United States Baseball -- A New Beginning!

[jaysdailydose]

OK, I believe the quickstart to be 100% finished. I am going to link here, and I'm also going to link to the thread I'll be making in the "Mods" forum for further discussion/questions/comments/concerns. I'd like to keep the chatter about the file constrained to other areas other than the dynasty thread, but I want people to be able to find it, as well.

THE USB QUICKSTART

UNITED STATES BASEBALL:

48 Major League Squads Representing each of the 48 Continental US States. All with logos, home and away uniforms, and ballcaps.
4 Levels of Minors -- all with home/away uniforms, caps, and logos.
Full NCAA Feeder (100 Teams) ALL with logos, caps and uniforms.
High School Feeer (40 Teams) One Uniform, Hat and Logo for easy identification of players for draft scouting!
TWO "Baseball Academy" Feeder Leagues, one in Alaska and one in Hawaii -- These are for elite young talent, 20 Teams total.

There are many people needing thanks, such as Silvam14, Justafan, and so many more, but I'll get into more thanks in the Mods Forum.

I hope this quickstart can bring many of you the same amount of joy it has brought me, and I hope to possibly see some other USB Dynasty Reports!

[jaysdailydose]

Week 16 Notes: 4 at Maine (4-0), 3 vs Ohio (2-1)

· 07/20: MI 7, ME 2 – Gustavo Garza 4-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R – Steve Muller 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
· Muller had just had the dreaded snowflake hung on him, so lets see if that solid start drops it from his name. Garza is now hitting .400 since his call-up last week.
· The Motors announced today that they have extended star 2B Brandon Sublet's contract for three more seasons. He will make 7.2M per season for each of the three years.
· Sublet's arbitration estimate was almost 7.6M and it appears he is only getting better, so this extension could be a real bargain.
· 07/21: MI 1, ME 0 – Rob Higgin 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, W (11-5, 3.31) – Brandon Sublet 2-4, R
· Zach Lux suffered a concussion making a play going into the wall in the 7th inning and is now expected to miss 2 months with post-concussion syndrome.
· Rodrigo Miranda was activated from the disabled list today. With the injury to Lux, we will forego his rehab assignment and bring him right to the big club.
· 07/22: MI 4, ME 3 (11) – Rodrigo Miranda 3-6, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R – Jose Cuevas 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
· Miranda apparently did not miss a beat, hitting a lead-off home run on his first pitch back off Maine hurler Gavin Beshears to start his 3-6 day.
· Skipper Ramos has a day-to-day injury, and according to Motors policy, he will miss the next 4 days of action.
· 07/23: MI 13, ME 4 – Brandon Sublet 4-5, HR, 8 RBI – Jesse Cook 3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI – Jim Jeansonne 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1-3, RBI
· Brandon Sublet set the ESL record for RBI in a game with his 8 RBI performance, and Joe Nicholas tied the ESL record for runs scored with 4. He was 4-4 with a walk and the four runs.
· It feels great to get a sweep of anyone, even if Maine is tied for the second-worst record in all of USB at 35-61. It feels even better to be playing well with first place Ohio coming to town.
· Going into the three-game set, the Motors trail the Aviators by 3.5 games. The Pennsylvania Keystones sit in 2nd only a game back of Ohio.
· 07/24: OH 9, MI 5 – Chris Hague (OH) 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R – Adam Penney 2-5, now on a 12-game hitting streak.
· Wyoming GM Jamie Knupp called us up with a trade offer, which we accepted. We trade minor league SP Gordie Tanner and CL David Linder for SP Danny Hernandez and $1.32M.
· The cash was what really got this deal done. Hernandez is a 26 year old starter with 3 pitches all rated a 60 on the 20-80.
· Tanner and Linder were minor prospects, but we picked up a solid relief prospect just recently in CL Josh Babb.
· 07/25: MI 4, OH 3 (10) – Steve Muller 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K (ND) – Jesse Cook 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB
· Chris Kearns picked up the win after blowing his 4th save in 21 chances. He is such a talented pitcher, but he's not inspiring confidence currently.
· 07/26: MI 5, OH 1 – Rob Higgin 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K, W (12-5, 3.21) – Steve Krauskopf 3-4, 2 RBI
· His twelfth win brings Higgin into a tie for the most wins in the USB! The win also keeps us only 2.5 games behind Ohio, with Pennsylvania still lurking one game back.
· Next Week: 2 at Kentucky, 4 at Alabama – TRADING DEADLINE FRIDAY!

[jaysdailydose]

