Los Angeles Leopards (SVMLB)

[pauwoo]

First the terrible, no good news… 3B Demetri Rodriguez was injured on the 12th (strained hammy) and will be out, recovering, for ~6 weeks. This, as I’m sure you know, is less than ideal given how adept he has been at manning the hot corner for us these last several seasons… and, with that out of the way, we managed to finish August with a 16-10 record, better than the 11-13 record we turned in for July and are off to a nondescript 7-7 record so far this month. Somehow, despite basically running in place for the last month and a half, we’ve maintained our 1-game lead over Charlotte, Otto has maintained his torrid HR pace and now has amassed 48 of those, and T-Rex Stiles is in striking distance of leading the Majors in saves where he sits just 2 behind Philly’s Ethan Roberts who has 44 so far this season. Speaking of Philly… they’ve opened a 1-game lead on Pittsburgh, essentially flipping the script in the NL East from less than a month ago.

Team Batting & Pitching Leaders…

Batting Average          	Dalton Burch*            	296  
On-Base Pct              	Dalton Burch*            	383  
Slugging Pct             	Otto Isaac*              	602  
OPS                     	Otto Isaac*              	972  
wOBA                    	Otto Isaac*              	419  
Games                    	Oh Hong*                 	144  
At-Bats                  	Oh Hong*                 	575  
Runs                    	Oh Hong*                 	99   
Hits                    	Oh Hong*                 	161  
Total Bases              	Otto Isaac*              	321  
Singles                  	Oh Hong*                 	126  
Doubles                  	Carson Hutchinson*       	29   
Triples                  	Hernando Benavidez*      	3    
Home Runs                	Otto Isaac*              	48   
RBIs                    	Otto Isaac*              	119  
Stolen Bases             	Ethan Mullens*           	25   
Caught Stealing          	Dalton Burch*            	10   
Walks                    	Ethan Mullens*           	79   
Strikeouts               	Otto Isaac*              	138

ERA                     	Larimel Álvarez*         	3.02 
Wins                    	Ryan McGuire*            	15   
Losses                   	Ryan McGuire*            	10   
Winning Pct              	Larimel Álvarez*         	0.65 
Saves                    	T-Rex Stiles*            	44   
Games Pitched            	Leonardo Duarte*         	71   
Games Started            	Larimel Álvarez*         	30   
Complete Games           	Orlando Arce*            	0    
Shutouts                 	Orlando Arce*            	0    
Innings Pitched          	Larimel Álvarez*         	164  
Hits Allowed             	Rad Taylor*              	145  
Home Runs Allowed        	Ryan McGuire*            	21   
Strikeouts               	Ryan McGuire*            	195  
Walks Allowed            	Ryan McGuire*            	77   
Walks per 9 IP           	Larimel Álvarez*         	2.58 
Hits per 9 IP            	Ryan McGuire*            	6.68 
Strikeouts per 9 IP      	Ryan McGuire*            	11.42
WHIP                    	Larimel Álvarez*         	1.09

Los Angeles Leopards (87-57, .604, 1st NL West) @ Pittsburgh Pipers (77-67, .535, 2nd NL East)
Pegged as an also ran by the preseason prognosticators, the Pittsburgh Pipers, Tom Franzone, and his new best friend, Aitor Cubas, had something else in mind and, as a result, find themselves in the thick of it, doing their level best to lay claim to the NL East throne even as in state rivals Philadelphia, and their fierce pitching staff that boasts Merl Crawford (57/57), Bob Dauncey (55/62), and Peter Garcia (52/52), do the same. This then will be, or is, a muy importante set for Cubas and his band of less-than-merry men as a series win against the likes of us, and at a time where every win is at a premium, would go a long way in securing Pittsburgh’s playoff future…

145 of 162: Rad Taylor (12-8, 3.82) @ Dejuan Burns (9-10, 3.47)
Win, 7-3. Oh Hong put two balls out of the park, a solo shot and a 2-run TANK, to lead the offense with Hutchinson, Koloski, and D-Rod replacement, Sandro Brincat, each driving in runs to contribute to the cause as your Leopards served up a heaping spoonful of reality to the Pipers in the City of Bridges. Two doubles for the club (Sandro & C Mason Click), two SAC FLIES (Sandro & Koloski), a HBP (Dalton Burch wearing it like a champ), 3 double plays, and a winning, 6-inning, 10-hit, 2 K start for Rad would round things out nicely for us… of note: Nacho put in some work in relief, as he’s been pushed out of the rotation by Orlando Arce & Dani Thorpe recently, and promptly gave up a homer to Tom Franzone and then pegged Toddrick Carr & Tito Escobar before exiting stage right. Coming in hot….


Can I be honest? I’m kind of digging on Dani’s swank ‘stache.

146 of 162: Dani Thorpe (5-6, 4.20) @ Gabriel Cameron (4-7, 3.36)
Loss, 1-7. Dani, swank ‘stache and all, was laid to waste in Pittsburgh tonight, battered and bruised over a mere 3.2-innings of work where he’d allow 10 hits and 6 total runs, including a 1st inning, 2-run TANK from Aitor that brough bestie Tom Franzone around. Our lone run came on an OH HONG dinger, his 24th, with the club only good for 5 total hits as Pittsburgh handled their business like a division-winning, world series contending club does at home, in front of their wives, children, parents, girlfriends, mistresses, and acquaintances…

The Top 5 offensive single game performances this season…

Player              	Team           	Opponent       	AB   	R    	H    	RBI  	HR   	BB   	Score
Reuben Johnson      	Toronto        	San Diego      	5    	4    	4    	9    	4    	0    	139  
Luis Cavazos        	Dallas         	Detroit        	4    	4    	4    	8    	3    	0    	131  
Ethan Mullens       	Los Angeles    	Portland       	6    	4    	4    	8    	3    	0    	123  
Tom Franzone        	Pittsburgh     	New Orleans    	5    	3    	4    	7    	3    	0    	113  
Rajkumar Kosciusko  	Austin         	Miami          	5    	3    	4    	7    	3    	0    	113  
Aldo Fernández      	Denver         	Los Angeles    	5    	3    	4    	7    	1    	2    	113

Note: Reuben's 4 HR game is the 4th such feat in this saves history. It last happened in 2077 when Leandro Corona did it against Mexico City as a member of the Vancouver Mounties. At just 30yo, his stock has gone way, way down and he now plies his trade in our development system with the Compton Raiders.

147 of 162: Larimel Alvarez (13-7, 3.02) @ Kenley Bartoli (11-5, 3.94)
Win, 6-2. Larimel made it three straight starts without earning a decision, giving us 5-innings of 7-hit, 2-earned ball in this one before turning it over to the pen in the 6th, as the offense would wait until the top of the 8th, where we scored 4 runs, to do our game winning damage. Another homer for Oh Hong, his 25th, a 2-for-3, 1 R game from Otto, and a SAC BUNT from Lucas Sherman would do it for us offensively as your La La’s waltzed into Allegheny County, like the cock of the walk, baby, and cribbed two off the Pipers in their park. Should they manage to win the NL East, and that’s in serious doubt given that Philly has opened up a 3-game lead on them, this set should serve as a reminder as to who is the best club in the National League come playoff time.

Record: 89-58, .605, 1st NL West
Up Next: Given that we have this thing all but sewn up, I’ll likely play through until October 5th, looking in on the boys during their final regular-season series against Mexico City before kicking off the 2083 playoffs…

[pauwoo]

Two things… first, we clinched. So did Charlotte, though they are still 1-game off our pace. Otto is stuck at just 49 TANKS this season… he’s been put on the IL with a strained abdominal muscle and is expected to require 11 days to recover. There’s only 7 days left in the season. It’s just math. It’s a bummer. A bummer, for real.

Also, I see no reason to play out our season-ending series against the Jaguars, in Mexico City, and will, instead, catch up with the team during the first round of the playoffs…

[pauwoo]

As we head into the playoffs, here’s a quick look at where things ended… Standings, Leaderboards, Leopards Clubhouse… Charlotte ended up at the top of the pops, laying claim to the title of best team in baseball. It's whatever, we're still going to win the whole thing.

[pauwoo]

Philadelphia Founders (88-75, .540, 1st NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (96-66, .593, 1st NL West)
The headline on Philadelphia’s 2083 campaign should read, “the Founders found a way”. They did it on guile, persevered in the face of adversity, and found a way to keep the upstart Pittsburgh Pirates at bay, far enough from shore, with no hope of reaching land. They’re good everywhere – ranked 4th for offense, 3rd for pitching, with a solid, fundamentally sound defense. 30yo 1B Luis Cavazos has put up 3.5 WAR since being traded to the Founders by Dallas back in May, sliding into the #3 slot in the lineup with CF Sage Reid - .317/.393/.566, 31 HR, 92 RBI – dutifully manning the cleanup spot, forming the foundation of a sturdy, dependable, and altogether fierce offensive unit. Their offense is enough to give any staff fits, but, when you pair it with a better-than-serviceable pitching rotation you end up with a recipe for disaster. We’ll have our work cut out for us here, and, while we should be more than good for it, I’d be lying if I said that these guys don’t scare me a little bit.

