5 runs
#15: WIN 9-3 ... Dunklee's first HR! plus a single and 3 RBI...2 H and 2 RBI each for Goodloe and Rich...Pearse goes 7 IP, fans 8
#16: LOSS 2-3 ... a 3-run 5th spells doom tonight...first MLB HR for Burrows...Simmons hurts his knee on the bases, has a dtd injury (again)
#17: WIN 3-0 ... 2-hitter from Jackson, fanning 8...just 5 hits for us, but another HR from Burrows (2-run shot) and a solo blast from Groff win it

Solid. It's always good to hold our divisional opponent's heads under water. No apologies.... Lots of home runs in this series, giving us 25 on the season and a tie for 5th in the AL.... Simmons hurts his knee in his second game back and will suffer for a week. He's not going on the DL, but will play sparingly. We sent down Edwin Morales (3-for-12 with a HR) to make room for the now-constantly-sore Simmons.... ELSEWHERE: Injuries are hitting hard and hitting everywhere. The White Sox lost star SS Chris Rock AND 2B Tim Ost for the year; the Giants lost two more pitchers for the season, making for a total of five (plus two more out for a few more weeks). Add to that their starting 3B (season) and 1B (month), and it's a hospital ward in northern California.... Floating along at 7-7, the Yankees make headlines by signing star closer Rick Ramirez for a one year, $13M deal. They're not hitting right now but should be fine once the bats warm up.... Washington leads the league at 13-3; Brooklyn and St Louis bring up the rear at 4-12.


April 21-23 @ MIAMI
Predicted by MLB to win the East, they've yet to gain traction at just 7-7, 10th in run scored and 12th in runs against. They'll get better soon. An already-strong offense added RF David Von Eschen from Brooklyn and LF Toshi Shimabukuro from Japan. And seeing that 2/3 of their top relievers have a combined ERA near 90 means that you should expect those numbers to regress to the mean: also an improvement. And when top SP Matt Rubin and Edgar Tinajero return from rehab stints, that's help too. Point being, they're average right now, but expect them to be fighting for the top in September. Manager Paul Trashini is another former Islander coach, now in his fourth year in Miami and coming off a Manager of the Year award. Money and stuff: 9th in budget, 11th payroll.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (1-0, 3.09) / RH Dennis Perry (2-0, 3.86) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 3.60)
MIA pitchers: RH Francisco Pantaleon (1-0, 6.39) / LH Victor Nunez (1-1, 5.40) / RH Jason Simon (1-2, 5.57)

#18: WIN 4-3 ... two more HR from Groff, now 8 on the year...only six hits, but also six walks
#19: LOSS 0-8 ... oof...Perry gets hammered and we manage just five hits...moving on
#20: LOSS 3-4 ... HR for Groff and Frederick, and Pearse fans 11 in his 6 IP...but the pen yields a tying HR in the 9th and the winner in the 13th

Those two losses drop us into second place at 13-7, a half game behind the now-hot Astros.... Groff is tied for 2nd in the AL with 9 HR and 19 RBI.... Six batters are hitting over .300, and we lead the AL at .291. We're also first with 19 steals.... ELSEWHERE: More injuries: Indians closer Jon Downs (six saves and zero runs in seven appearances) is the latest guy done for the year.... The Indians are 14-5 and tops in the AL. Washington still paces MLB with a 15-4 record.... Tampa's Vince Wise and Cincy's Joe Thompson have reached 10 HR.... A lot of teams probably ignored Japanese pitcher Homare Yano over the winter, as he missed all of '50 with an elbow injury. LA didn't, and it's paying off so far: 2-0, 47 K (against just 8 walks) in 25.2 IP. he does, however, have 9 HR hit off him.


April 24-26 @ TAMPA BAY
Winners of 87 last year, and missed the playoffs on the last weekend of the year, they're 10-8 so far this year. Fifth in runs scored and runs against, with a +22 differential, so their record should be better. They didn't add much over the off-season, inking SP D.J. Pasquarelli from St Louis, and remaking the bottom of the lineup (CF Ian McGowan, C Jon Hill, and SS Finley Osborne). All are performing, although Pasquarelli is injured for a couple of weeks. Career Ray Vance Wise (1B and Closer, although he hasn't pitched yet) is having a strong start, with 10 HR and a .333 average. He's in a contract year and will command huge money in the off-season. Enjoy him while you got him, Tampa. Manager Andres Reyna is in his first year here, after 6+ with Montreal. Money and stuff: budget is 20th, payroll 23rd. This will be a trying off-season, however, with four regulars and two SP due to leave via free agency.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (2-2, 4.45) / RH Shamar Jackson (2-1, 5.00) / RH Tim Ciotta (1-0, 3.38)
TBR pitchers: RH Greg Drake (2-0, 3.00) / LH John Odom (0-3, 8.71) / LH Jon Jemison (0-0, 5.14)

#21: LOSS 9-12 ... only seven hits, and also four errors...pretty rough game all-around
#22: LOSS 3-4 ... both teams put 12 men on base, the difference coming down to a Tampa HR
#23: LOSS 4-7 ... ugh

Well, I did say the Rays were better than their record. Getting swept has dropped us to 13-10 and third place now. Hitting is still okay, but pitching has dropped considerably, to 11th in runs given up.... Groff does lead (okay, tied) the AL in HR and RBI now.... Simmons' injury has gotten worse ("unknown return date") so back onto the DL he goes. Edwin Morales comes back up.... AAA SP (and #2 prospect) Henry Skiffington is out for 5-6 weeks. Still, Santa Barbara is off to a 7-0 start.... ELSEWHERE: Five teams in the AL East are over .500. Only the sad 5-15 Orioles aren't in on the fun. Even at 10-11, last place LA is just 2.5 games out of first in the NL West. And Washington still tops the charts at 17-5.... Cleveland's sophomore CF Manny Ayala is the last remaining batter over .400, pacing everyone at a .415 clip.


April 28-30 vs NY YANKEES
After a slow start they're now 12-8 and just behind the Rays. Hitting hasn't come around yet--just 13th in runs--but they've given up the fewest runs in the AL, only 69 (for a +24 run diff). Last year it was top-notch hitting backed by acceptable pitching, but they again failed to reach the finals. So they let the batters be and went out and signed ace SP Elijah Bragg from Montreal, reliable #5 Lee Robinson from the Cubs, solid closer Tim Stoner (Cleveland), and recently added former Wilhelm trophy winner Rick Ramirez to the pen. They also moved former Isles prospect Tim Mitchell into the rotation and he has delivered so far. See, this is how a computer simulation AI with lots of virtual money should always do it! The potent lineup should come around soon--hopefully in, say, four days or so. Manager Sun-Jae Moon was a surprise hiring out of the KBO, and he's a temperamental cuss but so far he's working out. Money and stuff: 7th in budget, 4th in payroll. Their budget is only $2M higher than ours, but they're spending $47M more than we are at the moment. Wow.

HAW pitching: RH Dennis Perry (2-1, 5.18) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 3.46) / LH Eric Jones (2-3, 4.86)
NYY pitching: RH Joe Erkel (4-0, 2.90) / RH Lee Robinson (0-1, 1.93) / LH Brian Whitney (1-3, 6.04)

#24: WIN 10-2 ... HR from Goodloe and Daley, and five doubles...7-run 6th does the trick...Perry breaks his schneid with 7 IP of 5-hit ball
#25: WIN 5-2 ... same guys homer again...3 hits from Rich too, trying to curry my favor...Pearse yields just 4 hits, wins despite adding 5 walks
#26: LOSS 3-4 ... no dingers tonight, although we keep it close despite getting outhit 14-6...Jones struggles, giving up all those hits and runs in 6 IP

We ended the 5-game losing skid, and finished the month with a more respectable 15-11 mark.... Still no word on the return of JJ Simmons.... Goodloe is now batting .368 with 5 home runs so I moved him up to 5th in the lineup, dropping Dunklee (.167, 1 HR) down to 7th.... 37-year-old Faustino Whitton wants to talk contract extension. Umm.... ELSEWHERE: The first no-hitter of the season comes on the 30th courtesy of Mets righty Kyle Michael. He fanned ten and walked five in a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh.... Philly inked star slugger George Livezey to an 8 year, $261M extension. WOW. Not bad given that GL is an 8 WAR per 162 games guy. But it's bad because he's 29 and in his seven-year career has topped 113 games just once.... Shocker: no new injuries in San Francisco.... Four teams have yet to win ten games, led by the league-worst Cardinals at 5-20. At the other end, Washington and Cleveland are 18-7.

......

TL;DR Version: We stumbled a bit here (6-7) after our hot start and finished the month at 15-11. Not terrible: still a pace for 93 wins, which doesn't match recent years but still gets you into the playoffs. And the usual caveat applies: it's April, so relax bub. Most of our team stats look pretty good: 1st in offense and a surprising 7th in home runs. Pitching has been meh, at 9th in runs allowed and 9th in rotation ERA. The only area we're truly not performing well is team defense, mostly due to Josh Matson (2B) not being Manny Rangel, and Jesse Ryder (SS) not being JJ Simmons (or Rich Stoneback either). Individually, most batters are playing well, but at DH we're struggling at a combined 15-for-88 between Dunklee and Whitton. Dunklee at least leads the team in walks and so has a respectable .363 OBP. I'm not sure how much longer I'll let them keep being a drag on the offense, seriously. And we need more consistent starting pitching. Only rookie Mike Pearse has an ERA below 4.3. Not acceptable.

[Bub13]

We've got 29 games this month, 16 at home. We actually have three off days, but oddly there's a double header scheduled right after one of them. (We play New Orleans on the 19th, take a day off, then play two against them on the 21st. Then another day off. *shrugs*) JJ Simmons has four days left on the DL; I'm hoping his return date can be fixed by then. (But I doubt it will be.) The poor hitting at DH may need to get addressed this month. And we really need our rotation to get itself sorted. Little things like all of that: get them right and we'll be fine.

May 1-3 vs TEXAS
I expected them to be more competitive than their current 10-15 mark. (So did MLB, predicting them to win 87 games.) Stats-wise, they're getting on base (4th in AVG, 2nd in OBP) but not scoring (11th in runs). Pitching has been off, at just 12th in runs allowed, making for a -13 run differential. And I'm not sure what this says: fewest errors in the AL (6), but AL-worst defensive efficiency (.665). Manager Tae-Hyeok Nam is in his 4th year, and he guided them to a rare playoff spot last season. Money and stuff: 28th in both budget and payroll. Attendance is up, however, and if the team can play up to it's potential, they should be in great shape financially.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (2-2, 4.37) / RH Tim Ciotta (1-1, 4.50) / RH Dennis Perry (3-1, 4.60)
TEX pitchers: RH Mike Kent (1-0, 1.00) / LH Bobby Daniel (2-3, 4.15) / RH Paul Labbe (1-2, 8.06)

#27: WIN 4-3 ... we score all our runs early then hold on tight...7 doubles, including four in the first...8 decent IP from Jackson
#28: WIN 9-2 ... 3 hits for Goodloe and Whittington, 2 each for Daley and Frederick...Whitton hurt...Ciotta finally solid over 7.2 IP
#29: WIN 10-3 ... 3 runs in the 6th and the 8th break this one open...4 H, 3 RBI for Lynn...7 IP for Perry, then Mahoney fans 5 in his 2 IP

Solid. Pitching and hitting combined for the sweep. Odd note: we were out-homered 7-to-1.... Whitton's injury is a strained lat; he'll be on the shelf for two weeks. So I move Cappuccilli into his DH-platoon slot against LHP, even though Cappy is a lefty. Getting the callup is utility IF/OF Jesus Lopez, who was batting .353 in AAA. This will be his first taste of MLB.... Mike Pearse was named AL Rookie of the Month for April.... ELSEWHERE: Six losses in a row for New Orleans (10-19) and seven for LA (10-17). Surprising on both counts.... Washington is the first team to 20 wins. They may have reached 20 wins last year only in July; not sure, but they got off to a slow start.... NL top pitcher in April was former Isle (and currenet Padre) Mike Garfield, apparently fully recovered from whatever blues he was suffering from last year.... MIN's Conor MacLeod has 80 K in 48.1 IP; CIN's Cris Frias has 71 in 37 IP.


May 4-7 vs HOUSTON
First place Astros! Haven't heard that in a long time. (Just kidding: I've never heard that.) At 18-10, they're a half game ahead of us. Hitting is 9th, and 13th in AVG; but pitching is AL best right now, with the best rotation and bullpen ERA. They didn't add much in the off-season, just 2B Chris Marshall (now injured) and utility IF Jose Anguiano. (Neither is great.) But their young guys are all playing well, and nearly everyone on the pitching staff is pulling his weight. Manager Dylan Barrow is in his 7th year, and despite the winning record the team isn't really meshing with him. Money and stuff: 31st in budget, 27th payroll. Attendance is up, but is still below 25k, probably due to "pathetic" fan loyalty.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (3-1, 3.18) / LH Eric Jones (2-4, 5.03) / RH Shamar Jackson (3-2, 4.19) / RH Tim Ciotta (2-1, 4.08)
HOU pitchers: RH Will Nawn (3-0, 3.70) / LH Chris Harris (2-1, 3.35) / RH Dustin Springer (3-2, 2.55) / RH Eric Morton (0-0, 0.00)

#30: WIN 6-3 ... Pearse fans 11 and gives up 3 solo HR...Dunklee's 2-run HR sparks a 5-run 5th inning
#31: WIN 2-1 ... last year's Jones shows up, scattering 4 hits over 8 IP...2 hits each for Groff and Cappuccilli
#32: WIN 9-4 ... 4 H from Rich, 3 H and 2 RBI from Matson...Jackson goes the distance, fans 14
#33: WIN 3-1 ... 3 first-inning runs is all we get and need...8 IP, 3 H for Ciotta...Matson hurts his wrist, may have to go on the DL

Surprising. Nice pitching and just enough hitting.... Matson's injury is dtd, but for two weeks. It's minimal enough that I'll probably keep playing him for now and just cross my fingers.... Simmons comes off the DL, so I'll work him back into the lineup piecemeal. Ryder has stopped hitting of late, so we need Simmons to get back to 100%. Stop getting hurt, man.... CL Jon White and C Rob Rich also send me PMs requesting contract talks. Ehhh.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy's Cris Frias tossed a one-hitter against Pittsburgh. Oh, he also struck out 24 Pirates. No one got any wood on a ball until a fly out in the 5th, and he lost a no-hitter with one out in the 8th. Amazing game.... Philly has won 4 straight, getting to 16-13, but closer Rick Pompeo tore his labrum and is done forever. So long, Rick.... St Louis is still sputtering, now 8-23.


May 8-11 @ SEATTLE
Picked for last place, they're at least surpassing that meager expectation by sitting in 4th place. But still at 12-19 with AL-worst hitting. Pitching is 5th, and keeping them from falling apart so far. They lost longtime OF stars Mike Wapner and Aaron Harrison, and added very little. Like SS Jonathan Salas, who must must must have blackmail photos on various GMs: in 157 AB with Washington last year he batted .102 and struck out 87 times. And he's employed again! With 33 K in 68 AB this year. He may have the best K/9 in the game, lol. Their new closer is the awesomely-named Adam "The Glaive" Krull, who's been pretty good with 10 saves and a 2.02 ERA. Manager Hector Garcia was a longtime bench coach with Washington and Brooklyn, and is in his first year in charge. Money and stuff: 25th budget, 26th payroll. Attendance has dropped by nearly 10k, season tix by nearly 8k. Meaning the budget will probably be even smaller next year.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (4-1, 4.23) / RH Mike Pearse (4-1, 3.18) / LH Eric Jones (3-4, 4.37) / RH Shamar Jackson (4-2, 4.15)
SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (4-1, 2.72) / RH Dan Welker (4-1, 2.76) / LH Shaun Ostrander (2-0, 3.55) / RH Kyle Burton (0-2, 8.16)

#34: LOSS 0-5 ... bleah, held to just 4 hits...Perry gives up all 5 runs, but Yi at least pitches well, fanning 4 in 1.1 IP
#35: WIN 2-0 ... 3-hitter by Pearse...2 hits from Daley and Frederick...we add six walks to our eight hits
#36: LOSS 2-5 ... 3 hits by Frederick, but little else...Jones throws well, giving up just 1 one through six IP, but Collier gives up the rest
#37: WIN 5-2 ... Groff gets 2 hits, then leaves with back spasms...Frederick's 2-run HR is the key tonight...8 IP, 3 H, 10 K from Jackson

Back-and-forth, good hitting then no hitting, but pretty good pitching for the most part.... Groff's injury is just dtd, and mostly effects his running. Still, I'll swap him to DH, with Dunklee and Cappuccilli taking turns at 1B. And again: fingers crossed for nothing more serious.... ELSEWHERE: Portland takes over the top spot in the league, at 24-12. Hawaii is a half game (24-13) behind. California, at 11-25, is now on the bottom.... Cleveland's Manny Ayala is still hot at the plate, and is now back up to .400. The Indians are still in first in the Central, but Chicago has won ten straight and is just a game behind now.... Cris Frias' crazy strikeout game gives him 107 on the year, in just 52.1 IP.


May 12-14 vs CINCINNATI
MLB said "Watch the Reds! 94 wins this season!" So far...not quite: 16-19, tied for third in the NL Central. They are 8th in runs, despite ranking 15th in AVG and OBP. Why? Home runs: first in the NL, with 70. Pitching is 9th, and the run diff is +9, which suggests they should be better than they are. Once the hitters start making contact, they'll get better. The problem could end being the rotation: Hugo Blerra is still out for a month, and their #3 through #5 guys are not getting it done. What's worse: ace Cris Frias, who has been amazing so far in '51, has a pending injury. Uh oh. Manager Dom Duggan is in his second season, and has been in the bigs since '38. This is the third team he's managed. Money and stuff: 3rd highest budget, 6th payroll. Owner Bobby Joslin is demanding and meddling, yet charitable. And he wants to win. Sounds like a nightmare, really. The Reds won a title in '48, and have only missed the playoffs once since '45. Fun stuff: catcher Justin Common is described as "Just your typical teammate." Well duh.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (3-1, 3.59) / RH Dennis Perry (4-2, 4.60) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 2.59)
CIN pitchers: RH Jason Bailey (2-1, 2.82) / LH Armando Guzman (2-0, 5.59) / RH David Guerra (1-2, 5.60)

#38: LOSS 4-7 ... Lynn hits his first HR, but Ciotta gives up two in the first and another later, as we get behind early and never recover
#39: WIN 7-4 ... Perry is iffy, but we rack up 10 hits, score 5 early, and don't look back...odd 1-2-0-1 boxscore for Cardenas, adding a BB, HPB, and SF
#40: WIN 8-5 ... 5 HR for the good guys, including 2 by Dunklee and a 3-run walk-off shot by Rich in the 10th...Daley goes 4-for-4

I'll take it. Pitching is a bit leaky right now, but our hitters woke up after their recent doldrums.... The HR train has slowed, dropping us to 11th place.... Add SP Tim Ciotta to the list of guys PMing me for contract talks.... Josh Matson's sprained wrist isn't being helped by him continuing to play, or so I'm told. So Julian Cardenas will get some more AB, but Matson won't go on the DL.... ELSEWHERE: It's been a parade of injuries for the Giants this year, but here's some good news for a change: Jon Reeder tossed the second no-hitter of the season, beating the Yankees 9-0. He fanned four and allowed just one walk. So close to perfection.... Good news, Reds fans: Cris Frias is only dtd for 1-2 weeks.... Cleveland's Manny Ayala is still batting .400, and someone named Harry Lewis (Brooklyn) is at .402.

