Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders! - Page 6

Bub13 · 11-29-2017, 09:15 PM

2040 PLAYOFFS CONTINUED

What can I add from last post's preview? We have our work cut out for us again. This series could be a slugfest, featuring two teams that pounded the ball all season long. However, if we get pitching like we did in the Toronto series, I really like our chances. Like we did against Toronto, we were 2-4 versus Detroit this year. Let's see if we can take at least one in Detroit, and capitalize on some good home cooking again.

Oh, I almost forgot about the NL series. San Diego beat the Mets in four, and then New Orleans stunned the baseball world by coming back on Pittsburgh and winning the series in five games with an extra inning 4-3 win at home. They'll host San Diego to start their series...wouldn't it be something to have the two most recent expansion teams face each other in the World Series, just six years later?

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game One: HAWAII (Leon Casillas, 0-0, 3.68) @ DETROIT (Raul Bravo, 1-0, 3.86)
Well, it wasn't quite a slugfest, but it was close. A solo shot by McArthur in the second, and two singles for Detroit in the fifth had the score tied at a surprisingly low 1-1, heading into the final three innings. After a quiet sixth for Hawaii, things went to pot on Casillas: a single, a two-run home run, and a solo shot, and just like that it's 4-1 Detroit. It got crazier from there. With two outs in the top of the seventh, McArthur and Rifkind singled and were brought home by a Kevin Collins three-run blast to deep left. Score tied, 4-4. With Casillas still pitching in the bottom of the inning, some poor infield play doomed us: a single followed by two misplayed sac bunts and run-scoring single, resulted in zero outs and loaded bases with no one out. Ian Albring came in, promptly gave up a two-run single, followed by a sac fly, and hey presto it's 8-4 Detroit. We added four hits but only one run in the eighth, and couldn't manage any runners in the ninth, ending the game with an 8-5 loss. Not a strong start, and our ace got shelled for eight runs.
NL, Game One: San Diego rode a strong start from ace Gary Florence and scored twice in the ninth to come back and steal game one.

Game Two: HAWAII (Rob Hart, 0-0, 2.57) @ DETROIT (Lance Hansen, 0-0, 3.00)
Well, we managed ten hits and five runs, including Nate Hullinger's third post-season blast in the second. However...Hart was absurdly bad and we got bashed around all night to the tune of 19 hits and 10 runs, including four home runs. Mike Messinger and Ian Albring were equally bad in relief, but it was a moot point by fourth, with the Tigers up 7-1. Making matters worse, RF Travis McArthur pulled (broke?) something on the bases, and could be out for a while. Things have gone from optimistic to pretty grim in no time flat.
NL, Game Two: Down 5-2, New Orleans put two in the seats in the eighth, tying the game, then won it in the ninth on a Jon Church walkoff solo shot, stunning the Padres and evening the series at one. Well, at least somebody's happy.

Game Three: DETROIT (Alex de la Roca, 1-0, 0.00) @ HAWAII (Billy Heine, 1-0, 1.50)
I'll make this quick: it's over early as Jesse Henkel crushes an 0-1 pitch 401 feet into right center, giving us a 3-0 lead after one. Billy Heine continues his post-season mastery, and has me questioning my sanity, this time striking out seven in 7.2 innings, while giving up just four hits. Where was this all season? We manage to scrape together a few more hits in the third and sixth, bringing home runs each time, to take the game 5-0 and get on the board in the series. Groff gets three hits, but Mike Hunter goes 0-for-4, and is hitting just .129 in the post-season, two hundred points below what he hit in the regular season. C'mon Mike, get it together. Also, the McArthur injury diagnosis is strained ribcage, making him dtd for a week. The effect is just minimal, I'm told, so he stays in the lineup.
NL, Game Three: Padres starter Jung-Hyn Kim has now made two post-season starts, with combined stats that read 14 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 14 K. The 31-year-old rookie dominated, and the Padres plated two in the fourth to retake the series lead, 2-1.

Game Four: DETROIT (Mike Martin, 0-0, 0.00) @ HAWAII (Eric Jones, 1-0, 0.00)
It's a thrilling start for the home side when two singles and an error bring home two runs in the bottom of the first. It's less than thrilling when Tigers 1B C.J. Lee hits a solo shot in the top of the second, and sadder still when two hits, a steal, and a fielder's choice in the fourth bring home three Tigers and it's 4-2 bad guys. Sadness turned into outright depression with another C.J. Lee home run, this time a two-run deal in the fifth. We scratch some back when, with the bases loaded, a wild pitch scores one runner and a Dunklee sac fly scores another. A walk loads the bases again, but a short fly into right holds the runners, and a Tom Rifkind strikeout ends the threat. Mass suicide is the order of the day, as Detroit salts it away with two walks and two more singles adding up to two more runs, and it's 8-4. A rub-it-in run in the ninth gives the final score, 9-4. Our solid pitching from the Toronto series has been nearly nonexistent against the Tigers, with Jones getting shelled, Messinger giving up two runs and three walks in his 2.1 innings, and Kieffer allowing a run for good measure. Our backs are officially up against the wall now.
NL, Game Four: A real pitcher's duel, with Padres starter Jon Dodge yielding just four hits and a run through six, and Zephs starter Erik Presley only six hits through seven. Sadly for New Orleans, the Padres get five hits against Zephyr relievers, plating one in the 8th, and the game-winner in the 10th. San Diego is now just a game away from their second consecutive trip to the World Series.