1 of 7: Quirk Benoit (0-0, 0.00) @ Ryan McGuire (0-0, 0.00)
Win, 4-0. 3B Sandro Brincat, drafted out of Oregon State back in 2081, and the current 41st ranked prospect in baseball, has made something of a name for himself in his very first playoff game as a major leaguer with a 1-for-3 day that included the 3-run DONG DONG that blew this one wide open… 2 runs scored for Ethan, including one a solo dinger, a burgled bag for OH HONG, a fantastic, around-the-horn, Brincat-Blasko-Hong double play, and a winning, 6.1-inning, 2 hit, 6 K outing from McGuire would round out the highlights here as your La La’s took care of business in game one at home… effectively putting Philly on their heels a little bit.

Side Note: Dance and rejoice… Otto’s back for game two!

2 of 7: Merl Crawford (0-0, 0.00) @ Orlando Arce (0-0, 0.00)
Loss, 5-7 (12). The Founders continue to confound the punditry, finding a way to gut out a win here after Otto knotted things up with a 2-run blast during the bottom of the 8th. In the end it would be a 2B Cody Keenan run-scoring double off T-Rex Stiles, putting in 4-innings of work for us (that’s too many), that would spell our doom as Philly managed to split the first two with us in Los Angeles despite the return of the reigning HR King, Otto Isaac. Ethan continued his hot series… 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs of his own – you love to see it. I'd love it more with a better result, but, HEY(!), beggars can't be choosers and all that.

Elsewhere: Vancouver, like Philly against us, waltzed into Charlotte's park and managed to put a bad one on them, winning game 1 by a score of 14-8 before falling by a much more reasonable, 4-6 score in game 2 and will head home on a split with a chance to win the series in their park if they can find a way to reel off three straight W’s.

Record: 1-1, .500
Up Next: We’ll make the trek to Philadelphia for three games in front of, quite possibly, the rudest sports fans in the entire world.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (96-66, .593, 1st NL West) @ Philadelphia Founders (88-75, .540, 1st NL East)
With the series tied at a game each, and with the next three set to be contested in Philadelphia, it’s gut check time for the Leopards. A season spent running roughshod over all comers could all come down to these next three – pitting our boys against a sturdy team playing in front of a sturdy, if psychologically imbalanced, fan base. To get what we need here, which is to say a couple of wins, we’ll need Oh Hong to come correct, improving on his 2-for-10, 4 K line he’s posted so far, and for RF Dalton Burch to give us anything of value at the plate. We’ve lost one baseball game, at home, in the playoffs… it’s not the end of the world, but, if we can’t right the ship, and quickly, it certainly could be.

3 of 7: Larimel Alvarez (0-0, 0.00) @ Bob Dauncey (0-0, 0.00)
Loss, 4-5. Otto Isaac hit his 2nd homer of the series, a top of the 9th, 2-run TANK, to bring us within one of knotting this one up, but Ethan would be unable to come through at the plate, hitting a shallow pop up to end the game. Burch was better, 3-for-5 with a couple of runs, Brincat hit a solo homer, his 2nd of the series, we fielded a crispy, around-the-horn, double play, and even got an OF Assist from Mullens… it’d all be for naught, however, as the Founders brutalized Larimel over the first 4-innings of the game, scoring all 5 of their runs on his watch and, subsequently, saddling him with the loss in game three.

4 of 7: Rad Taylor (0-0, 0.00) @ Dontrell McNeil (0-0, 0.00)
Loss, 1-4. There’d be no late game rally attempt, no chance of waltzing off heroically into the night, as the Founders’ SS Moses Upshaw drilled a 3-run TANK during the bottom of the 7th that deflated our team and all but spelled our doom in this one. We’d manage just 6 hits as a squad, each of them a single, leave 7 runners stranded, and end this one on a 3B Sandro Brincat GIDP, slinking off into the night like a child that got caught with his hand in the honeypot. On the brink of elimination now, our season’s work hanging in the balance, and all of our hopes & dreams seemingly far, far away over the horizon.


Elsewhere: Vancouver, on the back of LF Baron Henry’s 2-for-2, 2 HR, 3 RBI day, have gone up 2-1 in their series against the Charlotte Imperials, winning game three by a score of 4-1 at home to take command of their series against the favored North Carolina based outfit. RF Mack Ramirez also hit a solo dinger during the game, it was his second long ball of the series.

5 of 7: Ryan McGuire (1-0, 0.00) @ Quirk Benoit (0-1, 7.20)
Loss, 1-2. Losing a playoff series in baseball, even as the favorite, is par for the course… it’s a fickle, fickle sport where the best team doesn’t always win. You could make a case that the best team always wins the regular season, a good case in fact, but, when it comes to the postseason, to look at it as anything other than a crapshoot would be a mistake. Up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, with our closer, T-Rex Stiles warm and ready, Sage Reid would hit lead things off for Philly with a single hit to leftfield. T-Rex would come unglued after that, losing his focus, and walking the next two batters, Luis Cavazos & Verne Morey, before giving up a 2-run, walk off single to C Ramon Requena much to the delight of Philadelphia’s raucous, foul, and derision-worthy crowd. Ramon Requena, that backup backstop more accustomed to riding the pine than putting wood on the ball, that light-hitting Catcher whose only hit during the NLCS was this walk off single, will never pay for a drink in this town again.

Fair play to him. Fair play to Philadelphia.

Record: Who cares? It’s over, we’re going fishing.
Up Next: I'll likely recap the World Series in less-than-exciting fashion, followed by an offseason spent battling generalized depression, retooling our squad, and, then, getting back after it in 2084.

[pauwoo]

But first... Philadelphia won the World Series in 5 games over the Vancouver Mounties... gross. Who cares about all that anyways... onward.

Offseason Awards

• 3B Demetri Rodriguez (3x) took home a Gold Glove and was our only recipient this season… former Leopards C Dominic Cooke (Dallas) took home his 6th such honor and 1B Satoru Ono (Portland) earned one for the 5th time in his career. He won two with us, 1 in Seattle, 1 in Montreal, and now 1 with the Portland Pioneers. Cue up “I Get Around”…
• CL Toni Cartwright, of the Pittsburgh Pipers, win the Kingston Cashmore for best reliever in the National League with our own T-Rex Stiles coming in 3rd in the voting… and, Toronto’s closer, Tate Harbin, took home the same honor in the American League.
• C Mason Click and CF Otto Isaac each won Silver Sluggers for their work in 2083… 1B Tome Franzone (PIT), 2B Heathcote Kinton (AUS), and RF Aitor Cubas (PIT) each grabbed the award at their position as well… 1B Palmer Parker (SEA) grabbed one in the AL.
• Our own C Mason Click took home Greenhorn of the Year honors in the NL… good on the young whippersnapper… here’s to a lifetime of positional dominance.
• SP Steven Estevez took home his 3rd Victor Pacheco award – this is his first in Charlotte after winning the other two as a member of our club. The National League honor went to SP Jack Sanchez-Flores of the Montreal Alouettes… it’s his first such honor after 8 years of service.
• CF Otto Isaac, the man, the myth, the legend, took home his 4th Boyce Rigg award as a member of the Leopards… the sure fire HOFer earned 19 of the 24 available 1st place votes… 3B Broderick Chavez, of the Charlotte Imperials, took home the honor in the American League… the 22yo Cal State Fullerton alum has officially put the league on notice.

Summary of Offseason Roster Moves

• Traded 3B Demetri Rodriguez (54/54) and minor league SP Nick Simpson (39/51) to Phoenix for 3B Luca Biacchi (44/52) and minor league 2B Jellyroll Hammon (20/46). Luca is, I think, a bit better than Demetri at the plate and offers more positional flexibility. They wanted SP Nick Simpson to make the deal work, I got them to include Jellyroll in a Draft Day-esque, David Putney bout of silliness because I liked his name.
• The Miners swapped 28-year-old RHP Owen Girolamo (57/57) and 21-year-old minor league LF Joel Landry (20/33) to your Leopards getting 30-year-old C Manolito Herrera (33/33) in return. The players indicated it was good to get a fresh new start in another city, but it was difficult to leave your friends on the old team.
• The Los Angeles Leopards have released a statement confirming the trade of 21-year-old minor league LF Rick Phillips (33/51) to the Montreal Alouettes for 29-year-old RHP Max Egner (65/65). The deal was finalized today.
• We signed 1B Oh Hong to a $85.9mm, 3yr contract extension.
• We signed RF Ethan Mullens to a $72mm, 3yr contract extension. I’m nothing if not loyal.
• We inked LF Hernando Benavidez to a 3yr, $98.4mm extension.