Week 17 Notes: 2 at Kentucky (1-1), 4 at Alabama (3-1) – Trading Deadline

· 07/27: KY 4, MI 2 – Rich Tucker (KY) 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 K – Adam Penney 2-4, RBI, 14-game hitting streak
· Chris Fashingbauer will miss three weeks after being diagnosed with a bone bruise of the wrist, suffered being hit by a pitch in the final game of the Ohio series.
· 3B David Withington will be recalled from Dev A Westland to take Chris's spot.
· 07/28: MI 4, KY 0 – Jim Jeansonne 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (10-4, 3.11), 2-3, 2B, RBI – Steve Krauskopf 1-4, HR (28), 2 RBI
· 07/30: MI 6, AL 3 – Kevin Kimrey 2-4, HR, 3 RBI – Chris Calzadilla 7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (6-8, 4.51)
· The trade deadline comes up tomorrow, and all signs point to the Motors standing pat.
· 07/31: AL 3, MI 2 – Jon Owens (AL) 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W (7-8, 4.22) – Steve Muller 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 6 BB, 3 K
· Muller may be a true ace one day, but for now the only thing he is an ace of is inconsistency.
· He has a 65 on the 20-80 for control, but that is his 5th start with 3 BB or more, and 2nd with 5 or more.
· Adam Penney has now hit in 16 consecutive games. If you remember, he was acquired in a trade that was just supposed to balance our depth. Instead, he's been one of our best players.
· Penney's total stat line since joining the Motors: 42-104 (.404/.451/.558) in 47 games, with 3 HR, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored. He is also an excellent right fielder with 65 RF/65 Arm in RF.
· Steve Krauskopf was named ESL Rookie of the Month for July. During this hot month, Steve hit .276 with 27 hits, adding 8 homeruns and 17 RBI.
· For the season Krauskopf has slashed .291/.378/.569 with 28 HR and 72 RBI. He is well poised to take home the ESL Rookie of the Year Award if he keeps it up.
· Gus Tapia, our closer at Dev B Ann Arbor, won the Dev B Eastern League Pitcher of the Month. In 14 appearances he saved 9 games and struck out 16 in 16.1, going 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA for July.
· Catcher Greg Smith has been activated from the disabled list, with C Jesus Gutierrez being optioned back to Dev A Westland. Smith has been out since July 6th with a strained groin.
· 08/01: MI 2, AL 0 – Rob Higgin 7.0 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 K, W (13-5, 3.06) – Adam Penney 0-4, 16-game hitting streak snapped.
· Maine has fired their field manager, Steve Gregory. The Lobsters were playing 30 games under .500 at 37-67, so this move is hardly a surprise.
· 08/02: MI 5, AL 4 – Adam Penney 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI – Bullpen 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
· Next Week: 4 vs. Florida, 3 vs. Pennsylvania

The Motors have now won 12 of their last 17 ballgames, heading into a 13 game homestand! As mentioned above, we hit gold with Adam Penney, but we also should mention how huge starting pitchers Rob Higgin and Jim Jeansonne have been since their acquisitions. Higgin is tied with 3 others for the major league lead in wins with 13, and has been absolutely crucial to the Motors resurgence.

We still sit 2.5 games back, but there are still 58 games remaining, so plenty of time to win the division and make the playoffs. Our owner, Luke Tuttle, has seen his mood improve to where now he is only "worried." Considering he was absolutely furious with me earlier in the season, we will take this as a good thing. He is the one who put all the early pressure on the ballclub when he came out and said he expected us to win the first World Championship! While we thrive on pressure, we do have a lot of young players on this club, and maybe they weren't quite ready for those expectations at the beginning of the first USB season.

We stayed pat at the deadline mainly for financial reasons. We have $6.62M in available cash, but we are currently projected to finish $4.2M over budget, so we need all of the cash we have. None of our core players are pending free agents after we extended Sublet, and even he would have still had arbitration years. It has been apparent that the team can probably get along without SS/2B Jon Herr, who is still expected to miss at least two more weeks with a strained quadriceps. He will be 34 in 27 days as well, so before the season is out. He hasn't been all that good when healthy, only slashing .260/.311/.389 at the time of his injury. Our other pending free agent is reliever Mark Griffin, but with our bullpen being the major strength of the team, we may be able to just let him walk.

Griffin currently makes $660K, but wants a $400K raise to extend, asking $1.08M a year for two seasons. We're definitely going to see how the rest of the season plays out.

That's all the time I have for the moment, we've got to go start preparing for the Florida Oranges, but I'm sure we'll speak again next week, hopefully with great news from the first half of the extended homestand! GO MOTORS!

[jaysdailydose]

August 3, 2015

BNN News: Rookie Batting Leaders

Which rookie is leading United States Baseball in isolated power (ISO)?

Steve Krauskopf, MI, .275
Victor Carrillo, VT, .229
Bobby Maynard, SC, .204
Jeff Hamlin, MO, .203
James Polakowski, UT, .199

[jaysdailydose]

Week 18 Notes: 4 vs. Florida (3-1), 3 vs. Pennsylvania (3-0)

· 08/03: FL 3, MI 0 – Daniel Pumper (FL) 8.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K – Jim Jeansonne 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 7 K, L (10-5, 3.01)
· 08/04: MI 6, FL 3 – Cody Wilcox 3-4, HR, 4 RBI – Jake Soland 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 K, W (5-1, 2.00), Soland struck out the side in the 7th AND 8th consecutively.
· 08/05: MI 6, FL 5 – Shane Lowe (FL) 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI – Greg Smith 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
· 08/06: MI 8, FL 6 – Steve Krauskopf 3-4, HR (29), 2 RBI (75) – Jake Soland 2.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 3 K, W (6-1, 1.94, 95 K in 79.0 IP)
· Another big series win, this time over a really good team in Florida. Even dropping 3 of 4 to us they still lead the ESL South Atlantic by two games at 63-45.
· Pennsylvania now comes to town, but now they are in third place in the division, trailing us by 1.5 games. In turn, we still trail the Aviators by a game and a half.
· 08/07: MI 6, PA 3 – Jose Cuevas 8.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 10 K, W (12-6, 4.59) – Steve Krauskopf 3-5, 2B, now hitting .300 to go with his 29 HR and 75 RBI!
· I left Cuevas in a batter or two too long going for the complete game shutout in a non-save situation. He had pitched so well, I just had to give him the shot at it.
· Cuevas outdueled Pennsylvania starter Casey DeRosa, who has been one of the best pitchers in the game all season (12-4, 2.09 ERA, 173K in 159 IP.)
· 08/08: MI 13, PA 2 – Adam Penney 2-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI (Two 3-run shots!) – Steve Krauskopf 2-5, HR, 4 RBI
· The offense really showed out this game. Cook also had three hits and a homer, and Kimrey was a double short of the cycle from the fifth inning on.
· 08/09: MI 8, PA 6 – Rodrigo Miranda 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R – Chris Calzadilla 7.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, W (7-8, 4.30)
· Next Week: 3 vs. Indiana, 3 vs. Kentucky

Well, I told you last in our update last week that I hoped to talk to you again after a successful first half of our homestand. I don't think it could go all that much better than 6-1 for the week (8-1 for August) especially with a three-game sweep of Pennsylvania that puts them 4.5 games behind us in 3rd place, with the Motors now sitting just a half game behind the first place Ohio Aviators in the ESL Lakes Division.