Game Five: DETROIT (Raul Bravo, 2-0, 5.14) @ HAWAII (Leon Casillas, 0-1, 7.14)
Can Casillas redeem a disappointing personal season? Will our batters show up? It's a promising start: Carillo singles home Hunter in the first; Rifkind triples in the second and scores on Collins' sac fly; and a walk and two errors bring another run home in the third, making it 3-0 after three frames. Casillas gives one back in the fifth, but overall is solid, giving up just the one run on six hits through seven. In the bottom of the seventh, we load the bases, but a wounded McArthur, ribs wrapped tight, can only weakly pop out to short to end the threat. Casillas sets the Tigers down in order in the eighth, and we likewise go quietly in the bottom of the inning. It's 3-1 Islanders, just three outs from extending the series, and sending it back to Detroit. And then...oh God, and then. With Casillas icing his arm in the dugout, Pat Stanley comes in to seal the deal. He gets Cam Kerr to ground out. Then walks a batter. Then gives up a single. Then someone named Ford Hammonds lines a gapper into left center, scoring two and tying the game. Oh dear. But wait, there's more...Stanley yields another single and then Travis Leftwich lines the next pitch into the left-center gap, scoring another run, and now we're behind. Stanley is pulled (ya think it's time?), and Aaron Glass comes in with runners on second and third and one out. It's dead silent in the ballpark now. Glass does get his first batter to fly out, but a runner tags up and scores. After that, it gets worse, believe me: single, single, single, wild pitch, double, and a single, before Glass is pulled for Ian Albring. (Who's making these craptacular decisions?) Albring gets his first batter to ground out, ending the inning, but not before nine hits and a wild pitch bring home TEN Detroit runners. We put two on the the ninth, but it doesn't matter, and once again, FITTINGLY, the bullpen explodes all over everything, this time ending our season. Holy crap are heads gonna roll after this one.
NL, Game Five: Ace Gary Florence gives up two first-inning runs, but settles down after that, and the Padres take a 4-2 lead into the top of the eighth. For some reason, Padres manager Colin O'Connell goes to the bullpen, and the Zephs scratch out a run in the eighth. 4-3 Padres. And another in the ninth, to tie it at 4. San Diego gets a runner to second, but can't score, and it's extra innings. Whereupon New Orleans catcher Jon Church hits a solo shot in the tenth, the Padres go down in order, and now it's San Diego who's stunned and feeling a little less sure of themselves than they were 30 minutes before.

NL, Game Six: New Orleans score five in the second and holds off a furious late-game San Diego rally, to hold on for a 5-3 win. Ladies and gents, we have a game seven!

NL, Game Seven: The Impossible Dream just got one step closer to reality: New Orleans dominated San Diego to the tune of a 7-0 wipeout in game seven. New Orleans, a team with a previous best season of 69 wins, a team who had only finished out of last place once across five seasons, and never finished closer than 27 games out of first, not only turned it around with a 96-win season and a division title, but are going to the World Series. It'll be a test, with their mediocre hitting and league-best pitching facing a powerful Tigers lineup, but I wouldn't bet against them. After all, Detroit won't have the advantage of facing our pipsqueak bullpen.

......

2040 World Series
Game One: New Orleans 4, Detroit 0 ... New Orleans leads 1-0
Game Two: New Orleans 4, Detroit 1 ... New Orleans leads 2-0
Game Three: Detroit 7, New Orleans 6 ... New Orleans leads 2-1
Game Four: Detroit 7, New Orleans 0 ... Series tied, 2-2
Game Five: New Orleans 3, Detroit 2 ... New Orleans leads 3-2
Game Six: New Orleans 3, Detroit 2... New Orleans WINS 4-2

So I'll admit my crankiness kept me from writing up these games, but holy crap what a series. And topped off by a dramatic ending to game six, played in New Orleans: facing ace Tiger closer Ramon Sanabria, Zephs LF Mitchel Masse (whom we lost in the Rule 5 draft in 2035, btw) drove an 0-1 pitch into the stands in left and sent the crowd into hysterics. Crazy to think that, as good as we've been these last three years, and as bad as New Orleans has been for all time (okay, for five years), we have the same number of World Series trophies. "Crazy" in that it really grinds my gears.

Sigh.

What a season. I'll wrap it up with the next post.

Bub13 · 12-06-2017, 07:02 PM

Early Off-Season 2040

Given that as late as, oh, August, I wasn't sure we were even going to make the playoffs, winning the division and getting to the AL championships feels okay, in hindsight. Not getting the chance to defend our 2039 World Series title was a blow, to be sure, but I think we rode our underperforming pitching staff as far as we could. If you've been reading along, you know by now that the two things I try to build on -- pitching and defense -- were a mess all season, and need some major reconfiguring this off-season.

......

First, a deeper dive into the team defense. We finished 18th, and last, in the AL in defensive efficiency, and 11th in combined ZR (-9.1). Looking at each position, there were some glaring weak spots, but also a lot of quality play. The infield was, on the whole, okay. At first, Dunklee has mediocre ratings, but has become a workable fielder, never near the top of any stats, but not a black hole either. Hunter, at short, and Groff at third were solid and dependable. The injury to Robertson, at second, killed us. Kevin Collins made 81 starts and was a league-worst -8.1 ZR. John Canning filled in with decent play in his 41 starts, but getting Robertson back will solidify the infield. Barring injury, we'll be okay here.

At catcher, Alexis Mercedes was excellent behind the plate, but I wonder a bit how much the change from five-year starter Austin Collins affected the pitching staff. Mercedes is, on paper at least, a much better catcher than Collins. But in 21 games Collins' CERA was 4.05. In 106 games Mercedes' was 5.10. How significant is that? How much of that is due to Mercedes? Dunno, but I'll be watching this again next season.

The outfield was wracked by injury and we got mediocre to poor defense across all three positions. In left, Carillo and Henkel split time, and while Carillo has better ratings, Henkel had the better numbers. Carillo may win out, having a better arm and range. Both should not play anywhere but left. McArthur played the most games (112) in center, but he's a corner guy all the way, with average range and a cannon arm. His DE was terrible (-18.5), and really needs to be in right field next year. Ian McGowan showed promise in his 35 starts in center, and will be the de facto starter when camp opens. He can motor, and looks like a near-classic center field type. Chris Wiggins made zero errors and gunned down twelve runners from right, but has lost all his mobility and had terrible advanced defensive stats. I'm not planning on re-signing him. Overall, I think we have the guys in place to be at least average defensively here, but we need to keep McGowan healthy, as he's the only real CF in the system who can both field and hit.

