California Dreamin' - The GUBA's California Crusaders

[mikev]

It All Comes Down To This...

On the strength of a 5-2 short sim, the Crusaders have snuck into a playoff spot with 6 games to play.

At 82-74, we are only one game ahead of 81 win Chicago.

Us? Three at Valencia, who I would expect to rest players but I'm not sure Lee,,,,,,, knows that he's in the playoffs already, and three at Vancouver.

We won't see Neil Jones in the Valencia series, which bodes well for us. However, DMV will only get one start.

As already stated in this feature, Chicago gets Las Vegas and Louisville, all home games.

To be honest, I'm expecting to miss the playoffs or at least end up tied and have a one game playoff. OOTP seems to have a thing for doing that.

In other transactional news, we're about ready to break off talks with DH Steve Hodgson. The 30 year old has been solid for us this year, with a .354 wOBA, but is seeking a fairly long term deal that we're not quite comfortable offering. If worse comes to worse, we let him walk, put Cintron at first base next year, and slide Kanai into the DH spot. Hodgson is really the only player who is in a walk year that we have any intention of trying to keep around.

Anyway, here's what I'm looking at:

Gonzo, GARICA, Clement against Valencia.

Berthier, Voigt, Gonzo against Vancouver.

When I look at it that way, I can allow myself a sliver of hope. If Voigt and Garcia beat Valenica, and then Voigt/Gonzo beat Valencia, I think we get in. Only winning three makes it tough, cause I think Chicago is capable of going 5-1 against Vegas and Louisville.

This will be fun. Too bad I won't be around tonight to see the sim happen live.

[mikev]

Collapse. Exit Stage Left. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.

Well, that sucked.

2-4 over our last 6 games, meanwhile Chicago rolls off a 5-1 finish and we are out of the playoffs. How it broke down:

Val 9, Cal 3

Got off to a ****ty start. Gonzo was awful, allowing 10 hits and 8 runs in 3+ innings, as he didn't make it out of the 4th.

Val 4, Cal 3

Radchuk gave it up in the 9th, allowing a single and two walks before allowing the game winning hit to Victor Young. Ramon Baca was pulled after throwing two pitches and retiring both batters he faced in the 8th. He is listed as the #1 setup man and the closer. WHAT THE ****, THANK YOU VERY MUCH OOTP.

Val 8, Cal 0

Shutout by a combination of 5 Valencia arms. Pathetic.

Van 3, Cal 0

Complete game loss by Berthier, and yet again the ****ing pathetic offense can't manage to scratch together a couple runs.

Cal 6, Van 1

Voigt throws 7.1, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts, 0 walks. If he doesn't win the Golden Arm, this game is broken. 16-5, 2.06 ERA, 201 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 2.07 FIP, 10.5 K/9.

Cal 3, Van 2

Too little, too late. Gonzo redeems himself, tossing 8 innings allowing only 1 run. Baca gets the save.

Really there's not a lot to say. The ****ing team OPSed .557(!) and a couple bad starts doomed us.

Meh.

[mikev]

I Hate Roosevelt Stephenson



Dear Roosevelt Stephenson,

**** you.

You have got to be kidding. Would you care to explain how a career .291/.327/.388 hitter -- nothing out of this world, though solid for a 2B with good defensive skills -- can manage to hit for a ****ing /FIVE. SEVENTY. SEVEN./ OPS over the course of a full season? Seriously dude, 139-for-594? 15/14/3/9/9 ratings, and all you can manage is a .234 batting average and TWENTY NINE WALKS.

I don't think I need to stress to you how ****ing pathetic you were as a hitter. "Very high" desire for winner, huh? "High" intelligence and work ethic? How the hell do you manage a six month long slump with that sort of makeup? I guess .333/.377/.476 for the last month when I acquired you last year and saved your ass from last place Toronto wasn't good enough for your desire to play on a winner?

Think of it this way: If you didn't play like a little leaguer, we'd be in the playoffs right now. Take your desire for winning and shove it up your ass.

.256 wOBA, dude. Think abou that. Actually, don't, because you're probably too stupid to figure it out. Look at wOBA like you would look at OBP, but then realize that it's better than OBP is, or OPS, or VORP. It properly weights different types of hits based on run values, and then scales it to OBP.

Two fifty six. Do you think someone with a .256 on base percentage that isn't a pitcher deserves a job? Me either. Now what about someone with a .256 wOBa? WORSE.

