Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders! - Page 20

Bub13 · 10-15-2020, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

Electronic Whiteout™?

MS Paint: "Why Pay for Photoshop?"

Bub13 · 10-23-2020, 08:48 PM

Welcome to 2053!

...It's a new year, but old norms are reasserting themselves. First, the Yankees drop $5M on a middling reliever, overpaying just because they can. Not to be outdone, the Dodgers pony up $10M on three relieves on ONE DAY, giving them a grand total of seven new relievers this off-season and reclaiming the title of "Most Number of Needless Signings at One Position." Congrats, guys.
...Toronto is trying to build a contender, but trading away their best SP--veteran and regular 5-WAR guy Alberto Reyes-- to the Mets for two really average and overrated prospects is not the way to do it.
...LA signs yet another relief pitcher, named--and I kid you not--Mike Socia. I'm now looking to see if they also have a "Mike Pizazz" on the system.
...and then they add two more. Are they trying to build two teams here?
...I've received two trade proposals recently for RP Ben Germann. The latest came from Cincy, offering two average prospects for BG plus a mere $4.7M. Um, no?
...WTF guys: LA has added TWO MORE pitchers, both of whom started last year but are now listed as relievers. All of the forty or so they've just added are making big league money, from $1.5M to $4.5M per season, so they're going to have a very highly paid AAA bullpen I suppose. And AA too, at this rate.
...frankly, LA is just the avatar of all MLB early-calendar-year signings: by mid-February, 74 players have been signed since 1/1, and only 4 are position players.
...I briefly look at the top two free agent relievers still on the board, both former Wilhelm Trophy winners, Rick Ramirez and Quinn Driscoll. BNN says they want $3-4M for a year, but in reality they each have several teams rumored to be after them, and so each of their current demands top $10M. No thanks.

......

Spring Training is here! As usual, the roster is mostly set; but we do have some questions and with call-ups we have 45 players in camp this year, an unusually high number. And while there isn't a ton of roster turnover expected, we do go into camp with the following considerations:

1. Catcher. The Willie Alonzo trade means we're counting on rookie Mike Covington to step right in and contribute. We'll still work a platoon, as he doesn't yet hit lefties and backup Hiro Wakabayashi got on base near a .400 clip last year against LHP. Covington, tho, can stroke some doubles, has developing power, and is excellent behind the plate. He hit .261 in a September callup; if he does that this year, and plays good defense, I'll be satisfied.

2. Starting Pitching. Despite trading Shamar Jackson, the return of Mike Pearse meant we had five returning SP. So what did I do? I signed a major free agent, former Cy Young-winner Matt Waugh, to a big deal. My reasoning is that this gives us more depth in the rotation--should someone else go down long-term--and Waugh was the best pitcher available this off-season. I figure that one of the returning sophomores--Josh Ivin, Mike Bader, or Henry Skiffington--will go into long relief to begin the season and be there as insurance, especially if Pearse has lost it after missing a year.

3. Bullpen. The top slots are filled: Kyle Johnson returns as closer, and setup men Ben Germann and Robbie Collier are solid veterans. It's an open call for the final three slots, however, to be filled from ten candidates, not including a long man from the note above. Nobody has an inside track, although Deshawn Card, Nate Kearns, Andy Pearse, Jodan Ruiz, and MH Yaung all saw time on the big club last year, to varying levels of pain. They're joined by rookies Elias Tena, GJ "Not GI" Joe, Orlando Silva, two returning AAA starters, Danny Carbajal and Miguel Tirado, and top SP prospect Daniel Croft.

4. Third Base. In not re-signing D.J. Grace, we opened up a hole in our lineup, one that I did not fill through free agency or trade. But I have to admit, I don't have a sure-fire prospect ready to step in, either. After signing Waugh, I decided we didn't have enough cash to ink another expensive free agent, and there weren't any experienced third basemen that I thought were worth the money anyway. So what are we doing? Going through a three-way tryout in camp, featuring two converted outfielders and a recently-acquired prospect, that's what. The conversion projects are Caleb Royer and Dante Garrica; the newbie is Jonathan Dobo, nabbed from Texas for disappointing pitching prospect Chris Wildermuth. Dobo is the least-developed, but looks to have 30+ HR potential; he will strike out a fair amount, however. Royer is the farthest along, with a decent bat, some power, and a lot of speed. Garrica could be a Gold Glove OF one day, but his bat may hold him back in the end. All have the same defense: average range and glove, big arms. I have no idea who will win in the end; or maybe we'll ultimately have to bring in someone from the outside after all.

5. More Power. We have an OWNER GOAL to hit more homers, but frankly I don't think we'll start bashing with the Detroits and Oaklands of the league. In our favor, we'll have a full year of Medici (who could hit 40), and Covington should have more pop than did Alonzo. But the rest of the lineup is full of middleweights, guys who'll hit 15-25 a season, and J.J. Simmons, who will definitely not surpass his career high of three from a year ago. (Bet the under, people.) Will we hit more than last season's 160? Yes, I think so. But we're probably not going to reach 200, and so will have to count on just outhitting everyone else...again.

......

...with Spring Training underway, the Cubs continue to build on last year's division title, adding closer Rick Ramirez and catcher John Lane. Lane has some pop and a big arm, and is certainly an improvement over last season's starter Andrew Perez (.228/10/46). Ramirez is signed for $15M, making him one of the highest-paid relievers in the game, and immediately slots in at the closer spot. They went through several closers last year, none of whom were dominant, so his addition will help.
...after losing ace Matt Waugh (to us!), Atlanta went and grabbed perennial 4-5 WAR guy Edward Davalos from San Diego. Now: their season just took a big hit with Davalos going out for the year with an elbow injury.
...the Yankees also got bit hard by the injury bug, with ace Elijah Bragg on the shelf for three months and closer Jay Debus done for the year.
...Cubs add the other big remaining RP, signing Quinn Driscoll for a year at $11M. Their bullpen just looks outstanding now, even better than the Dodgers twenty-man crew. Although $26M on two relievers is more than some teams spend on their entire staffs.
...Texas lost mid-rotation SP Jose Ambriz for the year. He gets added to an injured list that already has CL Mike Nelson (5 months), and RP Steve Means (3 months). Shame that happened, really. Tsk.
...Toronto signed former Isles coach Paul Trashini manage the club. Trashini also led the Marlins to their recent successes, getting to the Series but falling short, and pulling off several 90+ win seasons of late. Still didn't get renewed, and sat out last year. Also just signed was former Braves and Pirates manager Dario Agrazal, now at the Royals helm. Agrazal has won two titles, then been let go each time within a couple of seasons. It'll probably be a long time before KC is back to respectability, however.

......

Update: Sunday, March 30, 2053:

Aaaaand Spring Training comes to a close. We went 18-12 but finished strong after a 9-9 start. The games don't count, obviously, but it's no surpise that the two teams finishing above us in our division were...Oakland and Texas. I guess this means they'll be good again? Anyway, we suffer the usual raft of minor injuries--including having five RP out at one time--but the only one of significance is Josh Frederick's broken foot. He'll miss the first 3-4 weeks of the season, and how well his replacements play could have major implications for next season and beyond. (More on that down below.) There were no real surpises in camp, although we do have some ...unsettled... situations that will play out over the season: third base and starting pitching. Eight rookies made the roster: six batters and two pitchers. (Although four of those eight did see some MLB time last year.) Details below, in the roster write-up.

2053 Hawaii Islanders Roster
As usual: player info, stats, then some brief commentary. Starters in bold.

C Mike Covington, 23, L, signed thru '53 (auto renew), .312/11/61 in AAA, plus .261 in 23 September AB with Hawaii. The future starts now, as he takes over from Alonzo after just one season. Still growing, but already looks more than competent at the plate and is an above-average receiver. Added 47 doubles in AAA too, so he's no slap hitter. As a lefty, he'll platoon for now.

C Hiro Wakabayashi, 31, R, signed thru '53 (arb), .309/.429/.369 in 149 AB, 1.4 WAR. Unlike Covington, he is a slap hitter, and hit just 7 XBH last year. Takes a lot of walks, hence that gaudy-looking OBP. Solid catcher and a good teammate; only drawback is he wants to start, so we'll have to watch that attitude, buster.

1B Josh Matson, 29, S, signed thru '59 (TO in '58), .318/26/120, 45 doubles, 26 steals, 4.2 WAR. Stats were very close to his '52 season, so hopefully this is what we can expect from him the next few years, at least. (And since he'll be around for the rest of the decade, let's hope so.) The switch to first helped him, and while he's no Gold Glove fielder there, he did have a positive ZR.

1B/DH Adam Groff, 39, L, signed thru '55 (TO in '53), .265/12/55, 0 WAR. It's finally happened: the face of the franchise is no longer a regular. And he's very unhappy about it. But when your average drops 50 points, you strike out the most in your career (despite only 419 AB), and your SLG drops over 100 points, what else can you expect. What I'm really having to face is that this is most likely his last season on the Islands. We are unlikely to pick up his TO, especially at $34.5M. I also admit that I considered shopping him around, as he's already unhappy anyway, but decided against it. No one's picking up that contract, let's be honest.

2B Bob Goodloe, 29, L, signed thru '55, .297/16/96, 3.4 WAR. When he hit .354 in 3/4 of a season back in '50, I wrote that we'd probably seen the best he had to offer. And truly, his production has dropped each of the last two seasons. He's a team captain, great on the bases, doesn't strike out, and plays passable defense. So it's not like he's on the way out...but you never know.

3B/OF Caleb Royer, 25, R, minor league contract, .322/16/59 in AAA. Converted OF who got a long look in camp. Hit terribly at first, but came on late, and will platoon against lefties with the next guy, below. Not exactly Brooks Robinson at third, but he's no Johnny Bench, either. Line drive hitter, has 15-20 HR power, and great on the bases. I may be nuts going with this platoon, and it could come to a crashing halt by mid-summer, but here goes anyway...

3B Lua Ulkini, 24, L, signed thru '53 (auto renew), .296/4/31 in AAA, .195 in 41 AB in Hawaii. The first and only MLBer from the Wallis Islands. Was once a highly-regarded prospect, but slid down the rankings somewhat until I moved him from RF to 3B. Slightly better fielder than Royer (bigger arm), but less of a hitter. Still, after batting nearly .500 in camp, he gets the early nod. We'll see how long it lasts. With well-regarded prospect Jonathan Dobo in AAA, if either of these two guys struggles early, we'll make the switch, especially if the scouts give Dobo a jump.

SS J.J. Simmons, 30, R, signed thru '60 (opt out after '56), .344/3/50, 39 steals 6.9 WAR. If he could hit 10-15 HR, he'd be an MVP candidate. Seriously. He's a dynamite fielder, can run and hit, and whiffs less than 40 times a year. He's well worth the big salary. The only thing to watch is, now that he's 30, his range may be starting to slip. He did win three GG at third, so I could always slide him back over and look somewhere for help at short, should things come to that.

SS/2B Kevin Kelley, 22, R, minor league contract, .242/2/31 in AA, .370 in AAA. Excellent fielder and a team captain, even at his age. The former 16th round pick has climbed steadily up our rankings, but he never has hit in the minors (that 73 AB stretch in AAA last year is the exception). He's a slap hitter, not a lot of HR or gap power, but will make contact, won't strike out, and will work the plate for a walk. He's also a local kid, from Waimalu. If he hits anything at all, he'll be the ideal utility infielder.

LF Cam Daley, 29, L, signed thru '53, .319/26/130, 42 doubles, 16 steals, 3.3 WAR. That gaudy RBI number notwithstanding, 2052 was a down year for Daley, as his AVG, OBP, and SLG all slipped noticeably. He still posts acceptable defensive numbers, but his range in the field is declining. The owners want him signed to an extension, which as of now, I'm not willing to do. Dropping him will be extremely unpopular with the fans, but it's on the radar, at least. He makes a highly affordable $5.6M right now, but in early talks he's asking for over $25M. Just sayin'...

OF Stephen Eason, 22, L, signed thru '53 (arb), .250/1/7 in 56 AB. Decent player, but doesn't stand out in any area. Another captain-type, has some pop and can play anywhere in the outfield. But his contact is just average, and nothing else he does overcomes that. Useful, but could be surpassed by other prospects this year.

CF Joe Lynn, 24, R, signed thru '56, .324/10/70, 14 triples, 47 steals, 5.6 WAR. League leader in triples and steals the last two seasons, and is a fan favorite to boot. Great range in the field and can bat leadoff in a pinch. Doesn't walk much, but has worked on his plate discipline enough so that there's no liability there any longer. His 10 HR will probably be a career high. Great contract too.

RF/LF Doug Pederson, 24, L, minor league contract, .304/30/79 in AAA, 5.6 WAR. Gets the nod in right with Frederick's injury. (Will share time with Eason and Espino as well.) The first round pick from '50 has developed nicely, and looks like an excellent all-around hitter. Could match his power from AAA if given the chance, and actually compares favorably at the plate with Frederick. Can run too, which makes his terrible OF range all the more surprising, and something that may have him moving (sooner than later) to 1B or DH. Isn't terrible against LHP, but will get platooned for now anyway.

OF Diego Espino, 22, R, minor league contract, .270/20/76 in AA and AAA. The 58th-ranked prospect by MLB, and is another young captain-type and beloved by his teammates. Truly excellent fielder, adept across all three positions, and an above-average hitter. Above-average, but probably not quite starter-level hitting, to my eye: he'd probably give you .255 with 10-15 HR any given year, with excellent defense. Not so bad, but not as good as the guys who play good defense while batting .330...

...

SP Chris Liles, 32, R, signed thru '54, 25 starts, 10-7, 2.81 ERA, 179 IP, 179 K, 5.5 WAR. Acquired before the deadline from KC, he was a big hit when healthy. Missed a few weeks after the trade, then missed the post-season, when we could have used him. Hard worker, smart pitcher, an elite change is his best weapon. Good control, walks less than 3 per 9 IP over his career, and less than 1 HR per 9 too.

SP Matt Waugh, 26, L, signed thru '61, 32 starts, 16-10, 3.18 ERA, 221 IP, 260 K, 8.5 WAR (with ATL). Two-time Cy Young winner with the Braves, with big-time stuff and excellent control. A solid four-pitch repertoire, and he'll toss in a sneaky slider on occasion too. After adding him and Liles, we suddenly have a 1A and 1B staff aces. Only drawback is his laziness.

SP Josh Irvin, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 14-5, 3.95 ERA, 212 IP, 189 K, 4.0 WAR. Not a hard thrower (hitting just 91 on the radar gun), but makes up for that with excellent control and movement. Walked just 28 batters last year; does give up the long ball on occasion, with 39 in '52. He's like a righty Eric Jones, with a bit more zing to his stuff. If he mirrors Jones' career with us, I won't complain.

SP Mike Bader, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 14-10, 3.61 ERA, 220 IP, 132 K, 2.9 WAR. Pitched well last year, with a good ERA all season long, but never dominated. His third pitch--a circle change--hasn't quite filled out yet, and he'll need it if he wants to sustain any success. A groundballer, but yielded 33 dingers last year. Solid camp kept him in the rotation.

SP Henry Skiffington, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 15-12, 4.67 ERA, 212 IP, 153 K, 2.6 WAR. Had an up-and-down season, and was my pre-camp candidate for long relief, but beat out Pearse for the #5 spot in the rotation. Scouts say he's still growing as well, and like Bader he'll need it to keep his spot.

CL Kyle Johnson, 26, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 61 GP, 2.49 ERA, 61 IP, 81 K, 36 SV, 1.4 WAR. Was about as good as you can be for the first few months of '52, giving up just three runs. Backslid late, however, and struggled in the wildcard series against Texas. Was good and bad in camp, but did get better as the weeks went on. I expect a solid year from him.

SU Ben Germann, 33, R, signed thru '55 32 GP, 3 GS, 8-0, 2.12 ERA, 59 IP, 59 K, 1 SV, 1.4 WAR. Went 3-0 as a starter, but I didn't want to push my luck given his negative history as a rotation regular. Strikeouts-per-9 dropped more than 4 from '51, but he did fan 33 in camp this year, so I hope he'll have his power game back. At 33, you wonder how much he's got left in the tank, but the scouts say he's still at 100%.

SU Robbie Collier, 38, L, signed thru '53, 48 GP, 3-3, 1.98 ERA, 55 IP, 82 K, 3 SV, 1.6 WAR. We let him go free agent after a solid '51, but missed him and reacquired him from Richmond at the deadline. His 1.62 ERA down the stretch made him worth the deal. We're hopeful he's got another solid year left in his rebuilt elbow: he fanned 13.5 per 9 IP last year, and was just as good in camp just now. Another local guy, from Ewa Beach.

MR Nate Kearns, 27, R, signed thru '53 (renew), 6 GP, 1-2, 4.34 ERA, 19 IP, 17 K, 0 WAR (1.55 ERA in 46 IP in AAA). A very good camp earned him a spot in the pen right away. Has fabulous stuff, with excellent movement, but struggles with control (walked 4.8/9 for us and 4.3 in AAA last year). Lots of guys threw well in camp, so he's got to keep it up to stay up with us.

MR Jordan Ruiz, 23, L, signed thru '53 (renew), 6 GP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 IP, 13 K, 0.4 WAR (1.7 WAR in 44 IP across AA and AAA too). Another guy who's great camp earned him a slot, especially as we wanted a second LHP after Collier. Is a lot like Kearns, but with better control (walked just under 3 per 9 across all three levels). Wasn't high on my radar until last summer, after a strong start in AA. Can hit 100 on the gun.

LR Mike Pearse, 26, R, signed thru '53 (arb), missed season (15-6, 3.65, 4.6 WAR in '51). The surprise of two seasons ago, his arm injury in camp last year signaled the start of our pitching problems. Scouts say he's still got the goods to start, and hasn't lost anything from his 12.5 K/9 in '51, but he really struggled in camp. If he can get it back, and moves ahead of one of the kids, it'll be like having a third ace in the rotation. I think he's that good, and I'm really pulling for him. But he'll begin in long relief.

On the DL:
RF Josh Frederick, 30, L, signed thru '58 (opt out after '53), .299/29/100, 3.7 WAR. Missed 70 games in '51, 20 last year, and starts this year on the DL. The new normal, or just bad luck? The team captain, and will move back into the lineup upon his return. Doesn't strike out much for someone with his power, and is a solid fielder with a gun for an arm. His opt out after the season will be the key to what we do this fall. One scenario could have both him and Daley leaving after this year, which doesn't seem right.

MR Anthony Booker, 25, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 20 GP, 3-1, 3.23 ERA, 47 IP, 49 K, 0.9 WAR (28 IP in AAA too). Came on strong after an early demotion, having been terrible in April. Excellent sinker and slider, and we hope he comes back strong. He'll be out for 3-4 months, then will get a rehab stint.

Solid camp, should see time on the big team this year:
RPs Deshawn Card, Andy Pearse, Elias Tena, Orlando Silva, and GJ Joe, 3B Jonathan Dobo, and OFs Josh Hed and Dante Garrica.

......

MLB/BNN Predictions for 2053:
I have to say that I think it's cuckoo that MLB says we'll win 104 games, most in the majors, and win our division by six over Texas. And mighty Oakland? Falls to 78 wins and a fourth-place tie with Houston. That prediction (for us) seems to rest on what they say is league-best pitching, topping Miami by a hair. We'll be near rock-bottom in HR again (natch), and "only" third in runs scored. So...a lot like last year, but with more consistent pitching? Okay; but I'm not sold that this is a 104-win team. Good? Yes. That good? Highly debatable.

The other AL division winners look to be Tampa (joining us with 100 wins) and Detroit, with Texas and Miami claiming the wild cards. And the White Sox just missing out again. At the bottom of the well is Boston, with just 56 wins. Even Baltimore figures to win 67 times, damn. Other notes: Texas and Oakland will clout over 340 HR; Miami will steal just 46 bases (versus 169 for us); and Houston and Seattle will approach allowing 1000 runs. Also, despite efforts to reign in the lively baseball, Oakland's Felix Reyes will bang out 71 homers; and Texas' William Swanson will win another batting title, at .362 (just beating out our own Josh Matson at .359)

Over in the NL, New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco will claim their respective divisions. Philadelphia and Los Angeles are your wild card claimants, with Atlanta, Chicago, and Cincinnati also having strong seasons. Richmond will win just 56 games and field a pitching staff that rivals the worst in the AL; and Philly will shatter MLB records with 380 team home runs. (While San Diego will knock only 116.) Five battes will top 60 HR, while Cincy's Cris Frias will again flirt with 400 strikeouts. Also of note: two of the top pitchers in the NL will be former Islanders, Mike Garfield (with San Diego) and Chris Carpenter (Mets). Yippee.

Bub13 · 11-02-2020, 09:07 PM

Welcome to 2053, and the 20th season of Islanders baseball! You've seen the Anniversary Patch, and you've stayed for the action on the field. Thank you! So let's get going...

March 31-April 2 vs SEATTLE
A last-place, 66-win team from a year ago, the M's added nothing of consequence over the winter. MLB says they lost -0.1 WAR, but considering that SS Nesty Arteaga and his -1.6 WAR retired, that's addition by subtraction. He'll be replaced by veteran Sam Moore, who missed all of '52 after being signed away from Toronto. Two rookies made the starting lineup: RF Mike Bruno and 3B Eric Collier. Neither provokes much reaction, positive or negative. The rotation looks pretty shallow, and there are two SP on the DL. New closer Marco Mendez gets a bump up from middle relief, but outside of Adam Krull (last year's closer), the pen doesn't inspire much praise either. The good news is that the rebuilding franchise has the league's #3-ranked prospect system, led by #4 overall Ron Rivera, a P/CF who really should focus on pitching, as he's a primo talent there. OF Paul Stough, at #10, smacked 39 HR in A ball last year, and could be in the lineup by the all-star break. With a 29th-ranked budget and 25th-placed payroll, they're not going to spend their way back to relevance, but a strong prospect pool could get them there in a few years time.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-7, 2-81) / LH Matt Waugh (16-10, 3.18) / RH Mike Bader (14-10, 3.61)
SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (10-13, 5.25) / RH Dan Welker (10-14, 5.56) / RH Chris Grauer (8-7, 4.70)

#1: WIN 10-4 ... 4 HR out of the gate, including 2 by Pederson and a 3-run shot from Royer...Liles goes 8, and Pearse tosses his first IP in over a year
#2: WIN 8-2 ... Pederson and Medici homer again; Simmons goes 4-for-5 with 3 doubles...7 IP for Waugh, gets his first Islanders win
#3: LOSS 5-8 ... Bader gets roughed up for 5 early runs...we manage just 6 hits, probably exhaustion from the first two games...Royer homers

The great philosopher Meat Loaf once said "Two out of three ain't bad" and he was right.... Great start (.556/3/6) for Pederson. Yes, it's just three games, but it beats the alternative.... Only long man Mike Pearse and two back-end RP have seen action from the pen so far.... ELSEWHERE: Texas dropped their first two to Oakland, but then laid down a 20-6 pasting in the closer. Houston swept California and leads the West by a game early on.... Four other AL teams also swept their opening series; no NL teams did.... 4 HR and 9 RBI for Pittsburgh's Sean Friedman, leading everyone.

April 3-5 vs TEXAS
Here's the early test: I expect the defending champs to be battling us all season long. The league's best offense returns everyone but catcher Juan Espinoza, gone to Richmond. (Replacement Brad Ball isn't much, tho.) Into the lineup comes promising rookie LF Mike Olivera, and free agent OF Nate Atwater (on the DL however). LF Ted Miller smacked 23 HR in 98 games last year and is now on the bench. That's a deep squad. MVP William Swanson is looking to repeat, and guys like Ronnie Halverson, Eric Robbins, and Omar Gurrola would star on any team. Pitching might become an issue, with an SP and their CL (plus two other RP) all out for at least a month. They added SP Jesus Aguilar from Seattle and Bill Butts from Brooklyn, but they're strictly back-end guys. Former SP prospect Greg Buchanan is now the closer, which seems like a mistake. But they won it all last year, so who can complain? The rest of the pen has some hard throwers, plus two veteran former starters, so there's depth if things start to go sideways. The kiddo system ranks 23rd, with only IF Javier Tzoc (#18) a sure-fire big leaguer. He's on the big squad, and should push 2B Mike McNeill (great D, so-so hitting) for playing time.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (14-5, 3.95) / RH Henry Skiffington (15-12, 4.67) / RH Chris Liles (1-0, 4.50 in '53)
TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (5-19, 7.12) / LH Bill Butts (6-10, 5.78) / RH Kevin Cahill (0-1, 2.57)

#4: WIN 3-2 ... another day, another Pederson HR...Groff makes his first start, goes 0-for-2 with a walk...first appearances for the top of the pen, too
#5: LOSS 6-7 ... a 4-run 9th ruins an otherwise happy day, with Johnson blowing up for all the runs...good start for Skiff tho
#6: WIN 16-8 ... pitching, who needs it...we're outhit 18-13 tonight, but also take six walks...HR for Pederson, Medici, and Covington gets his first

Gotta love early season stats: we've scored 48 runs in 6 games and we don't lead the AL.... Doug Pederson has gone crazy so far; let's see what the next three weeks brings, waiting for Frederick's return from the DL.... Ditto the good start for Caleb Royer at third. My plan to platoon him with Ulkini hasn't worked out yet due to the latter's injury, but Lua has still gone 2-for-2 in a PH role.... And Groff is 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts. He is sulking big time too. Sigh.... ELSEWHERE: Tampa, Houston, and Detroit have started 6-0. California and Cleveland are 0-6.... Two hitting streaks dating back to last season ended this week: Dillon Ritter (ARI) saw his 23-gamer end, while Jake Glowski (CAL) lost his 22-game stint conclude.

April 6-8 vs MIAMI
The homestand continues with a team predicted to win 91 games and likely keep their playoff streak alive. The lineup remains largely unchanged, being led by Toshi Shimabukuro (.334/41/107) and five others who smacked over 25 HR last year. Their pitching should be improved, given that they moved Wilhelm-trophy winning closer Dwaine Webb into the rotation, and now have 22-game winner Victor Nunez in the #5 slot. They'll surely improve upon their 2-4 start, largely due to poor hitting (just .212) thus far. The annual managerial carousel has brought round Arby Fields, a long-time bench coach, getting his first shot at managing above the A ball level. His contract is for this year only, so I'd recommend he doesn't buy a house just yet. Budget and payroll are top ten, but the prospect system is 32nd, near the bottom. They do have #43 ranked Willie Maya, to whom they paid out a whopping $29M three years ago. He looks pretty good, but should probably work for free for a few more years, let the budget catch up a bit.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (1-0, 2.57) / RH Mike Bader (0-1, 9.00) / RH Josh Irvin (0-0, 0.00)
MIA pitchers: RH Dwaine Webb (0-1, 13.50) / RH Mike Messinger (0-1, 7.71) / RH Jason Simon (0-0, 1.29)

#7: WIN 2-0 ... four-hit shutout by Waugh...only five hits for us, with Royer's HR the big noisemaker...Groff starts, gets a hit and an RBI
#8: LOSS 7-8 ... Bader struggles through 6.2, yielding 11 hits, and Ruiz blows it with 3 runs in the 9th...HR for Pederson and Groff
#9: LOSS 2-4 ... a meh game, with mediocre hitting and boring pitching...only one XBH, and we struck out 11 times

This subpar outing drops us to 5-4 and a tied for third with Texas.... We're fourth in runs and seventh in runs allowed, and a +16 differential.... Diego Espino still has an unknown return date from his leg injury, so we put him on the DL and recall Josh Hed.... We also waived/DFAd infielder Jesus Lopez last week. No one claimed him, but because he has a big-league salary we can't send him to AAA? What? Okay then, so we traded him to Montreal for 21-year-old IF prospec Bobby Cordola. Cordola has poor hitting ceilings, but is a great fielder and a hard worker. With luck, he'll be a utility IF one day. Which is what Lopez is right now, only six years older and a better hitter. Good luck to us.... ELSEWHERE: No unbeatens remain, but the White Sox have won six in a row to jump to 8-1. Houston is also 8-1. Boston trails the pack at 1-8.... Cincy's Cris Frias is still gunning 'em down, with 25 K in 15 IP so far.

April 10-12 @ KANSAS CITY
It's been a long rebuilding process in KC, with only three winning seasons in the last decade-and-a-half, and two consecutive last-place finishes. MLB says this year will be no different, and they are off to a 3-6 start. The talent is still kind of thin, but it's coming around. Leadoff batter Dan Dellinger has two batting crowns to his credit, and can still single you to death; youngsters Tom Esposito, Tim Chapman, and Julius Burrows are a decent core. (Those last two came from us last year, you might remember.) There's not much else in the lineup yet, however, and top prospect SS Jose Valdez (an excellent hitter but a tin glove) is still at least a year away. They should fare better on the mound, with some decent, home-grown talent in the rotation, and a steady-if-unspectacular bullpen. Frankly, there is more pitching talent on paper than has been shown on the field so far, but this year could be different. And the fifth-ranked prospect system also has two excellent young arms--Steve Scibek and Tony Waters--that could develop into the ace this staff needs. New manager Dario Agrazal has two titles to his credit, and if owner J.J. Glass will unloose the purse strings a bit, the Royals could be good again very soon.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (0-0, 3.38) / RH Chris Liles (1-0, 6.23) / LH Matt Waugh (2-0, 1.13)
KCR pitchers: RH Jorge Ornelas (0-1, 5.14) / RH Adam Grossman (0-1, 6.75) / RH Ryan Swan (1-1, 4.91)

#10: WIN 2-0 ... Skiff's turn tonight to toss a 4-hit shutout...we muster just 7 hits, but Daley does sock his 1st HR of the season, a 2-run shot
#11: WIN 10-7 ... we break out with 12 hits and a trio of HR...4 RBI for Royer...Liles struggles again, pulled in the 5th
#12: LOSS 4-5 ... a pair of HR in the 2nd is all KC needs to beat us here...we get close in the 8th, but Groff grounds into a DP to end any threat

An okay series, at least we took two again. Up to 7-5 now, two games behind Oakland.... Offense is up to 3rd now, but we've dropped from 5th in H to 9th, of course. Still first in steals, tho.... Cam Daley, whom I've been ordered to extend, is really struggling: .191/1/5. Rookie catcher Covington is also flailing a bit, at .194.... Kyle Johnson finally has his ERA under 20. Congrats, young man.... ELSEWHERE: Race To The Bottom News: Boston and Baltimore are both 2-10. At the other end, the Chisox are now 11-1, winners of 9 straight.... Philly LF Rick Logston has reaced 2 WAR, batting .513/9/13.

April 13-15 @ HOUSTON
The recent resurgence has sputtered, with four seasons of bottom-half finished in the West. But they're 8-4 this year, with #2 hitting and #3 pitching so far. Stud 1B Jose Renteria has knocked the stuffing out of everything, at .533/8/21. Three others are hitting over .340, more than making up for 47-HR guy Ricky Silva's slow start (.229/1/4). Former Isles washout Tim Ciotta has been solid at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen sports a fun little 0.45 ERA. I'll be curious to see if they can sustain this strong start: Renteria and Silva are solid hitters, but the rest of the lineup is pretty squishy, tbh. Owner Jim Crane is a cheapskate, and despite sitting on a pile of cash he's showing no sign of re-upping the 28-year-old Silva, which is a huge concern for Astros fans.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (0-1, 7.71) / RH Josh Irvin (0-1, 4.15) / RH Biff Skiff (1-0, 1.59)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris James (0-0, 3.86) / RH Alex Trujillo (1-0, 4.38) / LH Pat Wise (1-1, 3.12)

#13: LOSS 3-4 ... Johnson is off again, giving up a GWHR in the 11th...Goodloe knocks his 1st HR, Medici his 5th
#14: WIN 6-3 ... Royer and Covington go deep, and tweaking the lineup results in 10 hits and a pile of XBH
#15: LOSS 2-8 ... we outhit them 14-9, but they manage six XBH (and 3 HR), while we get just one...4 hits for Simmons

Ugh, still muddling along. Kinda hard to see what's holding us back, as it seems like something different each night.... Maybe it's that, despite overall solid hitting numbers, only two regulars are batting over .280, and five starters have hit zero or one HR.... Closer Johnson is also struggling, with a 12.27 ERA, two losses, and two blown saves.... Despite leading the league in steals, we're way back in 16th in overall baserunning, whatever that means.... ELSEWHERE: Sadly, Baltimore and Boston both won some games, and are now 5-10 and 4-11, respectively.... Houston's Renteria went off against us, is the first batter to reach 10 HR on the year. He tops the triple crown stats, at .500/10/27.... I neglected to mention this off-season that all-time great Vinny "Hooch" Vargas retired after an awesome 19-year career. He was a three-time MVP, won nine Silver Sluggers, and went to ten all-star games. He was a real nemesis to us when he played with Oakland, from '34 to '45, and then had five solid years with the Dodgers. He wound up with 2812 hits, 565 HR, 1618 RBI, a .319 average, and 109 WAR. He'll probably make it to the Hall one day.

......

TL;DR Version: A middling 8-7 start to the season has us in third place, three games behind the A's, currently in first. We're 4th in runs, with 86, third in average at .290. But like I said above, we're not getting solid production throughout the lineup, like we usually do. Lynn, Daley, Matson, Goodloe, Simmons: all are hitting 30 to 50 points below their career averages, and between them they've hit just two HR. The kids have been alright, however: Medici at .280/5/14; Pederson has slowed but is still at .467/7/16; Royer .370/5/16; Covington .2503/10. Pitching rarnks 6th, but is likewise hit-or-miss. Liles and Bader have been mostly bad-to-average, and closer Johnson has been plain-old bad. Most of the rest of the staff has been solid, and pitching has largely kept us in games when we're not hitting. With Josh Frederick due off the DL in a week, I'm trying to decide what moves I'll make in the lineup. I might put him on rehab in AAA, but then what? If Pederson is still hitting, do I bench Daley, who is not? Fun stuff.

Bub13 · 11-22-2020, 05:08 PM

April 16-18 vs OAKLAND
After last year's 101 wins and division title, MLB says they'll win just 79 games this season. So of course they're off to an 11-4 start, scoring the most runs in the AL and with a +33 run differential already. Hitting 37 HR in 15 games also doesn't hurt, and Felix Reyes already has 9, Ryan Walton 8. And they've accomplished all that despite sitting 11th in average. If they keep pounding dingers, they'll keep winning, period. Pitching, however, will bear watching, as two of their top SP--Jim Schwartz and Conrad Robertson--are out and will be for some time. Three current starters look better suited for the pen, and the staff will give up a lot of walks. Still, it's best to assume that they'll keep on winning, until a time comes when they don't. (So philosophical.) With money to spend and a generous owner, they've continuously made moves to stay relevant, and that includes having the 10th best prospect system. Although there are concerns on that front: the top seven guys are pitchers, and beyond 18-year-old OF Tristan Smith, there's very little to like among their batting prospects. And top guy Tom Baker, who looks like a future ace starter, missed most of last year and is still out for two months following elbow surgery. A big setback, but maybe he'll still make it.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (1-0, 7.13) / LH Matt Waugh (2-1, 2.35) / RH Mike Bader (0-1, 5.95)
OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (3-0, 2.74) / RH Chris Ronan (2-0, 1.89) / RH Eric Stockton (2-0, 2.08)

#16: WIN 15-4 ... Lynn pokes two out, Daley gets 3 hits, and we put 21 runners on base...Liles is ok, but outpitches his doppelganger Larimer
#17: WIN 5-3 ... Daley homers again, and we make the most of things despite getting outhit 9-7...solid 7 IP for Waugh, giving up just one run
#18: LOSS 2-4 ... held to just 5 hits...we add 5 walks, but can't make it add up...CG for Bader

Dang, no sweep. We at least looked better this series, even if our hitting is still spotty. Fifteen runs in one game, then just 12 hits over the next two.... OF Diego Espino comes off the DL, and OF Josh Hed returns to AAA. Hed played in three games, with only one at-bat.... Pitching notes: Liles is starting to look better, Johnson's ERA is finally below ten, and Bader is still winless. I'll give the starters five games each before considering if Mike Pearse (2.35 ERA in mostly long relief) will be returned to the rotation.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox remain hot, with a fab 16-2 record right now.... Minny's Jordan Foots lost a 28-game hit streak recently. Several players in both leagues are approaching the 20-game "newsworthy" threshold.... Chisox starter Jasper Cummings has a 0.46 ERA over four starts.

April 20-22 vs TAMPA BAY
Off to an 11-7 start and tops in the East, by three over NY. Really a solid team everywhere, at 5th in runs and 2nd in runs against. 1B Edgar Aranceta is an under-the-radar star who slugged 51 HR last year and is batting .361 this year. RF Vance Wise is closing in on 400 career HR, all with Tampa. The only soft spots are LF (Ken Berman popped 20 HR last year, but is a career .230 hitter), and catcher (Jon Hill doesn't hit much, but is swinging above his weight class at .314), and SS Rich Stoneback (remember him?) is out for six more weeks. The staff looks solid too, although the rotation is a little light in movement, and #5 starter Trevor Kauffman is here only because of a major injury to veteran Travis Calhoun. And closer Bubba Fairweather gets a thumbs-up from me for his name alone. The system ranks only 15th, but there are quality hopefuls at every IF position, and pitcher George Brorby, currently in the TBR bullpen, could be at the top of the rotation next season.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (1-1, 3.60) / RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 3.42) / RH Chris Liles (2-0, 6.15)
TBR pitchers: LH John Odom (1-1, 6.61) / RH Carlos Munoz (3-1, 2.05) / RH Trevor Kauffman (0-1, 5.14)

#19: LOSS 4-10 ... Daley hits another one out, Royer goes 3-for-4 with a HR...that's it...Irvin is terrible, as is Ruiz in relief
#20: WIN 7-6 ... crazy game...1-1 tie is broken with 5 Rays runs in the 7th, followed by 4 for us, then tying it in the 9th and winning in the 10th
#21: WIN 9-6 ... who needs pitching? A 9-run 7th is all we need, apparently...HR for Matson and Goff...Liles is dreadful, but the pen goes 6.2 shutout innings

Pitching? What's that? A combined 42 runs here, with some uniformly bad starting pitching, sad to say.... We popped 5 HR in that second game, including two by Ulkini.... Daley is coming around, now batting .271 with 4 HR. He was hitting .214 just 8 days ago. He also just reached 1300 career hits, good for fourth in franchise history. With 38 more, he'll tie Jeremy Dunklee.... We're off on a 12-game road swing next.... ELSEWHERE: Five wins tops MLB for Chisox pitcher Luke Weaver, and CF Zeke de la Rosa is batting .424/10/22, leads MLB with 7 steals and 2.4 WAR, and was just named AL player of the week.... Eight straight losses for Toronto, now 5-16 and the worst in baseball.... Don't you love to see your former stars do well somewhere else? No, me neither. So a big WHATEVER to Shamar Jackson, now 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA for St Louis.... Of course it's early in the season, but there's a nice 3-way tie for first in the AL West, with Hawaii, Oakland, and Texas at 12-9. Seattle, at last and 9-12, is just three games back.

April 23-25 @ CALIFORNIA
At just 10-11, but winners of four straight. Stats aren't good: 11th in runs, 16th in runs against. The franchise is approaching twenty years without a winning season, but despite having a willing (and wealthy) owner, they haven't made a splash in recent off-seasons. This year they added 3B Mike Eskridge--decent contact, solid fielder, zero power--from Brooklyn, and SP George Millard--just average, and 32--from Cleveland. Neither moves the needle much. Plus the prospect system, ranked 12th, has some decent talent but no one who will rise to star level. The best guys they have right now are CF Mauricio Marquez, 22, and DH/1B Ricky Ochoa. Everyone else is a role player, at best. The struggle is real, Angels fans, and so is the never-ending rebuild, apparently.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (2-1, 2.10) / RH Mike Bader (0-2, 5.34) / RH Josh Irvin (1-2, 5.48)
CAL pitchers: RH George Millard (0-3, 5.70) / RH Ryan Kuehner (2-0, 3.26) / RH Josh Pomerantz (1-2, 7.36)

#22: WIN 4-0 ... solo shot by Medici and 3 H from Lynn, to go along with Waugh's 2-hitter
#23: WIN 2-0 ... Pederson and Medici go deep for all the offense tonight, and Bader tosses a 3-hitter
#24: WIN 4-3 ... down 2-1, Royer cranks a 3-run blast in the top of the 9th...Groff plays an inning at catcher for some bizarre reason

With the sweep we're now on top of the division, at 15-9. Three teams are tied for second, two games back.... Covington hurt his back in that final game, leading to Groff's strange inning behind the plate. Cov will be out for two weeks; Josh Hed comes back up for the period, and Groff will slide into the backup catcher role, lol. Why? Because the 40-man is full and we only have two catchers on it.... ELSEWHERE: Toronto's now 6-18, making the 9-15 Orioles look decent by comparison. Surprisingly, the O's are joined by the Marlins, favored to win the East but really struggling right now.... Tigers and White Sox lead baseball at 18-6.... Cincy's Cris Frias still leads everyone with 50 K (in 37 IP), to go along with his 28 BB, also tops in the game.

April 26-28 @ CLEVELAND
I can't help thinking that the Indians--at 11-13 and still in the midst of a long rebuild--are trying to construct a team that would do better in the 1970s MLB of my childhood. All the elements are there. Favor contact and speed over power? Check. Have, however, a couple of power bats in the middle of the lineup? Check. All-field-no-hit at 2B, SS, and C? Check. A pitching staff that favors control over strikeouts? Check. In spite of my joking, there are some signs of life by Lake Erie. CF Manny Ayala could start for any team, and youngsters Mike Lee at 3B and Victor Guillen at LF are likewise solid. The pitching staff needs help, tho, as only Taylor Baxter is talented and under 30. So it's a good thing that the 14th-ranked system features three solid SP prospects at the top of the pile, all of whom could (should, really) be in the bigs by next spring at the latest. As for today...they're 11th in offense and pitching, but nothing else really stands out. Former Isle Julian Cardenas has found a home at 2B here, and is batting .333 this season. (Although he just suffered an injury with an unknown return date.) Owner Kurt Dolan is profit-driven, and seems satisfied to field a team that might go .500 and play solid defense. Aiming high, my man. Aiming high.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 4.45) / RH Chris Liles (2-0, 7.53) / LH Matt Waugh (3-1, 1.62)
CLE pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (1-1, 2.75) / RH Manny Vazquez (1-1, 9.00) / LH Taylor Baxter (3-1, 4.25)

#25: WIN 8-7 ... we squander a 6-3 lead in the 8th, but win it on Groff's 2-run single in the 9th...3 hits, 3 RBI overall for the old man
#26: LOSS 2-13 ... 9 hits but we were never in this one...Liles, Pearse, and Ruiz take turns getting shelled
#27: WIN 6-1 ... Waugh keeps rolling, fanning 7 in 6 IP and taking the win...3 hits from Simmons, and Royer's 2-run single early is all we need

Two solid wins, but man did we take the night off in that second game. Liles, in particular, has not been good this season. Aces usually come around, but his start to the season is making me feel even better about adding Waugh in free agency.... Cam Daley lets me know he'd like an extension. His asking price has come down from his $25M/per from last winter, but he still wants $17M for the next seven seasons. Although his numbers have declined slightly over the last three seasons, he can still hit. And he's a fan favorite. But he's almost 30, is fast losing whatever skill he had in the outfield, and so should be limited to DH or 1B in the coming years. Medici and Matson are the current starters at those positions. Medici is young and the star of the future. So how does Daley compare to Matson? Um, not favorably. Matson is signed through '57, with a TO for the two ensuing years. He's also rated better at the plate and on the bases. I really hate trading fan favorites.... ELSEWHERE: Montreal won a crazy 21-12 game over the Giants, a tilt that featured only 26 hits but added 8 HR and 15 walks. Big league pitching was set back decades in one night.... Detroit and Chicago are having a fun race in the AL Central so far, the Sox with 21 wins and the Tigers with 20. Best two records in MLB right now.... The entire NL West, however, is under .500, with Arizona, LA, and Portland pacing the shebang at 13-14.... And of course A's slugger Felix Reyes leads baseball with 15 HR. Anything else wouldn't be right.

April 30 @ TEXAS
Big early showdown against the defending champs. They're 16-11 and a game behind us, tied with Houston for second place. Offense ranks 2nd with 167 runs, while pitching is tops with just 113 runs allowed. The middle trio of William Swanson (.355/10/29), Ryan Boers (.346/7/23), and Eric Robbins (.400/8/20) are just murdering pitching, and everyone else outside of catcher Blake Ball (.155) is also producing. And yes, the staff has been pretty good, but I still don't understand why a solid mid-rotation starter like Greg Buchanan is now the closer, over last year's guy Garrett Slone (1.81 ERA and 38 saves). Buchanan is better than 3/5 of the current rotation, but hey they're the champs so what does my opinion count. Seven guys are currently on the DL, and #1 SP Kevin Cahill has a pending diagnosis... [EDIT: It's a stretched elbow ligament for Cahill. He's out for 11 months.]

HAW pitcher: RH Mike Bader (1-2, 4.06)
TEX pitcher: RH Paul Labbe (2-2, 5.59)

#28: LOSS 2-4 ... we make the struggling Labbe look good, and Kyle Johnson blows another save and sees his ERA balloon to 8.68

It's now a three-way tie on top of the division, with Oakland another two games out. Good stuff for the fans! But for me, not so much.... Johnson has been way, way off in the closer role this season, continuing his struggles from late last-season and the playoffs. It may be time for a switch.... ELSEWHERE: Eh, not much happened in just one day.... Early days yet, but the total ERA of 4.85 in the AL and 4.62 in the NL are the highest marks since the hitting-crazy late '90s. (The 1990s, that is. The 1890s were pretty crazy too, btw.)

......

TL;DR Version: This feels like a transition year, doesn't it? With pending decisions on a couple of stars--Daley and Frederick--and Groff nearing the end of the line, it's no surprise that the offense feels off. And sitting 5th in runs scored only confirms that feeling. All things considered, however, having five regulars batting 20-40 points below their career numbers contributes greatly to the "struggle." It's also odd that our two hitting stars are the rookies: RF Pederson (.358, 9 HR), and 3B Royer (.378, 7 HR). Might be time for some lineup juggling, especially with Frederick due to come off his rehab stint in a couple weeks. Speaking of juggling, I'm going to move Johnson out of the closer spot. That means either Robbie Collier or Ben Germann will get the nod. I'm leaning towards Collier, if only because Germann has never seemed comfortable in his previous stints as closer. Finally, the rotation has been hit-or-miss. Hits? Waugh for sure, with Bader and Irvin throwing well enough. Misses? Liles has been bad, and Skiffington has fallen off of late. Mike Pearse just might get back into the rotation sooner than later.... All in all, I'm not displeased with a 17-11 mark, especially after our slow start. If our hitting comes around, and we can get at least three of the starting pitchers pulling in the right direction all at once, look out.

Bub13 · 12-07-2020, 07:34 PM

Month #2 gets underway with the completion of our road swing in Texas and Boston. The rest of the month gives us three days off, for a total of 28 games, equally split at home and on the road. As usual, we'll see everyone in the division, including home series against Houston and California. I tweaked the batting lineup a bit, and also made one roster adjustment, calling up AAA catcher Bentley Kolb for his first taste of MLB action while Covington rests on the DL. I waive/DFA RP Jeremy Black, as he's the least likely player to get claimed on waivers. Although if we lose him, we lose him.