......

TL;DR Version: An 11-3 stretch to start the month, getting past our late April snooze. We're 26-14, 3.5 games ahead of the Astros and A's. We're also second in runs scored, with 213, seven behind Tampa Bay. Pitching is 4th, and our run differential is +57. We got a few little nagging injuries: Groff's back spasms (4 more days); Matson's wrist (unknown); RP Robbie Collier (3 more days). DH Faustino Whitton will come off the DL; but he's not hitting, so his place on the roster is not completely secure. Injuries are also plaguing our minor league teams: AAA Santa Barbara (1 player out); AA Androscoggin (five); A Eureka (also five). Several not-at-all capable guys have been promoted from Short A and rookie ball as fill-ins.

[EDIT: Can I just say that I really like the Rookie Draft page that now allows you to look at (and scout) players for drafts up to four years into the future? Although it is really weird to be scouting 14-year-olds.]

[Bub13]

May 15-17 vs MONTREAL
The down-on-their-luck Expos haven't been to the post-season since '39, but are resurgent this year. Well, sort of: at 20-18, they're one of just two teams over .500 in the Central. Hitting is only 17th in runs, and three regulars are sub-Mendoza. Best hitter Jon Monreal (real name), at .317, is out for three months; their best power option is SS Lance Donovan, and he bats 8th. Pitching, though, is first in the NL, having allowed just 120 runs in those 38 games. Ace Chris Milano is struggling, but the rest of the rotation is going great guns. And they have former Isles first rounder Taylor Barnett in the pen: he's been just fine in four appearances. Manager Colin O'Connell is in his first year at the helm; he skippered the Padres for eight seasons in the 30s and 40s and was Manager of the Year in '39. Money and stuff: 35th in budget, 34th in payroll. Fan interest just is not good right now, and there are persistent rumors the Expos could be relocated soon.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (3-4, 4.05) / RH Shamar Jackson (5-2, 3.90) / RH Tim Ciotta (3-2, 4.30)
MON pitchers: RH Chris Milano (1-3, 5.01) / RH Bill Barger (2-2, 3.43) / LH Josh Lawler (5-1, 2.62)

#41: WIN 6-3 ... Jones pitches well again, Dunklee homers again, and we put 17 runners on base
#42: WIN 7-0 ... 4-hit shutout for Jackson...2 more hits for Rich, raising his average to .349
#43: WIN 5-4 ... Ciotta gives up 13 hits, but we ride a 4-run 8th to the win...RBI triple for Simmons and two RBI singles for Frederick

Nice way to end a home stand. Team offense is also back to #1 across the board (minus HR, of course).... Whitton comes off the DL, and I'm considering putting Groff on it. I'm starting to feel like I'm toying with fire by playing him, given his long injury history. Sigh.... AAA Santa Barbara is 23-4. I believe that's a pretty good mark.... ELSEWHERE: Philly has rebounded from a poor start to get to 19-21, but with three SP on the DL (and remember: they were predicted to have terrible pitching to begin with), they sign free agent Emanual Vasquez for the remainder of the season. Vasquez is a strikeout machine: he fanned 331 with the Cards in '49 and 296 last year. But he also gives up nearly 50 dingers a season, and his poor personality is probably the biggest reason why he was still available.... Pittsburgh has the largest division lead, 7.5 games over Montreal. Tampa Bay (over Miami) and Atlanta (Washington) have half game leads.


May 19-21 @ NEW ORLEANS
Supposedly an 88-win team, but they're stuck in low gear at 18-25. Dead last in NL offense and the team is batting just .217. Four regulars are going full Mendoza, and the highest average belongs to John Arrington, at .265. Pitching is mid-range, 9th in runs against, with the rotation outpacing the bullpen. The staff could be even better, however, with five regulars (3 SP, 2 RP) on the DL. Probably the best player going right now is closer Bob Harrison, who's given up just one run in his 12 appearances, while fanning 18. Manager Clarence Whitney is in his sixth season. Close readers might remember him as our manager during the '45 season. Money and stuff: 14th in budget and payroll. Owner Corey LaHood is "happy" despite not having any of his goals met, not even close.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (5-2, 4.76) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.19) / LH Eric Jones (4-4, 3.79)
NOZ pitchers: RH Ricky Munoz (3-3, 4.44) / RH Gary Buttacavoli (2-4, 4.02) / RH Joe Dawson (1-3, 5.18)

#44: LOSS 5-9 ... Perry doesn't make it out of the 4th inning, but at least we outhit them (12-9), sigh
#45: WIN 4-1 ... Dunklee and Daley solo HR stake an early lead, and Pearse fans 8 over 7 IP...closer Jon White injured
#46: LOSS 3-7 ... Dunklee homers again, but leaky pitching costs us again...four doubles is the best thing about tonight

Blech. Maybe I can console myself by hoping we're helping New Orleans right their season. Godspeed, you Zephyrs.... Closer Jon White has a pending injury diagnosis, which is not great, to be frank.... ELSEWHERE: Minnesota's Conor MacLeod, keeping up with NL strikeout maven Cris Frias, fanned 22 Phillies in a one-hit shutout. Within a week, we have new single-game K records in the AL and NL. Crazy times.... Cleveland's Manny Ayala is no longer hitting .400, but Brooklyn's Harry "Definitely Not a Pseudonym" Lewis is batting .402.... And we have another prominent forced retirement: Miami SP Edgar Tinajero, 35 and a major off-season signing, apparently tore every muscle in his upper body and has been sent to a nice farm upstate to live out his remaining years. Thoughts and prayers.


May 23-25 vs DETROIT
Winners of six straight before dropping their last two, the Tigers find themselves in third in the Central, at 23-21. Once again, the offense is cracking: 3rd in runs (with 235) and 1st in HR (91). Jim McAtee leads the way with 14 dingers while batting 9th, and SS Francisco Villon--batting 8th--has 9 and smacked 38 a year ago. Meanwhile, pitching is just 12th, making for a +16 run differential. They added two SP and a couple of relievers, demoting 2048 Cy Young winner Mike Cote to the bullpen. So far, however, the new additions haven't panned out; but if the staff works out its kinks over the summer, this is still my pick to win the division. The offense is just too potent to be held back. Manager John Baird was promoted from bench coach after the team didn't re-sign former skipper Ethan Larrison. He's much more laid back than Larrison, but hasn't cultivated any fans in the clubhouse anyway. Still, a strong leadership group has everyone on the same page for now. Money and stuff: 2nd in both payroll and budget. Owner Henry Ilitch spends money and expect results; he can't be too happy that, despite a long string of playoff appearances, the club hasn't won a title since 1984.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (6-2, 3.39) / RH Tim Ciotta (3-2, 4.40) / RH Dennis Perry (5-3, 5.43)
DET pitchers: RH Kevin Wellington (3-3, 5.65) / LH Mike Fields (0-1, 6.75) / RH Raul Bravo (5-3, 3.44)

#47: LOSS 4-6 ... Jackson settles down to fan 15 in 9 IP, but after tying it late Germann gives up a 2-run HR in the 13th for the loss
#48: WIN 13-6 ... the offense wakes up, scoring 7 in the first...everyone gets a hit, including for from Daley and a Cardenas GRAND SLAM
#49: WIN 6-5 ... pinch 2-run HR in the 9th by Cardenas is the winner...Perry fans 11 through 7 IP, Germann struggles mightily again

Cardenas is a mighty oak! First two big league home runs, one's a grand slam and the other is a walk-off game winner. How do you top that.... Matson is playing through his injury and struggling (down to .269), while Groff is sitting but not on the DL.... White's diagnosis: out 2-3 weeks with back strain. We call up the peripatetic Nick Kramer and sign two minor league free agents for AA and A as we have a raft of injured pitchers in the minors right now.... ELSEWHERE: Conor MacLeod only fans 12 in his latest outing, a 6-hit shutout of the Phillies. He's clearly slipping.... San Francisco has lost four straight and eight of their last ten; now they've lost yet another SP, losing Justin Allred for at least a calendar year. That makes four SP, four RP, and their 3B and CF, all out.... Atlanta's won five in a row to surge past the Nats.... and Brooklyn took 2B Harry Lewis--batting .402 and playing stellar defense--and said "Ehh, not good enough," benching him in favor of rookie Maurizio Barbiusa. Barbz is a selfish, lazy dolt, but he could hit 30 HR in a season. So he's clearly way better.


May 26-28 @ MINNESOTA
At 21-27 and spinning their wheels, with the worst AL batting average and the second-most runs allowed. And that latter stat includes the awesome Conor MacLeod and his 1.73 ERA (and 143 K in 83 IP). Three young and potent bats--Jordan Foots, Josh Jacobson, and Josh Conley--should be more than enough to build around. Throw in still-effective-at-35 3B Roberto Miranda and still-developing 22-year-old catcher Devin Swan, and there are some good pieces here. But the middle infield is batting .234, and leadoff batter Sam Gilmer plays good defense in CF but is not even close to a #1 batter. Only adding two meh RP in the off-season didn't help this year's cause, frankly. Manager Robert Woodard is in his third year, after 17 seasons in Oakland. Everyone's content with him, but no one is really pulling much performance out of himself. Money and stuff: 13th in budget, 12th in payroll. Attendance is down, and owner Adam Thompson wants money more than anything else.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 2.97) / LH Eric Jones (4-5, 4.26) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-2, 3.46)
MIN pitchers: RH Dan Moran (0-7, 7.56) / LH Ryan Galletto (4-4, 2.96) / LH Andy Kozak (2-1, 5.11)

#50: WIN 10-7 ... seven late runs, including the 2-run GW HR from Cappuccilli make for tonight's fun...4 hits for Goodloe, two each for six others
#51: WIN 8-2 ... Frederick and Daley homer in an 18-hit attack, with Daley and Lynn getting 4 hits each...Jones' record back to .500
#52: WIN 9-3 ... Groff returns with 3 hits and a HR, Cappuccilli nearly cycles, and Jackson tosses another CG

Sweep! Helped out, obviously, by not having to face MacLeod, thank you very much.... We're 25-17, and now 6.5 up on the Astros and A's, tied at 28-23.... Groff finally recovers from his strain and resumes hitting in the #3 slot. Four of our top five hitters are batting over .300, and the fifth is Frederick, who is producing at .282/.330/.515 and 10 HR.... ELSEWHERE: Vance Wise (TB) and Zeke de la Rosa (CHW) are the first to reach 20 HR. De la Rosa also leads MLB with 55 RBI.... STL and CAL are the only teams without 20 wins, and also the only teams below .400 win pct. No one is tanking hard this year, which is sad for me.... Atlanta's Marquis Moore leads baseball with 18 steals. He's closing in on 400 for his career, and is looking for his fifth SB crown.... No new injuries to report out of San Francisco.


May 29-31 @ KANSAS CITY
Our sweep of the Twins lifted the Royals out of last place. Still, they're 21-29, with 14th ranked offense and 15th in pitching. RF Erick Ashlock (.303/11/37) and LF Corey Murray (.301) have kept the offense going, but they haven't gotten much help. SP Chris Liles is the ace and has pitched well; but at 30, on a bad team and with a pricey contract he should be prime trade bait in July. Hmmm... Manager Andy Raaff is in his eighth year with the club, and they've gotten worse with each of the last six campaigns. Money and stuff: budget is 25th, payroll 24th. Even with top-ten attendance, there isn't much money here, and it's very unlikely they'll reach the post-season for the first time since 2046.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (3-2, 4.64) / RH Dennis Perry (5-3, 5.11) / RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 3.50)
KCR pitchers: LH David Gaitan (2-3, 4.66) / RH Ryan Swan (3-4, 7.94) / RH Adam Grossman (5-5, 5.54)

#53: LOSS 4-6 ... Whittington homers and drives in two runs, but we sputter overall...Ciotta leaves in the fifth after general ineffectiveness
#54: WIN 4-3 ... four runs in the 1st, then it's all coasting...Simmons knocks 3 hits, now hitting some, at .283...Perry leaves after four with arm trouble
#55: LOSS 5-6 ... we outhit them 13-8, but Pearse and Germann allow four HR, accounting for all six KC runs...3 hits and an RBI for Dunklee

Meh series, allowing Oakland to gain a game on us.... Perry's injury is dtd for a week; we have no days off before his next start, and there's no decision on him yet. Might just roll him out there anyway.... Other injuries: White returns in a week; Matson is still dtd with an 'unknown' return to 100% and is still playing. He's splitting time with Cardenas, who despite his HR heroics from last week is batting just .147.... Pearse is in the back-and-forth phase of his rookie season, making one quality start and then one horrible start. Yippee.... ELSEWHERE: Three straight shutouts for Twins stud Conor MacLeod, fanning 13 Mariners in his last outing. NL counterpart Cris Frias whiffed 15 on the same day, showing he's back to full health.... Rangers monster William Swanson just had a 3-HR game, giving him 20 on the season and putting him at the top of the AL batting race, at .367.... Still only 19 wins for the Angels, losers of five straight. Four straight wins for the Tigers has put them into first in the Central, a half game up on the White Sox.

......

TL;DR Version: 10-5 over this seesaw stretch, 21-8 for the month, and a league-best 36-19 mark overall. (That would be a half game over Portland, if we were in the same division.) The offense is quietly humming along, first in runs, AVG, OPS, and wOBA, and 2nd in OBP, 3rd in steals. We're down to 12th in home runs, about where we were predicted to be. After a slow start, Dunklee has raised his average to .245 and has added 10 HR. Every other regular is batting at least .272, with five over .300. Pitching is fifth in runs against, with the rotation and bullpen in the top five in ERA. Despite my constant snarkiness, only Perry and Ciotta aren't better-than-average in the rotation. And the bullpen, despite solid overall numbers, hasn't been as sharp as recent years. Both setup men--Germann and Kyle Johnson--have struggled, but at least the latter has lowered his ERA by 11 runs over the last two weeks (down to 8.10; shows you how bad he was in April). Both might get moved back to regular MR duty; we'll see.

[Bub13]

2051 DRAFT and MID-SUMMER SYSTEM REVIEW

Time for everyone's favorite part of the season: draft and prospect review! And it's a top-heavy draft for us this year, since we have four Supplemental Round picks thanks to other teams graciously signing our former players to big contracts. Our first round pick will be at #26, and our supplemental picks are the 9th, 13th, 15th, and 16th (or 35th, 39th, 41st, and 42nd overall). In addition, we have the final two picks in the third round...not that there's likely to be anybody of high quality left. But you never know.... Austin, Baltimore, and Toronto will lead things off; no one has multiple first round picks, and you can tell there were a lot of compensation-eligible free agents signed because there are only 26 first round selections.

The BNN network says the top prospect is 22-year-old college pitcher Erik Sloan, out of Oregon State. He does look like the real deal, and if I got him I'd probably start him in A or AA, he's that far along already. University of Iowa pitcher John Demerath is #2, and may turn out even better than Sloan. Outstanding stuff plus elite control equals a can't-miss prospect. The highest ranked batter is at #4, Seton Hall OF Van Polk, who's nickname is 'Martini', so take that with a pinch of salt. Only having a weak arm is his one drawback. BNN's mock draft says we'll take pitcher Travis Harris with our top pick. He's not bad, and at 6'8" would be an intimidating mound presence.

......

Austin took the non-partier Van Polk first overall. Solid pick, and they should have no trouble signing him. Baltimore likewise ignored pitching and selected OF Nate Murray; like Polk he has a lightweight arm, but is otherwise a five-tool player and could be the best to come of this draft. (Plus I had him on a pie-in-the-sky shortlist as he went to my alma mater.) Toronto took Stanford SS Shifty Russell, who reminds me a lot of J.J. Simmons, but with some power. St Louis finally went "on the board" by taking pitcher Erik Sloan. Solid. The top five was completed by the Nats selection of OF Phil Mellon, who will probably strike out 150 times a year but crank out 40+ home runs. Good choice, if that's your jam.

Others of note? Any reaches? I can't tell because OOTP won't let me open the latest draft log. So...you'll have to wait for it. I will of course make fun of anyone who can't sign their top draft choice, especially if they have a history of such things (coughTEXAScough).

......

Here's a quick look at our top picks, and anyone else who caught my fancy. Despite the top five report above, the draft was pitching-heavy at the top. That is definitely reflected in my selections. Seven of our first nine picks were pitchers. And a ton of college guys.

Rnd 1, 26th overall: P Andy Burke, 21, Maine-Presque Isle. Big, solid power pitcher. Could have a five-pitch repertoire. Movement could be better, and faced poor competition in college.

Supplemental, 35th overall: P Travis Harris, 19, West LA (JuCo). We got the guy BNN said we would. More of a finesse guy, with outstanding control. Yes, he's a 6'8" farm kid from South Carolina.

Supplemental, 39th overall: P Elias Tena, 21, UCLA. Decided to swing at a closer, and Tena was the top-ranked pure reliever in the draft. Elite fastball/curve combo, great stuff and movement. Will skip past rookie ball, but a logjam among relievers will probably put him at Short A for now.

Supplemental, 41st overall: P Manny Reyes, 18, high school. Lanky Costa Rican with great intangibles. Looks a lot like Travis Harris right now, with a similarly high control ceiling. Needs to develop that ever-elusive changeup to get SP consideration.

Supplemental, 42nd overall: P Larry Hensley, 21, Golden West (JuCo). More of a junkballer, will rely on a nasty sinker to get ahead. Hard worker. Needs to work on control.

Rnd 2, 77th overall: OF Noah Williams, 18, high school. Great-looking kid, not sure why he fell to the second round. Well, his defense probably: tin glove and average arm. Otherwise, a high-contact power hitter, bit of a free swinger but won't strike out excessively. Or, at least I hope that's how he develops.

Rnd 3, 116th overall: OF Rich Rumbel, 19, Central Arizona College (JuCo). Similar to Williams, above, with less power but high marks in the field. Probably not an all-star talent, but yet another solid OF prospect in the system.

Rnd 3, 117th overall: P Nick Lee, 22, Rice. At his age, he's probably a dark horse. But if he hits his marks, he'll have three good-to-elite pitches, great stuff, and solid control. Stamina isn't great for a hopeful starter.