The bad part is that I'm stuck with your ass for another season. The good part is that I can watch you rot away on the bench, or I can hope and hope that you have a setback to your shoulder injury and retire. Not because I need the money or need to be bailed out for a godawful contract like what Backhouse did for Pago Pago. I just think you're a ****bird, and the sooner you are out of the GUBA the better.

Hell -- Wade Meadows is 20 years old and developing like crazy. I might just cut your ass and pretend I'm giving him $10M next season.

Retire please. Go away.

[mikev]

Voigt Is Golden

In what we thought was a way closer vote than it should have been, cooler heads prevailed.

Dominic Mother****ing Voigt is your 2027 MBBA Golden Arm winner. (yes, that's his given name)



The 25 year old, in his second season as a big leaguer, compiled a 16-5 record for the Crusaders this year, with a league leading 2.06 ERA.

Other pitching stats he led the league in: WHIP (0.93), K/9 (10.6), Hits/9 (6.12), Average (.190), OBP (.251), and SLG (.278) Against, OPS Against (.529)(duh), ERA+ (187), FIP (2.07), and winning percentage (.762).

Voigt actually finished with a tie in overall voting points with Valencia's Neil Jones, however Voigt received far more first place votes. Jones led the MBBA with 20 wins, 247 IP, and a VORP of 61.7. That's it, Voigt was superior in essentially every other possible way, but apparently people really like Wins.

Rumor has it that the team is getting ready to talk with Voigt about a long term extension, buying out arbitration years and at least a free agent season or two. Both sides have indicated that they are interested in a long term deal and neither anticipates any major snags in contract talks. However, it's not a priority as Voigt has a full season remaining before he becomes arbitration eligible.

It's going to be fun watching Voigt as he comes into his prime. We anticipate some more hardware in his future, and we're going to need it. A good portion of the franchise's future lies in the right arm of the New Zealander.

Please don't die.

[mikev]

Martinez Acquired, Hodgson Leaving?

The 2027/2028 offseason has gotten off to a reasonably fast start for the Crusaders.

With the impending free agency of outfielder Sheridan Gahan, the team had a hole to fill at one corner spot. Granted, it was only a .307 wOBA sized hole, but there was going to be a requirement for a body in the lineup either way.

Instead of waiting on free agency and potentially overspending on an outfielder, the team elected to go the trade route, hooking up with the Toronto Beavers and acquiring outfielder Alfredo Martinez in exchange for minor leaguer Etienne Savard and a 5th round draft pick. Savard is a 21 year old outfielder who was acquired in the [ur=http://www.theguba.net/news/html/players/player_19537.html]Pat Patterson[/url] trade with Jackson, and has above average contact and power potential. However, he's got a ways to go before being big league ready.

On paper, Martinez is a slight downgrade offensively - his .297 wOBA last year was pretty far below average (remember, when you look at wOBA, think OBP - around .330 is usually league average, plus or minus a few points either way), but there are some good signs for the 26 year old. Namely, his dev report. Since shortly after the All Star Break last season, Martinez has shown ratings growth in Contact, Strikeouts, and Power. It's a small sample, but to finish off the season he hit .310/.371/.442 over the month of September.

In the conference call discussing the deal, a reporter asked Crusaders GM Mike Voelker about the lack of power on the team, pointing out that Martinez hit only 10 home runs in 2027. "Well, it's always nice to have guys that can hit the ball out of the park, sure, but they tend to come at a premium cost. Sure, everybody wants to have a 35 homer guy in the middle of the lineup, but I think the focus for us is to look for good hitters, period. We think Alfredo is capable of being a very good hitter."

As of now, Martinez will likely be penciled in as the Crusaders right fielder on Opening Day. There is still more to be done, however, as last minute extension negotiations with DH Steve Hodgson seem to have reached an impasse, meaning the team will be without one of it's leading hitters from last year if no deal can be reached. There has been some talk of prospect Jose Cintron moving to first base, but he seemed to have some issues getting settled in there in AAA Oakland.

[mikev]

Lara Signed To Add Lineup Flexibility

While not a major impact bat, the signing of veteran first baseman Ruben Lara to a one year, $2.8 Million contract is expected to give the Crusaders some roster flexibility this season.