May 1-2 @ TEXAS
Finishing up this series. We dropped the first game. Can't keep doing that.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (1-2, 4.80) / Biff Skiff (1-1, 5.15)
TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (4-1, 2.92) / LH Noah Sims (0-0, 13.50)

#29: LOSS 6-10 ... bad blood: three HBP lead to two bench-clearing brawls and four ejections...oh, and we officially can't get anyone out now
#30: LOSS 2-3 ... better pitching from Skiff, but no offense tonight...and Johnson is done as closer, blowing another save: 0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 R

Just terrible all-around. The only plus here is that no one got injured.... Those brawls led to four suspensions, which of course we got the worse of. Josh Irvin (9 games!) and Doug Pederson (four) are out, as opposed to two Rangers cretins who got 4 and 2 games in comparison. And the fun thing about suspensions? You can't replace the players, as they're still on the roster! Stupid.... ELSEWHERE: It saddens me to say that, 30 games into the season, no team is in single digits in victories. I've been getting used to 50-win (and below!) teams of late.... Big props to the Hawaii pitchers who helped Rangers LF Mike Olivera bring his average up to a league-leading .408. Giants SS Mitch Elmore tops everyone, however, at .415.... Hey, it's a good thing I knew Shamar Jackson was washed up! Especially after he emailed me a pic of his "April NL Pitcher of the Month" award, for going 5-0 with a 2.45 ERA with St Louis. Shoot me.

May 3-5 @ BOSTON
Now we pile into the cah, off to happy fun land, in hopes of recovering a bit from that last series. The Sox have started slowly, at 12-18, but are just four games out of first in the East. Almost no one is hitting, and the team places 15th in runs, dead last in AVG. Leadoff man Dan Larson is batting .325, and #2 guy Alex Sierra .294, but outside of tossing in Rich Dragos' 9 HR, there's a lot of sadness in the lineup. Pitching is mid-pack, at 9th in runs allowed. Soph Kaoru Tanaka (3-1, 3.09) has been the lone bright spot, however. None of this should be surprising, really, as MLB picked them to win just 56 games. Weird thing is, this team has so much money, and so much free cash (11th in budget, but 23rd in payroll), that losing like this is solely due to mismanagement. (*cough*TaxWriteoff*cough*) The good news is that the prospect system ranks 6th, despite only having one sure thing (#2 guy Yuya Watabe, currently in the pen but who should be in the rotation by the all-star break, imo). #1 guy Angelo Luna is an 18-year-old in the international complex, and those guys almost NEVER fail to pan out, right?

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (2-1, 8.16) / LH Matt Waugh (4-1, 1.60) / RH Mike Bader (1-2, 3.63)
BOS pitchers: RH Josh Williamson (0-1, 6.00) / LH Jonathan Esquivel (1-0, 4.32) / RH Arturo Verdazco (2-3, 5.09)

#31: WIN 9-1 ... Liles shows up: complete game 7-hitter...Matson homers, getting red hot after moving into the #3 slot
#32: WIN 4-1 ... a solid 5-hitter through 8 IP for Waugh, and Collier earns his first save...a bases-loaded double by Daley is our big hit
#33: WIN 4-2 ... Bader walks 4, but escapes with minimal damage...three RBI doubles are keys tonight, and Collier saves another, how nice

Ahhh, very good. At 20-13, we're back to a game behind Texas, and will be gunning for revenge soon enough.... Odd lineup in that third game, with J.J. Simmons batting cleanup: yep, Mr. "8 HR in 8 Seasons" was our power bat for that game.... Two saves, two shutout innings for Collier as closer. I'd almost forgotten what that's like. Btw, Johnson's ERA is over ten now.... ELSEWHERE: Philly creamed San Diego 25-4 on the back of ELEVEN home runs. And one bench-clearing brawl, natch. No beanballs here, but man it's getting ugly out there of late.... Detroit and Chicago share the AL Central at 25-8, the only two teams with single-digit losses.... The NL West is still under water, with zero winning teams right now. Last place Arizona, at 13-20, is only three games out of first.

May 6-8 vs DETROIT
Oh man, am I glad we swept Boston, since we're playing one of the hottest teams in the game right now in Detroit. Although they haven't been the powerhouse hitting team this year, at only 8th in runs and 9th in HR, they have the best pitching going in the AL. Just three batters are hitting .300, but it turns out that us basically giving them 3B D.J. Grace (.383/5/18) was a real boon, who coulda guessed it. Everyone has at least ten RBI, and only one batter is below .250, so there's at least production all up and the down the lineup. In the rotation, three guys have ERA below four, a rarity these days; and closer Jose Hernandez has fanned 16 in 11 innings and owns a 0.82 ERA with a 0.55 WHIP. Oh, and the prospect system? #1, baby. Although it's a little concerning that their top two guys--OFs Roberto Gomez and Manny Molina--are on the shelf with long-term injuries. Throw in another OF, #4 Donnie Bloomberg, and they've got their next outfield nearly ready to go, should they all recover. Damn them all to hell.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (1-1, 4.05) / RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 4.43) / RH Chris Liles (3-1, 6.59)
DET pitchers: LH Carlos Zenon (4-2, 3.02) / RH Joe Britton (2-3, 5.30) / LH T.J. Carroll (4-1, 3.59)

#34: LOSS 4-6 ... we outhit them 17-8, dammit...Collier destroys my recent good will by giving up FIVE runs in the 9th to blow it, sigh
#35: WIN 8-2 ... 2 HR from Matson, and 7 solid IP from Skiff...no pen blowup either, shockingly...tied for first again, too
#36: WIN 2-0 ... Liles is sharp again, going the distance and allowing just 4 hits...HR for Daley, and 2 hits apiece for Lynn and Goodloe

A nice comeback after the heartbreak of game one.... Still 6th in runs, mostly because we're also just 6th in OBP and now 13th in HR.... Bentley Kolb has hit 6-for-14 since getting called up, and Hiro Wakabayashi is down to just .167. With Covington coming off the DL in two days, I might have to move out the vet instead of the rookie.... Despite his blast in that last game, Cam Daley is batting .255 with 5 HR. Not exactly earning that extension, Cam.... I moved Matson up from sixth to third in the lineup, and he's reponded with 15 hits (and 4 HR) in eight games.... ELSEWHERE: Three teams are now at .500 in the NL West, praise be.... Philly is finally living up to MLB's prediction from two years ago: league-best batting, with 78 HR and 222 runs in 36 games, but near-last pitching, allowing 209 runs.... White Sox ace Luke Weaver is 8 for 8 in his starts, helping the Sox to a league-best 27-9 start.

May 10-12 vs HOUSTON
Still hanging in, in the topsy-turvy AL West, at 21-15 and a game out of first. Second in runs scored (23 more than us!) and third in runs against, for a +58 differential already. OF Kevin Mazurowski has played 35 games this year, and saw 62 last year: his .321/17/35 this season is already better than last year's numbers. RF Matt Dippel has made 20 starts in place of the injured J.R. Hansen, and has only gone .367/8/19. So yeah, they can hit. Although the staff has decent numbers across the board, no one really stands out, beyond #5 SP Pat Wise and his 3.43 ERA. Former Isles? SP Tim Ciotta was a free agent disappointment a couple years back; now he's the #1 SP here, and doing okay, but on for only 1.0 WAR. Also, he's not an old Isle, but Matt Sargent Jr, son of our former manager Matt Sargent, is in AA, but will probably only top out at the next level.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (5-1, 1.53) / RH Mike Bader (2-2, 3.42) / RH Mike Pearse (1-1, 3.00)
HOU pitchers: RH Ron Mills (2-3, 5.74) / RH Chris James (3-1, 3.78) / RH Alex Trujillo (3-1, 4.57)

#37: WIN 6-3 ... we go a little slack with a 6-0 lead, but hold on...2-run HR by Goodloe, solo shot from Daley...6 IP from Waugh
#38: WIN 5-2 ... strong 7 IP from Bader, fanning 8...2 H, 2 RBI by Royer, batting .383 now
#39: WIN 16-3 ... 3 hits for Lynn, Daley, and Matson, plus 2 bombs from Daley...7 doubles too...solid start from Pearse

Very strong--and surprising--series here.... Our pitching is going great guns right now, first in runs against, and so Josh Irvin--back from suspension--will move to the pen and long relief.... The third base platoon is hitting on all cylinders too: Royer has 112 AB and is .384/7/30, while Ulkini has 33 AB and is at .364/2/5. Not surprisingly, the fielding side isn't great, with Royer fielding at a .944 clip and -1.8 ZR, Ulkini at .957 and -0.1.... ELSEWHERE: KC outfielder Julius Burrows--we sent him away in the Liles trade, remember--is batting .344 and holding on to a 31-game hitting streak. But he just now tore his labrum and is out for the year. At 16-23, KC isn't going anywhere anyway, but it still stings.... Since it's former Isle week, Pirates 1B Chris Goldthwait is still slugging away, leading the NL with 16 HR and 41 RBI.... Three-way tie atop the NL West, with LA, SF, and Austin all finally above .500, at 20-19.

May 13-15 @ OAKLAND
Now 21-18, four games out of first: 2nd in runs scored, but way back in 16th in pitching. Three pitchers are on the shelf, but at least C Roger Morales and OF Danny Venegas will come off the DL in a couple of days, helping out an already-solid offense. Felix Reyes has kept up his power game, leading the AL wit 18 HR, while Ryan Walton has 15. Former Isles? None on the big club, but 2B Scott Bachant is in AAA Sacramento, where he's been fo ten seasons now. He hits .300 every year with solid defense, but a lack of power (16 HR in 14 minor league seasons), has kept him from ever taking that final step.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (2-1, 4.18) / RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.40) / LH Matt Waugh (6-1, 1.68)
OAK pitchers: RH Conrad Robertson (1-2, 7.36) / LH Mike Thomas (2-3, 6.51) / LH Chris Larimer (5-2, 3.73)

#40: WIN 3-2 ... five runs, five solo HR. Simple...Matson hits the winner in the top of the 10th...we outhit them 12-6, with Lynn going 4-for-5
#41: WIN 7-6 ... another extra inning winning HR, this one from Groff in the 10th...4 hits by Frederick, back from rehab, including a solo HR too
#42: WIN 6-5 ... 6 more HR, combined, including 4 from the bad guys...Pederson wins this one with a 2-run 8th inning blast

Another sweep! And against the hated A's! Eight straight wins too. I'll take it.... We're getting healthy again, with Covington back from the DL, and Frederick from his rehab stint. The outfield is little crowded now, with Daley, Lynn, and Pederson all hitting well, and Freds wanting his starting slot back.... With Freds back, we send Stephen Eason to AAA, after batting just .216 in 37 AB. Santa Barbara is off to its own hot start, sitting at 22-5.... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii ties Chicago and Detroit at 28-14, tops in baseball. Toronto and Montreal are at the bottom, 15-27 each. Oh, Canada.... Oakland's Reyes now has 21 HR, while Texas OF Mike Olivera leads everyone at .408.... Baltimore finally looks like a decent team again, at 22-20 and an 8-game winning streak.

......

TL;DR Version: A very nice start to the month, 11-3, and three sweeps. We're now 28-14 and in first place by three games over Texas. Team runs now sit 5th, starting to catch up to the other stats (2nd in AVG, 3rd in OBP). Five regulars are batting over. 300, and Pederson (12) and Medici (10) have reached double figures in HR. Pitching is now first in runs against, with the top rotation in the AL, but an 11th place bullpen.

Bub13 · 12-21-2020, 03:49 PM

[With a couple of weeks off, I hope to get back to playing and posting more. Thanks for reading!]

May 16-18 @ TORONTO
Last in the East, 15-27, but only eight games out. The offense is dragging, 16th in runs and near-bottom in almost every other category. Leadoff guy Corey Murray is hitting .326, and 1B Ian Logan has 14 HR, but that's pretty much it for production. Pitching ranks 12th, with the rotation far outpacing the pen. Four pitchers--three of them starters--are also on the DL, which doesn't help matters. Manager Paul Trashini, who went unemployed last year after three straight playoff appearances with Miami, hasn't been able to work any magic yet. Team budget is 24th, but payroll is only 32nd, so they're also not spending to get better right now. They won 81 games last year but their last playoff appearance came in 2040. With only two players ranked in the top ten positionally, and a middling prospect pool, near-term improvement is no sure thing.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (3-2, 3.32) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 3.27) / RH Biff Skiff (3-1, 3.86)
TOR pitchers: RH Adam Arriaga (2-2, 5.49) / RH Jaden Buchanan (3-5, 4.41) / RH Josh Gordon (1-2, 6.16)

#43: WIN 10-0 ... combined 4-hitter, but Bader leaves after 2 IP...HR and 4 RBI from Ulkini, and HR from Pederson and Matson
#44: WIN 9-8 ... 19 hits and 8 walks...we also allow 15 hits...everyone gets a hit: 4 by Simmons, 3 for Matson
#45: WIN 9-1 ... Matson homers again, Medici adds one too...Skiff goes the distance, allowing six hits...4 more hits by Simmons

Feels good, man. We're riding on an 11-game winning streak now, and are three games up on Texas.... Offense is now up to 4th place; pitching in first.... Bader's injury is just dtd, he won't miss a start.... Waugh leads all AL pitchers in all-star voting, but no teammate is close anywhere else.... ELSEWHERE: Others on streaks include the Mets, winners of 7 straight, and six-game losing streaks for Brooklyn and Milwaukee.... no more .400 hitters are left, but Hawaii's Josh Matson has sped to a league-leading .392; while Giants SS Mitch Elmore tops everyone at .398.... 43-year-old Cards pitcher Ryan Galletto announced his retirement at the end of the year, then went out and one-hit the Reds. Galletto was a 4-5 WAR guy at his best, and was effective through age 39. He'll retire with over 55 WAR and 180 wins.

May 20-22 vs CALIFORNIA
The Angels have dropped to the bottom of the division, 18-27, although they are an almost-respectable 8-9 this month. The offense ranks 16th, and only Mauricio Marquez (.347/10/31) looks to be showing up right now. Pitching is an okay 10th: a couple of middle relievers, and starters Ryan Kuehner and Jay Sanford have looked solid. That's it. I should probably expect our winning streak to come crashing down, shouldn't I.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.56) / LH Matt Waugh (6-1, 2.11) / RH Mike Bader (3-2, 3.21)
CAL pitchers: RH Jay Sanford (2-5, 3.29) / RH George Millard (1-5, 5.40) / RH Ryan Kuehner (3-3, 3.97)

#46: WIN 5-4 ... down 4-0 in the 9th, we tie it on Pederson's 3-run blast and Ulkini's RBI single...Medici wins it in the 10th with a single
#47: WIN 9-1 ... Waugh pitches all but the final out, and Royer goes 4-for-4 with 2 RBI...3 hits for Daley, lots for everyone else too
#48: LOSS 7-12 ... our turn to lose it late, giving up 5 in the last 3 innings...Bader is shelled through 2.2 IP, Irvin and Kearns not much better in relief

Awww, dang, the streak is over. Still, two out of three is okay.... Royer went 9-for-13 and is now batting .404. His platoon status means he isn't qualified for the the batting title race, however.... Everyone is contributing at the moment, and the team is batting .313, which is only good for *second* in the AL. Wow.... We're 2nd in AL steals with 45, but rank just 15th in total baserunning. Why? Dunno, but maybe we're getting thrown out at the plate a lot. Or maybe we're just kinda dumb.... ELSEWHERE: A rarity: Zephs pitcher Marvin Diaz tossed a ten inning no-hitter, beating the Pirates 3-0. This is the first MLB no-no since Conor MacLeod tossed one in September, 2051.... Phillies OF Rick Logston exploded onto the scene last year by going .343/44/110. His follow-up? Merely .367/25/56 so far, in 47 GP. Nothing special.... Milwaukee is the latest to go cold, dropping 9 straight and falling to the bottom of the Central at 19-29. Guess who we've got next?

May 23-25 vs MILWAUKEE
The ice-cold Brewers come to town, looking to break out of their nine-game funk. Hitting ranks 17th, and pitching one worse, at 18th and dead last. There are few bright spots. Leadoff man Emilio Valdez is batting .294, and the middle of the lineup has popped 40 HR (but only hitting a combined .250). The rotation is a mess right now, but closer Xavier Pride has been fantastic, with a 0.83 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 11 saves. Former Isle RP Dan Brown has an ERA near twenty, while 3B Dante Padilla has 11 HR. Ancient catcher Dan Starr has a pending injury: at 42, I suspect it might just be fatal.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.06) / RH Biff Skiff (4-1, 3.49) / RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.40)
MIL pitchers: RH John Landers (4-2, 6.10) / RH Louwe Bergman (2-5, 6.10) / RH Danny Salgado, 2-6, 4.32)

#49: WIN 6-5 ... we blow a 5-1 lead, but Covington saves it with a double in the 8th...Pearse is meh through six, meaning Irvin might get another shot at SP
#50: WIN 9-2 ... four HR tonight and Skiff's CG tell the tale...everyone got a hit but Matson, but who's complaining
#51: LOSS 2-8 ... Liles manages just four outs, ouch...only five hits for us, probably just tired

Tired bats are heavy bats, explaining that last game.... Matson's .385 average has him on top of the AL. Royer's batting .392, but is about ten PA short of qualifying.... Lynn has gotten hot too, raising his average 50 points this month, up to .321.... Remember our '51 draft, when we added four supplemental picks to our existing first rounder, and took five pitchers? How are they coming along, you ask? Well, in order: Andy Burke has declined to AAA-ish ceilings; Travis Harris has been healthy enough for just ten starts in his two-plus seasons; Elias Tena (the only RP) has control issues and an ERA over 9 in AAA; Manny Reyes still has promise, but is two months away from making his first pitch of this season, and has made only seven starts as an Isles prospect; and Larry Hensley, after making 14, 11, and 9 starts so far, just blew out his elbow and may be done for good. Sigh, you just never know do you.... ELSEWHERE: Turmoil in the AL East, as the Yankees win six in a row to surge to the top, at 28-23; Chicago and Detroit have stretched the gap to 11 games over third place Cleveland; and Texas has kept a three-game deficit to the hot Islanders.... Those White Sox have MLB's best offense: scoring 351 runs, and tops in every major offensive category except HR, where they're fourth.... Detroit's 35-year-old ace Raul Bravo is just four games from 200 career wins. He only trails LA's Eric Jones (my man!) on the active leaderboard. Jones has 221, but finds himself as a $10.5M AAA pitcher, in steep decline. Aging sucks.

May 26-28 @ SEATTLE
Still over .500, at 26-25 and tied for fourth with Oakland. The offense has come into shape, at 6th in runs. Nobody is really studding it up, but newbie Sam Moore (brought over from TOR) is batting .290/15/32, about 30+ points higher than his career average. Even Arturo Sena--usually good for 30 HR and a nifty .190ish average--is batting .247. Rookie OF Paul Stough has 12 HR on the season, and by this time next year could be one of the true power hitting monsters in the game. (Just what we need, another Texas in the division.) Pitching has been a chore, however, only 17th in runs against, and the worst rotation going: the top three SP on the staff all have ERA over six. Dan Crews has made three starts since returning from injury, so he'll help. But losing rookie Phil Bishop and his awesome-by-comparison 4.22 ERA for the year does hurt. But the pen looks good, so if they can get ANY kind of semisolid starting pitching going, they could possibly make a push for a wildcard.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (7-1, 1.98) / RH Mike Bader (3-2, 4.06) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.33)
SEA pitchers: RH Dan Welker (3-4, 7.47) / RH Chris Grauer (3-4, 7.21) / RH Dan Crews (1-1, 2.18)

#52: WIN 10-5 ... Waugh isn't sharp but we bail him out with 16 hits...everyone gets on base, with Matson leading the way with 3 H, 3 RBI
#53: WIN 7-5 ... Medici's two-run shot caps a five-run 6th, sealing the win...Matson stays hot with two doubles...Bader is meh, bullpen is stout
#54: LOSS 4-5 ... we can't make a 3-0 lead hold up, and lose it in the 10th...Germann and Collier combine to blow it, giving up 3 late runs

Back on the two-out-of-three train, I see. Sweeps are nice, but a .667 win pct? Also nice.... Texas is keeping up that three game gap, too. No pressure, guys.... Jules Medici started a little slowly, but like everyone else has come on of late, now batting .318/14/36.... AAA Santa Barbara has cooled off, dropping six of their last seven. And they've slotted a guy hitting .140 into the leadoff role. Wtf.... ELSEWHERE: Nine straight wins now for the Yanks, opening up a five game lead over the Rays.... Philly's 3B Byron Wilmoth had himself a game, knocking five hits--including 2 HR and a Cycle--in a 10-2 pasting of the Cubs. Those Phils still have the best offense in the NL by a wide margin, but near-bottom pitching is keeping them in a tight race with the Mets.... And speaking of the Mets, the Wilponers have quietly built themselves a nice team, 2nd in offense and 3rd in pitching, for a 32-22 record.

May 30-31 vs BALTIMORE
So it's surprising that the recently-putrid O's are tied for third in the East, which sounds pretty good. But they're also four games under .500, so let's not get carried away just yet. Hitting still lacks punch, at 14th in runs and 17th in average. 1B Miguel Echevaria is carrying most of the load, at .261/13/34, and DH Paul Stroot is batting .294. Elsewhere...it's a desert. Pitching is fine, sitting at 8th in runs against, although closer Michael Buckland isn't helping with his rancid 5.54 ERA and 12 BB in 20 IP. Former Isles RP Dan Neumann--who couldn't get anyone out after I traded for him last year--has found religion and a 1.47 ERA, so bully for him, the loser. Manager Shermayn Balentien has one of the best names going in MLB, although the fact that he likes yelling at everyone is causing some unrest in the clubhouse. Owner Reg Ehrlich has meted out a tiny budget (35th), a tiny payroll (also 35th), has few expectations, yet is VERY UPSET about something. Yacht prices on the rise.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (5-1, 3.32) / RH Chris Liles (4-2, 6.24)
BAL pitchers: RH Bob Garner (4-3, 4.30) / RH Cody Brown (3-4, 5.35)

#55: WIN 6-1 ... CG for Skiff, and Groff turns back the clock with a 2 HR and 4 RBI night off the bench
#56: WIN 6-3 ... a 4-0 lead after two holds up tonight...Pederson's 2-run shot in the 1st is the big blow, and Lynn adds 2 RBI on a pair of doubles

Solid way to close out a strong month, and maintaining a four game lead over Texas.... Goodloe has been quietly effective all season, but did just see a 29-game hitting streak end. He's batting .305 on the year, and last failed to get a hit on 4/26, before that final game here.... ELSEWHERE: The Yankees win streak is now 11, putting them 6 up on Tampa Bay. That's the largest division lead going so far.... Philly's Rick Logston is the closest to a Triple Crown right now: 3rd in average, 1st in HR and RBI.... Quite a spread in AL team fielding stats: Detroit leads with a +16.9 ZR, while Oakland trails everyone at -16.9.

......

TL;DR Version: May was just tremendous: going 22-6, bringing us up to 39-17 overall and 4 games ahead of Texas. While pitching is still going well--2nd in runs against--the offensive recovery really sparked the turnaround. We're batting .311, with six regulars hitting over .300, and two others over .280. The only guy not going well is catcher Mike Covington, at .238, but he's at least fielding well and getting on base well above his average. On the staff, Liles is still struggling, with a 5.93 ERA, and former closer Kyle Johnson is still over 8...which is still lower than he was when I moved him to a setup role. Defensively, while we're tied for the fewest errors, our team ZR ranks just 12th. And RF Doug Pederson is leading most every rookie batting stat in the AL. Let's see if we can keep it going into June...

Bub13 · 12-24-2020, 11:21 AM

(Let's skip ahead a few days and go all drafty. Play in June will begin with the next post.)

Time once again to add a new heap of cannon fodder...erm, "stars of the future"...to the system. This year, thanks to the Shamar Jackson trade, we snagged a top five pick from the Cards. That more than makes up for losing our own first due to the Matt Waugh free agency signing. Otherwise, we have all the rest of our regularly-scheduled picks, excepting the tenth round (also to St Loo). And...we have one of those highly coveted supplemental round selections!

Elsewhere, once again Baltimore claims the top slot, followed by KC, Montreal, Seattle, then us. Austin managed to end up with two top ten picks, at #7 and #9. No one else has multiple picks. BNN says the O's will take P Matt Zumwalt (ranked #2), with KC nabbing OF Eric Lowenstein (#1), Montreal going for P Seb Mulholland (#5), Seattle taking P Nick Backman (#4), and then us selecting P Ryan Nelson (unranked). I'm not at all sure Nelson is a first rounder, let alone a top five pick, so we'll see about that. There's a lot of talent in this draft according to our scouts, but the top of the heap does not look remarkable at all. Falling out of BNN's top five predictions is #3 P John Mullett, who looks decent but is purely a reliever. The next four players after the ones mentioned here are all relievers, so who we end up taking is up in the air right now.

Countdown to draft in 5...4...3...2...1...

Baltimore goes for hitting, taking Lowenstein over Zumwalt. KC then takes Zumwalt, Montreal nabs Backman, then Seattle goes for Mulholland. So the top four go as slated, even if the predicted order differed. Nevertheless, these are the clear top four talents in the draft: Lowenstein is a solid all-around hitter with speed, and the other three are by far the best SP options available. (But all three have the same issue: only two "sure thing" pitches; they'll be stud aces if those pitches come around, or decent RP if not.) When it came to our turn, I scrolled through a number of possibilities. Dismissing some available highly-ranked relievers--can't take a simple RP at #5 unless he's a generational talent, which none of these guys are--we found a few SP of promise, but most could be eliminated either due to combinations of B-/C+ ceilings and/or very high bonus demands. So instead we looked closely at two batters: OF Scott Hull and IF Jake Moore. Both are 21, college juniors, and signable (although Hull wants nearly $5M, Moore under a mill). Hull has more power potential, while Moore has better overall batting (but no power) and more versatility in the field. Both are lefty batters; both have nice intangibles, with Moore approaching captain material. In the end, we select Moore, mostly to address a need for more infield talent in the system. He could be a defensive stud at any position, and although he'll never hit for any power, he'll make up for that elsewhere. Cleveland selected Hull immediately afterwards. And of note, Austin used their two top-ten picks on SPs Ryan Nelson and Ronnie Bergan...both of whom look better now that they've been drafted than they did when we scouted them. WTH?

Thirty rounds later, and I gotta say...I think our scouts were full of it. This was a pretty shallow draft, once we got into it. After the first few rounds, talent was thin on the ground, and I won't be surprised to see this ultimately rank as one of our weakest drafts ever. And I say that even after having a top five selection. So without further ado, let's take a peek at the ho-hum crop.

Round 1, 5th overall: IF Jake Moore, 21, Illinois. His best asset is his defense: he can play anywhere but catcher, and play it well. As a hitter, he should be at least okay. Good contact, won't swing at bad pitches, won't strike out much. But also won't hit for any kind of power, and is below average on the bases. Reminds me of J.J. Simmons, minus his speed.

Round 1 supplemental, 37th overall: P Jayden Gorham, 22, USC. Good kid, with decent stuff and excellent movement. Control, as usual, needs a lot of work. Has three solid pitches already, and could include an elite change if that develops. Left-handed, which we definitely need more of in the system. Could develop beyond his current ceilings, although at 22, he doesn't have much time left to get there.

Round 2, 71st overall: P Zach Baldwin, 21, Virginia. Seems more like a swingman, as his third pitch (changeup, natch) is just average, but is at least fully-formed. Groundballer, power pitcher without overwhelming stuff. Good control, tho. Was selected by STL in the 6th round last year.

Round 3, 106th overall: P Walter Shepherd, 21, Ohio State. Listed as a pitcher, but once signed will be immediately shifted to OF or 1B. Frankly, his pitching stinks, although he does have a super fastball. But he does have promise as a hitter--the best in our new draft class--and could become the next in a long line of solid OF prospects once he starts developing. Defense is only just adequate tho, with subpar range.

Round 4, 142nd overall: P Aaron Drachman, 21, Clemson. Middling talent, really, but his intangibles could help him down the road. Most interersting thing about him is his knuckle-curve, although it's currently his worst pitch. Longshot, tbf.

Round 5, 178th overall: OF Bob Semaya, 22, Georgia Tech. Probably destined to become a AAAA-type player. Solid contact and gap power, won't strike out, plays above average D, good runner. But has little power and plate discipline, and frankly doesn't stand out when compared to others in the system. Still, good intangibles made him worth a roll of the dice.

Best of the rest? Some solid names, really that's all. There's Jonathan R. "JR" Haldeman, a catcher from Hawaii; John Johnson, a so-so outfielder; Zaire Summerville, an average-hitting and fielding 2B but can run like the wind; and then a slew of great-fielding/no-hitting/high-intangible infielders. Maybe one of these guys will develop into something useful. I wouldn't bet on it, unless you have a really flexible definition of the word "useful." If you could win just by fielding a team of eight Dal Maxvills, then I'd say I just won the lottery.

......

Despite graduating the top three guys from last year, our system slipped only one spot, to #2 overall. As usual, we're solid in the outfield, and actually have come up with a couple of interesting--but not sure-thing--infielders. Pitching has thinned out considerably, but there's still one or two who could (and had better!) come around. The top six:

3B Jose Villalpando, 17, ranked #17 (up from #49), international complex: no stats. After a year in the system, the scouting discovery hasn't yet slipped. I'm holding my breath. An odd prospect, to be sure: huge power, great contact, but subpar gap, plate discipline, and avoid Ks. In the field, has a great arm, but average glove and range. At his age, and with the holes in his swing, I wouldn't count on him becoming an all-star. But he's intriguing and it's a good sign that MLB also thinks highly of him.

SP Daniel Croft, 22, ranked #21 (up from #43), AAA: 5-5, 4.98 ERA, 65 IP. As a pro, he's put up more average than good seasons, but my scouts still like him, and he has cut way down on his walks this year (3.5 per 9, down from 5.2). Not ace material, but a sparkplug mid-rotation guy.

OF Doug Pederson, 24, ranked #32, Hawaii: .310/19/39. Got handed the keys to RF with Frederick starting the year on the DL, and shows no signs of giving them back. Hits for contact and power, takes walks, has speed, strong arm. Subpar range in the field is his only drawback, and he also needs to get better vs LHP.

OF Nick Gase, 23, ranked #34, AA: .286/6/26, 189 AB. The former 11th round pick has fairly leapt through the system, and I expect he'll get a September callup. Still growing, but with the possibility of Cam Daley leaving sooner than later, he could get a long, long look at LF next spring. Only an average power bat.

SS Bill Gamboa, 20, ranked #37, rookie ball: no stats. Another scouting discovery, will be seeing his first professional PT in a few weeks, probably in Short A ball. His hitting ceilings have grown, but he still looks like only a solid utility IF right now, although I'd like his arm to be a little stronger if he's going to feature at short or third. Contact is average, and will strike out, but otherwise has some hitting chops.

3B Jonathan Dobo, 25, ranked #44, AAA: .263/11/39, 179 AB. Got a long look at third in the spring, but was just beaten out by Royer. Has really nice power, and a strong arm, but otherwise may not be solid enough to become an everyday starter. Acquired via trade from Texas last November.

Best of the rest ... Diego Espino (ranked #47, up from #63) is in Hawaii, and a solid backup OF; SP Steve Shinnick (#66) was acquired from Detroit and has moved past the injury-riddled Five Guys Crew from the '51 draft; OF Josh Hed (#84) is in AAA and still has a shot at a platoon/depth role, with his power bat and solid defense; and OF Erik Bennetsen (#91) will no longer be a two-way player, after breaking his arm pitching last season. He looks good as a pitcher, but better as a hitter, so there you have it.

......

20 YEARS ON: REMINISCENCES

Since it's our 20th year, I thought I'd take a look back at some of our old drafts. How did we do? How right or wrong was I? Did we ever have a super draft? Or a stinker? Let's start with our very first go, back in '34. Here's what I wrote back then, plus some stats (or...not) from each player's career:

Round 1, 1st Overall
OF Travis McArthur, 22, Univ. of South Carolina. Very well rounded, and projects out well in nearly every area. Plus contact, gap, and power potential, and won't strike out a ton either. Eye below average. Good speed and judgement on the basepaths. Can play all three outfield positions, and has great range and arm. His glove is problematic, and will probably put him in RF. He's far enough along in his development that he could make the team out of camp in 2035. Started for us in S A, then to AA, and finally 10 games in AAA. Hit a combined .256 with 4 HR. MLB results: 1850 GP, 24.5 WAR, including 10 seasons with HAW

Round 2, 49th Overall
IF Josh Robertson, 19, high school. Listed as a 3B on the draft list, but his average arm will probably see him end up at 2B. Rates at SS as well. Good fielder otherwise. Good contact, plus gap power and avoid K's. Not much power. Has a sweet Jeff Kent porn-stache too. Played 66 games at rookie ball, hit .238/.258/.312 in 218 at bats. Still a few years away from the bigs. MLB results: 1680 GP, 35.3 WAR, 8 seasons with HAW

Round 3, 83rd Overall
RP Jason Albritton, 23, Grambling State. Average movement and control, but great stuff. Two plus pitches, fastball and slider. Nice intangibles too. Lefty. Worked in 26 games in S A ball, 28 IP, 33 K, 3.21 ERA. Will be in A or AA next year, depending on need. MLB results: nada

Round 4, 123rd Overall
SP Cameron Vitali, 22, Wichita State. Good potential in all three pitching ratings. Has a mostly developed fastball and sinker, and a changeup that could be super if it develops. Mediocre stamina. High work ethic. Made 15 starts in rookie ball, 3.27 ERA, 77 IP, 70 K, 1.4 WAR. Likely in A ball for 2035. MLB results: 70 GP, -0.1 WAR, none in HAW

Round 5, 159th Overall
RP Travis Kelley, 20, Univ. of Michigan. Possible future closer, more likely a quality set up guy. Plus stuff, solid movement and control. Working on plus fastball and curve. Velocity at 97-99. Saw 22 games in rookie ball, 20 IP, 31 K, 4.95 ERA. Good enough for AA, maybe AAA next year. MLB results: nada

Round 6, 195th Overall
OF Drew Livolsi, 18, high school. Maybe a reach here, as he'll have to work to surpass his current potential. Scouts see him as decidedly average across the board at the plate. Good fielder, average arm. High intelligence/work ethic gives me hope he'll surprise. Was seriously overmatched in rookie ball tho, 68 games, 227 AB, .150/.175/.181. Will be there again next year. MLB results: nada

Round 7, 231st Overall
OF Greg Zachry, 19, high school. Another high character guy, similar to Livolsi but with a little more pop in his bat. Slow on the bases and in the field. Good glove, good arm. In 62 GP at S A, hit .229/.257/.285 in 214 AB. Probably in A ball next year. MLB results: nada

Round 8, 267th Overall
RP Cameron Bornhoft, 18, high school. Really middling across all ratings, as the draft started dropping off significantly at this point. Movement looks good, tho. Two decent pitches, third might develop, probably won't. Low velocity, 85-87. Lefty. High work ethic. Rookie ball, 23 games, 4.20 ERA. MLB results: 34 GP, 1.1 WAR, 1 season in HAW

Round 9, 303rd Overall
SP Rob Hart, 18, high school. Something of a wild card. Potential stuff is off the charts, but only if his third pitch (changeup, currently at 3 out of 23) develops. Fastball and curve could be plus, too. Could end up as back-end starter or a middling reliever. Two games in rookie ball. Not yet developed enough for A ball yet. MLB results: 346 GP, 30.1 WAR, 10 seasons in HAW

Round 10, 339th Overall
SP Paul Piazza, 20, Virginia Tech. Like Hart, likely to develop two pitches, but needs his change (3 of 15) to make it as a starter. Decent stuff, so-so movement and control. Pitched poorly in rookie ball, 7.55 ERA in 13 starts; will be there again in 2035. MLB results: nada

Others: 12th round, IF Danny Holguin (1168 GP, 13.3 WAR, 4 yrs in HAW); 14th round, OF Larry Wood (71 GP); 20th round, P Steve Ashjian (259 GP, 7.4 WAR, 3 games with HAW); 21st round, SP Eric Jones (462 GP, 55.9 WAR, 14 seasons with HAW); 29th round, RP John Sanders (235 GP, 0 WAR).

How did we do? Pretty good! McArthur and Robertson were solid regulars, while Hart and Jones were anchors of the rotation for years. (Especially Jones; pretty good for a 21st rounder!) All four were on our first championship team. As you'll see in future reports, getting four solid players in one draft is a pretty good result. So, yeah, we missed on #3 Albritton, whom we traded within two years. And we didn't hit on any outfielders beyond the first round, something we would get quite good at in later drafts. Off the top of my head, Jones has to be by far the best late-round pick we've ever made.

Bub13 · 01-01-2021, 12:23 PM

With the all-star break starting at the end of the month, we'll play just 25 games in June. Thirteen will be at home, twelve on the road, with neither long road trips nor home stands. Plus: the draft! Thanks to my genius trading, we'll have the 5th overall pick this year! Can we screw this up? Surely!

June 1 vs BALTIMORE
Wrapping up the series before heading on the road.

HAW pitcher: LH Matt Waugh (8-1, 2.20)
BAL pitcher: LH Rich Davis (1-3, 4.76)

#57: WIN 3-1 ... Medici and Goodloe slap RBI singles in the 7th to break a 1-1 tie...3 H for Lynn, 9 for the team, all singles...11 K by Waugh

Nice win to keep up the momentum.... Five games up on Texas now, as we head off to play the AL's best offense in Chicago.... Henry "Biff" Skiffington was named AL pitcher of the month for May, going 5-0 with a 1.41 ERA in six starts.... ELSEWHERE: A one-hitter by Jose Sedillo brings the Yankees win streak to 12 games.... Three teams -- THREE! -- in the NL West are now over .500. Wondrous.

June 2-4 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Hoo boy here we go: quite a step up in weight class from Baltimore to Chicago this year. The Sox have the best offense in the AL, having scored 383 runs (43 more than third place us), and are also tops in AVG, OBP, wOBA, etc, while 3rd in home runs. Seven batters are over .300 -- and in fact six of those guys are actually over .324. And 1B Elijah Pass, hitting "only" .278, has added 23 HR. Zeke da la Rosa (.350/16/37), Andy Barenberg (.329/13/42), and Ben Usilton (.303/15/47) are putting up big numbers everywhere, but don't overlook leadoff man Andrew Taylor (.347), vet Chris Rock (.348), and former ROY Ninsei Sato (.333). This across-the-board dominance reminds me of our best offenses in years past. *sniff* Pitching hasn't fared as well, sitting 14th in runs allowed, with the 2nd-worst bullpen. But they still have a +67 run differential to go along with a 38-19 record. If this series were in August, the "Playoff Preview!" hype would be off the charts. Eighth-year manager Taylor Black led them to 90 wins a year ago, but they fell a game short of the post-season. In some bad news for the rest of the league, nearly everyone (outside of Sato, with a PO) is signed for next year too.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (4-2, 4.29) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.09) / RH Biff Skiff (6-1, 2.98)
CHW pitchers: RH Ben O'Neal (4-3, 5.13) / RH Luke Weaver (9-3, 3.91) / RH Jasper Cummings (5-2, 4.24)

#58: LOSS 1-4 ... 3 solo HR--two from Usilton--are the difference...we scrape out just four hits...Bader yields just 5 hits, but adds 5 walks
#59: WIN 4-3 ... only 7 hits, but 3 for Matson, including a HR and RBI double...Pearse leaves in the 6th with an injury; bullpen earns the win
#60: WIN 16-7 ... bats come alive tonight: 20 hits, 3 HR...5 H, HR, 4 RBI from Medici, 3 hits for Matson, Lynn, Royer...Skiff walks 8 in 5.2 IP

Two wins against these guys is pretty good, and I'll take them and leave town.... Pearse has an elbow strain and will miss six weeks. We move Josh Irvin back into the rotation and call up MH Yaung, giving us three lefties in the pen for now.... Skiff's 8 walks isn't a team record, but ties him for 4th on our all-time list. Oscar Wiggins walked ten way back in '35, our second season, and Fernando Tello gave out 9 passes in our inaugural campaign in '34. Jonathan Ashton allowed 9 in '49 too.... Medici tied a team record with that five-hit game.... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii sits atop the league standings with 42 wins, the Chisox second with 39.... Texas' William Swanson wins player of the week, now leads the league in HR (27) and RBI (64).... Arizona sent 1B Eddie Hummel, off a 40 HR season in '53, to the Mets for two middling SP prospects and a no-hoper OF. Arizona is last in the West, while NY is tied for first in the East with the Phils.... Rick Logston (PHI) still leads in HR and RBI, and is 2nd in AVG at .359, but is still way behind red-hot Giants SS Mitch Elmore, at .395.

June 5-7 @ HOUSTON
Despite sitting in last place, only two games separate the Astros from 3rd in the West. Offense is 9th, but pitching is 6th, giving them a +1 differential despite their losing record. Stud 1B Jose Renteria (.311/13/37) is out for 2-3 more weeks, but RF Matt Dippel (.315/14/44) and LF Kevin Mazurowski (.288/21/44) have picked up the slack. The bottom third of the lineup, however, is near the Mendoza line. They took two games in our first meetup, but we swept them in May, while they were on the way to a 10-18 month.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (5-2, 5.93) / LH Matt Waugh (9-1, 2.13) / RH Mike Bader (4-3, 4.31)
HOU pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (3-5, 4.70) / RH Ron Mills (3-7, 6.88) / RH Chris James (4-4, 4.11)

#61: LOSS 3-6 ... another quiet night, only 3 hits...Liles gives up all 6 runs through 3.2 IP...19th HR by Pederson
#62: WIN 6-5 ... Covington's HR and Matson's 2-run single spark a 4-run 8th, and a win...Ruiz claims the win, is now 6-1
#63: WIN 11-1 ... the difference? a 10-run 5th inning...Royer's 3-run HR and RBI double spark the rally...Bader goes the distance

Another two out of three.... Royer is batting .385, which would lead the league if he had ten more PA. He'd be battling with Matson, hitting .383.... The other hot rookie, Doug Pederson, has cooled off considerably, only batting .143 this month.... post-draft, we release a number of guys we'll never miss, most notably 2050 5th round pick Matt Couey, a slick fielder who never did much of anything else in three seasons of rookie ball. Outside of Pederson, the '50 draft is looking pretty dreary indeed.... ELSEWHERE: William Swanson is the first to 30 HR, topping everyone at 31. He also leads the AL with 67 RBI.... 25-year-old Alex Ponce had a nice 2.9 WAR season last year, his first in LA's rotation. In 14 starts this year, he's earned 3.5 WAR, with 112 K in 79 IP. Sure, he's also walking nearly 6 men per 9 IP, so it's not all sunshine.... Since his 5-0 start in April with the Cards, former Isle Shamar Jackson has gone 2-5, pitching 45 innings and walking nearly as many (25) as he's fanned (27).

June 9-11 vs OAKLAND
Take away Texas and us, and the division would be a dogfight. Currently sharing 3rd place with Seattle, at 32-31, the A's are also just two games from last place. Still sitting in 5th in most offensive categories, and 2nd in HR. Felix Reyes is at it again, with 27 dingers, while Ryan Walton has added 22. Pitching is 12th, although the 4th-ranked rotation will get better when Eric Stockton (2-0, 3.38, 4-to-1 K:BB ratio) returns in a week. (Ace Jim Schwartz should come back for the hoped-for playoff stretch run too, depending on how long his rehab stint lasts.) The bullpen is still struggling, although sophomore closer Matt Rabideau (3.12, 13 saves) has improved. We've taken 5 out of 6 games from them so far.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (2-3, 4.56) / RH Biff Skiff (7-1, 3.38) / RH Chris Liles (5-3, 6.35)
OAK pitchers: RH Robby Ford (2-2, 4.26) / RH Conrad Robertson (2-4, 4.76) / LH Mike Thomas (3-4, 6.34)

#64: WIN 4-2 ... Ulkini's 2-run shot in the 4th breaks a 1-1 tie, and Irvin goes a strong 7 IP, fanning 6...bullpen fans 4 more to close it out
#65: WIN 7-2 ... Medici and Pederson homer, and Lynn drives in 2 with a double... Skiff goes the distance...Royer hurt
#66: WIN 7-3 ... Frederick's GRAND SLAM is the dagger tonight...Matson adds 3 hits...Liles goes 7, and the pen once again functions smoothly

Sweep! Never a dull moment when we can sweep the A's. We'e now 8-1 against them this season.... Frederick is really pushing hard to get back into the lineup: in 7 starts since coming off the DL he's batting .433/4/10.... Royer's injury is minimal and just for six days, so while I might sit him out for a game or two, he won't miss any significant time.... Since starting the season at 21-3, Santa Barbara (AAA) has gone 12-16.... For the first time that I can remember, we have zero batters in the top three all-star voting slots at any position.... ELSEWHERE: NOZ pitcher Chad Akers is an odd duck: he only has two capable pitches--and no fastball--yet is a win away from his 12th consecutive season of double-figure wins. He also fills in at 1B for the Zephs, and is batting .270 in 12 starts in the field. The 36-year-old has spent his entire career in NOLA, and has only had one significant injury in that time, missing six starts in 2050 with a torn labrum. [The other 2-pitch starter I'm aware of is Miami's Jon Carlsen, who hasn't missed a start over his eleven season in various rotations.].... Montreal's Tim Bell (25) is having a fine season, at .324/13/46, and Edwin Rodas (24) is batting .325. But the rest of the team is hitting .230, and they have the worst record in baseball at 23-43.

June 12-14 vs NY YANKEES
Although just 5-5 this month, the 38-28 Yanks are maintaining a four-game lead over the Rays. The offense is 7th in runs, only 12th in average, but 3rd in HR. Six starters have hit double figures already, and LF Chris Mitchell tops the team charts at .319/19/52. At the other end, catcher Gabe Minix is batting only .213 and is striking out 1/3 of the time. Pitching ranks 9th; the rotation is only 15th and really needs ace Elijah Bragg to come back healthy from his impending rehab stint. Owner Justin Dielman has opened up the pursestrings, to where the Yanks have the 3rd-highest player payroll. But he expects a championship this year, and is currently worried. The fans are undecided, and attendance is down about 10% so far, despite the winning ways. Manager Anthony Collazo is in his first year, after leading the bench last season, and GM Wander Guillen is in his third season, after a decade in Korea building the Doosan Bears into a powerhouse.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (9-1, 2.18) / RH Mike Bader (5-3, 3.97) / RH Josh Irvin (3-3, 4.31)
NYY pitchers: LH Jose Sedillo (6-2, 3.69) / LH Brian Whitney (6-5, 5.54) / RH Victor Silva (2-6, 6.16)

#67: WIN 10-0 ... Frederick homers again, along with Medici...Ulkini hits 3 doubles, of our 7 total...Waugh "only" goes 7.1 innings
#68: WIN 9-6 ... Medici's 2 late HR cap a comeback from a 6-1 deficit...Bader struggles, but the pen goes 5.1 IP, giving up just one hit
#69: WIN 5-3 ... we're outhit 11-8, and come back again, thanks to Covington's 2-run HR in the 7th...more strong pitching, striking out 12

Another sweep, and now an 8-game winning streak. We're seven games ahead of Texas now.... With 97 of them, we're closing in on the century mark for home runs. I would guess we didn't reach 100 last year until, maybe, the end of July.... Waugh notches his 10th win of the season.... Matson still leads the AL in batting, at .380, while Waugh leads the ERA race at 2.02.... ELSEWHERE: Six straight losses for the Expos, falling more solidly into last place overall.... Detroit has won 7 out of 10, tying Chicago for first in the Central.... Yes, the AL features more offense than the NL, but Philadelphia still has the best overall offense, scoring 478 runs in 69 games. They also have nearly the worst pitching in the NL, giving up 386 runs, and closer Luis Marrero has a fun 8.86 ERA.... Texas continues to keep pace with the hot Islanders, but with five players on the DL already, they're looking at some trouble brewing with pending injury diagnoses for star RF Omar Gurrola and #2 SP Paul Labbe.