Free Agency
Departures

• I declined the Team Option on Nacho Valadez’s contract, allowing the 36yo to sign with the highest bidder. The highest bidder, it turns out, was the New York Sluggers who gave Nacho a 1yr, $3.8mm deal.
• LF Chance Bell was not offered a contract, entered free agency, and, so far, hasn’t found a landing spot.
• RP Adrian Parker signed a 2yr, $16.8mm contract with the Las Vegas Outlaws.

Summary of Notable FA Signings

• SP Jack Sanchez-Flores (31yo, 71/71) signed a 3yr, $102.5mm contract with the Buffalo Nickels.
• SP Stephen Estevez (33yo, 77/77) signed a 3yr, $104.5mm contract with the Montreal Alouettes.
• 3B J.J. Barbari (29yo, 61/61) signed a 3yr, $84.6mm contract with Dallas Chaparrals.
• 1B Tom Franzone’s (33yo, 80/80) time in Pittsburgh has come to an end… he signed a 3yr, $111mm contract with the Boston Shamrocks.
• RF Mack Ramirez (31yo, 62/62) signed a 3yr, $62.4mm deal with the Brooklyn Citizens.
• SP Tommy Mathieu (37yo, 58/58) signed a 1yr, $25mm deal with Toronto.
• RF Rajkumar Kosciusko (29yo, 64/64) signed a 3yr, $83.8mm deal with the Seattle Metros.
• 3B Reuben Johnson (32yo, 67/67) signed a 3yr, $84mm deal with New Orleans.
• RP Michael Brisk (36yo, 51/51) signed a 1yr, $6.7mm contract with the Coney Island Footlongs… My guy is hanging on for dear life.
• SP Burt McElheny (37yo, 61/61) signed a 2yr, $50mm deal with Salt Lake City.
• SP Peter Garcia (36yo, 52/52) signed a 1yr, $11.7mm deal with the Austin Grackles.
• CF Lonzo Gonzalez (32yo, 43/43) signed a 1yr, $5.5mm deal with Las Vegas.

Other Offseason Silliness

• The Seattle Metros dealt LF Palmer Parker (31yo, 64/64) to Detroit for SP A.J. Quimby (30yo, 46/47). I mean, I guess…
• The Salt Lake Alpines have released a statement confirming the trade of 35-year-old 1B Paulo Legna (56/56) to the Philadelphia Founders for 21-year-old minor league CF Troy Sinclair (25/41) and 24-year old LHP Martin Britton (40/51). The deal was finalized today.

Hall Of Fame

• SP Landon Sampson, a Phoenix legend and 5x Victor Pacheco recipient, is a 1st ballot HOFer after capturing 99.7% of the vote.
• 2B Rich Hamilton, a 17-year vet and 5x Boyce Rigg winner, is also a 1st ballot HOFer, earning 91.7% of the vote.

Some Changes to the Save:

• I rebranded the New Orleans Gators’ development system… it is now as follows: AAA – Lower 9th Ward Reapers, AA – Opelousas Rougarou, A – Pines Village Caimans, R – Seventh Ward Shams.
• I'm going back to my old playoff format - 5 teams in each league will qualify, there'll be a 3-game series pitting the two lowest seeds against each other where the higher of the two starts off with a game in hand, followed by a 5-game 2nd round, a 7-game LCS, and the 7-game World Series. It's just more chaotic that way.
• I’ve added another Bush League, creatively named the ‘Western Bush League’, to soak up some of the players I have just hanging around my overstuffed FA pile… Identical setup as my other BL, with the following clubs: Medford Sabrecats, Santa Barbara Pelicans, Bellevue Players, Walnut Creek Wizards, Alamogordo Caravans, Boulder Brewskis, Santa Cruz Crabs, Ashland Bards, Butte Brutes, Tualatin Squeegees, Lynnwood Devils, and Minot Minotaurs.

Here’s a look at our lineup & rotation… and the preseason predictions for our league…

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (0-0, .000) @ Phoenix Coyotes (0-0, .000)
This season, given that we’ve gone back to our original playoff format, Phoenix, and their predicted 82-80 finish, might have enough in the tank to get this bucket over the line and earn a ticket to the dance. They didn’t do much of note during the offseason – 2B Scott Kaszuba (33yo, 47/47) was brought in on a 3yr, $14.2mm deal and SP Ricky Halbur (34yo, 56/56) signed a 2yr, $16mm deal – choosing instead to stay the course, promote from within, and, really, just hope for the best. Their staff looks solid, the starters sturdy enough to hold their own without really instilling fear in any of their opposition, while the offense leaves a lot to be desired on paper. And, if they don’t make a postseason appearance this season, given our harkening back to a more forgiving format, blame could be placed squarely on their lineup’s doorstep. Because RF Harlem Peterson (32yo, 71/71), batting 3rd, without anything resembling protection, is a recipe for mediocrity.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs LHP R. Luna (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP R. Halbur (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP W. Ricker (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. LF Harlem Peterson (Age: 32, Overall : 71, Potential: 71)
2. SP Ricky Halbur (34, 56, 56)
3. CL Chasley Anderson (24, 52, 54)
4. RP Nuno Vera (22, 51, 57)
5. RP Steve Allen (38, 51, 51)

#1: Win, 7-1… Hulk Smash mode activated… 2 tanks, 3 RBI for Ethan, another for Oh Hong, a 6.1-inning, 6 K win for Larimel, and Luca scores twice in his debut.
#2: Win, 8-3 (10)… A 5-run top of the 10th would get things sorted… Otto finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 scores, four burgled bags for the club (Otto 2x, Ethan, Brincat).
#3: Win, 6-4… Sweep! 3-run TANK from Oh Hong seals the deal, T-Rex secured his first hold, Max Egner picked up his 1st save in a Leopards kit.

A great start… only ourselves and Denver still on pace to win 162 games. 21 runs, 5 dingers, and only 3 runs given up by our starters so far. We’ll take it and only request that you keep it coming…


Elsewhere: Charlotte’s SP Marco Ortega (30yo, 62/62) opened the season with a 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 12 K masterpiece, securing a tight, taut 1-0 win in NYC on opening day… The Imperials won that series, opening their season at 2-1 against the Sluggers and are hoping to carry that dominance forward the rest of the way to right what many of their most ardent fans believe was a most heinous wrong when they fell to Vancouver during the 1st round of last years playoffs.

Record: 3-0, 1.000, 1st NL West
Up Next: We head to San Diego to put some bad ones on the Skipjacks before our home opener against the Austin Grackles on Tuesday of next week.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (3-0, 1.000, 1st NL West) @ San Diego Skipjacks (1-2, .333, 4th NL West)
Another ho-hum, never was, never will be division rival who, no matter what city they reside in, continues to play the role of an also-ran to near perfection. And, while they’ve amassed some good, topflight talent – with CF Samuel Preston (22yo, 73 OVR), SS Jalen Payton (28, 78 OVR), and SP Brady Mackay (24, 69 OVR) coming to mind – they haven’t found a way to surround that group with enough around the periphery to solidify their foundation such that it can stand up to the likes of us, intent on storming their castle and leaving a trail of dead in our wake. The line on these guys is that they’re destined to finish at, or near, the very bottom of our division, duking it out with the Las Vegas Outlaws to avoid earning the distinction of worst club in the NL West… I actually think they could end up a bit better than that with an offense that has been undervalued by the preseason punditry and a bullpen that may turn some heads.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP R. Taylor (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP C. Fox (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP W. Doles (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs RHP B. Mackay (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SS Jalen Payton (Age: 28, Overall : 78, Potential: 79)
2. CF Samuel Preston (22, 73, 80)
3. SP Brady Mackay (24, 69, 78)
4. 1B Luis Cavazos (31, 62, 62)
5. CL Shawn Arguello (31, 60, 60)

#4: Loss, 5-7… San Diego scored all 7 runs during the 5th and 6th– Oh Hong’s 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI day isn’t enough to get us over on the Skipjacks. Rad gets shelled… allows 4 in 5.
#5: Win, 7-4… Dan Blasko’s 2-run single puts us over in the 8th, Benavidez 3-for-5 with 3 runs, Otto hits his first HR of 2084, a 1st inning solo shot.
#6: Win, 2-1 (11)… Oh Hong’s 11th-inning, SOLO TANK wins it, solid, 5-inning 1 earned outing from Larimel, Max Egner picks up the win in relief.