The Motors have also moved up to third in the Power Rankings of all 48 teams, with only Colorado and Idaho currently ranking higher than our Motors. Thirteen games above .500 for the first time all season at 62-49, it may have taken awhile, but at least the team is finally in full stride. We have another 6 games before departing the friendly confines of Motors Ballpark, and perhaps the next time we talk it will be as a first-place manager.

[jaysdailydose]

Week 19 Notes: 3 vs. Indiana (3-0), 3 vs. Kentucky (2-1)

· To start the week, we sent Bill Galbreath back to Toledo for further seasoning. We had to call up reliever Josh Baab and give him some time in the fire.
· 35-year-old outfielder Juan Flores was waived and designated for assignment to clear his spot on the 40-man roster and add Baab.
· Galbreath will no doubt be back in September, we just wanted to give him a chance to pitch more and also get Josh Baab some major-league innings.
· 08/11: MI 7, IN 2 – Kevin Kimrey 3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI – Steve Muller 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (8-7, 3.80)
· Steve Krauskopf and Jake Soland both have the “Flame” next to their names. Krauskopf now has 5 straight games with 2 hits or more, and a 7-game hitting streak.
· We have moved into a tie for first with the Ohio Aviators! Also, Juan Flores has been claimed off waivers by both Florida and New York.
· 08/12: MI 7, IN 2 – Rob Higgin 7.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K, W (14-5, 2.90) – Greg Smith 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
· 3B Gregorio Olvera of the NY Skycrapers hit for the cycle against Maryland today. Our Dev A Westland's Jon Tucker also hit for the cycle today.
· Our scout has said Tucker is ready (he's 28) all season, but we're very solid in the outfield, especially with how Penney emerged. He'll definitely be joining the ballclub in September.
· New York was awarded the claim of Juan Flores, so he is no longer a member of the Motors organization.
· 08/13: MI 5, IN 2 – Jose Cuevas 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K, W (13-6, 4.49) – Brandon Sublet 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R
· Two series sweeps in a row, and nine wins in a row total! The Motors have now opened up a half-game lead to be in sole possession of first for the first time this season at 65-49!
· 08/14: KY 4, MI 3 – Roy Morrone (KY) 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI – Jim Jeansonne 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, L (11-6, 3.09)
· Wisconsin beat Ohio 2-1, so we maintained our half-game advantage in the division.
· 08/15: MI 7, KY 5 – Gustavo Garza 3-4, 4 RBI – Bullpen 5 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 5 K, W, SV (Kearns, 24/28)
· We lost Jesse Cook for the next two weeks to back soreness. Jon Tucker at Westland is a below-average CF but does have some experience there, so he'll be brought up.
· Cody Wilcox also has a slight bit of ability at CF, so he and Tucker should both see time there over the next two weeks. Getting a better defensive backup in CF is an offseason priority.
· 08/16: MI 6, KY 5 – Steve Krauskopf 2-3, HR, 3 RBI – Steve Muller 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W (9-7, 3.95)
· Really another iffy outing for Muller, and five earned shows that off. Sometimes he's great, and sometimes he's... iffy. He hits very well though, hitting .304 (14-46) for the season.
· Chris Fashingbauer has been activated from the disabled list. Joe Nicholas had the right to refuse his option to Westland, but slashing .191/.290/.292, he wants to get himself together.
· Next Week: 2 at Pennsylvania, 4 at Vermont

Well, as I hoped, I speak to you on this update as the general manager of a first-place ballclub with us holding a half-game lead over the Ohio Aviators. With the way both of our squads have played, we have kind of made Pennsylvania an afterthought at this point, as they currently trail our Motors by seven games, but we do travel there for a two game set before an offday to travel the rest of the way to Vermont to take on the Maples in a four-game set.

We really got contributions from everyone this week to finish off our homestand on such a high note, even if it is definitely sombered a little bit losing one of our catalysts in Jesse Cook for two weeks. He just has a sore back, and as much (and with as much abandon) as he plays, maybe this is just a well-needed rest. If the team keeps performing, we'll win our division and we'll need him at 100 percent for the playoffs!

[jaysdailydose]

USB Standings - August 18, 2015



I played a game when I decided to post a standings shot, so I have one more loss than has so far been reported. Drats!