......

TL;DR Version: A fast 11-2 start to the month puts us at a crazy 50-19 overall, the best record in baseball. So maybe we're not getting all-star game votes, I'll still take a team average of .309, with five regulars hitting .300, and only one guy hitting under .282. Even Mike Covington, batting just .257 overall, is off to a .333 start this month. Go everyone go! Now if we can just get SP Chris Liles (7.85 ERA this month) and RP Kyle Johnson (disappearing beneath the waves) going, everything will be perfect.

Bub13 · 02-23-2021, 08:23 PM

IT'S BACK. And because you care, you're getting a twinbill tonight.

......

June 15-17 @ CALIFORNIA
A 16-12 May showed there's some life here, but a 6-7 June has stunted that hope somewhat. Team offense is only 14th, with--as usual--Mauricio Marquez the only one producing, at .324/15/48. Pitching is 8th, but closer Adam Burg and #2 SP Ryann Kuehner are done for the year. So if they're already "waiting 'til next year," what will that hold? A 33rd-ranked player payroll will fall even lower, with 7 of their 14 highest-paid players due to be free agents: they're on the hook for just $45M next year at the moment. And of the seven "signed" for next year, five actually need arbitration, so some of them might be gone as well. And on the farm? Only #4 prospect Aaron Moore is MLB-ready (or even close), and he's already in the pro bullpen. He is a two-way player, a decent pitcher but a solid power-hitting OF. But no one else is close, so there's no youth movement forthcoming. With possibly half the roster departing, and a budget that's only 31st in the game, I'm not sure there's any positive momentum on the way, in the near term. Sorry to depress you, Angels fan.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-1, 3.25) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 6.14) / LH Matt Waugh (10-1, 2.02)
CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (7-4, 4.39) / RH Jay Sanford (3-7, 3.83) / RH George Millard (3-6, 4.98)

#70: LOSS 0-7 ... oof, just three hits, three dinky singles...Skiff leaves in the 5th, first ineffective game in a while
#71: LOSS 2-3 ... Lynn gets 3 hits, including a HR and 3 RBI, but it's not enough...Germann puts five runners on over the final 1.2 IP for the loss
#72: LOSS 0-6 ... outhit 14-8, and that's the closest thing to a highlight tonight

Oof, nothing to see here. Bats taking a few nights off, saving up runs for later. I hope.... Liles leaves his game early with back spasms, but won't miss a start.... Still a five-game lead over Texas, and everyone else is way back from that.... Notice how often I lose series after trashing our opponents, even if it's all true?... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii is still the only team with 50 wins. The White Sox have 46, and three are tied at 45: Detroit, Texas, and Philadelphia.... Detroit trails Chicago by a game, but the rest of the division is at least 16 games behind.... A couple of trades already, but among teams that don't appear to be headed anywhere. Last place Toronto gets 2B Cortez Ortiz from Minnesota, one of those teams 16 games behind in the AL Central. And Cleveland--another of those teams--gets P Morgan Daws from KC. Yes, KC is the third team tied at 30-42 in the Central. Who knows why.

June 19-21 @ MINNESOTA
Despite having a solid middle third of a lineup--RF Josh Jacobson (.344/19/53), LF Jordan Foots (.277/13/52), and DH Josh Conley (.267/8/27)--the offense sits just 16th in runs, 12th in AVG, last in HR. Leadoff man Sam Gilmer is hitting just .251, and long-time slugging 3B Roberto Miranda, at 36, appears to be slowing down, hitting only .245 with 8 dingers. Pitching ranks 12th, with the rotation 17th in ERA. Ace Conor MacLeod hasn't been his best this year, especially his K/9 dropping by more than three. The bullpen has been much better, and 2nd-year closer Brett Roseman (12 saves, 2.25 ERA) looks solid. Manager Robert Woodard is in his fifth year with the team, 22nd year in MLB overall. The prospect system ranks smack in the middle, at 18th. Four players are in the top 100 prospects, but the highest is only 49th.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (5-3, 4.37) / RH Josh Irvin (4-3, 4.11) / RH Biff Skiff (8-2, 3.63)
MIN pitchers: LH Bobby Reder (6-7, 6.48) / RH Dan Hannan (0-0, 4.63) / RH Jonathan Belmonte (4-6, 4.64)

#73: WIN 15-4 ... 18 hits, including 3 HR, Medici hits his 20th...Bader gives up 16 hits, but gets away anyway
#74: WIN 10-8 ... 4 runs in the 3rd, 5 more in the 4th...3 hits each for Matson and Covington...Irvin is shelled, pulled after 3 IP
#75: LOSS 4-6 ... bad pitching dooms us here, with Skiff pulled after 4 IP, giving up 10 hits and 5 runs

Still first in pitching, but showing some signs of leakiness over these last two series. At least we pulled two wins out here, keeping a five-game lead over the Rangers.... We passed 100 HR on the season here, putting seven out in this series.... ELSEWHERE: Houston's Jesus Hernandez hit for the cycle in a 16-2 romp over Detroit, and actually had five hits in the game.... Zephyrs ace Chad Akers is still leading the NL in wins (11) and ERA (2.56). But with only 71 K, he's a no-hoper for a pitching Triple Crown. But he is hitting .261 in his 14 starts, so maybe a Silver Slugger will help ease his pain.... Montreal continues to trail the pack, with only 25 wins, the only team without 30 so far.... Texas LF Mike Olivera has finally qualified for the batting race after some DL time, and takes the lead with a .386 average. Hawaii's Josh Matson sits in second, at .376.... Seven players have significant time as two-way guys this year, probably none more so than Cincy's Steve McKeen: 15 pitching starts, and 13 starts at three other positions, hitting .302/4/11.

June 22-24 vs SEATTLE
With an 11-8 month to date, the Mariners remain in third in the division, at 39-36, 13 games out of first. Solid hitting--5th in runs--but porous pitching--15th in runs against, with last-place starting pitching--is keeping them just treading water. 1B Jon Terrell and 2B Jose Rodriguez are hitting well, as is rookie RF Paul Stough (with 18 HR). With 138, they're also second in HR, with five players in double figures. Three SP have ERA over six, and only Dan Crews is below the league average. They're not helped by having six pitchers on the DL, plus starting SS Sam Moore.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (6-3, 5.87) / LH Matt Waugh (10-2, 2.16) / RH Mike Bader (6-3, 4.37)
SEA pitchers: LH Art Mewbourne (5-4, 5.12) / RH Dan Welker (6-6, 6.36) / RH Chris Grauer (6-5, 6.49)

#76: WIN 10-5 ... 3 HR for the good guys, and we outhit them 14-8...Liles struggles again, getting pulled in the 6th
#77: WIN 5-4 ... oddities: no earned runs for the M's, thanks to 2 errors; and no Islander batter struck out...2 BB and a single win it in the 8th
#78: WIN 8-2 ... CG from Bader, yielding 9 hits...3 H, 3 RBI by Daley, including 2 doubles and a HR...Medici and Pederson also homer

Second game was halted in the 6th and finished the next day, before the final game. The sweep now has us 6 games up on Texas.... We're 11th in AL home runs, but five regulars have reached double figures, and Pederson (22) and Medici (21) have topped twenty.... Speaking of Pederson, he's dropped to "just" .306, so I'm giving Josh Frederick more games in right and left. He's batting .404 in just 11 starts, so it makes sense.... ELSEWHERE: Miami's Chris Bierly becomes the fifth player this season to hit for the cycle. Only six players total have done that in the previous three years of this decade.... Speaking of the Marlins, disgruntled RP Shamar Venable likely wants out, as he's no longer the team's closer. Venable was a solid SP for Brooklyn last decade, and has become an itinerant RP over the last four seasons. He still scouts very well, but his Ks are down, HRs are up, despite solid BABIP and nice control.... Six straight losses for the Expos, further strengthening their grip on next year's #1 overall draft pick. (The current #1 in the rankings is P Danny Rice, who looks very, very good. The top batter is OF Tyler Baccala, an across-the-board solid hitter.).

June 25-27 vs TEXAS
With an early all-star date, we'll finish up the month against our now-nemeses, the defending champs. They're 49-29, 2nd in MLB, with 3rd ranked pitching and hitting. William Swanson (.319/34/78) is still a beast, and rookie Mike Olivera (.382/16/59) has joined fellow youngsters Ryan Boers (.347/21/61) and Eric Robbins (.324/17/47) in the relentless attack. Leadoff guy Ronnie Halvorson also has 19 dingers, as the Rangers pace the AL with 156. Despite injuries to three SP and three RP, pitching is keeping up. Former ace SP Greg Buchanan has moved into the closer role, with 19 saves and a 2.70 ERA. And former MR Melvin Vasaure has moved into the rotation and has looked good in his first three starts. Suffice to say, that between these two teams, there's going to be a very, very good wildcard club in the AL post-season. (Likely two, given how strong Chicago and Detroit have been in the Central.)

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (4-3, 4.76) / RH Biff Skiff (8-3, 3.90) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 5.99)
TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (9-4, 4.07) / RH Paul Labbe (8-3, 3.22) / LH Bill Butts (9-4, 4.32)

#79: WIN 14-4 ... Pederson and Royer heat up, both homering, and Groff gets 2 H and 2 RBI...an 8-run 8th inning seals the deal
#80: LOSS 0-6 ... Labbe is just off the DL, tosses a 4-hitter...Skiff leaves after the 2nd, the bullpen gives up 4 HR, but does fan ten, fwiw
#81: WIN 6-5 ... 3 late runs for them almost cost us the win...3 hits from Hiro, and a 2-run HR by Medici...Liles hurt, leaves in the 2nd

Two wins here puts us 7 ahead of the Rangers now, heading into the break.... Odd that the season is officially half over at the all-star break. That makes it a good time to assess hot and cold players. HOT: Matson, batting .381. COLD: no one, but Pederson (.302) and Royer (.342) have seen their averages drop 40-50 points over the last month-plus. No one in the lineup is struggling.... Pitching overall looks good, but with Liles having a pending injury, there's now some uncertainty in the rotation. Pearse isn't due back for two weeks, but may need some rehab time before stepping back into the lineup. Liles hasn't been great (6.07 ERA), tbh. In the pen, Kyle Johnson is still cold, with a 9.00 ERA. He's also not pitching much, with just 13 IP so far. I may try sending him down for a bit, to see if he can regain what he had over the first 2/3 of last season, when he was nearly unhittable.... ELSEWHERE: San Francisco, leading the NL West by five games, just made a very odd (and bad, imho) trade with the last-place Brewers. SS Mitch Elmore--leading the NL in hitting at .362--was dealt away (along with two decent prospects) for overrated SP Danny Salgado, a mediocre prospect, and 33-year-old former Isles RP Dan Brown, sporting an unlovely 7.31 ERA. Elmore's departure leaves a hole in the lineup and the field, with no other quality SS in the system. Salgado is a big-armed thower, but prone to the long ball. One of those guys who looks better warming up between innings than during actual play. Tsk.

......

TL;DR Version: We follow up last month's 22-6 record with a sound 18-7 mark, and sit at 57-24, first in the West and tops in MLB. Team offense is 2nd in runs, and pitching is first, for a +157 run differential. Minus a few off games, the entire offense is rolling. Much of the staff is also performing, minus Liles and the occasional iffy start from Bader, Irvin, and Skiffington. There are questions arising, however, with the trade deadline looming at the end of July. 1) With Daley (FA) and Frederick (PO) possibly leaving in the fall, should I try getting something for one or both of them now? Both are extremely popular, however, and both are playing well. There are--untested--replacements on the farm, and Doug Pederson has been very good as Fred's replacement in right. A glance at the trade block shows nothing of across-the-board talent available that I would want in return, however. Still, worth considering. 2) Liles' pending injury could throw a wrench into the rotation if he's out long-term. Pearse is still out, so do I give a chance to a prospect, or scour the trade bushes for someone new? Again, there's nothing great on the current trade block, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone out there willing to consider something. (I mean, look at that terrible SF/MIL trade...) And 3) there might be some movement in the pen, despite their overall solid pitching. Johnson has been terrible, and isn't getting any innings to work through his demons. So stay tuned there as well.

Bub13 · 02-23-2021, 08:24 PM

JULY 2053

The month starts with the All-Star Prospects Game. We put six players on the roster: pitchers Daniel Croft and Brad Cahill, catcher Bill Wetter, SS Bill Gamboa, and outfielders Nick Gase and Josh Hed. The only guy here that surprises me is Wetter, a 23rd round pick from 2051. He's a solid defensive guy who's hitting ceilings--so I'm told--have jumped to where he's a legit prospect for a platoon or bench role in MLB one day. Color me surprised. Everyone else has been on my radar for a while, and look favorable to make the big club soon. As for the game itself: the AL kids beat the NL, 6-1. Hed and Gase got hits, and Cahill gave up a run in his only inning.

For the big boys game, we'll be sending three players: Matt Waugh will be the starting pitcher, while closer Robbie Collier and 1B Josh Matson were also named to the roster. The game was played in Oakland, and the AL also won this one, 7-4. Waugh tossed a scoreless first, and Collier gave up a solo HR in his single frame. Matson had a sac bunt (people still bunt?) in his only plate appearance.

Now, back to regular play... Over the month, we'll play 27 games, 15 at home and 12 on the road. We'll finish the month with nine straight at home. Oh, and some good news: Liles' injury was just a minor dtd thing, and he won't miss a start.

......

July 2-4 @ MILWAUKEE
At 31-50, last in the Central, and vying for a top five draft pick next year. Nothing is going well: 17th in hitting, 18th (worst) pitching. Much of the lineup is filled with over-the-hill or aging veterans, acquired via trade or free agency, few of whom are producing. 1B Jim Timmer--31 and new to the team--is hitting .261/23/50, the most consistent on the team. Newly acquired Mitch Elmore has gone from SS (in SF) to LF (now), and was leading the NL in batting at .362 before the recent trade. He might help some, but doesn't help on defense and only brings a quality average to the plate. Only CF Emilio Valdez and SS John Collins are home-grown, and neither moves the needle. On the mound, losing ace Danny Salgado hurts a bad staff, and his replacement--23 year-old Omar Cobian--has combined for 3 innings and a 39.00 ERA in his two big league starts. Someone needs to come in here and gut the roster, starting over; even the prospect pool ranks 32nd, so they need help there too.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (7-3, 4.17) / RH Josh Irvin (5-3, 4.79) / LH Matt Waugh (10-2, 2.05)
MIL pitchers: RH John Landers (6-3, 5.74) / RH Brian Moise (0-1, 6.55) / RH Jose Arteaga (debut)

#82: WIN 10-6 ... 7 HR tonight, 4 from us: 2 by Royer, with 5 RBI...we're outhit 11-8 too...all 6 runs charged to Bader, only 3 are earned tho
#83: WIN 9-6 ... Goodloe homers for the 2nd straight game, and we combine to hit 4 out again...Irvin is so-so, but we bail him out
#84: WIN 10-3 ... Matson goes 4-for-4, Pederson 3-for-5 with 4 RBI...Waugh goes 7 solid innings for the win

A solid and necessary sweep, as Texas swept the Twins.... With no days off between the all-star game and the start of this series, Waugh had his scheduled start pushed back two days after getting to pitch in the Summer Classic.... Nothing big here, but we make a minor trade with STL, mostly to free up some space on the 40-man roster. AAA IF Mike Janikowski and OF Jim Jackson head out, and we get SS Jim Pfeifer in return. Pfeifer, 22, could figure as a utility guy one day, and he doesn't need to be on the 40-man too.... After that, we add RP Orlando Silva to that roster, and bring him up for his first taste of MLB. We send Kyle Johnson down to Santa Barbara to get his mojo back.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland, falling to last in the West, sends six-year veteran SP Conrad Robertson to Cleveland for two minor league prospect OF.... Houston's won six straight, but are still 17 games out of first, and well back in any wildcard consideration.... Montreal has won 3 in a row, now just a game behind Milwaukee in the most exciting race in baseball right now.

July 5-7 @ CALIFORNIA
If the teams weren't so far out, the race among the last four teams in the division is tight, only divided by three games. The Angels are 41-43, currently in fourth. Pitching (6th) has outpaced hitting (13th). Mauricio Marquez is still going great, .336/19/59, and Mike Eskridge .315. The rotation has been decent, 3rd in ERA, and led by #1 guy Nate Elder. The pen, however, has been pretty bad, with their closer and two setup guys combining for ERA over 7. The franchise is closing in on twenty seasons without a post-season appearance, or a winning record.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 3.91) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 6.07) / RH Mike Bader (8-3, 4.17)
CAL pitchers: RH Jay Sanford (4-7, 3.39) / RH Jason Shetler (1-0, 3.24) / RH Nate Elder (8-5, 3.79)

#85: WIN 8-6 ... crazy game: 5 HR for us, 3 for them...Skiff struggles through 5.1 IP, giving up all 3 HR, but more strong work from the bullpen
#86: WIN 4-1 ... Goodloe homers for the 4th time in 5 games...6.2 IP for Liles, pitching well, despite walking 4
#87: WIN 6-5 ... Simmons finally contributes, a 2-run double in the 8th to win it...Bader has a rough outing, but Silva wins his debut

Another sweep, and a very strong start to July. We're 8 games up on Texas now.... More rough outings from the rotation, but our hitting and solid bullpen work keep bailing them out.... Cam Daley wants to talk contract extension again: he's lowered his demand to $20M per for six seasons, plus three more following an opt out. Ehhhh, probably not.... ELSEWHERE: Philly is in first in the NL East, but they're working to shore up their league-worst bullpen. First, they acquired Dan Neumann (remember him from last year?) from Baltimore, and now they've added Lorenzo Quinones from Cincy. Both are veterans who have had solid seasons, and have immediately moved to the top of the pen. Neumann actually won his first two appearances with the Phils.... Eight straight losses for Milwaukee, six for Cleveland. Also in the Central, Detroit and Chicago are tied for first and have opened up a 16 game lead over Minnesota.

July 8-10 vs TORONTO
Our tour through the bottom half of various AL divisions continues with the tied-for-last Blue Jays, at 37-50. The offense ranks 12th, pitching 11th, with a -27 run differential. They're trying to better themselves, as only four regulars were here before last season. They've also made two recent trades, getting 2B Cortez Ortiz from MIN and DH Miguel Tejeda from OAK. Both are decent, but not cornerstone players. The rotation has been at least decent, despite having three SP on the DL. Like the Angels, this is a once-strong franchise that hasn't been relevant for some time, with no post-seasons since 2040. Unlike California, they have some better prospects, with the top six--all starting pitchers--all looking like potential big leaguers.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (6-3, 4.99) / LH Matt Waugh (11-2, 2.08) / RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.12)
TOR pitchers: RH Jaden Buchanan (6-9, 4.86) / LH Chris Rivera (6-6, 3.94) / RH Josh Gordon (1-3, 6.10)

#88: WIN 3-1 ... Medici and Pederson homer, and Irvin yields just 4 hits over 8 innings
#89: WIN 4-0 ... Medici homers again, and Matson and Simmons add RBI doubles...Waugh goes 8.2, fanning 9, and Germann closes it
#90: LOSS 3-4 ... Collier gives up a 2-run triple in the 9th to end our winning streak...Frederick goes deep, pushing to get back into the lineup

Awwww, there goes the streak. Time to start another one.... Nine game lead over Texas now.... Pitching is still 1st in runs against, and now both the rotation and bullpen are first in ERA.... Once I sent Johnson down to AAA, we started getting tons of trade offers for him. Apparently, a closer-level RP is only worth mediocre catching prospects.... ELSEWHERE: Eleven losses in a row for Milwaukee now.... The Race for the Best Offense: Philly has scored 590 runs, the White Sox 586. For comparison, we're 2nd in the AL and have scored 554 runs.... William Swanson has gone crazy this month, and leads MLB with 44 home runs and 97 RBI. In 90 games.... Yet his 4.7 WAR isn't even top-five in the AL, and is way behind Philly's George Livezey, leading everyone at 5.8.

July 11-13 vs OAKLAND
It's been a rough stretch for the A's of late, 2-7 this month and ten games under .500 over the last two months. And they've fallen to last place, three games behind Seattle and California. Although they're still 2nd in HR, the offense has sagged a bit, to 7th in runs scored. Some minor housecleaning has started, as they sent RF Danny Venegas (.319/10/28) to the Yankees for two marginal prospects and a magical 4th round pick. (And then replacement RF Aaron Blocker broke his wrist and is out for the month.) Despite this down year, all of their top players return for next season, and they've got $30M to spend as of this writing. Get a couple pitchers and some help for lower in the lineup, and you're looking at a contender again in a snap. EDIT: first day of the series, they also traded #2 SP Chris Ronan for 2B Andy Lee, a good-field-can-sorta-hit guy.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (7-3, 5.77) / RH Mike Bader (8-3, 4.33) / RH Josh Irvin (7-3, 4.64)
OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (10-5. 3.91) / RH Eric Stockton (3-3, 4.33) / RH Robby Ford (2-6, 4.99)

#91: LOSS 3-5 ... Liles yields 11 H over 7 IP including 2 2-run HR...five of our six hits are doubles
#92: WIN 3-1 ... tonight it's all singles (7 hits) but we add 5 walks too...8 IP from Bader, gives up just 5 hits
#93: WIN 11-5 ... 3 HR for each team, with Daley putting two out for us...plus 7 XBH total tonight, 13 hits (and 5 more walks)

Two wins here, and now an 8-game lead over Texas.... Mike Pearse and Anthony Booker have started their rehab stints in AAA. Both have pitched well out of the gate, which is most pleasing. And Kyle Johnson, recently demoted, has had one bad outing and three solid stints, all in relief.... We're batting .306 as a team, with five regulars over .300, and two more close to that.... ELSEWHERE: Trade season is already heating up, with seven deals in the last week. Minnesota has already traded away three pitchers, acquiring a handful of middling prospects. Oakland made another deal while visiting Hawaii, sending injured OF Aaron Blocker to Washington for two prospects.... Baltimore has lost 9 straight, but Milwaukee tops that with a 14-game slide, tying them at the bottom in all of MLB at 31-62.... Rangers OF Mike Olivera had a 21-game hit streak ended, but he still leads the AL at .382, one point ahead of Hawaii's Josh Matson.

......

TL;DR Version: A 10-2 start to July has us a 67-26 overall, best in MLB. The offense still sits 2nd in runs, but I'm probably more happy that our pitching--both starters and relievers--ranks first, in runs and ERA. Although the two guys who started the season very hot, Doug Pederson and Caleb Royer, have cooled off and lost 30 to 40 points off their averages, Josh Matson is now up to .381 and Jules Medici is having the breakout seasonn I expected, at .315/25/68.

......

Time for another draft review, this time from 2035. Our second-ever draft was extremely disappointing...but with one major exception. Take a look:

Round 1, 1st Overall
SS Adam Groff, 21, Vanderbilt. A big, rangy kid who has all the tools: contact, power, range, arm, and speed. He's got plus contact potential, good gap power, and could hit 25-30 HR for us one day. Good discipline and won't strike out a ton. Rates well as a fielder too, and can play SS, 3B, or 1B. He'll fit best at short for now, and probably will end up at third as his range declines. Could swing a good bat in the bigs right now, but needs to develop his patience and his power stroke. He'll start at A, with an eye to moving to AA if he hits well. MLB: 2151 GP, 101.0 WAR, entire career (to date) with Hawaii.

Round 2, 50th Overall
CL Dave Seaman, 21, USC. Perhaps a bit of a reach, taking a reliever in the second round. But this is a weak draft, so I went with BPA, in my mind. Probably won't be a closer at the big league level, but certainly has the chops to be a quality set up guy. Control and second pitch need work. Velo tops out at 95-97 currently. Can also hit, so I might play around with him in the OF during part of a season, and possibly ST next year. His potential at the plate is only slightly above average right now, so I still think his best bet is on the mound. Will go to rookie ball. MLB: nada

Round 3, 76th Overall
SP Dave DeLong, 22, Kansas. Is fairly well developed already, but doesn't have the highest potential. Lefty, groundballer, velo at 93-95. Good fastball, with curve, forkball, and change (if it develops) just behind. Middling stamina, which may limit him in the bigs. Will start season in short A ball. MLB: nada

Round 4, 113th Overall
3B Steve Douglas, 18, high school. Mellow kid, with good contact and gap potential. Little power and plate discipline. May not strike out much tho. Good fielder with a big time arm. Only rated at third, but I may stick him in the outfield to develop some versatility and make him more useful. Rookie ball. MLB: 19 GP, 60 AB, 0.1 WAR

Round 5, 149th Overall
SS Eric Antoniuk, 20, Notre Dame. Currently projects as a mediocre hitting utility infielder. Rated only at short right now, so he might get some forced starts at third to increase his value. All around good marks on defense, so he's got the chops. Speedy. Canadian. Off to S A ball.MLB: nada

Round 6, 185th Overall
3B Jeremy Stevens, 21, Wake Forest. Another utility infielder, with less hitting potential than Antoniuk. Not the most mobile player, but a very strong glove and the best arm in our draft. Third his best position; might be too immobile for short. Short A ball for him. MLB: 229 GP, 0.7 WAR, all with Cleveland

Round 7, 221st Overall
SP Jake Feinstein, 17, high school HS starter, but the pen is his future for us. Two pitches, good curve, decent fastball. Velo at 94. Pitcher ratings project to 12-13 (of 20), but he's a hard worker, so maybe he'll surpass those projections. Not tall, so not a power guy. Will start at S A ball. MLB: nada

Round 8, 257th Overall
OF Brendan Ritchea, 20, Southern Utah. A character guy, super smart with a great work ethic. Ratings fairly average at the plate (poor power). Better fielder, with decent range and arm, and a good glove. Can play all three spots, but best suited for LF. Off to rookie ball. MLB: nada

Round 9, 293rd Overall
SS Jason Berthold, 21, Rock Valley. A dynamite fielder, truly gold glove capability. Great range and glove, and a good arm and DP turning. Highly rated already at second, third, and short. Capable outfielder too. If he ends up hitting a lick, he'll be in the majors one day. If. Starts in rookie ball. MLB: nada

Round 10, 329th Overall
3B Rick DeWeese, 22, UCLA. Another choice between batting or pitching. Above average pitching potential, but has only one pitch currently, and I have no confidence he'll ever develop a second one. Average hitter, little power, mediocre eye. Not much range in the field, but good glove and cannon arm. Good clubhouse guy. Rookie ball. MLB: nada

So how did we do? Well...we can't complain about getting a future Hall of Famer at first overall, someone who was a foundational player and the face of our franchise for well over a decade. Solid A+ there. But as far as "building a team through the draft" goes this effort was a total failure. Only two other players ever made the big leagues, and for fewer than combined 300 games. Looking back on what I wrote about this class, I was rolling a lot of dice on some nice-enough but low-ceiling prospects, none of whom panned out. Then again, this draft class overall--league-wide--was pretty bad. The Mets took Erik Reed 5th overall, and he's smacked 494 HR in a career that's still going, but only three other first rounders topped 20 career WAR. Probably the second-best player after Groff is Cesar Alvarenga, taken by Baltimore in the 3rd round, who's winding down a career that's seen him garner over 2400 hits and 67 WAR. Finally, I should add that our current closer, Robbie Collier, was an 8th round pick by Cincinnati; and STL took pitcher Mike Messinger in the 13th, and he won a Cy Young with us in '41. So maybe I can say we got three good big leaguers after all, ha!

Bub13 · 02-27-2021, 07:32 PM

July 15-17 @ HOUSTON
Clinging on to a positive record, 47-46, but not really in the race for anything right now. Their numbers look decent: 8th in offense, 6th in pitching. Injuries have hurt, with RF Jesus Hernandez out, along with four pitchers. Leading the way on offense are Jose Renteria (.299/21/55), Ricky Silva (.253/18/53), and Kevin Mazurowski (.277/30/70). The rest of the gang...not so much.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (12-2, 1.94) / RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.00) / RH Chris Liles (7-4, 5.73)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (1-0, 1.00) / LH Pat Wise (5-6, 4.34) / RH Eric Morton (3-0, 4.41)

#94: WIN 6-1 ... HR by Medici and Freds, as we efficiently turn 9 runners into 6 runs...Waugh fans 11 through 7 IP
#95: WIN 12-6 ... wind was blowing out today: 5 HR for us (2 from Matson) and 2 for them...6 RBI by Matson, and Espino knocks his first MLB HR
#96: LOSS 2-7 ... Houston scores 5 runs late, blowing up a 2-2 tie...Ulkini homers...Liles struggles again

Funny how winning two out of three actually lowers our winning percentage.... Still 8 games ahead of Texas.... Matson stays hot, batting .377. Medici up to .320 now, really feeling it.... Pitching is still pretty solid, but Liles is really battling it, with an ERA up near 6 now.... ELSEWHERE: Another three days, another set of minor trades, teams swapping average prospects for backup-type players.... Milwaukee has dropped 17 in a row, Montreal 9. Both sit at 31-65 overall.... The Cubs are the third team to reach 60 wins (after Hawaii and Texas), and has built up a ten game lead over New Orleans.... Cubs 3B Juan Garcia reached 2800 career hits just now. The 16-year vet is hitting .337, and if he stays healthy he'll reach 3000 hits next season.

July 18-20 @ DETROIT
With the White Sox, they're still running away from the pack in the Central: at 57-39 and a game behind Chicago. The offense sits just 12th in runs, a major comedown from the past, oh, decade-plus for the franchise. Perhaps having three OF on the DL hasn't helped. Pitching is 2nd, however, and both the rotation and bullpen have been top-notch. Rookie Jose Hernandez was moved into the closer role after April, and is at 54 K (vs just 9 walks) in 33 IP, with a WHIP of 0.88 and 20 saves. Not shabby at all. Plus, it just thrills me that our 2B from last season, D.J. Grace, is batting .349/18/52, hitting leadoff. THRILLS.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (9-3, 4.13) / RH Josh Irvin (8-3, 4.53) / LH Matt Waugh (13-2, 1.90)
DET pitchers: RH Tony Gamez (10-5, 3.28) / RH Raul Bravo (9-5, 3.97) / LH Carlos Zenon (8-5, 4.18)

#97: WIN 8-4 ... 2 HR from Royer, and 4 H with 3 RBI from Goodloe...14 hits for us, 12 for the bad guys
#98: WIN 7-1 ... Pederson and Medici homer, each closing in on 30...7 solid IP for Irvin, Kearns shuts it down the rest of the way
#99: LOSS 0-4 ... 3 hits by Lynn, but we get only 3 more, all singles...Waugh yields 3 HR and 12 hits in 7 IP

Two out of three, still up by 8 over Texas.... Rare off game from Waugh, but solid outings from Bader and Irvin.... With just over a week to go before the trade deadline, I'm looking around but not likely to make any deals. No one's hurt, we've got two good pitchers on rehab in AAA, and other decent depth available on the farm. Since almost everyone is going great right now, I'm not terribly willing to upset the mood on the field or in the clubhouse. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee lost their 20th straight, then finally took one from Houston. Still, they've lost 9 out of 10, along with Baltimore and Montreal.... Philly's Rick Logston (108) and Texas' William Swanson (104) lead the RBI race in each league. Both are also tops in HR, and are the only players with more than 40 dingers.... The top three HR leaders in the NL are all with the Phillies.

July 22-24 vs BOSTON
The most interesting (?) stat from this 40-59 team is probably the twelve players currently on the DL. Three-fourths of the infield and two-thirds of the outfield are out of action long-term. Which helps explain the league's worst offense, last in scoring and hitting and near-bottom in every other category. Comparatively, the 11th-ranked pitching staff looks pretty decent. This may be the time for a rich team, one that is only spending $78M on salaries, to go all in on a rebuild: of the top 25 listed salaries, only five are definitely signed for next season. A top-four prospect system, with several players just about ready to take the big step or already in the bigs, is a good sign moving forward. So many teams here should pay me to consult for them.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.30) / RH Chris Liles (7-5, 5.79) / RH Mike Bader (10-3, 4.05)
BOS pitchers: RH Sean Reed (3-3, 6.09) / RH Danny Diaz (10-5, 4.26) / RH Sean Kropp (0-3, 5.25)

#100: WIN 6-1 ... JJ SIMMONS ANNUAL HOME RUN ALERT...complete game 4-hitter by Biff, and sellout crowds are showing up again at home
#101: WIN 3-2 ... only 4 hits tonight, but throw in 4 walks and a pair of RBI doubles, along with Liles' strong 8 innings, for a change
#102: WIN 4-3 ... Boston scores 2 in the 11th, but we counter with 3 in our half, sparked by Lynn's 2-run double...Bader goes 9 IP too

Sorry Sox fans, it had to be done. Boston's SP in that last game, Sean Kropp, is also a power-hitting 1B who has 125 career HR to go along with 158 career starts on the mound.... In his 10th full season in MLB, Simmons just cracked his 9th career HR. That includes his Ruthian three-homer season last year. He was so tired from that, look how long it took him to hit another one.... Short A Poughkeepsie is off to a 25-4 start, and right now every minor team but rookie ball Wilmington is over .500.... ELSEWHERE: More trades, mostly minor. But Pittsburgh's lineup sounds a lot more boring now that they sent off catcher Sean Blong and infielder Micah Michael, getting solid-but-dull-sounding Garrett Slone in return.... Fun stat: Milwaukee, with 33 wins, is almost that many games (30) behind division-leading Chicago.... Close race in the NL West, with five teams within 8 games of first. The AL East is the other close race, with New York and Tampa separated by just one game.

July 25-27 vs TEXAS
Hey, Sean Blong fans: he's here after his recent trade, and we'll face him as the new starting catcher for the Rangers. (What is that fan club called? Blongers? Blongmongers? Blongeroos?) Texas is 9 games behind us now, still 3rd in offense, 4th in pitching. Also still tops in home runs, with 213, and led by perrenial MVP-candidate William Swanson with 47. LF Mike Olivera is also still leading the batting race, at .385 (to go along with 26 HR and 81 RBI). With five regulars batting over .300, and four of those guys with over 20 HR, this is still a potent lineup. With their power, they're still a threat to catch us and take the division for the first time since 2019. The defending champs will definitely make noise before this season is over, you can count on that.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (9-3, 4.31) / LH Matt Waugh (13-3, 2.07) / RH Biff Skiff (9-4, 4.02)
TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (10-6, 4.45) / LH Bill Butts (11-5, 4.80) / RH Jake Driggers (6-4, 4.75)

#103: LOSS 3-5 ... Irvin gives up 3 HR in 4.2 IP, and that's the ball game...only six hits for us, as the offense is slumbering just a bit now
#104: WIN 2-1 ... Matson and Medici get the RBIs tonight, even though we again get on six hits...Waugh goes 8, giving up six hits too
#105: WIN 9-3 ... Pederson and Medici inch closer to 30 HR, and 4 players get 2 hits each...another CG win for Biff, giving up just 5 hits

Picked up another game, now ten games up on Texas.... Our faceless corporate ownership group gave me an order to increase our home runs from last year's total. Well, we hit 167 in 2052, and through 105 games this year we've banged out 156. Hopefully we can still reach our goal, although nothing is promised in this life.... ELSEWHERE: Along with us, the Cubs have become the second team to open up a double-digit division lead, leading New Orleans by ten games.... You know me, always pulling for atrocious teams: Milwaukee (33 wins) and Montreal (35) are staging quite a race for the worst of the worst this year. I'd love another 40-something win team, but that'd be a real feat to pull off at this point.... Another fun race: Minnesota pitcher Conor MacLeod (155 K) vs Baltimore 2B Nick Mullins (148 K). Excellent, truly excellent.

July 28-30 vs SEATTLE
A 9-15 month has put the Mariners on the bottom of the division, taking over from Oakland. The offense has picked up, sitting 5th in runs and 3rd in HR. Only one guy--Jon Terrell at .315--is batting over .300, but nearly everyone is producing, and there are no obviously glaring holes in the lineup. Pitching, however, is 16th, with the 17th-ranked rotation ERA (bullpen is 3rd). That rotation ERA is 6.26, which is...not good. Maybe having three guys on the DL isn't helping. I suppose the good news for their pitching is that they have two truly top-flight prospects who may be ready for the big time by next year.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (8-5, 5.57) / RH Mike Bader (10-3, 3.87) / RH Josh Irvin (9-4, 4.54)
SEA pitchers: RH Dan Crews (5-3, 4.83) / RH Erik Ramey (7-12, 6.49) / LH Art Mewbourne (5-8, 5.45)

#106: LOSS 4-7 ... had it won after two, up 4-0...six of our eight hits go for extras, but to no avail...all three of our pitchers struggle tonight
#107: WIN 4-2 ... two solo HR from Medici are the go-ahead runs...solid 8 IP from Bader, and a 1-2-3 all-K ninth by Collier
#108: WIN 13-10 ... 8 total HR tonight, gale force winds blowing out...GRAND SLAM and 8 RBI for Medici...pen gives up 6 runs in 2 IP

Not the shiniest hour for the bullpen, giving up 13 of the 19 runs Seattle scored.... 4 HR and 10 RBI from Medici, now with 33 HR on the season.... Otherwise, not much to report here. Two more wins, no injuries, and we maintain our lead over Texas.... With the end of the month and the trade deadline here: we make no moves. I thought about adding an RP or a utility infielder, but didn't for two reasons, which I think I mentioned up above too: 1) everyone is going well right now, so why upset the apple cart; and b) we've got two pitchers in AAA who'll be finishing up rehab stints soon, and will need spots on the big club. So that's a what, self-trade? Works for me.... ELSEWHERE: A bunch more trades, with nearly every one being not at all noteworthy. But with one exception: Cincy sent 30-year-old two-time MVP Jose Tavares to Tampa for Ken Berman (OF, 27, big arm and takes walks) and prospect 2B Rich Duff (could be...average...one day). Sure, Tavares will be a free agent this fall, but that's all you can get for a guy who is still solidly productive? Tavares hit 52 HR last year, and was hitting .307/33/70 with the Reds this year. So, okay, Cincy, way to go there.... And Texas shored up something--but I'm not sure what--by acquiring 38-year-old former Isle 2B Josh Robertson for a couple of average prospects.... Sad news out of Philly, losing stud RF George Livezey (.353/41/92) for the season.

......

TL;DR Version: Can't complain about a 21-6 month, and a 78-30 overall record. The offense wasn't as solidly productive as previous months, but overall we're still batting .300 and are 2nd in runs scored. Four regulars are also batting over .300, and although most guys still look good in total, a few are trending steadily downward: Pederson, Goodloe, and Daley hit well below their regular marks, but all are also producing with XBH and OBP. Pitching is first overall, in runs and in rotation and bullpen ERA. Most guys are trending well, including Liles, who's 4.15 ERA this month is by far his best of the season. Finally, with the trade deadline coming and going, we made no deals, keeping the roster intact for two reasons: First, we have...wait, what? You heard this already? Okay then... We will still have off-season decisions to make, with Daley's contract expiring, and Frederick considering a PO (that he'll probably decline). We have a TO on Adam Groff (for $34.5M), which frankly I'm not likely to accept; I'm hoping he'll retire, tbh. And RP Robbie Collier and Ben Germann will be free agents; at ages 38 and 33, I'm probably going to wish them well for the future elsewhere.

......

TIME FOR ANOTHER PAST DRAFT REVIEW: WELCOME (BACK) TO 2036:

I was looking to have a deeper draft for our third round of selections, more than the one guy (Groff, tho) we got in 2035. As you'll see below, I was not..exactly...successful in doing that. Let's just say that I was happy our trades and waiver work went better than my lack of astuteness at the draft table... (As a reminder, I've just copied here my original comments and appended a career note for each player.)

Round 1, 6th Overall
OF Ian McGowan, 19, high school. Wanted to take a quality SP here, but the best ones were gone already. McGowan is solid across all batting ratings, best in contact and gap power. Has some nice pop too. Nice work ethic, which has to help his development. Great range in the field, average arm; could make it in center or left field. Starting in Boone (R). McGowan ended up starting in CF for a year-and-a-half until we shipped him off to Montreal. Decent player, not great, and is still playing with California. Career to date: .248/144/633, 21.3 WAR

Round 2, 53rd Overall
SP Ian Albring, 23, Fresno State. Older, and farther along in his development. Ceiling is not that high, however. Could feature as 4/5 starter, with four pitches. Fastball (96 mph) is best right now, but changeup should become better. Also rates well at the plate, with average ratings; speedy, and good ratings at 3B and OF. Probably best to remain a pitcher, however. Poughkeepsie (S A). MLB: 21 G, 28 IP. zero WAR

Round 3, 86th Overall
P Ronnie Corgan, 19, high school. Our first non-Ian pick. Strictly bullpen for now, with only one average pitch. Two others should come along, and his ratings potential looks slightly better than Albring's. Also has quite a good bat, like Albring, only better. Middling fielding tho, which probably will keep him on the mound. Maybe he'll make it as an SP and a pinch hitter! To Poughkeepsie (S A). MLB: 236 G, 290 IP, 0.2 WAR. Most of those games with Austin.

Round 4, 126th Overall
SS John Canning, 19, high school. Good contact, gap, won't strike out. Zero power, and below average eye. High quality fielder, tho. Good enough range for short and arm for third. Also strong outfielder. If his bat develops at all, he'll at least be a very nice utility guy. Was a 6th rounder for Detroit last year, but didn't sign. Will start in Athens (R). MLB: 1903 AB, 5.8 WAR. Still playing, in TEX system. Had six years as that "very nice utility guy" for us, winning two titles. Good contact hitter and fielder, zero power.

Round 5, 161st Overall
1B Tyler Dion, 18, high school. Lots of high school kids this draft, noticing now. Pretty average ratings, really. Contact and gap rate as slightly over average, eye and avoid k's below. Not a good fielder. Home town kid, our first Hawaiian draft pick. A project. Going to Boone (R). MLB: nope

Round 5, 167th Overall
RP Jordan Woods, 19, high school. Pure reliever, as only has the two pitches--fastball and curve, and the latter needs a lot of work. Should have good stuff and decent movement, with ok control. That last one needs a lot of work right now, however. Also has some nice potential at the plate, but not in the field. Will also start in Boone (R). MLB: uh-uh

Round 6, 197th Overall
C Billy Ashe, 20, BYU. Needed some more catching prospects in the system, not that Ashe will set the world on fire tho. Ok contact, good gap and avoid k's, limited power. Mediocre behind the plate. Line drive hitter, switch hitter. In Boone (R). MLB: nada

Round 7, 233rd Overall
3B Chris Kennedy, 21, Georgia Tech. Another decision for me to make: pretty average hitting potential, but a decent fielder with a cannon arm. Could also play in the outfield. Has fantastic stuff potential, but only average movement and control. Scouts say he'll develop a second pitch, but only has a fastball right now, and that so-called second pitch is currently useless. So do I pitch him, or play him at third? Work ethic is a concern, which may end up making my decision for me (would make me lean towards keeping him at 3B, given how much development his mound-work would need). Off to Boone (R), like almost everyone else. MLB: nyet

Round 8, 269th Overall
3B Matt Howard, 17, high school. Really a better fit at second and/or first, as his arm and glove are only average. No ratings stand out, so he'll either surprise one day and make it to the bigs, or max out at AAA. Also off to Boone (R). MLB: maxed out at AAA, of course

Round 9, 305th Overall
1B Justin Tapley, 18, high school. Another guy with average potential (all ratings from 9 to 11, out of 20), but very high work ethic may push him higher. Not surprisingly, a bad fielder. Seems hard to find good fielding first basemen in the draft. Another Boonie (R). MLB: take a guess

Anyone else? 10th round 1B John Martin played a dozen games with us in '39, then vanished. Better was 12th round pick Ashton Gooding, a IF/OF utility guy who hit 23 HR with us in '43, then batted .168 the following year and got released. But he did hit the Series-winning HR in '44, so did earn a hefty playoff bonus before sailing off to Italy for five seasons and brief cups of coffee with Toronto in '49 and '51.

Final score: the '36 draft brought us zero regulars or solid pitchers, one brief OF regular, and a couple of utility guys who came and went. Not ideal. Although, tbf I did like Canning for a while. Just not as a regular.

Bub13 · 03-02-2021, 09:14 PM

The dog days of summer are here...except that we're in Hawaii where it's always nice. I think other teams should lobby for us to play 162 home games, so everyone gets a chance to vacation here and we can save a ton of money on travel expenses. Anybody mods designing a schedule like that?... Anyway, we have 28 games this month, only 12 at home. We'll make the annual pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium as well as seeing Texas and Oakland on the road.

In other news, Matt Waugh earned AL pitcher of the month honors for his 4-1, 1.97 ERA effort, fanning 37 in 37.1 IP.

August 1-3 vs CALIFORNIA
I have to admit that their .488 winning pct (52-56 record) is pretty solid, compared to where they've been the past few seasons. Still not hitting, however, at 16th in runs and average. Mauricio Marquez has been solid, as usual, at .322/25/75. But Ricky Ochoa hasn't come close to his 52 HR and 126 RBI from two years ago, and Joe Thompson has 23 HR but only a .208 average. Leadoff man Jake Glowski has turned into a solid-if-unspectular player, usually hitting around .270 with 20-25 HR and playing solid CF defense. Of the under-25s on the roster, there's a pair of good-field-no-hit catchers, so-so prospect OF Danny Mash, and 3B Mike Eskridge--a decent complementary-type player, batting .305 this year, but with little power. Pitching has come around, at 5th in runs against. Four young-to-youngish SP combined with solid vet George Millard have provided stability in the rotation; and while the top of the pen has struggled, there are some developing kids with live arms that should make this unit better next year.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (14-3, 2.02) / RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 3.96) / RH Chris Liles (8-5, 5.59)
CAL pitchers: RH Seth O'Neill (4-3, 5.51) / RH Jay Sanford (5-10, 4.21) / RH Nate Elder (8-7, 3.82)

#109: WIN 11-3 ... a pair of HR by Matson, and a complete game 8-hitter from Waugh...10 H, 10 RBI from the top three, Lynn-Daley-Matson
#110: WIN 7-6 ... Skiff gives up 6 in the 1st, then we slowly get back in this one...a Simmons RBI single in the 10th is the winner
#111: WIN 5-0 ... Liles is good again, yielding just 4 hits...three RBI doubles provide most of tonight's offensive spark

Hot start! Eighty wins on the season now, and a 12 game lead over Texas.... Waugh and Liles are paid to be our best pitchers, and at last both of them are pulling in the same direction at the same time. Although Liles has been pretty inconsistent all year, he's beginning to have more good than bad starts, a very good sign.... Mike Pearse and Anthony Booker have less than a week to go on their rehab stints. Both will come back up when they're ready, and both have pitched well in AAA. No need yet to bring them up early, as no one currently in the pen has been struggling of late.... First time I can remember that all of our farm clubs are over .500.... ELSEWHERE: White Sox OF Andy Barenberg (.345/29/90) just had a 25-game hit streak snapped.... Maybe Cincy knew what they were doing after all in trading away star Jose Tavares, as they've won 7 straight after making the deal.... With four wins in a row, Detroit is once again just a game behind the White Sox.