In short, I'm not looking at adding anyone to the team to help our defense. I think we've got the guys in place already to better our numbers from last year. Having rangier outfielders should help the pitching staff too, as we'll (hopefully) get to more balls in play and thus keep fewer enemies from reaching base.

......

Pitching will be the major focus this off-season. Overall, we were 14th in runs against, and our team ERA was .62 runs higher than 2039 (4.72 to 4.10). We gave up the fourth most hits, were about in the middle in home runs against, and had the worst BABIP in the AL. The rotation was run-of-the-mill, 7th in ERA and near the middle in hits, average, and earned runs against. The good news is they were fourth in strikeouts and fifth best in walks, which I like.

But the bullpen... Dumpster. Fire. Nineteen players threw in relief last year, setting a new team record. They combined for 453 innings, fifth fewest in the AL. But they had the worst ERA, worst SLG and OPS, and gave up the most home runs. Trying to find something positive, I guess you could say that having a nearly 3:1 K-to-BB ratio was pretty good, and they did come close to having the fewest wild pitches of any AL bullpen. Wow, am I digging hard here. Of our opening day bullpen (Kieffer, Glass, Randolph, Stanley, Powers, Yates, and Key), only two will likely be Islanders come April 2041: Kieffer and Stanley. Glass was pretty good (2.97 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, both bullpen bests), but he wants $10M/season for three years. Nope. By the end of the year, Key had been traded, Randolph was in AAA, Kieffer had gone from closer to starter to middle reliever, Powers was injured, and Yates was put on the "use less often" list. In-season acquisitions Jimenez, Archila, and Mayer were awful, and youngsters Bornhoft, Corgan, and Albring took turns looking decent and downright pitiful.

Where does that leave us heading into November? I think 4/5 of the rotation looks set. There are several candidates for the #5 spot already in the system, so I won't be going after a big money starter. (More about money in the next post.) However, I'll probably bring in 4 or 5 bullpen arms, depending on what's out there in free agency and via trade, and open up competition in camp. No one will be safe. I'd love Kieffer to reclaim the closer position: I think he's ideally suited there. I'd love younger (and cheaper) guys like Stanley, Corgan, and Albring to establish themselves in the pen. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess as to who'll be where come April.

......

Owner Alexis Pagan made his usual post-season check-in, with the usual mixed bag. He's happy we made the playoffs. Ditto, although I want more. He's unhappy our stolen bases only went up by a few. He wants more, I could care less. He wants another championship by 2042. I'd like two; happy now? For next year, he's upped the ante by giving me five goals:

1. Win the Championship. (Right there with ya, big guy.)
2. Improve team Stolen Bases. (Not that high of a priority, tbh.)
3. Cut payroll from $142M to $130M. (Doable, I think.)
4. Have a final balance of $18M. (We actually lost $2M this season. Sigh.)
5. Build a team to win it all again by 2042. (I'M TRYING HERE.)

Of course, the next day he ups my team budget to $152M and says I can spend up to $140M on salaries. He also extends my contract for four years and ups my pay to $1.3M. (If only.)

Elsewhere, Asst GM Jason Knauss and Bench Coach Jake Robbins leave after their contracts expire. Both had been with us for two seasons, and neither added much to the program, in my opinion. A bigger loss is hitting coach Paul Trashini. He'd been with us since the summer of our inaugural season, and was a fine hitting coach, guiding our league-best offense these past few seasons. He wanted a raise to $2M, way too high for a hitting coach, so I let him go. Of course he signed with Austin to be their bench coach for just $310K, which OOTP does to me ALL THE TIME. Eh, we'll live... To replace them I make several moves. First, I promote AAA manager Clarence Whitney to be our new bench coach. He's won 3 titles with the T-Bones, and I think puts manager Pat Wilson on notice if he can't get a grip on any struggles this coming season. Danny Espinosa also gets the call from AAA as our new hitting coach. Hopefully our offense won't miss a beat. Finally, we sign unproven 44-year-old Grant Henning as my new assistant. Whatever, Grant, just stay out of the way and get my morning donuts, and we'll be good.

......

Finally, awards season came and went, with little fanfare for us. No Islanders won Gold Gloves, although Groff (3B) and Hunter (SS) must have come close. Groff did claim his third Silver Slugger, however. Jesse Henkel made the biggest splash, beating out White Sox teammates Eric Cowden and Kyle Crowl to claim Rookie of the Year honors. And, disappointingly, Groff lost out in the MVP race to Seattle's Mike Wapner, thanks in large part to Wapner's 48 HR (Groff had higher WAR, AVG, and RBI, but oh well). Also of note, Toronto's Dave Henderson won his fourth AL Cy Young award, and San Diego's Gary Florence claimed his second consecutive NL Cy Young, and also won NL MVP.

Next up: Arbitration, Free Agents, Winter Meetings. All the Good Stuff!

Bub13 · 12-21-2017, 06:18 PM

With about 10-12 million to spend, and a few holes to fill, I decide to take an aggressive approach to free agency, with my eye already on several available players who, I think (hope, really) will be bargain pick ups. To wit, I need to...

...rebuild the bullpen. I will bring in at least five new pitchers to compete for spots in camp;
...OF depth. At second glance, I'm not sure Ian McGowan is ready for prime time in center, and we're thin in MLB-caliber depth;
...the usual raft of AAA (or AAAA) players, especially as most of my AAA pitching staff left via free agency.

Kicking things off, we claim RP Aldo Gouweleeuw off waivers from Minnesota. We signed him as a minor league free agent in 2034, then traded him to the Twins in '36 as part of the six-player deal centering on 2B Phil Clarke (to MIN) and SP Tom DiFranco (to us). He's pitched 24 games for Minny the last two years, but hasn't shown much besides strikeout power. We sign him to a 750K contract right away, as he's an upcoming free agent.