Well… alright, alright, alright… things are off to a relatively smashing start, the baseball has been good, and we’re one of just two teams with a 5-1 record (Brooklyn is operating at that same clip). Oh Hong leads the league in TANKS at 4, and is second in RBIs at 9 so far, Dan Blasko has hit safely in 10 straight regular-season games going back to last year, and our offense is ranked second in the NL as a whole, behind the Mexico City Jaguars who are putting up a rip-roaring 7.3 runs per contest thus far. Denver, after sweeping the Vancouver Mounties to start the season, were swept in Dallas over the last three days, and are now doing their level best to tread water at 4th on the AL West table…


Elsewhere: Boston’s Tom Franzone, who signed with the Shamrocks after being a Pittsburgh mainstay for 9 seasons, went 3-for-3 with a 3-run TANK, 2 runs, and a walk during his new clubs dominant, 8-2 win over the Buffalo Nickels. Boston has come off the line looking like a well-oiled machine, posting a 4-2 record so far and hanging tough with the Charlotte Imperials so far in the AL East.

Record: 5-1, .833, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head back to Los Angeles for our home opener against the Austin Grackles after taking Monday off to rest & reflect on what we’ve managed to lay down so far…

[pauwoo]

Austin Grackles (4-2, .667, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (5-1, .833, 1st NL West)
On paper, the Austin Grackles have the best offense in our division, maybe our league, but pair it with a staff that finds itself just a tick or two on the right side of serviceable. In a way this serves to underscore how difficult it is to build a balanced club in this game, and, by extension, how unique, even given our budget, the situation we’ve found ourselves in over the last 9 seasons is… So far, despite boasting a bullpen that ranks dead last in the NL for ERA at 8.18, Austin, buoyed in no small part by their offense, have found a way to rise to 4-2 on the year after sweeping Las Vegas at home before heading our way. Their lineup will bring some pop with them to town, their baserunning will be aggressive, and they’ll battle our pitchers, down to a man, with designs on getting on base by any means necessary… and still, it won’t be enough, not in our building, not against this club.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP J. Matthiessen (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (0-0, 2.84 ERA) vs RHP P. Garcia (0-0, 9.64 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs RHP M. Morales (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 2B Heathcote Kinton (Age: 33, Overall : 80, Potential: 80)
2. 3B Ronaldo Guzman (30, 70, 70)
3. SP Joe Matthiessen (25, 67, 77)
4. CF Anthony Jamison (24, 67, 73)
5. SP Alfred Adcock (25, 66, 72)

#7: Win, 2-1… Pitching dominated the day … 7 innings of filthiness from McGuire for his 1st W of the season while maintaining a 0.00 ERA. 2-run HR from Benavidez wins it.
#8: Loss, 5-11… Arce gave up 5 runs through the first 5 innings, RP Harper and RP Ewing Rivera gave up 6 more during the top of the 8th. Felled, destroyed… All hail Heathcote – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R…
#9: Loss, 0-1… Well, crap – nothing like losing your 1st series of the season at home. To a division rival and altogether unworthy club, no less. Rad drops to 0-2.

Welp… our first series loss of the season comes at home, in front of our fans. Not awesome. We fell to second in our division, with the Austin Grackles rising as we stumbled – no bother, it’ll be short lived for them. The bullpen has struggled a bit lately with Ewing Rivera (10.80 ERA) and Owen Girolamo (16.20 ERA) being the main culprits and, offensively, we’re struggling to get on (8th in OBP) and have been unthinking on the basepaths (10th in base running). We’re only 9 games in so none of this really matters… unless it becomes a persistent trend, in which case, there’ll be trouble in paradise.


Elsewhere: A bit of a gut punch here… it’s being reported that Pittsburgh’s RF Aitor Cubas will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn posterior cruciate ligament… he’d already entered 3 homers and 8 RBI into the permanent record this season and was giving off MVP vibes in the early part of the 2084 campaign… not a great injury to suffer at 32-years-old. Hopefully, after healing up, he’ll not suffer any skill reduction.

Record: 6-3, .667, 2nd NL West
Up Next: Las Vegas is headed our way for a 3-game set in Los Angeles.

[pauwoo]

Las Vegas Outlaws (3-6, .333, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (6-3, .667, 2nd NL West)
While not off to the most smashing of starts at just 3-6 on the year thus far, the Las Vegas Outlaws, seemingly built to tank, have settled into their new lot in life quite comfortably already and look like they’re content to just go through the motions, riding out the 2084 campaign with visions of a brighter future in the years to come dominating their imagination. Already 3 games off the pace, 9th in runs scored and average, and 10th in runs allowed, Las Vegas doesn’t have enough on either side of the ball to be taken seriously – they’re, for this season at least, a bonified cellar-dweller destined to wallow in self-pity at the bottom of the barrel with the rest of the poorly constructed riff raff.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs RHP A. Jensen (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (1-0, 1.59 ERA) vs RHP P. Taylor (0-2, 5.59 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP M. Martin (1-1, 3.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Pete Taylor (Age: 31, Overall : 66, Potential: 66)
2. CL Adrian Parker (34, 62, 62)
3. 3B Shane Fukumoto (24, 60, 78)
4. SP Matt Martin (32, 58, 58)
5. SP Aiden Jensen (33, 56, 56)

#10: Win, 2-1… Hernando walked it off with a run-scoring single during the bottom of the 9th, Russell Harper earns his 3rd win in relief.
#11: Win, 6-0… Larimel gives us 7 strong, allows 3 hits and nothing earned, Ethan sends his 4th ball out of the park.
#12: Win, 2-1… McGuire picks up his 2nd win after turning in a 6.1-inning, 7 K performance, Egner recorded his 4th save, and run-scoring singles from Dalton Burch and Luca were enough to secure our 2nd sweep of the season!

After dropping our first home set of the season, it’s nice to get right back on the horse and deliver a sweep to the hometown faithful, even if it comes against a lowly club like the Outlaws… still probably played them tighter than we’d have liked with 1-run victories bookending our 6-0 blowout in the 2nd game. Ethan and Hernando coming off the line looking fierce… Ethan leads the team in TANKS, slugging %, WAR, and runs, while Benavidez leads in average, RBI, OBP, hits, OPS, and doubles… meanwhile, Otto leads the team in K’s at 13 – San Diego’s SS Jalen Payton leads the league with 19 of those.


Elsewhere: 3B Reuben Johnson, who signed a 3yr, $84mm contract with New Orleans this offseason, went 2-for-3 with a 3-run MOONSHOT, and 2 walks to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the short-handed Pittsburgh Pipers, helping his Gators avoid being saddled with a sweep at home… so far New Orleans has a disastrous, 1-5 record at home. Yikes.

Record: 9-3, .750, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll take most of the day on Monday travelling to Mexico City where the Jaguars await our arrival for a 3-game set in their neck of the woods.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (9-3, .750, 1st NL West) @ Mexico City Jaguars (7-5, .583, 2nd NL West)
The Jaguars are in a good way… winners in three of their first four sets and proud owners of the best offense in all the land – 1st in runs scored, AVG, OBP, OPS, bWAR, wOBA, and HR’s – Mexico City looks like a playoff bound club on the cusp of something special. And, should a steadfast belief in the Pyt be your thing, they really should be tied with us, at the top of the pops & licking their chops at the opportunity to stick it to us in their park. Where it’s unforgiving confines and confounding angles are riveled only by the mezcal induced hangover its welcoming city, and it’s fierce party culture, inflict upon its tourists as a way of separating you from the contents of your wallet. This, then, should be a real humdinger, with some early evening bombast courtesy of their color commentator at the ballpark followed by some out of this world, fever dream nights out on the town. Should we, at the very least, make it out of here alive, I’d call that a success.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (0-0, 5.91 ERA) vs LHP H. Cartmel (1-0, 8.59 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-2, 3.97 ERA) vs RHP V. Uhlman (1-0, 4.35 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (0-0, 3.48 ERA) vs RHP B. Bonet (0-2, 6.30 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Patrick Torres (Age: 22, Overall : 80, Potential: 80)
2. RP Dwight Beasley (30, 57, 57)
3. SP Owen Sum (27, 56, 57)
4. CL Jaden Davis (25, 56, 56)
5. CF Norris Flaherty (32, 55, 56)


Before we get into it, I’d be remiss not to let the lot of you know that our own, Ethan Mullens, took home player of the week honors in the National League… your boy hit .476 with two dingers and five total RBI. Not too shabby for the 33yo, 11-year vet.

#13: Win, 6-5… MC’s comeback attempt during the bottom of the 9th was thwarted by Egner who retired three straight after giving up a HR to the first batter he faced, earning his 5th save this season, Otto drove one in on a double, and we fielded two, clutch DP’s to put the Jags’ celebrated offense down in the 7th & 8th.
#14: Loss, 2-5… Gunner Fletcher’s run-scoring single during the bottom of the 6th opened the flood gates for the Jags as they’d score 4 total in the frame to go up by an insurmountable margin. Rad takes the loss, his 3rd in as many tries…
#15: Loss, 4-11… Duarte was dismantled, piece by piece, and sold off for parts – 5 earned with 2 HRA’s in just 3.2 innings of work. Former Leopard, 1B Satoru Ono, finished 2-for-5 with 2 TANKS and 4 RBI.