Infielder Jose Cintron, expected to be the teams first baseman of the future, has yet to prove himself ready to hit right handers, and his defense at first base is still somewhat lacking. That said, hitting .332/.383/.496 in AAA as a 23 year old will basically give the team no option but to promote him to the big leagues. With 13/16/10/7/12 ratings against lefties, his bat will play in a platoon role at the minimum. The addition of Lara gives them that option.

Besides that, there is really only one lineup slot to be determined in spring training, and that's second base. Whether or not ****bag Stevenson performs like he should, or a guy like Wade Abbott swipes the job away from him based on his vs LHP ratings. There's an outside chance that prospect Wade Meadows could show some more development and claim the job as his own, but we don't want to rush him.

The team still looks to be lacking on offense next season, with the loss of Steve Hodgson who signed a monster 4 year deal with Chicago. Lara is simply not the caliber of hitter Hodgson is, and with an offense that was starved for power last year someone is going to have to step up. It's a tall task, but Archie Matthams is going to need to continue his development, and top outfield prospect Wilfred Weaver is GUBA ready against lefties, and will be promoted as soon as he recovers from his long term knee injury.

Looking at the rest of free agency, there's really not much that seems worth (over)paying for, so what we see is essentially what we're going to get in Crusader land. Hopefully it's enough to get into [s]March Madness[/s] the playoffs this year. We've got the arms, we just need some offense.

[mikev]

Cintron Buys New Glove, Earns A Job



Jose Cintron had an idea that he wouldn't play much third base for the California Crusaders. He was drafted a year after Archie Matthams, after all.

"Sure, it's something you always think about. It drives you to do better though." Cintron said, when asked what it was like being "the other third baseman" behind the GUBA's #1 prospect for 2 seasons.

Cintron, however, arrived with some fanfare of his own. The Crusaders thought highly enough of him to give him a major league contract straight out of the draft, and he climbed into the Top 20s himself on the Baseball America Top 100 list. Currently, he's #47.

When Matthams was finally called up to the big leagues, Cintron had a thought and approached his manager at Triple-A oakland. "Let me play first base, skip." he said. "We know Archie's not going anywhere. The only reason I'm still at third base is because I can throw, but I can learn first base too. I'll get more versatile, I just want to help the team however I can."

Cintron only got into a handful of games at first base during the 2027 season using a borrowed glove, but it didn't affect him much. He struggled a bit to learn the position, mostly due to sporadic playing time, but he still swung the bat well. At the plate he hit .332/.383/.496 with 11 homers, 40 doubles, and 60 RBI in 126 games. He garnered Triple-A Hitter of the Year accolades for that, but worried that he might not have done enough to earn a big league job.

When Spring Trianing 2028 rolled around, Cintron was one of the first position players to report. He showed up with a first basemans mitt, and asked to be worked out at first base from day one. The results spoke for themselves. In two short weeks, reports came back that Cintron's overall rating at first base had jumped from "2" to "6" on the teams 1-20 internal ratings scale. By the end of Spring Training, two weeks later, that 6 had jumped to a "9" and Cintron was responding quite well to big league infield instruction.

On the last day of Spring Training, Cintron found himself called into the Manager's office.

"Today is final cuts. You know what that means, kid?"

"It means I go back to Oakland, right?"

"**** no. What you have left to prove there? You won the MVP and learned to play first base. Today you get to call yourself a big leaguer, and you get to walk down the hallway to the equipment manager and tell him to put the accent over the "O" in your name when he orders your red pinstripes."

"Yes sir! Thanks, skip!"

"Now don't get ahead of yourself just yet. I want to work you in slow, for now we're planning on playing you against lefties and having you back up Kanai against right handers. And keep working on that defense, I think you've got some potential at first base."

Just like that, not just on paper, Jose cintron was now a major leaguer.

[mikev]

Teenage Sensation Drafted Fourteenth

"With the fourteenth pick in the 2028 GUBA Amateur Player Draft, the California Crusaders select,"

Outfielder Jesus Rivera, Santiago, Dominican Republic.

"The Johannesburg Diamonds are on the clock."

Jesus Rivera's high school stats read like, well, like a video game. In 107 at bats, Rivera had 58 hits -- yes, he batted .542 -- but more impressively? A full 35 of them went for extra bases. 16 doubles, 4 triples, and 15 home runs. He drove in 50 runs, scored 67, and even stole 30 bases.

In 22 games.