August 4-6 @ NY YANKEES
Up by two over Tampa Bay, and 63-48 overall. Teams stats are good but not great, 8th in runs and 7th in pitching. But they're 4th in home runs, with cleanup guy Chris Mitchell having another big year, .337/40/96. What's interesting is they're 8th in runs while 17th, next-to-last, in average. More interesting is that Elijah Bragg, their former ace SP who's earned over 12 WAR in the past two seasons, is now in the bullpen, but with no discernible drop in ability. I guess first-year manager Anthony Collazo just has it in for the guy.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (11-3, 3.78) / RH Josh Irvin (9-4, 4.62) / LH Matt Waugh (15-3, 2.07)
NYY pitchers: LH Jose Sedillo (9-3, 4.27) / RH Tim Mitchell (6-2, 3.92) / LH Brian Whitney (9-6, 5.64)

#112: WIN 9-6 ... spotting the Yanks a 6-1 lead? No problem, as we score 8 late runs to sneak off with this one...Kearns wins to go 5-0 from the pen
#113: LOSS 4-6 ... Royer smacks his 20th HR, but Irvin gives up 4 in return, and that's the difference...Groff hurt while starting for the sick Matson
#114: WIN 5-1 ... Waugh is sharp again, and Medici cranks his 35th...two hits apiece for four guys...Simmons hurt on the bases tho

Okay, two out of three is just fine, especially against a solid team.... Those two injuries are small, both dtd and less than a week. Groff was filling in for the flu-ridden Matson, but Josh will just step right back into the lineup now. Simmons has a minor back tweak, but will sit a bit in place of Kevin Kelley, who has produced in limited time (.414 in 36 AB).... All six farm clubs are still at or above .500, praise Zeus.... ELSEWHERE: Padres OF Nick Lehto is not exactly a slugging star, having topped 20 HR in a season just once in his six-year career. But he became just the second player in this dynasty to drop 4 dingers in one game, taking it to the Mets in a 17-7 win. He added 8 RBI as well.... White Sox 2B Andrew Taylor will miss three weeks with a bruised tailbone in what the team is only calling "Some sort of pizza incident." Saucy.... Still chasing the single-season HR mark, Rangers Slugging God William Swanson is now at 51. Somebody must rid us of this meddlesome beast.

August 7-9 @ OAKLAND
The monthly faceoff against the East Bay Boys sees them at 56-58 and likely out of any post-season running, although they are 4-2 this month. The offense and the pitching staff have each accounted for 617 runs, which puts the batters at 6th best and the hurlers at 6th worst. Four pitchers are still on the DL--not helping things--but ace Jim Schwartz has recently returned to action and will likely take the mound this series. Ryan Walton (.278/45/105) has added some average (he's a career .240something hitter) to his mashing ability, and the monstrous Felix Reyes has added 41 homers. Right now it looks like the bullpen (ranked 17th) and the bottom half of the lineup (batting .235) are what's holding things back.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 4.30) / RH Chris Liles (9-5, 5.24) / RH Mike Bader (11-3, 4.02)
OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (13-5, 3.58) / RH Robby Ford (2-10, 5.57) / RH Jim Schwartz (1-0, 1.00)

#115: WIN 7-2 ... 5 runs in the 10th do it tonight, including HR from Royer and Frederick...Ruiz gets his 9th win from the pen
#116: WIN 10-5 ... 2 HR each from Pederson and Medici, and we never trail...one of Pederson's is a GRAND SLAM too...Liles actually throws well
#117: LOSS 2-3 ... Bader is charged with the winning run in the 9th, as we're held to 7 hits

Too bad about that last game, but whatever. We're still 12 up on Texas.... Groff's injury look longer now, with an uncertain return, so we DL him and recall Diego Espino, who hit just .157 in an earlier stint with us.... Mike Pearse also comes off his rehab stint and slides back into long relief. Anthony Booker also comes back, but will stay in AAA for the momentn as the back end of the pen is really performing right now.... ELSEWHERE: NY is holding on to a 3 game lead over Tampa Bay, but newly acquired TBRay Jose Tavares has settled right in, blasting 5 HR and driving in 15 runs in his first ten games.... Boston is slumping, having lost 6 straight. Milwaukee, tho, is the last team still looking for 40 wins.... New Orleans has lost four pitchers in the last two weeks, and has lost 8 out of 10 to drop way back in the NL Central race.... Philly's Rick Logston now also has 51 HR, and leads all MLB batters with 123 RBI.

August 12-14 vs HOUSTONN
Third place, behind Texas, and at 61-56 is the only other West division team over .500. The offense is only average, but at least the middle trio of Renteria/Silva/Mazurowski has over 90 HR. But RF Matt Dippel (.309/19/43 in 59 games) is done for the season. Two SP are also out, but former Isle Tim Ciotta tops all the team pitching stats, and journeyman Cooper Bradberry is having a career year. Only a 10-18 record in May is keeping them from being a serious contender for a wildcard slot right now.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (9-5, 4.81) / LH Matt Waugh (16-3, 2.04) / RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 4.14)
HOU pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (11-8, 3.98) / RH Alex Trujillo (6-3, 4.35) / RH Chris Driscoll (3-3, 4.95)

#118: WIN 11-6 ... Frederick, Lynn, and Daley homer, and Irvin gets his 10th win with 7 strong innings
#119: LOSS 0-2 ... pitcher's duel, and we can't get anything done with only 3 hits...Waugh fans 11 in 7.2 IP
#120: WIN 3-1 ... only 7 hits tonight, but Skiff tosses a 4-hitter, striking out 9...Lynn hits his 40th double

Two more wins, but Texas gains a game on us.... All five SP now have at least ten wins on the season, for what that's worth.... Medici reaches 100 RBI, continuing the parade of old-timey-less-than-meaningful stats here.... Matson is batting .360, second behind Texas' Mike Olivera, hitting .378.... ELSEWHERE: Still some nice division races out there: Detroit trails Chicago by a game, while NY-Tampa, SF-Austin, and PHI-NYM are all three-game splits. Two other NL West teams, Portland and LA, are also close in that race.... After two seasons as a closer, and a swingman '52 season, Pittsburgh's Jose Rivera has matured into a bona fide ace, leading MLB with 224 strikeouts, and earning nearly 6 WAR already.... Milwaukee finally reaches 40 wins, and their 40-80 overall record matches Montreal at the bottom of MLB.

......

TL;DR Version: A 9-3 start here puts us at 87-33 overall, and eleven games up on the Rangers. Offense is now third in runs, pitching still first. Almost everyone is going well, outside of Simmons (hitting just .266). Liles' ERA is still over 5, but he's bringing it down...slowly. And with Pearse and Booker off their rehabs, our pitching is fully healthy. Booker, however, gets optioned back to AAA for just a sec, as the bullpen has been pretty strong and I don't want to upset things too much.

Bub13 · 03-07-2021, 11:21 AM

August 14-16 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Fun race in the Central, with the Sox (72-48) a game ahead of Detroit. They have the top offense in the AL, scoring 755 runs, and are tops in average and OBP, fourth in home runs. Four batters are hitting over .300 (a 5th, Andrew Taylor, is injured after his unfortunate pizza incident), and four have at least 30 home runs. Andy Barenberg is having the best overall season of the bunch, at .353/35/105, and 1B Elijah Pass has 40 HR. Pitching, however, has been a bit of train wreck: 15th in runs against, and four SP have ERA over seven. Those four are replacing four pitchers on the DL, three of whom won't be back this season. In fact, they have nine guys on the DL right now. If they can't get their starting pitching straightened out...I don't see how they'll hold off Detroit.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.17) / RH Mike Bader (11-4, 3.98) / RH Josh Irvin (10-5, 4-68)
CHW pitchers: RH Oscar Escobedo (4-2, 8.80) / RH Leonardo Vigil (3-5, 7.09) / RH Ricky Cruz (0-0, 10.13)

#121: WIN 8-7 ... six combined HR tonight, two from Medici...Frederick goes 4-for-5, 3 RBI...pitchers combined for 15 Ks
#122: WIN 14-2 ... Medici pops one out again, and Matson hits two and drives in 5...19 hits and 6 walks for us...6-hitter from Bader
#123: WIN 7-3 ... 10 hits, but also 7 walks, and only two XBH...7 solid innings from Irvin, and 2 from Pearse to close out the sweep

Unexpected but not unwelcome! We definitely took advantage of poor starting pitching by the Sox, putting up 23 of the 29 runs here on their starters.... Medici's breakout season has arrived just as expected, as he reaches 40 HR for the campaign.... Despite only Waugh having a "top of the charts" stats year, our team pitching continues to look great: 1st in runs allowed (by 52), fewest walks, and 2nd fewest HR allowed. Oddly, even with zero flyball pitchers on staff, we have the fourth-lowest groundout percentage in the AL.... ELSEWHERE: Eight straight defeats for Montreal, keeping them at a lovely 40-83 and two games behind Milwaukee in the best race in baseball right now.... Another solid 3.5ish WAR season is shaping up for Zephyrs pitcher Chad Akers, 36, and he's also in line to earn his second Silver Slugger, batting .273/4/12 with an .860 OPS.... The Cubs are quietly good again this year, their 75-48 record good for a ten game lead in the NL Central and the fifth best record in MLB. And they're doing it with two SP, two CL, and their 6-WAR RF on the DL.... And while we're talking about the Cubs, let's check in on 35-year-old 3B Juan Garcia, maybe the biggest star you never would've heard of til now. With 2830 career hits and a .322 lifetime average (against only 1000 career Ks), he's earned 60 WAR almost as an afterthought. I guess spending over a decade on some mostly-forgettable Royals squads will do that. Plus, he's not a power hitter (197 career HR), has never reached .900 OPS, and never won a batting title. But in his 15 years as a regular he's hit .300+ twelve times, and the three years he didn't reach that plateau? He hit .299. Each time. Injury-free he'll reached 3000 hits sometime next June, by my guess.

August 17-19 @ BALTIMORE
After stumbling through the '40s with some mediocre-but-occasionally-decent teams, the bottom has dropped out in this decade. Win totals since 2050 are 62, 48, 58, and 47 (so far). I can't really tell what they're building here, either, as their top three prospects are already in the bigs, and there are no sure things after them. Eddie Feltman, taken #1 overall in '52, is already starting at short after less than a calendar year in the minors. He's held his own, batting .246, but you hope he won't be stunted by the experience. LF Xavier Perez and 1B Miguel Echevarria are also solid pieces to build around, but the rest of the lineup is all mediocrity or worse. Their best-performing SP, Bob Garner, has already been shipped off to Austin for peanuts, leaving behind a rotation that looks worse than Chicago's did. Offense ranks 15th, pitching 16th.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.05) / RH Biff Skiff (11-4, 3.99) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.40)
BAL pitchers: RH Pat Karahalios (5-10, 4.77) / RH Phil Eckert (6-8, 7.66) / RH Andy Ayers (3-6, 5.99)

#124: WIN 12-7 ... 2 more HR from Medici including a GRAND SLAM, one from Royer...we come back from a 6-2 deficit...Waugh ineffective, leaves in the third
#125: WIN 1-0 ... much quieter night, highlighted by Skiff's 10-K 5-hitter...Goodloe's solo shot in the 9th wins this one
#126: WIN 5-4 ... 3 hits from Lynn, 3-run HR from Ulkini...Lynn's single in the 9th is the winner

Two last-minute wins and a blowout. I'll take them any way they come.... Covington hasn't gotten the team hitting memo, batting just .198 this month. And Simmons is at .232 since July 1. Both are contributing in other ways, and the rest of the lineup has been so solid, that we can get away with their stumblings right now.... Despite this bad game, Waugh is still the only qualified MLB pitcher with an ERA below 3.... ELSEWHERE: No-hitter #2 for 2053 was just tossed by Cincy's Cris Frias, a 9-0 win over Chicago. You might remember Frias as the guy who's struck out 348 and 387 NL batters over the last two seasons. He's been less effective this year (4.64 ERA, all other rate stats falling off too), but this is a nice reminder that he can do more than walk 5.8 batters per 9 these days.... AL player of the week: Minny's Josh Jacobson; NL winner: Philly's Jasper Jacobsen. No love, sadly, for Pirates 3B Brad Jacobson.

August 21-23 @ TEXAS
These guys again. Getting rid of interleague play has meant we see wayyyy too much of our divisional rivals. They're 11-7 this month, but have slid to 15 games behind us thanks to our outright ridiculousness of late. Still, 78-48 is the second best record in baseball, and the offense (2nd) and pitching (3rd) are both humming along. You know the deal: tops in AL HR, with five regulars over 30 already; William Swanson (.320/53/126), Mike Olivera (.374/34/96), Ryan Boers (.315/43/105), etc etc; pitching looks good despite having no individual standouts. Plus, four pitchers are still on the DL, including top starters Kevin Cahil and Jose Ambriz. Barring a huge collapse they'll see the post-season again, and with the wildcard no longer being a one-and-done affair, they can afford the rarity of a one-game offensive slumber. (Looking to defend their title, remember that?)

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (12-4, 3.88) / RH Josh Irvin (11-5, 4.57) / LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.33)
TEX pitchers: RH Paul Labbe (12-5, 3.70) / RH Jesus Aguilar (12-7, 4.48) / LH Bill Butts (13-6, 4.78)

#127: WIN 13-5 ... ten late runs cap a comeback win...Daley, Covington, and Groff (returning from DL) each homer
#128: WIN 7-5 ... same three guys homer again, plus Pederson...wind blowing out, as the Rangers add three of their own
#129: WIN 11-8 ... seven more HR, combined...for us, it's Daley, Pederson, Matson...Daley goes 5-for-6 and helps win this one in the 10th

Wow, another sweep. I mean, we've been playing nearly flawless ball lately, but this is getting crazy.... Well, the results are flawless. The games themselves are often a roller coaster.... Waugh has his second really bad outing in a row, so hopefully that one blemish won't continue.... In that last game, Daley also hit for the cycle and tied a team record with 4 runs.... Groff made a nice comeback from injury, didn't he. He won't move into the lineup as a regular, but will continue to get two starts a week, one at first and one at DH.... We send down RP M-H Yaung and recall Anthony Booker. Yaung has been fine, but I want Booker to get some innings before the roster expansion, making him eligible for the post-season should we need him.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox have been slumping since we swept them, playing .500 ball. Luckily for them, the Tigers are also stuck at .500, so the teams are still tied for first.... Tampa Bay has passed the Yankees, leading one slim game, while the Giants have made a small three game cushion in the NL West over Portland.... Oakland's Ryan Walton is the third batter to reach 50 HR, doing it for the second season in a row. Teammate Felix Reyes (who else?) is right behind him.

August 24-26 @ SEATTLE
Some early season promise has dissolved under the pall of playing fifteen games under .500 over the last two months. Another team that's been wracked by injuries, with five pitchers on the DL, including three quality SP and two of their top RP. No surprise that pitching ranks 16th in runs against. The offense ranks fifth: they don't hit for much average, but get on base pretty well and hit a lot of home runs. I almost traded for Jose Rodriguez this spring, thinking I needed a veteran slugger to plug a hole at 3B. What held me back was not being able to get the M's to pay a portion of his outlandish $38M salary. So he's been a decent--if immobile, at 2B--player this year, going .265/22/71, but I'm glad we held our fire. Injuries have brought top pitching prospects Vince Push and Ron Rivera up to the big club: Rivera has been fine in relief, but Push got shelled in his first MLB start. Hopefully they'll end up just fine.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (12-4, 3.78) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.39) / RH Mike Bader (13-4, 3.93)
SEA pitchers: RH Vince Push (0-1, 14.73) / RH Dan Crews (8-5, 5.05) / RH Erik Ramey (7-14, 6.74)

#130: WIN 7-4 ... a 5-run 6th, sparked by Royer's 2-run double, is the key tonight...Skiff goes just 5 IP, but gets the win, also commits two errors
#131: WIN 6-1 ... Covington stays hot, with a triple and a HR...Liles is pulled after three with a blister, could miss a start
#132: WIN 10-5 ... outhomered 3-to-1 but we make the most of our 11 hits...Medici homers, adds an RBI single

Geez, it keeps going. I know it's just the Mariners, but this is nuts. Can't complain, tho.... Liles has a blister and won't be back for 5 days. I move Pearse into the rotation just in case, but with an off-day on the 30th it's possible Liles won't miss a start.... It took me calling him out in the previous post for Covington to heat up: 7 hits in his last five games, including 2 home runs.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy just dropped 24 runs on the Mets, banging out 9 home runs in the process. To add injury to insult, NY also lost two outfielders in the game.... LA's Everett Cronk has tossed two consecutive shutouts of late, helping to bring the Dodgers to just 4 games behind the Giants.... The Yanks are back up on the Rays by a game; Detoit has a game in hand over the White Sox.... Cleveland's Manny Ayala, just 25, is already in his seventh season in the bigs. He can hit (.331 career average), run (25+ steals/season), and is a sharp center fielder and a fan fave. But he's never played in more than 118 games in a season, and I fear that would could be a superstar career is going to be perpetually hindered by injuries. And yes, he's back on the DL again, out until late September.

August 27-29 vs MINNESOTA
Injuries are the deal here, too: two top SP are done, as are two RP, and now CF Sam Gilmer has a pending diagnosis. The lineup is paced by two genuine stars: RF Josh Jacobson (.360/36/103) and LF Jordan Foots (.302/34/116). 2B Mario Montoya (.314) looks solid, but OF/DH Josh Conley has stopped hiting and looks to be devolving to near-replacement level. The rest of the lineup is filled with defense-first types, which explains the 9th-ranked offense. Pitching sits 13th, with the at-times-unhittable Conor MacLeod leading the way, and CL Brett Roseman (2.13 ERA, 12.8 K/9) having a superb year. But elsewhere there's mediocrity, and with only a few guys really pulling hard on the rope, the Twins are playing to a 62-70 record, far removed from any playoff consideration. With Jacobson, Montoya, and about six other guys looking at free agency this fall, the payroll will be lighter, but who's going to step up after that?

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (12-5, 4.55) / LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.52) / RH Biff Skiff (13-4, 3.73)
MIN pitchers: RH Jonathan Belmonte (9-11, 5.70) / RH Dan Hannan (4-5, 7.82) / RH Dustin Springer (7-13, 6.28)

#133: WIN 11-8 ... 3 more HR, including Josh Hed's first MLB blast...11 K but 6 BB for Irvin and Germann, who get bailed out with a late rally
#134: WIN 4-1 ... better start for Waugh, but he's pulled after 6...2 hits and 2 RBI for Medici, with another HR
#135: WIN 7-2 ... wow, guess who homers again...outhit 12-8 here, so we're super efficient tonight

I dunno either. I just roll 'em out there and let 'em play. Even Kevin Kelley got two starts here, adding a couple of hits.... And that makes 102 wins for us now.... Medici is ON FIRE, now with 46 home runs and 124 RBI on the season. He's closing in on the team records of 50 and 143 set by Nate Hullinger (who?) in '39. Blast from the past, right there.... Now that he's almost 18, top prospect Jose Villalpando is off to rookie ball. He's got a loooong way to go.... ELSEWHERE: 32-game hit streak for Minny's Jordan Foots. I don't usually curse streakers like this, but I'm hoping he can break that hex.... Seven-game streak for LA, now just one game behind San Francisco.... Other winners: Detroit and Chicago (NL) become the 3rd and 4th teams to reach 80 wins. Sadly, Montreal (already at 91 losses!) and Milwaukee are officially eliminated from the post-season.

August 31 @ TAMPA BAY
Tied with NY for first, at 74-61. Offense ranks 4th, pitching 3rd, and they're solid across the board. They finally dropped RF Vance Wise from his two-innings-a-year setup role, and he's responded with a .294/47/110 season; 1B Edgar Aranceta is hitting .319 with 110 RBI; newbie Jose Tavares has added 41 HR; and 2B Jorge Arriola has rebounded from his sophomore slump (.252 AVG, .743 OPS) with a .305 AVG and .918 OPS. And lest we forget, there's former Isles star Rich Stoneback, who's old and banged-up but is batting .315 with 15 HR. Closer Bubba Fairweather has 27 saves, and as long as he's around I'll pull for them over New York.

HAW pitcher: RH Mike Pearse (3-1, 4.01)
TBR pitcher: RH Carlos Munoz (13-9, 4.44)

#136: WIN 4-3 ... Pearse makes a case for himself with 7 IP of 4-hit ball...2 doubles for Pederson, including the GW RBI

An absolutely absurd 16-0 run in this stretch, and we close the month on a 17-game roll overall. Just nuts.... We've now scored the most runs in the AL, back on top baby! But, sadly, we are no longer the base-stealingest team around, trailing Baltimore by three thefts.... With that start, Pearse will move back into the rotation for now. Liles returns from his little blister, and Irvin will go into long relief. Let's see what happens.... ELSEWHERE: New Orleans and Cincy are 8 behind the Cubs, inching steadily closer in the Central.... Ten losses in a row for the Mets now; eight wins straight for LA. Things are heating up!

......

TL;DR Version: So yeah we closed out the month on a 17-0 high. Ridiculous. Pretty much everyone is contributing, and even those who aren't at the top of their games (and there are some!) are not slumping so much as they're slightly below average. So can I complain? Ask me again in October when we get eliminated in the divisional round in four games. Maybe we're peaking super early? Or maybe we'll just keep on winning. Who knows. For now, we're healthy, and hitting and pitching well, and all is right with the world. We've clinched the playoffs, should clinch the division shortly, and let's hope that continues into the post-season. After all, what do big seasons mean if you don't win it all?

Sizeman21 · 03-07-2021, 12:26 PM

17-0 in one month?? Dude, what are you feeding your team? I need me some of that stuff! Anything less than the WS trophy this season will seem like a failure Bub, we are counting on you.

Bub13 · 03-07-2021, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

17-0 in one month?? Dude, what are you feeding your team? I need me some of that stuff! Anything less than the WS trophy this season will seem like a failure Bub, we are counting on you.

I dunno, man, but when I figure it out I'll bottle it and send you a crate.

This doesn't even feel like the best team I've ever fielded, but the results on the field belie that.

And we'd better win it all, b/c there will be some...changes...next year.

Bub13 · 03-12-2021, 06:42 PM

Last month of a strange season! I thought we'd struggle to reach 95 wins and be neck-and-neck with Texas again. Yet, here we are. Twenty-six games to close out the campaign, twelve at home (including the final two series). Also, Jules Medici is chosen AL player of the week after finishing August with a stint of .632 with 4 HR and 10 RBI.

September 1-2 @ TAMPA BAY
Finishing up this series. The Rays are a game behind NY and will play them in the Bronx for their penultimate season series.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (14-4, 3.99) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.29)
TBR pitchers: LH Jon Jemison (10-10, 4.95) / RH Greg Drake (11-12, 4.98)

#137: LOSS 1-4 ... all things must end...both teams put 11 runners on base, but a Tavares HR is the difference for the Rays
#138: LOSS 4-10 ... Liles doesn't last 2 innings here...4 hits from Goodloe, 3 from Lynn

Well that ended the streak right quick. Time to start a new one.... Roster expansion brings three new (not really) faces to the big club: C Bentley Kolb, RP M-H Yaung, and RP Kyle Johnson. Time to get Johnson back on track (he's been aces in AAA this summer), Yaung was doing well before a numbers game saw him returned to AAA, and Kolb hit .429 in a brief callup up earlier.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy (6 games) and New Orleans (7) are inching closer to the moribund Cubs.... a 2-HR game from William Swanson has him on the cusp of his second straight season with 60.... not just our streak ended on that first game, but Minny's Jordan Foots saw his 33-game hitting streak dry up too. KC's Julius Burrows has an active 31-game streak, but he won't be off the DL until next season, so we'll all have to hold our breath til then.

September 3-5 @ OAKLAND
At 64-74 and quite a comedown from last year's 101-win team. They've rebuilt quickly in the past (two 70-win seasons in '48 and '49), and there is a strong foundation here and owners willing to spend some cash. The top half of the lineup is sound, but the bottom half is hitting about .235, so that's one place to work on. Also, the bullpen has been a raging tire fire all season and desperately needs help. Maybe LA can trade them two or three of the MLB-quality guys they have in AAA right now. Journeyman SP/RF Mike Snare got hammered so hard in his first start that his ERA is a whopping 189.00 right now. That has only one direction to go, right? Frankly, the whole staff has struggled this year, and with injuries also taking a toll, maybe that trade from two seasons ago -- sending four prospect P to Cleveland for only one season of SS Matthew Powell -- doesn't seem like a great idea anymore. (Powell suffered through an injury-plagued '52, batting .234 in 110 games. He's now batting .286/33/89 for the Cubs.)

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (17-4, 2.49) / RH Biff Skiff (14-4, 3.68) / RH Mike Pearse (4-1, 3.87)
OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (14-7, 3.68) / RH Ryan Swan (12-9, 4.74) / RH Mike Snare (0-1, 189.00)

#139: LOSS 2-7 ... we only allow six hits, but five are HR
#140: WIN 11-8 ... six late runs cap a comeback tonight...four hits, HR, 6 RBI from Royer...3 triples for our guys...pitching, not so hot tho
#141: WIN 8-3 ... hits for everyone, 3 from Lynn and Ulkini...3-run HR from Pederson...7 IP by Pearse, allows just 4 hits

Weak start to the series but we get it back on track.... Royer continues his strong season, still batting .334 and now with 25 HR. His defense at third has been unsurprisingly bad (-6.7 ZR, .950 eff), but I can live with that if he keeps hitting like this.... I guess we win a lot of games late in the day, as RPs Ruiz, Germann, and Kearns are a combined 20-2.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox are still holding on to the 2nd wildcard slot (by 3 games) and trailing the Tigers (by 2) in the Central, but they do make it tough on themselves: SS Chris Rock (.329) is out for the rest of the regular season, and 3B Ben Usilton (.289/43/121) just got an 8-game suspension from the league. Bad timing folks.... Tampa and NY are tied in the AL East, and a tight race in the NL West where even 5th-place San Diego is just ten games out.... No one's reached 60 HR yet, and it looks like no pitchers will reach 20 wins (our Matt Waugh has a shot with 17) or 300 K (Pittsburgh's Jose Rivera has 254).

September 6-8 vs HOUSTON
Sure, they're 73-68 and at only eight games out of the wildcard slots, still theoretically in the hunt. But it's not likely. Offense ranks low, at 12th, while pitching sits in 4th. Like a lot of teams, half of the lineup looks solid, half a stinkeroo. Pitching is a little deeper, with some solid prospects on the cusp and some decent guys in the pen who could be starters next year. Still, they need to do SOMETHING, as this is about as "meh" a franchise as you can imagine. Even with only one playoff appearance in the last 34 years, they've never been truly terrible, never falling below 66 wins. But with only five winning seasons--never more than 86 games--over that span, they've been completely forgettable too. Will they ever turn the corner?

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (14-5 4.01) / RH Chris Liles (10-6, 5.57) / LH Matt Waugh (17-5, 2.59)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris James (9-11, 4.53) / RH Tim Ciotta (12-11, 4.40) / RH Alex Trujillo (7-6, 4.91)

#142: WIN 10-2 ... we outhit them 17-4, with four guys getting 3 hits apiece...we toss in 3 errors too, just for fun
#143: WIN 4-3 ... Covington pokes two solo shots, and Lynn's RBI single in the 9th wins it...Liles is sharp again, for once...DIVISION CLINCHED
#144: WIN 6-3 ... 3 hits for Covington, including another HR...3 hits, 2 runs from Simmons...Waugh goes 8, gets the win

Really back on track now! Plus, we clinched the division again, never a bad thing.... Covington goes crazy, popping 4 HR and 8 hits overall, raising his average 12 points.... My mole in corporate accounting tells me that bad things are afoot. The word "underwater" keeps getting tossed about. That's probably a bad sign.... #2 prospect OF Nick Gase was called up to AAA a few weeks back due to injuries, and has responded by hitting .365. He's the #12 prospect in MLB, and definitely worth a long look in camp next spring.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs have righted their ship, maintaining a 7-game lead over Cincinnati. With 86 wins and the best record in the NL, even a divisional collapse should still put them into the post-season.... With just 47 wins, Montreal is the last team to have not reached the half-century mark this season.... A nice building season for Austin, at 74-70. They could get hot and claim a wildcard, but that seems unlikely. The concern is, however, that this veteran team (only five players on the MLB roster are under 25, and four were Sept call-ups) will dissolve soon, with a handful of regulars as pending FA and a top-heavy prospect class.... Tough season for 3-time Cy Young winner Jose Gutierrez. The Atlanta ace is on the shelf for the season, after going 1-6 with a 5.08 ERA in just 16 starts.

September 10-12 vs KANSAS CITY
With Detroit and Chicago running away with the division, they've never really been a contender this year, and sit at 69-75. The offense has been okay, a mix of kids and vets, with 26-year-old rookie 1B Tom Esposito (.316/43/110) the only star this campaign. SS Jose Valdez (20, ranked #8 prospect) was recently called up from AA and figures to be the regular SS for a long time. Adam Grossman and Steve Scibek are the young anchors of the rotation, and Victor Ochoa should be the closer next year; but much of the rest of the staff is just filler. With CF Julius Burrows and RF Brian Spindler on the DL, the offense has suffered. Once they're healthy again (i.e., next year) that's two young and solid hitters to build around.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (14-4, 3.85) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.87) / RH Mike Bader (15-5, 3.94)
KCR pitchers: RH Sam Phipps (2-4, 6.43) / RH Jorge Ornelas (7-7, 4.02) / RH Adam Grossman (15-7, 3.71)

#145: WIN 3-2 ... 2 more hits from Covington...8 IP from Skiff, and Collier fans the side in the 9th (after allowing a leadoff HR)
#146: WIN 6-5 ... 15 inning game, won by Medici's GW single...pitchers fan 23 Royals...we're outhit 17-13
#147: LOSS 5-7 ... we hit a pair of HR, but get outhit and outpitched...50th double by Matson, and Gase debuts with a pair of doubles

No sweep, back to the 2-up, 1-down days. It's fine tho.... I recall Nick Gase for fun, whom I mentioned in the last series, and he raps two doubles right away. Keep it up, big guy.... Just fyi, all six of our farm teams are still over .500, with three leading their divisions.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs are a game away from clinching the post-season, and 8 games up on Cincinnati.... Tampa Bay has pulled out a 4 game lead over the Yankees; NY is also 7 games out of a wildcard spot, so it's the division or bust in the AL East.... I regret to inform you all that the promising AL strikeout race between Conor MacLeod (a pitcher) and Nick Mullens (a 2B) has not borne fruit, as MacLeod has 253 and Mullens a mere 198.

September 13-15 @ MIAMI
Back on the road, flying all the way down to South Beach, where things are definitely not going well. Do managers matter? Last year's team won 101 games, then fired manager Paul Trashini. This year's club is 66-81 and openly feuding: definitely not meeting that owner goal to "Win the Championship." The offense has slumped to 14th, with the bottom half of the lineup coming in at a combined .203. DH Sean West is 38 and playing like it, while 3B Nick Ragsdale, 26, is also playing like he's 38. Both are hitting sub-Mendoza. Team cancer Ricky Chavez is pulling down $25M per and has everyone mad at him, while outspoken RP Tim Schuenke is calling guys out despite sailing along with an ERA and BB/9 over 8. The good news is that the top half of the lineup (sans Chavez) is hitting well and consistently putting balls in the seats (home runs, I mean home runs!). Pitching is 8th in runs against, so at least somebody out there is pitching better than Schuenke.

HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-6, 5.40) / LH Matt Waugh (18-5, 2.62) / RH Biff Skiff (15-4, 3.74)
MIA pitchers: LH Victor Nunez (14-9, 4.32) / RH John Walker (0-2, 3.58) / RH Jon Carlsen (13-10, 4.08)

#148: LOSS 4-10 ... a nice little 1-0 lead vanishes in an 8-run 7th inning...48th HR for Medici
#149: WIN 3-1 ... Waugh fans 10 and this time we hold on to that little lead...40th save for Collier
#150: LOSS 2-8 ... 2 hits and another HR for Covington, and a whole lotta nothing else going on tonight

Eh, I guess we made them a bit happier after that series. Not much hitting from us, and only one pitcher showed up.... Speaking of showing up, former closer Kyle Johnson made his first appearance since his recall and gave up three runs in one inning. That pushes his ERA up over ten. Hey, this guy could be my closer next year too, so stop laughing.... Waugh now has 19 wins, and could be the only pitcher to reach 20 in MLB this year.... ELSEWHERE: if you're reading this and your last name is Silva, you might want to look away now. Yankees SP Victor Silva and Twins RP Edwin Silva are both done for the year, on the same night and with matching elbow ligament tears. (Plus, we lost AAA pitcher Orlando Silva for the season two weeks ago.) AND Minny AAA pitcher Jaime Silva is also done with an elbow injury. Wtf, OOTP.... FIFTY-ONE WINS now for Montreal, praise be.... And 60 home runs for William Swanson. Yadda yadda yadda.

......

TL; DR Version: Back to earth with an 8-6 start to the month, but still 111-39 overall. Our franchise record is 114, set back in 2044. Can we reach it? I say we do it. Other takeaways from these two weeks: Kyle Johnson needs an exorcist...Do not pitch in MLB if your name is Silva...My accounting mole suggests I start burying mason jars full of cash around the team compound, along with the parmesan cheese wheel. Otherwise, with 14 games left in the season, Medici is chasing team records for home runs (50) and RBI (143). He's two behind the former, ten behind the latter. Send thoughts and prayers.

......

Hey kids, it's time for another ... OLD-TIMEY DRAFT REVIEW! ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2037!

Who remembers 2037? I sure don't. (It's probably these cheap memory implants...) We won 95 games in our fourth year of existence, made the playoffs, but bowed out early. Still...it wouldn't be long before we'd show them all. Anyway, after two pretty poor drafts, with only Adam Groff (pretty good tho!) to show for them, we bravely ventured forth to select the next raft of promising disappointments... Also, we didn't have a first-round pick this time because we signed studly free agent pitcher Bradley Dunne to a megabucks contract. Whereupon his arm promptly fell off after half a season of pitching in paradise and he sauntered off with a heavy wallet and some bad vibes.

Round 2, 76th Overall
SS Mike Hunter, 22, East Carolina. High contact, line drive hitter. No power, so-so discipline, but won't strike out. Great fielder, a quality fit at second, third, or short. Also rates well in the outfield, but has no range there. Probably will start in A ball already. MLB: Loved this guy, and he was a doubles-mashing machine for us for five seasons before pricing himself off the roster. He's still out there, with Boston, and is a career .307 hitter with 48 WAR, over 2300 hits, and nearly 600 doubles.

Round 3, 114th Overall
RF Jesse Henkel, 19, high school. First of many high INT/WE players we took this year. Projects as a solid hitter all-around, upwards of 20-25 HR with good average. Intangibles could lead to better things for him, too. Average fielder, bad arm, which is a bummer. MLB: A lefty platoon guy, he had two seasons of 29 and 39 HR, leading the AL with 134 RBI in '41. Slumped in '42, got traded to NYY in '43, then vanished. Five years in Italy, and now five years in AAA. 459 MLB games, 96 HR, 5.9 WAR

Round 4, 150th Overall
RP Jason Barth, 20, St. John's. Smart kid. Good stuff, decent movement, control needs work. Fastball hits 96, quality curve as well. Wants to be a closer, but probably better suited for setup, or lefty specialist. MLB: I have no memory of this guy. Neither does MLB.

Round 5, 186th Overall
OF Dave White, 21, New Mexico. Another INT/WE guy who could prove better than he currently rates. Projects average to above average across the board, best at gap and HR power. Average glove, but rifle arm. LH batter, so could at least figure as a good bench bat. MLB: Became an okay "bench bat" for two seasons. 66 GP, 154 AB, 0.4 WAR

Round 6, 222nd Overall
RP Jim Blair, 20, Georgia. Similar to Barth, above, with less stuff but better control. Good fastball and slider, hits 98 MPH already. Smart kid, good leader. MLB: 4 relief apps with Atlanta in '44

Round 7, 258th Overall
1B Andy Amiot, 20, Western Carolina. Thoroughly average, but has killer intangibles. High INT, WE, LE. Poor defense will keep him at first or as DH. MLB: those intangibles didn't slay after all

Round 8, 294th Overall
2B Scott Bachant, 18, high school. Projects as a good hitter, but with zero power. Bad eye, doesn't strike out. Defense doesn't stand out, but has decent range, no arm. Also rates as an above average reliever. High work ethic. MLB: now working on his tenth season in AAA

Round 9, 330th Overall
SP Chris Herman, 18, high school. Impossible signability, and wants over $2M. See you later, Chris. MLB: nah

Round 10, 366th Overall
OF Caleb Davis, 19, high school. Good fielder, average hitter with...wait for it...no power. Good but not great arm probably keeps him from RF. Decent pitching prospect as well. Went unsigned after being taken in the 20th round by Oakland last year. MLB: nope

Anyone else? 11th round catcher Cory Vannoy saw 51 games with us over three seasons; several other guys may have fared well in business school eventually, but I don't know that for certain.

So we got one good guy and one guy who had two decent seasons before turning back into a pumpkin. Sounds about right.

Sizeman21 · 03-12-2021, 07:43 PM

Another good post Bub, I am really invested in your dynasty. Can't wait to see what happens in the playoffs.

Bub13 · 03-13-2021, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

Another good post Bub, I am really invested in your dynasty. Can't wait to see what happens in the playoffs.

(pushes "thanks" button)

I CAN'T WAIT EITHER BUT ALSO I CAN'T BEAR TO WATCH

Bub13 · 03-14-2021, 08:01 PM

Final twelve games--four series--of the regular season. We stay on the road for the first two, then finish off things with two sets at home. Hoping to regain some momentum for the post-season. With the division clinched, we get to watch everyone else play for a bit, so our lineup should be set and rested, fingers crossed.

September 16-18 @ TEXAS
Would have been a dynamite series last year, with the division still in doubt. This year, the Rangers are hoping for a late push to reach 100 wins (they're 90-60), with a three-game lead over Chicago for the first wildcard slot, and eleven games over the trailing Yankees. No real changes from our last meet-up in August: the lineup is healthy, three regulars pitchers are done for the year, and they're still hitting and pitching well. Second-best record in baseball, and still a strong chance to repeat as champions. William Swanson (.320/60/151) is looking for his 4th MVP trophy, and 3rd in a row. Ryan Boers has banged out 52 home runs and leadoff batter Ronnie Halvorson has 42. Mike Olivera still leads all AL batters with a .370 average, and don't sleep on ho-hum #5 batter Eric Robbins, only hitting .344 with 38 home runs. A relentless lineup.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.81) / RH Mike Bader (15-6, 3.98) / RH Chris Liles (10-7, 5.45)
TEX pitchers: RH Paul Labbe (13-8, 4.45) / LH Steve Means (3-0, 2.55) / RH Jesus Aguilar (14-10, 5.00)

#151: WIN 4-3 ... 2 RBI from Lynn and one from Daley in a 3-run 9th for the win...3 hits for Frederick...3 shutout innings from the pen
#152: WIN 10-1 ... two HR by Royer, one by Daley, both now at 29...Bader leaves with an injury in the first
#153: WIN 7-5 ... Covington hits his 20th, Medici his 49th...4 hits for Lynn...Liles gets pushed around, but the pen nails it down late

There's some momentum regained.... Bader's injury is a tired arm, and he may miss his next start, or he may not. Life is full of mysteries.... Covington becomes the first catcher to hit 20 HR for us since Alexis Mercedes hit 30 back in '43.... Tenth win for RP Jordan Ruiz, giving us six pitchers in double figures.... Short A Poughkeepsie won their first round playoff series, sweeping State College in three.... ELSEWHERE: Although neither has clinched, Texas and Chicago look like sure bets for the AL wildcards, with NY's tragic number down to one.... Philly's magic number is now two, but they suffered a loss with 3B Byron Wilmoth (.321/27/66, 38 steals) out for the year.... The Cubs clinched a playoff spot, and in the NL West LA and SF are tied for the division lead.... All hail San Diego 2B Pat Eden, an excellent fielder but a genuine debacle at the plate. He has the worst WAR in baseball, -1.6, and is batting .143 with an OPS+ of 20. How he's made 69 starts is anyone's guess. He's also been intentionally walked five times, meaning there's maybe...someone...worse? in the lineup?

September 20-22 @ SEATTLE
Having sealed a second consecutive last-place finish in the division, the M's are also looking at a sub-70 win season. Much of the blame can be directed at the pitching staff: 16th in runs against, with the next-to-last rotation ERA, at 6.43. None of the starters has come through the season looking like anything approaching a big leaguer, except for Phil Bishop and Mario Portillo...and both spent much of the year on the DL. There is good news: the offense ranks 7th and only (vastly) overpaid vet Jose Rodriguez won't be back. Plus top pitching prospects Ron Rivera (#4 in MLB) and Vince Push (#25 and off to a rough start after his recent callup) should be ready for the rotation next season. Rookie RF Paul Stough (22, and adding 33 HR) has arrived, giving vets Jon Terrell and Ger van Mourik (only 24 and 25, but grizzled already) some support. With Rodriguez's $38M coming off the books, maybe they can mount up and grab some useful free agents this fall.

HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (19-5, 2.56) / RH Biff Skiff (15-5, 3.84) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.86)
SEA pitchers: RH Chris Grauer (10-12, 6.30) / RH Vince Push (0-5, 10.41) / RH Dan Crews (8-9, 5.32)

#154: WIN 6-1 ... 20th win for Waugh, 25th HR for Matson...Mariners LF Rogelio Pena goes 0-for-5, fanning every time
#155: WIN 5-1 ... CG for Skiff, 3-for-3 night for Simmons...Covington hurt tho, might miss some post-season time
#156: WIN 9-0 ... 12 K CG for Pearse, his best effort in a long while, yielding just 2 hits...3 hits for Ulkini, 3-run HR for Hed

Sweep gives us 117 wins, a franchise record. Won't mean much more than that without a title though.... Waugh's 20th win and 2.47 ERA will top the AL. He's also 3rd in strikeouts and WAR, and so has to be the inside runner for AL Cy Young. Right?... Covington's out for two weeks, so it'll be close as to whether or not he'll be ready to go.... Minor league playoff update: Poughkeepsie will begin the NY-Penn league championship series, fighting the New York Empire (NOZ) for the title; AA Androscoggin took out Reading in four to claim the Eastern League title; AAA Santa Barbara will face Salt Lake for the PCL crown.... ELSEWHERE: the AL playoff picture is all set, with Detroit and Tampa Bay claiming their divisions, and Texas and Chicago the wildcards. Philly and Chicago have claimed divisions in the NL, but everything else is up in the air: LA leads SF by a game in the West, and one of those two will be a wildcard along with Cincinnati (unless the Mets can sweep their last six games).... Arizona fired manager Chase Spears, with a 59-94 mark. (Why now rather than wait a week?) Spears was in his 5th year and had only one semi-decent campaign, a 79-win effort a year ago. He's replaced by the completely unknown Phil Garber, who apparently was plucked from a hedge fund somewhere as this is his first MLB post of any kind.

September 23-25 vs CLEVELAND
In my continuing effort to see some good in every backmarker team, let me just say that there are promising signs for this 67-89 club. The top half of the lineup averages 24 years old, they're all good, and all are signed for next year. When I say "good" I mean generally decent, but they could definitely use some more zazz in the lineup--a big power bat, or a couple of guys who hit for high average, say. Prospect CF Scott Hull fits that "high average" bill, and he should start next year. The rotation needs a complete overhaul (33-year-old former Isle Ryan Ratliff should not be anyone's ace, for example) but the good news is they have three guys--Sam Tedder, Dudley Mele, Eric Nelson--ready for spring. If they don't blow it, this could be a contending team as soon as next season: add a nice bat, a couple of mid-level SP, and the usual cheap-but-solid RP, and I say they're a 90 win team, boom. It'll be tough though, with Detroit and Chicago in the same division.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (15-6, 3.97) / RH Chris Liles (11-7, 5.51) / LH Matt Waugh (20-5, 2.47)
CLE pitchers: RH Conrad Robertson (7-12, 5.95) / LH Taylor Baxter (8-12, 5.58) / RH Jaden Daniels (0-1, 19.29)

#157: WIN 3-2 ... Matson's solo shot in the 6th is the GW...2 hits for Simmons...Bader goes 8, then Collier fans the side in the 9th
#158: WIN 7-6 ... outhit 10-8, and Liles is a trash fire again, but the bullpen slams the door on a late rally with 2.1 shutout innings
#159: WIN 8-7 ... a tired pen yields a 5-run 9th...Royer blasts his 30th, and Groff has a rare 2-hit night

Well alrighty then: three one-run games, and we reach the lofty heights of a 120 win season.... Royer becomes the third player to reach 30 HR on the season, with Daley stuck at 29. Medici needs one more for 50. Come on!... ELSEWHERE: wild game in the Bronx, with Tampa Bay outslugging the Yanks 21-6, and thirteen dingers--eight by the visitors.... the NL West is still tight, but LA has at least clinched a playoff spot. They're one up on the Giants, who look solid to claim one of the wildcards. Cincinnati has the inside line on the second one, with New Orleans, Portland, and NY still in the hunt.... Phillie 2B Mike Oatis was just arrested for weaselnapping.... No 10 WAR players this year, but Rick Logston (PHI, 9.4) and Chris Mitchell (NYY, 9.2) gave it a run.... Three teams--Montreal, Milwaukee, and Baltimore--have joined the 100-loss club. If Arizona gets swept by San Diego, they'll join the party.

September 26-28 vs CALIFORNIA
Didn't we just play these guys? Not sure what else I can say about them. Unlike the Indians, I'm not as bullish on this franchise's near-term future. Of their top ten prospects, only P Aaron Moore will be ready for next season, and he's a good-not-great SP. The good news is that they're dumping some overpriced vets onto the free agent market this fall. The bad news is that they've stopped spending money so I don't see them chasing any big names this fall. Slugger Mauricio Marquez (.326/38/101) has fully matured into a genuine star, but there's just little else behind him. Two years ago Ricky Ochoa banged out 56 HR and looked to be a future star. Now he's a sub-2 WAR guy and probably won't be extended this fall. They've got a couple of young SP and some decent arms in the pen, so maybe there's more hope there. Although 20-year-old prospect Leo Ortiz has huge potential, but is a head case and didn't light it up in AAA this year. They've been rebuilding for over a decade now and show no sign of getting back to the top anytime soon.

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (16-5, 3.72) / RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 3.52) / RH Mike Bader (16-6, 3.91)
CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (12-9, 3.53) / RH Ryan Kuehner (3-3, 4.56) / RH George Millard (10-12, 4.17)

#160: WIN 4-3 ... Royer homers early, and we win it on an 8th inning sac fly from Frederick
#161: LOSS 3-5 ... Kolb's two doubles and first MLB RBI are the only highlights here
#162: WIN 7-3 ... Kolb homers, congrats!...Simmons singles twice, walks twice, scores twice...no other milestones set

Finally a non-one-run win here. The winning streak ended, but as they say: time to start another one.... started some reserves this series, with Groff, Kelley, Kolb, and Hed all seeing regular at bats. Kolb looked really good, which of course is highly meaningful for next season.... J.J. Simmons swiped two bags in the last game to tie Chicago's Zeke de la Rosa for the AL steals title with 35.... ELSEWHERE: SF dropped their first two games to LA but won the finale to hold off hard-charging New Orleans and claim the second wildcard spot.... the AL wild card series will feature Texas (98 wins) versus the White Sox (96 wins). Shame that one of those teams will be knocked out early. I believe we'll get the winner in the 2nd round.... Home runs kind of dried up late, as William Swanson (TEX, 62) and Rick Logston (PHI, 61) only hit one each over their last ten games. Poor guys.... Only two qualified pitchers ended up with ERA under three: Matt Waugh (HAW, 2.50) and Everett Cronk (LA, 2.72).

......

TL;DR Version: Okay, finishing 11-1 is fine with me I GUESS. Heading into the post-season, the good news is that just about everyone is going great on the field, and that means we're winning nearly all the time. The bad news...well, there isn't any really, but a GM always worries. We went 31-9 in one-run games this season: will that extend into the playoffs? We were third in runs scored, which is a low placement for us in recent times, so does that indicate forthcoming struggles? Our offense is usually--no pun intended--hit-or-miss in the playoffs. What's around the corner then? All this is just catastrophising, I know, but it can't be helped. You win 122 games and anything less than a title is a letdown. (Btw, if you're interested, our Pythag. number was 111 wins.) Only other note is that we're healthy save for Covington's back injury, which has one week left to run. Given that there's a wildcard series (not just one game) he may be healthy enough to play by the time we take the field again.