Another series loss, our second so far this season… albeit a bit more palatable as we’d suffer this indignity on the road… still, outscored 21-12 by the NL’s best offense with our enviable staff taking the mound? Unexpected, if I’m honest – look, I didn’t expect to win them all, I’m not goofy, but I did expect that our pitching and defense would be able to, at least, hold water against these guys. Instead, ours is a leaky vessel, listing portside, on the verge of sinking… Around the league: Charlotte, Salt Lake, and Philadelphia are each 11-4 on the year with identical 8-2 runs over their last 10 tilts… The freshly signed Salt Lake Ace, SP Big Burt McElheny, is off to a 2-0, 1.46 ERA start in Utah – when the Alpines signed a 38yo to a 2yr, $50mm contract more than one GM laughed about it privately… and, while the jury is still out on the signing, at least nobody is laughing now. Also, 1B Tom Franzone, is wearing his new Boston kit well – your boy is off to a .393/.470/.732, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 1.3 WAR start with the Shamrocks.


Elsewhere: Archie Imanov, former Leopard, current Miner, and full-time Zlatan clone, went 4-for-6 with a double, two tanks, and 5 RBI as his Denver-based club dismantled the Seattle Metros by a score of 12-4. With the win, the Denver Miners improved to 7-7 with a chance to rise above that line in the rubber match… which, they did not squander, winning that contest 4-0 on the back of a 7-inning, 1 hit, 0 earned, 6 K performance from their starter Brock Ulibarri.

Record: 10-5, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re back home for a 3-game set against the NL East’s Pittsburgh Pipers.

[pauwoo]

Pittsburgh Pipers (7-8, .466, 4th NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (10-5, .666, 1st NL West)
These Pipers, having lost their newly signed superstar, Aitor Cubas, for the season, find themselves in something of a tailspin… and, they could follow the steps - power to idle, ailerons to neutral, get the rudder opposite the spin, move that elevator forward – and would likely still find themselves out of control, coming in hot, and bracing for impact so early in the 2084 campaign. His loss, at this stage of the season, is cataclysmic. It marks the end of hope, it’s where dreams go to die, it’s that moment when the reality of being an adult kicks in with its time-consuming and altogether unfun responsibilities dominating the parts of the day where you have any energy at all. Currently, the Pittsburgh Pipers’ offense is ranked 2nd in the National League, behind only the Mexico City Jaguars, and 0.6 r/g ahead of Philadelphia, which would have boded well for them in the coming months, but without Cubas, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they continue at this clip. Without him, this is a moribund club that’ll have to be content biding their time in 2084 in the hopes he heals properly and attacks 2085 with a vengeance.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (2-0, 0.98 ERA) vs RHP C. Guzman (1-0, 2.87 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (2-0, 0.47 ERA) vs LHP D. Burns (0-1, 7.30 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (0-0, 4.80 ERA) vs LHP K. Bartoli (1-1, 5.40 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SS Toddrick Carr (Age: 29, Overall : 70, Potential: 70)
2. SP Kenley Bartoli (26, 57, 62)
3. CL Toni Cartwright (31, 56, 56)
4. SP Cole Guzman (36, 55, 55)
5. RP Roderick Loughman (25, 54, 55)

#16: Win, 1-0… Our lone run came on a Luca Biacchi SAC FLY, Larimel earned his 3rd victory after putting in 7-innings of 5-hit, nothing earned work, and Max Egner picked up his 6th save on 19 total pitches.
#17: Win, 3-1… RBIs for Ethan, Oh Hong, and Luca… two burgled bags… McGuire improves to 3-0 with an ungodly 0.36 ERA… 7th save for Egner.

A Trade… I sent RP William Tajima (27yo, 51/52) to the New York Sluggers for RP Samuel Lane (26yo, 51/52). I was trying to send Tajima down to Compton, messed up, and traded him instead of putting him on waivers… I mean, whatever. Lane started with our outfit in Compton, but I brought him up before game #18, sending RP Ewing Rivera down for some work in our dev system. In other news… 2B Jellyroll Hammon fractured his foot and will be out for ~3 weeks. He was hitting .200 in Watts prior to the injury, so, not a big loss.

#18: Win, 6-2… So, after getting rag dolled in Mexico, we’d return to the friendly confines of Los Angeles and treat our fans to a sweep… why not? 2-run double for Ethan, homer for Otto, his 2nd, 2 RBI for RF Leo Bullock who has started our last two with Ethan acting as a DH, and new guy, Samuel Lane, gave up two in his Leopards debut… so, welcome to L.A., I guess?

With the sweep we’d pull even with Charlotte at 13-5 so far while Philly, Mexico City, and Salt Lake are still lurking in the shadows at 12-5 each, respectively. Ryan McGuire’s 0.36 ERA is tops in the Majors, Larimel's not far behind at 0.71 so far… Seattle’s Morten Fauske (23yo, 67/80) is turning in a 0.44 ERA so far with Detroit’s Morris Jones (25yo, 55/57) right behind him at 0.47 – something has to (and will) give… San Diego has reeled off 5-straight, improving to 4th in our division at 9-9… Oh, and former Leopards, SS Hamza McDonnell (33yo, 59/59) of the Boston Shamrocks and 1B Satoru Ono (32yo, 50/50) of Mexico City, each took home player of the week honors after putting it down something fierce over the last, um, week. Good on them… may their future be bright enough to always warrant shades…

Record: 13-5, .722, 1st NL West
Up Next: We await the arrival of the Brooklyn Citizens for three more games at home before heading out on a 7-day road trip.

[pauwoo]

Brooklyn Citizens (8-10, .444, 3rd NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (13-5, .722, 1st NL West)
The Citizens arrive in town on an 8-game skid that has seen them outscored by 23 runs in aggregate… their offense, as you can imagine, ranks dead last in every category that matters except runs scored where they’re ranked 11 of 12 in the National League. The pitching is better – serviceable, even – and, on nearly any other club, would likely deliver more consistently than they have given that the 11th ranked defense in the NL stands behind them. Brooklyn should be better than this – they’re not world beaters, on paper or otherwise, and shouldn’t be confused with a playoff contender but they damn sure shouldn’t be this bad… and, it’s early, of course, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves here – there is plenty of runway left for them to get this winged jalopy off the ground, but if they can’t get it up to speed, and fast, I fear they’ll just careen off the tarmac without even achieving liftoff.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP R. Taylor (0-3, 5.40 ERA) vs RHP V. Hornbaker (2-0, 0.87 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (0-1, 5.79 ERA) vs RHP D. Hohulin (2-1, 3.31 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (3-0, 0.71 ERA) vs RHP E. Blaxley (2-2, 2.49 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Johnny Dial (Age: 34, Overall: 67, Potential: 67)
2. RP Pancho Vallejo (29, 62, 62)
3. RP Dylan Miotke (35, 61, 61)
4. RF Mack Ramirez (32, 60, 60)
5. SP Edwin Blaxley (29, 59, 60)

#19: Win, 3-2… Ethan Mullens’ solo shot during the bottom of the 9th knotted this one up, Benavidez made it to 3rd on a single from C Mason Click a couple of AB’s later, and a wild pitch courtesy of Brooklyn’s RP Emeterio Orona was all she wrote as Humberto scored leisurely from 3rd. A wild pitch walk-off… heh.
#20: Win, 7-5 (10)… there’d be no late game heroics/meltdowns in this one as we’d require extras to get things sorted – Otto did said sorting, with a 2-run, walk-off moonshot during the bottom of the 10th to send the hometown faithful off into the night buzzing…
#21: Win, 6-3… Mason finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two scores, Oh Hong put one out, and Otto recorded two hits and a run. Larimel improves to 4-0, Egner picked up his 8th save – 2 K’s on 11 total pitches for our closer.

At 16-5 now, and nearly untouchable, this may be the best version of the Leopards I’ve ever assembled… or not. Does this club have 112+ wins in it? Dunno, hard to say… Ethan has played out of his mind to start the season – 1.6 in WAR so far with Otto and Humberto nipping at his heels on 1.3 in WAR of their own. Larimel has something snappy so far too… 4 wins, 1.47 ERA, 30 innings pitched – yeah, we’ll take that all day. Charlotte still putting it down something fierce – 15-6, 7-3 over their last 10 with a hard-earned series win in Seattle over the last three days… the AI has really outdone itself with the Imperials. The NCAA season is in full swing… your top 5, as of today, are Florida State, Wyoming (GO POKES!), Purdue (gross), Cal State Fullerton (I’ll allow it), and Texas (super gross).