[jaysdailydose]

Week 20 Notes: 2 at Pennsylvania (0-2), 4 at Vermont (1-3)

· 08/17: PA 7, MI 5 – David Withington 1-3, HR, 3 RBI – Rob Higgin 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, HR (Injured on home run pitch, pending diagnosis.)
· Higgin just apparently felt a tweak and our trainers felt it best he came out of the game, as he is fine and just a bit tired. He is not expected to miss his next start.
· 3B/UT Jon Herr has been activated from the disabled list, with David Withington being optioned back to Dev A Westland.
· Ohio pulled back into a tie with us with the loss to Pennsylvania.
· 08/18: PA 2, MI 1 – Eric Roush (PA) 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 8 K – Jose Cuevas 8.0 IP, CG, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 10 K, L (13-7, 4.37)
· Ohio won, so we are no longer in first place, trailing by a full game in the standings.
· Mississippi has fired their general manager, John Young, and their field manager, Eddie Palmer. Their record is currently 39-81, good for worst in baseball. No shockers here.
· 08/20: VT 7, MI 2 – Vinny Alvarez (PA) 6.2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K – Jim Jeansonne 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB (injured while pitching.)
· Our bullpen is ravaged right now. I am going to option Josh Baab back to Westland and bring up the starter we received in the trade in July with Wyoming, Danny Hernandez.
· Hernandez will pitch as a long reliever/emergency starter for right now, although our field manager Erik Schmidt thinks we should switch him and Chris Calzadilla.
· Jeansonne was good news as well, at least. He just had a minor calf strain, but of course our trainer wanted him out of the game for precaution. I can't argue, he's been huge.
· 08/21: MI 2, VT 1 – Chris Calzadilla 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W (8-8, 4.26) – Cody Wilcox 3-4, RBI
· I guess we know what Mr. Calzadilla thought about possibly giving up his 5th starter spot. Hernandez will probably get a start at this point, but good to see competition works for CC.
· 08/22: VT 5, MI 2 – Josh Higgins (VT) 5.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K – Steve Muller 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 7 K, L (9-8, 4.04)
· 08/23: VT 8, MI 1 – Jake Lawrence (VT) 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 9 K – Rob Higgin 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 1 K
· Next Week: 4 vs. Rhode Island, 3 at Ohio

Obviously, we had a pretty horrific week, and we're not in first place anymore. Actually, we're three-and-a-half back now. The good news is we were on a tear at home lately and hopefully we can do well against the Tides of Rhode Island and have some positive momentum heading into an obviously huge series with the Aviators at the end of the week.

The two pitching injuries early in games really tore our normally amazing bullpen apart. They all had to pitch heavy innings, and I hadn't been carrying a 6th starter for those kinds of instances. I guess its really good that I traded for Danny Hernandez earlier... or rather, thank the Wyoming GM for calling me.

Still plenty of time left with a week still remaining in August, but obviously that week sucked pretty hard-core. Hopefully we'll see you next week on a much stronger note!

[Rich Tiger Fan]

This is an awesome Dynasty report, and just when I was looking for a new idea I run into it...I am going to Download the quick start and probably use it for my next league.

Thanks to all involved!

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by Rich Tiger Fan

This is an awesome Dynasty report, and just when I was looking for a new idea I run into it...I am going to Download the quick start and probably use it for my next league.

Thanks to all involved!

Thank you for your kind words and for following along. The quickstart has a faster download link on the wiki... you can find the thread in the Mods "Quick-Starts" forum!

[jaysdailydose]

Week 21 Notes: 4 vs. Rhode Island (3-1), 3 at Ohio (2-1)

· 08/24: MI 7, RI 4 – Rodrigo Miranda 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SB (28), 2 R – Jake Soland 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W (7-1, 1.81)
· 08/25: RI 3, MI 2 – Nick Johnson (RI) 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI – Jose Cuevas 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 7 K, L (13-8, 4.35)
· 08/26: MI 9, RI 0 – Chris Calzadilla 7.2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 9 K, 1-3, R, W (9-8, 4.05) – Adam Penney 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
· 08/27: MI 2, RI 0 – Steve Muller 8.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K, W (10-8, 3.83) – Steve Krauskopf 1-3, 497-foot HR to dead center (32)
· The series win puts us 2.5 games behind Ohio going to their place for three.
· 08/28: MI 5, OH 2 – Rodrigo Miranda 2-4, 2 HR (13), 4 RBI – Bullpen 3.2, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
· 08/29: MI 7, OH 5 – Jon Tucker 3-4, 3 HR, 6 RBI – He's the story, he's the first man in ESL history to hit three jacks in one game. First three of his career, no less.
· The final home-run was a majestic 429 foot 3-run shot to give us the lead 6-5 in our last at-bat. Kevin Kimrey went back-to-back with Tucker for the margin of victory.
· 08/30: OH 7, MI 1 – Jesse Paquette (OH) 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 13 K – Jose Cuevas 3.1 IP, 7 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K, L (13-9, 4.48)
· Paquette set the Aviators single-game record for K's with his 13 punchouts, but we'll still take the series win, two games to one.
· We had an off-day after the Aviators series, and Ohio lost to Wisconsin 8-1 on the 31st, so we trail Ohio by a single game heading into September.
· Next Week: September Roster Expansion, 3 at Kentucky, 3 vs. Wisconsin

A 5-2 week, especially being able to win two of three from first place Ohio, has us headed back in the right direction after that horrible week last week. Rodrigo Miranda had a very nice week, and obviously Jon Tucker won us a game nearly on his own with his historic three HR performance in the second game versus the Aviators.

Going into September, I will be posting the standings as of September 1st, and I'll also post the batting and hitting leaders for both leagues in that post. As for our Motors, we had an excellent 19-9 month of August to bring our season record to 73-57, 16 games above .500! We've dropped to 12th in the Power Rankings, but we are again rising!