Next, we let a number of guys who were fixtures in Hawaii last year walk via free agency. Most noteworthy is OF Chris Wiggins, who hit .300 in 543 AB (but still had a WAR under 1) but had become a liability in the field, and was too expensive at $13M. Relievers Aaron Glass (2.97 ERA and 26 SV), Jay Yates (6.27, 2), and Ken Powers (5.51, 0) also left. Backup OF Tom Rifkind was also let go.

At the Winter Meetings, I made three trades, all bringing in more pitching help. First, we pick up RHP Luis Cortez (and a draft pick) from New Orleans for 1B/DH Nate Hullinger. At first glance, this looks surprising, given Hullinger's 50-HR output from 2039. But in 2040 he was pretty awful, managing just 18 HR and a .248 AVG, was limited in the field, and my scouts tell me he's lost some speed off his swing. I decided not to keep two guys on the roster who can only play first or DH (along with Dunklee), so Hullinger was packed off to the world champs. In Cortez we get a guy without dominant stuff, but with excellent movement and control, and a strong groundball slant. He's 26, makes 800K, and has made 16 appearances for the Zephyrs since 2039.

Second, we grab RHP Frank Soto from the Dodgers, in exchange for 2B Kevin Collins and RHP Cory Taylor. Another reliever who will get a chance at his first real (just 6 innings in his career so far) MLB job. The primary purpose for this trade was to rid ourselves of Collins' 6.7M albatross contract. He's a good hitter (.324 in 2610 career AB) but a disaster in the field. Taylor is very similar to Soto, but at 4.2M, much more expensive (Soto will make 500K). Even if Soto bombs out, dumping 10.5M worth of stale contracts off on the rich-kid Dodgers makes this worth it.

Finally, we make a futures trade, sending off high-intangible prospects OF Noah Fontenot and IF Ervin Negron for RHP Nelson Mendez, from Richmond. Mendez is 21, pitched in A ball last year, and will be there again in 2041. With his intangibles, he could develop into a decent-enough starter one day. One day...

We also manage to pluck four players from the free agent wires. To wit:
...Korean RHP Jin-Song Yee, a high-stuff fastball/slider reliever. He'll make 3.2M, so he's not cheap, but the kind of guy we need to take a chance on after last year's bullpen nightmare.
...We also bring back RHP Steve Miller, who made 133 appearances for us in '37 and '38. Like Yee, he's a strikeout pitcher who should keep the ball down. He'll make 1.2M.
...One more! Long-time closer Jeff Tanner is rescued from Austin, where he had 218 saves over six seasons. Another high-stuff groundballer, and also a righty. Captain material, which we need. He'll likely be a setup guy to start the season, and will make 2.8M.
...Finally, we take a chance on former Montreal CF Andy Sanchez. Good fielder, cannon arm, and has decent speed and baserunning. (That will make my owner happy.) He's 30, has played ten seasons already in the bigs, and had a down year in 2040 (.265, but led the NL with 48 doubles). He'll make 5M for the next five seasons, but with a team option after 2043. Is also a Fan Favorite.

So, when the dust settles by the New Year, we've added six pitchers and an outfielder.

......

Elsewhere, a lot of money gets tossed around during free agency, and not just by the usually-spendthrift Dodgers:
...Detroit re-signs stud 24-year-old RF Roberto Rivera for 53.5M over five years. Oddly, they also add closer Alex Castaneda for 28M over three years, despite already having Wilhelm-winning closer Ramon Sanabria.
...the Dodgers drop 140M (over seven years) on power-hitting, and injury-prone, OF Bill Duce, luring him away from the Braves.
...Richmond throws 128.6M over six years on Montreal pitcher Rafael Maldonado. Probably a great signing.
...LA signs yet another closer (this makes maybe a dozen over the last three years), Josh Werner, for 10.5M per for three seasons. They also add former Toronto closer Miguel Trevino for 3.8M on the same day. Then they sign former Mets 2B Danny Baca for 18.8M over five years.
...not done yet, the Dodgers sign starting pitcher Gabe Delfin away from the Mets for 12.5M over seven years. And later add four more pitchers for a combined 22M per season.
...San Diego grabs former Islander catcher Austin Collins for 14.3M per for four years.
...other big deals include Cincy getting OF Pete Howarth (10.6M), Washington with SP Ernie Brereton (11.8M), and Portland getting SP Mike Michalowski (11.2M).

FUN FACT: The Dodgers added $92M to their payroll this off-season; that amount by itself would give them the 21st highest payroll in baseball. (All that, and they've added just 2.8 WAR to last season's roster.)

FUN FUN FACT: Defending champs New Orleans have the next-to-lowest payroll, at $60.6M. (The highest? The Dodgers, duh: $208M)

Overall, Washington has had the best off-season, according to MLB, gaining 13.4 WAR. They've added a starting C, 2B, SS, OF, and two starting pitchers, while losing only two players who earned more than 1.0 WAR last season. On the flip side, Montreal (-17.2) and Atlanta (-16.1) lost the most this winter. The Expos gained a backup catcher, but at the cost of a top flight SP (Maldonado), their starting C and CF, and another SP. Atlanta added a so-so closer, but said goodbye to their best hitter (CF Duce), best SP (Michalowski), a backup C, and two other SP.

Bub13 · 01-13-2018, 07:17 PM

Preseason came and went fairly quietly. We were fortunate to escape with no major injuries, although LF Mel Carillo suffered back spasms on two consecutive days and finds himself on the DL to open the season. His return is listed as "unknown," which could mean anything, really, from a few more days to a few weeks, or more. Everyone else is healthy. On the field, we went 15-15, giving a lot of at bats to hopefuls, never-were's, and never-will-be's. Our AL-leading offensive lineup returns largely intact (more below), so I'm hopeful we'll pick up where we left off and enjoy another season of bashing balls through the nighttime Pacific air. The starters were okay, but a mixed bag in that no one was consistently good all spring. Still, no one was awful either. On the "Promising" front, our reconstructed bullpen looked really good most nights, and final cuts were very difficult, as I had ten players vying for seven spots, and all ten pitched well enough to earn a place on Opening Day. Obviously, three had to be demoted, but I'm going to try keeping the pen on a shorter leash than I did last year, and I feel like (right now at least) I have the depth to squelch any trouble spots that crop up. Because they always do, somewhere.