Record: 16-5, .761, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll travel across the United States on our team jet with a 3-game set in Miami up next on the docket.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (16-5, .761, 1st NL West) @ Miami Herons (7-14, .333, 5th NL East)
With 21 games already in the rearview, it’s safe to say that these Miami Herons are directionally challenged, stuck in reverse, lost without cell service, or some combination of all three… hell, these guys, and their 10th ranked offense, may not even know that the season has started. Maybe they think we’re still qualifying, and that they’ll have time to get their wheels in alignment before the actual race begins. The reality, though, is that they just don’t have a good enough car, they’re not built for this, with their starting rotation boasting a collective 5.42 ERA, their defense allowing a National League worst 98 runs to get across so far, and their offense, to the degree that they have one, looking like they are hellbent on challenging Brooklyn for the right to be called the worst offensive club in our league. And, maybe the Majors as a whole. If we stay focused in South Beach, professional, this should be something akin to taking candy from a baby. A sleeping baby.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (3-0, 0.36 ERA) vs RHP C. Arnett (1-3, 7.27 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (1-0, 3.27 ERA) vs RHP D. Hornbrook (1-2, 8.24 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-3, 4.91 ERA) vs RHP J. Fletchall (0-2, 4.58 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Tim Moses (Age: 24, Overall: 62, Potential: 67)
2. RF Neil Jahraus (32, 62, 62)
3. SP Christopher Arnett (24, 56, 66)
4. RP Cullen Craig (28, 55, 55)
5. RP Vincent Urquhart (31, 55, 55)

#22: Win, 10-0… Miami came out with their hands at their sides, chin up, and gave us no head movement to deal with… leaving themselves open to jabs, lead rights, check hooks, and, really, anything else we felt like throwing at them… two dingers from Otto, both with 2 outs on the board, and win #4 for McGuire after putting in 7-innings of work with 7 K’s.
#23: Win, 2-0… Our 8th straight win & now on the cusp of three sweeps in a row! Otto sent his 6th ball out of the park, Orlando entered his 2nd win into the permanent record, and Humberto drove in our insurance run on a single during the top of the 8th.
#24: Loss, 2-8… Look, the Herons are a terrible club, not on our level, and a contender for the ‘worst club in the majors’ title – this much is true. But they’re still professional ballplayers and they still have their pride. They put a bad one on us here, dismantling Rad to the tune of 5 earned over the first 3.1 innings of the game. He’s 0-4 now… not sure what to do with the kid, honestly.

A look at our MLB batting leaders so far:
Batting AVG: Iosif Grischenko (Pittsburgh) - 390/419/540 - 1 HR - 19 RBI - 13 R - 0 SB - 0.9 WAR
On-Base %: Shane Fukumoto (Las Vegas) - 306/469/419 - 1 HR - 3 RBI - 13 R - 1 SB - 1.3 WAR
Slugging %: K.J. Marcus (Dallas) - 293/371/659 - 9 HR - 19 RBI - 15 R - 0 SB - 1.4 WAR
Home Runs: K.J. Marcus (Dallas) - 293/371/659 - 9 HR - 19 RBI - 15 R - 0 SB - 1.4 WAR
Runs Batted In: SATORU ONO (Mexico City) - 276/321/582 - 9 HR - 22 RBI - 15 R - 0 SB - 1.1 WAR
Runs: Ronaldo Guzman (Austin) - 318/415/466 - 2 HR - 9 RBI - 19 R - 1 SB - 1.1 WAR
Stolen Bags: Paul Fernandez (Buffalo) - 316/366/526 - 1 HR - 10 RBI - 13 R - 9 SB - 1 WAR
WAR: OTTO ISAAC (Los Angeles) - 310/388/598 - 6 HR - 12 RBI - 16 R - 5 SB - 1.7 WAR

Even without the sweep, a winning set, on the road, is always welcome here in La La Land… with our 8-game winning streak extinguished, it’s time to turn our attention to the… Phoenix Coyotes? Yeah, they’re on something of a come up, winning 8-straight themselves with a chance to continue that trend as they visit the 2nd best team in all the land, the Charlotte Imperials, on the road in North Carolina. So, basically, their streak is likely toast. Things are tight in the AL West – only 2.5 games separate the division-leading Denver Miners and the 4th place Vancouver Mounties – and, while things will get sorted soon enough, it’s been fun watching things unfold over there so far. The Mad Russian, Iosif Grischenko, of the Pittsburgh Pipers, is off to his best career start at 30yo with a 390/419/540 line, 182 OPS+, and 19 RBI. Hope he enjoys it while he can – his torrid pace will cool soon enough.



Record: 18-6, .750, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll make the trek north to Boston for a 3-game, interleague set against the lightly regarded Shamrocks. They do have Tom Franzone, tho… so, not all fun & games.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (18-6, .750, 1st NL West) @ Boston Shamrocks (12-12, .500, 3rd AL East)
The Shamrocks are treading water, aided by two underinflated water wings and their dogged determination… just trying to stay alive, within striking distance, while they wait for everything to come together before making their move. Or, at least that’s the story Boston’s Ownership is actively selling to their fanbase… “no, no, this isn’t some rickety old schooner destined to sink, we’re a cobra, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is nowhere in sight, just stick with us, you’ll see, we’re poised to strike…”. And, the crazy thing is they might not be selling wolf tickets here – the Shamrocks boast a +20 RDiff, are two games below the Pyt, are an unlucky 1-7 in 1-run games, and boast the best pitching staff, statistically at least, in the entire American League… so, get out you “BEAT L.A.” signs, get your fanny down to the ballpark, and witness our Leopards beating the brakes off your 2nd-rate club.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (0-1, 4.50 ERA) vs RHP R. Gentile (0-1, 4.05 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (4-0, 1.47 ERA) vs RHP C. Forbes (2-2, 2.30 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (4-0, 0.28 ERA) vs RHP B. French (1-2, 4.26 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 1B Tom Franzone (Age: 33, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. CL Don Haag (34, 72, 72)
3. RP Dexter Moreau (32, 69, 69)
4. 2B Jackson Walsh (36, 66, 66)
5. SS Hamza McDonnell (34, 60, 60)

#25: Win, 13-6… Boston’s CF Wasp Hauck went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI, but it was all for naught as your Leopards gave Boston the business in game 1. 3 RBI for Blasko, 2 each for Otto, Click, and Hutchinson. Duarte picks up his 1st win of the season on 5-innings of 7-hit, 2 earned work.
#26: Loss, 1-7… Boston scored the last of their 7 runs during the 8th when C Valdimir Batista hit into a double play allowing Tristan Cleveland to score, which is to say they did whatever they wanted against us today… Larimel was saddled with the loss, his 1st of those after allowing three HRA’s and 6 earned runs, Boston’s Tom Franzone hit his 7th homer of the year, and 3B Zach Jobes gave us some grief, finishing 2-for-4 with a 3-run homer.
#27: Loss, 0-6… Outscored 13-1 over these last two – ouch. Franzone was the story here – 2 HRs and 4 RBI for the All-Timer. McGuire, like Larimel in the last game, picks up his 1st loss of the season after giving up both Franzone bombs and 5 earned altogether.


Palmer Parker, of the Detroit Motors, put 2 out of the park during a 3-for-4 day and drove in 3 as his club managed to win the second of three against the San Diego Skipjacks in Interleague play… it’d be the only game they’d win of the three as the Skipjacks outscored Detroit 12-8 over three games, including a 9-2 victory in the first game of the set. Even still the Skipjacks are the worst club in our division, sitting on an abysmal 12-15 record so far… and, after we dropped those last two in Boston, Charlotte has pulled even with us once again and now have a 3.5 game lead over the New York Sluggers in the AL East.

Here's a look at how our division is shaking out so far…

Team                     	W    	L    	WPct 	GB   	R    	RA   
Los Angeles Leopards     	19   	8    	0.704	-    	118  	96   
Mexico City Jaguars      	17   	10   	0.63 	2    	152  	98   
Las Vegas Outlaws        	16   	11   	0.593	3    	110  	103  
Phoenix Coyotes          	15   	12   	0.556	4    	103  	106  
Austin Grackles          	14   	13   	0.519	5    	107  	122  
San Diego Skipjacks      	12   	15   	0.444	7    	120  	114

Record: 19-8, .704, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re heading back to Los Angeles for some more interleague silliness as the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to pay us a visit at home.