Jesse Cook is being activated from the disabled list, and with it being September 1st, not only will no one have to be sent down to make room for our centerfielder, but he'll have some company coming to help reinforce our Motors for the stretch run. Here's a list of who is being added to the big club:

Relief pitchers Josh Baab and Bill Galbreath
Second baseman Alex Diaz
Right fielder Jonathan Morris
Center fielder Rick Miller

Miller and Morris are both 31 years old, but they are both very capable defenders, especially Miller who can play all three outfield spots at an elite level, with a cannon of an arm. Miller and Morris slashed .360/.449/.525 and .347/.394/.558, respectively.

Morris was also just named the Dev A Eastern Player of the Month for August, hitting .440 with 7 homeruns, 36 RBI, and 27 runs for August alone.

Diaz is 28 years old, but is a very good defensive second baseman, and slashed .336/.441/.481 at Westland this season.

Galbreath spent a lion's share of the season with the big club, with Baab only having a cup of coffee so far. Baab's Dev A Westland numbers: 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, and 51 K's versus only 7 BB in 29.1 IP. Something tells me he'll be in the Motor bullpen next season, and not the Westland Rockets.

Six winnable games this week, lets hope we can again overtake Ohio to start September! The league standings and respective league leaders will be in the next post, and thanks again for following along with United States Baseball!

[jaysdailydose]

USB Standings for September 1, 2015



Eastern States League Leaders

Batting Leaders



Pitching Leaders



---

Western States League Leaders

Batting Leaders



Pitching Leaders

[jaysdailydose]

With September starting and Jesse Cook returning from injury, along with our September call-ups joining the roster, I figured I would post our expected everyday lineups versus both righties and lefties. They are always subject to change, of course, but this is what I think we're going to run with when we're 100%!



As you'll notice, even with Greg Smith well back from his injury, he has lost his job behind the plate to the younger and more talented Kevin Kimrey on an everyday basis. Jonathan Morris will get his looks versus left-handers.

[jaysdailydose]

Week 22 Notes: 3 at Kentucky (2-1), 3 vs. Wisconsin (3-0)

· 09/01: MI 9, KY 0 – Chris Calzadilla 7.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W (10-8, 3.88) – Adam Penney 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI – Kevin Kimrey 0-0, R, 5 BB (Ties ESL Single-Game Record!)
· We also recalled 3B David Withington and SS Joe Nicholas after the game. I think I might want to get Skipper Ramos some rest towards the end of the year.
· We are again tied with the Ohio Aviators for first place in the Lakes division!
· 09/02: KY 8, MI 5 – David Gonzalez (KY) 3-4, HR, RBI, 3 R – Rodrigo Miranda 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (29)
· Wisconsin beat Ohio 9-5, so we stay tied for first in the Lakes.
· 09/03: MI 18, KY 10 – Adam Penney 3-5, 5 RBI, BB, 3 R – Rodrigo Miranda 3-6, 2B, 4 R, SB (30) – Jesse Cook 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 R
· Obviously, the offense exploded. Miranda's 4 runs ties the Motors single-game record. Rob Higgin gave up 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits in 1.2 IP.
· Higgin really hasn't pitched well at all since leaving his start in the first inning against Pennsylvania on August 17th.
· Danny Hernandez did an OK job coming in to pick up the pieces after Higgin, and picked up his 7th total win of the season. His morale is good in this long relief role.
· 3B Willie Castellanos of our Dev B Ann Arbor affiliate had five hits against the Madison Marshals, to where a fan commented that the Rocks must be stealing signs.
· 09/04: MI 3, WI 2 – Bob Caldera (WI) 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 K – Brandon Sublet 2-4, BB, GW RBI (63)
· Miranda started the ninth with a single, Ramos pinch hit and singled him to second. Penney pinch hit and singled Miranda home. Ramos was then caught stealing.
· Jon Tucker then singled Penney over to third, which set the stage for “Vampire” Sublet. He sucked the life out of a seeing-eye groundball single, and walked us off!
· Jon Herr messaged us saying how much he'd like to keep playing for the Motors organization. For four more years, with a raise to 3.6M. Yeah, that's a wait and see...
· 09/05: MI 7, WI 1 – Jose Cuevas CG, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K, W (14-9, 4.30) – Skipper Ramos 2-4, 2 RBI, R
· Ohio has now lost 5 in a row, and we currently hold a 2.5 game lead going into the last game of the series with Wisconsin.
· 09/06: MI 6, WI 3 – Chris Calzadilla 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K, W (11-8, 3.83) – Skipper Ramos 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
· Chris Kearns pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his 30th save in 34 chances.
· We now have a three-and-a-half game lead over the Ohio Aviators for first place in the ESL Lakes Division.
· Next Week: 2 vs. Indiana, 4 vs. Virginia

It was strange. I stopped looking at the standings after I got the “-” in the games back column, after that 18-10 walloping of Kentucky. Once I stopped being so obsessed with what Ohio was doing, they started losing. It was news to me at the end of the week, even with as well as we've been playing, that we have opened up a lead of any substance. I just always assume they are beating people.

Wisconsin seems to have done well against them, anytime it was close and they were losing, it seemed to be to Wisconsin, and we've done fairly well against them, as that last sweep would attest.

We hit that little bump in the road a few weeks back, but we've really played excellent ball since. Our bullpen has really been key for us, and they don't get nearly enough credit. Those guys are, for the most part, absolutely lights out.

Loving this team, and loving United States Baseball. Lets hope the good times continue to roll against Indiana, who is bringing up the rear in our Lakes Division at 51-85, 27 games behind us. They just found out today that they are mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Then we bring a very good Virginia team in for a four-game set. They are chasing New York in the North Atlantic and really need to play well against us to have a real shot of catching the SkyScrapers.