Others of note: unlike last year, this looks like a really deep draft. P John Loeb (4th round), C Mike Snavely (5th), 1B Matt Barlow (6th), and P Chris Schroeder (7th) all compare favorably with most the guys mentioned above. Special mention for local product Kyle Kolstad (14th), a huge power hitter who's held back by contact and strikeout issues. We also took his distant cousin Ray Kolstad in the 18th round: he looks like the same player, only with even less contact and even more striking out.

......

Man, are we doing something right, or is MLB nuts? We're considered the #1 prospect system in the game, with two guys in the top ten and seven in the top 100. And throw in five more in the top 200. Somehow we've become particularly well-stocked in pitchers, with a smattering of solid OF prospects, and of course the top guy (again), who's neither of those things. I'm less enthused about our 'skill' infield prospects, and you have to go down to #14--SS Kevin Kelley--before one of them shows up. (And he's more of a potential utility guy than anything else.)

#1: 1B Jules Medici, 20, ranked #3 by MLB. Santa Barbara (AAA) .287/4/21 in 45 GP. His power has been slow to come around, which is a concern. He strikes out a lot, so even though I want to bring him up soon, I may leave him in AAA all year to slowly simmer some more. International FA signing in '46.

#2: P Henry Skiffington, 23, ranked #10. Santa Barbara (AAA) 1-0, 1.35, one start. Has been injured for most of the season, and is probably a few more weeks away. Otherwise, I think he is 90% of the way there, and should at least merit a call-up in September. Inside track for a slot in the rotation for '52. Arrived via trade with Pittsburgh.

#3: P Mike Pearse, 24, ranked #18. Hawaii, 6-1, 3.61, 113 K in 77.1 IP, 1.6 WAR. Late blooming minor-league FA signing has been more than solid in his rookie campaign. No fastball, but is getting by with an elite cutter/change combo and a deceptive curve. I am more than pleased so far.

#4: P Mike Bader, 22, ranked #22. Santa Barbara (AAA), 5-3, 5.25, 61.2 IP, 54 K, 0 WAR. Has struggled more than anticipated this year; frankly, he put up bad stats in AA last year too. Still, he's in line for a shot at the rotation next spring. Arrived via trade with Washington.

#5: P Josh Irvin, 22, ranked #37. Santa Barbara (AAA) 3-0, 3.46, 9 starts, 54.2 IP. Nearly made the roster in the spring, but was eked out by Pearse. Having a solid year and is definitely ready for the show. Only hits 91 on the radar gun, but gets by with great movement and a top-ranked curve/change combo. Third round pick in '49.

#6: P Daniel Croft, 20, ranked #58. Wilmington (rookie) no stats. Another trade acquisition, one who's stock has risen since we got him. Could end up being the best of this bunch, but he's got a long way to go: at least 2-3 years away. Arrived via trade with LA in '50.

Others of note:
...Diego Espino, 20, OF: stock keeps rising; decent hitter, great fielder, team leader.
...Josh Hed, 23, OF: dark horse 4th rounder; hitting ceilings have zoomed, although he's undisciplined; solid CF prospect.
...Doug Pederson, 20, OF: last year's 1st rounder; no range in the field, but that's his only drawback.
...Danny Carbajal, 21, P: still keeps chugging away; no elite ceilings, but keeps going up; stamina is too low for the rotation however.
...Mike Covington, 21, C: traded for him; producing in AA right now, fingers crossed he's the catcher of the future (next year maybe?)
...Anthony Booker, 23, P: one of those "no changeup" guys that keeps him from being an elite SP; will get a look in Hawaii this year

Say goodbye to:
...Dante Garrica, 20, OF: still looks okay, but has declined quite a bit in our estimation; not hitting in AA, but could still factor as a utility OF

......

Looking ahead to the 2052 draft, the top prospects at the moment are:
SP Ron Rivera, 21, Oklahoma State: future ace right here, although greedy and a bit selfish
CL Jimmy Unangst, 20, South Carolina: solid closer, so probably won't go until the 2nd round tbh
SP Erik Byers, 21, UCLA: possible ace starter, although as his changeup hasn't developed he probably ends up in the bullpen
SP Brian Orr, 17, high school: would be my pick of this group; although a 17-year-old nicknamed "Beer Barrel" is...concerning

The best non-pitcher coming down the pike looks like the top guy in the 2053 draft, OF Eric Lowenstein. Average fielder, but speedy and with a bat to die for. He's not quite 16, though, so let's wait on the hype over him.

[Bub13]

June! Just over a third of the way through the season, so it gets serious now. We'll have 27 games this month, 13 at home and 14 on the road. We also have two series against California here, both at home. What is it with the schedule this year? Also, the last three interleague series of the season. Next year I'm hoping to change the schedule so we play NL West teams during interleague play; I have no idea why I've stuck with playing teams in the Central for so long. Goodbye, midwest: hello, west coast!

June 1-4 vs TEXAS
Still finding their footing: right at .500, 27-27 and 8.5 games behind us. The offense has been inefficient, as they're only 8th in runs despite having the 3rd highest AVG and AL best OBP. William Swanson is working on another MVP campaign, at .367/20/44. Those numbers put him in a Triple Crown conversation too. Nobody else is blowing the doors off, but no one is slumping, and the worst AVG among starters is .240; truly a rarity in this day and age. Pitching is 6th in runs against, with an inconsistent rotation backed by a solid bullpen. Closer Kevin Cahill really wants to be a starter (and he was decent in 18 starts last year), but a groundballer who hits 101 on the radar gun also sounds like a pretty good closer to me. Trivia time: Making the playoffs last year broke a 28-year drought for the Rangers. Seventeen players on the current squad weren't yet born when Texas went to the playoffs before that, in 2023.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (5-5, 3.97) / RH Shamar Jackson (7-2, 3.41) / RH Tim Ciotta (3-3, 4.91) / RH Dennis Perry (5-3, 5.07)
TEX pitchers: RH Greg Buchanan (6-2, 4.38) / RH Mike Kent (2-5, 4.78) / LH Bobby Daniel (4-6, 3.66) / RH Paul Labbe (2-3, 7.02)

#56: LOSS 2-5 ... Jones gives up 4 in the first but soldiers on through 5 anyway...3 hits and a SB for Lynn; just 2 hits total for everyone else
#57: WIN 3-1 ... 3 more hits for Lynn, and 3 RBI for Daley...Jackson outduels Kent; only 14 hits combined tonight
#58: WIN 4-1 ... 3 hits for Daley, a bunch of singles from everyone else, and a 6-hitter by Ciotta
#59: WIN 6-5 ... 5 lead changes, culminated by Goodloe's GW HR in the 7th...Perry is blech, but the pen fans 4 over the last two frames to save the day

Solid, and yet we lose a game to Oakland, working on an 8-game winning streak.... Goodloe officially leads the team with a .340 average (good for third in the AL), but Rob Rich is batting .343 in a platoon role, and really pushing for a contract extension.... Perry leaves his game with a sore arm, but won't miss any starts. Josh Matson is still listed with an "unknown" return to 100% date, and Jon White comes off the DL in five days.... ELSEWHERE: Lots of streaks in the AL right now: Oakland and Detriot (+8), Miami (+6), and Tampa (+5) are killing it; California (-9), Toronto and Baltimore (-8), and Chicago (-6) are not. California still has not reached 20 wins.... Minny's Conor MacLeod now has 166 K in 12 starts; Cincy's Cris Frias has 148 in 11.... As usual, Detroit (122) and Cincinnati (107) lead their leagues in home runs.


June 5-6 vs CALIFORNIA
Little is going right for these guys: last place, last team stuck at 19 wins, 15th in runs for and 17th in runs against. 37-year-old RF Mike Wapner is having a nice late-in-life renaissance, batting .317 with 11 HR; and young 1B Ricky Ochoa (.274/18/48) is starting to look like the cornerstone piece he's been advertised as. All their top hitting prospects are a year or two away, sadly, but top pitcher Nate Elder is in the bullpen and looks close to being fit for the rotation. They need him too, as only Ken Demers is pitching well right now. (Ace Jon Carlsen has been so-so, and Ryan Kuehner, Mike Hosey, and Jeremy DiMaggio have not shown much.) Trivia time: how many Angels batters since 2014 are now in the Hall of Fame? Three. OF Mike Trout, C Jared Grose, and 3B Macario "The Brazilian Waxer" Fiel. Oddly, only Grose's number has been retired by the club.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 3.66) / LH Eric Jones (5-6, 4.18)
CAL pitchers: RH Mike Hosey (3-6, 7.93) / RH Jeremy DiMaggio (2-7, 5.22)

#60: WIN 3-2 ... a 2-run 9th, capped by a Simmons sac fly, staves off embarrassment...Pearse whiffs 15 through 6 IP, Yi gets 6 in 2.1 IP, and Germann adds one
#61: WIN 9-6 ... Groff homers twice, Dunklee adds one; first dingers in a long while for us...16 hits total, including three triples

Perfectly acceptable; sorry about the double-digit losing streak, California fans.... 22 Angels went down on strikes in that first game. That's...not good, right?... The second game really wasn't as close as it looks, since Nick Kramer exploded for four runs in the 8th inning. Guess who's going back to AAA in a couple days when White comes back.... ELSEWHERE: Pittsburgh's George Cart is a 28-year-old rookie flyball-tossing knuckleballer with no movement (?), but he made his MLB debut a good one, tossing a 4-hit shutout over the Cubs.... Eleven straight losses for California, ten straight wins for Detroit.... Portland 3B Gerardo Nieto came in 2nd in ROY voting last year. This year he's off to a .359/15/50 start, and has earned as much WAR already as he did all of last season.


June 8-11 @ OAKLAND
Having a solid year so far, at 36-25 and 5 games behind us. Despite having four regulars on the DL, the offense ranks sixth in runs, second in HR. LF Felix Reyes has 20 HR already, 3B Ryan Walton has 16. (They both topped 40 last year.) Pitching is 2nd in the AL, and the rotation has been the best in the league so far. Three starters have ERA below three--basically unheard of these days--but #5 guy Mike Thomas has been a real drag. Trivia time: Head trainer Tom Dunn is in his 9th season with the club. Which is a "so what" thing, except that he's only 39, and is already regarded as one of the best in the business. Clearly they're hoping lightning strikes twice, having named 38-year-old Joe Adams as head scout in the winter.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (8-2, 3.22) / RH Tim Ciotta (4-3, 4.58) / RH Dennis Perry (5-3, 5.23) / RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 3.61)
OAK pitchers: RH Eric Stockton (2-0, 2.30) / LH Chris Larimer (7-3, 2.66) / RH Conrad Robertson (3-4, 4.76) / LH Mike Thomas (2-6, 6.43)

#62: WIN 11-4 ... Lynn and Matson homer, and four guys get 3 hits, including Rich...another CG for Jackson, with 11 K
#63: LOSS 6-7 ... we blow a 6-3 lead late and lose in the 12th...we give up 3 HR for those late runs...we outhit them 15-10
#64: WIN 5-2 ... 15 more hits...3 each for Simmons and Frederick, and Groff homers for the 2nd straight game
#65: WIN 6-3 ... bases loaded double for Simmons is the key hit, and Cardenas homers and drives in another run with a single

Impressive: we cranked out nearly 60 hits over these four games, and almost had a sweep.... Jon White comes off the DL and earns a save in his first game back. Nick Kramer goes back to AAA.... After an awful, injury-plagued April, JJ Simmons is batting .424 this month. Bob Goodloe is following up last year's awesomeness with a .335 start, good for third in the AL thus far.... ELSEWHERE: Seattle decided that a 26-35 start was simply unacceptable and fired both manager Hector Garcia (1st year) and GM Justin Ditter (fifth). No word on their replacements; bench coach Ron Miller will act as interim manager.... Ten -- TEN -- Giants pitchers are now on the DL. And somehow they're holding on to 4th place in the NL West. (Their current rotation tossed a combined 126 MLB innings last year.) Also: despite the best batting average in the NL, they're 12th in runs scored. Talk about playing under a curse.


June 13-15 @ CHICAGO CUBS
The Cubs are trapped in that middling hellscape of neither using their piles of cash to grab top free agents nor tearing it down and going into rebuild mode. So you end up with an uninspiring 27-35 team (13-25 since 5/1), last in offense and home runs. Sure, free agent grabs Juan Garcia and C.J. Howard are batting over .300, as usual, and 3B Jason Eastep has 13 HR. But the other talent--Justin Doss, Brendan Polchlopek--arent't hitting, and the no-talents aren't rising above. And no, sending down both of your middling catchers for two less-than-middling replacements isn't the answer. Pitching has been okay: 8th in runs against, with the best NL bullpen ERA. Outside of Rafa Maldonado (36), the rotation is young, and should-be-closer Dan Carmichael (replaced this year by newbie Sam Berisford, who is 38 but pitching well at least) is a future star. Bad sign: the prospect system ranks 29th, with no batters who look like guaranteed starters. Manager Yuhei Kai is a first-year skipper, after four years as bench coach. He has his pitchers batting 8th, so clearly he's something of a genius. Money and stuff: 12th in budget, 15th payroll.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (6-6, 4.04) / RH Shamar Jackson (9-2, 3.29) / RH Tim Ciotta (4-3, 4.57)
CHC pitchers: RH Tony McKinney (1-4, 5.50) / RH Micah Whitlow (4-5, 4.76) / RH Dan Holzer (3-6, 4.85)

#66: WIN 12-5 ... 16 hits, 10 for extra bases...Jones is solid through 7, but Germann makes it exciting with a 4-run 8th
#67: WIN 6-2 ... Daley cycles! and "trade block" Cappuccilli knocks a 2-run HR...Jackson reaches 10 wins on the season
#68: LOSS 6-7 ... we blow a 5-0 lead, losing on a 4-run 9th...Ciotta goes 8 against his old team, should have won

So close to a sweep. This bullpen is starting to give me the shakes, despite sitting 4th in AL ERA. There are a couple of guys on the trade block I'm currently sniffing around; hence the comment next to Cappuccilli above.... Daley's cycle was a "natural" one: 1b/2b/3b/HR in that order.... Rob Rich tweaks his knee, so sits for a couple of days. No DL time for him, however.... All but one of our draft picks has signed; the remainer is labeled "extremely hard," but we offered what he wants so I'm not concerned.... ELSEWHERE: SF now has 11 injured guys, yet has moved into 3rd in the NL West and are 9-1 in their last ten.... Conor MacLeod (him again?) leads all players with 5.6 WAR; only two others have at least 4 WAR.... Checking in on the departures that garnered us four supplemental round picks last week: SS Rich Stoneback (LA) has been healthy, but batting just .248/8/35; SP Ryan Ratliff (CLE) 3-6, 6.33 ERA; SP Mike Garfield (SD) 8-4, 2.95; 1B Chris Goldthwait (PIT) .266/16/37. Only SD and PIT are playing well right now.

......

TL;DR Version: A highly satisfying 10-3 stretch, which has pulled us to a 7 game lead over Oakland and 8 over Houston. The offense is league-best again, and our pitching has improved to second. Even the bullpen--which I harp on for some reason--is third in ERA. Ben Germann has been pretty bad of late, but Kyle Johnson (of the 12.27 ERA in April) has given up just one run since the beginning of May. We're just 12th in home runs--which was expected--but four regulars are in double figures, and six starters are batting over .300. Now we just need to stay healthy...

[Bub13]

June 16-18 @ PITTSBURGH
Back on top of the NL Central, 42-25 and 8 games ahead of Montreal. The great Pirates teams of the 30s were offensive juggernauts. Not so, these guys: 13th in runs, 17th in AVG. No one is batting .300 and the top two guys in the lineup are hitting a combined .221. RF Miguel Iglesias is solid as usual, at .289/12/32, and 2B Tony Conde is hitting a career best .282. Pitching sits 5th, with the rotation hitting on all cylinders right now. Starters Kenny West, Rick Horan, and Alex Correa are all under 25 and showing signs of fully harnessing their great potential. The pen has been a bit wobbly, but closer Jose Rivera (1.91, 24 SV) has been money. Manager Dario Agrazal was a champion with Atlanta in '46, and has been excellent in his two+ years in Pittsburgh. Money and stuff: 23rd in both budget and payroll. Only one regular (plus three relievers) are free agents in the fall, so their budget limitations won't be pushed any time soon.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (6-3, 4.94) / RH Mike Pearse (7-1, 3.66) / LH Eric Jones (7-6, 3.83)
PIT pitchers: RH Alex Correa (7-3, 3.28) / LH Alex Alvarado (4-5, 4.15) / RH George Cart (1-0, 0.00)

#69: WIN 4-2 ... Daley's two-run triple in the 9th wins it...Perry leaves in the second, diagnosis is pending. Bullpen fans 12 after he's pulled
#70: LOSS 1-4 ... another late loss, yielding runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th...Groff's solo HR is our only run tonight
#71: WIN 5-3 ... Mahoney gets bombed in relief again, but this time we hold on, nearly squandering a late 5-0 lead...2 H for Lynn, 2-run triple for Matson

Some soft bullpen work, but otherwise fine.... Injury news: Matson is back to 100%, as is Rich, and Perry's diagnosis was "dead arm" but he'll miss no starts.... AAA Santa Barbara is 39-16.... Cam Daley goes 12-for-25 and earns Player of the Week honors.... ELSEWHERE: Houston has won six in a row to move into second place in the AL West. Baltimore has dropped six straight to fall to the bottom of the heap, 24-44.... Brooklyn's Chris White recently became the fifth active player to reach 2500 career hits. He's also one away from 500 home runs. Cubs pitcher Rafa Maldonado is less than a hundred away from becoming the seventh to reach 4000 K. Robins ace Eddy Llamas is just 9 behind him.


June 19-21 vs ST LOUIS
After a horrendous 5-20 April, the Cards have righted themselves to go 26-20 since. The stats still don't look good, however: 13th in runs for, 15th in runs against. RF Phil Imel--a prize FA catch from a year ago, is his excellent self at .302/20/46. But no one else is even hitting .250. Ace Steve Davenport is coming along, and there are a couple other arms with talent; but the pen has been a mess, and there are too many old-and-nearly-washed-up guys around to consider this either a rebuild or a stab at competitiveness. They've also become a home for wayward former Isles: C Alexis Mercedes (still going at 39), 2B Manny Rangel (hitting .218), 2B Josh Robertson (batting .373 but getting few starts), SP Jim Kieffer, and RP Dan Brown. Manager Jean Ramirez is in his first season, after eight years of diminishing returns in Austin. Money and stuff: budget is 15th, payroll 21st. They've got a ton of money to spend, but aging owner Joe DeWitt, Jr, doesn't seem to have a care. Fan interest has also dipped dramatically.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (10-2, 3.27) / RH Tim Ciotta (4-3, 4.47) / RH Dennis Perry (6-3, 4.97)
STL pitchers: RH Jim Kieffer (3-7, 6.25) / RH Matt Wright (1-7, 4.60) / RH Steve Davenport (5-5, 2.50)

#72: LOSS 5-10 ... Jackson throws a stinker but the pen yields 5 runs late...six balls leave the yard tonight
#73: LOSS 3-7 ... well, we didn't strike out any, and our pitchers fanned 14 Cards...nothing else to see here
#74: WIN 8-6 ... Burrows' 2-run HR in the 12th wins it...we got 13 hits and took 12 walks...3 hits each for Daley and Simmons

Not so great, but at least we avoided an embarrassing home sweep.... Manny Rangel bashed a couple home runs, and Josh Robertson played DH and got 8 hits. Fantastic. Now get out.... Got an interesting trade offer from Minnesota. 'Interesting' in that it would've saved me money and opened up space on the 40-man roster. But they offered me next to nothing.... Team defensive efficiency is still pretty poor, 17th in the AL.... ELSEWHERE: Nine losses in a row for Baltimore now.... 201 strikeouts now for Conor MacLeod, in 15 starts. He's on pace for 440, which I suppose is pretty good.... Portland's Gerardo Nieto is the first batter to 5 WAR. He's batting .377/18/64 for the first place Pioneers.