[pauwoo]

Toronto Maple Leafs (7-20, .259, 6th AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (19-8, .704, 1st NL West)
Toronto last made the playoffs in 2079 and haven’t finished better than 3rd in their division since. That year they also won the World Series, their 6th as a franchise. They have an understanding owner, who, despite them doing business in a very big market, with great fan interest, and superb loyalty, is a bit of an economizer whose lofty expectation that this loose collection of misfit toys make the playoffs comes off a tad out of touch. How can your current mood be ‘ecstatic’ if you prioritize winning & have an expectation that your club make it to the playoffs, when it’s sitting on a near cataclysmic 7-20 record? What I do know, however, is that if this thing I got going in Los Angeles were to come to an end, Toronto looks like the type of place a guy like me could start over in. Something to think about… Los Angeles is lovely but you can only take so much glitz and glamour before the town spits you out, leaving you naked & confused in some back alley off Wilshire BLVD, with a small, poorly sewn up incision where your kidney should be.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (2-0, 2.57 ERA) vs LHP S. Jones (1-3, 4.15 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-4, 6.04 ERA) vs LHP R. Keramidas (1-1, 2.51 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (1-1, 4.32 ERA) vs RHP T. Wightman (0-1, 4.50 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Jack York (Age: 30, Overall : 69, Potential: 69)
2. RP Nemesio Burgos (22, 65, 71)
3. RP Tate Harbin (28, 63, 64)
4. 1B Rusty Seeden (28, 57, 57)
5. RP Raylan Head (29, 55, 55)

#28: Win, 2-1 (12)… Ethan won it on a run-scoring sacrifice fly that brought Hutchinson home, providing the only thing worth talking about in this one. Unless you’re into pitching, in which case Max Egner, our closer, picked up his 3rd win of the season after tossing 37 pitches in 4-innings of work.

Side note… the top three performances of the day all came from Starters whose offense couldn’t be bothered to do enough to get them the win. The game sort of overvalues pitching in my view, but still interesting nonetheless…


#29: Loss, 2-7… It’s always nice to have it handed to us, at home, by the worst club in the league. It does wonders for our overall fan interest. 36yo journeyman, 3B Germaine Sturdivant, was the man of the match for the Leafs – 1-for-5, 2 RBI.
#30: Win, 11-1… We’d get some sweet, sweet revenge on Toronto in this one… Oh Hong led the way with a 3-run homer and 4 total RBI, Ethan, Click, and Hutchinson each drove in two, and Duarte picked up another win after turning in 5.2 innings of work with just one run earned and 4 total Ks.

Charlotte dropped two in Pittsburgh during their set, leaving us alone at the top of the pops once again… the Las Vegas Outlaws, winners in 9 of their last 10 contests, have pulled ahead of Phoenix & Mexico City and are now operating a scant 2 games off our pace at 2nd in the AL West… 1B Satoru Ono is having a banner year so far and is leading the NL in HR’s at 10 with a trend of 54. Our single season HR record of 52 was set way, way back in 2034 by RF Gabriel Saravia… I’d love to see a former Leopard lay claim to the record, so I’ll be pulling for him. 1B Tom Franzone won player of the Week and Player of the Month on the same day – I’m sure that’s happened in this save before, I just can’t remember it. He hit .340 with 8 homers and 25 RBI for the month with 3 of the homers and 10 of those RBIs coming last week.

In other news, the Bush League is all set to start the 2084 campaign with the San Marcos Supremos the preseason favorite to go all the way… meanwhile, the Western Bush League will kick off their inaugural campaign on the 2nd with the Walnut Creek Wizards installed as the odds on favorite to run roughshod over all comers by most Las Vegas sports books. The first WBL season will be just 96-games before moving to a 140-game schedule next season… because I messed up the league creation somehow. It’s whatever.

Record: 21-9, .700, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the Skipjacks to our house for a 3-game set.

[pauwoo]

But first, the standings as they were on May 1st… I think it goes without saying that we’re off to a good start.



San Diego Skipjacks (15-15, .500, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (21-9, .700, 1st NL West)
Winners of four straight games to draw even on the season, these Skipjacks arrive to town on a come up. Their confidence is rising, their players are starting to gel, and the pieces are starting to come together… just don’t tell them that those pieces are all aftermarket parts. Look, this was never going to be San Diego’s year, they know it, everybody knows it – and, while their offense has given a good account of itself so far (3rd in OBP, OPS, and wOBA, & 4th overall in the NL), this is a club that will only go as far as the pitching carries it. Which is to say… not very far at all. They rank 10th in Bullpen ERA and FIP, 11th in Ks, last in pWAR, and with SP Linden Brittingham not due back until next season (if ever – he’s an old 33) the immediate future for the Skipjacks staff is bleak. This season will be a slog, no doubt, and they will, down to a man, earn every penny of their inflated salary in 2084.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (4-1, 2.80 ERA) vs RHP B. Mackay (1-1, 2.64 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (4-1, 1.47 ERA) vs RHP L. Torres (3-3, 4.28 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (2-0, 2.10 ERA) vs RHP A. Barrientos (2-1, 2.08 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CF Samuel Preston (Age: 22, Overall : 71, Potential: 80)
2. SS Jalen Payton (28, 69, 70)
3. SP Brady Mackay (24, 67, 77)
4. 1B Luis Cavazos (31, 62, 62)
5. CL Shawn Arguello (31, 60, 60)

#31: Loss, 1-3… Our lone score came on an Otto single that brought Luca around, while RF Hamish Bradsher did all of SD’s damage with a well-hit, 3-run homer off Larimel, who was fit for his second loss of the season.
#32: Win, 11-4… Ethan led the charge – a 3-run HR and 5 total RBI for the Leopards stalwart – and SP Ryan McGuire fanned 10 over 6 innings of work, picking up his 5th win of the season.
#33: Win, 2-1… Oh Hong’s run-scoring single during the 4th gave us all the cushion we’d need as Orlando picked up his 3rd win after 5.2-innings of 1 run work, and Max Egner recorded his 10th save on 14 total pitches.

Our incredible start continues… albeit against the poorest competition in our division. We have 3-game lead over Phoenix and Austin in our division and boast the best record in the league by 2-games over the Charlotte Imperials who dropped a set against Toronto their last time up. 36yo 1B Jeremy Glickstein, a former New Orleans Gator of 10 seasons before becoming a vagabond over these last 4 years, recorded his 2000th hit against his original club, in Louisiana, while playing with the Philadelphia Founders. Nice full-circle moment for him I’d imagine…

Record: 23-10, .696, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll travel to Phoenix for a 3-game set against the Coyotes.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (23-10, .696, 1st NL West) @ Phoenix Coyotes (20-13, .606, 2nd NL West)
That we’re only 3-games up on Phoenix is something of a surprise… sure, they picked up D-Rod in the offseason, shoring up their defense (where they rank 1st in efficiency so far), but did little to improve an anemic offense – ranked 10th in AVG & OBP, and 12th in OPS & wOBA so far – and decided to leave their so-so, middling pitching staff alone prior to the start of the ’84 campaign. They were seen as a .500 club by the punditry, destined to languish in the middle of the pack, finishing around 3rd or 4th in our division, and, who knows, maybe they will… for now, however, they are playing like one of the very best, with a good 11-7 record at home, a 10-4 mark in the close ones, and a 7-3 record over their last 10. Let’s see if their run of good fortune continues with our squad looking back at them from the visitor’s dugout… or, if they come crashing back down to earth and start living the life dictated by their station.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP R. Taylor (0-5, 5.68 ERA) vs LHP R. Luna (3-2, 4.14 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (2-1, 3.82 ERA) vs RHP J. Montgomery (0-3, 2.57 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (4-2, 3.12 ERA) vs LHP N. Vera (3-0, 1.72 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. LF Harlem Peterson (Age: 33, Overall: 73, Potential: 73)
2. SP Ricky Halbur (34, 55, 55)
3. CL Chasley Anderson (24, 54, 55)
4. RP Gabriel Martínez (23, 53, 56)
5. RP Kaoru Kudo (35, 52, 52)

#34: Win, 4-2 (16)… Neither squad could put a man in scoring position after the top of the 7th until Otto won this one for us with a solo homer during the top of the 16th.
#35: Win, 5-3… Benavidez 3-for-4, 3 RBI, Otto 2-for-4, 2 RBI, and a run… Duarte picks up win #3 on 8-innings of work, Egner secures his 11th save on 25 pitches…
#36: Loss, 4-7… 2081 Boyce Rigg winner, Harlem Peterson, put Phoenix up for good with a 3-run homer during the bottom of the 5th to help his club salvage some pride at home.

With this series win in Phoenix, the boys improved to 11-7 on the road while widening the gap between the Coyotes and ourselves… Mexico City is still just three games back though, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike… Down on the farm… Our AAA club, the Compton Raiders, is leading their division at 14-10 and are currently riding an 8-2 record over their last 10. And, don’t look now, but SP Big Burt McElheny, who, at 38yo, signed a 2yr, $50mm contract with the Salt Lake Alpines, is off to a glorious start for his new club – 4-1, 2.15 ERA, 43 Ks, 161 ERA+, and 1.5 WAR. Always nice to see an old favorite continue to put it down something fierce in the bigs… a lot of my old favorites in this save are starting to wind down their careers. I need some new favorites, I think.