Like I said. Video game stuff. Going through the pre-draft interviews, Rivera essentially measured off the charts on most measurables. He's fast, he can throw, he can obviously hit. He's also down to earth and while he is fiercly competitive he manages to be a positive influence in the dugout and doesn't come across as a prima donna.

California had considered several other players with the selection - namely Volodya Charkin (who went to Johannesburg with the next pick) as well as Sam Burgess, an infielder who may also be one of the best pitching prospects in the draft. There was also the potential to select Ville Tillstrom, who is practically big league ready right now, but to be quite honest -- there's just no room in the bullpen. Baca, Bruno, Wu, Pendle, Radchuk -- the oldest of that group is 28. The bullpen is pretty set.

No, what is missing -- after Wilfred Weaver -- is a guy with the potential to have elite power. Rivera has that. By our measure, he has the second highest power rating in the entire draft. At pick fourteeen? We're thrilled to have that.

[mikev]

Slow Start, We're Not Worried

Well, that's not the start we were looking for.

6-10 the first few weeks, 4.5 back of Valencia in the Pacific.

DMV had a couple bad starts in a row, and McEachin has gotten pummelled in ihs first couple starts as a pro. Luckily, GARICA is showing the youngsters how to get it done -- he's only given up 2 ER combined in his three starts.

The hitting has been equally as 'meh' with a team OPS of .695. Ruben Lara leads the team with 4 homers, and Archie Matthams is the only other player on the team with more than 2 -- and he's only played 9 games.

Still, we're talking about 16 games. It's probably too early to panic. Newcomer Alfredo Martinez isn't doing too badly, The Konch is struggling at the plate but still a defensive wizard (+2.9 ZR in 16 games), and while left field is a little bit iffy right now with Jon Lee and Kurt Flowers in a platoon, that's going to change somewhat quickly. The #2 prospect in the organization Wilfred Weaver is healthy and ready to be unleashed. A long term knee injury kept Weaver off the field nearly 9 months, but he refused to let it affect him and he kept getting better even while injured.

So, like I said. We're not going to panic. DMV will right himself, McEachin will learn from GARICA, Jose Cintron is getting better at first base, and Matthams/Weaver are going to combine to wreak havoc on the MBBA Pacific for years to come.

I'll just sit back and watch. If it gets really bad, hey -- we have $25M in payroll room. We can rent a bat if we need to.

[mikev]

Ending May In First Place!

A 6-4 sim against Glasgow, Dublin, London, and Johannesburg to finish off May -- and the Crusaders are now in first place in the MBBA Pacific.

Leading the way so far? GARICA, of course. 7-1 in 9 starts, a 1.92 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 25 walks, a 0.93 WHIP... and was awarded the pitcher of the month award for May. The 34 year old just loves being a Crusader, what can I say? Oh, and his movement bumped to 7.. Along with Garcia, Dominic Mother****ing Voigt is 7-4 with a 2.43 ERA, 88 strikeouts in 66 innings, and a league leading 2.03 FIP. He's pretty good.

As expected, the Crusaders pitching staff is one of the best in the MBBA. Overall ERA is 3rd, at 3.47, and we have the lowest hits allowed (408), opponents average (.228), and BABIP (.278) -- we're keeping guys off base.

Offensively, Ruben Lara leads the team with 10 homers -- which is good since he was signed as DH and positional depth. Kanai has 9, and Alfredo Martinez is leading the team with a .320 batting average.

Rookie Wilfred Weaver has taken the GUBA by storm. The 24 year old is hitting .308/.370/.486 over his first 100 at bats, with 10 extra base hits. Fellow youngster Archie Matthams is hitting .284/363/.467 with a +5 ZR in 45 games at third base to boot. Yes, I'm excited about the future. Mix in a little Timoteo (25), Garcia for defense (26), some Cintron (23), and The Konch (24). I have a dirt cheap core of young players who are good, and a ton of payroll room. I can add if I need to, and even This Complete ****** is playing like he doesn't COMPLETELY suck.

Oh, and one last thing. Our first round pick, Jesus Rivera?

May 1, 2028
Contact versus Lefties Increases from 5 to 6
Power Talent Increases from 9 to 10

May 21, 2028
Control versus Lefties Increases from 0 to 1
Contact Talent Increases from 7 to 8

Hi there.

[mikev]

The Jesus!

So, with our first pick in the draft, we took Jesus Rivera, a teenageer with good contact and power talents.