June 23-25 vs CALIFORNIA
Still in last place, 26-47. The "offense" ranks 15th in runs, while pitching is 16th. 1B Ricky Ochoa (.282/24/59) has been a one-man band, with only CF Jake Glowski (.275/8/26) helping any. Pitching is struggling across the board, with closer Scott Mahala (9.89 ERA, 2.24 WHIP) a prime example. Trivia, etc: this year's $101M payroll drops to just $66M committed so far for 2052. And that includes Mike Wapner's $11.9M vesting option, which requires 550 PA. (He's very unlikely to reach that.) Now that's committing to a rebuild the right way!

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (7-1, 3.51) / LH Eric Jones (8-6, 3.61) / RH Shamar Jackson (10-2, 3.50)
CAL pitchers: RH Mike Hosey (3-7, 6.92) / RH Nate Elder (0-0, 4.74) / RH Jon Carlsen (4-7, 4.22)

#75: WIN 9-2 ... 3 hits for Frederick, 2 for a bunch of guys...10 K through 7 IP for Pearse
#76: LOSS 0-3 ... we manage just four hits, all scratch singles...Jones is fine, fanning 7 through 6 IP
#77: WIN 12-6 ... Frederick's GRAND SLAM and Matson's 3-run shot set the pace...12 hits plus 12 runs equals Efficiency!

I guess we needed that one night off, huh.... I thought Goodloe's .354/18/80 mark last year was likely a career high. But I'm liking what he's following that up with so far: .330/8/39. His defense at third hasn't been great, but it's not killing us either. Josh Matson, however, is underperforming a bit, at .281. His 2B defense has been pretty bad, tho. He really is a candidate for 1B one day.... ELSEWHERE: Even taking away his 212 strikeouts, Conor MacLeod is just deathly this year: 16 starts, 11 CG, EIGHT SHUTOUTS.... Detroit's pulled out a 5.5 game lead over Chicago, and Luis Rodela has had a big month, now leads MLB with 29 HR.... As we approach the mid-point of the season, the NL division races are looking dull at the moment: ATL leads WSH by 8.5; PIT over MTL by 11; POR over SD by 6.5.


June 26-29 @ HOUSTON
Losers of 7 straight, they've fallen to 41-37, 10.5 behind us and 4 behind second place Oakland. Like CAL, the offense has been a two-man operation: 1B Jose Renteria (.328/18/50) and 3B Ricky Silva (.269/15/58). Leadoff batter Jason Welch has a nice .356 OBP, but four regulars are batting under .230. Pitching has been fine (5th overall), but the bottom part of the rotation has been a mess. SP Ron Mills comes back in a few weeks, and not a moment too soon. (He's not great, but better than what's shambling out there right now.) Trivia, etc: Top prospect Humberto Quirindongo is showing some power (10 HR in single A), but he's been slow to develop elsewhere; at age 21, he needs to step it up. There's not much else for the 33rd ranked system, but catcher Chad Willis looks decent (a rarity among catching prospects), and SP Cooper Bradberry is already up on the big team but not going great just yet.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (4-4, 4.85) / RH Dennis Perry (6-3, 4.83) / RH Mike Pearse (8-1, 3.35) / LH Eric Jones (8-7, 3.57)
HOU pitchers: LH Chris Harris (7-4, 3.62) / RH Cooper Bradberry (1-6, 5.98) / RH Dustin Springer (9-5, 3.59) / RH Eric Morton (2-7, 6.87)

#78: WIN 8-7 ... 3 H and 3 RBI for Groff, including a GW 2-run single in the 7th...2-run HR for Cardenas
#79: LOSS 3-5 ... Perry falls apart in a 5-run 4th inning...2 hits for Matson, triple for Lynn, and little else
#80: WIN 7-2 ... 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI for Cappuccilli, 3 hits for Daley...8 K, 6 IP by Pearse, then 4 K for the bullpen to close it out
#81: LOSS 4-7 ... bleah...bad pitching, no timely hitting...moving on

Well that could've gone better. Pitching is trending down right now, the rotation at least. Look guys: there are some good-looking guys in AAA who deserve a chance, so get it together.... And we're back in first place in stolen bases! Huzzah! Or not. It's only 62 steals, so don't get too excited.... ELSEWHERE: 32 HR by Luis Rodela now.... Detroit has banged out 174 HR. Eight regulars have hit double figures, three have hit at least 20.... There are five teams (HAW, MIA, ATL, PIT, POR) on track for 100 wins.


June 30 vs CLEVELAND
MLB had the Indians winning 75 games, but they aren't on track even for that modest goal, at 33-45. Last place in the AL Central, 14th in runs for and 15th in runs against. LF Morgan Akers (.299/14/41) is hitting, and 1B Manny Ayala is still batting .327, but there's not much else on the plate. Ayala's AVG has dropped 50 points this month; stud 2B D.J. Grace (.261) is hitting 60 points below his career average. One good thing is that CF and offensive anchor Pat Daniels (.180 this year; .161 last year) is on the DL. The rotation is next-to-last right now, and that includes a bad year from former Isle Ryan Ratliff, whom we'll see in the second game. Manager Jose Ariza has been at the helm since 2041, and it may be time for a change. Money and stuff: 32nd-ranked budget and payroll. Most of the guys around now will be back next year. They're not playing well, but at least they're cheap!

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (10-2, 3.76)
CLE pitchers: RH Bob Garner (6-7, 5.42)

#82: WIN 6-1 ... 4-hitter from Jackson, with 9 K...4 hits by Daley...2 hits by Rich, now hitting .337

Not much to add after only one game. At least it went well. Solid shutout and no injuries.... AAA Santa Barbara is now 48-17, still leading the PCL South Division by 13 games.... ELSEWHERE: Pretty strong half season from Portland sophomore Gerardo Nieto: .361/21/73, 5.4 WAR.... Best AL rookie so far is White Sox 2B Ninsei Sato, .280/20/53. He's 34 too. Our own Mike Pearse has been the best rookie pitcher, so he's in the running for ROY too.... Halfway through the year, and California has 28 wins, Baltimore 29.

......

TL;DR Version: We close out an 18-9 month, making for a 54-28 overall record and a 7 game lead over Oakland. And for the first time that I can remember, we'll start July without anyone on the DL. Shhh...don't say anything else. Looking at who's moving up: Daley is killing it, Frederick is heating up, and Goodloe and Rich are still going strong. Who's going down: pitchers Ciotta and Perry are struggling. I joked about bringing up someone from AAA, which could still happen, although I still prefer not throwing some rookie into a playoff race this late into the season. We'll see...

[Bub13]

With the All-Star break, we'll have just 25 games this month. Only 8 at home, and except for a homestand from 7/24-26, we'll be on the road from the 7th through the rest of the month. And with the trade deadline looming, we'll obviously consider buffing any spots that aren't looking good over these weeks.

July 1-2 vs CLEVELAND
Finishing up this series with two games.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (4-4, 5.04) / RH Dennis Perry (6-4, 5.06)
CLE pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (4-7, 6.59) / RH George Millard (8-6, 4.25)

#83: WIN 8-7 ... we score all our runs early then hold on for dear life...3-run HR from Groff and Whittington...Ciotta gets hammered again
#84: WIN 4-2 ... Goodloe goes 4-for-5, including the GW 2-run HR in the 10th...Perry finally has a good game, yielding just 1 run over 6 IP

Sweep! Even a sweep of a last-place team still merits an exclamation point.... International free agents are out, and everyone wants a sh*t-ton of money. We do make one offer, but that will max us out.... The prospects report was also just revised, and we're still number one. We now have ten players in the top 100, including seven pitchers. Recent draft picks Andy Burke (#69, nice) and Travis Harris (#81) make their debuts, and two other 2051 pitching picks are in the top 150.... ELSEWHERE: Atlanta's won 8 out of 10 and has opened up a 10.5 game lead over Washington. Pittsburgh has the same lead over Montreal.... Detroit's Luis Rodela was AL player of the month for June, and leads all MLB with 34 HR.... Yankees pitcher Joe Erkel won the AL Cy Young award last year with a 5.5 WAR season. This year two pitchers (MacLeod, 6.5; Frias 5.9) have already passed that.... Miami's David Von Eschen had his 27-game hitting streak ended.


July 3-5 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Hanging on behind the hot Tigers, at 44-39 and 4.5 games out. Offense ranks 8th in runs, despite losing star SS Chris Rock and decent 2B/DH Tim Ost for the season. CF Zeke de la Rosa has cooled after his hot start, but is still swinging a .316/24/65 bat. At 34, rookie 2B Ninsei Sato has 20 HR, and RF Andy Barenberg is batting .283 with 16 HR. Pitching is 13th in runs allowed, probably better than could be expected given that two starters and two relievers (including closer Burton Dick) are on the DL. Starter Luke Weaver is having another quietly effective year (he's average nearly 5 WAR a season over the past five), and sophomore Ivan Moreno has been better than advertised. Manager Taylor Black has been around since '46, and hasn't moved the needle much one way or the other. Budget and stuff: 19th in payroll and budget. Owner Andy Johnston is more interested in profit, but if he would just build a winning team the ASTRONOMICAL fan base would see him raking in untold trillions or even gazillions.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (9-1, 3.33) / LH Eric Jones (8-8, 3.95) / RH Shamar Jackson (11-2, 3.57)
CHW pitchers: RH Emmanuel Vasquez (3-3, 4.56) / RH Luke Weaver (10-3, 3.42) / RH Danny Ruiz (3-9, 7.62)

#85: WIN 3-0 ... a 3-hit, 11-K effort from Pearse...3 hits from Matson, including 2 solo HR
#86: WIN 6-5 ... 13 singles and Cappuccilli's walk-off HR in the 10th are the story...that, and Jones' injury after facing one batter
#87: WIN 8-1 ... lots of runs, on just 10 hits...Dunklee homers, average is up to .270...4 hits yielded by Jackson

We are just killing July. Long road trip coming tho, let's see what that brings.... Injury to Jones is just a week-long dtd thing; with the all-star break coming, he won't miss a start. No other injuries right now.... Three teams have made trade offers: "we'll accept a couple of good, young players for this washed-up old man, okay?".... I had to sign one international free agent: catcher Santiago Delgado joins the system. If he hits his marks he'll be a high-contact doubles hitter, won't strike out but won't hit many out, can't run, above average receiver. Good intangibles, so that gives him a fighting chance to make it, but with 16 year olds you just never know.... ELSEWHERE: Baltimore and California reached 30 wins. I'm really hoping for a 50-win team this year.... Montreal 3B Antonio Maestas leads MLB with 141 strikeouts. He led everyone with 230 last year. He's on pace with 266 this year, while earning 1.3 WAR. He's no Jordan Cruz (who would get 3-4 WAR most years because of his defense), but at least he's not Baltimore's Nick Mullens, who's whiffed 131 times in 276 AB, while hitting .178.


July 7-9 @ MILWAUKEE
Five straight years of over-.500 records is in jeopardy, at 41-43. Offense is 11th, pitchings is 12th. They are 6th in home runs, with six regulars in double figures. LF Neil Cockrell (.299/22/41) and CF Oscar Espinosa (.302/19/39) have been the offensive stars. The rotation is sputtering: only Jeffrey Foley has an ERA below 5. Maybe having five pitchers on the DL has hurt them. Manager SG Che is in his sixth year, and is still riding high on winning Manager of the Year in his rookie campaign in '46. Money and stuff: budget is 18th, payroll is 9th. Finally! A team that is spending money, even if it's not really paying off right now.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (5-4, 5.20) / RH Dennis Perry (6-4, 4.84) / RH Mike Pearse (10-1, 3.09)
MIL pitchers: RH Ryan Crawley (6-7, 5.32) / LH Daniel Becker (2-3, 5.14) / RH John De Jong (1-3, 5.06)

#88: WIN 7-4 ... Cappuccilli goes single, triple, HR, with 4 RBI...2 hits, 3 runs for Simmons
#89: WIN 11-0 ... we outhit them 15 to 3...3 hits each for Lynn and Daley, 2 hits and 3 BB for Groff...10 K complete game for Perry
#90: WIN 5-0 ... six doubles and a triple tonight...no shutout for Pearse (7.1 IP), but second straight start not allowing a run

Another sweep, and again no complaints from me. But: Frederick gets hurt sliding into second in the last game, and has a pending diagnosis. Uh-oh.... We go into the all-star break on a nine-game winning streak and a 62-28 record.... Closer Jon White wants to talk new contract too.... ELSEWHERE: Conor MacLeod does it again, striking out 21 Orioles in a 9-3 win.... California trades their ace, Jon Carlsen, to Cincinnati for 3B Joe Thompson (high-power, low-contact) and RP (but future SP?) Seth O'Neill. Decent trade for both: Cincy gets help for the stretch drive, and Cali actually gets some younger players that could help their rebuild. [Note: Carlsen was someone I considered making an offer for, but his intangibles aren't great, and he's only got two pitches. But is still successful.]

......

It's the All-Star break! First, there's the prospects game. We send four players: pitchers Henry Skiffington and Mike Bader, 1B Jules Medici, and OF Josh Hed. The game itself was not close, as the AL kids beat the NL 6-1. Our pitchers didn't play, and Medici went 0-for-3, Hed 1-for-2. Next is the main event, where we also place four guys: starters will be 3B Bob Goodloe and LF Cam Daley; we add relievers Yue-jiu Yi and Jon White. The Yankees also place four players. The game was close, with the AL winning 5-3 at Minnesota's Target Field. All our guys played, with Daley going 3-for-4 and Goodloe 1-for-2. Both pitchers tossed shutout innings. Boston's Victor Sanchez (2-for-4, GW HR) was the game MVP.

Before we get back to regular events, here's some news to be filed under NOT GOOD AT ALL. First, three of my top draft picks--all pitchers--are already down with major injuries. At least the one Travis Harris got was a hamstring, not an arm/shoulder one. Second, and more immediate to the cause: Josh Frederick suffered a broken fibula and is out for 2-3 months. Right now, I'm not sure if I'll make a trade or not. There aren't any great-looking OF on the block right now: at least, none with some power, contact, and defense combined. My feeling right now is to give bench guys Cappuccilli and Burrows some more AB and see what they can do, before looking harder outside the organization.

......

July 14-16 @ BOSTON
The mega road trip continues on the east coast in Fenway. Small losing records each month have combined for their current 40-50 mark, 13 games out of first. The 4th-ranked offense is, sadly, paired with league-worst pitching. Victor Sanchez (.303/24/58) is the recent All-Star MVP, leadoff batter Luis Sandoval is hitting .293, and they recently acquired former Isles backup catcher Dave McCollum (.288). DH Sean Kropp is pulling double duty, batting .269/12/29 and in the rotation at 6-3, 4.12. Manager Gustavo Nunez is in his second season, winning 84 games last year. Money and stuff: 11th budget, 14th payroll, and owner Matthew Zunker wants a championship team by next year. Probably...not gonna happen. We swept these guys at home back in April.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (8-8, 3.94) / RH Shamar Jackson (12-2, 3.41) / RH Mike Pearse (11-1, 2.90)
BOS pitchers: RH Zion Robinson (5-5, 4.75) / RH Danny Diaz (6-4, 5.15) / LH Jonathan Esquivel (2-5, 5.44)

#91: LOSS 4-8 ... Jones doesn't get out of the second inning...Whittington knocks a 3-run HR, but we manage only four other hits
#92: WIN 7-5 ... we crank out 8 doubles, driving in nearly all our runs...Jackson goes 7, wins his 13th
#93: WIN 6-1 ... 11 strikeouts by Pearse...3 hits, 2 RBI for Lynn, and 2 hits and RBI for Daley

The winning streak is over, but we still took two and maintain a 9-game lead over Oakland.... The new RF situation so far: Cappuccilli 4-for-10, newbie Stephen Eason 0-for-5. Early days yet.... By the way, I called up OF Stephen Eason for his first taste of the big time. I'm going to try rotating him, Cappuccilli, and Julius Burrows through RF until someboday says "I'm the guy!" Burrows, however, will probably play a bit less as he's the only one of the three truly fit to also play CF, where he backs up Lynn.... ELSEWHERE: Several more trades go through the works, none worth reporting. Teams seem to be hot for middle relievers right now.... Cincy loses ace Cris Frias for three weeks with a sore back. Chances are, tho, that he'll still be leading the NL in strikeouts when he returns (211 so far; 2nd place Jose Gutierrez has 175).... San Francisco is four games under .500 and likely going nowhere this year, but they're still in third in the NL West. Quite remarkable seeing as they just put their sixth SP on the DL, and 12th player overall. Their current rotation pitched a combined 61 MLB innings last year.

......

TL;DR Version: A lovely 10-1 stretch, including most of a nine-game winning streak. We're a crazy 64-29 overall. Frederick's injury stings, but hopefully we've got the horses to come close to his production. If not, we're still a couple weeks away from the trade deadline, and I've got assets I can deal. Frederick should be back for the playoffs. (Yeah, I'm thinking playoffs already.) Pitching has been pretty good of late, and we're back in 1st in runs against. The pen has been particularly solid, with YJ Yi earning an all-star berth on the back of a 2.80 ERA and 89 K in 64 IP. And finally, I'm not sure what I'll do with the disappointing Tim Ciotta and his 5.18 ERA...