DD Martin · 03-14-2021, 08:18 PM

Wow what a regular season. I wasn't expecting it to be quite this great of a year. Obviously the Isle's are the favorites to win the whole thing so good luck.

10-23-2020, 08:48 PM	#382
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	Welcome to 2053! Welcome to 2053! ...It's a new year, but old norms are reasserting themselves. First, the Yankees drop $5M on a middling reliever, overpaying just because they can. Not to be outdone, the Dodgers pony up $10M on three relieves on ONE DAY, giving them a grand total of seven new relievers this off-season and reclaiming the title of "Most Number of Needless Signings at One Position." Congrats, guys. ...Toronto is trying to build a contender, but trading away their best SP--veteran and regular 5-WAR guy Alberto Reyes-- to the Mets for two really average and overrated prospects is not the way to do it. ...LA signs yet another relief pitcher, named--and I kid you not--Mike Socia. I'm now looking to see if they also have a "Mike Pizazz" on the system. ...and then they add two more. Are they trying to build two teams here? ...I've received two trade proposals recently for RP Ben Germann. The latest came from Cincy, offering two average prospects for BG plus a mere $4.7M. Um, no? ...WTF guys: LA has added TWO MORE pitchers, both of whom started last year but are now listed as relievers. All of the forty or so they've just added are making big league money, from $1.5M to $4.5M per season, so they're going to have a very highly paid AAA bullpen I suppose. And AA too, at this rate. ...frankly, LA is just the avatar of all MLB early-calendar-year signings: by mid-February, 74 players have been signed since 1/1, and only 4 are position players. ...I briefly look at the top two free agent relievers still on the board, both former Wilhelm Trophy winners, Rick Ramirez and Quinn Driscoll. BNN says they want $3-4M for a year, but in reality they each have several teams rumored to be after them, and so each of their current demands top $10M. No thanks. ...... Spring Training is here! As usual, the roster is mostly set; but we do have some questions and with call-ups we have 45 players in camp this year, an unusually high number. And while there isn't a ton of roster turnover expected, we do go into camp with the following considerations: 1. Catcher. The Willie Alonzo trade means we're counting on rookie Mike Covington to step right in and contribute. We'll still work a platoon, as he doesn't yet hit lefties and backup Hiro Wakabayashi got on base near a .400 clip last year against LHP. Covington, tho, can stroke some doubles, has developing power, and is excellent behind the plate. He hit .261 in a September callup; if he does that this year, and plays good defense, I'll be satisfied. 2. Starting Pitching. Despite trading Shamar Jackson, the return of Mike Pearse meant we had five returning SP. So what did I do? I signed a major free agent, former Cy Young-winner Matt Waugh, to a big deal. My reasoning is that this gives us more depth in the rotation--should someone else go down long-term--and Waugh was the best pitcher available this off-season. I figure that one of the returning sophomores--Josh Ivin, Mike Bader, or Henry Skiffington--will go into long relief to begin the season and be there as insurance, especially if Pearse has lost it after missing a year. 3. Bullpen. The top slots are filled: Kyle Johnson returns as closer, and setup men Ben Germann and Robbie Collier are solid veterans. It's an open call for the final three slots, however, to be filled from ten candidates, not including a long man from the note above. Nobody has an inside track, although Deshawn Card, Nate Kearns, Andy Pearse, Jodan Ruiz, and MH Yaung all saw time on the big club last year, to varying levels of pain. They're joined by rookies Elias Tena, GJ "Not GI" Joe, Orlando Silva, two returning AAA starters, Danny Carbajal and Miguel Tirado, and top SP prospect Daniel Croft. 4. Third Base. In not re-signing D.J. Grace, we opened up a hole in our lineup, one that I did not fill through free agency or trade. But I have to admit, I don't have a sure-fire prospect ready to step in, either. After signing Waugh, I decided we didn't have enough cash to ink another expensive free agent, and there weren't any experienced third basemen that I thought were worth the money anyway. So what are we doing? Going through a three-way tryout in camp, featuring two converted outfielders and a recently-acquired prospect, that's what. The conversion projects are Caleb Royer and Dante Garrica; the newbie is Jonathan Dobo, nabbed from Texas for disappointing pitching prospect Chris Wildermuth. Dobo is the least-developed, but looks to have 30+ HR potential; he will strike out a fair amount, however. Royer is the farthest along, with a decent bat, some power, and a lot of speed. Garrica could be a Gold Glove OF one day, but his bat may hold him back in the end. All have the same defense: average range and glove, big arms. I have no idea who will win in the end; or maybe we'll ultimately have to bring in someone from the outside after all. 5. More Power. We have an OWNER GOAL to hit more homers, but frankly I don't think we'll start bashing with the Detroits and Oaklands of the league. In our favor, we'll have a full year of Medici (who could hit 40), and Covington should have more pop than did Alonzo. But the rest of the lineup is full of middleweights, guys who'll hit 15-25 a season, and J.J. Simmons, who will definitely not surpass his career high of three from a year ago. (Bet the under, people.) Will we hit more than last season's 160? Yes, I think so. But we're probably not going to reach 200, and so will have to count on just outhitting everyone else...again. ...... ...with Spring Training underway, the Cubs continue to build on last year's division title, adding closer Rick Ramirez and catcher John Lane. Lane has some pop and a big arm, and is certainly an improvement over last season's starter Andrew Perez (.228/10/46). Ramirez is signed for $15M, making him one of the highest-paid relievers in the game, and immediately slots in at the closer spot. They went through several closers last year, none of whom were dominant, so his addition will help. ...after losing ace Matt Waugh (to us!), Atlanta went and grabbed perennial 4-5 WAR guy Edward Davalos from San Diego. Now: their season just took a big hit with Davalos going out for the year with an elbow injury. ...the Yankees also got bit hard by the injury bug, with ace Elijah Bragg on the shelf for three months and closer Jay Debus done for the year. ...Cubs add the other big remaining RP, signing Quinn Driscoll for a year at $11M. Their bullpen just looks outstanding now, even better than the Dodgers twenty-man crew. Although $26M on two relievers is more than some teams spend on their entire staffs. ...Texas lost mid-rotation SP Jose Ambriz for the year. He gets added to an injured list that already has CL Mike Nelson (5 months), and RP Steve Means (3 months). Shame that happened, really. Tsk. ...Toronto signed former Isles coach Paul Trashini manage the club. Trashini also led the Marlins to their recent successes, getting to the Series but falling short, and pulling off several 90+ win seasons of late. Still didn't get renewed, and sat out last year. Also just signed was former Braves and Pirates manager Dario Agrazal, now at the Royals helm. Agrazal has won two titles, then been let go each time within a couple of seasons. It'll probably be a long time before KC is back to respectability, however. ...... Update: Sunday, March 30, 2053: Aaaaand Spring Training comes to a close. We went 18-12 but finished strong after a 9-9 start. The games don't count, obviously, but it's no surpise that the two teams finishing above us in our division were...Oakland and Texas. I guess this means they'll be good again? Anyway, we suffer the usual raft of minor injuries--including having five RP out at one time--but the only one of significance is Josh Frederick's broken foot. He'll miss the first 3-4 weeks of the season, and how well his replacements play could have major implications for next season and beyond. (More on that down below.) There were no real surpises in camp, although we do have some ...unsettled... situations that will play out over the season: third base and starting pitching. Eight rookies made the roster: six batters and two pitchers. (Although four of those eight did see some MLB time last year.) Details below, in the roster write-up. 2053 Hawaii Islanders Roster As usual: player info, stats, then some brief commentary. Starters in bold. C Mike Covington, 23, L, signed thru '53 (auto renew), .312/11/61 in AAA, plus .261 in 23 September AB with Hawaii. The future starts now, as he takes over from Alonzo after just one season. Still growing, but already looks more than competent at the plate and is an above-average receiver. Added 47 doubles in AAA too, so he's no slap hitter. As a lefty, he'll platoon for now. C Hiro Wakabayashi, 31, R, signed thru '53 (arb), .309/.429/.369 in 149 AB, 1.4 WAR. Unlike Covington, he is a slap hitter, and hit just 7 XBH last year. Takes a lot of walks, hence that gaudy-looking OBP. Solid catcher and a good teammate; only drawback is he wants to start, so we'll have to watch that attitude, buster. 1B Josh Matson, 29, S, signed thru '59 (TO in '58), .318/26/120, 45 doubles, 26 steals, 4.2 WAR. Stats were very close to his '52 season, so hopefully this is what we can expect from him the next few years, at least. (And since he'll be around for the rest of the decade, let's hope so.) The switch to first helped him, and while he's no Gold Glove fielder there, he did have a positive ZR. 1B/DH Adam Groff, 39, L, signed thru '55 (TO in '53), .265/12/55, 0 WAR. It's finally happened: the face of the franchise is no longer a regular. And he's very unhappy about it. But when your average drops 50 points, you strike out the most in your career (despite only 419 AB), and your SLG drops over 100 points, what else can you expect. What I'm really having to face is that this is most likely his last season on the Islands. We are unlikely to pick up his TO, especially at $34.5M. I also admit that I considered shopping him around, as he's already unhappy anyway, but decided against it. No one's picking up that contract, let's be honest. 2B Bob Goodloe, 29, L, signed thru '55, .297/16/96, 3.4 WAR. When he hit .354 in 3/4 of a season back in '50, I wrote that we'd probably seen the best he had to offer. And truly, his production has dropped each of the last two seasons. He's a team captain, great on the bases, doesn't strike out, and plays passable defense. So it's not like he's on the way out...but you never know. 3B/OF Caleb Royer, 25, R, minor league contract, .322/16/59 in AAA. Converted OF who got a long look in camp. Hit terribly at first, but came on late, and will platoon against lefties with the next guy, below. Not exactly Brooks Robinson at third, but he's no Johnny Bench, either. Line drive hitter, has 15-20 HR power, and great on the bases. I may be nuts going with this platoon, and it could come to a crashing halt by mid-summer, but here goes anyway... 3B Lua Ulkini, 24, L, signed thru '53 (auto renew), .296/4/31 in AAA, .195 in 41 AB in Hawaii. The first and only MLBer from the Wallis Islands. Was once a highly-regarded prospect, but slid down the rankings somewhat until I moved him from RF to 3B. Slightly better fielder than Royer (bigger arm), but less of a hitter. Still, after batting nearly .500 in camp, he gets the early nod. We'll see how long it lasts. With well-regarded prospect Jonathan Dobo in AAA, if either of these two guys struggles early, we'll make the switch, especially if the scouts give Dobo a jump. SS J.J. Simmons, 30, R, signed thru '60 (opt out after '56), .344/3/50, 39 steals 6.9 WAR. If he could hit 10-15 HR, he'd be an MVP candidate. Seriously. He's a dynamite fielder, can run and hit, and whiffs less than 40 times a year. He's well worth the big salary. The only thing to watch is, now that he's 30, his range may be starting to slip. He did win three GG at third, so I could always slide him back over and look somewhere for help at short, should things come to that. SS/2B Kevin Kelley, 22, R, minor league contract, .242/2/31 in AA, .370 in AAA. Excellent fielder and a team captain, even at his age. The former 16th round pick has climbed steadily up our rankings, but he never has hit in the minors (that 73 AB stretch in AAA last year is the exception). He's a slap hitter, not a lot of HR or gap power, but will make contact, won't strike out, and will work the plate for a walk. He's also a local kid, from Waimalu. If he hits anything at all, he'll be the ideal utility infielder. LF Cam Daley, 29, L, signed thru '53, .319/26/130, 42 doubles, 16 steals, 3.3 WAR. That gaudy RBI number notwithstanding, 2052 was a down year for Daley, as his AVG, OBP, and SLG all slipped noticeably. He still posts acceptable defensive numbers, but his range in the field is declining. The owners want him signed to an extension, which as of now, I'm not willing to do. Dropping him will be extremely unpopular with the fans, but it's on the radar, at least. He makes a highly affordable $5.6M right now, but in early talks he's asking for over $25M. Just sayin'... OF Stephen Eason, 22, L, signed thru '53 (arb), .250/1/7 in 56 AB. Decent player, but doesn't stand out in any area. Another captain-type, has some pop and can play anywhere in the outfield. But his contact is just average, and nothing else he does overcomes that. Useful, but could be surpassed by other prospects this year. CF Joe Lynn, 24, R, signed thru '56, .324/10/70, 14 triples, 47 steals, 5.6 WAR. League leader in triples and steals the last two seasons, and is a fan favorite to boot. Great range in the field and can bat leadoff in a pinch. Doesn't walk much, but has worked on his plate discipline enough so that there's no liability there any longer. His 10 HR will probably be a career high. Great contract too. RF/LF Doug Pederson, 24, L, minor league contract, .304/30/79 in AAA, 5.6 WAR. Gets the nod in right with Frederick's injury. (Will share time with Eason and Espino as well.) The first round pick from '50 has developed nicely, and looks like an excellent all-around hitter. Could match his power from AAA if given the chance, and actually compares favorably at the plate with Frederick. Can run too, which makes his terrible OF range all the more surprising, and something that may have him moving (sooner than later) to 1B or DH. Isn't terrible against LHP, but will get platooned for now anyway. OF Diego Espino, 22, R, minor league contract, .270/20/76 in AA and AAA. The 58th-ranked prospect by MLB, and is another young captain-type and beloved by his teammates. Truly excellent fielder, adept across all three positions, and an above-average hitter. Above-average, but probably not quite starter-level hitting, to my eye: he'd probably give you .255 with 10-15 HR any given year, with excellent defense. Not so bad, but not as good as the guys who play good defense while batting .330... ... SP Chris Liles, 32, R, signed thru '54, 25 starts, 10-7, 2.81 ERA, 179 IP, 179 K, 5.5 WAR. Acquired before the deadline from KC, he was a big hit when healthy. Missed a few weeks after the trade, then missed the post-season, when we could have used him. Hard worker, smart pitcher, an elite change is his best weapon. Good control, walks less than 3 per 9 IP over his career, and less than 1 HR per 9 too. SP Matt Waugh, 26, L, signed thru '61, 32 starts, 16-10, 3.18 ERA, 221 IP, 260 K, 8.5 WAR (with ATL). Two-time Cy Young winner with the Braves, with big-time stuff and excellent control. A solid four-pitch repertoire, and he'll toss in a sneaky slider on occasion too. After adding him and Liles, we suddenly have a 1A and 1B staff aces. Only drawback is his laziness. SP Josh Irvin, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 14-5, 3.95 ERA, 212 IP, 189 K, 4.0 WAR. Not a hard thrower (hitting just 91 on the radar gun), but makes up for that with excellent control and movement. Walked just 28 batters last year; does give up the long ball on occasion, with 39 in '52. He's like a righty Eric Jones, with a bit more zing to his stuff. If he mirrors Jones' career with us, I won't complain. SP Mike Bader, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 14-10, 3.61 ERA, 220 IP, 132 K, 2.9 WAR. Pitched well last year, with a good ERA all season long, but never dominated. His third pitch--a circle change--hasn't quite filled out yet, and he'll need it if he wants to sustain any success. A groundballer, but yielded 33 dingers last year. Solid camp kept him in the rotation. SP Henry Skiffington, 24, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 32 starts, 15-12, 4.67 ERA, 212 IP, 153 K, 2.6 WAR. Had an up-and-down season, and was my pre-camp candidate for long relief, but beat out Pearse for the #5 spot in the rotation. Scouts say he's still growing as well, and like Bader he'll need it to keep his spot. CL Kyle Johnson, 26, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 61 GP, 2.49 ERA, 61 IP, 81 K, 36 SV, 1.4 WAR. Was about as good as you can be for the first few months of '52, giving up just three runs. Backslid late, however, and struggled in the wildcard series against Texas. Was good and bad in camp, but did get better as the weeks went on. I expect a solid year from him. SU Ben Germann, 33, R, signed thru '55 32 GP, 3 GS, 8-0, 2.12 ERA, 59 IP, 59 K, 1 SV, 1.4 WAR. Went 3-0 as a starter, but I didn't want to push my luck given his negative history as a rotation regular. Strikeouts-per-9 dropped more than 4 from '51, but he did fan 33 in camp this year, so I hope he'll have his power game back. At 33, you wonder how much he's got left in the tank, but the scouts say he's still at 100%. SU Robbie Collier, 38, L, signed thru '53, 48 GP, 3-3, 1.98 ERA, 55 IP, 82 K, 3 SV, 1.6 WAR. We let him go free agent after a solid '51, but missed him and reacquired him from Richmond at the deadline. His 1.62 ERA down the stretch made him worth the deal. We're hopeful he's got another solid year left in his rebuilt elbow: he fanned 13.5 per 9 IP last year, and was just as good in camp just now. Another local guy, from Ewa Beach. MR Nate Kearns, 27, R, signed thru '53 (renew), 6 GP, 1-2, 4.34 ERA, 19 IP, 17 K, 0 WAR (1.55 ERA in 46 IP in AAA). A very good camp earned him a spot in the pen right away. Has fabulous stuff, with excellent movement, but struggles with control (walked 4.8/9 for us and 4.3 in AAA last year). Lots of guys threw well in camp, so he's got to keep it up to stay up with us. MR Jordan Ruiz, 23, L, signed thru '53 (renew), 6 GP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 IP, 13 K, 0.4 WAR (1.7 WAR in 44 IP across AA and AAA too). Another guy who's great camp earned him a slot, especially as we wanted a second LHP after Collier. Is a lot like Kearns, but with better control (walked just under 3 per 9 across all three levels). Wasn't high on my radar until last summer, after a strong start in AA. Can hit 100 on the gun. LR Mike Pearse, 26, R, signed thru '53 (arb), missed season (15-6, 3.65, 4.6 WAR in '51). The surprise of two seasons ago, his arm injury in camp last year signaled the start of our pitching problems. Scouts say he's still got the goods to start, and hasn't lost anything from his 12.5 K/9 in '51, but he really struggled in camp. If he can get it back, and moves ahead of one of the kids, it'll be like having a third ace in the rotation. I think he's that good, and I'm really pulling for him. But he'll begin in long relief. On the DL: RF Josh Frederick, 30, L, signed thru '58 (opt out after '53), .299/29/100, 3.7 WAR. Missed 70 games in '51, 20 last year, and starts this year on the DL. The new normal, or just bad luck? The team captain, and will move back into the lineup upon his return. Doesn't strike out much for someone with his power, and is a solid fielder with a gun for an arm. His opt out after the season will be the key to what we do this fall. One scenario could have both him and Daley leaving after this year, which doesn't seem right. MR Anthony Booker, 25, R, signed thru '53 (arb), 20 GP, 3-1, 3.23 ERA, 47 IP, 49 K, 0.9 WAR (28 IP in AAA too). Came on strong after an early demotion, having been terrible in April. Excellent sinker and slider, and we hope he comes back strong. He'll be out for 3-4 months, then will get a rehab stint. Solid camp, should see time on the big team this year: RPs Deshawn Card, Andy Pearse, Elias Tena, Orlando Silva, and GJ Joe, 3B Jonathan Dobo, and OFs Josh Hed and Dante Garrica. ...... MLB/BNN Predictions for 2053: I have to say that I think it's cuckoo that MLB says we'll win 104 games, most in the majors, and win our division by six over Texas. And mighty Oakland? Falls to 78 wins and a fourth-place tie with Houston. That prediction (for us) seems to rest on what they say is league-best pitching, topping Miami by a hair. We'll be near rock-bottom in HR again (natch), and "only" third in runs scored. So...a lot like last year, but with more consistent pitching? Okay; but I'm not sold that this is a 104-win team. Good? Yes. That good? Highly debatable. The other AL division winners look to be Tampa (joining us with 100 wins) and Detroit, with Texas and Miami claiming the wild cards. And the White Sox just missing out again. At the bottom of the well is Boston, with just 56 wins. Even Baltimore figures to win 67 times, damn. Other notes: Texas and Oakland will clout over 340 HR; Miami will steal just 46 bases (versus 169 for us); and Houston and Seattle will approach allowing 1000 runs. Also, despite efforts to reign in the lively baseball, Oakland's Felix Reyes will bang out 71 homers; and Texas' William Swanson will win another batting title, at .362 (just beating out our own Josh Matson at .359) Over in the NL, New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco will claim their respective divisions. Philadelphia and Los Angeles are your wild card claimants, with Atlanta, Chicago, and Cincinnati also having strong seasons. Richmond will win just 56 games and field a pitching staff that rivals the worst in the AL; and Philly will shatter MLB records with 380 team home runs. (While San Diego will knock only 116.) Five battes will top 60 HR, while Cincy's Cris Frias will again flirt with 400 strikeouts. Also of note: two of the top pitchers in the NL will be former Islanders, Mike Garfield (with San Diego) and Chris Carpenter (Mets). Yippee. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

11-02-2020, 09:07 PM	#383
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	April 2053 -- opening day and beyond Welcome to 2053, and the 20th season of Islanders baseball! You've seen the Anniversary Patch, and you've stayed for the action on the field. Thank you! So let's get going... March 31-April 2 vs SEATTLE A last-place, 66-win team from a year ago, the M's added nothing of consequence over the winter. MLB says they lost -0.1 WAR, but considering that SS Nesty Arteaga and his -1.6 WAR retired, that's addition by subtraction. He'll be replaced by veteran Sam Moore, who missed all of '52 after being signed away from Toronto. Two rookies made the starting lineup: RF Mike Bruno and 3B Eric Collier. Neither provokes much reaction, positive or negative. The rotation looks pretty shallow, and there are two SP on the DL. New closer Marco Mendez gets a bump up from middle relief, but outside of Adam Krull (last year's closer), the pen doesn't inspire much praise either. The good news is that the rebuilding franchise has the league's #3-ranked prospect system, led by #4 overall Ron Rivera, a P/CF who really should focus on pitching, as he's a primo talent there. OF Paul Stough, at #10, smacked 39 HR in A ball last year, and could be in the lineup by the all-star break. With a 29th-ranked budget and 25th-placed payroll, they're not going to spend their way back to relevance, but a strong prospect pool could get them there in a few years time. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-7, 2-81) / LH Matt Waugh (16-10, 3.18) / RH Mike Bader (14-10, 3.61) SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (10-13, 5.25) / RH Dan Welker (10-14, 5.56) / RH Chris Grauer (8-7, 4.70) #1: WIN 10-4 ... 4 HR out of the gate, including 2 by Pederson and a 3-run shot from Royer...Liles goes 8, and Pearse tosses his first IP in over a year #2: WIN 8-2 ... Pederson and Medici homer again; Simmons goes 4-for-5 with 3 doubles...7 IP for Waugh, gets his first Islanders win #3: LOSS 5-8 ... Bader gets roughed up for 5 early runs...we manage just 6 hits, probably exhaustion from the first two games...Royer homers The great philosopher Meat Loaf once said "Two out of three ain't bad" and he was right.... Great start (.556/3/6) for Pederson. Yes, it's just three games, but it beats the alternative.... Only long man Mike Pearse and two back-end RP have seen action from the pen so far.... ELSEWHERE: Texas dropped their first two to Oakland, but then laid down a 20-6 pasting in the closer. Houston swept California and leads the West by a game early on.... Four other AL teams also swept their opening series; no NL teams did.... 4 HR and 9 RBI for Pittsburgh's Sean Friedman, leading everyone. April 3-5 vs TEXAS Here's the early test: I expect the defending champs to be battling us all season long. The league's best offense returns everyone but catcher Juan Espinoza, gone to Richmond. (Replacement Brad Ball isn't much, tho.) Into the lineup comes promising rookie LF Mike Olivera, and free agent OF Nate Atwater (on the DL however). LF Ted Miller smacked 23 HR in 98 games last year and is now on the bench. That's a deep squad. MVP William Swanson is looking to repeat, and guys like Ronnie Halverson, Eric Robbins, and Omar Gurrola would star on any team. Pitching might become an issue, with an SP and their CL (plus two other RP) all out for at least a month. They added SP Jesus Aguilar from Seattle and Bill Butts from Brooklyn, but they're strictly back-end guys. Former SP prospect Greg Buchanan is now the closer, which seems like a mistake. But they won it all last year, so who can complain? The rest of the pen has some hard throwers, plus two veteran former starters, so there's depth if things start to go sideways. The kiddo system ranks 23rd, with only IF Javier Tzoc (#18) a sure-fire big leaguer. He's on the big squad, and should push 2B Mike McNeill (great D, so-so hitting) for playing time. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (14-5, 3.95) / RH Henry Skiffington (15-12, 4.67) / RH Chris Liles (1-0, 4.50 in '53) TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (5-19, 7.12) / LH Bill Butts (6-10, 5.78) / RH Kevin Cahill (0-1, 2.57) #4: WIN 3-2 ... another day, another Pederson HR...Groff makes his first start, goes 0-for-2 with a walk...first appearances for the top of the pen, too #5: LOSS 6-7 ... a 4-run 9th ruins an otherwise happy day, with Johnson blowing up for all the runs...good start for Skiff tho #6: WIN 16-8 ... pitching, who needs it...we're outhit 18-13 tonight, but also take six walks...HR for Pederson, Medici, and Covington gets his first Gotta love early season stats: we've scored 48 runs in 6 games and we don't lead the AL.... Doug Pederson has gone crazy so far; let's see what the next three weeks brings, waiting for Frederick's return from the DL.... Ditto the good start for Caleb Royer at third. My plan to platoon him with Ulkini hasn't worked out yet due to the latter's injury, but Lua has still gone 2-for-2 in a PH role.... And Groff is 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts. He is sulking big time too. Sigh.... ELSEWHERE: Tampa, Houston, and Detroit have started 6-0. California and Cleveland are 0-6.... Two hitting streaks dating back to last season ended this week: Dillon Ritter (ARI) saw his 23-gamer end, while Jake Glowski (CAL) lost his 22-game stint conclude. April 6-8 vs MIAMI The homestand continues with a team predicted to win 91 games and likely keep their playoff streak alive. The lineup remains largely unchanged, being led by Toshi Shimabukuro (.334/41/107) and five others who smacked over 25 HR last year. Their pitching should be improved, given that they moved Wilhelm-trophy winning closer Dwaine Webb into the rotation, and now have 22-game winner Victor Nunez in the #5 slot. They'll surely improve upon their 2-4 start, largely due to poor hitting (just .212) thus far. The annual managerial carousel has brought round Arby Fields, a long-time bench coach, getting his first shot at managing above the A ball level. His contract is for this year only, so I'd recommend he doesn't buy a house just yet. Budget and payroll are top ten, but the prospect system is 32nd, near the bottom. They do have #43 ranked Willie Maya, to whom they paid out a whopping $29M three years ago. He looks pretty good, but should probably work for free for a few more years, let the budget catch up a bit. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (1-0, 2.57) / RH Mike Bader (0-1, 9.00) / RH Josh Irvin (0-0, 0.00) MIA pitchers: RH Dwaine Webb (0-1, 13.50) / RH Mike Messinger (0-1, 7.71) / RH Jason Simon (0-0, 1.29) #7: WIN 2-0 ... four-hit shutout by Waugh...only five hits for us, with Royer's HR the big noisemaker...Groff starts, gets a hit and an RBI #8: LOSS 7-8 ... Bader struggles through 6.2, yielding 11 hits, and Ruiz blows it with 3 runs in the 9th...HR for Pederson and Groff #9: LOSS 2-4 ... a meh game, with mediocre hitting and boring pitching...only one XBH, and we struck out 11 times This subpar outing drops us to 5-4 and a tied for third with Texas.... We're fourth in runs and seventh in runs allowed, and a +16 differential.... Diego Espino still has an unknown return date from his leg injury, so we put him on the DL and recall Josh Hed.... We also waived/DFAd infielder Jesus Lopez last week. No one claimed him, but because he has a big-league salary we can't send him to AAA? What? Okay then, so we traded him to Montreal for 21-year-old IF prospec Bobby Cordola. Cordola has poor hitting ceilings, but is a great fielder and a hard worker. With luck, he'll be a utility IF one day. Which is what Lopez is right now, only six years older and a better hitter. Good luck to us.... ELSEWHERE: No unbeatens remain, but the White Sox have won six in a row to jump to 8-1. Houston is also 8-1. Boston trails the pack at 1-8.... Cincy's Cris Frias is still gunning 'em down, with 25 K in 15 IP so far. April 10-12 @ KANSAS CITY It's been a long rebuilding process in KC, with only three winning seasons in the last decade-and-a-half, and two consecutive last-place finishes. MLB says this year will be no different, and they are off to a 3-6 start. The talent is still kind of thin, but it's coming around. Leadoff batter Dan Dellinger has two batting crowns to his credit, and can still single you to death; youngsters Tom Esposito, Tim Chapman, and Julius Burrows are a decent core. (Those last two came from us last year, you might remember.) There's not much else in the lineup yet, however, and top prospect SS Jose Valdez (an excellent hitter but a tin glove) is still at least a year away. They should fare better on the mound, with some decent, home-grown talent in the rotation, and a steady-if-unspectacular bullpen. Frankly, there is more pitching talent on paper than has been shown on the field so far, but this year could be different. And the fifth-ranked prospect system also has two excellent young arms--Steve Scibek and Tony Waters--that could develop into the ace this staff needs. New manager Dario Agrazal has two titles to his credit, and if owner J.J. Glass will unloose the purse strings a bit, the Royals could be good again very soon. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (0-0, 3.38) / RH Chris Liles (1-0, 6.23) / LH Matt Waugh (2-0, 1.13) KCR pitchers: RH Jorge Ornelas (0-1, 5.14) / RH Adam Grossman (0-1, 6.75) / RH Ryan Swan (1-1, 4.91) #10: WIN 2-0 ... Skiff's turn tonight to toss a 4-hit shutout...we muster just 7 hits, but Daley does sock his 1st HR of the season, a 2-run shot #11: WIN 10-7 ... we break out with 12 hits and a trio of HR...4 RBI for Royer...Liles struggles again, pulled in the 5th #12: LOSS 4-5 ... a pair of HR in the 2nd is all KC needs to beat us here...we get close in the 8th, but Groff grounds into a DP to end any threat An okay series, at least we took two again. Up to 7-5 now, two games behind Oakland.... Offense is up to 3rd now, but we've dropped from 5th in H to 9th, of course. Still first in steals, tho.... Cam Daley, whom I've been ordered to extend, is really struggling: .191/1/5. Rookie catcher Covington is also flailing a bit, at .194.... Kyle Johnson finally has his ERA under 20. Congrats, young man.... ELSEWHERE: Race To The Bottom News: Boston and Baltimore are both 2-10. At the other end, the Chisox are now 11-1, winners of 9 straight.... Philly LF Rick Logston has reaced 2 WAR, batting .513/9/13. April 13-15 @ HOUSTON The recent resurgence has sputtered, with four seasons of bottom-half finished in the West. But they're 8-4 this year, with #2 hitting and #3 pitching so far. Stud 1B Jose Renteria has knocked the stuffing out of everything, at .533/8/21. Three others are hitting over .340, more than making up for 47-HR guy Ricky Silva's slow start (.229/1/4). Former Isles washout Tim Ciotta has been solid at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen sports a fun little 0.45 ERA. I'll be curious to see if they can sustain this strong start: Renteria and Silva are solid hitters, but the rest of the lineup is pretty squishy, tbh. Owner Jim Crane is a cheapskate, and despite sitting on a pile of cash he's showing no sign of re-upping the 28-year-old Silva, which is a huge concern for Astros fans. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (0-1, 7.71) / RH Josh Irvin (0-1, 4.15) / RH Biff Skiff (1-0, 1.59) HOU pitchers: RH Chris James (0-0, 3.86) / RH Alex Trujillo (1-0, 4.38) / LH Pat Wise (1-1, 3.12) #13: LOSS 3-4 ... Johnson is off again, giving up a GWHR in the 11th...Goodloe knocks his 1st HR, Medici his 5th #14: WIN 6-3 ... Royer and Covington go deep, and tweaking the lineup results in 10 hits and a pile of XBH #15: LOSS 2-8 ... we outhit them 14-9, but they manage six XBH (and 3 HR), while we get just one...4 hits for Simmons Ugh, still muddling along. Kinda hard to see what's holding us back, as it seems like something different each night.... Maybe it's that, despite overall solid hitting numbers, only two regulars are batting over .280, and five starters have hit zero or one HR.... Closer Johnson is also struggling, with a 12.27 ERA, two losses, and two blown saves.... Despite leading the league in steals, we're way back in 16th in overall baserunning, whatever that means.... ELSEWHERE: Sadly, Baltimore and Boston both won some games, and are now 5-10 and 4-11, respectively.... Houston's Renteria went off against us, is the first batter to reach 10 HR on the year. He tops the triple crown stats, at .500/10/27.... I neglected to mention this off-season that all-time great Vinny "Hooch" Vargas retired after an awesome 19-year career. He was a three-time MVP, won nine Silver Sluggers, and went to ten all-star games. He was a real nemesis to us when he played with Oakland, from '34 to '45, and then had five solid years with the Dodgers. He wound up with 2812 hits, 565 HR, 1618 RBI, a .319 average, and 109 WAR. He'll probably make it to the Hall one day. ...... TL;DR Version: A middling 8-7 start to the season has us in third place, three games behind the A's, currently in first. We're 4th in runs, with 86, third in average at .290. But like I said above, we're not getting solid production throughout the lineup, like we usually do. Lynn, Daley, Matson, Goodloe, Simmons: all are hitting 30 to 50 points below their career averages, and between them they've hit just two HR. The kids have been alright, however: Medici at .280/5/14; Pederson has slowed but is still at .467/7/16; Royer .370/5/16; Covington .2503/10. Pitching rarnks 6th, but is likewise hit-or-miss. Liles and Bader have been mostly bad-to-average, and closer Johnson has been plain-old bad. Most of the rest of the staff has been solid, and pitching has largely kept us in games when we're not hitting. With Josh Frederick due off the DL in a week, I'm trying to decide what moves I'll make in the lineup. I might put him on rehab in AAA, but then what? If Pederson is still hitting, do I bench Daley, who is not? Fun stuff. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

11-22-2020, 05:08 PM	#384
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	April 16-18 vs OAKLAND After last year's 101 wins and division title, MLB says they'll win just 79 games this season. So of course they're off to an 11-4 start, scoring the most runs in the AL and with a +33 run differential already. Hitting 37 HR in 15 games also doesn't hurt, and Felix Reyes already has 9, Ryan Walton 8. And they've accomplished all that despite sitting 11th in average. If they keep pounding dingers, they'll keep winning, period. Pitching, however, will bear watching, as two of their top SP--Jim Schwartz and Conrad Robertson--are out and will be for some time. Three current starters look better suited for the pen, and the staff will give up a lot of walks. Still, it's best to assume that they'll keep on winning, until a time comes when they don't. (So philosophical.) With money to spend and a generous owner, they've continuously made moves to stay relevant, and that includes having the 10th best prospect system. Although there are concerns on that front: the top seven guys are pitchers, and beyond 18-year-old OF Tristan Smith, there's very little to like among their batting prospects. And top guy Tom Baker, who looks like a future ace starter, missed most of last year and is still out for two months following elbow surgery. A big setback, but maybe he'll still make it. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (1-0, 7.13) / LH Matt Waugh (2-1, 2.35) / RH Mike Bader (0-1, 5.95) OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (3-0, 2.74) / RH Chris Ronan (2-0, 1.89) / RH Eric Stockton (2-0, 2.08) #16: WIN 15-4 ... Lynn pokes two out, Daley gets 3 hits, and we put 21 runners on base...Liles is ok, but outpitches his doppelganger Larimer #17: WIN 5-3 ... Daley homers again, and we make the most of things despite getting outhit 9-7...solid 7 IP for Waugh, giving up just one run #18: LOSS 2-4 ... held to just 5 hits...we add 5 walks, but can't make it add up...CG for Bader Dang, no sweep. We at least looked better this series, even if our hitting is still spotty. Fifteen runs in one game, then just 12 hits over the next two.... OF Diego Espino comes off the DL, and OF Josh Hed returns to AAA. Hed played in three games, with only one at-bat.... Pitching notes: Liles is starting to look better, Johnson's ERA is finally below ten, and Bader is still winless. I'll give the starters five games each before considering if Mike Pearse (2.35 ERA in mostly long relief) will be returned to the rotation.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox remain hot, with a fab 16-2 record right now.... Minny's Jordan Foots lost a 28-game hit streak recently. Several players in both leagues are approaching the 20-game "newsworthy" threshold.... Chisox starter Jasper Cummings has a 0.46 ERA over four starts. April 20-22 vs TAMPA BAY Off to an 11-7 start and tops in the East, by three over NY. Really a solid team everywhere, at 5th in runs and 2nd in runs against. 1B Edgar Aranceta is an under-the-radar star who slugged 51 HR last year and is batting .361 this year. RF Vance Wise is closing in on 400 career HR, all with Tampa. The only soft spots are LF (Ken Berman popped 20 HR last year, but is a career .230 hitter), and catcher (Jon Hill doesn't hit much, but is swinging above his weight class at .314), and SS Rich Stoneback (remember him?) is out for six more weeks. The staff looks solid too, although the rotation is a little light in movement, and #5 starter Trevor Kauffman is here only because of a major injury to veteran Travis Calhoun. And closer Bubba Fairweather gets a thumbs-up from me for his name alone. The system ranks only 15th, but there are quality hopefuls at every IF position, and pitcher George Brorby, currently in the TBR bullpen, could be at the top of the rotation next season. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (1-1, 3.60) / RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 3.42) / RH Chris Liles (2-0, 6.15) TBR pitchers: LH John Odom (1-1, 6.61) / RH Carlos Munoz (3-1, 2.05) / RH Trevor Kauffman (0-1, 5.14) #19: LOSS 4-10 ... Daley hits another one out, Royer goes 3-for-4 with a HR...that's it...Irvin is terrible, as is Ruiz in relief #20: WIN 7-6 ... crazy game...1-1 tie is broken with 5 Rays runs in the 7th, followed by 4 for us, then tying it in the 9th and winning in the 10th #21: WIN 9-6 ... who needs pitching? A 9-run 7th is all we need, apparently...HR for Matson and Goff...Liles is dreadful, but the pen goes 6.2 shutout innings Pitching? What's that? A combined 42 runs here, with some uniformly bad starting pitching, sad to say.... We popped 5 HR in that second game, including two by Ulkini.... Daley is coming around, now batting .271 with 4 HR. He was hitting .214 just 8 days ago. He also just reached 1300 career hits, good for fourth in franchise history. With 38 more, he'll tie Jeremy Dunklee.... We're off on a 12-game road swing next.... ELSEWHERE: Five wins tops MLB for Chisox pitcher Luke Weaver, and CF Zeke de la Rosa is batting .424/10/22, leads MLB with 7 steals and 2.4 WAR, and was just named AL player of the week.... Eight straight losses for Toronto, now 5-16 and the worst in baseball.... Don't you love to see your former stars do well somewhere else? No, me neither. So a big WHATEVER to Shamar Jackson, now 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA for St Louis.... Of course it's early in the season, but there's a nice 3-way tie for first in the AL West, with Hawaii, Oakland, and Texas at 12-9. Seattle, at last and 9-12, is just three games back. April 23-25 @ CALIFORNIA At just 10-11, but winners of four straight. Stats aren't good: 11th in runs, 16th in runs against. The franchise is approaching twenty years without a winning season, but despite having a willing (and wealthy) owner, they haven't made a splash in recent off-seasons. This year they added 3B Mike Eskridge--decent contact, solid fielder, zero power--from Brooklyn, and SP George Millard--just average, and 32--from Cleveland. Neither moves the needle much. Plus the prospect system, ranked 12th, has some decent talent but no one who will rise to star level. The best guys they have right now are CF Mauricio Marquez, 22, and DH/1B Ricky Ochoa. Everyone else is a role player, at best. The struggle is real, Angels fans, and so is the never-ending rebuild, apparently. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (2-1, 2.10) / RH Mike Bader (0-2, 5.34) / RH Josh Irvin (1-2, 5.48) CAL pitchers: RH George Millard (0-3, 5.70) / RH Ryan Kuehner (2-0, 3.26) / RH Josh Pomerantz (1-2, 7.36) #22: WIN 4-0 ... solo shot by Medici and 3 H from Lynn, to go along with Waugh's 2-hitter #23: WIN 2-0 ... Pederson and Medici go deep for all the offense tonight, and Bader tosses a 3-hitter #24: WIN 4-3 ... down 2-1, Royer cranks a 3-run blast in the top of the 9th...Groff plays an inning at catcher for some bizarre reason With the sweep we're now on top of the division, at 15-9. Three teams are tied for second, two games back.... Covington hurt his back in that final game, leading to Groff's strange inning behind the plate. Cov will be out for two weeks; Josh Hed comes back up for the period, and Groff will slide into the backup catcher role, lol. Why? Because the 40-man is full and we only have two catchers on it.... ELSEWHERE: Toronto's now 6-18, making the 9-15 Orioles look decent by comparison. Surprisingly, the O's are joined by the Marlins, favored to win the East but really struggling right now.... Tigers and White Sox lead baseball at 18-6.... Cincy's Cris Frias still leads everyone with 50 K (in 37 IP), to go along with his 28 BB, also tops in the game. April 26-28 @ CLEVELAND I can't help thinking that the Indians--at 11-13 and still in the midst of a long rebuild--are trying to construct a team that would do better in the 1970s MLB of my childhood. All the elements are there. Favor contact and speed over power? Check. Have, however, a couple of power bats in the middle of the lineup? Check. All-field-no-hit at 2B, SS, and C? Check. A pitching staff that favors control over strikeouts? Check. In spite of my joking, there are some signs of life by Lake Erie. CF Manny Ayala could start for any team, and youngsters Mike Lee at 3B and Victor Guillen at LF are likewise solid. The pitching staff needs help, tho, as only Taylor Baxter is talented and under 30. So it's a good thing that the 14th-ranked system features three solid SP prospects at the top of the pile, all of whom could (should, really) be in the bigs by next spring at the latest. As for today...they're 11th in offense and pitching, but nothing else really stands out. Former Isle Julian Cardenas has found a home at 2B here, and is batting .333 this season. (Although he just suffered an injury with an unknown return date.) Owner Kurt Dolan is profit-driven, and seems satisfied to field a team that might go .500 and play solid defense. Aiming high, my man. Aiming high. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 4.45) / RH Chris Liles (2-0, 7.53) / LH Matt Waugh (3-1, 1.62) CLE pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (1-1, 2.75) / RH Manny Vazquez (1-1, 9.00) / LH Taylor Baxter (3-1, 4.25) #25: WIN 8-7 ... we squander a 6-3 lead in the 8th, but win it on Groff's 2-run single in the 9th...3 hits, 3 RBI overall for the old man #26: LOSS 2-13 ... 9 hits but we were never in this one...Liles, Pearse, and Ruiz take turns getting shelled #27: WIN 6-1 ... Waugh keeps rolling, fanning 7 in 6 IP and taking the win...3 hits from Simmons, and Royer's 2-run single early is all we need Two solid wins, but man did we take the night off in that second game. Liles, in particular, has not been good this season. Aces usually come around, but his start to the season is making me feel even better about adding Waugh in free agency.... Cam Daley lets me know he'd like an extension. His asking price has come down from his $25M/per from last winter, but he still wants $17M for the next seven seasons. Although his numbers have declined slightly over the last three seasons, he can still hit. And he's a fan favorite. But he's almost 30, is fast losing whatever skill he had in the outfield, and so should be limited to DH or 1B in the coming years. Medici and Matson are the current starters at those positions. Medici is young and the star of the future. So how does Daley compare to Matson? Um, not favorably. Matson is signed through '57, with a TO for the two ensuing years. He's also rated better at the plate and on the bases. I really hate trading fan favorites.... ELSEWHERE: Montreal won a crazy 21-12 game over the Giants, a tilt that featured only 26 hits but added 8 HR and 15 walks. Big league pitching was set back decades in one night.... Detroit and Chicago are having a fun race in the AL Central so far, the Sox with 21 wins and the Tigers with 20. Best two records in MLB right now.... The entire NL West, however, is under .500, with Arizona, LA, and Portland pacing the shebang at 13-14.... And of course A's slugger Felix Reyes leads baseball with 15 HR. Anything else wouldn't be right. April 30 @ TEXAS Big early showdown against the defending champs. They're 16-11 and a game behind us, tied with Houston for second place. Offense ranks 2nd with 167 runs, while pitching is tops with just 113 runs allowed. The middle trio of William Swanson (.355/10/29), Ryan Boers (.346/7/23), and Eric Robbins (.400/8/20) are just murdering pitching, and everyone else outside of catcher Blake Ball (.155) is also producing. And yes, the staff has been pretty good, but I still don't understand why a solid mid-rotation starter like Greg Buchanan is now the closer, over last year's guy Garrett Slone (1.81 ERA and 38 saves). Buchanan is better than 3/5 of the current rotation, but hey they're the champs so what does my opinion count. Seven guys are currently on the DL, and #1 SP Kevin Cahill has a pending diagnosis... [EDIT: It's a stretched elbow ligament for Cahill. He's out for 11 months.] HAW pitcher: RH Mike Bader (1-2, 4.06) TEX pitcher: RH Paul Labbe (2-2, 5.59) #28: LOSS 2-4 ... we make the struggling Labbe look good, and Kyle Johnson blows another save and sees his ERA balloon to 8.68 It's now a three-way tie on top of the division, with Oakland another two games out. Good stuff for the fans! But for me, not so much.... Johnson has been way, way off in the closer role this season, continuing his struggles from late last-season and the playoffs. It may be time for a switch.... ELSEWHERE: Eh, not much happened in just one day.... Early days yet, but the total ERA of 4.85 in the AL and 4.62 in the NL are the highest marks since the hitting-crazy late '90s. (The 1990s, that is. The 1890s were pretty crazy too, btw.) ...... TL;DR Version: This feels like a transition year, doesn't it? With pending decisions on a couple of stars--Daley and Frederick--and Groff nearing the end of the line, it's no surprise that the offense feels off. And sitting 5th in runs scored only confirms that feeling. All things considered, however, having five regulars batting 20-40 points below their career numbers contributes greatly to the "struggle." It's also odd that our two hitting stars are the rookies: RF Pederson (.358, 9 HR), and 3B Royer (.378, 7 HR). Might be time for some lineup juggling, especially with Frederick due to come off his rehab stint in a couple weeks. Speaking of juggling, I'm going to move Johnson out of the closer spot. That means either Robbie Collier or Ben Germann will get the nod. I'm leaning towards Collier, if only because Germann has never seemed comfortable in his previous stints as closer. Finally, the rotation has been hit-or-miss. Hits? Waugh for sure, with Bader and Irvin throwing well enough. Misses? Liles has been bad, and Skiffington has fallen off of late. Mike Pearse just might get back into the rotation sooner than later.... All in all, I'm not displeased with a 17-11 mark, especially after our slow start. If our hitting comes around, and we can get at least three of the starting pitchers pulling in the right direction all at once, look out. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders! Last edited by Bub13; 11-23-2020 at 10:26 AM.