A look at this week’s power rankings…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Los Angeles Leopards (126.0, +)
2) Mexico City Jaguars (115.0, ++)
3) Dallas Chaparrals (110.0, ++)
4) Phoenix Coyotes (108.0, o)
5) Philadelphia Founders (107.0, +)
6) Charlotte Imperials (106.0, --)
7) Boston Shamrocks (106.0, ++)
8) Las Vegas Outlaws (101.0, --)
9) Austin Grackles (99.0, --)
10) New York Sluggers (97.7, ++)
11) San Diego Skipjacks (93.0, -)
12) Salt Lake Alpines (87.0, --)
13) Seattle Metros (86.0, ++)
14) New Orleans Gators (85.0, +)
15) Brooklyn Citizens (84.0, ++)
16) Denver Miners (82.4, --)
17) Montreal Alouettes (81.0, -)
18) Vancouver Mounties (77.0, -)
19) Pittsburgh Pipers (76.0, o)
20) Portland Pioneers (74.0, ++)
21) Buffalo Nickels (72.0, --)
22) Miami Herons (64.0, o)
23) Detroit Motors (62.0, -)
24) Toronto Maple Leafs (61.0, o)

Three of the top five are from the NL West… Charlotte is on a bad one right now – I suspect they’ll tighten up soon enough and reappear in the top 5 as early as next week.

Record: 25-11, .694, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re heading to Austin for a 3-game set against the Grackles… Bourbon, BBQ, and broads… should be a rollicking good time. A real hootenanny.

[pauwoo]

Before I get too far into this… I just want to call out that Boston’s Tom Franzone is fitting in quite nicely with the Shamrocks so far… your boy is leading the American League in AVG at .346, HRs at 10, and RBI at 29. Is the Triple Crown in his future? Probably not… but, maybe. I can dream, right?

Los Angeles Leopards (25-11, .694, 1st NL West) @ Austin Grackles (20-16, .556, 4th NL West)
These Grackles are a very good team with an offense who, on paper at least, could be the best in the National League. Their staff looks good too – not great, but good enough to get it done during the regular season. That they’ve had a rough go of it so far in comparison with the other heavy hitters stacked up in the NL West is unfortunate given the fact that, in nearly any other division, they’d be at or near the top of the table. I suppose they can take solace in the fact that 2B Heathcote Kinton (.250-8-31) and CF Anthony Jamison (.227-8-24) are off to poor starts or that the Strangeverse-Shohei, 2-way stud, SP/LF Joe Matthiessen, is also struggling at the plate (.173-1-8)… that, even with the best offense on paper, they’re getting by on guile, defense, and pitching. Because, when this offense puts it together, watch out. If that happens, the Grackles got a real shot at being somebody this season…

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (5-1, 1.48 ERA) vs RHP J. Matthiessen (3-3, 3.38 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (3-0, 2.02 ERA) vs RHP P. Garcia (3-0, 4.38 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-5, 5.40 ERA) vs RHP M. Morales (4-1, 3.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 2B Heathcote Kinton (Age: 33, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. 3B Ronaldo Guzman (30, 73, 73)
3. SP Joe Matthiessen (25, 66, 77)
4. CF Anthony Jamison (24, 65, 70)
5. SP Alfred Adcock (25, 63, 70)

#37: Loss, 3-4 (13)… Done in by PH Owen Prins’ run-scoring single during the bottom of the 13th despite a 4-for-6 day from Oh Hong.
#38: Win, 12-3… Oh sweet, sweet revenge – former Leopard, Peter Garcia, got shelled as we hung 7 bad ones around his neck, 6 doubles, a triple, and 3 homers for the club, and 3B Cleveland Hunter, who we signed to a league minimum deal during the offseason, hit his first TANK of the season (and as a Leopard) to put us up 12-3 during the top of the 9th. These are all good, good things…
#39: Loss, 1-5… C Jasper Herrer put Austin up for good during the bottom of the 5th with a run-scoring double and SP Manuel Morales held us to a single run over 5.1-innings of work as the Grackles cribbed the set off us in their park.


Elsewhere: Former Leopard, SP Sherwin Kane, who pitched in 54-games for us last season, is currently plying his trade down in the Bush League with the Peabody Briners… and, on his third try, finally managed to win a ballgame after tossing an 8-inning, 4-hit, shutout with 9 K’s to lead his club to a satisfying, 2-1 win over the Lackawanna Lickers… with the win Peabody now finds themselves a game out of first in the Bush League Independence Division at 6-5 on the year… in the newly formed Western Bush League, the Alamogordo Caravans have come off the line with the quickness, amassing a 9-1 record so far to take a low-key commanding 4-game lead over the Boulder Brewskis in the WBL North… Walnut Creek, who were widely considered to be the top club in the league at the start of the season, have limped out to a disappointing 4-6 start… and, lastly, in our division up where the big boys play, we now find ourselves leading the table by a scant 1-game over Mexico City who have now won 6-straight after earning their second consecutive sweep, this time on the road against the Las Vegas Outlaws.

Record: 26-13, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re flying home from Texas for a showdown against Mexico City in our park… 3 games to rule them all.

[pauwoo]

Mexico City Jaguars (25-14, .641, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (26-13, .667, 1st NL West)
These Jags, led by Starters Patrick Torres (3-2, 2.93) and Owen Sum (4-1, 3.23), and a resurgent 1B Satoru Ono (.281-13-34) offensively, are off to a great start with a real opportunity to not just make it to the playoffs but to make some real noise once they get there. Hell, with some luck, a good bounce here, a well-played hop there, they could win the whole thing for the first time since 2069. At 7-2 so far this month, and ranked 1st in nearly every category offensively, they’re nearly impossible to stop… they routinely make crackerjack staffs look silly, make mincemeat out of the best defensive units, and, really, just completely wreck the basepaths. This is a run-scoring machine sent here to destroy the human race. Our only hope here, hell – anyone’s only hope – is to outrun them, to somehow meet them where they are and outpace their Usain Bolt-ian , razzle dazzle offense.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (3-1, 3.72 ERA) vs RHP S. Mabry (0-0, 2.08 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (4-3, 4.00 ERA) vs RHP P. Torres (3-2, 2.93 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (5-1, 1.89 ERA) vs LHP O. Sum (4-1, 3.23 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Patrick Torres (Age: 22, Overall : 80, Potential: 80)
2. CF Norris Flaherty (32, 63, 63)
3. LF Gervasio Contreras (23, 57, 67)
4. SP Owen Sum (27, 57, 58)
5. RP Dwight Beasley (30, 57, 57)

#40: Win, 6-5… Otto Isaac hit a run-scoring single during the bottom of the 8th with 2 outs already on the board to put us up by a run… and that’s where we left it. 3 RBI for Oh Hong, T-Rex earned the win after pitching to a single batter…


Elsewhere: Boston’s Tom Franzone - the man, the myth, the legend – went 3-for-5 with THREE HOMERS to lead the Shamrocks to a hard-earned, 7-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road. The 3 HR outburst puts Franzone in a two-way tie with Satoru Ono for the Major League lead in that category at 13 so far this year… the win also moved Boston to within two games of the hard-charging, 24-win Charlotte Imperials in the AL East. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the 3 HR day put Franzone over the THREE HUNDRED HOMERUN mark for his career…

And now… back to our regularly scheduled programming…

#41: Win, 3-0… Larimel gave Mexico City the business over 7-innings of 1-hit, 0 earned work and fanned 8 batsmen to earn his 5th win of the season. Hold for T-Rex, save for Max, and a critical series win for the La La’s.
#42: Loss, 1-5… Hisamoto Hirata, Mexico City’s backup backstop, did us in during the top of the 4th with a 3-run TANK that all but took the wind out of our sails here as the Jaguars were able to ride off into the sunset on something of a high note.

So, we were able to win a big, important set, at home, against one of our closest competitors in the NL West, opening up a 2-game lead on them in the process, and giving the Phoenix Coyotes, winners of 5 straight, all the room they’d need to pull even with Mexico City in our division… for as good as we’ve been – and I’d put that somewhere between amazing and incredible thus far – some of the teams in our division just refuse to go away. That they’re both 26-16 so far, and tied with the team I look to as the 2nd-best club in the Majors behind us, the Charlotte Imperials, is a bit concerning… so far, it says that if we can’t keep this level of focus and execution going, that, should we stumble, this thing we’re building could all come crumbling down like a house of cards… and with the quickness too.

Record: 28-14, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: The Las Vegas Outlaws are headed our way for a 3-game set in Los Angeles that’ll start on Tuesday after the boys take a day off to enjoy some of the spoils we’ve earned in all our pillaging thus far.