[jaysdailydose]

Week 23 Notes: 2 vs. Indiana (1-1), 4 vs. Virginia (4-0)

· 09/08: MI 1, IN 0 – Alvin Manley (IN) 8.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K, ND – Steve Muller 6.2 IP, 0 R, 9 H, 2 BB, 7 K, ND – Bullpen (Soland/Frerichs) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, W
· Just a great game, and I feel for poor Alvin Manley. His record is horrible because he plays for a bad team. Very nice pitcher.
· I decided a few days ago to follow through and lock Rob Higgin to the bench for 5 days. Danny Hernandez will get the next start in the rotation to keep all in line.
· 09/09: IN 3, MI 0 – Caleb Smith (IN) 8.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K, no hitter for 6.1 IP. – Danny Hernandez 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K
· Hernandez pitched fine, but yet another nice start from an Indiana lefty.
· 09/10: MI 2, VA 0 – Jim Jeansonne 8.2 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K, W (12-6, 3.14) – Steve Krauskopf and Jesse Cook both 2-4, HR
· Virginia got a very nice start out of their pitcher Antonio de la Rosa, but Jeansonne was just too good. He got tired right before the last batter and I just cannot afford an injury.
· 09/11: MI 5, VA 4 – Ron Schaub (VA) 2-4, HR, 2 RBI – Steve Krauskopf 2-4, 2 RBI (98) – Ramos/Sublet 2 SB each (25/29)
· 09/12: MI 4, VA 3 – Jorge Gonzalez (VA) 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R – Kevin Kimrey 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
· 09/13: MI 7, VA 6 – Adam Penney 2-2, PH HR, 3 RBI – Danny Hernandez 3.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 4 K, W (8-7, 5.10) – Penney's PH three-run shot gave us the 7-6 lead.
· Hernandez took over with two outs in the third for an ineffective Steve Muller. Muller's line: 2.2 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 3 HR allowed
· Next Week: 4 at West Virginia, 3 vs. Kentucky

We ended the week signing a few free agents to minor league contracts to work on bringing us back above at least 25 on all of our minor league rosters. Our signings include:

Second baseman Kymani Green, reliever Aaron Flavin, third baseman Eddie Garcia, and first baseman Darren Pelletier. We currently have three other offers out to minor free agents like these, who all reported to the Dev D (Rookie) Canton Chiefs.

The 5-1 week and four straight wins have brought us back up to #2 on the Power Rankings, which is our highest position of the season. Idaho is 95-48 compared to our 83-59, so it is highly doubtful we'll unseat them, and I am glad that they play in the Western States League and we can only see them in the World Championship Series.

Ohio tried to keep pace, even with our torrid week, and only fell back to 4.5 games back of us in the Lakes Division. The Motors magic number is now down to 16, and you can feel the end of the season in the air. Just have to keep playing each game, one day at a time, and take care of our business.

Just as a funny side note... I usually ask manager Erik Schmidt for what he thinks for the lineup, and what he thinks for the rotation, and just “suggest” changes to him. One point I have to give him a little grief over is pitcher Chris Calzadilla. When I brought Danny Hernandez up to the big club, Schmidt thought we should put him directly into the rotation over Chris Calzadilla. Well, as you see in the image above, in his last 5 starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 31 K in 35.0 IP. So, I'd like to take a little bow for my “suggestion” to Schmidt on that one.

[jaysdailydose]

USB Standings - September 14, 2015

[jaysdailydose]

Week 24 Notes: 4 at West Virginia (3-1), 3 vs. Kentucky (3-0)

· 09/14: MI 11, WV 5 – Steve Krauskopf 4-4, GS (36), 4 RBI (102), BB – Bullpen (Griffin, Baab, Galbreath, Doherty) 7.0 IP, 1 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K
· The bullpen had the extended workload due to getting the one thing I've been expecting and dreading. Rob Higgin has a sprained wrist which occurred running bases.
· I'm fairly sure with his performance since leaving that start last month that he has been hurt all along, and the collision just pushed the injury out. He's expected to miss 4-5 weeks.
· The timetable on this injury leads me to believe Higgin MIGHT be available for the ELCS, if we were to advance that far. Danny Hernandez will take Higgin's place in the rotation.
· We are also adding Westland's 20-year-old closer Xavier Pena to the roster. Our personnel team says he's been ready for the big show as well, I just wanted to make sure he'd get innings.
· To make room on the 40-man roster, we designated Westland's 30-year-old RF Joel Horton for assignment.
· 09/15: MI 14, WV 1 – Jon Herr 4-5, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, BB – Jim Jeansonne 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 1-3, 3-R HR, W (13-6, 3.07)
· Obviously, the offense erupted in huge fashion, and not just Herr's amazing day. Krauskopf and Miranda went back-to-back in the 9th, with Krauskopf's HR traveling 500 feet.
· Jesse Cook also had 2 doubles in a 3-5 day, Rick Miller collected his first three USB hits in a 3-5 day, and Xavier Pena gave up only one hit and struck out 2 in 1.2 IP for his USB debut.
· More minor-league FA acquisitions coming in with 2B Eduardo Barrera, LF Manny Arzola, and SS Steve Batcheller. They are 22, 21, and 18 years old, respectively.
· All were assigned to the Developmental-D (Rookie) Canton Chiefs.
· The Kansas Buffaloes have claimed Westland's RF Joel Horton off waivers, so we'll be saying goodbye to him, even though we never even said hello.
· 09/16: WV 5, MI 0 – Arturo Molina (WV) 7.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 5 BB, 7 K, W (9-9, 4.84) – Jose Cuevas 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K, L (14-10, 4.34)
· 09/17: MI 5, WV 0 – Chris Calzadilla 6.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (12-8, 3.69) – Brandon Sublet 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
· Another stellar start for Calzadilla. He'd thrown 93 pitches through 6, and I was going to send him out to hit but decided to try to keep him fresh. He's in the playoff rotation as of now.
· Xavier Pena threw a three-inning save for his first USB save. He gave up one hit in three innings of work, walking none and striking out two.
· After the series win against West Virginia, our magic number to clinch has dropped to 10, with Ohio 6.5 games back with us heading into our 3-game home series with Kentucky.
· 09/18: MI 6, KY 5 – Emilio Cuellar (KY) 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI – Bullpen (Galbreath, Baab, Hartsell, Frerichs) 3.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K
· Cuellar may have gotten Player of the Game honors, but he also committed an error at SS to put Skipper Ramos on in the 9th, who was the winning run on a Krauskopf walk-off double.
· 09/19: MI 7, KY 6 – Francisco Ramos 4-5, HR, RBI, 2 R – Kevin Hyatt 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, walk-off RBI single
· This is the second game in a row we've won with a walk-off hit in our final AB to bring us to 15-3 for September. Our lead is now 7.5 games on Ohio and our magic number is down to 7.
· 09/20: MI 7, KY 2 – Jim Jeansonne 6.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K, W (14-6, 2.97) – Steve Krauskopf 2-4, HR (38), RBI (106)
· The 3-game sweep of Kentucky extends our lead over the Aviators to 7.5 games, and our magic number has now fallen to 6.
· Next Week: 3 vs. Pennsylvania, 3 vs. Ohio