MLB's preseason predictions put us at the top of the heap this year, with 103 wins. They expect us to have baseball's best offense, and the AL's best pitching. They expect big years from Adam Groff and Jeremy Dunklee at the plate, and Mike Messinger (!) and Eric Jones (!!) on the mound. Owner Alexis Pagan also expects me to Win It All! this year. No pressure. Boston and Milwaukee are tabbed as the other AL division winners, with the Mets, Cardinals (!!!), and Dodgers topping their divisions in the NL. Last year's champions, New Orleans, will miss the playoffs. Fun stuff: MLB predicts Brewers RF Coby Sandu to hit 56 HR, and teammate Benjamin Worley to hit 55.

......

Opening Day Roster: Batters
Starters underlined. Age is for this season, not necessarily player's current age. Last year's stats in parens.

C Alexis Mercedes, 29, RH, $8.3M thru '43 (.282/42/114 combined SDP and HAW) Acquired for popular catcher Austin Collins, Mercedes more than delivered at the plate. That his CERA was a full run higher than Collins' was worrisome, and bears watching this year. He also slumped late, and did not deliver much in the post-season. Still, if he hits anything near last year's totals, he's worth it.

C Guillermo Diaz, 25, RH, $750K (.165/2/9 in 127 AB) Ratings make him look like a low-rent version of Mercedes, but he's combined to hit .199 in the backup role for two seasons. Started to use his excellent eye to take some more walks last year, and is an excellent defensive backstop. But he must hit better than .165 to keep his spot on the roster.

1B Jeremy Dunklee, 31, LH, $11.15M thru '42 (.274/27/106) His average and power numbers have declined each of the last two seasons, so he may be on the back side of his career already. Slugged less than .500 for the first time since his rookie season in 2034. Still, walks over 100 times a year and has turned into a steady defender. Franchise leader in nearly every batting category.

2B Josh Robertson, 26, LH, $5.28M thru '48 (.395/1/8 in 43 AB) Strong defender who also hit .360 in '39, with 13 HR. If he can top .300 and get on base, our offense will be on the go. We never did find an adequate replacement for him after he went down in April. Keys the infield defense with great glove and DP ability.

3B Adam Groff, 27, LH, $11.57M thru '43 (.348/37/126) Mr. MVP, although he was cheated out of it despite winning his second batting crown and pacing the AL with a 9.3 WAR. Has contact and power to burn, steals 20+ bases, and doesn't strike out often. A heads-up tho: every other season he's missed over a month with injury, and he's on schedule for that to occur this year. Let's hope for a break to that streak.

SS Mike Hunter, 26, RH, $4.428M thru '41 (.334/10/61) Formed a potent duo at the bottom of the lineup with Robertson in '39. Moved to leadoff last year and responded with 214 hits and 55 doubles. Not the greatest eye, but only strikes out about 50 times a season. Dynamite fielder at short and third, if needed.

IF John Canning, 24, RH, $500K (.322/1/20 in 205 AB) Made 47 starts at second late last season, and hit well but with no power. Allergic to walks, but also doesn't strike out often. Occupies my usual "skilled IF backup" slot in the lineup; can also play solid OF in a pinch.

LF Jonathan Spalding, 27, LH, $500K (.211/0/3 in 19 AB; .336 in AAA) Filling in for Carillo until he's healthy. Decent contact and won't strike out, but has no power and refuses to take walks. So-so fielder, so not a long-term answer. Can also play first, so right now is the top choice to stay on the roster once Carillo is back.

CF Andy Sanchez, 31, SH, $5M thru '45 (.265/3/52 with MTL) A .286 career hitter in his ten-year career, but coming off a down season. Did lead the NL with 48 doubles, and a threat to steal 15-20 bases. Good range and arm, and a fan favorite. If he hits .275 or so and gets on base (he will take some walks) he's worth the price. Struggled in spring training, but those numbers don't count...

RF Travis McArthur, 28, RH, $6.05M thru '46 (.286/18/58 in 462 AB) Missed nearly two months last year with various ailments, so I'm hoping for a bounce-back season. Former first overall pick, never has become a true star, but has developed into a solid 3.0-3.5 WAR guy with power and a good glove and arm in right.

OF Ian McGowan, 23, RH, $500K (.244/1/23 in 164 AB) Still has some growing to do, which led me to go sign Sanchez off the free agent pile. Great range and speed (but a terrible baserunner), he's best utilized in left or center, as his arm is only a little better than average. He's a high-effort sparkplug guy, who could develop into an everyday OF or remain a useful role player. Wants to start, so I'll have to watch his attitude.

OF Dave White, 25, LH, $500K (.400/1/7 in 10 AB; .246 with 12 HR in AAA) Roster-filler until Carillo comes back. Very little stands out with Dave. Bat is mostly average, with some pop; runs well, but not great; great arm, but bad range; supbar splits versus righties. Another sparkplug who busts his tail every day, so maybe he'll show me more than meets the eye?

DH Jesse Henkel, 23, LH, $500K (.301/29/87 in 366 AB) Broke out at the plate last year, and made 67 starts in left despite some truly awful ratings. My scouts say move him out of the field, but his stats say he played well. He also should look lost against lefties, but managed to hit .280 against them last year. He'll get a full-time shot against everyone this year. Has a very nice power bat, and despite his terrible OF range, is a decent baserunner with some speed. This is his chance to earn a big paycheck for next year.

On the DL:
OF Mel Carillo, 23, LH, $3.6M thru '41 (.310/8/53 in 364 AB) Quite a season, was 2040 for Mel: missed two months of play with various injuries, got into fights with fans and opposing players, and finally displayed some pop in his bat and learned to take walks to get on base. The opposite of Henkel: scouts say he should be just fine in the field, but he hasn't shown anything there yet. Will be my LF when he comes back.