Read the initial release here.

The interesting part is what I wrote in the very last statement of that Team News:

No, what is missing -- after Wilfred Weaver -- is a guy with the potential to have elite power. Rivera has that. By our measure, he has the second highest power rating in the entire draft. At pick fourteeen? We're thrilled to have that.

So I was greeted with this between the time he was drafted and the in-game draft:

May 1, 2028
Contact versus Lefties Increases from 5 to 6
Power Talent Increases from 9 to 10

May 21, 2028
Contact Talent Increases from 7 to 8

Um, YESPLEASE.

We're now staring at an 8/8/10/2/7 rated 17 year old. After being drafted in-game, he was immediately our #2 prospect behind Archie mother****ng Matthams, who will be off the list this year due to service time anyway. Meaning Rivera is our #1 overall prospect, and the #9 overall prospect in the entire GUBA.

Yes, we're absolutely thrilled with this. The low eye talent isn't that great, but it's working for Weaver right now, so I guess we'll go with it.

[mikev]

Hayagawa Acquired

Claudio Garcia, I love the dude, but he's just not quite cutting it for me as a starting shortstop this year.

His +3.9 Zone Rating is nice, but not as good as expected from a 10 rating at shortstop and 10/10/7/9 infield ratings.

His .301 wOBA, well, sucks. It's one thing to have a defensive stud in the lineup and punting offense, but that's apparently been Konchellah this year, with a .263 wOBA and a +11.7 ZR in center field. Oh, and ****bag, too (.296 wOBA, +3.3 ZR).

Fully 1/3 of our lineup, plus the DH against righties, is /bad/.

So, I needed offense. Badly.

When Louisville decided to blow it up, posting that Shi-fu Wu and Shihei Hayagawa were both available..

I jumps in it...



Initial talks with Lumber involved acquiring both Wu and Hayagawa. Eventually Wu was dealt to Stockholm, so we refocused our talks on Hayagawa.

It was long and drawn out, but long story short, Hayagawa is now a Crusader. We sent 2nd round pick Robinson Zuniga and starter Pancho Santos to Louisville, and we're thrille to have Hayagawa in the fold now. He's a monster against lefties, has good power, and good ratings defensively. He's also 27, on a league minimum contract, and gained a point of power last sim.

On a team with the best pitchng in the MBBA and (again) a bad offense, adding a guy with the potential to hit the ball out of the park on any given swing is a /big/ deal.

Rumors abound that California is still looking to add a big bat, likely in the DH slot, but the big hitters on the market have surprisingly weak stats, making it a tough balancing act between acquiring a guy for his ratings and acquiring a guy for his stats.

[mikev]

Reyes Acquired To Add Pop To Lineup



Another trade, this one to hopefully add to the subpar Crusaders offense.

The team is sending Ruben Lara to Manhattan in exchange for Domingo Reyes.

Reyes will be expected to take over the DH role against right handers.

He's having a down year, power wise, but has been a lock for 25+ homers in most of his previous seasons, and 30 doubles or so. With the Crusaders extremely friendly park for gap hitters, Reyes fits very well and should offer a spark in the middle of the lineup.

California will be on the hook for the remainder of Reyes' $9.5M salary this year, which drops to $8M in 2029. The salary should be a nonissue for the Crusaders, who currently have a great deal of payroll flexibility and very few expiring contracts.

Lara had underperformed in California after winning the DH job following a hot Spring Training. A .311 wOBA from your DH is awful. Granted, Reyes is only .321, but as stated above I believe my park factors will be a significant help to his numbers.

Reyes also provides some flexiblity due to the fact that he can play both corner outfield positions rather well. With Flowers not likely to be retained, another player who can put in time in the field is nice -- compared to Lara, who can't play the field at all.

We're hopeful that this move will help to bolster our terrible 11th ranked OPS in the MBBA. Okay, well, perhaps just the 11th ranked slugging, but really that's all I want from Reyes. A ton of extra base hits.

[mikev]

Ellsworth Acquired For Flowers

A third trade in three days for the Crusaders has taken place.

We just agreed to send Kurt Flowers to Taipei in exchange for Bill Ellsworth in a one-for-one outfielder exchange.

"Bill is a guy that we've had on our radar for quite some time, actually." said GM Mike Voelker. "When Taipei approached us, actually we hadn't thought much about it, we picked up Domingo who can play outfield if we need, but looked a little closer and thought he'd fit in well against righties."