This following week had the potential to be a HUGE week, but Pennsylvania is now mathematically eliminated from the postseason. We still have to take it one game at a time, and finish our work, as Ohio still can catch us, and that series at the end of the week will be by far the most important in Motors history.

Losing Higgin hurt, but he hadn't pitched well in over a month, and while its not ideal, I think Danny Hernandez can get the job done the rest of the way. We are shaping up toward a 4-man rotation if we make the playoffs, with Chris Calzadilla definitely having pitched himself into the postseason rotation.

We can't get ahead of ourselves, though. If we take care of business this week, the division could be in hand and we could begin to setup our rotation for the postseason. I'm really hoping we can, as I'd like to get Steve Muller out of the number one role for Jim Jeansonne. Honestly, at this point, I'd prefer Muller to be our fourth starter due to his inconsistency.

[jaysdailydose]

Week 25 Notes: 3 vs. Pennsylvania (2-1), 3 vs. Ohio (2-1)

· 09/22: PA 7, MI 3 – Kevin Kimrey 2-4, HR, 2 RBI – Ray Sweet (PA) 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 K
· 09/23: MI 7, PA 4 – Steve Krauskopf 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R – Rick Miller 2-3, 2 3B, 2 RBI, BB, R
· Calzadilla finally had a rough start, just as I start to sing his praises. Fortunately, we've got a kick-ass bullpen and offense to pull him out of the fire.
· Lowly Indiana dealt Ohio a 4-2 loss, which reduces our magic number to clinch the division and make the playoffs to 3.
· 09/24: MI 3, PA 2 (11) – Casey DeRosa (PA) 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 9 K, ND – Danny Hernandez 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, ND
· We won the game with a walk-off sacrifice by Greg Smith in the 11th inning. Really getting to be nail biters as we get closer to wrapping up the division.
· Our magic number is now 2 over Ohio with them coming in to Motors Ballpark at 8.5 games back. Any win in the series wraps up this division race.
· 09/25: MI 4, OH 3 – Nick Tokarz (OH) 2-4, HR, RBI – Jesse Cook 1-4, HR (23), 2 RBI (81)
· WE DID IT – THE MICHIGAN MOTORS HAVE WON THE LAKES DIVISION TITLE!
· Ohio got some very bad news in this game. Their starter, Jesse Paquette, left very early in the game with an arm injury. It was a torn rotator cuff, and he'll miss approximately 7 months.
· Nick Faust has been recalled from Dev A Westland and will get a start later in the week so we can begin to set the rotation for the postseason.
· Barring injury, our postseason order will be Jeansonne, Muller, Cuevas, Calzadilla.
· 09/26: MI 6, OH 4 – Steve Krauskopf 3-4, 2 2B, HR (39), 4 RBI (111) – Jim Jeansonne 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 3 K, W (15-6, 3.02)
· I am very hopeful that our rookie first sacker, Steve Krauskopf, will hit that awesome 40 HR mark. He has 8 games remaining to hit one more jack, so he should do it!
· OF Zach Lux came off the disabled list today. At this point, it is expected for him to come off the bench with the depth of our outfield. He will start versus lefties.
· 09/27: OH 8, MI 3 – George Dawson (OH) 3-3, 2 2B, RBI, BB, SB (57), 3 R – Ken Smith 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 6 K, W (16-5, 3.14)
· It is always good to get a series win against Ohio, but even better when the first game wins a division title. Not happy with the last game, but hopefully we get the bad out before the postseason.
· Next Week: 4 at Indiana, 3 at Wisconsin, End of Regular Season.

Well, we did it. We clinched the division with 9 games remaining, which of course, as we mentioned, will allow us to setup our starting rotation for the playoffs. I still haven't decided if we are going to use a three-man or a four-man rotation for the playoffs, but it is nice to have options.

Rob Higgin is still expected to be out for two more weeks, so it appears I was correct in thinking he MAY be available if we were to make it to the ELCS.