12-07-2020, 07:34 PM	#385
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	May 2053 Month #2 gets underway with the completion of our road swing in Texas and Boston. The rest of the month gives us three days off, for a total of 28 games, equally split at home and on the road. As usual, we'll see everyone in the division, including home series against Houston and California. I tweaked the batting lineup a bit, and also made one roster adjustment, calling up AAA catcher Bentley Kolb for his first taste of MLB action while Covington rests on the DL. I waive/DFA RP Jeremy Black, as he's the least likely player to get claimed on waivers. Although if we lose him, we lose him. May 1-2 @ TEXAS Finishing up this series. We dropped the first game. Can't keep doing that. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (1-2, 4.80) / Biff Skiff (1-1, 5.15) TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (4-1, 2.92) / LH Noah Sims (0-0, 13.50) #29: LOSS 6-10 ... bad blood: three HBP lead to two bench-clearing brawls and four ejections...oh, and we officially can't get anyone out now #30: LOSS 2-3 ... better pitching from Skiff, but no offense tonight...and Johnson is done as closer, blowing another save: 0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 R Just terrible all-around. The only plus here is that no one got injured.... Those brawls led to four suspensions, which of course we got the worse of. Josh Irvin (9 games!) and Doug Pederson (four) are out, as opposed to two Rangers cretins who got 4 and 2 games in comparison. And the fun thing about suspensions? You can't replace the players, as they're still on the roster! Stupid.... ELSEWHERE: It saddens me to say that, 30 games into the season, no team is in single digits in victories. I've been getting used to 50-win (and below!) teams of late.... Big props to the Hawaii pitchers who helped Rangers LF Mike Olivera bring his average up to a league-leading .408. Giants SS Mitch Elmore tops everyone, however, at .415.... Hey, it's a good thing I knew Shamar Jackson was washed up! Especially after he emailed me a pic of his "April NL Pitcher of the Month" award, for going 5-0 with a 2.45 ERA with St Louis. Shoot me. May 3-5 @ BOSTON Now we pile into the cah, off to happy fun land, in hopes of recovering a bit from that last series. The Sox have started slowly, at 12-18, but are just four games out of first in the East. Almost no one is hitting, and the team places 15th in runs, dead last in AVG. Leadoff man Dan Larson is batting .325, and #2 guy Alex Sierra .294, but outside of tossing in Rich Dragos' 9 HR, there's a lot of sadness in the lineup. Pitching is mid-pack, at 9th in runs allowed. Soph Kaoru Tanaka (3-1, 3.09) has been the lone bright spot, however. None of this should be surprising, really, as MLB picked them to win just 56 games. Weird thing is, this team has so much money, and so much free cash (11th in budget, but 23rd in payroll), that losing like this is solely due to mismanagement. (coughTaxWriteoffcough) The good news is that the prospect system ranks 6th, despite only having one sure thing (#2 guy Yuya Watabe, currently in the pen but who should be in the rotation by the all-star break, imo). #1 guy Angelo Luna is an 18-year-old in the international complex, and those guys almost NEVER fail to pan out, right? HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (2-1, 8.16) / LH Matt Waugh (4-1, 1.60) / RH Mike Bader (1-2, 3.63) BOS pitchers: RH Josh Williamson (0-1, 6.00) / LH Jonathan Esquivel (1-0, 4.32) / RH Arturo Verdazco (2-3, 5.09) #31: WIN 9-1 ... Liles shows up: complete game 7-hitter...Matson homers, getting red hot after moving into the #3 slot #32: WIN 4-1 ... a solid 5-hitter through 8 IP for Waugh, and Collier earns his first save...a bases-loaded double by Daley is our big hit #33: WIN 4-2 ... Bader walks 4, but escapes with minimal damage...three RBI doubles are keys tonight, and Collier saves another, how nice Ahhh, very good. At 20-13, we're back to a game behind Texas, and will be gunning for revenge soon enough.... Odd lineup in that third game, with J.J. Simmons batting cleanup: yep, Mr. "8 HR in 8 Seasons" was our power bat for that game.... Two saves, two shutout innings for Collier as closer. I'd almost forgotten what that's like. Btw, Johnson's ERA is over ten now.... ELSEWHERE: Philly creamed San Diego 25-4 on the back of ELEVEN home runs. And one bench-clearing brawl, natch. No beanballs here, but man it's getting ugly out there of late.... Detroit and Chicago share the AL Central at 25-8, the only two teams with single-digit losses.... The NL West is still under water, with zero winning teams right now. Last place Arizona, at 13-20, is only three games out of first. May 6-8 vs DETROIT Oh man, am I glad we swept Boston, since we're playing one of the hottest teams in the game right now in Detroit. Although they haven't been the powerhouse hitting team this year, at only 8th in runs and 9th in HR, they have the best pitching going in the AL. Just three batters are hitting .300, but it turns out that us basically giving them 3B D.J. Grace (.383/5/18) was a real boon, who coulda guessed it. Everyone has at least ten RBI, and only one batter is below .250, so there's at least production all up and the down the lineup. In the rotation, three guys have ERA below four, a rarity these days; and closer Jose Hernandez has fanned 16 in 11 innings and owns a 0.82 ERA with a 0.55 WHIP. Oh, and the prospect system? #1, baby. Although it's a little concerning that their top two guys--OFs Roberto Gomez and Manny Molina--are on the shelf with long-term injuries. Throw in another OF, #4 Donnie Bloomberg, and they've got their next outfield nearly ready to go, should they all recover. Damn them all to hell. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (1-1, 4.05) / RH Biff Skiff (1-1, 4.43) / RH Chris Liles (3-1, 6.59) DET pitchers: LH Carlos Zenon (4-2, 3.02) / RH Joe Britton (2-3, 5.30) / LH T.J. Carroll (4-1, 3.59) #34: LOSS 4-6 ... we outhit them 17-8, dammit...Collier destroys my recent good will by giving up FIVE runs in the 9th to blow it, sigh #35: WIN 8-2 ... 2 HR from Matson, and 7 solid IP from Skiff...no pen blowup either, shockingly...tied for first again, too #36: WIN 2-0 ... Liles is sharp again, going the distance and allowing just 4 hits...HR for Daley, and 2 hits apiece for Lynn and Goodloe A nice comeback after the heartbreak of game one.... Still 6th in runs, mostly because we're also just 6th in OBP and now 13th in HR.... Bentley Kolb has hit 6-for-14 since getting called up, and Hiro Wakabayashi is down to just .167. With Covington coming off the DL in two days, I might have to move out the vet instead of the rookie.... Despite his blast in that last game, Cam Daley is batting .255 with 5 HR. Not exactly earning that extension, Cam.... I moved Matson up from sixth to third in the lineup, and he's reponded with 15 hits (and 4 HR) in eight games.... ELSEWHERE: Three teams are now at .500 in the NL West, praise be.... Philly is finally living up to MLB's prediction from two years ago: league-best batting, with 78 HR and 222 runs in 36 games, but near-last pitching, allowing 209 runs.... White Sox ace Luke Weaver is 8 for 8 in his starts, helping the Sox to a league-best 27-9 start. May 10-12 vs HOUSTON Still hanging in, in the topsy-turvy AL West, at 21-15 and a game out of first. Second in runs scored (23 more than us!) and third in runs against, for a +58 differential already. OF Kevin Mazurowski has played 35 games this year, and saw 62 last year: his .321/17/35 this season is already better than last year's numbers. RF Matt Dippel has made 20 starts in place of the injured J.R. Hansen, and has only gone .367/8/19. So yeah, they can hit. Although the staff has decent numbers across the board, no one really stands out, beyond #5 SP Pat Wise and his 3.43 ERA. Former Isles? SP Tim Ciotta was a free agent disappointment a couple years back; now he's the #1 SP here, and doing okay, but on for only 1.0 WAR. Also, he's not an old Isle, but Matt Sargent Jr, son of our former manager Matt Sargent, is in AA, but will probably only top out at the next level. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (5-1, 1.53) / RH Mike Bader (2-2, 3.42) / RH Mike Pearse (1-1, 3.00) HOU pitchers: RH Ron Mills (2-3, 5.74) / RH Chris James (3-1, 3.78) / RH Alex Trujillo (3-1, 4.57) #37: WIN 6-3 ... we go a little slack with a 6-0 lead, but hold on...2-run HR by Goodloe, solo shot from Daley...6 IP from Waugh #38: WIN 5-2 ... strong 7 IP from Bader, fanning 8...2 H, 2 RBI by Royer, batting .383 now #39: WIN 16-3 ... 3 hits for Lynn, Daley, and Matson, plus 2 bombs from Daley...7 doubles too...solid start from Pearse Very strong--and surprising--series here.... Our pitching is going great guns right now, first in runs against, and so Josh Irvin--back from suspension--will move to the pen and long relief.... The third base platoon is hitting on all cylinders too: Royer has 112 AB and is .384/7/30, while Ulkini has 33 AB and is at .364/2/5. Not surprisingly, the fielding side isn't great, with Royer fielding at a .944 clip and -1.8 ZR, Ulkini at .957 and -0.1.... ELSEWHERE: KC outfielder Julius Burrows--we sent him away in the Liles trade, remember--is batting .344 and holding on to a 31-game hitting streak. But he just now tore his labrum and is out for the year. At 16-23, KC isn't going anywhere anyway, but it still stings.... Since it's former Isle week, Pirates 1B Chris Goldthwait is still slugging away, leading the NL with 16 HR and 41 RBI.... Three-way tie atop the NL West, with LA, SF, and Austin all finally above .500, at 20-19. May 13-15 @ OAKLAND Now 21-18, four games out of first: 2nd in runs scored, but way back in 16th in pitching. Three pitchers are on the shelf, but at least C Roger Morales and OF Danny Venegas will come off the DL in a couple of days, helping out an already-solid offense. Felix Reyes has kept up his power game, leading the AL wit 18 HR, while Ryan Walton has 15. Former Isles? None on the big club, but 2B Scott Bachant is in AAA Sacramento, where he's been fo ten seasons now. He hits .300 every year with solid defense, but a lack of power (16 HR in 14 minor league seasons), has kept him from ever taking that final step. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (2-1, 4.18) / RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.40) / LH Matt Waugh (6-1, 1.68) OAK pitchers: RH Conrad Robertson (1-2, 7.36) / LH Mike Thomas (2-3, 6.51) / LH Chris Larimer (5-2, 3.73) #40: WIN 3-2 ... five runs, five solo HR. Simple...Matson hits the winner in the top of the 10th...we outhit them 12-6, with Lynn going 4-for-5 #41: WIN 7-6 ... another extra inning winning HR, this one from Groff in the 10th...4 hits by Frederick, back from rehab, including a solo HR too #42: WIN 6-5 ... 6 more HR, combined, including 4 from the bad guys...Pederson wins this one with a 2-run 8th inning blast Another sweep! And against the hated A's! Eight straight wins too. I'll take it.... We're getting healthy again, with Covington back from the DL, and Frederick from his rehab stint. The outfield is little crowded now, with Daley, Lynn, and Pederson all hitting well, and Freds wanting his starting slot back.... With Freds back, we send Stephen Eason to AAA, after batting just .216 in 37 AB. Santa Barbara is off to its own hot start, sitting at 22-5.... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii ties Chicago and Detroit at 28-14, tops in baseball. Toronto and Montreal are at the bottom, 15-27 each. Oh, Canada.... Oakland's Reyes now has 21 HR, while Texas OF Mike Olivera leads everyone at .408.... Baltimore finally looks like a decent team again, at 22-20 and an 8-game winning streak. ...... TL;DR Version: A very nice start to the month, 11-3, and three sweeps. We're now 28-14 and in first place by three games over Texas. Team runs now sit 5th, starting to catch up to the other stats (2nd in AVG, 3rd in OBP). Five regulars are batting over. 300, and Pederson (12) and Medici (10) have reached double figures in HR. Pitching is now first in runs against, with the top rotation in the AL, but an 11th place bullpen. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

12-21-2020, 03:49 PM	#386
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	[With a couple of weeks off, I hope to get back to playing and posting more. Thanks for reading!] May 16-18 @ TORONTO Last in the East, 15-27, but only eight games out. The offense is dragging, 16th in runs and near-bottom in almost every other category. Leadoff guy Corey Murray is hitting .326, and 1B Ian Logan has 14 HR, but that's pretty much it for production. Pitching ranks 12th, with the rotation far outpacing the pen. Four pitchers--three of them starters--are also on the DL, which doesn't help matters. Manager Paul Trashini, who went unemployed last year after three straight playoff appearances with Miami, hasn't been able to work any magic yet. Team budget is 24th, but payroll is only 32nd, so they're also not spending to get better right now. They won 81 games last year but their last playoff appearance came in 2040. With only two players ranked in the top ten positionally, and a middling prospect pool, near-term improvement is no sure thing. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (3-2, 3.32) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 3.27) / RH Biff Skiff (3-1, 3.86) TOR pitchers: RH Adam Arriaga (2-2, 5.49) / RH Jaden Buchanan (3-5, 4.41) / RH Josh Gordon (1-2, 6.16) #43: WIN 10-0 ... combined 4-hitter, but Bader leaves after 2 IP...HR and 4 RBI from Ulkini, and HR from Pederson and Matson #44: WIN 9-8 ... 19 hits and 8 walks...we also allow 15 hits...everyone gets a hit: 4 by Simmons, 3 for Matson #45: WIN 9-1 ... Matson homers again, Medici adds one too...Skiff goes the distance, allowing six hits...4 more hits by Simmons Feels good, man. We're riding on an 11-game winning streak now, and are three games up on Texas.... Offense is now up to 4th place; pitching in first.... Bader's injury is just dtd, he won't miss a start.... Waugh leads all AL pitchers in all-star voting, but no teammate is close anywhere else.... ELSEWHERE: Others on streaks include the Mets, winners of 7 straight, and six-game losing streaks for Brooklyn and Milwaukee.... no more .400 hitters are left, but Hawaii's Josh Matson has sped to a league-leading .392; while Giants SS Mitch Elmore tops everyone at .398.... 43-year-old Cards pitcher Ryan Galletto announced his retirement at the end of the year, then went out and one-hit the Reds. Galletto was a 4-5 WAR guy at his best, and was effective through age 39. He'll retire with over 55 WAR and 180 wins. May 20-22 vs CALIFORNIA The Angels have dropped to the bottom of the division, 18-27, although they are an almost-respectable 8-9 this month. The offense ranks 16th, and only Mauricio Marquez (.347/10/31) looks to be showing up right now. Pitching is an okay 10th: a couple of middle relievers, and starters Ryan Kuehner and Jay Sanford have looked solid. That's it. I should probably expect our winning streak to come crashing down, shouldn't I. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.56) / LH Matt Waugh (6-1, 2.11) / RH Mike Bader (3-2, 3.21) CAL pitchers: RH Jay Sanford (2-5, 3.29) / RH George Millard (1-5, 5.40) / RH Ryan Kuehner (3-3, 3.97) #46: WIN 5-4 ... down 4-0 in the 9th, we tie it on Pederson's 3-run blast and Ulkini's RBI single...Medici wins it in the 10th with a single #47: WIN 9-1 ... Waugh pitches all but the final out, and Royer goes 4-for-4 with 2 RBI...3 hits for Daley, lots for everyone else too #48: LOSS 7-12 ... our turn to lose it late, giving up 5 in the last 3 innings...Bader is shelled through 2.2 IP, Irvin and Kearns not much better in relief Awww, dang, the streak is over. Still, two out of three is okay.... Royer went 9-for-13 and is now batting .404. His platoon status means he isn't qualified for the the batting title race, however.... Everyone is contributing at the moment, and the team is batting .313, which is only good for second in the AL. Wow.... We're 2nd in AL steals with 45, but rank just 15th in total baserunning. Why? Dunno, but maybe we're getting thrown out at the plate a lot. Or maybe we're just kinda dumb.... ELSEWHERE: A rarity: Zephs pitcher Marvin Diaz tossed a ten inning no-hitter, beating the Pirates 3-0. This is the first MLB no-no since Conor MacLeod tossed one in September, 2051.... Phillies OF Rick Logston exploded onto the scene last year by going .343/44/110. His follow-up? Merely .367/25/56 so far, in 47 GP. Nothing special.... Milwaukee is the latest to go cold, dropping 9 straight and falling to the bottom of the Central at 19-29. Guess who we've got next? May 23-25 vs MILWAUKEE The ice-cold Brewers come to town, looking to break out of their nine-game funk. Hitting ranks 17th, and pitching one worse, at 18th and dead last. There are few bright spots. Leadoff man Emilio Valdez is batting .294, and the middle of the lineup has popped 40 HR (but only hitting a combined .250). The rotation is a mess right now, but closer Xavier Pride has been fantastic, with a 0.83 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 11 saves. Former Isle RP Dan Brown has an ERA near twenty, while 3B Dante Padilla has 11 HR. Ancient catcher Dan Starr has a pending injury: at 42, I suspect it might just be fatal. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.06) / RH Biff Skiff (4-1, 3.49) / RH Chris Liles (4-1, 5.40) MIL pitchers: RH John Landers (4-2, 6.10) / RH Louwe Bergman (2-5, 6.10) / RH Danny Salgado, 2-6, 4.32) #49: WIN 6-5 ... we blow a 5-1 lead, but Covington saves it with a double in the 8th...Pearse is meh through six, meaning Irvin might get another shot at SP #50: WIN 9-2 ... four HR tonight and Skiff's CG tell the tale...everyone got a hit but Matson, but who's complaining #51: LOSS 2-8 ... Liles manages just four outs, ouch...only five hits for us, probably just tired Tired bats are heavy bats, explaining that last game.... Matson's .385 average has him on top of the AL. Royer's batting .392, but is about ten PA short of qualifying.... Lynn has gotten hot too, raising his average 50 points this month, up to .321.... Remember our '51 draft, when we added four supplemental picks to our existing first rounder, and took five pitchers? How are they coming along, you ask? Well, in order: Andy Burke has declined to AAA-ish ceilings; Travis Harris has been healthy enough for just ten starts in his two-plus seasons; Elias Tena (the only RP) has control issues and an ERA over 9 in AAA; Manny Reyes still has promise, but is two months away from making his first pitch of this season, and has made only seven starts as an Isles prospect; and Larry Hensley, after making 14, 11, and 9 starts so far, just blew out his elbow and may be done for good. Sigh, you just never know do you.... ELSEWHERE: Turmoil in the AL East, as the Yankees win six in a row to surge to the top, at 28-23; Chicago and Detroit have stretched the gap to 11 games over third place Cleveland; and Texas has kept a three-game deficit to the hot Islanders.... Those White Sox have MLB's best offense: scoring 351 runs, and tops in every major offensive category except HR, where they're fourth.... Detroit's 35-year-old ace Raul Bravo is just four games from 200 career wins. He only trails LA's Eric Jones (my man!) on the active leaderboard. Jones has 221, but finds himself as a $10.5M AAA pitcher, in steep decline. Aging sucks. May 26-28 @ SEATTLE Still over .500, at 26-25 and tied for fourth with Oakland. The offense has come into shape, at 6th in runs. Nobody is really studding it up, but newbie Sam Moore (brought over from TOR) is batting .290/15/32, about 30+ points higher than his career average. Even Arturo Sena--usually good for 30 HR and a nifty .190ish average--is batting .247. Rookie OF Paul Stough has 12 HR on the season, and by this time next year could be one of the true power hitting monsters in the game. (Just what we need, another Texas in the division.) Pitching has been a chore, however, only 17th in runs against, and the worst rotation going: the top three SP on the staff all have ERA over six. Dan Crews has made three starts since returning from injury, so he'll help. But losing rookie Phil Bishop and his awesome-by-comparison 4.22 ERA for the year does hurt. But the pen looks good, so if they can get ANY kind of semisolid starting pitching going, they could possibly make a push for a wildcard. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (7-1, 1.98) / RH Mike Bader (3-2, 4.06) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.33) SEA pitchers: RH Dan Welker (3-4, 7.47) / RH Chris Grauer (3-4, 7.21) / RH Dan Crews (1-1, 2.18) #52: WIN 10-5 ... Waugh isn't sharp but we bail him out with 16 hits...everyone gets on base, with Matson leading the way with 3 H, 3 RBI #53: WIN 7-5 ... Medici's two-run shot caps a five-run 6th, sealing the win...Matson stays hot with two doubles...Bader is meh, bullpen is stout #54: LOSS 4-5 ... we can't make a 3-0 lead hold up, and lose it in the 10th...Germann and Collier combine to blow it, giving up 3 late runs Back on the two-out-of-three train, I see. Sweeps are nice, but a .667 win pct? Also nice.... Texas is keeping up that three game gap, too. No pressure, guys.... Jules Medici started a little slowly, but like everyone else has come on of late, now batting .318/14/36.... AAA Santa Barbara has cooled off, dropping six of their last seven. And they've slotted a guy hitting .140 into the leadoff role. Wtf.... ELSEWHERE: Nine straight wins now for the Yanks, opening up a five game lead over the Rays.... Philly's 3B Byron Wilmoth had himself a game, knocking five hits--including 2 HR and a Cycle--in a 10-2 pasting of the Cubs. Those Phils still have the best offense in the NL by a wide margin, but near-bottom pitching is keeping them in a tight race with the Mets.... And speaking of the Mets, the Wilponers have quietly built themselves a nice team, 2nd in offense and 3rd in pitching, for a 32-22 record. May 30-31 vs BALTIMORE So it's surprising that the recently-putrid O's are tied for third in the East, which sounds pretty good. But they're also four games under .500, so let's not get carried away just yet. Hitting still lacks punch, at 14th in runs and 17th in average. 1B Miguel Echevaria is carrying most of the load, at .261/13/34, and DH Paul Stroot is batting .294. Elsewhere...it's a desert. Pitching is fine, sitting at 8th in runs against, although closer Michael Buckland isn't helping with his rancid 5.54 ERA and 12 BB in 20 IP. Former Isles RP Dan Neumann--who couldn't get anyone out after I traded for him last year--has found religion and a 1.47 ERA, so bully for him, the loser. Manager Shermayn Balentien has one of the best names going in MLB, although the fact that he likes yelling at everyone is causing some unrest in the clubhouse. Owner Reg Ehrlich has meted out a tiny budget (35th), a tiny payroll (also 35th), has few expectations, yet is VERY UPSET about something. Yacht prices on the rise. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (5-1, 3.32) / RH Chris Liles (4-2, 6.24) BAL pitchers: RH Bob Garner (4-3, 4.30) / RH Cody Brown (3-4, 5.35) #55: WIN 6-1 ... CG for Skiff, and Groff turns back the clock with a 2 HR and 4 RBI night off the bench #56: WIN 6-3 ... a 4-0 lead after two holds up tonight...Pederson's 2-run shot in the 1st is the big blow, and Lynn adds 2 RBI on a pair of doubles Solid way to close out a strong month, and maintaining a four game lead over Texas.... Goodloe has been quietly effective all season, but did just see a 29-game hitting streak end. He's batting .305 on the year, and last failed to get a hit on 4/26, before that final game here.... ELSEWHERE: The Yankees win streak is now 11, putting them 6 up on Tampa Bay. That's the largest division lead going so far.... Philly's Rick Logston is the closest to a Triple Crown right now: 3rd in average, 1st in HR and RBI.... Quite a spread in AL team fielding stats: Detroit leads with a +16.9 ZR, while Oakland trails everyone at -16.9. ...... TL;DR Version: May was just tremendous: going 22-6, bringing us up to 39-17 overall and 4 games ahead of Texas. While pitching is still going well--2nd in runs against--the offensive recovery really sparked the turnaround. We're batting .311, with six regulars hitting over .300, and two others over .280. The only guy not going well is catcher Mike Covington, at .238, but he's at least fielding well and getting on base well above his average. On the staff, Liles is still struggling, with a 5.93 ERA, and former closer Kyle Johnson is still over 8...which is still lower than he was when I moved him to a setup role. Defensively, while we're tied for the fewest errors, our team ZR ranks just 12th. And RF Doug Pederson is leading most every rookie batting stat in the AL. Let's see if we can keep it going into June... Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

12-24-2020, 11:21 AM	#387
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	2053 draft and minor league system report (Let's skip ahead a few days and go all drafty. Play in June will begin with the next post.) Time once again to add a new heap of cannon fodder...erm, "stars of the future"...to the system. This year, thanks to the Shamar Jackson trade, we snagged a top five pick from the Cards. That more than makes up for losing our own first due to the Matt Waugh free agency signing. Otherwise, we have all the rest of our regularly-scheduled picks, excepting the tenth round (also to St Loo). And...we have one of those highly coveted supplemental round selections! Elsewhere, once again Baltimore claims the top slot, followed by KC, Montreal, Seattle, then us. Austin managed to end up with two top ten picks, at #7 and #9. No one else has multiple picks. BNN says the O's will take P Matt Zumwalt (ranked #2), with KC nabbing OF Eric Lowenstein (#1), Montreal going for P Seb Mulholland (#5), Seattle taking P Nick Backman (#4), and then us selecting P Ryan Nelson (unranked). I'm not at all sure Nelson is a first rounder, let alone a top five pick, so we'll see about that. There's a lot of talent in this draft according to our scouts, but the top of the heap does not look remarkable at all. Falling out of BNN's top five predictions is #3 P John Mullett, who looks decent but is purely a reliever. The next four players after the ones mentioned here are all relievers, so who we end up taking is up in the air right now. Countdown to draft in 5...4...3...2...1... Baltimore goes for hitting, taking Lowenstein over Zumwalt. KC then takes Zumwalt, Montreal nabs Backman, then Seattle goes for Mulholland. So the top four go as slated, even if the predicted order differed. Nevertheless, these are the clear top four talents in the draft: Lowenstein is a solid all-around hitter with speed, and the other three are by far the best SP options available. (But all three have the same issue: only two "sure thing" pitches; they'll be stud aces if those pitches come around, or decent RP if not.) When it came to our turn, I scrolled through a number of possibilities. Dismissing some available highly-ranked relievers--can't take a simple RP at #5 unless he's a generational talent, which none of these guys are--we found a few SP of promise, but most could be eliminated either due to combinations of B-/C+ ceilings and/or very high bonus demands. So instead we looked closely at two batters: OF Scott Hull and IF Jake Moore. Both are 21, college juniors, and signable (although Hull wants nearly $5M, Moore under a mill). Hull has more power potential, while Moore has better overall batting (but no power) and more versatility in the field. Both are lefty batters; both have nice intangibles, with Moore approaching captain material. In the end, we select Moore, mostly to address a need for more infield talent in the system. He could be a defensive stud at any position, and although he'll never hit for any power, he'll make up for that elsewhere. Cleveland selected Hull immediately afterwards. And of note, Austin used their two top-ten picks on SPs Ryan Nelson and Ronnie Bergan...both of whom look better now that they've been drafted than they did when we scouted them. WTH? Thirty rounds later, and I gotta say...I think our scouts were full of it. This was a pretty shallow draft, once we got into it. After the first few rounds, talent was thin on the ground, and I won't be surprised to see this ultimately rank as one of our weakest drafts ever. And I say that even after having a top five selection. So without further ado, let's take a peek at the ho-hum crop. Round 1, 5th overall: IF Jake Moore, 21, Illinois. His best asset is his defense: he can play anywhere but catcher, and play it well. As a hitter, he should be at least okay. Good contact, won't swing at bad pitches, won't strike out much. But also won't hit for any kind of power, and is below average on the bases. Reminds me of J.J. Simmons, minus his speed. Round 1 supplemental, 37th overall: P Jayden Gorham, 22, USC. Good kid, with decent stuff and excellent movement. Control, as usual, needs a lot of work. Has three solid pitches already, and could include an elite change if that develops. Left-handed, which we definitely need more of in the system. Could develop beyond his current ceilings, although at 22, he doesn't have much time left to get there. Round 2, 71st overall: P Zach Baldwin, 21, Virginia. Seems more like a swingman, as his third pitch (changeup, natch) is just average, but is at least fully-formed. Groundballer, power pitcher without overwhelming stuff. Good control, tho. Was selected by STL in the 6th round last year. Round 3, 106th overall: P Walter Shepherd, 21, Ohio State. Listed as a pitcher, but once signed will be immediately shifted to OF or 1B. Frankly, his pitching stinks, although he does have a super fastball. But he does have promise as a hitter--the best in our new draft class--and could become the next in a long line of solid OF prospects once he starts developing. Defense is only just adequate tho, with subpar range. Round 4, 142nd overall: P Aaron Drachman, 21, Clemson. Middling talent, really, but his intangibles could help him down the road. Most interersting thing about him is his knuckle-curve, although it's currently his worst pitch. Longshot, tbf. Round 5, 178th overall: OF Bob Semaya, 22, Georgia Tech. Probably destined to become a AAAA-type player. Solid contact and gap power, won't strike out, plays above average D, good runner. But has little power and plate discipline, and frankly doesn't stand out when compared to others in the system. Still, good intangibles made him worth a roll of the dice. Best of the rest? Some solid names, really that's all. There's Jonathan R. "JR" Haldeman, a catcher from Hawaii; John Johnson, a so-so outfielder; Zaire Summerville, an average-hitting and fielding 2B but can run like the wind; and then a slew of great-fielding/no-hitting/high-intangible infielders. Maybe one of these guys will develop into something useful. I wouldn't bet on it, unless you have a really flexible definition of the word "useful." If you could win just by fielding a team of eight Dal Maxvills, then I'd say I just won the lottery. ...... Despite graduating the top three guys from last year, our system slipped only one spot, to #2 overall. As usual, we're solid in the outfield, and actually have come up with a couple of interesting--but not sure-thing--infielders. Pitching has thinned out considerably, but there's still one or two who could (and had better!) come around. The top six: 3B Jose Villalpando, 17, ranked #17 (up from #49), international complex: no stats. After a year in the system, the scouting discovery hasn't yet slipped. I'm holding my breath. An odd prospect, to be sure: huge power, great contact, but subpar gap, plate discipline, and avoid Ks. In the field, has a great arm, but average glove and range. At his age, and with the holes in his swing, I wouldn't count on him becoming an all-star. But he's intriguing and it's a good sign that MLB also thinks highly of him. SP Daniel Croft, 22, ranked #21 (up from #43), AAA: 5-5, 4.98 ERA, 65 IP. As a pro, he's put up more average than good seasons, but my scouts still like him, and he has cut way down on his walks this year (3.5 per 9, down from 5.2). Not ace material, but a sparkplug mid-rotation guy. OF Doug Pederson, 24, ranked #32, Hawaii: .310/19/39. Got handed the keys to RF with Frederick starting the year on the DL, and shows no signs of giving them back. Hits for contact and power, takes walks, has speed, strong arm. Subpar range in the field is his only drawback, and he also needs to get better vs LHP. OF Nick Gase, 23, ranked #34, AA: .286/6/26, 189 AB. The former 11th round pick has fairly leapt through the system, and I expect he'll get a September callup. Still growing, but with the possibility of Cam Daley leaving sooner than later, he could get a long, long look at LF next spring. Only an average power bat. SS Bill Gamboa, 20, ranked #37, rookie ball: no stats. Another scouting discovery, will be seeing his first professional PT in a few weeks, probably in Short A ball. His hitting ceilings have grown, but he still looks like only a solid utility IF right now, although I'd like his arm to be a little stronger if he's going to feature at short or third. Contact is average, and will strike out, but otherwise has some hitting chops. 3B Jonathan Dobo, 25, ranked #44, AAA: .263/11/39, 179 AB. Got a long look at third in the spring, but was just beaten out by Royer. Has really nice power, and a strong arm, but otherwise may not be solid enough to become an everyday starter. Acquired via trade from Texas last November. Best of the rest ... Diego Espino (ranked #47, up from #63) is in Hawaii, and a solid backup OF; SP Steve Shinnick (#66) was acquired from Detroit and has moved past the injury-riddled Five Guys Crew from the '51 draft; OF Josh Hed (#84) is in AAA and still has a shot at a platoon/depth role, with his power bat and solid defense; and OF Erik Bennetsen (#91) will no longer be a two-way player, after breaking his arm pitching last season. He looks good as a pitcher, but better as a hitter, so there you have it. ...... 20 YEARS ON: REMINISCENCES Since it's our 20th year, I thought I'd take a look back at some of our old drafts. How did we do? How right or wrong was I? Did we ever have a super draft? Or a stinker? Let's start with our very first go, back in '34. Here's what I wrote back then, plus some stats (or...not) from each player's career: Round 1, 1st Overall OF Travis McArthur, 22, Univ. of South Carolina. Very well rounded, and projects out well in nearly every area. Plus contact, gap, and power potential, and won't strike out a ton either. Eye below average. Good speed and judgement on the basepaths. Can play all three outfield positions, and has great range and arm. His glove is problematic, and will probably put him in RF. He's far enough along in his development that he could make the team out of camp in 2035. Started for us in S A, then to AA, and finally 10 games in AAA. Hit a combined .256 with 4 HR. MLB results: 1850 GP, 24.5 WAR, including 10 seasons with HAW Round 2, 49th Overall IF Josh Robertson, 19, high school. Listed as a 3B on the draft list, but his average arm will probably see him end up at 2B. Rates at SS as well. Good fielder otherwise. Good contact, plus gap power and avoid K's. Not much power. Has a sweet Jeff Kent porn-stache too. Played 66 games at rookie ball, hit .238/.258/.312 in 218 at bats. Still a few years away from the bigs. MLB results: 1680 GP, 35.3 WAR, 8 seasons with HAW Round 3, 83rd Overall RP Jason Albritton, 23, Grambling State. Average movement and control, but great stuff. Two plus pitches, fastball and slider. Nice intangibles too. Lefty. Worked in 26 games in S A ball, 28 IP, 33 K, 3.21 ERA. Will be in A or AA next year, depending on need. MLB results: nada Round 4, 123rd Overall SP Cameron Vitali, 22, Wichita State. Good potential in all three pitching ratings. Has a mostly developed fastball and sinker, and a changeup that could be super if it develops. Mediocre stamina. High work ethic. Made 15 starts in rookie ball, 3.27 ERA, 77 IP, 70 K, 1.4 WAR. Likely in A ball for 2035. MLB results: 70 GP, -0.1 WAR, none in HAW Round 5, 159th Overall RP Travis Kelley, 20, Univ. of Michigan. Possible future closer, more likely a quality set up guy. Plus stuff, solid movement and control. Working on plus fastball and curve. Velocity at 97-99. Saw 22 games in rookie ball, 20 IP, 31 K, 4.95 ERA. Good enough for AA, maybe AAA next year. MLB results: nada Round 6, 195th Overall OF Drew Livolsi, 18, high school. Maybe a reach here, as he'll have to work to surpass his current potential. Scouts see him as decidedly average across the board at the plate. Good fielder, average arm. High intelligence/work ethic gives me hope he'll surprise. Was seriously overmatched in rookie ball tho, 68 games, 227 AB, .150/.175/.181. Will be there again next year. MLB results: nada Round 7, 231st Overall OF Greg Zachry, 19, high school. Another high character guy, similar to Livolsi but with a little more pop in his bat. Slow on the bases and in the field. Good glove, good arm. In 62 GP at S A, hit .229/.257/.285 in 214 AB. Probably in A ball next year. MLB results: nada Round 8, 267th Overall RP Cameron Bornhoft, 18, high school. Really middling across all ratings, as the draft started dropping off significantly at this point. Movement looks good, tho. Two decent pitches, third might develop, probably won't. Low velocity, 85-87. Lefty. High work ethic. Rookie ball, 23 games, 4.20 ERA. MLB results: 34 GP, 1.1 WAR, 1 season in HAW Round 9, 303rd Overall SP Rob Hart, 18, high school. Something of a wild card. Potential stuff is off the charts, but only if his third pitch (changeup, currently at 3 out of 23) develops. Fastball and curve could be plus, too. Could end up as back-end starter or a middling reliever. Two games in rookie ball. Not yet developed enough for A ball yet. MLB results: 346 GP, 30.1 WAR, 10 seasons in HAW Round 10, 339th Overall SP Paul Piazza, 20, Virginia Tech. Like Hart, likely to develop two pitches, but needs his change (3 of 15) to make it as a starter. Decent stuff, so-so movement and control. Pitched poorly in rookie ball, 7.55 ERA in 13 starts; will be there again in 2035. MLB results: nada Others: 12th round, IF Danny Holguin (1168 GP, 13.3 WAR, 4 yrs in HAW); 14th round, OF Larry Wood (71 GP); 20th round, P Steve Ashjian (259 GP, 7.4 WAR, 3 games with HAW); 21st round, SP Eric Jones (462 GP, 55.9 WAR, 14 seasons with HAW); 29th round, RP John Sanders (235 GP, 0 WAR). How did we do? Pretty good! McArthur and Robertson were solid regulars, while Hart and Jones were anchors of the rotation for years. (Especially Jones; pretty good for a 21st rounder!) All four were on our first championship team. As you'll see in future reports, getting four solid players in one draft is a pretty good result. So, yeah, we missed on #3 Albritton, whom we traded within two years. And we didn't hit on any outfielders beyond the first round, something we would get quite good at in later drafts. Off the top of my head, Jones has to be by far the best late-round pick we've ever made. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

01-01-2021, 12:23 PM	#388
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	June 2053 With the all-star break starting at the end of the month, we'll play just 25 games in June. Thirteen will be at home, twelve on the road, with neither long road trips nor home stands. Plus: the draft! Thanks to my genius trading, we'll have the 5th overall pick this year! Can we screw this up? Surely! June 1 vs BALTIMORE Wrapping up the series before heading on the road. HAW pitcher: LH Matt Waugh (8-1, 2.20) BAL pitcher: LH Rich Davis (1-3, 4.76) #57: WIN 3-1 ... Medici and Goodloe slap RBI singles in the 7th to break a 1-1 tie...3 H for Lynn, 9 for the team, all singles...11 K by Waugh Nice win to keep up the momentum.... Five games up on Texas now, as we head off to play the AL's best offense in Chicago.... Henry "Biff" Skiffington was named AL pitcher of the month for May, going 5-0 with a 1.41 ERA in six starts.... ELSEWHERE: A one-hitter by Jose Sedillo brings the Yankees win streak to 12 games.... Three teams -- THREE! -- in the NL West are now over .500. Wondrous. June 2-4 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX Hoo boy here we go: quite a step up in weight class from Baltimore to Chicago this year. The Sox have the best offense in the AL, having scored 383 runs (43 more than third place us), and are also tops in AVG, OBP, wOBA, etc, while 3rd in home runs. Seven batters are over .300 -- and in fact six of those guys are actually over .324. And 1B Elijah Pass, hitting "only" .278, has added 23 HR. Zeke da la Rosa (.350/16/37), Andy Barenberg (.329/13/42), and Ben Usilton (.303/15/47) are putting up big numbers everywhere, but don't overlook leadoff man Andrew Taylor (.347), vet Chris Rock (.348), and former ROY Ninsei Sato (.333). This across-the-board dominance reminds me of our best offenses in years past. sniff Pitching hasn't fared as well, sitting 14th in runs allowed, with the 2nd-worst bullpen. But they still have a +67 run differential to go along with a 38-19 record. If this series were in August, the "Playoff Preview!" hype would be off the charts. Eighth-year manager Taylor Black led them to 90 wins a year ago, but they fell a game short of the post-season. In some bad news for the rest of the league, nearly everyone (outside of Sato, with a PO) is signed for next year too. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (4-2, 4.29) / RH Mike Pearse (2-1, 4.09) / RH Biff Skiff (6-1, 2.98) CHW pitchers: RH Ben O'Neal (4-3, 5.13) / RH Luke Weaver (9-3, 3.91) / RH Jasper Cummings (5-2, 4.24) #58: LOSS 1-4 ... 3 solo HR--two from Usilton--are the difference...we scrape out just four hits...Bader yields just 5 hits, but adds 5 walks #59: WIN 4-3 ... only 7 hits, but 3 for Matson, including a HR and RBI double...Pearse leaves in the 6th with an injury; bullpen earns the win #60: WIN 16-7 ... bats come alive tonight: 20 hits, 3 HR...5 H, HR, 4 RBI from Medici, 3 hits for Matson, Lynn, Royer...Skiff walks 8 in 5.2 IP Two wins against these guys is pretty good, and I'll take them and leave town.... Pearse has an elbow strain and will miss six weeks. We move Josh Irvin back into the rotation and call up MH Yaung, giving us three lefties in the pen for now.... Skiff's 8 walks isn't a team record, but ties him for 4th on our all-time list. Oscar Wiggins walked ten way back in '35, our second season, and Fernando Tello gave out 9 passes in our inaugural campaign in '34. Jonathan Ashton allowed 9 in '49 too.... Medici tied a team record with that five-hit game.... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii sits atop the league standings with 42 wins, the Chisox second with 39.... Texas' William Swanson wins player of the week, now leads the league in HR (27) and RBI (64).... Arizona sent 1B Eddie Hummel, off a 40 HR season in '53, to the Mets for two middling SP prospects and a no-hoper OF. Arizona is last in the West, while NY is tied for first in the East with the Phils.... Rick Logston (PHI) still leads in HR and RBI, and is 2nd in AVG at .359, but is still way behind red-hot Giants SS Mitch Elmore, at .395. June 5-7 @ HOUSTON Despite sitting in last place, only two games separate the Astros from 3rd in the West. Offense is 9th, but pitching is 6th, giving them a +1 differential despite their losing record. Stud 1B Jose Renteria (.311/13/37) is out for 2-3 more weeks, but RF Matt Dippel (.315/14/44) and LF Kevin Mazurowski (.288/21/44) have picked up the slack. The bottom third of the lineup, however, is near the Mendoza line. They took two games in our first meetup, but we swept them in May, while they were on the way to a 10-18 month. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (5-2, 5.93) / LH Matt Waugh (9-1, 2.13) / RH Mike Bader (4-3, 4.31) HOU pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (3-5, 4.70) / RH Ron Mills (3-7, 6.88) / RH Chris James (4-4, 4.11) #61: LOSS 3-6 ... another quiet night, only 3 hits...Liles gives up all 6 runs through 3.2 IP...19th HR by Pederson #62: WIN 6-5 ... Covington's HR and Matson's 2-run single spark a 4-run 8th, and a win...Ruiz claims the win, is now 6-1 #63: WIN 11-1 ... the difference? a 10-run 5th inning...Royer's 3-run HR and RBI double spark the rally...Bader goes the distance Another two out of three.... Royer is batting .385, which would lead the league if he had ten more PA. He'd be battling with Matson, hitting .383.... The other hot rookie, Doug Pederson, has cooled off considerably, only batting .143 this month.... post-draft, we release a number of guys we'll never miss, most notably 2050 5th round pick Matt Couey, a slick fielder who never did much of anything else in three seasons of rookie ball. Outside of Pederson, the '50 draft is looking pretty dreary indeed.... ELSEWHERE: William Swanson is the first to 30 HR, topping everyone at 31. He also leads the AL with 67 RBI.... 25-year-old Alex Ponce had a nice 2.9 WAR season last year, his first in LA's rotation. In 14 starts this year, he's earned 3.5 WAR, with 112 K in 79 IP. Sure, he's also walking nearly 6 men per 9 IP, so it's not all sunshine.... Since his 5-0 start in April with the Cards, former Isle Shamar Jackson has gone 2-5, pitching 45 innings and walking nearly as many (25) as he's fanned (27). June 9-11 vs OAKLAND Take away Texas and us, and the division would be a dogfight. Currently sharing 3rd place with Seattle, at 32-31, the A's are also just two games from last place. Still sitting in 5th in most offensive categories, and 2nd in HR. Felix Reyes is at it again, with 27 dingers, while Ryan Walton has added 22. Pitching is 12th, although the 4th-ranked rotation will get better when Eric Stockton (2-0, 3.38, 4-to-1 K:BB ratio) returns in a week. (Ace Jim Schwartz should come back for the hoped-for playoff stretch run too, depending on how long his rehab stint lasts.) The bullpen is still struggling, although sophomore closer Matt Rabideau (3.12, 13 saves) has improved. We've taken 5 out of 6 games from them so far. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (2-3, 4.56) / RH Biff Skiff (7-1, 3.38) / RH Chris Liles (5-3, 6.35) OAK pitchers: RH Robby Ford (2-2, 4.26) / RH Conrad Robertson (2-4, 4.76) / LH Mike Thomas (3-4, 6.34) #64: WIN 4-2 ... Ulkini's 2-run shot in the 4th breaks a 1-1 tie, and Irvin goes a strong 7 IP, fanning 6...bullpen fans 4 more to close it out #65: WIN 7-2 ... Medici and Pederson homer, and Lynn drives in 2 with a double... Skiff goes the distance...Royer hurt #66: WIN 7-3 ... Frederick's GRAND SLAM is the dagger tonight...Matson adds 3 hits...Liles goes 7, and the pen once again functions smoothly Sweep! Never a dull moment when we can sweep the A's. We'e now 8-1 against them this season.... Frederick is really pushing hard to get back into the lineup: in 7 starts since coming off the DL he's batting .433/4/10.... Royer's injury is minimal and just for six days, so while I might sit him out for a game or two, he won't miss any significant time.... Since starting the season at 21-3, Santa Barbara (AAA) has gone 12-16.... For the first time that I can remember, we have zero batters in the top three all-star voting slots at any position.... ELSEWHERE: NOZ pitcher Chad Akers is an odd duck: he only has two capable pitches--and no fastball--yet is a win away from his 12th consecutive season of double-figure wins. He also fills in at 1B for the Zephs, and is batting .270 in 12 starts in the field. The 36-year-old has spent his entire career in NOLA, and has only had one significant injury in that time, missing six starts in 2050 with a torn labrum. [The other 2-pitch starter I'm aware of is Miami's Jon Carlsen, who hasn't missed a start over his eleven season in various rotations.].... Montreal's Tim Bell (25) is having a fine season, at .324/13/46, and Edwin Rodas (24) is batting .325. But the rest of the team is hitting .230, and they have the worst record in baseball at 23-43. June 12-14 vs NY YANKEES Although just 5-5 this month, the 38-28 Yanks are maintaining a four-game lead over the Rays. The offense is 7th in runs, only 12th in average, but 3rd in HR. Six starters have hit double figures already, and LF Chris Mitchell tops the team charts at .319/19/52. At the other end, catcher Gabe Minix is batting only .213 and is striking out 1/3 of the time. Pitching ranks 9th; the rotation is only 15th and really needs ace Elijah Bragg to come back healthy from his impending rehab stint. Owner Justin Dielman has opened up the pursestrings, to where the Yanks have the 3rd-highest player payroll. But he expects a championship this year, and is currently worried. The fans are undecided, and attendance is down about 10% so far, despite the winning ways. Manager Anthony Collazo is in his first year, after leading the bench last season, and GM Wander Guillen is in his third season, after a decade in Korea building the Doosan Bears into a powerhouse. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (9-1, 2.18) / RH Mike Bader (5-3, 3.97) / RH Josh Irvin (3-3, 4.31) NYY pitchers: LH Jose Sedillo (6-2, 3.69) / LH Brian Whitney (6-5, 5.54) / RH Victor Silva (2-6, 6.16) #67: WIN 10-0 ... Frederick homers again, along with Medici...Ulkini hits 3 doubles, of our 7 total...Waugh "only" goes 7.1 innings #68: WIN 9-6 ... Medici's 2 late HR cap a comeback from a 6-1 deficit...Bader struggles, but the pen goes 5.1 IP, giving up just one hit #69: WIN 5-3 ... we're outhit 11-8, and come back again, thanks to Covington's 2-run HR in the 7th...more strong pitching, striking out 12 Another sweep, and now an 8-game winning streak. We're seven games ahead of Texas now.... With 97 of them, we're closing in on the century mark for home runs. I would guess we didn't reach 100 last year until, maybe, the end of July.... Waugh notches his 10th win of the season.... Matson still leads the AL in batting, at .380, while Waugh leads the ERA race at 2.02.... ELSEWHERE: Six straight losses for the Expos, falling more solidly into last place overall.... Detroit has won 7 out of 10, tying Chicago for first in the Central.... Yes, the AL features more offense than the NL, but Philadelphia still has the best overall offense, scoring 478 runs in 69 games. They also have nearly the worst pitching in the NL, giving up 386 runs, and closer Luis Marrero has a fun 8.86 ERA.... Texas continues to keep pace with the hot Islanders, but with five players on the DL already, they're looking at some trouble brewing with pending injury diagnoses for star RF Omar Gurrola and #2 SP Paul Labbe. ...... TL;DR Version: A fast 11-2 start to the month puts us at a crazy 50-19 overall, the best record in baseball. So maybe we're not getting all-star game votes, I'll still take a team average of .309, with five regulars hitting .300, and only one guy hitting under .282. Even Mike Covington, batting just .257 overall, is off to a .333 start this month. Go everyone go! Now if we can just get SP Chris Liles (7.85 ERA this month) and RP Kyle Johnson (disappearing beneath the waves) going, everything will be perfect. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