[Bub13]

July 18-20 @ BALTIMORE
Slapping it out with California for the worst record in baseball (the O's are currently leading the field, at 33-57). Nothing good is happening on offense, where they're dead last in nearly every category. It says a lot that their two best hitters weren't regulars when the season opened: DH Miguel Echeverria (.319/9/31) and RF Jesus Samano (.280/9/32). LF B.J. Valencia has 19 HR but is batting just .234. The leadoff batter is Nick Mullins, who should never be anywhere near an MLB roster: batting .187 and striking out 40% of the time. FORTY PERCENT. Pitching is better, at 13th, but no one is distinguishing himself in a good way. Manager Pat Wilson (who is, frankly, me) is probably wishing he didn't try to extort a nearly $2M salary out of GM Me eight years ago. Honolulu looks even better now, doesn't it pal? Fun fact: the league rankings of the top player at each position looks thus: 31, 33, 36, 35, 36, 35, 36, 34, 31, 35, 18 (RP Ken Zeolla). That's less than good.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (7-4, 4.43) / RH Tim Ciotta (6-4, 5.18) / LH Eric Jones (8-9, 4.38)
BAL pitchers: RH Tony Gamez (3-5, 6.29) / RH Cody Brown (5-4, 3.50) / LH Mike Victor (6-10, 4.03)

#94: LOSS 3-4 ... woo, what a start to this series...we double their hits but Perry gives up 3 HR, and that's enough
#95: WIN 13-7 ... Daley and Matson each power out a pair of homers, and we add 13 singles on top of that...Ciotta struggles again, lifted in the 5th
#96: WIN 5-1 ... 1b, 2b, HR for Lynn, and a pair of RBI singles by Eason...7 IP of shutout ball from Jones

When I pick on a bad team then lose the first game of a series, I feel like karma is settling over me. But then we win the other two and all is restored to order. Or something like that.... Awaiting an injury diagnosis on Jeremy Dunklee now. If he's gone long-term, that'll be two mid-lineup power bats out of play. Which could force my hand re any trades over the next eleven days.... ELSEWHERE: Nine wins in a row for the Reds, bringing them back to .500, but still 11 games behind Pittsburgh.... Five of the six divisions feature leads of 8 or more games. Only the NL West is close, with SD trailing POR by 1.5. Also, the AL East IS close, with Miami and Tampa tied at the top, but leading NY by 8.... If the Braves weren't there, the NL East would be a dogfight, with only three games separating second to sixth place.... Cubs 3B Juan Garcia has batted .394 this month to raise his overall number to .353; but he's being left behind by SD's Gerardo Nieto, batting .429 in July and .370 overall.


July 21-23 @ TORONTO
A 15-12 April had them leading the division for a bit, but a 9-20 May soon put an end to that. Currently they're 43-52 and 12.5 games out. Hitting ranks 8th, pitching 10th, for an odd +8 run differential. Being third in HR helps, as they've jacked out 153 of them so far. LF Aaron Harrison leads the way with 29, and 3B Tony Mendoza has added 22. Although they're making strides as compared to last year's 63 win team, it still looks like another year of rebuilding north of the border. Wierdly, they have four SP on the DL right now, all due to come back in exactly seven months. They also have the #1 prospect in MLB Greg Boedigheimer, who's really struggling in AA right now but does look like real ace material down the line. Fun fact: This frachise is all-or-nothing. They have three periods of making the playoffs, surrounded by seas of suckage: 1) after the outlier year of '85, they went 4 times in 5 years between '89 and '93, winning two titles; 2) four straight from '19 to '22, winning another title; and 3) 9 out of 10 years from '31 to '40, winning one more title.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (13-2, 3.43) / RH Mike Pearse (12-1, 2.74) / RH Dennis Perry (7-5, 4.47)
TOR pitchers: LH Chris Rivera (4-5, 4.43) / LH Tucker Bonnar (8-6, 3.77) / RH Erik Bradley (1-4, 5.14)

#97: LOSS 4-5 ... Jackson throws well, but puts a runner on in the 8th then gives up the GW HR, dangit...hits equal at 7 a side
#98: LOSS 4-5 ... tough one, blowing a 4-2 lead in the 9th and losing in 10...Lynn with 3 hits, Simmons a pair of RBI doubles...5 steals
#99: LOSS 3-4 ... at least we lose this one early, in a 4-run 3rd on a simple grand slam...only 7 hits again tonight

Tough way to end the road trip. Moribund hitting and a leaky bullpen are the primary culprits.... No word yet on Dunklee's injury.... Despite this series, Cam Daley is still batting .340, second in the AL. Joe Lynn is third with 22 steals.... Rob Rich has slowed to just .192 this month, but he's still hitting .315 overall and needling me for a new contract. The soon-to-be-31-year-old wants a simple four year extension at his current rate of $5M per. Eh, I dunno. Despite his bounceback this year, his offense was non-existent the last two seasons. His backup, Whittington, has produced some offense this year, and despite his ratings is actually playing better behind the plate. And I've got one (maybe two) guys on the farm who may be ready to push next season. Like I said, I dunno.... ELSEWHERE: Conor MacLeod tossed his 9th shutout in 20 starts. Not even 50%? Boooo.... California kid Ricky Ochoa has surged to the top of the HR charts, leading everyone with 36.


July 24-26 vs SEATTLE
Home again at last! Even if only for one series. The M's are 45-52, with an offense still stuck in neutral at 16th in runs. DH Ger van Mourik (age 22) has been pretty good, with an .865 OPS, and leadoff man Luis Hernandez (21) has no power but is batting .281 with 31 steals. He'll be really good once he stops striking out (106 times already). Pitching ranks 6th, with an unspectacular-looking rotation backed by a solid bullpen. If anyone starts to hit, they could make a run at a wildcard. Fun fact: they brought back the original unis this year, and merchandising has grown by over 15%. Too bad season tix fell by 37% and the budget was cut by $34M.

HAW pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (6-4, 5.43) / LH Eric Jones (9-9, 4.11) / RH Shamar Jackson (13-3, 3.55)
SEA pitchers: RH Kyle Burton (4-4, 4.42) / RH Dan Welker (6-9, 4.82) / LH Shaun Ostrander (7-5, 4.23)

#100: WIN 5-3 ... five guys each rap out 2 hits, including a 2-run triple by Lynn...Ciotta gives up just 4 hits through 8.2, and the pen barely holds on for the win
#101: WIN 7-3 ... Lynn stays hot, with a HR and an RBI single...win #10 for Jones at last, his 14th straight in double figures
#102: WIN 6-5 ... 12 hits, including another RBI double from Lynn, the GW...Jackson fans 9 but gives up all 5 runs in 6 IP

It wasn't pretty, but a sweep is a sweep.... Was that a roster-saving win by Ciotta? Could be, but he's got one more before the deadline.... We're not hitting home runs at all now, but still grinding out tons of hits otherwise, batting .297 as a team.... It took a week to diagnose, but Dunklee goes out with a strained hamstring, done for five weeks. We call up IF/OF Jesus Lopez, who didn't see any action in a 3-day call up earlier in the summer. I tweak the roster by moving Cappucilli to 1B and Burrows into RF against RHP, and Cappy into RF with Whitton at DH against LHP. So far, so good.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy stays hot, winning 8 of 10, but the Pirates have won four straight and extended their lead to 12 games.... Although the White Sox have had a dismal June and July, playing seven games under .500 and falling well back behind the Tigers, "rookie" 2B Ninsei Sato (he's 34, ffs) continues to impress, going .298/25/66 at the plate. (Although his defense, including his noodle-armed technique of rolling the ball to first base, is highly suspect.).... Detroit has been crazy-good since 6/1, going 33-14. They've also raked for 216 home runs this year.


July 27-30 @ OAKLAND
The series that will decide my trade deadline moves once and for all. They're only 10-10 this month but still in second place, at 57-45 and 12 games behind us. Offense is 4th in runs, 2nd in HR. The 3-through-5 batters have hit 84 dingers, with LF Felix Reyes (34 HR) on a pace to reach 40 again. Only 1B Justin Sandy is out of the batting lineup currently, but he hitting just .189 so good riddance. Pitching places 6th, and despite having four guys on the DL, nearly everyone is contributing. Jim Schwartz and Chris Larimer make for a pair of aces at the top, and rookie Eric Stockton has been a solid #3. (Their top three prospects are also pitchers, and all look really good.) Stockton's development has finally pushed HR-machine Oscar Escobedo into the bullpen. The so-called "Hitter's Best Friend" gave up--are you ready for this?--64 home runs last year, in 190 IP. Remarkable.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (12-1, 2.71) / RH Dennis Perry (7-6, 4.51) / RH Tim Ciotta (7-4, 5.20) / LH Eric Jones (10-9, 4.08)
OAK pitchers: RH Eric Stockton (4-4, 3.40) / LH Chris Larimer (11-6, 3.21) / RH Conrad Robertson (6-8, 4.76) / LH Mike Thomas (3-9, 6.11)

#103: LOSS 1-4 ... Pearse walks 5 for the 2nd straight start...we manage just five hits, put two runners on in just two innings
#104: LOSS 2-6 ... only six hits tonight, and Perry surrenders two HR to Hughie Noonan, and ten hits overall...got some slumpers now
#105: LOSS 5-6 ... a triple and 3 RBI for Simmons, little else...we are incapable of hitting home runs right now
#106: WIN 14-3 ... ahhhh, there it is...21 hits, 3 HR (finally!), including two 3-run shots...everyone gets a hit tonight

Can't win when you can't hit. At least we recouped one game from these guys at the end.... Okay, so we pulled the trigger on several trades. First, we traded away the disappointing Tim Ciotta to the White Sox and addressed our sudden need for a power bat, getting 1B/DH Steve Wallace. The former long-time Dodger doesn't hit for average much anymore, but can still pound out 25-30 HR. He'll be a free agent in the fall. Second, we give up on AAA pitcher Olimpio Le Coq, sending him to Cleveland for minor league pitcher Vinny Gonzalez and a 2nd round pick. Gonzalez is AAA material, but the pick is what we were after. Third and last, after getting ten offers for him (seriously), we send RP Nick Kramer (and a couple of picks) to KC for prospect pitcher Jordan Ruiz and a 4th rounder.... Finally, injuries are crashing through the minors right now, so we add a couple of minor league free agent pitchers, including one we cut a couple years ago, Jose "Creepy" Crespo.... ELSEWHERE: Cubs 3B Juan Garcia had his 29-game hit streak ended, the longest in MLB this year.... Hot teams right now: Detroit, 11 straight wins; Miami, 7; Texas, 8.


July 31 @ TEXAS
The hot team in the West right now, moving up to 58-47 and a game and a half behind Oakland. The 4th-ranked offense is led by MVP candidate William Swanson (.362/35/76), RF Omar Gurrola (.267/26/71), and DH Eric Robbins (.299/22/65). Pitching has improved to 4th as well, with the top trio of Messinger/Daniel/Buchanan all having excellent seasons. We'll play three games here and four more in mid-September as the season winds down.

HAW pitcher: RH Shamar Jackson (13-3, 3.70)
TEX pitcher: RH Mike Messinger (10-7, 3.76)

#107: LOSS 8-15 ... Wallace hits his first homer as an Isle, but this game...oy...and Yi gets injured, diagnosis pending

Well, what a way to end the month.... Suddenly we're having trouble putting complete games together: either we hit or we pitch, not both.... Even though he's just a MR, an injury to Yi would suck because he's been one of our most consistently good relievers all season.... ELSEWHERE: Twelve straight for Detroit. They may not lose again, lol.... And eight losses for Baltimore, still stuck at 36 wins.

......

TL;DR Version: We go 6-8 to close out the month, our worst stretch of the season. Still we're 70-37 and nine games up on Oakland. Despite struggling lately, the offense is still AL best, batting .296 and scoring 609 runs. With Frederick and Dunklee out, I'm hoping getting Wallace will make up for the lack of power (we're now 16th in home runs, with 117). Our pitching is still 3rd, but has taken some lumps lately. I decided I'd had enough of Ciotta, so off he went; taking his place is AAA callup Josh Irvin, getting his first shot at the big time. I've got pitching prospects who need a shot sooner or later, and decided now is the time.

[Bub13]

Trade deadline has come and gone. Some 18 trades were made across MLB; very few of them involved decent talent, and most of those featured relief pitchers. For our part, we made three deals, one of which I'm hoping will pay off. We needed a power bat (hello, Steve Wallace) and wanted to cut ties with a disappointing off-season pickup (goodbye, Tim Ciotta). And for the month, we'll have 26 games: 11 on the road, 15 at home.

August 1-2 @ TEXAS
Finishing off this series. Let's hope for some better results...

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (12-2, 2.83) / RH Dennis Perry (7-7, 4.69)
TEX pitchers: LH Bobby Daniel (9-8, 3.29) / RH Greg Buchanan (14-4, 3.60)

#108: WIN 6-5 ... two RBI singles, Simmons in the 8th and Goodloe in the 9th, tie and then win it
#109: LOSS 5-6 ... Groff's first HR in weeks isn't enough to overcome Perry's poor pitching...we outhit them 13-9, but it doesn't matter

We got one win, but we're still in a funk. One more road series then we get some home cooking for a couple of weeks.... Yi's injury is a sprained elbow; he'll miss 1-2 weeks. So we DL him and call up Kevin Walker. Walker, 23, was a supplemental round pick in '46 who's been winding his way through the system. He has 62 K in 46.2 IP in AAA, over 23 appearances. Big-time stuff, decent movement, but so-so control (see also: 21 walks). This is his first MLB recall.... ELSEWHERE: Portland's Gerardo Nieto's 3-HR game moved him to just 4 dingers behind NL leader Phil Imel (STL, with 36). Nieto leads NL batters in average (.369) and RBI (102).... Baltimore (37 wins) and Austin (39) are the last teams without at least 40 wins.... The NL East is the only division where every team has at least 50 wins: last place Brooklyn has 51. The next-closest is the AL Central, with KC at 46 wins.


August 4-6 @ NY YANKEES
The annual pilgrimage for Highlanders vs. Islanders. The everyday lineup is nearly intact from the team that won 92 and 104 games the last two years, but they just are not hitting this time around: 14th in runs, 17th in average. One big reason is the loss to injury of LF Chris Mitchell, a 44-HR guy from a year ago who's been limited to just 39 games. The Yanks did most of their off-season tinkering to the rotation, getting rid of three veterans, and only lately has the new setup responded. They're now 2nd in runs against, with the 5th best rotation ERA in the AL. Brian Whitney has yet to rebound from his early-season injury concerns, but big FA acquisition Elijah Bragg has been as advertised. And 30-year-old reclamation project Ed Holmes has been a revelation. Signing closer Rick Ramirez to a big contract in May helped the bullpen, as he has a 1.70 ERA and went to the All-Star game. Still, they've been up-and-down so far, alternating winning and losing months. July was a down month; so expect August to be better. Maybe just not yet, tho, huh?

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (debut) / LH Eric Jones (11-9, 4.06) / RH Shamar Jackson (13-4, 4.03)
NYY pitchers: LH Ed Holmes (2-0, 2.35) / RH Thomas Cannaday (2-5, 5.00) / RH Lee Robinson (6-12, 4.51)

#110: WIN 9-6 ... 4 hits, HR and 2 RBI from Daley, 2 hits and a 2-run HR from Groff...Irvin does okay in his debut, then Mahoney nearly blows it
#111: WIN 15-0 ... as if Jones' 1-hitter weren't enough...we blitz through three pitchers in a 12-run 3rd, racking up 23 hits...Jones is MLB 1st star for the day
#112: WIN 11-5 ... only 18 hits tonight...3-run HR for Wallace, and 3rd HR for Capp in the series...Jackson wins, but ERA keeps going up up

That's a way to snap out of a funk: 35 runs, 56 hits, and 8 HR.... Cappuccilli is making me rethink my off-season plans: he's batted .351 with 9 HR in mostly full-time play since 6/1. The lefty "platoon-only" guy is also batting .369 (24-for-65) against LHP. He's got another year of arbitration, so maybe keeping him on for another season isn't such a bad idea.... Irvin went 7 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 3 ER, and the win in his debut.... AAA Santa Barbara is now 71-28. Other news from the minors: 26 guys currently have injuries, including 8 at AA.... ELSEWHERE: Division leads are still holding up, although there are a couple of races worth watching even at this early stage. Miami (+9 over Tampa), Detroit (+12.5 over Milwaukee), and Atlanta (+12 over NY Mets) have big leads. Pittsburgh still commands the NL Central by 7 over Cincy, but the Reds are still hot (9 wins in last 10) and moving up. In the NL West, Portland is 3.5 ahead of San Diego.... Detroit's Luis Rodela is the first to reach 40 HR.


August 8-10 vs TAMPA BAY
After our second day off in just the first week of the month, we come back to start a two-week homestand. The Rays are 61-50, but slipped in July and are now 9 games out of first. Sixth in runs, 9th in runs against, with a +32 run differential. 1B Vance Wise (.283/31/69), DH Jorge Arriola (.315/15/44), and LF Tim Marinaccio (.265/18/48) have led the offense. Few have impressed on the pitching staff: pretty much only SP D.J. Pasquarelli and closer Carlos Munoz (15 SV, 2.62) have done much. Former Isle Dante Padilla (.301/17/62) is out for another month, while other former Isle Ian McGowan (.226/17/39) is the starting CF. Fun fact: stadium capacity is just over 31K, and they've drawn at least 30K for every home game but one.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (12-2, 3.04) / RH Dennis Perry (7-8, 4.88) / RH Josh Irvin (1-0, 3.86)
TBR pitchers: RH Travis Calhoun (6-7, 4.13) / RH D.J. Pasquarelli (9-7, 3.52) / Jon Jemison (7-8, 6.35)

#113: WIN 13-3 ... 17 more hits, including 2 HR and 5 RBI from Goodloe...11 K over 7 IP for Pearse, passing 200 K on the season
#114: LOSS 6-8 ... Goodloe and Groff homer, but Perry is pulled after 2 due to total ineffectiveness...14 hits, just not quite enough
#115: WIN 11-10 ... so many baserunners: 16 hits and 12 walks...20th HR for Daley...Irvin really struggles this time around

More offense, more! Our bats are on fire, pushing the team AVG to .304.... With good hitting, however, apparently comes some bad pitching. Pearse does well, but Perry continues to slide and Irvin gets a rude welcome in his second big-league start. At least the bullpen is holding things together, and newbie Kenny Walker hasn't been scored on in his first 4.2 IP.... Steve Wallace is batting .300 with 2 HR in 10 games since joining the squad.... ELSEWHERE: Seven wins in a row for Miami; they're off to Hawaii next.... Baltimore has 38 wins, the last team without 40.... Portland's Gerardo Nieto has reached 8.0 WAR, and has 110 RBI in 113 games. Philly's Ricky Hughes has 102, and has matched his HR total from last year, at 39.... Every Tiger regular has reached double figures in HR, and the team has hit 253 already. Still some work to reach their own MLB record of 314, set in '45.