......

Opening Day Roster: Pitching Staff

SP Leon Casillas, 31, RH, $26M thru '46 (14-11, 3.93, 215 IP, 181 K, 5.1 WAR) After winning two straight Cy Youngs for me, came back to earth with his worst year as a pro. His ERA was nearly a full run over his career number, and that WAR was his worst since 2033. Still, his K/BB/HR per 9 were consistent with his career numbers, and his BABIP was 30 points higher than usual, so maybe he was mostly unlucky. Better outfield defense should help him, and he hasn't lost any ratings (yet). A comeback year from him will go a long way to making our road a lot smoother than last year.

SP Rob Hart, 24, RH, $4M thru '41 (9-5, 3.75, 154 IP, 180 K, 2.7 WAR) A terrible '39 and a rough start last year had me way down on Hart, and then he got hurt, missing over a month of the season. He pitched well upon returning, and threw well in camp this year. If he's back, he brings a strong power pitchers game, and is a nice complement to the craftier Casillas. Could earn a nice pay day with a strong year.

SP Billy Heine, 33, RH, $23.8M thru '42 (13-9, 4.80, 201 IP, 192 K, 3.0 WAR) Shopped him around some this spring, but had no takers; probably thanks to that outrageous contract. Was wildly inconsistent last year, and struggled down the stretch. A poor start will definitely have me offering him around again. Outspoken character, but has always been happy here.

SP Eric Jones, 24, LH, $6.6M thru '46 (11-10, 4.75, 180 IP, 143 K, 2.9 WAR) After two strong seasons, suffered from whatever malaise overtook the staff last year. Threw better down the stretch, and well in camp. My only lefty, so we need him for variety's sake, if nothing else.

SP Mike Messinger, 24, RH, $500K (3-3, 5.19, 59 IP, 72 K; 1.88 in 114 IP in AAA) The wild card here; in his case, literally so, as his control has been slow to develop. Last year's #2 prospect in MLB gets a full-time shot in the rotation this year. Blessed with dominant stuff (and an elite changeup), if he keeps his walks down my ulcers will act up far less often this season. I don't know what to expect, really: an ERA over 5 over 90 inning in MLB so far hasn't impressed anyone, so this is put-up-or-shut-up time for Mike.

CL Jim Kieffer, 27, RH, $2.8M thru '41 (10-9, 7 SV, 4.43, 177 IP, 182 K, 2.8 WAR) Kieffer was everywhere last year: closer, middle relief, starter (21 starts, 26 relief apps). He saved 40 in '39, and I'm going to slot him as closer again, in the hopes that my rotation will be better than it was last year. By all rights he should be a dominant closer, but his struggles with the long ball early last season helped tip the bullpen into chaos. I'm determined (as of now, lol) to ride him out longer this season. Teeth gritted.

SU Jeff Tanner, 28, RH, $2.88M thru '42 (5-8, 39 SV, 4.93, 77 IP, 78 K with Austin) Coming off two mediocre years with the execrable Austin club, Tanner will start the year as my primary setup guy. Keeps the ball down, has great stuff and good-enough movement and control. Should be--should be--a solid new contributor for us. Walks per nine shot up last year, but I'm confident he'll get that fixed. Captain material as well.

SU Pat Stanley, 27, LH, $850K (4-2, 4 SV, 3.02, 57 IP, 57K, 1.1 WAR) One of the few guys who kept his head all season, although he did lose it in the playoffs. Keeps the ball down, down, down, which is good as long as the infield is healthy. My only lefty in the pen to start the season, and an example of what paying attention to free agency can do (signed as a minor league wannabe after the Cubs released him at 22 after one year in their org. Tsk.)

MR Aldo Gouweleeuw, 27, RH, $750K (1-1, 1 SV, 5.58, 40 IP, 43 K, 0 WAR with MIN) We traded him to Minny in '36, and claimed him off waivers in November. Good stuff, with a nice fastball, and is okay enough to be an emergency starter. Threw great in camp, earned a place on the roster. Will be one of those "short-leash" guys I mentioned above, however.

MR Ricky Jimenez, 27, RH, $900K (5-4, 1 SV, 7.62, 52 IP, 51 K, 0.3 WAR with NYY and HAW) Was just awful for us after we traded for him last May, but had a great camp, so he's getting another bite at the apple. (Just not in the Big Apple.) Wants to be a starter, but has the stamina of a newborn kitten, so just shut up already, Ricky. Looks good on paper, and his square jaw drives the ladies crazy. Whether or not he'll be surfing in Hawaii or eating BBQ in AAA Kansas City by May is anyone's guess, tho.

MR Steve Miller, 32, RH, $1.2M thru '41 (7-6, 2 SV, 3.48, 137 IP, 93 K, 1.9 WAR with CHW) After two years away (and 50 starts with PHI and CHW for some foolish reason), Steve's back in the band, where he pitched for us in '36 and '37. Great stuff and control, with enough movement to be dangerous (to hitters, not the box score, one hopes). Is another key element in the bullpen rebuilding this off-season. Aging, but hasn't lost anything yet.

MR Jin-Song Yee, 33, RH, $3.2M thru '44 (no stats?) Rookie from Taiwan, and is a beast at 6'3" and 230#. Has great stuff with a nice fastball/slider combo. Took a chance with that large contract, but one thing we definitely lacked in the pen last year was high-stuff throwers. Now we're loaded with them. If we bomb out this year, I may just shoot everyone. Yee is a huge (literally) question mark, as I have no stats to go on, and only the word of my scouts. He looked good in camp, tho, so fingers crossed.

Not making the cut out of camp were MR Ian Albring (looked great), MR Ronnie Corgan (ditto), RP Frank Soto (looked okay), SP Bobby Piccirillo (stinkeroo), and SP Cam Bornhoft (like a yo-yo). I'm sure they're all pissed at me right now, but hey, look at last year: another dumpster fire in the pen and you'll be on the first plane back to baseball paradise.

......