Flowers will likely be headed back to start against lefties for Taipei, as he was with California. A free agent at the end of the season, Flowers was not likely to be retained by the club.

"We definitely wish Kurt the best. He's done a lot for the organization, and I'm glad that we were able to send him to another contending team. That said, I think the deal works for everybody, and we'll get a chance to get (minor leaguer Jose) Velasco some big league at bats against lefties."

Currently on the season Ellsworth has a .328/.390/.406 line against right handers, and he'll be expected to get the majority of starts over Alfredo Martinez who is hitting a meager .278/.313/.381 against RHP. Between Ellsworth and Martinez, the Crusaders should have a formidable leadoff hitter against both righties and lefties. Konchellah will still play centerfield against both, with Martinez and Ellsworth acting as backups on their off-platoon days. Youngster Wilfred Weaver will continue to occupy the other corner spot.

That deal done, it appears that we are probably finished with deals coming up to this trade deadline. We're in first place, Valencia has some killer injuries, and we've got guys who are still underperforming *cough*****YOU*cough*

Time to let them go and see what they can do.

[mikev]

It Goes To 11!

An 8-1 sim against Greenville, Birmingham, and Valencia has vaulted the Crusaders to a 68-55 record, the second best in the MBBA, and an 11 game lead in the Pacific.

It was done almost entirely on pitching, too. The team only managed a .731 OPS for the sim, led by Velasco and newcomer Domingo Reyes. Archie Matthams, Shihei Hayagawa, and Bereket Konchellah were the only other players to OPS over .700.

But, /those arms/.

DMV - 2 starts, 12 innings, 7 strikeouts, 2 earned runs.

GARICA - 2 starts, 13.2 innings, 12 strikeouts, 2 earned runs.

McEachin - 2 starts, 14.1 innings, 16 strikeouts, 3 earned runs

Berthier - 2 starts, 14.2 innings, 7 strikeouts, 4 earned runs

Then the bullpen...

Baca had 5 saves and didn't give up a run, Bruno only gave up 1 run in 6 games, Yi-da Freaking Wu struck out 8 batters in 4 innings over 5 games, Radchuk didn't give up a run in 5 appearances...

Collectively the pitching staff had a 1.57 ERA in 80 innings, a 1.07 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts.

I mean, I couldn't ask for a much better sim. Even ****bag got hurt and is out for 5 weeks! ickles:

Speaking of injury, we are also getting Weaver and Ellsworth back from injury.

The initial plan for the OF was an Ellsworth/Martinez platoon at one corner, Konchellah in center, and Weaver on the other corner.

I forgot Velasco though. The 26 year old with 13/13/13/9/13 ratings against lefties. Jon Lee is no slouch either with 14/14/5/14/14 ratings against RHP, but I won't start him over any of the other 3.

However, I'm left with a full 6 man outfield, and no backup infielder with the ****bag injury. Claudio Garcia will slide to second base. It's tempting to call up Abbott, just to give his bat a chance as a reserve, but I'd probably have to send Velasco back down to make room.

I guess you could do worse than having to figure out what to do for a backup infielder though, right?

[mikev]

Lead Increases As September Arrives

Another winning sim -- this time 6-3 against Vancouver, New York, and Toronto -- and the Crusaders are now 75-58, the only team above .500 in the Pacific, and have increased their lead to 16.5 games over Valencia. They have the second best record in the MBBA, behind Baltimore and just ahead of Austin.

The big hitter of the sim? Wilfred Weaver, who returned from injury and went 16-41 with 3 homers, 4 doubles, and a triple in 9 games. He drove in 16 runs(!) and scored 10. Newly acquired Bill Ellsworth, at a quick glance, had a rough sim -- his OPS was merely .721, but his OBP was .400 with 7 walks and 7 base hits in 28 at bats.

Not to be outdone by Weaver, though, was fellow youngster Archie Mother****ing Matthams, who went 16-36, walked 7 times, hit a couple doubles, and had a .444/.543/.556 - 1.099 OPS.

It was a good sim. Collectively, an .828 team OPS. Even defense-first Claudio Garcia got in on the action, going 12-for-33.

If the offense can peak at the right time and the new addtions can help add some pop, we could be dangerous in the playoffs.