August 11-13 vs MIAMI
Coming in hot, winners of nine straight, pushing their record to 73-41 and an 11-game lead over Tampa. The offense is 7th in runs and paced by winter signee David Von Eschen (.286/35/83) and Japanese newbie Toshi Shimabukuro (21 HR, .363 OBP). Pitching has been the real strength, the best in the AL at present. All five starters have ERA well below league average--unheard of!--and the only guy really struggling right now is closer Dwaine Webb (5.75 ERA). Five pitchers (including ace Matt Rubin) and SS Mario Rivera (for another week) are on the DL too. Fun fact: Can they get even better? Sure: #2 rated prospect Dustin Panos is already in the bullpen, and should be in the rotation next year. He'll be very good. And Willie "Richest Intl FA Ever" Maya is only 18 and perking along in rookie ball. He should be ready for the big time in, say, two years.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (12-9, 3.80) / RH Shamar Jackson (14-4, 4.12) / RH Mike Pearse (13-2, 3.06)
MIA pitchers: RH Norm Rowsell (8-5, 4.08) / LH Victor Nunez (12-7, 4.20) / LH Jason Mangiaracina (7-4, 3.71)

#116: WIN 9-5 ... 5 runs to open and 3 in the 7th to win it...4 hits and a solo HR for Groff, 2 HR and 6 RBI for Goodloe
#117: LOSS 3-4 ... the pen has been great, but Jackson is left in for all 9 innings and gives up three late runs...sigh
#118: LOSS 5-8 ... another HR for Groff, but a 6-run 4th kill us...five of those runs were unearned, thanks to errors from Matson and Rich

The two losses stinks, but we didn't play poorly. Sloppy play cost the third game, and sloppy coaching the second.... Groff has heated up, batting .476 with 6 HR this month; Goodloe too, with 21 RBI in 11 games (and player of the week just now).... Some inconsistent pitching looks like our bugaboo again coming down the stretch. Who knows who might get hot, but right now Jackson, Perry, and newbie Irvin are not impressing.... ELSEWHERE: 77 wins for Hawaii, 75 for Miami. Every division has a 70 game winner. And poor Baltimore: stuck at 39 wins.... It's been a while since we've heard from the Giants: they now have 14 players on the DL, including 8 SP and 4 RP. The latest is SP Damien Bejar. Three guys in their rotation right now started the season in AA.... Former Isle Ryan Ratliff leads the AL with 37 HR allowed. He's also sporting a 5.76 ERA.

......

TL;DR Version: We go 7-4 to start the month; 77-41 record overall, still best in the majors. Oakland has been playing well, and they're still hanging around at 9.5 games behind. We've scored 702 runs, 58 more than second place Detroit. And while we're near the bottom in HR (135; KC has the fewest with 116), we lead in AVG, OBP, OPS, wOBA, 2b, 3b, SB (and CS). We've also struck out 591 times; who's second? Tampa Bay with 875. Crazy. Pitching has been less impressive, but still solid: 2nd in runs against, 5th-ranked rotation ERA, 2nd bullpen. Mike Pearse is pushing for 'ace' recognition, and is definitely in the running for rookie of the year. And everyone in the pen has an ERA under 4.00. Don't think we've ever had that happen before.

[Bub13]

August 15-17 vs KANSAS CITY
Currently bringing up the rear in the Central, 51-67. Batting ranks 16th; pitching 13th. Leadoff man Corey Murray (.289/7/47) and #2 Alvin Phillips (.276/14/52) are the only batters carrying any weight; although deadline acquisition Larry Schnackenberg has hit .314 in 13 games. Ace pitcher Chris Liles is having his usual great year, but at age 31 they need to decide if he's worth keeping around through a rebuild. I would say...no. Fun fact: A ball Lexington is 86-32, and rookie ball Burlington is 37-6. Three other teams have winning records; so despite having the only 26th ranked system, they're definitely getting it done on the field.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (7-8, 5.18) / RH Josh Irvin (1-0, 9.28) / LH Eric Jones (12-9, 3.96)
KCR pitchers: RH Phil Eckert (7-13, 4.24) / RH Ryan Swan (6-12, 7.16) / RH Adam Grossman (9-9, 4.80)

#119: WIN 8-3 ... Groff homers again, and Rich gets 3 hits and 2 RBI...Perry pitches well and we beat up on former Isle Nick Kramer (6 runs, 0 outs)
#120: WIN 5-2 ... Irvin snaps back with a solid 8 IP, fanning 8...2 hits each for Groff, Matson, Cappuccilli
#121: LOSS 0-9 ... oof, okay we're tired maybe...Jones is knocked out early, and both relievers also struggle

Oakland picks up a half game on us, now 8.5 behind.... Groff stays hot, and suddenly Cappuccilli is on fire: batting .312 with 11 HR after a very slow start.... Good to see Irvin pay back my faith in keeping him up on the big club.... ELSEWHERE: The Mets and Phillies have each won 7 straight, and are trying to put some pressure on Atlanta (they're 7 and 8 games back, respectively); and San Diego has closed to 1.5 behind Portland.... Baltimore still stuck at 39 wins.... Why, yes, another Giant did go on the DL just now, making 15 players kayoed.


August 18-20 vs MINNESOTA
The 54-67 Twins are bipolar: solid hitting (6th), with a pair of .300 hitters and several other big bats, matched with terrible pitching (16th), including the AL's worst bullpen. Those big hitters are RF Josh Jacobson (.312/30/95), DH Josh Conley (.308/18/65), and recent #1 pick Jordan Foots (25 HR). And consider that their low-ranked pitching includes the best pitcher going this year, Conor MacLeod. The Highlander already has 297 strikeouts and 9 shutouts in his 24 starts. If he stays healthy he's a shoo-in for Cy Young, and a strong candidate for AL MVP. Fun fact: This team used to spend money, with a payroll in the late '30s that approached $200M. That brought few playoff appearances and a whopping $147M in losses over the period from '37 to '39. Now, they're making money for tightwad owner Adam Thompson, but have about half a lineup and a poor prospect system. They've got MacLeod for one more year (arbitration), but after that...

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (14-5, 4.11) / RH Mike Pearse (13-3, 3.04) / RH Dennis Perry (8-8, 5.06)
MIN pitchers: LH Bobby Reder (10-9, 5.39) / RH Conor MacLeod (13-7, 2.81) / RH Dan Moran (2-12, 7.80)

#122: WIN 4-3 ... tight game despite outhitting them 14-5...Matson's tenth inning double (our sixth of the night) brings home the winner
#123: WIN 3-2 ... top two AL strikeout pitchers face off: each fans 9 batters...Daley's RBI double in the 8th is the GW
#124: WIN 1-0 ... Perry fans 12, and we win it on Wallace's RBI single in the 9th...3 hits for Lynn, 2 each for Groff and Rich

Sweep clinches a winning season, with 82 wins right now.... Oakland, tho, has won 7 straight, still 8.5 games behind us.... With 223 K, Pearse has an outside chance to reach 300. He's projected to get 291, which would smash the team record of 272 set by Rob Hart in 2044.... We're the only team with over 100 steals (103 currently) in baseball. Joe Lynn is second in the AL with 32, and Matson, Daley, and Goodloe are in double figures. Thankfully, we've convinced Groff to stop running so much, as he kept getting hurt on the bases.... Cam Daley became the 8th Islander to reach 1000 hits for the franchise.... ELSEWHERE: Nine straight losses for Baltimore now, still caught on 39 wins.... Cincy's stayed hot for a month now, and has nearly caught up to the Pirates, just 3.5 games out. Trade deadline grab Jon Carlsen is 5-1 with 59 K in 50 IP since arriving in town. [And he's an exception that tests the rule, as he's a successful SP with only two pitches.]


August 22-24 @ DETROIT
Possible AL championship series preview? At 74-49, still in first in the Central, and up on the Brewers by 9.5 games. The offense ranks 2nd, with 677 runs scored, and still 1st in HR with 267. Every starter has at least 16 HR, so it looks like they'll all finish with over 20; just crazy. And toss in 1B/DH John Sheets, injured for a couple of months, who has 15 in 66 games. Pitching ranks 6th, with the rotation hampered somewhat by losing T.J. Carroll (13-2, 3.67) for another month. (Although they just called up veteran Carlton Saunders to replace him; Saunders led the AL in lowest BB/9 last year, so he's not terrible.) What hurts worse is having 2048 Cy Young winner Mike Cote earning $28M in the bullpen, after missing all of last year and returning a hollow shell of a pitcher. Fun fact: The Ilitch family is still in control. Current owner Henry is fiscally controlling but hands-off otherwise, and is delighted with a winning team. Fans are going crazy waiting for their first title since 1984.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (2-0, 6.27) / LH Eric Jones (12-10, 4.18) / RH Shamar Jackson (14-5, 3.98)
DET pitchers: LH Danny Chavez (6-4, 2.84) / LH Carlton Saunders (0-0, 4.50) / LH Carlos Zenon (9-9, 4.71)

#125: WIN 5-3 ... shockingly just one HR here, and it's from Groff...only 13 combined hits too...Irvin gets roughed up a bit, then leaves with back spasms
#126: WIN 16-0 ... good grief...2 HR for Wallace and 22 hits in all...Jones even fans 10 in 7.1 IP...Mr "No HR" Simmons gets his version of a cycle: 1b, 2b, 3b, BB
#127: LOSS 3-9 ... a pair of HR equals a 7-run 6th and a loss for Jackson...tired bats means just 7 hits tonight, lol

Not bad. Jackson continues his up-and-down pitching, however. Which means I hope he's on an upswing when the post-season starts.... Irvin's injury is dtd but will limit him for six days, so he'll likely miss a start. I might actually use the 'opener' option for the first time ever soon.... Dunklee is now three days away from returning; still five weeks to go for Frederick.... ELSEWHERE: As good as Conor MacLeod has been, consider the crazy year Cincy's Cris Frias is having: he just fanned 17 Cardinals, giving him 276 K in 148 IP. Yes, that's an insane 16.8 K/9. He has 1210 K in his career, which has been only 129 starts (plus 11 relief apps). That's just nuts.... David Von Eschen has an active 30-game hitting streak. He also had a 27-game one earlier, which ended in June.... Philly's Ricky Hughes has 47 HR and is on pace for 60.


August 25-27 @ SEATTLE
Fifth place, 58-68, but a comfy 9 games ahead of California. Offense is bottom five in most categories; although no one looks terrible (outside of C Arturo Sena, batting .185), only two batters are hitting over .259. Pitching is better--7th in runs against--but the rotation is 14th and only Erik Ramey has been consistently decent. Future watch: top guy Paul Stough has more raw power than any prospect I've ever seen, but he'll also swing and miss more than his share; #2 John Warner and #5 Eddie Van Dyke should anchor the rotation in a couple of years, while Brad Hawkinson and Todd Downey are promising OFs. MLB ranks the system at 16th. Also, they're a rebuilding team that's maxed out their player budget, so they need to rely on future stars or bottom-of-the-barrel free agents for the next couple of seasons.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (13-3, 3.03) / RH Dennis Perry (8-8, 4.81) / RH Josh Irvin (2-0, 6.55)
SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (10-7, 3.54) / RH Kyle Burton (5-9, 5.55) / LH Miguel Moreno (1-6, 6.05)

#128: WIN 13-8 ... score was 9-7 after 4 innings...17 hits for us, including 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR...Pearse pulled in the 3rd: bad start
#129: WIN 8-3 ... 3 H, 3 RBI for Matson, and 3-and-2 for Groff...complete game for Perry, 8 K
#130: WIN 5-3 ... Irvin goes 7, giving up just two solo HR...12 hits + 6 walks + 1 HPB = lots of runners. Win by overwhelming your opponent

Same old refrain: sweeps never get old.... Pearse has had a couple of rocky outings lately, but Perry is pitching well right now and Irvin is coming around.... Speaking of Irvin, he pitched through his back spasms. Oops....YJ Yi sits for a few days with a dead arm.... Dunklee is ready to come off the DL, and I'm not sure who's going down to make room for him.... ELSEWHERE: 18-strikeout game for MacLeod, now up to 324 Ks.... Not much to celebrate in Brooklyn this season, but 25-year-old LF Jose Moreno is having a breakout year, batting .352, good for second in the NL.... Baltimore finally won their 40th game of the year, but got officially eliminated from the post-season nonetheless.... The Yankees have won 7 straight but are still ten games out of wildcard contention. Atlanta has been moribund lately, seeing their lead in the NL East slip to 5.5; meanwhile the hot Reds are now just 2.5 behind Pittsburgh.


August 28-30 vs CALIFORNIA
Thanks to a .500 record over the last two months they're no longer at the bottom of the pile; in fact, they've put seven teams behind them, and may be putting themselves right out of a top draft pick next June. Offense still ranks 15th, pitching just 17th: making for a fun -144 run differential. Ricky Ochoa is still getting it done, at .281/44/107, and Joe Thompson has added 35 HR. Since trading ace Jon Carlsen in July, Ken Demers has stepped up, and prospect Nate Elder has shown flashes. But there's little else here. Young bullpen arms Seth O'Neill and Chase Pauli should vie for rotation spots next year, which would instantly make that unit better. If Ryan Kuehner and Mike Hosey--both struggling tremendously but scouted highly--show better next year, that's 4/5 of a good rotation; which would make up for the coming loss of Demers to free agency. Future watch: there are good things coming, finally. Pitching I've mentioned. To that add all-around OF talent Mauricio Marquez, who's nearly ready; okay hitter but absolute defensive stud OF Jeremy Hyde, and solid C Manny Fontane, and BOOM you're competetive again. C'mon, Cali: it's time for you to give those schmucks in Oakland their comuppance.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (13-10, 3.97) / RH Shamar Jackson (14-6, 4.15) / RH Mike Pearse (13-3, 3.37)
CAL pitchers: RH Mike Hosey (7-12, 6.15) / RH Josh Pomerantz (1-7, 7.28) / RH Ken Demers (9-10, 3.58)

#131: WIN 5-3 ... 3 hits for Cappuccilli, Matson homers again, 2 hits for Dunklee in his return...Jones goes 6, fans 8, thinks he's Nolan Ryan
#132: LOSS 7-8 ... Matson homers again, and Daley and Groff match him...but we allow 4 dingers and a 7 run 8th inning kills the joy
#133: WIN 9-4 ... 2 HR for Daley, one for Groff...Daley adds two singles, and Matson garners 3 hits...Pearse struggles but gets the win

Woot, still rolling. And has anyone but Daley, Groff, or Matson hit a home run this month? Doesn't seem like it.... Matson is the one guy who's contract is up (okay, he does have an arbitration year remaining) that I'm willing to talk about extending. Stay tuned.... Every regular but Wallace (at .235) is now batting over .300. Dunklee, splitting time with Wallace, is batting .276. The team is hitting .309.... Joe Lynn now leads baseball with 34 steals.... ELSEWHERE: Miami's David Von Eschen's hitting streak ended at 33 games. Tsk.... LA's Rich Stoneback was having a nice comeback year from his injury-proneness with us, batting .283/19/61. But then he ruptured a disc in his back "racing a friend on the freeway." Lolwut.... Cincy's Cris Frias slipped a bit, and his K/9 is now only 16.7.... 49 HR each for Detroit's Luis Rodela and Philly's Ricky Hughes. Too much excitement!

......

TL;DR Version: We are just crushing the living hell out of the ball right now, en route to a 12-3 record this stretch. The team is batting .309, with an OPS of .852. Ridiculous. Pitching has been a slightly bumpier ride, but then it nearly always is. Nobody is flailing at the moment, and even though rookie Irvin has an ERA (5.59) worse than the guy he replace, Tim Ciotta (5.32), he's shown enough positive flashes to make me hopeful he'll be solid by next spring. And with Dunklee's return I send back to AAA Stephen Eason. He hit .200 in 25 AB, and will definitely get a look in camp next spring as a backup OF/DH. One month to go: let's keep up the momentum!

[Bub13]

The season's final month and we'll play 29 games, 16 on the road and 13 at home. We'll get three days off and also toss in a double header at Texas in the middle of another long road trip. (Note: yes, technically we'll finish the season on October 1st, smartypants.) Also, Adam Groff won Player of the Month honors for August, batting .406 with 10 HR and 27 RBI. After a quiet mid-summer, it's good to see him round into shape as we head down the stretch.

September 1-3 vs HOUSTON
Two bookend months combined with a mushy middle has resulted in a 67-67 record and 4th place, 22.5 games behind us and 9 games out of a wildcard berth. Injuries haven't helped, taking out three pitchers (including top-notch closer Alejandro Gonzales) as well as 2B Jose Anguiano and CF Jason Welch. But youngsters Jose Renteria (.290/32/85) and Ricky Silva (.277/32/101) have been excellent. Still, not enough production from the rest of the lineup has the offense ranked 12th, while pitching ranks 8th. There's some decent talent on the staff, including several young guys; if they can keep the roster together, pitching won't be their problem next year. Fun fact: pitcher Emilio Canto, 22 and from Cuba, has faced dogging rumors that he "lied about his age when he signed his first big league contract." Quick! Someone inform the Little League World Series investigative squad, pronto!

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (9-8, 4.71) / RH Josh Irvin (3-0, 5.59) / LH Eric Jones (14-10, 3.94)
HOU pitchers: RH Alex Trujillo (7-14, 4.64) / RH Eric Morton (7-11, 6.15) / LH Chris Harris (11-6, 3.97)

#134: LOSS 2-4 ... meh, dull game: only 8 hits along with 2 errors...Perry is okay, but gives up 4 runs on just 7 baserunners
#135: WIN 3-1 ... Irvin pitches well again, going 6.2 IP, fanning 6...Groff doubles twice...90th win
#136: WIN 9-2 ... 3 hits, 4 RBI for Daley, and 3 hits for Rob "Mr .345" Rich...Jones only goes 5.1 IP but gets the win

Texas and Oakland are looking like good bets for wildcard slots, but we're up on them by 12.5 and 13.5, respectively.... Injuries have just crippled my farm system, so I only call up two players for the roster expansion: IF/OF Jose Lopez, who singled in his only AB earlier this summer; and RP Tyler Amsden, making his first MLB appearance.... I have to sign two more no-hoper minor league free agents just to fill out some rosters in the low minors, that's how bad injuries have gotten.... ELSEWHERE: Continuing HR chase: both Hughes and Rodela have 50 homers.... NL races are tightening up: Philly trails Atlanta by 4; Cincy is now 1.5 behind Pittsburgh; San Diego 2.5 from Portland. AL are not: Miami, Detroit, and Hawaii lead their divisions by at least 8 games.... Baltimore still at 40 wins, now on 7 game losing skid.