The only other “drama” left for this season is to see if Steve Krauskopf will get to 40 homeruns, and to see if both Adam Penney and Francisco “Skipper” Ramos will hit .350. It looks like Penney will finish closer to .340, but its still a hell of a season for a guy we expected to just balance out our depth in the minors. He really was never even expected to make the big club, and he's been one of our five most important players all season long.

The only other hope is that we maintain our one-game lead over the New York SkyScrapers for the best record in the Eastern States League. Currently, we sit at 93-62, and New York sits at 92-64, so it is actually a game-and-a-half lead. They still have not clinched their division over Maryland, but they hold a three-game lead over the Knights with 6 to play.

Other than that, we're just hoping we can maintain the rest of the team's health and not have any further injuries before the postseason, and getting guys geared up for the first postseason in USB history. We hope you'll be here for all the fun, as we attempt to get to the World Championship Series!

[jaysdailydose]

USB Standings - September 28, 2015

[jaysdailydose]

Week 26 Notes: 4 at Indiana (3-1), 3 at Wisconsin (1-2), End of Regular Season

· 09/28: MI 5, IN 1 – Chris Calzadilla 6.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 1-3, W (13-8, 3.68) – Steve Krauskopf 3-5, 2B (30), 2 R
· Chris Calzadilla is just giving me no possible way to leave him out of this rotation for the playoffs.
· 09/29: IN 3, MI 1 – Andy Rodriguez 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K – Danny Hernandez 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 K, ND
· Mark Griffin walked two, and while he was able to get one on a force-out, he still gave up a two-run HR to Wayne Buckner that was the difference in the ballgame.
· Brandon Sublet has now hit in eleven straight contests, and is now slashing .291/.390/.397 with 7 HR and 71 RBI on the campaign.
· 09/30: MI 6, IN 5 – Brandon Sublet 3-5, HR, RBI, 2 R, 12-game hitting streak – Bullpen 4.1, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K
· Steve Krauskopf hit an 0-1 pitch from Caleb Smith 366 ft into the right-field bleachers in the first inning for his 40th homerun of the season!
· Krauskopf was hitting third for the first time all season to give Jesse Cook an extra day of rest. With the lefty Smith on the bump, we hit Steve third and Rodrigo Miranda cleanup.
· Steve Krauskopf added another achievement to his rookie resume today, winning Rookie of the Month for September, batting .333 with 7 HR and 24 RBI for the month.
· He is expected to win the Eastern States League Rookie of the Year for this season by a landslide, and this is the third time this season he has won Rookie of the Month!
· 10/01: MI 4, IN 2 (11) – Steve Krauskopf 4-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI – Steve Muller 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K, ND – Brandon Sublet had his hitting streak snapped at 12 games.
· If I haven't said his name enough lately, let me tell you it again. Steve Krauskopf had a two-run double in the 11th inning to cap off his 4-hit game and win another for Michigan.
· He's also raised his batting average to .300 to go along with his 41 HR and 116 RBI in his rookie season. His OBP of .369 is also very solid.
· Nick Faust was sent back down to Dev-A Westland. I bring him up for one start, and he immediately wants to talk extension? I was sending him down anyway, but damn.
· The New York SkyScrapers have clinched the ESL North Atlantic Division and Arizona and Idaho have clinched the WSL South Pacific and North Pacific Divisions, respectively.
· The magic number for the Florida Oranges and the Texas Lone Stars to clinch their divisions are 1.
· The best race left is between South Dakota, Missouri and Illinois for the WSL Midwest Division, with South Dakota and Missouri tied at 85-74 with the Deer 2 games back with 3 to play.
· 10/02: MI 8, WI 5 – Francisco Ramos 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R – Brandon Sublet 2-4, 3B, 2 BB, 4 R (Ties team record)
· Mark Cuban's Texas Lone Stars have clinched their first WSL South Central Division Title, currently 96-64.
· 10/03: WI 2, MI 1 – Brad Sisk (WI) 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K, W (11-15, 4.73) – Chris Calzadilla 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K, L (13-9, 3.72)
· Calzadilla left with a strained back and is out of action for 4 days. This would not affect his availability for a postseason start.
· 10/04: WI 5, MI 2 – Roberto Barbosa (WI) 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R – Danny Hernandez 7.2 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 4 K
· The Michigan Motors finish in first place, with a final record of 97-65. Playoffs here we come!
· Next Week: Postseason Begins! 2016 Draft Pool Released!

Well, we may have started slow, but these Motors definitely got things in gear to finish 97-65. We finished a full 10 games ahead of the Ohio Aviators, and 15 ahead of the Pennsylvania Keystones. I feel we have every reason to be proud of what we have accomplished so far, but obviously our job is far from done.

The Eastern States League Batting Champion for 2015 is Mike Cunningham, catcher for the Florida Oranges.

The Western States League Batting Champion for 2015 is Elliot Amphlett, left fielder for the Illinois Deer.

I will have at least one post to come with the final standings and the batting and pitching leaders for the league and a more complete wrap-up and anything interesting I see to mark the 2015 regular season, as we prepare for the playoffs.

Here are the matchups for the Divisional Round of the USB Playoffs:

Eastern States League – Divisional Round Matchups:

#1. New York SkyScrapers vs. #4. Massachusetts Magicians
and
#2. Michigan Motors vs. #3. Florida Oranges

Western States League – Divisional Round Matchups:

#1. Idaho Spuds vs. #4. Missouri Bluebirds
and
#2. Arizona Rattlesnakes vs. #3. Texas Lone Stars

We hope you will join us for our coverage of the United States Baseball Playoffs!