So what's my outlook? All things being equal, I think we'll win the division and be a contender for the title again. If the pen is truly competent this year, we'll be incredibly stout. I like that MLB gave us a good rating; they were fairly accurate last year, having us with fewer wins that I expected. I'm more than cautiously optimistic for the season, should the injury gods smile on us.

Also of note: we've got the 22nd rated prospect pool currently, with only two players (Bornhoft #27 and SP Taylor Barnett #78) in the top 100. For the first time in years, none of our "top six" prospects are on the big club, either. I'll do a more complete prospect write-up around the draft, but for the first time in a while the cupboard is starting to look a little...empty.

What's Next: PLAY BALL!

Bub13 · 01-20-2018, 01:09 PM

2041 REGULAR SEASON

April 2-4 vs BALTIMORE
We open the season with three series against Eastern division opponents. The Orioles are on a run of nine seasons of 70-win ball, stacked around 2039's bologna of a division-topping 91 wins. MLB has them winning 75 games, with subpar offense and near-basement pitching. The lineup does look paltry, but there is some power to be had, featuring budding star RF Cesar Alvarenga, who hit .287 with 33 HR last year. 2B John Paine added 19, and free agent signee 1B Andy Catron hit 30 with Tampa. The staff is led by Miguel Moreno, who looks more like a capable #2 than a staff ace, along with White Sox bust Hide Asano, and former Islander prospect Aya Yoshimoto, who throws very hard but very straight. Likewise the bullpen is full of holes, with a mix of hard throwing, low-movement guys, and no-stuff/decent-movement guys. Nestor Corredor begins his sixth year at the helm. Finances and Futures: both Budget and Payroll sit at 33rd (out of 36), and their prospects grade out to 21st best. Pitcher Andy Goeser is 20th in MLB, and begins the season in AAA Norfolk. He looks to be a capable middle-of-the-staff guy.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (14-11, 3.93) / Rob Hart (9-5, 3.75) / Billy Heine (13-9, 4.80)
BAL pitchers: Miguel Moreno (14-12, 4.39) / Hideyuki Asano (10-15, 4.77) / Ayahito Yoshimoto (3-13, 6.34)

#1: WIN 9-4 ... McArthur and Hunter HRs pace a 5-run 6th, and Casillas goes the distance (7 H, 4 K, 0 BB)
#2: WIN 7-5 ... Hart is wobbly, giving up 4 HR in 7.1 IP, but Hunter and Robertson each get 3 hits and 3 RBI (Hunter now with 6 this season)
#3: WIN 7-3 ... Henkel's third inning grand slam paces the attack, Mercedes adds a 2-run shot in the fifth, and Heine is good enough...Everyone's happy

This sure beats getting swept by Detroit (last year's opener). And let's all take a moment and appreciate the fact that, after last season's unquenchable dumpster fire, the bullpen ERA sits at 0.00 right now. There will be plenty of time for my whining soon enough, I'm sure.... Somehow almost all of my farm teams have way too many guys right now. Maybe I should actually do something about that?.... ELSEWHERE: Aaaand just like that, we have our first no-hitter of the season. New Orleans' Sam Thompson walks the second batter of the day, then sets everyone else down in order, beating the Padres 1-0. Nice start for the defending champs.... Nine other teams swept their opening series, including divisional foes Oakland and LA.... Mets 3B George Dawson hit a homer in each game to start the season.

April 5-7 vs TAMPA BAY
Swept by the Angels to open the season, including a hearty 14-0 blowout in game one. They were good not too long ago, with six division titles and nine playoff appearances over eleven seasons, but they've been in or near the basement for six years running. MLB has them with 76 wins this season, so maybe next year, Rays fans. 2B Tim Ost looks like their best player, with good contact and a sharp glove, and catcher William Antonio is a nice complementary player, hitting .310 for his career (four seasons). DH Ricky Chavez is the only real power bat, but he's too much of an all-or-nothing swinger to drive an offense. Pitcher Jordan Sanchez is the real deal, tho, and would be a superstar if he played on a better team. Dee Brown begins his third season as manager, and did lead them to a +28 improvement over 2039. Finances and Futures: Budget is 28th and Payroll is 30th. Prospects are ranked 8th, with six guys in the top 100. 2B Raymond Davila tops the pile, and frankly looks like a better LF than infielder. Low contact, but excellent ratings everywhere else. A keeper.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (11-10, 4.75) / Mike Messinger (3-3, 5.19) / Leon Casillas (1-0, 4.00)
TBR pitchers: Justin Ragland (11-10, 4.26) / Jose Hernandez (3-2, 4.66) / Jordan Sanchez (0-1, 10.38)

#4: WIN 3-2 ... only five hits, but Jones is money (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB)...Kieffer gives up the first bullpen run of the year, but earns his third save
#5: WIN 4-0 ... six hits this time, but Messinger brings the pain, striking out 13 in a complete game. Has he truly arrived now? Who knows? But this is at least a promising start
#6: WIN 7-3 ... Dunklee and Groff homer, and Casillas pitches his second straight complete game win...everyone gets a hit tonight

I guess the key to an improved bullpen is forcing your starters into more complete games. Who knew?... After six games, the run diff is already +20 (37 to 17).... OF Jonathan Spalding gets injured on a HBP, diagnosis pending.... We get a day off, and are off to Toronto for a stretch of 12 road games in our next 15.... ELSEWHERE: LA and HAW are now the only unbeatens, although Oakland is 5-1. Tampa Bay is the only winless team.... Giants 2B Ty Cobb is sitting on 3268 hits, 15 behind Willie Mays for 11th place. He's also third in career singles with 2790.... Baltimore is now 1-6 and has given up 69 runs.