September 4-6 vs MILWAUKEE
Currently 69-66, and they've been hovering around .500 all season. Offense ranks 9th, pitching 11th. CF Oscar Espinosa is the star here, batting .302/32/71; LF Neil Cockrell, SS J.J. Dean, and 1B Juan Medina aren't too far off those numbers. But after that...crickets. The rotation--outside of Jeffrey Foley--has been a disappointment, and the bullpen horribly inconsistent. Despite verging on their sixth consecutive winning season, there's just not a lot of fizz to this brew. Future outlook: they're set to purge about $40M in payroll this fall, so it'll be interesting to see how aggressive they'll be in free agency. Recent grabs haven't produced much (outside of Cockrell, but he'll be a one-and-done), and owner Chris Attanasio wants profit above all, so...we'll see.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (14-6 4.27) / RH Mike Pearse (14-3, 3.41) / RH Dennis Perry (9-9, 4.70)
MIL pitchers: LH Daniel Becker (5-7, 4.14) / RH Octavio Corona (7-10, 4.98) / LH Jeffrey Foley (11-7, 3.39)

#137: WIN 7-1 ... everyone gets a hit, and Groff delivers his 29th HR...Jackson can't manage the last two outs of the game for some reason
#138: LOSS 3-4 ... all the scoring is done after 3, and there are only 11 combined hits...3 pitchers fan 16 Brewers, but Pearse walks 4 early
#139: WIN 8-1 ... 3 home runs, Goodloe's 11th triple, and a complete game 5-hitter by Perry

Decent series, although Pearse's lack of control over his past four starts is concerning: he's walked 4-5 batters per start, regardless of innings pitched.... Our Magic # is down to 12.... A ball Eureka starts a playoff series against Stockton; AAA Santa Barbara leads their division by 15.5 over Las Vegas.... Three weeks left on the DL for Frederick. Barring complications, he'll be back right before season's end.... ELSEWHERE: MacLeod fans 18 Orioles, now has 354 K on the season, which is the 7th highest in history and just 29 behind Nolan Ryan's modern mark set in 1973. And don't forget Cris Frias, who has 305 and should break into the top 20 (or top 10?) as well.... St Louis is the second team officially out of the playoff picture.


September 8-10 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX
A stout 19-9 in August put the Sox right back into the wildcard hunt, even if they are still far away from the Tigers (8 games) in the division. They're 10th in run scored, despite being better than that in every other offensive category, possibly from losing table-setter SS Chris Rock for much of the year and having 2B Tim Ost drop off the table. Still, Zeke de la Rosa (.290/35/100) and Andy Barenberg (.300/24/70) are a solid 1-2 punch, and rookie international Ninsei Sato (.297/35/94) was quite a find. Pitching places 9th, and would be better than that had young fireballers Ben O'Neal and Burton Dick not faced recurring elbow issues this year. Luke Weaver has been a solid #1, and of course recent former Isle Tim Ciotta has been excellent since his banishment (7 starts, 2.54 ERA). Future watch: check this space next year. If they can stay healthy and keep developing their kids, they'll be even better next season. All of their top players are back, and with some aging plugs going away they should have $30-40M to spend on free agents.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (4-0, 4.79) / LH Eric Jones (15-10, 3.92) / RH Shamar Jackson (15-6, 4.14)
CHW pitchers: Rh Ivan Moreno (6-7, 3.64) / RH Luke Weaver (15-6, 3.51) / RH Tim Ciotta (9-6, 4.59)

#140: WIN 5-4 ... Matson homers twice, Groff adds one, and Daley smacks 4 hits...Irvin fans 8 over 6 IP, wins his fifth
#141: WIN 5-4 ... 13 hits, including 5 doubles...3 hits, 2 RBI for Lynn...Groff dings his hand (?) while running the bases
#142: LOSS 3-7 ... 4 more hits by Daley, but Jackson yields 3 dingers early and we can't catch up

Okay, let's unpack a few developments here.... First, Groff's injury will keep him out, but only for a week. Rest up old man.... Second, we call up Jules Medici for his first taste of MLB. Time to see if he's got any of that super-prowess my scouts have been touting for years. He's batting .322 with 14 HR in AAA and will play some 1B and DH, switching in and out with Wallace, who isn't hitting much at all right now. Dunklee will also step up, after platooning some since coming off the DL.... Third, Joe Lynn set a team record with a 24-game hitting streak, which just ended on that last game.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit's Luis Rodela bangs out his 53rd HR, then goes on the DL for the season. He should be back for the playoffs, unfortunately. (Btw, Detroit has 306 HR; we have 158).... George Livezey is the third batter to reach 50 HR, joining teammate Ricky Hughes (at 52).... It's a race to 10 WAR between Portland 3B Gerardo Nieto (9.4) and Minnesota P Conor MacLeod (9.1).


September 11-13 @ CLEVELAND
At 64-77 and playing out the string. That 18-7 April seems long, long ago now. CF Manny Ayala is still batting .357, but he's missed time from injury and suspension; 2B D.J. Grace is on the DL, and hitting a dismal (for him) .269. LF Victor Guillen looks like a future star, hitting .298/31/90 in his first full season. The rotation has struggled, near the bottom in the AL, and two former Isles haven't produced as hoped: Ryan Ratliff has given up too many hits, and Olimpio Le Coq (5.56 ERA) has struggled with hits and walks. Future watch: Mike Lee looks like a super stud, with probably the biggest arm I've ever seen. He can literally play anywhere (exc. catcher). He's maybe a year, year-and-a-half away. There are a couple of good pitchers too, so there's some promise down the line. Problem is, the budget is shrinking, fans are staying away, and owner Kurt Dolan is more about squeezing profit than he is about bringning wins.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (14-4, 3.52) / RH Dennis Perry (10-9, 4.51) / RH Josh Irvin (5-0, 4.75)
CLE pitchers: RH Jose Pascual (4-11, 4.84) / LH Joe Payne (12-10, 4.84) / RH Ryan Ratliff (10-10, 5.57)

#143: WIN 11-5 ... Pearse struggles again, lasting just 4.2, but we bail him out with a 6-run 3rd...Medici homers in his first game
#144: LOSS 3-4 ... Perry walks six in 5 IP in a middling start, but it's White giving up a leadoff HR in the 10th for the loss...10k in attendance
#145: WIN 8-2 ... 13 K in 6 IP from Irvin...15 hits, 4 HR (including Dunklee and Wallace, surprise surprise)...we chase Ratliff in the third

Irvin keeps pitching better, but can't seem to get past six innings.... Medici's debut: double, home run, 2 RBI.... AA Eureka went 82-58 but was eliminated from the playoffs in four games by Stockton.... Team batting average up to .310 now.... ELSEWHERE: As if he hasn't done enough this year already, Minny's Conor MacLeod just no-hit the Red Sox, fanning 9 in a 6-0 victory. This is his 10th shutout and 17th complete game of the season. And 363 Ks ranks 7th all-time for one season.... Texas is leading the AL wildcard race, but they just lost #2 SP Greg Buchanan for this season and probably all of '52 too. Tough break.... Atlanta has righted their ship and is holding on to a 2.5 game over Philly. NY and Richmond have turned it on late and are both 6.5 behind. In the West, Portland and San Diego are now trading first place. The Pioneers are currently up by one.

......

TL;DR Version: Nice and easy: an 8-4 stretch and a 97-48 record overall. (Magic # is now 6.) Cam Daley has brought his average up to .340, good for second in the AL but still ten points behind Texas slugger William Swanson. Joe Lynn sits third at .333, and leads baseball with 38 steals. Pearse has 251 K, currently good for 5th on the franchise single-season list; his 75 walks also has him in 9th on that list. With just games left, my goals are: 1) stay healthy; 2) keep playing well; 3) stay healthy. Priorities...

[Bub13]

September 15-17 @ TEXAS
Rare double header then two more; this series will go a long way to determining the Rangers' wildcard status (currently 2 ahead of Oakland and Tampa Bay). The long-bungling Rangers have finally become a solid team: 4th in offense, 3rd in pitching. You know about William Swanson (.350/42/107), but he's got ample support from sophomore DH Eric Robbins (.305/31/95), RF Omar Gurrola (.265/37/101), and C Juan Espinoza (.288/20/70). Every other regular, outside of SS Ryan Boers (.230 but excellent defense) is batting at least .270, and three of them have over 20 HR. A very solid lineup. Nice pitching too, but injuries are starting to mount: Mike Messinger has a nagging dtd gripe, Bobby Daniel is out for another week, and Greg Buchanan is done until next September. Two OF also have dtd injury issues right now. Still, a team that was so bad for so long is now looking at a possible 90-win season and a second consecutive playoff appearance.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (16-10, 3.92) / RH Shamar Jackson (15-7, 4.21) / RH Mike Pearse (14-4, 3.67) / RH Dennis Perry (10-9, 4.48)
TEX pitchers: RH Mike Kent (9-9, 4.20) / RH Mike Messinger (14-8, 3.78) / RH Kevin Cahill (2-4, 3.18) / LH Steve Means (2-1, 3.34)

#146: WIN 5-3 ... Matson gets 2 2b, 3b, and a HR...Jones leaves after rain delay in the 6th, but Walker and White shut it down over the last three
#147: LOSS 2-8 ... Jackson gives up 3 early HR, and we manage just four hits...Cappuccilli ejected for arguing with a stupid ump too
#148: LOSS 0-3 ... shut out and held to just six hits...Pearse pitches well too, finally cutting the walks (just 2)...Rich suffers dtd injury
#149: LOSS 5-6 ... blech...we score 3 at the end, but too little too late...we win the hit game, 12-9...Lopez hits his first MLB home run

Well that didn't go well. The offense took some days off, and we did waste a good start by Pearse.... Rich's injury is for six days, only dtd, but he'll sit for a few days anyway. Groff comes back from his dtd, and Frederick will be back in a week.... AAA Santa Barbara is now 92-44.... ELSEWHERE: MacLeod fans 20 Indians for his third 20+ K day this year. With that, he's at 383 and has tied Nolan Ryan's modern single-season record. He probably won't catch the all-time record, but should top 400.... Cris Frias just fanned 16, now at 330. He'd be up there with MacLeod if he hadn't missed a handful of starts in June.... Atlanta's Matt Waugh won his 20th, but the Braves are still stumbling and are now tied for first with Philadelphia. San Diego has moved 2.5 in front of Portland, and Cincy is lurking 3.5 behind Pittsburgh.... The only close race in the AL is in the East, where Tampa Bay has closed to 5.5 behind Miami.... Checking in with Baltimore: 44-103, fewer than half the wins of division-leading Miami (90 wins).


September 18-20 @ HOUSTON
A 5-10 September has dropped the Astros out of the wildcard race, and five games below .500. The offense is in 13th, pitching in 9th. Jose Renteria and Ricky Silva have been the offense, but C Jared Sharron has played well in his first extended starting role. An underperforming rotation has been hurt lately by Dustin Springer's injury, contributing to an overall disappointing season. Looking ahead, only Springer is schedule to hit free agency, of the top players on the roster. They don't have much budget to spend, unfortunately, but at least fan interest is starting to come back a little bit, with attendance up nearly 10% over last season.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (6-0, 4.53) / RH Shamar Jackson (15-8, 4.38) / LH Eric Jones (16-10, 3.90)
HOU pitchers: RH Cooper Bradberry (3-8, 5.57) / LH Chris Harris (12-7, 3.88) / RH Ron Mills (4-5, 4.66)

#150: WIN 5-2 ... Irvin goes 8 tonight, gives up just 4 hits, fans 7...Daley and Groff drive in runs in the 7th to break a tie, Cappy's HR in the 8th seals it
#151: WIN 12-0 ... Jackson shows up: 10 K in 6 IP...4 hits, 4 RBI for Goodloe, 3 RBI for Matson
#152: WIN 8-3 ... 7-run 2nd inning breaks it open...4 hits, 2 RBI for Groff, HR from Cappuccilli...Jones notches his 18th win

That was much better. We reached 100 wins and clinched the playoffs and then the division.... Nobody has 100 RBI yet, but three are closing in: Goodloe and Groff with 94, Matson with 91. Daley has 85, looks like he'll miss triple digits for the first time in four seasons.... ELSEWHERE: Pittsburgh just swept Cincy, now has a 6.5 game lead. Atlanta's put 1.5 between them and Philly. And San Diego has pulled out by 3.5 over Portland.... The Phils lost a key part for their playoff run: Ricky Hughes (.280/55/139) broke his hand and is done for the year.... Oakland's Jim Schwartz just won his 20th.


September 21-24 vs SEATTLE
The M's are 69-82 and undistinguished at the plate (15th) and on the mound (14th). Who's been good? Um...DH Ger van Mourik is batting .293, but with only 13 HR from the cleanup slot; 1B Jon Terrell's first full big league season has produced .286/16/63; SP Shaun Ostrander has 14 wins and a nice 3.76 ERA; closer Adam Krull, 34 saves and a 3.12 ERA. Yeah, that's pretty much it. And on the field isn't the only home of bad news: attendance is down 33%, there's no money to be had, and the budget for next year is projected to be significantly lower.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (14-5, 3.65) / RH Dennis Perry (10-10, 4.61) / RH Josh Irvin (7-0, 4.20) / RH Shamar Jackson (16-8, 4.26)
SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (10-9, 4.06) / RH Chris Grauer (3-5, 5.48) / LH Miguel Moreno (1-8, 7.78) / RH Dan Welker (9-15, 5.54)

#153: WIN 11-0 ... one-hitter and 13 K from Pearse, back on his game...19 hits, including at least 2 for all but one starter
#154: WIN 3-1 ... Groff and Goodloe homer, and Dunklee gets 3 hits...Perry leaves in the first with a dtd injury
#155: WIN 14-6 ... 5 HR tonight, including two more from Goodloe, reaching 100 RBI...bullpen gives up 5 runs late, greatly hurting ERA and egos
#156: WIN 4-3 ... Cappy's 2-run triple in the 8th, then Groff's RBI single in the ninth snatch a victory...CG for Jackson

Seems like Seattle is just mailing it in at this point.... We hit some stats milestones this series: Goodloe reaches 100 RBI, Groff at 97; Groff now has 31 HR; Pearse is the 3rd starter to reach 15 wins.... Matson tweaks his knee on the bases in that second game; it's dtd for the rest of the regular season, so he'll sit and Cardenas will get some rare starts to finish the season. He's playing for next year's roster, to be frank, batting just .167 coming into this series.... ELSEWHERE: Detriot clinches the AL Central and Miami clinches a playoff spot. In the NL, only San Diego has clinched the post-season.... The division and wildcard standings right now are: in the AL, Miami (94 wins), Texas (93), Tampa (90), and Oakland (87). In the NL, San Diego (93 wins), Pittsburgh and Portland (91), Atlanta (90), Philly (88), Cincy (85), Richmond (84), New York (82).... Philly's George Livezey now has 58 HR, and is looking to register the 12th 60-HR season in MLB history.... Conor MacLeod fanned 10 in his most recent start, giving him 393 and the new modern day record. He'll need 25 in his final start to break Charlie Buffington's all-time record from 1884.


September 25-27 vs OAKLAND
Although there isn't as much on the line for this series from our standpoint, the A's are still vying for a wildcard and are very much on the outside. They're 11-11 this month, mostly due to slumping hitting. But don't worry, A's fans, there are still some monsters out there: SS Noah Johnson (.323/29/105), LF Felix Reyes (.276/50/126), and 3B Ryan Walton (.242/43/104) are a potent 2-3-4 punch. Johnson is in his first full year in the bigs, so he'll be a thorn in our sides for years to come. Throw in Hughie Noonan (39 HR) and leadoff Randy Costello (23 HR), and this is a dangerous lineup. The rotation is the 2nd best in the AL, but the pen has slipped to 15th, having gone through a quartet of closers, none of whom has impressed. And you know what? They're not losing anyone important this fall, other than aging backup OF Bobby Trujillo and several disappointing relievers...and those can be snapped up by the cartful in the off-season.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (18-10, 3.87) / RH Mike Pearse (15-5, 3.48) / RH Dennis Perry (10-10, 4.60)
OAK pitchers: LH Mike Thomas (6-14, 5.72) / LH Chris Larimer (15-9, 3.35) / RH Chris Ronan (3-5, 3.67)

#157: LOSS 3-4 ... close, but then Jones gives up a 3-run shot to Reyes in the 8th
#158: LOSS 2-6 ... a welcome back HR by Frederick, but we give up three of our own, and look generally flat tonight
#159: WIN 7-0 ... 4-hit shutout by Perry...3-run HR by Cappy, 2-run shot by Cardenas

Pretty quiet those first two games, but a nice bit of redemption in the last one. That shutout might have ended Oakland's playoff hopes: they're 3 wins behind Tampa Bay with 3 games left. The Rays have 4 remaining.... Perry tossed his second shutout of the season, also second of his career, while passing 200 K for the first time as well.... We actually get an off day after this series, while most of the league plays. So my Oakland statement above could be moot by the time I have to write my next sentence.... ELSEWHERE: And it is: Tampa beats Miami to pull within two of the division leader; but also, they eliminate the A's. Texas clinched the other AL wildcard.... Cincy is hanging on for dear life, 3 games behind Philly for the final wildcard. The Phils are also a half game behind Atlanta, but the Braves have a game in hand. Portland has (likely) clinched the other wildcard spot, although they could mathematically still catch the Padres.... Livezey now has 62 HR after going on a binge against Atlanta.... MacLeod fanned 12 Brewers to finish the season with 405 strikeouts. Remarkable.


September 28-October 1 @ CALIFORNIA
At 65-94, they'll finish below 70 wins for the fourth time in the last seven seasons. Outside of Ricky Ochoa's 54 HR and 126 RBI there's little to see here. Maybe 100 steals, 4th in the AL? Or the 7th best defensive efficiency? Straw clutching, all of that. Next-to-last in runs allowed, but somehow both the rotation and pen are only 14th in ERA. The bullpen especially needs rebuilding, and a closer in particular (Scott Mahala's 7.11 ERA is decidedly below average). Not sure what kind of rebuild is happening here, really; given that Texas and Oakland look like regular contenders now, Houston has some nice parts, and Seattle is...a few games better...it doesn't look like the Angels are going to threaten anyone anytime soon.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (8-0, 3.92) / RH Shamar Jackson (17-8, 4.21) / LH Eric Jones (18-11, 3.88)
CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (8-4, 4.19) / RH Ryan Kuehner (8-15, 6.02) / RH Mike Hosey (8-17, 6.39)

#160: WIN 7-4 ... Burrows and Groff each deliver 3 hits and a 2-run HR...Irvin goes 7, gets the win and remains undefeated for 2051
#161: WIN 6-4 ... pinch HR from Frederick and Burrows, plus Groff's RBI double in the 9th win it...Jackson gives up his 40th HR of the year
#162: WIN 6-1 ... Jones scatters 3 hits over 7 IP...another Groff 2-run HR...3 hits by Rich, 2 for Daley and Goodloe

A nice, season-ending sweep, helping us finish 11 games over the surging Rangers.... Groff finished with 106 RBI, the tenth time in his career he drove in triple digits.... Josh Irvin won pitcher of the month and rookie of the month for September. He went 6-0, and 9-0 for the season. He also went 9-0 in AAA, meaning he retains the undefeated heavyweight belt.... Jones followed up last year's 22-win season with his third year of 19 wins.... More on this later, but a couple of guys who were definitely looking at their last seasons on the islands may have changed my mind: Rich and Cappuccilli.... AAA Santa Barbara won 97 games but was eliminated in four by 76-win El Paso.... ELSEWHERE: Toronto swept Baltimore to send the Orioles into the depths of despair, aka a 48-114 season, the worst ever in this dynasty. (New Orleans won just 49 in '35, their second year of existence.).... Miami lost their last six, but Tampa Bay lost their season ender to hand the division to the Marlins.... Atlanta pulled away from Philly to win by 3 games; likewise, San Diego topped Portland by 4. Cincinnati won 89 games but missed the wildcard by two.... George Livezey won player of the month with a 20 HR and 48 RBI effort. He finished the season at .285/62/128 and 8.5 WAR. He'll give Portland's Gerardo Nieto (.347/48/141, 10.3 WAR) a run for NL MVP honors.