02-23-2021, 08:23 PM	#389
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	IT'S BACK. And because you care, you're getting a twinbill tonight. ...... June 15-17 @ CALIFORNIA A 16-12 May showed there's some life here, but a 6-7 June has stunted that hope somewhat. Team offense is only 14th, with--as usual--Mauricio Marquez the only one producing, at .324/15/48. Pitching is 8th, but closer Adam Burg and #2 SP Ryann Kuehner are done for the year. So if they're already "waiting 'til next year," what will that hold? A 33rd-ranked player payroll will fall even lower, with 7 of their 14 highest-paid players due to be free agents: they're on the hook for just $45M next year at the moment. And of the seven "signed" for next year, five actually need arbitration, so some of them might be gone as well. And on the farm? Only #4 prospect Aaron Moore is MLB-ready (or even close), and he's already in the pro bullpen. He is a two-way player, a decent pitcher but a solid power-hitting OF. But no one else is close, so there's no youth movement forthcoming. With possibly half the roster departing, and a budget that's only 31st in the game, I'm not sure there's any positive momentum on the way, in the near term. Sorry to depress you, Angels fan. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-1, 3.25) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 6.14) / LH Matt Waugh (10-1, 2.02) CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (7-4, 4.39) / RH Jay Sanford (3-7, 3.83) / RH George Millard (3-6, 4.98) #70: LOSS 0-7 ... oof, just three hits, three dinky singles...Skiff leaves in the 5th, first ineffective game in a while #71: LOSS 2-3 ... Lynn gets 3 hits, including a HR and 3 RBI, but it's not enough...Germann puts five runners on over the final 1.2 IP for the loss #72: LOSS 0-6 ... outhit 14-8, and that's the closest thing to a highlight tonight Oof, nothing to see here. Bats taking a few nights off, saving up runs for later. I hope.... Liles leaves his game early with back spasms, but won't miss a start.... Still a five-game lead over Texas, and everyone else is way back from that.... Notice how often I lose series after trashing our opponents, even if it's all true?... ELSEWHERE: Hawaii is still the only team with 50 wins. The White Sox have 46, and three are tied at 45: Detroit, Texas, and Philadelphia.... Detroit trails Chicago by a game, but the rest of the division is at least 16 games behind.... A couple of trades already, but among teams that don't appear to be headed anywhere. Last place Toronto gets 2B Cortez Ortiz from Minnesota, one of those teams 16 games behind in the AL Central. And Cleveland--another of those teams--gets P Morgan Daws from KC. Yes, KC is the third team tied at 30-42 in the Central. Who knows why. June 19-21 @ MINNESOTA Despite having a solid middle third of a lineup--RF Josh Jacobson (.344/19/53), LF Jordan Foots (.277/13/52), and DH Josh Conley (.267/8/27)--the offense sits just 16th in runs, 12th in AVG, last in HR. Leadoff man Sam Gilmer is hitting just .251, and long-time slugging 3B Roberto Miranda, at 36, appears to be slowing down, hitting only .245 with 8 dingers. Pitching ranks 12th, with the rotation 17th in ERA. Ace Conor MacLeod hasn't been his best this year, especially his K/9 dropping by more than three. The bullpen has been much better, and 2nd-year closer Brett Roseman (12 saves, 2.25 ERA) looks solid. Manager Robert Woodard is in his fifth year with the team, 22nd year in MLB overall. The prospect system ranks smack in the middle, at 18th. Four players are in the top 100 prospects, but the highest is only 49th. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (5-3, 4.37) / RH Josh Irvin (4-3, 4.11) / RH Biff Skiff (8-2, 3.63) MIN pitchers: LH Bobby Reder (6-7, 6.48) / RH Dan Hannan (0-0, 4.63) / RH Jonathan Belmonte (4-6, 4.64) #73: WIN 15-4 ... 18 hits, including 3 HR, Medici hits his 20th...Bader gives up 16 hits, but gets away anyway #74: WIN 10-8 ... 4 runs in the 3rd, 5 more in the 4th...3 hits each for Matson and Covington...Irvin is shelled, pulled after 3 IP #75: LOSS 4-6 ... bad pitching dooms us here, with Skiff pulled after 4 IP, giving up 10 hits and 5 runs Still first in pitching, but showing some signs of leakiness over these last two series. At least we pulled two wins out here, keeping a five-game lead over the Rangers.... We passed 100 HR on the season here, putting seven out in this series.... ELSEWHERE: Houston's Jesus Hernandez hit for the cycle in a 16-2 romp over Detroit, and actually had five hits in the game.... Zephyrs ace Chad Akers is still leading the NL in wins (11) and ERA (2.56). But with only 71 K, he's a no-hoper for a pitching Triple Crown. But he is hitting .261 in his 14 starts, so maybe a Silver Slugger will help ease his pain.... Montreal continues to trail the pack, with only 25 wins, the only team without 30 so far.... Texas LF Mike Olivera has finally qualified for the batting race after some DL time, and takes the lead with a .386 average. Hawaii's Josh Matson sits in second, at .376.... Seven players have significant time as two-way guys this year, probably none more so than Cincy's Steve McKeen: 15 pitching starts, and 13 starts at three other positions, hitting .302/4/11. June 22-24 vs SEATTLE With an 11-8 month to date, the Mariners remain in third in the division, at 39-36, 13 games out of first. Solid hitting--5th in runs--but porous pitching--15th in runs against, with last-place starting pitching--is keeping them just treading water. 1B Jon Terrell and 2B Jose Rodriguez are hitting well, as is rookie RF Paul Stough (with 18 HR). With 138, they're also second in HR, with five players in double figures. Three SP have ERA over six, and only Dan Crews is below the league average. They're not helped by having six pitchers on the DL, plus starting SS Sam Moore. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (6-3, 5.87) / LH Matt Waugh (10-2, 2.16) / RH Mike Bader (6-3, 4.37) SEA pitchers: LH Art Mewbourne (5-4, 5.12) / RH Dan Welker (6-6, 6.36) / RH Chris Grauer (6-5, 6.49) #76: WIN 10-5 ... 3 HR for the good guys, and we outhit them 14-8...Liles struggles again, getting pulled in the 6th #77: WIN 5-4 ... oddities: no earned runs for the M's, thanks to 2 errors; and no Islander batter struck out...2 BB and a single win it in the 8th #78: WIN 8-2 ... CG from Bader, yielding 9 hits...3 H, 3 RBI by Daley, including 2 doubles and a HR...Medici and Pederson also homer Second game was halted in the 6th and finished the next day, before the final game. The sweep now has us 6 games up on Texas.... We're 11th in AL home runs, but five regulars have reached double figures, and Pederson (22) and Medici (21) have topped twenty.... Speaking of Pederson, he's dropped to "just" .306, so I'm giving Josh Frederick more games in right and left. He's batting .404 in just 11 starts, so it makes sense.... ELSEWHERE: Miami's Chris Bierly becomes the fifth player this season to hit for the cycle. Only six players total have done that in the previous three years of this decade.... Speaking of the Marlins, disgruntled RP Shamar Venable likely wants out, as he's no longer the team's closer. Venable was a solid SP for Brooklyn last decade, and has become an itinerant RP over the last four seasons. He still scouts very well, but his Ks are down, HRs are up, despite solid BABIP and nice control.... Six straight losses for the Expos, further strengthening their grip on next year's #1 overall draft pick. (The current #1 in the rankings is P Danny Rice, who looks very, very good. The top batter is OF Tyler Baccala, an across-the-board solid hitter.). June 25-27 vs TEXAS With an early all-star date, we'll finish up the month against our now-nemeses, the defending champs. They're 49-29, 2nd in MLB, with 3rd ranked pitching and hitting. William Swanson (.319/34/78) is still a beast, and rookie Mike Olivera (.382/16/59) has joined fellow youngsters Ryan Boers (.347/21/61) and Eric Robbins (.324/17/47) in the relentless attack. Leadoff guy Ronnie Halvorson also has 19 dingers, as the Rangers pace the AL with 156. Despite injuries to three SP and three RP, pitching is keeping up. Former ace SP Greg Buchanan has moved into the closer role, with 19 saves and a 2.70 ERA. And former MR Melvin Vasaure has moved into the rotation and has looked good in his first three starts. Suffice to say, that between these two teams, there's going to be a very, very good wildcard club in the AL post-season. (Likely two, given how strong Chicago and Detroit have been in the Central.) HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (4-3, 4.76) / RH Biff Skiff (8-3, 3.90) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 5.99) TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (9-4, 4.07) / RH Paul Labbe (8-3, 3.22) / LH Bill Butts (9-4, 4.32) #79: WIN 14-4 ... Pederson and Royer heat up, both homering, and Groff gets 2 H and 2 RBI...an 8-run 8th inning seals the deal #80: LOSS 0-6 ... Labbe is just off the DL, tosses a 4-hitter...Skiff leaves after the 2nd, the bullpen gives up 4 HR, but does fan ten, fwiw #81: WIN 6-5 ... 3 late runs for them almost cost us the win...3 hits from Hiro, and a 2-run HR by Medici...Liles hurt, leaves in the 2nd Two wins here puts us 7 ahead of the Rangers now, heading into the break.... Odd that the season is officially half over at the all-star break. That makes it a good time to assess hot and cold players. HOT: Matson, batting .381. COLD: no one, but Pederson (.302) and Royer (.342) have seen their averages drop 40-50 points over the last month-plus. No one in the lineup is struggling.... Pitching overall looks good, but with Liles having a pending injury, there's now some uncertainty in the rotation. Pearse isn't due back for two weeks, but may need some rehab time before stepping back into the lineup. Liles hasn't been great (6.07 ERA), tbh. In the pen, Kyle Johnson is still cold, with a 9.00 ERA. He's also not pitching much, with just 13 IP so far. I may try sending him down for a bit, to see if he can regain what he had over the first 2/3 of last season, when he was nearly unhittable.... ELSEWHERE: San Francisco, leading the NL West by five games, just made a very odd (and bad, imho) trade with the last-place Brewers. SS Mitch Elmore--leading the NL in hitting at .362--was dealt away (along with two decent prospects) for overrated SP Danny Salgado, a mediocre prospect, and 33-year-old former Isles RP Dan Brown, sporting an unlovely 7.31 ERA. Elmore's departure leaves a hole in the lineup and the field, with no other quality SS in the system. Salgado is a big-armed thower, but prone to the long ball. One of those guys who looks better warming up between innings than during actual play. Tsk. ...... TL;DR Version: We follow up last month's 22-6 record with a sound 18-7 mark, and sit at 57-24, first in the West and tops in MLB. Team offense is 2nd in runs, and pitching is first, for a +157 run differential. Minus a few off games, the entire offense is rolling. Much of the staff is also performing, minus Liles and the occasional iffy start from Bader, Irvin, and Skiffington. There are questions arising, however, with the trade deadline looming at the end of July. 1) With Daley (FA) and Frederick (PO) possibly leaving in the fall, should I try getting something for one or both of them now? Both are extremely popular, however, and both are playing well. There are--untested--replacements on the farm, and Doug Pederson has been very good as Fred's replacement in right. A glance at the trade block shows nothing of across-the-board talent available that I would want in return, however. Still, worth considering. 2) Liles' pending injury could throw a wrench into the rotation if he's out long-term. Pearse is still out, so do I give a chance to a prospect, or scour the trade bushes for someone new? Again, there's nothing great on the current trade block, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone out there willing to consider something. (I mean, look at that terrible SF/MIL trade...) And 3) there might be some movement in the pen, despite their overall solid pitching. Johnson has been terrible, and isn't getting any innings to work through his demons. So stay tuned there as well. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders! Last edited by Bub13; 02-23-2021 at 09:49 PM.

02-23-2021, 08:24 PM	#390
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	JULY 2053 The month starts with the All-Star Prospects Game. We put six players on the roster: pitchers Daniel Croft and Brad Cahill, catcher Bill Wetter, SS Bill Gamboa, and outfielders Nick Gase and Josh Hed. The only guy here that surprises me is Wetter, a 23rd round pick from 2051. He's a solid defensive guy who's hitting ceilings--so I'm told--have jumped to where he's a legit prospect for a platoon or bench role in MLB one day. Color me surprised. Everyone else has been on my radar for a while, and look favorable to make the big club soon. As for the game itself: the AL kids beat the NL, 6-1. Hed and Gase got hits, and Cahill gave up a run in his only inning. For the big boys game, we'll be sending three players: Matt Waugh will be the starting pitcher, while closer Robbie Collier and 1B Josh Matson were also named to the roster. The game was played in Oakland, and the AL also won this one, 7-4. Waugh tossed a scoreless first, and Collier gave up a solo HR in his single frame. Matson had a sac bunt (people still bunt?) in his only plate appearance. Now, back to regular play... Over the month, we'll play 27 games, 15 at home and 12 on the road. We'll finish the month with nine straight at home. Oh, and some good news: Liles' injury was just a minor dtd thing, and he won't miss a start. ...... July 2-4 @ MILWAUKEE At 31-50, last in the Central, and vying for a top five draft pick next year. Nothing is going well: 17th in hitting, 18th (worst) pitching. Much of the lineup is filled with over-the-hill or aging veterans, acquired via trade or free agency, few of whom are producing. 1B Jim Timmer--31 and new to the team--is hitting .261/23/50, the most consistent on the team. Newly acquired Mitch Elmore has gone from SS (in SF) to LF (now), and was leading the NL in batting at .362 before the recent trade. He might help some, but doesn't help on defense and only brings a quality average to the plate. Only CF Emilio Valdez and SS John Collins are home-grown, and neither moves the needle. On the mound, losing ace Danny Salgado hurts a bad staff, and his replacement--23 year-old Omar Cobian--has combined for 3 innings and a 39.00 ERA in his two big league starts. Someone needs to come in here and gut the roster, starting over; even the prospect pool ranks 32nd, so they need help there too. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (7-3, 4.17) / RH Josh Irvin (5-3, 4.79) / LH Matt Waugh (10-2, 2.05) MIL pitchers: RH John Landers (6-3, 5.74) / RH Brian Moise (0-1, 6.55) / RH Jose Arteaga (debut) #82: WIN 10-6 ... 7 HR tonight, 4 from us: 2 by Royer, with 5 RBI...we're outhit 11-8 too...all 6 runs charged to Bader, only 3 are earned tho #83: WIN 9-6 ... Goodloe homers for the 2nd straight game, and we combine to hit 4 out again...Irvin is so-so, but we bail him out #84: WIN 10-3 ... Matson goes 4-for-4, Pederson 3-for-5 with 4 RBI...Waugh goes 7 solid innings for the win A solid and necessary sweep, as Texas swept the Twins.... With no days off between the all-star game and the start of this series, Waugh had his scheduled start pushed back two days after getting to pitch in the Summer Classic.... Nothing big here, but we make a minor trade with STL, mostly to free up some space on the 40-man roster. AAA IF Mike Janikowski and OF Jim Jackson head out, and we get SS Jim Pfeifer in return. Pfeifer, 22, could figure as a utility guy one day, and he doesn't need to be on the 40-man too.... After that, we add RP Orlando Silva to that roster, and bring him up for his first taste of MLB. We send Kyle Johnson down to Santa Barbara to get his mojo back.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland, falling to last in the West, sends six-year veteran SP Conrad Robertson to Cleveland for two minor league prospect OF.... Houston's won six straight, but are still 17 games out of first, and well back in any wildcard consideration.... Montreal has won 3 in a row, now just a game behind Milwaukee in the most exciting race in baseball right now. July 5-7 @ CALIFORNIA If the teams weren't so far out, the race among the last four teams in the division is tight, only divided by three games. The Angels are 41-43, currently in fourth. Pitching (6th) has outpaced hitting (13th). Mauricio Marquez is still going great, .336/19/59, and Mike Eskridge .315. The rotation has been decent, 3rd in ERA, and led by #1 guy Nate Elder. The pen, however, has been pretty bad, with their closer and two setup guys combining for ERA over 7. The franchise is closing in on twenty seasons without a post-season appearance, or a winning record. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 3.91) / RH Chris Liles (6-3, 6.07) / RH Mike Bader (8-3, 4.17) CAL pitchers: RH Jay Sanford (4-7, 3.39) / RH Jason Shetler (1-0, 3.24) / RH Nate Elder (8-5, 3.79) #85: WIN 8-6 ... crazy game: 5 HR for us, 3 for them...Skiff struggles through 5.1 IP, giving up all 3 HR, but more strong work from the bullpen #86: WIN 4-1 ... Goodloe homers for the 4th time in 5 games...6.2 IP for Liles, pitching well, despite walking 4 #87: WIN 6-5 ... Simmons finally contributes, a 2-run double in the 8th to win it...Bader has a rough outing, but Silva wins his debut Another sweep, and a very strong start to July. We're 8 games up on Texas now.... More rough outings from the rotation, but our hitting and solid bullpen work keep bailing them out.... Cam Daley wants to talk contract extension again: he's lowered his demand to $20M per for six seasons, plus three more following an opt out. Ehhhh, probably not.... ELSEWHERE: Philly is in first in the NL East, but they're working to shore up their league-worst bullpen. First, they acquired Dan Neumann (remember him from last year?) from Baltimore, and now they've added Lorenzo Quinones from Cincy. Both are veterans who have had solid seasons, and have immediately moved to the top of the pen. Neumann actually won his first two appearances with the Phils.... Eight straight losses for Milwaukee, six for Cleveland. Also in the Central, Detroit and Chicago are tied for first and have opened up a 16 game lead over Minnesota. July 8-10 vs TORONTO Our tour through the bottom half of various AL divisions continues with the tied-for-last Blue Jays, at 37-50. The offense ranks 12th, pitching 11th, with a -27 run differential. They're trying to better themselves, as only four regulars were here before last season. They've also made two recent trades, getting 2B Cortez Ortiz from MIN and DH Miguel Tejeda from OAK. Both are decent, but not cornerstone players. The rotation has been at least decent, despite having three SP on the DL. Like the Angels, this is a once-strong franchise that hasn't been relevant for some time, with no post-seasons since 2040. Unlike California, they have some better prospects, with the top six--all starting pitchers--all looking like potential big leaguers. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (6-3, 4.99) / LH Matt Waugh (11-2, 2.08) / RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.12) TOR pitchers: RH Jaden Buchanan (6-9, 4.86) / LH Chris Rivera (6-6, 3.94) / RH Josh Gordon (1-3, 6.10) #88: WIN 3-1 ... Medici and Pederson homer, and Irvin yields just 4 hits over 8 innings #89: WIN 4-0 ... Medici homers again, and Matson and Simmons add RBI doubles...Waugh goes 8.2, fanning 9, and Germann closes it #90: LOSS 3-4 ... Collier gives up a 2-run triple in the 9th to end our winning streak...Frederick goes deep, pushing to get back into the lineup Awwww, there goes the streak. Time to start another one.... Nine game lead over Texas now.... Pitching is still 1st in runs against, and now both the rotation and bullpen are first in ERA.... Once I sent Johnson down to AAA, we started getting tons of trade offers for him. Apparently, a closer-level RP is only worth mediocre catching prospects.... ELSEWHERE: Eleven losses in a row for Milwaukee now.... The Race for the Best Offense: Philly has scored 590 runs, the White Sox 586. For comparison, we're 2nd in the AL and have scored 554 runs.... William Swanson has gone crazy this month, and leads MLB with 44 home runs and 97 RBI. In 90 games.... Yet his 4.7 WAR isn't even top-five in the AL, and is way behind Philly's George Livezey, leading everyone at 5.8. July 11-13 vs OAKLAND It's been a rough stretch for the A's of late, 2-7 this month and ten games under .500 over the last two months. And they've fallen to last place, three games behind Seattle and California. Although they're still 2nd in HR, the offense has sagged a bit, to 7th in runs scored. Some minor housecleaning has started, as they sent RF Danny Venegas (.319/10/28) to the Yankees for two marginal prospects and a magical 4th round pick. (And then replacement RF Aaron Blocker broke his wrist and is out for the month.) Despite this down year, all of their top players return for next season, and they've got $30M to spend as of this writing. Get a couple pitchers and some help for lower in the lineup, and you're looking at a contender again in a snap. EDIT: first day of the series, they also traded #2 SP Chris Ronan for 2B Andy Lee, a good-field-can-sorta-hit guy. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (7-3, 5.77) / RH Mike Bader (8-3, 4.33) / RH Josh Irvin (7-3, 4.64) OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (10-5. 3.91) / RH Eric Stockton (3-3, 4.33) / RH Robby Ford (2-6, 4.99) #91: LOSS 3-5 ... Liles yields 11 H over 7 IP including 2 2-run HR...five of our six hits are doubles #92: WIN 3-1 ... tonight it's all singles (7 hits) but we add 5 walks too...8 IP from Bader, gives up just 5 hits #93: WIN 11-5 ... 3 HR for each team, with Daley putting two out for us...plus 7 XBH total tonight, 13 hits (and 5 more walks) Two wins here, and now an 8-game lead over Texas.... Mike Pearse and Anthony Booker have started their rehab stints in AAA. Both have pitched well out of the gate, which is most pleasing. And Kyle Johnson, recently demoted, has had one bad outing and three solid stints, all in relief.... We're batting .306 as a team, with five regulars over .300, and two more close to that.... ELSEWHERE: Trade season is already heating up, with seven deals in the last week. Minnesota has already traded away three pitchers, acquiring a handful of middling prospects. Oakland made another deal while visiting Hawaii, sending injured OF Aaron Blocker to Washington for two prospects.... Baltimore has lost 9 straight, but Milwaukee tops that with a 14-game slide, tying them at the bottom in all of MLB at 31-62.... Rangers OF Mike Olivera had a 21-game hit streak ended, but he still leads the AL at .382, one point ahead of Hawaii's Josh Matson. ...... TL;DR Version: A 10-2 start to July has us a 67-26 overall, best in MLB. The offense still sits 2nd in runs, but I'm probably more happy that our pitching--both starters and relievers--ranks first, in runs and ERA. Although the two guys who started the season very hot, Doug Pederson and Caleb Royer, have cooled off and lost 30 to 40 points off their averages, Josh Matson is now up to .381 and Jules Medici is having the breakout seasonn I expected, at .315/25/68. ...... Time for another draft review, this time from 2035. Our second-ever draft was extremely disappointing...but with one major exception. Take a look: Round 1, 1st Overall SS Adam Groff, 21, Vanderbilt. A big, rangy kid who has all the tools: contact, power, range, arm, and speed. He's got plus contact potential, good gap power, and could hit 25-30 HR for us one day. Good discipline and won't strike out a ton. Rates well as a fielder too, and can play SS, 3B, or 1B. He'll fit best at short for now, and probably will end up at third as his range declines. Could swing a good bat in the bigs right now, but needs to develop his patience and his power stroke. He'll start at A, with an eye to moving to AA if he hits well. MLB: 2151 GP, 101.0 WAR, entire career (to date) with Hawaii. Round 2, 50th Overall CL Dave Seaman, 21, USC. Perhaps a bit of a reach, taking a reliever in the second round. But this is a weak draft, so I went with BPA, in my mind. Probably won't be a closer at the big league level, but certainly has the chops to be a quality set up guy. Control and second pitch need work. Velo tops out at 95-97 currently. Can also hit, so I might play around with him in the OF during part of a season, and possibly ST next year. His potential at the plate is only slightly above average right now, so I still think his best bet is on the mound. Will go to rookie ball. MLB: nada Round 3, 76th Overall SP Dave DeLong, 22, Kansas. Is fairly well developed already, but doesn't have the highest potential. Lefty, groundballer, velo at 93-95. Good fastball, with curve, forkball, and change (if it develops) just behind. Middling stamina, which may limit him in the bigs. Will start season in short A ball. MLB: nada Round 4, 113th Overall 3B Steve Douglas, 18, high school. Mellow kid, with good contact and gap potential. Little power and plate discipline. May not strike out much tho. Good fielder with a big time arm. Only rated at third, but I may stick him in the outfield to develop some versatility and make him more useful. Rookie ball. MLB: 19 GP, 60 AB, 0.1 WAR Round 5, 149th Overall SS Eric Antoniuk, 20, Notre Dame. Currently projects as a mediocre hitting utility infielder. Rated only at short right now, so he might get some forced starts at third to increase his value. All around good marks on defense, so he's got the chops. Speedy. Canadian. Off to S A ball.MLB: nada Round 6, 185th Overall 3B Jeremy Stevens, 21, Wake Forest. Another utility infielder, with less hitting potential than Antoniuk. Not the most mobile player, but a very strong glove and the best arm in our draft. Third his best position; might be too immobile for short. Short A ball for him. MLB: 229 GP, 0.7 WAR, all with Cleveland Round 7, 221st Overall SP Jake Feinstein, 17, high school HS starter, but the pen is his future for us. Two pitches, good curve, decent fastball. Velo at 94. Pitcher ratings project to 12-13 (of 20), but he's a hard worker, so maybe he'll surpass those projections. Not tall, so not a power guy. Will start at S A ball. MLB: nada Round 8, 257th Overall OF Brendan Ritchea, 20, Southern Utah. A character guy, super smart with a great work ethic. Ratings fairly average at the plate (poor power). Better fielder, with decent range and arm, and a good glove. Can play all three spots, but best suited for LF. Off to rookie ball. MLB: nada Round 9, 293rd Overall SS Jason Berthold, 21, Rock Valley. A dynamite fielder, truly gold glove capability. Great range and glove, and a good arm and DP turning. Highly rated already at second, third, and short. Capable outfielder too. If he ends up hitting a lick, he'll be in the majors one day. If. Starts in rookie ball. MLB: nada Round 10, 329th Overall 3B Rick DeWeese, 22, UCLA. Another choice between batting or pitching. Above average pitching potential, but has only one pitch currently, and I have no confidence he'll ever develop a second one. Average hitter, little power, mediocre eye. Not much range in the field, but good glove and cannon arm. Good clubhouse guy. Rookie ball. MLB: nada So how did we do? Well...we can't complain about getting a future Hall of Famer at first overall, someone who was a foundational player and the face of our franchise for well over a decade. Solid A+ there. But as far as "building a team through the draft" goes this effort was a total failure. Only two other players ever made the big leagues, and for fewer than combined 300 games. Looking back on what I wrote about this class, I was rolling a lot of dice on some nice-enough but low-ceiling prospects, none of whom panned out. Then again, this draft class overall--league-wide--was pretty bad. The Mets took Erik Reed 5th overall, and he's smacked 494 HR in a career that's still going, but only three other first rounders topped 20 career WAR. Probably the second-best player after Groff is Cesar Alvarenga, taken by Baltimore in the 3rd round, who's winding down a career that's seen him garner over 2400 hits and 67 WAR. Finally, I should add that our current closer, Robbie Collier, was an 8th round pick by Cincinnati; and STL took pitcher Mike Messinger in the 13th, and he won a Cy Young with us in '41. So maybe I can say we got three good big leaguers after all, ha! __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

02-27-2021, 07:32 PM	#391
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	July 15-17 @ HOUSTON Clinging on to a positive record, 47-46, but not really in the race for anything right now. Their numbers look decent: 8th in offense, 6th in pitching. Injuries have hurt, with RF Jesus Hernandez out, along with four pitchers. Leading the way on offense are Jose Renteria (.299/21/55), Ricky Silva (.253/18/53), and Kevin Mazurowski (.277/30/70). The rest of the gang...not so much. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (12-2, 1.94) / RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.00) / RH Chris Liles (7-4, 5.73) HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (1-0, 1.00) / LH Pat Wise (5-6, 4.34) / RH Eric Morton (3-0, 4.41) #94: WIN 6-1 ... HR by Medici and Freds, as we efficiently turn 9 runners into 6 runs...Waugh fans 11 through 7 IP #95: WIN 12-6 ... wind was blowing out today: 5 HR for us (2 from Matson) and 2 for them...6 RBI by Matson, and Espino knocks his first MLB HR #96: LOSS 2-7 ... Houston scores 5 runs late, blowing up a 2-2 tie...Ulkini homers...Liles struggles again Funny how winning two out of three actually lowers our winning percentage.... Still 8 games ahead of Texas.... Matson stays hot, batting .377. Medici up to .320 now, really feeling it.... Pitching is still pretty solid, but Liles is really battling it, with an ERA up near 6 now.... ELSEWHERE: Another three days, another set of minor trades, teams swapping average prospects for backup-type players.... Milwaukee has dropped 17 in a row, Montreal 9. Both sit at 31-65 overall.... The Cubs are the third team to reach 60 wins (after Hawaii and Texas), and has built up a ten game lead over New Orleans.... Cubs 3B Juan Garcia reached 2800 career hits just now. The 16-year vet is hitting .337, and if he stays healthy he'll reach 3000 hits next season. July 18-20 @ DETROIT With the White Sox, they're still running away from the pack in the Central: at 57-39 and a game behind Chicago. The offense sits just 12th in runs, a major comedown from the past, oh, decade-plus for the franchise. Perhaps having three OF on the DL hasn't helped. Pitching is 2nd, however, and both the rotation and bullpen have been top-notch. Rookie Jose Hernandez was moved into the closer role after April, and is at 54 K (vs just 9 walks) in 33 IP, with a WHIP of 0.88 and 20 saves. Not shabby at all. Plus, it just thrills me that our 2B from last season, D.J. Grace, is batting .349/18/52, hitting leadoff. THRILLS. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (9-3, 4.13) / RH Josh Irvin (8-3, 4.53) / LH Matt Waugh (13-2, 1.90) DET pitchers: RH Tony Gamez (10-5, 3.28) / RH Raul Bravo (9-5, 3.97) / LH Carlos Zenon (8-5, 4.18) #97: WIN 8-4 ... 2 HR from Royer, and 4 H with 3 RBI from Goodloe...14 hits for us, 12 for the bad guys #98: WIN 7-1 ... Pederson and Medici homer, each closing in on 30...7 solid IP for Irvin, Kearns shuts it down the rest of the way #99: LOSS 0-4 ... 3 hits by Lynn, but we get only 3 more, all singles...Waugh yields 3 HR and 12 hits in 7 IP Two out of three, still up by 8 over Texas.... Rare off game from Waugh, but solid outings from Bader and Irvin.... With just over a week to go before the trade deadline, I'm looking around but not likely to make any deals. No one's hurt, we've got two good pitchers on rehab in AAA, and other decent depth available on the farm. Since almost everyone is going great right now, I'm not terribly willing to upset the mood on the field or in the clubhouse. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee lost their 20th straight, then finally took one from Houston. Still, they've lost 9 out of 10, along with Baltimore and Montreal.... Philly's Rick Logston (108) and Texas' William Swanson (104) lead the RBI race in each league. Both are also tops in HR, and are the only players with more than 40 dingers.... The top three HR leaders in the NL are all with the Phillies. July 22-24 vs BOSTON The most interesting (?) stat from this 40-59 team is probably the twelve players currently on the DL. Three-fourths of the infield and two-thirds of the outfield are out of action long-term. Which helps explain the league's worst offense, last in scoring and hitting and near-bottom in every other category. Comparatively, the 11th-ranked pitching staff looks pretty decent. This may be the time for a rich team, one that is only spending $78M on salaries, to go all in on a rebuild: of the top 25 listed salaries, only five are definitely signed for next season. A top-four prospect system, with several players just about ready to take the big step or already in the bigs, is a good sign moving forward. So many teams here should pay me to consult for them. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (8-4, 4.30) / RH Chris Liles (7-5, 5.79) / RH Mike Bader (10-3, 4.05) BOS pitchers: RH Sean Reed (3-3, 6.09) / RH Danny Diaz (10-5, 4.26) / RH Sean Kropp (0-3, 5.25) #100: WIN 6-1 ... JJ SIMMONS ANNUAL HOME RUN ALERT...complete game 4-hitter by Biff, and sellout crowds are showing up again at home #101: WIN 3-2 ... only 4 hits tonight, but throw in 4 walks and a pair of RBI doubles, along with Liles' strong 8 innings, for a change #102: WIN 4-3 ... Boston scores 2 in the 11th, but we counter with 3 in our half, sparked by Lynn's 2-run double...Bader goes 9 IP too Sorry Sox fans, it had to be done. Boston's SP in that last game, Sean Kropp, is also a power-hitting 1B who has 125 career HR to go along with 158 career starts on the mound.... In his 10th full season in MLB, Simmons just cracked his 9th career HR. That includes his Ruthian three-homer season last year. He was so tired from that, look how long it took him to hit another one.... Short A Poughkeepsie is off to a 25-4 start, and right now every minor team but rookie ball Wilmington is over .500.... ELSEWHERE: More trades, mostly minor. But Pittsburgh's lineup sounds a lot more boring now that they sent off catcher Sean Blong and infielder Micah Michael, getting solid-but-dull-sounding Garrett Slone in return.... Fun stat: Milwaukee, with 33 wins, is almost that many games (30) behind division-leading Chicago.... Close race in the NL West, with five teams within 8 games of first. The AL East is the other close race, with New York and Tampa separated by just one game. July 25-27 vs TEXAS Hey, Sean Blong fans: he's here after his recent trade, and we'll face him as the new starting catcher for the Rangers. (What is that fan club called? Blongers? Blongmongers? Blongeroos?) Texas is 9 games behind us now, still 3rd in offense, 4th in pitching. Also still tops in home runs, with 213, and led by perrenial MVP-candidate William Swanson with 47. LF Mike Olivera is also still leading the batting race, at .385 (to go along with 26 HR and 81 RBI). With five regulars batting over .300, and four of those guys with over 20 HR, this is still a potent lineup. With their power, they're still a threat to catch us and take the division for the first time since 2019. The defending champs will definitely make noise before this season is over, you can count on that. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (9-3, 4.31) / LH Matt Waugh (13-3, 2.07) / RH Biff Skiff (9-4, 4.02) TEX pitchers: RH Jesus Aguilar (10-6, 4.45) / LH Bill Butts (11-5, 4.80) / RH Jake Driggers (6-4, 4.75) #103: LOSS 3-5 ... Irvin gives up 3 HR in 4.2 IP, and that's the ball game...only six hits for us, as the offense is slumbering just a bit now #104: WIN 2-1 ... Matson and Medici get the RBIs tonight, even though we again get on six hits...Waugh goes 8, giving up six hits too #105: WIN 9-3 ... Pederson and Medici inch closer to 30 HR, and 4 players get 2 hits each...another CG win for Biff, giving up just 5 hits Picked up another game, now ten games up on Texas.... Our faceless corporate ownership group gave me an order to increase our home runs from last year's total. Well, we hit 167 in 2052, and through 105 games this year we've banged out 156. Hopefully we can still reach our goal, although nothing is promised in this life.... ELSEWHERE: Along with us, the Cubs have become the second team to open up a double-digit division lead, leading New Orleans by ten games.... You know me, always pulling for atrocious teams: Milwaukee (33 wins) and Montreal (35) are staging quite a race for the worst of the worst this year. I'd love another 40-something win team, but that'd be a real feat to pull off at this point.... Another fun race: Minnesota pitcher Conor MacLeod (155 K) vs Baltimore 2B Nick Mullins (148 K). Excellent, truly excellent. July 28-30 vs SEATTLE A 9-15 month has put the Mariners on the bottom of the division, taking over from Oakland. The offense has picked up, sitting 5th in runs and 3rd in HR. Only one guy--Jon Terrell at .315--is batting over .300, but nearly everyone is producing, and there are no obviously glaring holes in the lineup. Pitching, however, is 16th, with the 17th-ranked rotation ERA (bullpen is 3rd). That rotation ERA is 6.26, which is...not good. Maybe having three guys on the DL isn't helping. I suppose the good news for their pitching is that they have two truly top-flight prospects who may be ready for the big time by next year. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (8-5, 5.57) / RH Mike Bader (10-3, 3.87) / RH Josh Irvin (9-4, 4.54) SEA pitchers: RH Dan Crews (5-3, 4.83) / RH Erik Ramey (7-12, 6.49) / LH Art Mewbourne (5-8, 5.45) #106: LOSS 4-7 ... had it won after two, up 4-0...six of our eight hits go for extras, but to no avail...all three of our pitchers struggle tonight #107: WIN 4-2 ... two solo HR from Medici are the go-ahead runs...solid 8 IP from Bader, and a 1-2-3 all-K ninth by Collier #108: WIN 13-10 ... 8 total HR tonight, gale force winds blowing out...GRAND SLAM and 8 RBI for Medici...pen gives up 6 runs in 2 IP Not the shiniest hour for the bullpen, giving up 13 of the 19 runs Seattle scored.... 4 HR and 10 RBI from Medici, now with 33 HR on the season.... Otherwise, not much to report here. Two more wins, no injuries, and we maintain our lead over Texas.... With the end of the month and the trade deadline here: we make no moves. I thought about adding an RP or a utility infielder, but didn't for two reasons, which I think I mentioned up above too: 1) everyone is going well right now, so why upset the apple cart; and b) we've got two pitchers in AAA who'll be finishing up rehab stints soon, and will need spots on the big club. So that's a what, self-trade? Works for me.... ELSEWHERE: A bunch more trades, with nearly every one being not at all noteworthy. But with one exception: Cincy sent 30-year-old two-time MVP Jose Tavares to Tampa for Ken Berman (OF, 27, big arm and takes walks) and prospect 2B Rich Duff (could be...average...one day). Sure, Tavares will be a free agent this fall, but that's all you can get for a guy who is still solidly productive? Tavares hit 52 HR last year, and was hitting .307/33/70 with the Reds this year. So, okay, Cincy, way to go there.... And Texas shored up something--but I'm not sure what--by acquiring 38-year-old former Isle 2B Josh Robertson for a couple of average prospects.... Sad news out of Philly, losing stud RF George Livezey (.353/41/92) for the season. ...... TL;DR Version: Can't complain about a 21-6 month, and a 78-30 overall record. The offense wasn't as solidly productive as previous months, but overall we're still batting .300 and are 2nd in runs scored. Four regulars are also batting over .300, and although most guys still look good in total, a few are trending steadily downward: Pederson, Goodloe, and Daley hit well below their regular marks, but all are also producing with XBH and OBP. Pitching is first overall, in runs and in rotation and bullpen ERA. Most guys are trending well, including Liles, who's 4.15 ERA this month is by far his best of the season. Finally, with the trade deadline coming and going, we made no deals, keeping the roster intact for two reasons: First, we have...wait, what? You heard this already? Okay then... We will still have off-season decisions to make, with Daley's contract expiring, and Frederick considering a PO (that he'll probably decline). We have a TO on Adam Groff (for $34.5M), which frankly I'm not likely to accept; I'm hoping he'll retire, tbh. And RP Robbie Collier and Ben Germann will be free agents; at ages 38 and 33, I'm probably going to wish them well for the future elsewhere. ...... TIME FOR ANOTHER PAST DRAFT REVIEW: WELCOME (BACK) TO 2036: I was looking to have a deeper draft for our third round of selections, more than the one guy (Groff, tho) we got in 2035. As you'll see below, I was not..exactly...successful in doing that. Let's just say that I was happy our trades and waiver work went better than my lack of astuteness at the draft table... (As a reminder, I've just copied here my original comments and appended a career note for each player.) Round 1, 6th Overall OF Ian McGowan, 19, high school. Wanted to take a quality SP here, but the best ones were gone already. McGowan is solid across all batting ratings, best in contact and gap power. Has some nice pop too. Nice work ethic, which has to help his development. Great range in the field, average arm; could make it in center or left field. Starting in Boone (R). McGowan ended up starting in CF for a year-and-a-half until we shipped him off to Montreal. Decent player, not great, and is still playing with California. Career to date: .248/144/633, 21.3 WAR Round 2, 53rd Overall SP Ian Albring, 23, Fresno State. Older, and farther along in his development. Ceiling is not that high, however. Could feature as 4/5 starter, with four pitches. Fastball (96 mph) is best right now, but changeup should become better. Also rates well at the plate, with average ratings; speedy, and good ratings at 3B and OF. Probably best to remain a pitcher, however. Poughkeepsie (S A). MLB: 21 G, 28 IP. zero WAR Round 3, 86th Overall P Ronnie Corgan, 19, high school. Our first non-Ian pick. Strictly bullpen for now, with only one average pitch. Two others should come along, and his ratings potential looks slightly better than Albring's. Also has quite a good bat, like Albring, only better. Middling fielding tho, which probably will keep him on the mound. Maybe he'll make it as an SP and a pinch hitter! To Poughkeepsie (S A). MLB: 236 G, 290 IP, 0.2 WAR. Most of those games with Austin. Round 4, 126th Overall SS John Canning, 19, high school. Good contact, gap, won't strike out. Zero power, and below average eye. High quality fielder, tho. Good enough range for short and arm for third. Also strong outfielder. If his bat develops at all, he'll at least be a very nice utility guy. Was a 6th rounder for Detroit last year, but didn't sign. Will start in Athens (R). MLB: 1903 AB, 5.8 WAR. Still playing, in TEX system. Had six years as that "very nice utility guy" for us, winning two titles. Good contact hitter and fielder, zero power. Round 5, 161st Overall 1B Tyler Dion, 18, high school. Lots of high school kids this draft, noticing now. Pretty average ratings, really. Contact and gap rate as slightly over average, eye and avoid k's below. Not a good fielder. Home town kid, our first Hawaiian draft pick. A project. Going to Boone (R). MLB: nope Round 5, 167th Overall RP Jordan Woods, 19, high school. Pure reliever, as only has the two pitches--fastball and curve, and the latter needs a lot of work. Should have good stuff and decent movement, with ok control. That last one needs a lot of work right now, however. Also has some nice potential at the plate, but not in the field. Will also start in Boone (R). MLB: uh-uh Round 6, 197th Overall C Billy Ashe, 20, BYU. Needed some more catching prospects in the system, not that Ashe will set the world on fire tho. Ok contact, good gap and avoid k's, limited power. Mediocre behind the plate. Line drive hitter, switch hitter. In Boone (R). MLB: nada Round 7, 233rd Overall 3B Chris Kennedy, 21, Georgia Tech. Another decision for me to make: pretty average hitting potential, but a decent fielder with a cannon arm. Could also play in the outfield. Has fantastic stuff potential, but only average movement and control. Scouts say he'll develop a second pitch, but only has a fastball right now, and that so-called second pitch is currently useless. So do I pitch him, or play him at third? Work ethic is a concern, which may end up making my decision for me (would make me lean towards keeping him at 3B, given how much development his mound-work would need). Off to Boone (R), like almost everyone else. MLB: nyet Round 8, 269th Overall 3B Matt Howard, 17, high school. Really a better fit at second and/or first, as his arm and glove are only average. No ratings stand out, so he'll either surprise one day and make it to the bigs, or max out at AAA. Also off to Boone (R). MLB: maxed out at AAA, of course Round 9, 305th Overall 1B Justin Tapley, 18, high school. Another guy with average potential (all ratings from 9 to 11, out of 20), but very high work ethic may push him higher. Not surprisingly, a bad fielder. Seems hard to find good fielding first basemen in the draft. Another Boonie (R). MLB: take a guess Anyone else? 10th round 1B John Martin played a dozen games with us in '39, then vanished. Better was 12th round pick Ashton Gooding, a IF/OF utility guy who hit 23 HR with us in '43, then batted .168 the following year and got released. But he did hit the Series-winning HR in '44, so did earn a hefty playoff bonus before sailing off to Italy for five seasons and brief cups of coffee with Toronto in '49 and '51. Final score: the '36 draft brought us zero regulars or solid pitchers, one brief OF regular, and a couple of utility guys who came and went. Not ideal. Although, tbf I did like Canning for a while. Just not as a regular. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