Also, September callups are here -- which is actually a bit of a help since I can't put ****bag into a backup spot cause he hurt his mangina or something. We'll likely bring up Juan Esparza for some backup help, and continue to let Wade Abbott get some reps.

It's also /very/ tempting to call up Henning Fallmerayer to let him get some hacks. His fully developed 7 contact and 8 power talents are ALL he has, but... 14 contact and 16 power vs RHP, that's gotta be able to play somewhere, right? If not here, well, we've got a 16 game lead and I'm sure displaying him for a month so the rest of the GUBA can see him might be nice for a rebuilding squad.

Also -- I hate to keep harping on it, but... my pitching is sweet. Even with Gonzo having a 6.1 inning, 4 run stinker of a start, we had a collective 2.61 ERA, the team's 3.10 overall ERA is best in the MBBA, the starters' 3.19 ERA is the best in the league, and the bullpen's 2.86 ERA is 2nd. We're first in runs allowed, hits allowed, OAVG, and 2nd in BABIP and HR allowed.

Oh, and GARICA is the only one on the staff that's not signed next year. I'm still debating, because he wants a 3 year deal, but I'll have one of Torres or Plazewski ready by that time, if not sooner. Both guys are putting up solid seasons in AAA Oakland, and don't have much left to prove in the minors, however their ratings are a ways off of their talents.

Decisions, decisions.

[mikev]

Hayagawa Injured As Team Rolls Toward Postseason

The team continues to fire on all cylinders, going 7-2 against Chicago, LA, and Vancouver to run their record to 87-64, tied with Baltimore for tops in the MBBA.

Matthams and Weaver led the way offensively, Matthams going 15-for-41 and Weaver going 10-for-34 with 5 extra base hits. Domingo Reyes also hit a couple bombs.

The most interesting hitter, to me, was Henning Fallmerayer, who nobody wanted even as a throw in during the deadline. He had 17 at bats, and registered 5 hits with a homer and a double. His line was .294/.294/.529 which is quite strange, and lines up with Goldie's love of outlier types.

We got some bad news, though. Shihei Hayagawa was injured and will be out another 3 1/2 weeks, meaning he'll miss the first round of the playoffs. If we make it through, he should be available after that. It's a rough blow, as he was absolutely crushing the ball for us - .279/.325/.578 since being acquired from Louisville.

To replace him, Claudio Garcia will shift back to shortstop, and we will have to figure out a way to fill second base with a combination of Wade Meadows, Wade Abbott, and ****bag. Meadows is superior to Abbot defensively, but Abbott has slightly better hitting ratings. Stephenson is a pile of **** who I wish was still hurt.

Other than that, we'll continue to ride the best pitching in the league and hope that we don't suffer any more major injuries as we get this thing ready for a playoff run.

Oh, okay. DOMENIC MOTHER****ING VOIGT 18-6, 1.90 ERA, 222 strikeouts/48 walks in 189.2 innings. He's awesome and I love him. That is all.

[mikev]

2028 Pacific Division Champs!

6-5 to end the season, and the Crusaders wind up 93-69, with the 2nd best record in the MBBA.

We have won the Pacific, the first time since the 2020 World Championship* campaign.

How'd we do it? Pitching. We had the best ERA in the MBBA at 3.13, just slightly behind Glasgow's 3.11 for best in the GUBA.

DMV should cruise to his second consecutive Golden Arm award. The phenom went 20-6 with a GUBA-best 1.78 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. I'm not gonna go on and on about him, but let's just say I'm absolutley ECSTATIC to have him inked to a 5 year long term contract at 8.7M per year.

The rest of the staff was also phenomenal. Gonzo only walked one hitter per 9 innigs while going 15-7, GARICA is still getting it done and signed a 2 year extension to keep on keepin on in California, Berthier is pitching way over his head, going 17-11 with a 3.25 ERA in 230 innings... I think he's just doing it to tell Goldie to stick it - that dude never liked Berthier. Oh, and rookie Dermot McEachin won 13 games with a 3.71 ERA, and should garner at least a few Rookie of the Year votes.

Then there was the bullpen. Baca was dominant, saving 43 games with a 1.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Bruno was a workhorse, logging almost 120 innings. Radchuk struck out over 100 batters - IN 70 INNINGS.

They were good. Real good.

The offense wasn't bad. The team .726 OPS was 8th in the MBBA.