[Archelirion]

A 109 win season, nice :] Betting that 91-win Phillies side suddenly becomes very dangerous... such is the playoffs experience.

Gonna have my FEED THE GROFF t-shirt on in anticipation. Come on you Islanders!

[Bub13]

It's Romper Room Alliteration Alley in the Wildcard series: Texas v. Tampa Bay, Philadelphia v. Portland. And here...we..go:

NL: an early 6-2 lead for Portland doesn't hold up, as Philly rides 4 HR to an 8-6 comeback win. Tough home loss for the Pioneers
AL: another early lead doesn't last, as Texas rallies from a 5-0 deficit, scoring twice in the 9th. A home thriller!

For their pains, Philadelphia will get San Diego, while Texas jets off to Hawaii. The other series will be Detroit v. Miami and Pittsburgh v. Atlanta.

......

DIVISIONAL SERIES

Texas has made it past the wildcard for the first time since 2019, when they lost to the Twins. They've made two wildcard appearances since then, losing both games. But now here they are... Finally a solid team, they rode 4th-ranked hitting and pitching to 98 wins, the best of any non-division winner. And what a lineup: MVP candidate and AL batting champ William Swanson (.357/52/127), RF Omar Gurrola (.273/41/111), leadoff man Ronnie Halverson (.291/28/73), and in cleanup DH Eric Robbins (.305/33/101); further down the lineup you have C Juan Espinoza (21 HR), 3B D.J. Flores (29 HR), and solid contact at the very bottom with Luis Venegas (.281) and Mike McNeill (.284). The rotation is a little banged up (no Greg Buchanan and his 17 wins), but is still led by Mike Messinger and Bobby Daniel. Beyond them, Paul Labbe (136 BB) and Mike Kent (4.45 ERA) could be trouble spots. Beyond Buchanan's injury and a nagging quad for Gurrola, they're not missing anyone who contributed during the regular season. We took 8 out of 14 during the regular season.

For us, we are 100% healthy, which may be the first time I've been able to say that at the start of the playoffs in years. We also enter the playoffs having the league's best offense and best pitching. But...in a five game series, anything goes. Will their team power tell over our potent contact-laden attack? Can our pitching hold up, like it did last year? Stay tuned, folks, stay tuned.

Game One: Friday, October 6, Texas (LH Bobby Daniel, 15-9, 3.17) @ Hawaii (LH Eric Jones, 19-11, 3.75). In the first, Lynn singles, steals second, then scores on Dunklee's two-out single. Jones puts runners on in the first few innings, but no one gets past second. We strike again in the fifth, as Whittington doubles home Matson then scores on Lynn's single. We add two more in the sixth, as Goodloe and Simmons score on a pair of RBI singles, and we're up 5-0. Lynn knocks in another run, then the Rangers counter with one of their own in the ninth, but it's not nearly enough. Jones goes the distance, but Lynn is the star: 3-for-5, 4 RBI. Final score: Hawaii 6, Texas 2. Hawaii leads series, 1-0.

Game Two: Saturday, October 7, Texas (RH Mike Messinger, 15-8, 3.76) @ Hawaii (RH Mike Pearse, 15-6, 3.65). Texas starts early this time, as Swanson singles home Halverson for an early Rangers lead. We get it back in the fifth, when after a pair of singles a Simmons SAC fly and a Matson double bring two home. We keep throwing hits at them--getting 14 in all--but can't score anyone, and that bites us in the seventh when Robbins smacks a solo home run to tie it up. No one scores in regular time, so it's off to extras! Goodloe doubles in the 11th and gets to third, but this time Lynn isn't a hero, grounding out to end the threat. Sadly, little-used PH Ted Miller dinks a home run into the first row in the 15th, and we can't mount a threat in our half, game over. Final score: Texas 3, Hawaii 2. Series tied, 1-1.

Game Three: Monday, October 9, Hawaii (RH Shamar Jackson, 18-8, 4.22) @ Texas (RH Paul Labbe, 14-7, 4.09). Juan Espinoza dings a 2-run shot in the Rangers 2nd, and we're down early again, 2-0. Simmons scores on a Rich single in the third, getting one back for the good guys. In the fifth, Lynn reaches on an error, steals second, then brings it home on a Daley single. Tie ball game! In our seventh, Matson, Rich, then Lynn single, but don't stretch the outfield, loading the bases. But then Daley grounds into a force out at home and Groff strikes out, stranding three runners. Argh. One inning later, we put runners on the corners with one out, but...can't bring them home again. No one can get any offense going late, so we're off to extra innings again. In the tenth, we finally break through, as Goodloe's single scores Groff. We're up 3-2. Bottom of the tenth, closer Jon White is in: walk, fly out, sac bunt. Two outs. Then PH Andy Swallow doubles home the runner, Halvorson chops a single into deep short, then Ryan Boers lines a single into left, scoring the winning run. Sigh. Final score: Texas 4, Hawaii 3. Texas leads series, 2-1.

Game Four: Tuesday, October 10, Hawaii (RH Dennis Perry, 11-10, 4.38) @ Texas (RH Paul Labbe, 1-0, 0.00). Do or die time. This one starts ugly tho. After Matson doubles and scores in the top of the 2nd, things go awry quickly in the bottom half. Six hits, a HPB, and two home runs equals six runs for the home team, and one sad visiting GM. Perry doesn't last the inning. Josh Irvin comes in long relief and settles things down, not allowing a run over the next 3 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Simmons doubles home a run in the fourth, and Dunklee does the same in the fifth, as we try to claw back. It's 6-3 Rangers heading into the seventh. Finally, we manage some sustained offense: two walks, a force out, a double, and two singles score three runs, and we're tied! In the eighth, we add some more, with Frederick doubling home two runners, and we've come all the way back to take the lead! But of course it can't last, with Luis Venegas smacking a two-run home run (also scoring Espinoza, who got plunked three times tonight) to retie the game at 8-8. No one scores in the ninth, so once again we're off to extras: third time in four games. In our tenth, it's like old times: eleven batters, six hits, six runs. Groff breaks out of a horrendous slump with a 3-run homer, and a series of singles and doubles bring the rest home. 14-8! Texas tries, managing to double one home in their half, but Kyle Johnson and Ben Germann combine to end the threat. Final score: Hawaii 14, Texas 9. Series tied, 2-2!

Game Five: Thursday, October 12, Texas (LH Bobby Daniel, 0-1, 6.75) @ Hawaii (LH Eric Jones, 1-0, 1.00). The Decider! We get out to the early lead this time, with a trio of hits plating two runs in the second. Nobody puts anyone on over the next two innings, and we hold the Rangers scoreless in the fifth as well. In our half, Lynn and Goodloe belt solo home runs, thrilling the crowd and this old guy, and giving us a hopeful 4-0 lead. It's never over with Texas, tho, as Robbins drives in two with a home run and they add another, making it a one-run game through six. In the eighth, Espinoza continues to drive me crazy with his own solo home run: tie ball game. Then, our half: Goodloe singles then moves to third on a passed ball AND a wild pitch. With two outs, Groff grounds to 1B William Swanson, who proceeds to go Full Buckner and let it roll through his legs, scoring Goodloe. YES!!! Groff doesn't score, but then White comes in for the ninth, allows a single but nothing else, and it's over! Hawaii wins! Final score: Hawaii 5, Texas 4. HAWAII WINS SERIES 3-2.

That was too close. Bob Goodloe is named series MVP, batting .652 (15-for-23) and scoring seven runs.

ELSEWHERE:
...Miami and Detroit also go the distance, with the road team winning all five times. But in the end the Marlins pitching overcame the Tigers big bashers, and Miami takes the series finale in Detroit, 4-1. It'll be a rematch of last year's League Championship: Miami v. Hawaii.
...Philly takes out San Diego in four games, each one a close-fought affair. Philly does lose top pitcher Andy Goeser for the year, however.
...Pittsburgh slides past Atlanta in five. Pity poor Braves starter Jose Gutierrez: two starts, 16 IP, 1 R, 25 K. Both were 1-0 losses: one in extra innings, the second on a solo home run. It'll be an old-school NL East matchup for the NL Championship: Philadelphia v. Pittsburgh.

[Archelirion]

I need a drink.

Games Four and Five were absolute classics though! The kind you wish you could actually be there for.

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by Archelirion

I need a drink.

Games Four and Five were absolute classics though! The kind you wish you could actually be there for.

Three extra innings games and the GW on an error in the ninth. Fans are getting their money's worth!

[Bub13]

2051 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

It's a rematch of last year's championship round, as we entertain the Marlins in the best-of-seven tilt. The current Marlins were reborn in 2016 after the originals decamped to Richmond. They did nothing of interest for their first 25 years of existence. Since then, they've been pretty good: 7 playoff appearances in 11 seasons, including five divisional titles, and a trip to the World Series in '42 against the Dodgers. (They lost.) Last year's version featured very good pitching paired with mediocre hitting. They went out over the winter and remedied the hitting issue, adding RF David Von Eschen (.273/43/112) and Japanese import Toshi Shimabukuro (.264/27/77). Plus, they stayed healthy, with only regular catcher Greg Fugate (who gets platooned) batting fewer than 400 times. Even then, the offense is middling, ranking 9th in runs and 8th in AVG. But they do hit home runs: 267 during the regular season, 4th in the AL. Every regular hit at least 14. Pitching was uniformly better, at 2nd in runs allowed, with the 4th best rotation and 3rd best bullpen ERA. And they did it despite having four pitchers on the DL who started the year with the team, including ace starter Matt Rubin. The only sore spot has been closer: Dwaine Webb held the role for much of the year, earning 31 saves; but along with that went a 5.60 ERA. He's now in the rotation, and vet Jack Hildebrandt has assumed closer duties. He was solid if unspectacular down the stretch. Overall, this is a balanced team, one that doesn't throw tons of base runners at you--our method of attack--but one that can beat you the old Earl Weaver way: three-run home runs and good-enough pitching. They finished 95-67 on the year, winning the division by one game over Tampa Bay. They went 4-2 against us this year, taking both series 2-1. Time for some revenge...even though they're looking for bigger revenge, wanting to get past the sweep we pasted on them in last year's league finals. Should be a close series!

......

Game One: Saturday, October 14th, Miami (RH Jason Simon 1-0, 2.16) @ Hawaii (RH Mike Pearse, 0-0, 2.25). Inauspicious start, as the 2nd Marlins batter, Sean West, pops one over the LF wall, 1-0 Marlins. Aggressive base running ties it in the second: Groff walks then goes to third on an infield (!) single, then both runners go on a 3-2 pitch that becomes a ground out. Tied after two. Pearse walks two in the third but doesn't allow any runs. Our half: Goodloe singles then watches as Dunklee pounds one into deep left-center seats, and we have our first lead. Pearse puts two more on in the fourth, but once again allows no runs. So we strike again in our half of the inning, this time Daley adding the fireworks of a three-run home run. 6-1 Hawaii after four. Pearse finally breaks in the fifth, allowing two runs, but we recoup that and more, scoring five more times over the next three innings. In all, we put 21 batters on base, and win this one going away. Pearse is a little shaky and leaves after six, but the pen does its job late. Final score: Hawaii 11, Miami 4. Hawaii leads series 1-0.

Game Two: Sunday, October 15th, Miami (RH Dwaine Webb, 1-0, 3.86) @ Hawaii (RH Shamar Jackson, 0-0, 2.25). From the start, Jackson is on, fanning out two Marlins per inning over the first four frames. Even better, Frederick knocks a solo shot in the bottom of the second, followed by Rich doubling home two more runs, and it's 3-0 Hawaii after two. Frederick does it again in the fifth, tripling in two runs, then is knocked home by Groff, and we're up by six after five. Jackson cruises, allowing single runs in the sixth and the ninth innings, but giving up only five hits overall while fanning ten. Fourteen hits, eighteen runners tonight. Final score: Hawaii 6, Miami 2. Hawaii leads series 2-0.

Game Three: Tuesday, October 17th, Hawaii (LH Eric Jones, 1-0, 2.40) @ Miami (LH Victor Nunez, 1-1, 5.40). Jones goes on short rest, but is pretty sharp. He gets touched for a run in the second after a pair of Marlin doubles, but settles down and allows just six hits over his seven innings. The bad news is, however, that that was one more run than we could manage all night. Daley gets three hits, but the #3 through #6 hitters go oh-for-sixteen in this one. Not really a true pitcher's duel, as each team puts double-digit runners on, but no one can mount any serious threats. Final score: Miami 1, Hawaii 0. Hawaii leads series 2-1.

Game Four: Wednesday, October 18th, Hawaii (RH Josh Irvin, 0-0, 0.00) @ Miami (RH Norm Rowsell, 0-1, 6.75). Last night's game was just a rest before tonight's explosive contest. We start the show by going single-double-FC-double in the first, bringing home a run. However, Miami jumps all over rookie starter Josh Irvin--getting the start after Perry's implosion against Texas--sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four times. We scratch out another run in the second on a walk, steal, and a throwing error, and close the deficit to 4-2. Irvin settles down after that, retiring the side in each of the next five frames. But we get busy... In the top of the fourth we turn four singles and another steal into two runs, tying the game. In the sixth, we go ahead on Matson's solo home run, then put seven more runners on, scoring seven times in all and taking a commanding 11-4 lead. Matson strikes again in the eighth, this time banging a two-run home run and extending the lead to 13-4. Miami strikes for two solo dingers in their half, but we still have a seven run lead. Just for good measure, we add three more runs in the final frame, and so does Miami, so that everyone can have terrible ERA after this one. We win this one by a touchdown, and getting 21 hits. Final score: Hawaii 16, Miami 9. Hawaii leads series, 3-1.

Game Five: Thursday, October 19th, Hawaii (RH Mike Pearse, 1-0, 3.21) @ Miami (RH Jason Simon, 1-1, 6.00). We stake Pearse to an early 3-0 lead after Dunklee's first inning three-run blast, but he can't make it hold up, allowing four in the second. We tie it up in the fourth after a pair of singles and a pair of fielder's choices. But we give it right back, as Pearse is touched for a two-run home run by Shimabukuro in the fifth, and leaves the game. Perry comes in and allows another run in the sixth, and we're down 7-4. We add one in the eighth, but an attempted rally is shut down when Dunklee whiffs with runners on second and third, ending the inning. We can't mount anything in the ninth, and so we're off to the Islands to try to wrap this one up. Final score: Miami 7, Hawaii 5. Hawaii leads series, 3-2.

Game Six: Saturday, October 21st, Miami (RH Dwaine Webb, 1-1, 7.15) @ Hawaii (RH Shamar Jackson, 1-0, 2.12). Aaaaagh. Ricky Chavez blasts a three-run shot in the first, and we never recover. Frederick brings a run home in the third, but the Marlins get it back in the fourth and then add three more in the sixth, just for fun. We only manage six hits, in another listless effort. Butts are clenched all over Hawaii now, as we do have history of blowing two playoff home games with chances to win. Sigh. Final score: Miami 9, Hawaii 1. Series TIED 3-3.

Game Seven: Sunday, October 22nd, Miami (LH Victor Nunez, 2-1, 3.05) @ Hawaii (LH Eric Jones, 1-1, 2.05). It's a rematch of the game three starters, the OTHER game where our offense didn't show up. Hopefully we can recover tonight.... Well, we got more offense, managing 17 hits (to their 12), and neither starter made it to the seventh. With a 1-0 lead, Jones allows a pair of RBI doubles in the third, and we're suddenly down 3-1. Frederick knots it up with a two-run shot in the bottom half. After Jones allows a Sean West solo home run (his sixth of the series) in the fifth, Frederick plays hero again, this time bringing two more home on a triple. It's a 5-4 lead after five. No one scores over the next two innings, but then in the eighth...oh, the eighth. A Fugate RBI double ties the game, then reliever Kyle Johnson just can't get anyone out (and is left in, why?), culminating in a three-run home run by Phil Cronce. Crash: a one-run lead becomes a three-run deficit. We try in the bottom half, with Whittington's solo home run cutting the lead. Then Lynn walks. Daley walks. Goodloe singles, loading the bases with no outs. Pinch hitter Julius Burrows grounds to first, but Lynn is thrown out at home. Frederick comes up, the evening's hero, yes? But he strikes out swinging. Ugh. Now it's Adam Groff, our franchise all-timer. One a 1-2 count, he...watches the pitch, strike three. Just...dumbfounded. Robbie Collier tosses a scoreless ninth, and Simmons singles to start off the bottom half. Man on, one out, down by two runs. Power-hitting Steve Wallace comes in to pinch hit...and also watches strike three go by. W.T.F. With the season on the line, Joe Lynn steps up. Ball. Foul. Foul. Foul. Ball. Then a sharp grounder to the right of the shortstop...who lunges, nabs it, whirls and throws to second just beating Simmons. And that's all she wrote. Another 3-1 series lead blown and another magnificent regular season comes to nothing. Congrats to Miami, but this was OUR series, and we blew it, straight up. Final score: Miami 8, Hawaii 6. Miami WINS series, 4-3.

"Should be a close series" someone said. Idiot.

......

In the NL, despite it being a five-game series, each game is very tight. Three are decided by a single run, and the other two are two-run games. In the end, Pittsburgh prevails in a series that featured 23 home runs. The Pirates and Marlins will meet for the first time in the World Series. What a world.

......

Might as well get it over with. Miami is making their second appearance in the Series, having lost to the Dodgers in 2042. Pittsburgh is going for the fourth time in this dynasty, their three previous times having happened over the four year period from '33 to '36. Now THAT team was a dynasty, with an amazing murderer's row of a lineup. They only brought home two titles, but what fun they were for that period. Anyway, back to the present...

Game One: Miami 9, Pittsburgh 6. Miami throws in Matt Rubin to start--no rehab after four months off! (and he got hurt again)
Game Two: Pittsburgh 4, Miami 1. 3-run HR by former Isle Chris Goldthwait (hit 44 HR this year, btw)
Game Three: Miami 4, Pittsburgh 3.
Game Four: Pittsburgh 11, Miami 8.
Game Five: Pittsburgh 11, Miami 4. Almost there...
Game Six: Pittsburgh 6, Miami 3. And...Scene.

Pittsburgh wins its 8th title all-time, and Miami remains shut out. Pirates manager Dario Agrazal wins his second championship (his first was with Atlanta in '46), and 1B Chris Goldthwait gets his second in a row. For us, we can only sit and watch and stew.

[Bub13]

Before we move on, some season numbers. Pretty solid all around, I'd say.