03-02-2021, 09:14 PM	#392
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	August 2053 The dog days of summer are here...except that we're in Hawaii where it's always nice. I think other teams should lobby for us to play 162 home games, so everyone gets a chance to vacation here and we can save a ton of money on travel expenses. Anybody mods designing a schedule like that?... Anyway, we have 28 games this month, only 12 at home. We'll make the annual pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium as well as seeing Texas and Oakland on the road. In other news, Matt Waugh earned AL pitcher of the month honors for his 4-1, 1.97 ERA effort, fanning 37 in 37.1 IP. August 1-3 vs CALIFORNIA I have to admit that their .488 winning pct (52-56 record) is pretty solid, compared to where they've been the past few seasons. Still not hitting, however, at 16th in runs and average. Mauricio Marquez has been solid, as usual, at .322/25/75. But Ricky Ochoa hasn't come close to his 52 HR and 126 RBI from two years ago, and Joe Thompson has 23 HR but only a .208 average. Leadoff man Jake Glowski has turned into a solid-if-unspectular player, usually hitting around .270 with 20-25 HR and playing solid CF defense. Of the under-25s on the roster, there's a pair of good-field-no-hit catchers, so-so prospect OF Danny Mash, and 3B Mike Eskridge--a decent complementary-type player, batting .305 this year, but with little power. Pitching has come around, at 5th in runs against. Four young-to-youngish SP combined with solid vet George Millard have provided stability in the rotation; and while the top of the pen has struggled, there are some developing kids with live arms that should make this unit better next year. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (14-3, 2.02) / RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 3.96) / RH Chris Liles (8-5, 5.59) CAL pitchers: RH Seth O'Neill (4-3, 5.51) / RH Jay Sanford (5-10, 4.21) / RH Nate Elder (8-7, 3.82) #109: WIN 11-3 ... a pair of HR by Matson, and a complete game 8-hitter from Waugh...10 H, 10 RBI from the top three, Lynn-Daley-Matson #110: WIN 7-6 ... Skiff gives up 6 in the 1st, then we slowly get back in this one...a Simmons RBI single in the 10th is the winner #111: WIN 5-0 ... Liles is good again, yielding just 4 hits...three RBI doubles provide most of tonight's offensive spark Hot start! Eighty wins on the season now, and a 12 game lead over Texas.... Waugh and Liles are paid to be our best pitchers, and at last both of them are pulling in the same direction at the same time. Although Liles has been pretty inconsistent all year, he's beginning to have more good than bad starts, a very good sign.... Mike Pearse and Anthony Booker have less than a week to go on their rehab stints. Both will come back up when they're ready, and both have pitched well in AAA. No need yet to bring them up early, as no one currently in the pen has been struggling of late.... First time I can remember that all of our farm clubs are over .500.... ELSEWHERE: White Sox OF Andy Barenberg (.345/29/90) just had a 25-game hit streak snapped.... Maybe Cincy knew what they were doing after all in trading away star Jose Tavares, as they've won 7 straight after making the deal.... With four wins in a row, Detroit is once again just a game behind the White Sox. August 4-6 @ NY YANKEES Up by two over Tampa Bay, and 63-48 overall. Teams stats are good but not great, 8th in runs and 7th in pitching. But they're 4th in home runs, with cleanup guy Chris Mitchell having another big year, .337/40/96. What's interesting is they're 8th in runs while 17th, next-to-last, in average. More interesting is that Elijah Bragg, their former ace SP who's earned over 12 WAR in the past two seasons, is now in the bullpen, but with no discernible drop in ability. I guess first-year manager Anthony Collazo just has it in for the guy. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (11-3, 3.78) / RH Josh Irvin (9-4, 4.62) / LH Matt Waugh (15-3, 2.07) NYY pitchers: LH Jose Sedillo (9-3, 4.27) / RH Tim Mitchell (6-2, 3.92) / LH Brian Whitney (9-6, 5.64) #112: WIN 9-6 ... spotting the Yanks a 6-1 lead? No problem, as we score 8 late runs to sneak off with this one...Kearns wins to go 5-0 from the pen #113: LOSS 4-6 ... Royer smacks his 20th HR, but Irvin gives up 4 in return, and that's the difference...Groff hurt while starting for the sick Matson #114: WIN 5-1 ... Waugh is sharp again, and Medici cranks his 35th...two hits apiece for four guys...Simmons hurt on the bases tho Okay, two out of three is just fine, especially against a solid team.... Those two injuries are small, both dtd and less than a week. Groff was filling in for the flu-ridden Matson, but Josh will just step right back into the lineup now. Simmons has a minor back tweak, but will sit a bit in place of Kevin Kelley, who has produced in limited time (.414 in 36 AB).... All six farm clubs are still at or above .500, praise Zeus.... ELSEWHERE: Padres OF Nick Lehto is not exactly a slugging star, having topped 20 HR in a season just once in his six-year career. But he became just the second player in this dynasty to drop 4 dingers in one game, taking it to the Mets in a 17-7 win. He added 8 RBI as well.... White Sox 2B Andrew Taylor will miss three weeks with a bruised tailbone in what the team is only calling "Some sort of pizza incident." Saucy.... Still chasing the single-season HR mark, Rangers Slugging God William Swanson is now at 51. Somebody must rid us of this meddlesome beast. August 7-9 @ OAKLAND The monthly faceoff against the East Bay Boys sees them at 56-58 and likely out of any post-season running, although they are 4-2 this month. The offense and the pitching staff have each accounted for 617 runs, which puts the batters at 6th best and the hurlers at 6th worst. Four pitchers are still on the DL--not helping things--but ace Jim Schwartz has recently returned to action and will likely take the mound this series. Ryan Walton (.278/45/105) has added some average (he's a career .240something hitter) to his mashing ability, and the monstrous Felix Reyes has added 41 homers. Right now it looks like the bullpen (ranked 17th) and the bottom half of the lineup (batting .235) are what's holding things back. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 4.30) / RH Chris Liles (9-5, 5.24) / RH Mike Bader (11-3, 4.02) OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (13-5, 3.58) / RH Robby Ford (2-10, 5.57) / RH Jim Schwartz (1-0, 1.00) #115: WIN 7-2 ... 5 runs in the 10th do it tonight, including HR from Royer and Frederick...Ruiz gets his 9th win from the pen #116: WIN 10-5 ... 2 HR each from Pederson and Medici, and we never trail...one of Pederson's is a GRAND SLAM too...Liles actually throws well #117: LOSS 2-3 ... Bader is charged with the winning run in the 9th, as we're held to 7 hits Too bad about that last game, but whatever. We're still 12 up on Texas.... Groff's injury look longer now, with an uncertain return, so we DL him and recall Diego Espino, who hit just .157 in an earlier stint with us.... Mike Pearse also comes off his rehab stint and slides back into long relief. Anthony Booker also comes back, but will stay in AAA for the momentn as the back end of the pen is really performing right now.... ELSEWHERE: NY is holding on to a 3 game lead over Tampa Bay, but newly acquired TBRay Jose Tavares has settled right in, blasting 5 HR and driving in 15 runs in his first ten games.... Boston is slumping, having lost 6 straight. Milwaukee, tho, is the last team still looking for 40 wins.... New Orleans has lost four pitchers in the last two weeks, and has lost 8 out of 10 to drop way back in the NL Central race.... Philly's Rick Logston now also has 51 HR, and leads all MLB batters with 123 RBI. August 12-14 vs HOUSTONN Third place, behind Texas, and at 61-56 is the only other West division team over .500. The offense is only average, but at least the middle trio of Renteria/Silva/Mazurowski has over 90 HR. But RF Matt Dippel (.309/19/43 in 59 games) is done for the season. Two SP are also out, but former Isle Tim Ciotta tops all the team pitching stats, and journeyman Cooper Bradberry is having a career year. Only a 10-18 record in May is keeping them from being a serious contender for a wildcard slot right now. HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (9-5, 4.81) / LH Matt Waugh (16-3, 2.04) / RH Biff Skiff (10-4, 4.14) HOU pitchers: RH Tim Ciotta (11-8, 3.98) / RH Alex Trujillo (6-3, 4.35) / RH Chris Driscoll (3-3, 4.95) #118: WIN 11-6 ... Frederick, Lynn, and Daley homer, and Irvin gets his 10th win with 7 strong innings #119: LOSS 0-2 ... pitcher's duel, and we can't get anything done with only 3 hits...Waugh fans 11 in 7.2 IP #120: WIN 3-1 ... only 7 hits tonight, but Skiff tosses a 4-hitter, striking out 9...Lynn hits his 40th double Two more wins, but Texas gains a game on us.... All five SP now have at least ten wins on the season, for what that's worth.... Medici reaches 100 RBI, continuing the parade of old-timey-less-than-meaningful stats here.... Matson is batting .360, second behind Texas' Mike Olivera, hitting .378.... ELSEWHERE: Still some nice division races out there: Detroit trails Chicago by a game, while NY-Tampa, SF-Austin, and PHI-NYM are all three-game splits. Two other NL West teams, Portland and LA, are also close in that race.... After two seasons as a closer, and a swingman '52 season, Pittsburgh's Jose Rivera has matured into a bona fide ace, leading MLB with 224 strikeouts, and earning nearly 6 WAR already.... Milwaukee finally reaches 40 wins, and their 40-80 overall record matches Montreal at the bottom of MLB. ...... TL;DR Version: A 9-3 start here puts us at 87-33 overall, and eleven games up on the Rangers. Offense is now third in runs, pitching still first. Almost everyone is going well, outside of Simmons (hitting just .266). Liles' ERA is still over 5, but he's bringing it down...slowly. And with Pearse and Booker off their rehabs, our pitching is fully healthy. Booker, however, gets optioned back to AAA for just a sec, as the bullpen has been pretty strong and I don't want to upset things too much. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

03-07-2021, 11:21 AM	#393
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	August 14-16 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX Fun race in the Central, with the Sox (72-48) a game ahead of Detroit. They have the top offense in the AL, scoring 755 runs, and are tops in average and OBP, fourth in home runs. Four batters are hitting over .300 (a 5th, Andrew Taylor, is injured after his unfortunate pizza incident), and four have at least 30 home runs. Andy Barenberg is having the best overall season of the bunch, at .353/35/105, and 1B Elijah Pass has 40 HR. Pitching, however, has been a bit of train wreck: 15th in runs against, and four SP have ERA over seven. Those four are replacing four pitchers on the DL, three of whom won't be back this season. In fact, they have nine guys on the DL right now. If they can't get their starting pitching straightened out...I don't see how they'll hold off Detroit. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.17) / RH Mike Bader (11-4, 3.98) / RH Josh Irvin (10-5, 4-68) CHW pitchers: RH Oscar Escobedo (4-2, 8.80) / RH Leonardo Vigil (3-5, 7.09) / RH Ricky Cruz (0-0, 10.13) #121: WIN 8-7 ... six combined HR tonight, two from Medici...Frederick goes 4-for-5, 3 RBI...pitchers combined for 15 Ks #122: WIN 14-2 ... Medici pops one out again, and Matson hits two and drives in 5...19 hits and 6 walks for us...6-hitter from Bader #123: WIN 7-3 ... 10 hits, but also 7 walks, and only two XBH...7 solid innings from Irvin, and 2 from Pearse to close out the sweep Unexpected but not unwelcome! We definitely took advantage of poor starting pitching by the Sox, putting up 23 of the 29 runs here on their starters.... Medici's breakout season has arrived just as expected, as he reaches 40 HR for the campaign.... Despite only Waugh having a "top of the charts" stats year, our team pitching continues to look great: 1st in runs allowed (by 52), fewest walks, and 2nd fewest HR allowed. Oddly, even with zero flyball pitchers on staff, we have the fourth-lowest groundout percentage in the AL.... ELSEWHERE: Eight straight defeats for Montreal, keeping them at a lovely 40-83 and two games behind Milwaukee in the best race in baseball right now.... Another solid 3.5ish WAR season is shaping up for Zephyrs pitcher Chad Akers, 36, and he's also in line to earn his second Silver Slugger, batting .273/4/12 with an .860 OPS.... The Cubs are quietly good again this year, their 75-48 record good for a ten game lead in the NL Central and the fifth best record in MLB. And they're doing it with two SP, two CL, and their 6-WAR RF on the DL.... And while we're talking about the Cubs, let's check in on 35-year-old 3B Juan Garcia, maybe the biggest star you never would've heard of til now. With 2830 career hits and a .322 lifetime average (against only 1000 career Ks), he's earned 60 WAR almost as an afterthought. I guess spending over a decade on some mostly-forgettable Royals squads will do that. Plus, he's not a power hitter (197 career HR), has never reached .900 OPS, and never won a batting title. But in his 15 years as a regular he's hit .300+ twelve times, and the three years he didn't reach that plateau? He hit .299. Each time. Injury-free he'll reached 3000 hits sometime next June, by my guess. August 17-19 @ BALTIMORE After stumbling through the '40s with some mediocre-but-occasionally-decent teams, the bottom has dropped out in this decade. Win totals since 2050 are 62, 48, 58, and 47 (so far). I can't really tell what they're building here, either, as their top three prospects are already in the bigs, and there are no sure things after them. Eddie Feltman, taken #1 overall in '52, is already starting at short after less than a calendar year in the minors. He's held his own, batting .246, but you hope he won't be stunted by the experience. LF Xavier Perez and 1B Miguel Echevarria are also solid pieces to build around, but the rest of the lineup is all mediocrity or worse. Their best-performing SP, Bob Garner, has already been shipped off to Austin for peanuts, leaving behind a rotation that looks worse than Chicago's did. Offense ranks 15th, pitching 16th. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.05) / RH Biff Skiff (11-4, 3.99) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.40) BAL pitchers: RH Pat Karahalios (5-10, 4.77) / RH Phil Eckert (6-8, 7.66) / RH Andy Ayers (3-6, 5.99) #124: WIN 12-7 ... 2 more HR from Medici including a GRAND SLAM, one from Royer...we come back from a 6-2 deficit...Waugh ineffective, leaves in the third #125: WIN 1-0 ... much quieter night, highlighted by Skiff's 10-K 5-hitter...Goodloe's solo shot in the 9th wins this one #126: WIN 5-4 ... 3 hits from Lynn, 3-run HR from Ulkini...Lynn's single in the 9th is the winner Two last-minute wins and a blowout. I'll take them any way they come.... Covington hasn't gotten the team hitting memo, batting just .198 this month. And Simmons is at .232 since July 1. Both are contributing in other ways, and the rest of the lineup has been so solid, that we can get away with their stumblings right now.... Despite this bad game, Waugh is still the only qualified MLB pitcher with an ERA below 3.... ELSEWHERE: No-hitter #2 for 2053 was just tossed by Cincy's Cris Frias, a 9-0 win over Chicago. You might remember Frias as the guy who's struck out 348 and 387 NL batters over the last two seasons. He's been less effective this year (4.64 ERA, all other rate stats falling off too), but this is a nice reminder that he can do more than walk 5.8 batters per 9 these days.... AL player of the week: Minny's Josh Jacobson; NL winner: Philly's Jasper Jacobsen. No love, sadly, for Pirates 3B Brad Jacobson. August 21-23 @ TEXAS These guys again. Getting rid of interleague play has meant we see wayyyy too much of our divisional rivals. They're 11-7 this month, but have slid to 15 games behind us thanks to our outright ridiculousness of late. Still, 78-48 is the second best record in baseball, and the offense (2nd) and pitching (3rd) are both humming along. You know the deal: tops in AL HR, with five regulars over 30 already; William Swanson (.320/53/126), Mike Olivera (.374/34/96), Ryan Boers (.315/43/105), etc etc; pitching looks good despite having no individual standouts. Plus, four pitchers are still on the DL, including top starters Kevin Cahil and Jose Ambriz. Barring a huge collapse they'll see the post-season again, and with the wildcard no longer being a one-and-done affair, they can afford the rarity of a one-game offensive slumber. (Looking to defend their title, remember that?) HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (12-4, 3.88) / RH Josh Irvin (11-5, 4.57) / LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.33) TEX pitchers: RH Paul Labbe (12-5, 3.70) / RH Jesus Aguilar (12-7, 4.48) / LH Bill Butts (13-6, 4.78) #127: WIN 13-5 ... ten late runs cap a comeback win...Daley, Covington, and Groff (returning from DL) each homer #128: WIN 7-5 ... same three guys homer again, plus Pederson...wind blowing out, as the Rangers add three of their own #129: WIN 11-8 ... seven more HR, combined...for us, it's Daley, Pederson, Matson...Daley goes 5-for-6 and helps win this one in the 10th Wow, another sweep. I mean, we've been playing nearly flawless ball lately, but this is getting crazy.... Well, the results are flawless. The games themselves are often a roller coaster.... Waugh has his second really bad outing in a row, so hopefully that one blemish won't continue.... In that last game, Daley also hit for the cycle and tied a team record with 4 runs.... Groff made a nice comeback from injury, didn't he. He won't move into the lineup as a regular, but will continue to get two starts a week, one at first and one at DH.... We send down RP M-H Yaung and recall Anthony Booker. Yaung has been fine, but I want Booker to get some innings before the roster expansion, making him eligible for the post-season should we need him.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox have been slumping since we swept them, playing .500 ball. Luckily for them, the Tigers are also stuck at .500, so the teams are still tied for first.... Tampa Bay has passed the Yankees, leading one slim game, while the Giants have made a small three game cushion in the NL West over Portland.... Oakland's Ryan Walton is the third batter to reach 50 HR, doing it for the second season in a row. Teammate Felix Reyes (who else?) is right behind him. August 24-26 @ SEATTLE Some early season promise has dissolved under the pall of playing fifteen games under .500 over the last two months. Another team that's been wracked by injuries, with five pitchers on the DL, including three quality SP and two of their top RP. No surprise that pitching ranks 16th in runs against. The offense ranks fifth: they don't hit for much average, but get on base pretty well and hit a lot of home runs. I almost traded for Jose Rodriguez this spring, thinking I needed a veteran slugger to plug a hole at 3B. What held me back was not being able to get the M's to pay a portion of his outlandish $38M salary. So he's been a decent--if immobile, at 2B--player this year, going .265/22/71, but I'm glad we held our fire. Injuries have brought top pitching prospects Vince Push and Ron Rivera up to the big club: Rivera has been fine in relief, but Push got shelled in his first MLB start. Hopefully they'll end up just fine. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (12-4, 3.78) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.39) / RH Mike Bader (13-4, 3.93) SEA pitchers: RH Vince Push (0-1, 14.73) / RH Dan Crews (8-5, 5.05) / RH Erik Ramey (7-14, 6.74) #130: WIN 7-4 ... a 5-run 6th, sparked by Royer's 2-run double, is the key tonight...Skiff goes just 5 IP, but gets the win, also commits two errors #131: WIN 6-1 ... Covington stays hot, with a triple and a HR...Liles is pulled after three with a blister, could miss a start #132: WIN 10-5 ... outhomered 3-to-1 but we make the most of our 11 hits...Medici homers, adds an RBI single Geez, it keeps going. I know it's just the Mariners, but this is nuts. Can't complain, tho.... Liles has a blister and won't be back for 5 days. I move Pearse into the rotation just in case, but with an off-day on the 30th it's possible Liles won't miss a start.... It took me calling him out in the previous post for Covington to heat up: 7 hits in his last five games, including 2 home runs.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy just dropped 24 runs on the Mets, banging out 9 home runs in the process. To add injury to insult, NY also lost two outfielders in the game.... LA's Everett Cronk has tossed two consecutive shutouts of late, helping to bring the Dodgers to just 4 games behind the Giants.... The Yanks are back up on the Rays by a game; Detoit has a game in hand over the White Sox.... Cleveland's Manny Ayala, just 25, is already in his seventh season in the bigs. He can hit (.331 career average), run (25+ steals/season), and is a sharp center fielder and a fan fave. But he's never played in more than 118 games in a season, and I fear that would could be a superstar career is going to be perpetually hindered by injuries. And yes, he's back on the DL again, out until late September. August 27-29 vs MINNESOTA Injuries are the deal here, too: two top SP are done, as are two RP, and now CF Sam Gilmer has a pending diagnosis. The lineup is paced by two genuine stars: RF Josh Jacobson (.360/36/103) and LF Jordan Foots (.302/34/116). 2B Mario Montoya (.314) looks solid, but OF/DH Josh Conley has stopped hiting and looks to be devolving to near-replacement level. The rest of the lineup is filled with defense-first types, which explains the 9th-ranked offense. Pitching sits 13th, with the at-times-unhittable Conor MacLeod leading the way, and CL Brett Roseman (2.13 ERA, 12.8 K/9) having a superb year. But elsewhere there's mediocrity, and with only a few guys really pulling hard on the rope, the Twins are playing to a 62-70 record, far removed from any playoff consideration. With Jacobson, Montoya, and about six other guys looking at free agency this fall, the payroll will be lighter, but who's going to step up after that? HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (12-5, 4.55) / LH Matt Waugh (16-4, 2.52) / RH Biff Skiff (13-4, 3.73) MIN pitchers: RH Jonathan Belmonte (9-11, 5.70) / RH Dan Hannan (4-5, 7.82) / RH Dustin Springer (7-13, 6.28) #133: WIN 11-8 ... 3 more HR, including Josh Hed's first MLB blast...11 K but 6 BB for Irvin and Germann, who get bailed out with a late rally #134: WIN 4-1 ... better start for Waugh, but he's pulled after 6...2 hits and 2 RBI for Medici, with another HR #135: WIN 7-2 ... wow, guess who homers again...outhit 12-8 here, so we're super efficient tonight I dunno either. I just roll 'em out there and let 'em play. Even Kevin Kelley got two starts here, adding a couple of hits.... And that makes 102 wins for us now.... Medici is ON FIRE, now with 46 home runs and 124 RBI on the season. He's closing in on the team records of 50 and 143 set by Nate Hullinger (who?) in '39. Blast from the past, right there.... Now that he's almost 18, top prospect Jose Villalpando is off to rookie ball. He's got a loooong way to go.... ELSEWHERE: 32-game hit streak for Minny's Jordan Foots. I don't usually curse streakers like this, but I'm hoping he can break that hex.... Seven-game streak for LA, now just one game behind San Francisco.... Other winners: Detroit and Chicago (NL) become the 3rd and 4th teams to reach 80 wins. Sadly, Montreal (already at 91 losses!) and Milwaukee are officially eliminated from the post-season. August 31 @ TAMPA BAY Tied with NY for first, at 74-61. Offense ranks 4th, pitching 3rd, and they're solid across the board. They finally dropped RF Vance Wise from his two-innings-a-year setup role, and he's responded with a .294/47/110 season; 1B Edgar Aranceta is hitting .319 with 110 RBI; newbie Jose Tavares has added 41 HR; and 2B Jorge Arriola has rebounded from his sophomore slump (.252 AVG, .743 OPS) with a .305 AVG and .918 OPS. And lest we forget, there's former Isles star Rich Stoneback, who's old and banged-up but is batting .315 with 15 HR. Closer Bubba Fairweather has 27 saves, and as long as he's around I'll pull for them over New York. HAW pitcher: RH Mike Pearse (3-1, 4.01) TBR pitcher: RH Carlos Munoz (13-9, 4.44) #136: WIN 4-3 ... Pearse makes a case for himself with 7 IP of 4-hit ball...2 doubles for Pederson, including the GW RBI An absolutely absurd 16-0 run in this stretch, and we close the month on a 17-game roll overall. Just nuts.... We've now scored the most runs in the AL, back on top baby! But, sadly, we are no longer the base-stealingest team around, trailing Baltimore by three thefts.... With that start, Pearse will move back into the rotation for now. Liles returns from his little blister, and Irvin will go into long relief. Let's see what happens.... ELSEWHERE: New Orleans and Cincy are 8 behind the Cubs, inching steadily closer in the Central.... Ten losses in a row for the Mets now; eight wins straight for LA. Things are heating up! ...... TL;DR Version: So yeah we closed out the month on a 17-0 high. Ridiculous. Pretty much everyone is contributing, and even those who aren't at the top of their games (and there are some!) are not slumping so much as they're slightly below average. So can I complain? Ask me again in October when we get eliminated in the divisional round in four games. Maybe we're peaking super early? Or maybe we'll just keep on winning. Who knows. For now, we're healthy, and hitting and pitching well, and all is right with the world. We've clinched the playoffs, should clinch the division shortly, and let's hope that continues into the post-season. After all, what do big seasons mean if you don't win it all? Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

03-07-2021, 12:26 PM	#394
Sizeman21 Major Leagues Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: The bleachers of Sportsman's Park Posts: 435	17-0 in one month?? Dude, what are you feeding your team? I need me some of that stuff! Anything less than the WS trophy this season will seem like a failure Bub, we are counting on you. __________________

03-12-2021, 06:42 PM	#396
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	September 2053 Last month of a strange season! I thought we'd struggle to reach 95 wins and be neck-and-neck with Texas again. Yet, here we are. Twenty-six games to close out the campaign, twelve at home (including the final two series). Also, Jules Medici is chosen AL player of the week after finishing August with a stint of .632 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. September 1-2 @ TAMPA BAY Finishing up this series. The Rays are a game behind NY and will play them in the Bronx for their penultimate season series. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (14-4, 3.99) / RH Chris Liles (10-5, 5.29) TBR pitchers: LH Jon Jemison (10-10, 4.95) / RH Greg Drake (11-12, 4.98) #137: LOSS 1-4 ... all things must end...both teams put 11 runners on base, but a Tavares HR is the difference for the Rays #138: LOSS 4-10 ... Liles doesn't last 2 innings here...4 hits from Goodloe, 3 from Lynn Well that ended the streak right quick. Time to start a new one.... Roster expansion brings three new (not really) faces to the big club: C Bentley Kolb, RP M-H Yaung, and RP Kyle Johnson. Time to get Johnson back on track (he's been aces in AAA this summer), Yaung was doing well before a numbers game saw him returned to AAA, and Kolb hit .429 in a brief callup up earlier.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy (6 games) and New Orleans (7) are inching closer to the moribund Cubs.... a 2-HR game from William Swanson has him on the cusp of his second straight season with 60.... not just our streak ended on that first game, but Minny's Jordan Foots saw his 33-game hitting streak dry up too. KC's Julius Burrows has an active 31-game streak, but he won't be off the DL until next season, so we'll all have to hold our breath til then. September 3-5 @ OAKLAND At 64-74 and quite a comedown from last year's 101-win team. They've rebuilt quickly in the past (two 70-win seasons in '48 and '49), and there is a strong foundation here and owners willing to spend some cash. The top half of the lineup is sound, but the bottom half is hitting about .235, so that's one place to work on. Also, the bullpen has been a raging tire fire all season and desperately needs help. Maybe LA can trade them two or three of the MLB-quality guys they have in AAA right now. Journeyman SP/RF Mike Snare got hammered so hard in his first start that his ERA is a whopping 189.00 right now. That has only one direction to go, right? Frankly, the whole staff has struggled this year, and with injuries also taking a toll, maybe that trade from two seasons ago -- sending four prospect P to Cleveland for only one season of SS Matthew Powell -- doesn't seem like a great idea anymore. (Powell suffered through an injury-plagued '52, batting .234 in 110 games. He's now batting .286/33/89 for the Cubs.) HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (17-4, 2.49) / RH Biff Skiff (14-4, 3.68) / RH Mike Pearse (4-1, 3.87) OAK pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (14-7, 3.68) / RH Ryan Swan (12-9, 4.74) / RH Mike Snare (0-1, 189.00) #139: LOSS 2-7 ... we only allow six hits, but five are HR #140: WIN 11-8 ... six late runs cap a comeback tonight...four hits, HR, 6 RBI from Royer...3 triples for our guys...pitching, not so hot tho #141: WIN 8-3 ... hits for everyone, 3 from Lynn and Ulkini...3-run HR from Pederson...7 IP by Pearse, allows just 4 hits Weak start to the series but we get it back on track.... Royer continues his strong season, still batting .334 and now with 25 HR. His defense at third has been unsurprisingly bad (-6.7 ZR, .950 eff), but I can live with that if he keeps hitting like this.... I guess we win a lot of games late in the day, as RPs Ruiz, Germann, and Kearns are a combined 20-2.... ELSEWHERE: The White Sox are still holding on to the 2nd wildcard slot (by 3 games) and trailing the Tigers (by 2) in the Central, but they do make it tough on themselves: SS Chris Rock (.329) is out for the rest of the regular season, and 3B Ben Usilton (.289/43/121) just got an 8-game suspension from the league. Bad timing folks.... Tampa and NY are tied in the AL East, and a tight race in the NL West where even 5th-place San Diego is just ten games out.... No one's reached 60 HR yet, and it looks like no pitchers will reach 20 wins (our Matt Waugh has a shot with 17) or 300 K (Pittsburgh's Jose Rivera has 254). September 6-8 vs HOUSTON Sure, they're 73-68 and at only eight games out of the wildcard slots, still theoretically in the hunt. But it's not likely. Offense ranks low, at 12th, while pitching sits in 4th. Like a lot of teams, half of the lineup looks solid, half a stinkeroo. Pitching is a little deeper, with some solid prospects on the cusp and some decent guys in the pen who could be starters next year. Still, they need to do SOMETHING, as this is about as "meh" a franchise as you can imagine. Even with only one playoff appearance in the last 34 years, they've never been truly terrible, never falling below 66 wins. But with only five winning seasons--never more than 86 games--over that span, they've been completely forgettable too. Will they ever turn the corner? HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (14-5 4.01) / RH Chris Liles (10-6, 5.57) / LH Matt Waugh (17-5, 2.59) HOU pitchers: RH Chris James (9-11, 4.53) / RH Tim Ciotta (12-11, 4.40) / RH Alex Trujillo (7-6, 4.91) #142: WIN 10-2 ... we outhit them 17-4, with four guys getting 3 hits apiece...we toss in 3 errors too, just for fun #143: WIN 4-3 ... Covington pokes two solo shots, and Lynn's RBI single in the 9th wins it...Liles is sharp again, for once...DIVISION CLINCHED #144: WIN 6-3 ... 3 hits for Covington, including another HR...3 hits, 2 runs from Simmons...Waugh goes 8, gets the win Really back on track now! Plus, we clinched the division again, never a bad thing.... Covington goes crazy, popping 4 HR and 8 hits overall, raising his average 12 points.... My mole in corporate accounting tells me that bad things are afoot. The word "underwater" keeps getting tossed about. That's probably a bad sign.... #2 prospect OF Nick Gase was called up to AAA a few weeks back due to injuries, and has responded by hitting .365. He's the #12 prospect in MLB, and definitely worth a long look in camp next spring.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs have righted their ship, maintaining a 7-game lead over Cincinnati. With 86 wins and the best record in the NL, even a divisional collapse should still put them into the post-season.... With just 47 wins, Montreal is the last team to have not reached the half-century mark this season.... A nice building season for Austin, at 74-70. They could get hot and claim a wildcard, but that seems unlikely. The concern is, however, that this veteran team (only five players on the MLB roster are under 25, and four were Sept call-ups) will dissolve soon, with a handful of regulars as pending FA and a top-heavy prospect class.... Tough season for 3-time Cy Young winner Jose Gutierrez. The Atlanta ace is on the shelf for the season, after going 1-6 with a 5.08 ERA in just 16 starts. September 10-12 vs KANSAS CITY With Detroit and Chicago running away with the division, they've never really been a contender this year, and sit at 69-75. The offense has been okay, a mix of kids and vets, with 26-year-old rookie 1B Tom Esposito (.316/43/110) the only star this campaign. SS Jose Valdez (20, ranked #8 prospect) was recently called up from AA and figures to be the regular SS for a long time. Adam Grossman and Steve Scibek are the young anchors of the rotation, and Victor Ochoa should be the closer next year; but much of the rest of the staff is just filler. With CF Julius Burrows and RF Brian Spindler on the DL, the offense has suffered. Once they're healthy again (i.e., next year) that's two young and solid hitters to build around. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (14-4, 3.85) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.87) / RH Mike Bader (15-5, 3.94) KCR pitchers: RH Sam Phipps (2-4, 6.43) / RH Jorge Ornelas (7-7, 4.02) / RH Adam Grossman (15-7, 3.71) #145: WIN 3-2 ... 2 more hits from Covington...8 IP from Skiff, and Collier fans the side in the 9th (after allowing a leadoff HR) #146: WIN 6-5 ... 15 inning game, won by Medici's GW single...pitchers fan 23 Royals...we're outhit 17-13 #147: LOSS 5-7 ... we hit a pair of HR, but get outhit and outpitched...50th double by Matson, and Gase debuts with a pair of doubles No sweep, back to the 2-up, 1-down days. It's fine tho.... I recall Nick Gase for fun, whom I mentioned in the last series, and he raps two doubles right away. Keep it up, big guy.... Just fyi, all six of our farm teams are still over .500, with three leading their divisions.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs are a game away from clinching the post-season, and 8 games up on Cincinnati.... Tampa Bay has pulled out a 4 game lead over the Yankees; NY is also 7 games out of a wildcard spot, so it's the division or bust in the AL East.... I regret to inform you all that the promising AL strikeout race between Conor MacLeod (a pitcher) and Nick Mullens (a 2B) has not borne fruit, as MacLeod has 253 and Mullens a mere 198. September 13-15 @ MIAMI Back on the road, flying all the way down to South Beach, where things are definitely not going well. Do managers matter? Last year's team won 101 games, then fired manager Paul Trashini. This year's club is 66-81 and openly feuding: definitely not meeting that owner goal to "Win the Championship." The offense has slumped to 14th, with the bottom half of the lineup coming in at a combined .203. DH Sean West is 38 and playing like it, while 3B Nick Ragsdale, 26, is also playing like he's 38. Both are hitting sub-Mendoza. Team cancer Ricky Chavez is pulling down $25M per and has everyone mad at him, while outspoken RP Tim Schuenke is calling guys out despite sailing along with an ERA and BB/9 over 8. The good news is that the top half of the lineup (sans Chavez) is hitting well and consistently putting balls in the seats (home runs, I mean home runs!). Pitching is 8th in runs against, so at least somebody out there is pitching better than Schuenke. HAW pitchers: RH Chris Liles (10-6, 5.40) / LH Matt Waugh (18-5, 2.62) / RH Biff Skiff (15-4, 3.74) MIA pitchers: LH Victor Nunez (14-9, 4.32) / RH John Walker (0-2, 3.58) / RH Jon Carlsen (13-10, 4.08) #148: LOSS 4-10 ... a nice little 1-0 lead vanishes in an 8-run 7th inning...48th HR for Medici #149: WIN 3-1 ... Waugh fans 10 and this time we hold on to that little lead...40th save for Collier #150: LOSS 2-8 ... 2 hits and another HR for Covington, and a whole lotta nothing else going on tonight Eh, I guess we made them a bit happier after that series. Not much hitting from us, and only one pitcher showed up.... Speaking of showing up, former closer Kyle Johnson made his first appearance since his recall and gave up three runs in one inning. That pushes his ERA up over ten. Hey, this guy could be my closer next year too, so stop laughing.... Waugh now has 19 wins, and could be the only pitcher to reach 20 in MLB this year.... ELSEWHERE: if you're reading this and your last name is Silva, you might want to look away now. Yankees SP Victor Silva and Twins RP Edwin Silva are both done for the year, on the same night and with matching elbow ligament tears. (Plus, we lost AAA pitcher Orlando Silva for the season two weeks ago.) AND Minny AAA pitcher Jaime Silva is also done with an elbow injury. Wtf, OOTP.... FIFTY-ONE WINS now for Montreal, praise be.... And 60 home runs for William Swanson. Yadda yadda yadda. ...... TL; DR Version: Back to earth with an 8-6 start to the month, but still 111-39 overall. Our franchise record is 114, set back in 2044. Can we reach it? I say we do it. Other takeaways from these two weeks: Kyle Johnson needs an exorcist...Do not pitch in MLB if your name is Silva...My accounting mole suggests I start burying mason jars full of cash around the team compound, along with the parmesan cheese wheel. Otherwise, with 14 games left in the season, Medici is chasing team records for home runs (50) and RBI (143). He's two behind the former, ten behind the latter. Send thoughts and prayers. ...... Hey kids, it's time for another ... OLD-TIMEY DRAFT REVIEW! ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2037! Who remembers 2037? I sure don't. (It's probably these cheap memory implants...) We won 95 games in our fourth year of existence, made the playoffs, but bowed out early. Still...it wouldn't be long before we'd show them all. Anyway, after two pretty poor drafts, with only Adam Groff (pretty good tho!) to show for them, we bravely ventured forth to select the next raft of promising disappointments... Also, we didn't have a first-round pick this time because we signed studly free agent pitcher Bradley Dunne to a megabucks contract. Whereupon his arm promptly fell off after half a season of pitching in paradise and he sauntered off with a heavy wallet and some bad vibes. Round 2, 76th Overall SS Mike Hunter, 22, East Carolina. High contact, line drive hitter. No power, so-so discipline, but won't strike out. Great fielder, a quality fit at second, third, or short. Also rates well in the outfield, but has no range there. Probably will start in A ball already. MLB: Loved this guy, and he was a doubles-mashing machine for us for five seasons before pricing himself off the roster. He's still out there, with Boston, and is a career .307 hitter with 48 WAR, over 2300 hits, and nearly 600 doubles. Round 3, 114th Overall RF Jesse Henkel, 19, high school. First of many high INT/WE players we took this year. Projects as a solid hitter all-around, upwards of 20-25 HR with good average. Intangibles could lead to better things for him, too. Average fielder, bad arm, which is a bummer. MLB: A lefty platoon guy, he had two seasons of 29 and 39 HR, leading the AL with 134 RBI in '41. Slumped in '42, got traded to NYY in '43, then vanished. Five years in Italy, and now five years in AAA. 459 MLB games, 96 HR, 5.9 WAR Round 4, 150th Overall RP Jason Barth, 20, St. John's. Smart kid. Good stuff, decent movement, control needs work. Fastball hits 96, quality curve as well. Wants to be a closer, but probably better suited for setup, or lefty specialist. *MLB: I have no memory of this guy. Neither does MLB.* Round 5, 186th Overall OF Dave White, 21, New Mexico. Another INT/WE guy who could prove better than he currently rates. Projects average to above average across the board, best at gap and HR power. Average glove, but rifle arm. LH batter, so could at least figure as a good bench bat. *MLB: Became an okay "bench bat" for two seasons. 66 GP, 154 AB, 0.4 WAR* Round 6, 222nd Overall RP Jim Blair, 20, Georgia. Similar to Barth, above, with less stuff but better control. Good fastball and slider, hits 98 MPH already. Smart kid, good leader. *MLB: 4 relief apps with Atlanta in '44* Round 7, 258th Overall 1B Andy Amiot, 20, Western Carolina. Thoroughly average, but has killer intangibles. High INT, WE, LE. Poor defense will keep him at first or as DH. *MLB: those intangibles didn't slay after all* Round 8, 294th Overall 2B Scott Bachant, 18, high school. Projects as a good hitter, but with zero power. Bad eye, doesn't strike out. Defense doesn't stand out, but has decent range, no arm. Also rates as an above average reliever. High work ethic. *MLB: now working on his tenth season in AAA* Round 9, 330th Overall SP Chris Herman, 18, high school. Impossible signability, and wants over $2M. See you later, Chris. *MLB: nah* Round 10, 366th Overall OF Caleb Davis, 19, high school. Good fielder, average hitter with...wait for it...no power. Good but not great arm probably keeps him from RF. Decent pitching prospect as well. Went unsigned after being taken in the 20th round by Oakland last year. *MLB: nope* Anyone else? 11th round catcher Cory Vannoy saw 51 games with us over three seasons; several other guys may have fared well in business school eventually, but I don't know that for certain. So we got one good guy and one guy who had two decent seasons before turning back into a pumpkin. Sounds about right. __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

03-12-2021, 07:43 PM	#397
Sizeman21 Major Leagues Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: The bleachers of Sportsman's Park Posts: 435	Another good post Bub, I am really invested in your dynasty. Can't wait to see what happens in the playoffs. __________________

03-14-2021, 08:01 PM	#399
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	Final twelve games--four series--of the regular season. We stay on the road for the first two, then finish off things with two sets at home. Hoping to regain some momentum for the post-season. With the division clinched, we get to watch everyone else play for a bit, so our lineup should be set and rested, fingers crossed. September 16-18 @ TEXAS Would have been a dynamite series last year, with the division still in doubt. This year, the Rangers are hoping for a late push to reach 100 wins (they're 90-60), with a three-game lead over Chicago for the first wildcard slot, and eleven games over the trailing Yankees. No real changes from our last meet-up in August: the lineup is healthy, three regulars pitchers are done for the year, and they're still hitting and pitching well. Second-best record in baseball, and still a strong chance to repeat as champions. William Swanson (.320/60/151) is looking for his 4th MVP trophy, and 3rd in a row. Ryan Boers has banged out 52 home runs and leadoff batter Ronnie Halvorson has 42. Mike Olivera still leads all AL batters with a .370 average, and don't sleep on ho-hum #5 batter Eric Robbins, only hitting .344 with 38 home runs. A relentless lineup. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.81) / RH Mike Bader (15-6, 3.98) / RH Chris Liles (10-7, 5.45) TEX pitchers: RH Paul Labbe (13-8, 4.45) / LH Steve Means (3-0, 2.55) / RH Jesus Aguilar (14-10, 5.00) #151: WIN 4-3 ... 2 RBI from Lynn and one from Daley in a 3-run 9th for the win...3 hits for Frederick...3 shutout innings from the pen #152: WIN 10-1 ... two HR by Royer, one by Daley, both now at 29...Bader leaves with an injury in the first #153: WIN 7-5 ... Covington hits his 20th, Medici his 49th...4 hits for Lynn...Liles gets pushed around, but the pen nails it down late There's some momentum regained.... Bader's injury is a tired arm, and he may miss his next start, or he may not. Life is full of mysteries.... Covington becomes the first catcher to hit 20 HR for us since Alexis Mercedes hit 30 back in '43.... Tenth win for RP Jordan Ruiz, giving us six pitchers in double figures.... Short A Poughkeepsie won their first round playoff series, sweeping State College in three.... ELSEWHERE: Although neither has clinched, Texas and Chicago look like sure bets for the AL wildcards, with NY's tragic number down to one.... Philly's magic number is now two, but they suffered a loss with 3B Byron Wilmoth (.321/27/66, 38 steals) out for the year.... The Cubs clinched a playoff spot, and in the NL West LA and SF are tied for the division lead.... All hail San Diego 2B Pat Eden, an excellent fielder but a genuine debacle at the plate. He has the worst WAR in baseball, -1.6, and is batting .143 with an OPS+ of 20. How he's made 69 starts is anyone's guess. He's also been intentionally walked five times, meaning there's maybe...someone...worse? in the lineup? September 20-22 @ SEATTLE Having sealed a second consecutive last-place finish in the division, the M's are also looking at a sub-70 win season. Much of the blame can be directed at the pitching staff: 16th in runs against, with the next-to-last rotation ERA, at 6.43. None of the starters has come through the season looking like anything approaching a big leaguer, except for Phil Bishop and Mario Portillo...and both spent much of the year on the DL. There is good news: the offense ranks 7th and only (vastly) overpaid vet Jose Rodriguez won't be back. Plus top pitching prospects Ron Rivera (#4 in MLB) and Vince Push (#25 and off to a rough start after his recent callup) should be ready for the rotation next season. Rookie RF Paul Stough (22, and adding 33 HR) has arrived, giving vets Jon Terrell and Ger van Mourik (only 24 and 25, but grizzled already) some support. With Rodriguez's $38M coming off the books, maybe they can mount up and grab some useful free agents this fall. HAW pitchers: LH Matt Waugh (19-5, 2.56) / RH Biff Skiff (15-5, 3.84) / RH Mike Pearse (5-1, 3.86) SEA pitchers: RH Chris Grauer (10-12, 6.30) / RH Vince Push (0-5, 10.41) / RH Dan Crews (8-9, 5.32) #154: WIN 6-1 ... 20th win for Waugh, 25th HR for Matson...Mariners LF Rogelio Pena goes 0-for-5, fanning every time #155: WIN 5-1 ... CG for Skiff, 3-for-3 night for Simmons...Covington hurt tho, might miss some post-season time #156: WIN 9-0 ... 12 K CG for Pearse, his best effort in a long while, yielding just 2 hits...3 hits for Ulkini, 3-run HR for Hed Sweep gives us 117 wins, a franchise record. Won't mean much more than that without a title though.... Waugh's 20th win and 2.47 ERA will top the AL. He's also 3rd in strikeouts and WAR, and so has to be the inside runner for AL Cy Young. Right?... Covington's out for two weeks, so it'll be close as to whether or not he'll be ready to go.... Minor league playoff update: Poughkeepsie will begin the NY-Penn league championship series, fighting the New York Empire (NOZ) for the title; AA Androscoggin took out Reading in four to claim the Eastern League title; AAA Santa Barbara will face Salt Lake for the PCL crown.... ELSEWHERE: the AL playoff picture is all set, with Detroit and Tampa Bay claiming their divisions, and Texas and Chicago the wildcards. Philly and Chicago have claimed divisions in the NL, but everything else is up in the air: LA leads SF by a game in the West, and one of those two will be a wildcard along with Cincinnati (unless the Mets can sweep their last six games).... Arizona fired manager Chase Spears, with a 59-94 mark. (Why now rather than wait a week?) Spears was in his 5th year and had only one semi-decent campaign, a 79-win effort a year ago. He's replaced by the completely unknown Phil Garber, who apparently was plucked from a hedge fund somewhere as this is his first MLB post of any kind. September 23-25 vs CLEVELAND In my continuing effort to see some good in every backmarker team, let me just say that there are promising signs for this 67-89 club. The top half of the lineup averages 24 years old, they're all good, and all are signed for next year. When I say "good" I mean generally decent, but they could definitely use some more zazz in the lineup--a big power bat, or a couple of guys who hit for high average, say. Prospect CF Scott Hull fits that "high average" bill, and he should start next year. The rotation needs a complete overhaul (33-year-old former Isle Ryan Ratliff should not be anyone's ace, for example) but the good news is they have three guys--Sam Tedder, Dudley Mele, Eric Nelson--ready for spring. If they don't blow it, this could be a contending team as soon as next season: add a nice bat, a couple of mid-level SP, and the usual cheap-but-solid RP, and I say they're a 90 win team, boom. It'll be tough though, with Detroit and Chicago in the same division. HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (15-6, 3.97) / RH Chris Liles (11-7, 5.51) / LH Matt Waugh (20-5, 2.47) CLE pitchers: RH Conrad Robertson (7-12, 5.95) / LH Taylor Baxter (8-12, 5.58) / RH Jaden Daniels (0-1, 19.29) #157: WIN 3-2 ... Matson's solo shot in the 6th is the GW...2 hits for Simmons...Bader goes 8, then Collier fans the side in the 9th #158: WIN 7-6 ... outhit 10-8, and Liles is a trash fire again, but the bullpen slams the door on a late rally with 2.1 shutout innings #159: WIN 8-7 ... a tired pen yields a 5-run 9th...Royer blasts his 30th, and Groff has a rare 2-hit night Well alrighty then: three one-run games, and we reach the lofty heights of a 120 win season.... Royer becomes the third player to reach 30 HR on the season, with Daley stuck at 29. Medici needs one more for 50. Come on!... ELSEWHERE: wild game in the Bronx, with Tampa Bay outslugging the Yanks 21-6, and thirteen dingers--eight by the visitors.... the NL West is still tight, but LA has at least clinched a playoff spot. They're one up on the Giants, who look solid to claim one of the wildcards. Cincinnati has the inside line on the second one, with New Orleans, Portland, and NY still in the hunt.... Phillie 2B Mike Oatis was just arrested for weaselnapping.... No 10 WAR players this year, but Rick Logston (PHI, 9.4) and Chris Mitchell (NYY, 9.2) gave it a run.... Three teams--Montreal, Milwaukee, and Baltimore--have joined the 100-loss club. If Arizona gets swept by San Diego, they'll join the party. September 26-28 vs CALIFORNIA Didn't we just play these guys? Not sure what else I can say about them. Unlike the Indians, I'm not as bullish on this franchise's near-term future. Of their top ten prospects, only P Aaron Moore will be ready for next season, and he's a good-not-great SP. The good news is that they're dumping some overpriced vets onto the free agent market this fall. The bad news is that they've stopped spending money so I don't see them chasing any big names this fall. Slugger Mauricio Marquez (.326/38/101) has fully matured into a genuine star, but there's just little else behind him. Two years ago Ricky Ochoa banged out 56 HR and looked to be a future star. Now he's a sub-2 WAR guy and probably won't be extended this fall. They've got a couple of young SP and some decent arms in the pen, so maybe there's more hope there. Although 20-year-old prospect Leo Ortiz has huge potential, but is a head case and didn't light it up in AAA this year. They've been rebuilding for over a decade now and show no sign of getting back to the top anytime soon. HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (16-5, 3.72) / RH Mike Pearse (6-1, 3.52) / RH Mike Bader (16-6, 3.91) CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (12-9, 3.53) / RH Ryan Kuehner (3-3, 4.56) / RH George Millard (10-12, 4.17) #160: WIN 4-3 ... Royer homers early, and we win it on an 8th inning sac fly from Frederick #161: LOSS 3-5 ... Kolb's two doubles and first MLB RBI are the only highlights here #162: WIN 7-3 ... Kolb homers, congrats!...Simmons singles twice, walks twice, scores twice...no other milestones set Finally a non-one-run win here. The winning streak ended, but as they say: time to start another one.... started some reserves this series, with Groff, Kelley, Kolb, and Hed all seeing regular at bats. Kolb looked really good, which of course is highly meaningful for next season.... J.J. Simmons swiped two bags in the last game to tie Chicago's Zeke de la Rosa for the AL steals title with 35.... ELSEWHERE: SF dropped their first two games to LA but won the finale to hold off hard-charging New Orleans and claim the second wildcard spot.... the AL wild card series will feature Texas (98 wins) versus the White Sox (96 wins). Shame that one of those teams will be knocked out early. I believe we'll get the winner in the 2nd round.... Home runs kind of dried up late, as William Swanson (TEX, 62) and Rick Logston (PHI, 61) only hit one each over their last ten games. Poor guys.... Only two qualified pitchers ended up with ERA under three: Matt Waugh (HAW, 2.50) and Everett Cronk (LA, 2.72). ...... TL;DR Version: Okay, finishing 11-1 is fine with me I GUESS. Heading into the post-season, the good news is that just about everyone is going great on the field, and that means we're winning nearly all the time. The bad news...well, there isn't any really, but a GM always worries. We went 31-9 in one-run games this season: will that extend into the playoffs? We were third in runs scored, which is a low placement for us in recent times, so does that indicate forthcoming struggles? Our offense is usually--no pun intended--hit-or-miss in the playoffs. What's around the corner then? All this is just catastrophising, I know, but it can't be helped. You win 122 games and anything less than a title is a letdown. (Btw, if you're interested, our Pythag. number was 111 wins.) Only other note is that we're healthy save for Covington's back injury, which has one week left to run. Given that there's a wildcard series (not just one game) he may be healthy enough to play by the time we take the field again. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

03-14-2021, 08:18 PM	#400
DD Martin All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Seattle area Posts: 937	Wow what a regular season. I wasn't expecting it to be quite this great of a year. Obviously the Isle's are the favorites to win the whole thing so good luck.