The team leader is clearly Archie Matthams. Solid hitting, /fantastic defense at third, and by advanced metrics he was the 2nd most valuable player in the MBBA this year behind some roid freak first baseman in New York. Veteran Kanai Ikaikalani and rookie Wilfred Weaver help the offense as well, with most of the rest of the lineup coming in the form of platoons. The loss of Hayagawa for the first round of the playoffs is going to be rough.

Oh, the playoffs. So, we end up the #2 seed in the MBBA, and face off against Jackson. They're led by van der Goor, who hits the crap out of the ball, and they've got my boy Pat Patterson in the lineu. Love that dude.

It's gonna be our pitching vs their hitting. In the playoffs, I like our chances.

[mikev]

GARICA Staying For 2 More Seasons



At this point in his career, Mario Garcia is an absolute legend in California. Sporting a career 158-141 record, a 3.55 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and over 2000 strikeouts -- he's played all but one season of his 13 career with the Crusaders.

Well, we're going for 15 years now.

"GARICA" signed a two year contract extension with the team, paying him just over $6M annually for the 2029 and 2030 campaigns.

Garcia wrapped up yet another solid year in 2028 with a 14-11 record, a 3.54 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 213 innings pitched over 31 starts. The grizzled veteran of the MBBA's #1 pitching staff, he combined with Alfonso Gonzales and DMV to give California one of the more formidable top 3 starters. He'll remain the team's #3 starter through the playoffs.

Around the league, there had been speculation on whether Garcia would be retained or not. Top pitching prospects Jedrik Plazewski and Esteban Torres both put up solid seasons for AAA Oakland, and the 24 year olds are likely to compete for spots in the rotation as soon as next season. However, both youngsters have multiple options remaining, and really having too many pitchers is a good problem to have.

Either way, we're thrilled to have GARICA staying put. We just can't quit him. We're like the Blowsux and Wakefield, Goldie and patchouli oil, Lynchy and amateur football leagues, J6 and furries, Joel and vodka, etc. We know it's probably not the BEST move, but it's one that we're comfortable with.

Well, we'll see him for 2 more seasons anyway. I have a feeling he'll retire as a Crusader.

[mikev]

Booted By Jackson In First Round

Not having your .900 OPS shortstop or your 2.90 ERA #2 starter in the playoffs is apparently something that will hurt your chances.

The Crusaders were disposed of by Jackson in 5 games, a largely disappointing end to what was the first return to the postseason in 8 years.

Game 1 got things started on the right foot, DMV dominated with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings en route to a 5-1 victory.

That was it.

Elera Beni ended up starting game 2. Apparently Gonzo, who was listed as day-to-day for 6 days on October 1 was not able to pitch on October 4. Beni sucked, gave up 11 hits and 4 runs in 6.2 innings, andyet we were still tied at 3 until he got lit up. Wu couldn't stop the bleeding, and Jackson scored 5 runs in the 7th and 8th innings to win.

Garcia, McEachin, and Berthier all turned in subpar starts as well, essentially handing Jackson the series. 7 innings, 5 runs -- 5 innings, 4 runs -- 6 innings, 7 runs. Hey, where's the bullpen? Why leave the starters in to get shelled?

The sim logic in the playoffs amazes me.

Juan Bruno is listed as MR#1 and SU#1 in my pitching depth chart. He appeared in TWO games, and pitched 2.1 innings. Yi-da Wu is the #2 MR, and nothing else. He appeared in 3 games and pitched 4 innings. Tobias ****ing Mitra is MR3 and nothing else. 2 appearances. Radchuk only pitched 1 inning. 5 games, ONE INNING.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the game or making an excuse. We hit like ****. Rodriguez - .158/.200/.263. Ellsworth - .217/.280/.217. Weaver - .227/.227/227. Garcia - .250/.333/.250. When half of your starters choke, you're not going to win much.

It's a disappointment, but the playoffs are a crapshoot and Jackson outplayed us. We still won 93 games and are on the way up. A bright spot was Wade Meadows, who went 6-17 with two doubles, a triple, and a homer in the series. The plan was for him to take over for ****bag Stephenson at 2B next year, and that plan looks like it's going to work nicely.

We don't really have a lot to look forward to this offseason. I expect to move forward with mostly the same squad as the 2028 year, so we'll hang low and watch a bunch of bad contracts be given out in free agency, then start getting ready for 2029.