April 9-11 @ TORONTO
Off to a slow start at 1-5, and predicted to win just 85 by MLB and miss the playoffs (a rarity of late, riding 9 apps in the last 10 seasons). 1B Preston Sorensen is still Mr. Everything, although there are signs he's lost a step, at 33. Henry Maldonado is a defensive whiz at second, and popped 37 HR last year, but hasn't yet topped .250 in the bigs. Dan Munoz (SS) and Tim Manske (CF) have power, average, and defense, to round out a pretty solid-looking lineup. Pitching looks decent, with Joe Erkel and four-time Cy Young winner Dave Henderson at the top of the rotation, but behind them there may be some struggles, especially if free agent pickup Caleb Dickerson doesn't come back soon from a forearm injury. Mike Johns parlayed 17 seasons as a batting coach into his tenth year as the head guy for the Jays, and has a Series ring and two Manager of the Year trophies to show. Owner Jody Patterson wants money, Money, MONEY!, and is already upset that he's not earning profit. Finances and Futures: 8th in Budget and 9th in Payroll. Owner Patterson has already cut the budget over $40M in just three years, with more likely to come. Prospects rank 31st, with only catcher Roger Morales (59th) in the top 100. Other than having a nice power stroke and good eye, he doesn't look to bring much to the table, honestly. Dark times are coming, Jays fans.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (1-0, 6.14) / Billy Heine (1-0, 4.05) / Eric Jones (1-0, 1.29)
TOR pitchers: Dave Henderson (0-0, 2.57) / Caleb Dickerson (0-0, 0.00) / Jimmy Wunderlich (0-1, 9.00)

#7: LOSS 4-7 ... Hart struggles with the long ball again, giving up three this time, along with six runs...Mercedes hits his 2nd and we outhit them 10-9
#8: WIN 3-2 ... only nine hits combined (5-4 us), but two runs in the 9th put us over...Heine is good through 7, but does walk 4
#9: WIN 9-1 ... a 4-run ninth turns a nice win into a blowout...Jones good through 6, but walks 5...CF Sanchez injured; diagnosis pending

The strong start continues, although we're looking at our second outfield injury now, depending on what we hear re Sanchez. Spalding took a pitch to the bean, and is out for three weeks. Carillo came off the DL the same day, tho, so we were covered there.... At 8-1 we're a half game up on the Angels now.... ELSEWHERE: Washington's strong offseason has yielded a 2-8 record so far.... Dodgers signed yet another closer this week; now their top four relievers had 122 saves last season, all for other teams.... Yankees signed the only quality FA left on the market, adding catcher Juan Jimenez, who had 88 HR over the last two seasons for Baltimore.

April 12-14 @ SEATTLE
At 4-5 so far, and predicted to win 85 and challenge for a wild card. Pitching has been their strong suit for years, but is doing them no favor so far (14th in runs against). Returning MVP Mike Wapner leads the offense, and he's joined by stud 2B Alex Cruz (30 HR last year). 1B Fernando Orozco slumped from .307/36/103 to .228/20/70, and needs to step back up for this team to go anywhere. Aaron Myers and Sean Easter are a fine 1-2 punch in the rotation. Long-time minor league pitching coach Jose Alfonso was signed out of nowhere as manager last year, and hasn't shown much yet. Finances and Futures: Budget is 25th and Payroll is 29th. (Where are all the big budget teams?) The system ranks 24th, with two guys in the top 100. Pitcher Carlos Zenon was outright stolen in a deal from Mimami, and could develop into the staff ace in a few years. I'd also keep an eye on SS Enrique Antunez, tho, who's going to get a lot of hits for this team, and soon.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (1-0, 0.00) / Leon Casillas (2-0, 3.50) / Rob Hart (1-1, 6.91)
SEA pitchers: Aaron Myers (0-1, 6.23) / Ruben Alvarado (1-0, 4.91) / Sean Easter (0-1, 1.69)

#10: WIN 6-5 ... Mercedes singles home the winner in the 10th, as Messinger comes back to earth (6 IP, 5 ER)...Henkel drives in three
#11: WIN 6-0 ... Why Casillas gets pulled after 8.2 innings is beyond me...Groff with three doubles, and Sanchez adds one despite his injury diagnosis (see below)
#12: WIN 5-3 ... Hart gives up another bomb, but only after we're up 5-0...McArthur with a HR and 3 RBI, Robertson with three hits

Woot, what a start! Fourth in hitting and 2nd in pitching, with strong defense too. What? It's only 12 games, you say? Shush.... Sanchez gets his diagnosis and it's a torn meniscus, leaving him day-to-day--for four months. For now, tho, I'm going to play him. The effect is minimal, although I'm sure soon enough he'll get hurt again and be lost for the season. Do not question my judgment.... ELSEWHERE: New Orleans starter Sam Thompson has given up 0, 3, and 2 hits in his three starts this year.... Baltimore is now riding a six-game winning streak after a 1-6 start. STL and LAA are each 10-3, just behind us in the overall standings.... Oakland's Vinny Vargas (who else?) has gotten hot, and is leading the AL with a .476 clip. The A's are cold, tho, dropping five in a row.

Next Time: The Rest of April

mongster_03 · 02-23-2018, 10:55 PM

Do you have a .prk for Aloha Stadium?

Bub13 · 03-24-2018, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongster_03

Do you have a .prk for Aloha Stadium?

Let me check and get back...

Bub13 · 03-24-2018, 10:06 AM

April 19-21 @ BOSTON
Four AL East teams are off to rough starts, including the Sox at 5-10. Hitting has been average, but pitching has struggled, with both the starters and bullpen in the bottom quarter of the league. SS Pablo Delgado is a former NL MVP (Pirates), a lifetime .273 hitter off to a .203 start. RF Jason McColl had 47 HR back in 2037, but has struggled to stay healthy since then. SP Tony Villarruel is a cornerstone ace pitcher, lured away from the Yankees last year, but is off to a rough start this year. He leads a strong rotation, on paper at least. Kris Harvey is the team's 13-year manager, and the mysterious Jon Powell (mysterious in that he has no record at all prior to 2040) is the GM. Finances and futures: Budget is $176M, 5th in baseball, while payroll is the 6th largest. Prospects rank 7th overall, with SP Joe Koval picked at #5 in baseball. But he's 24 and still in AA, and doesn't look like a future ace. Pitchers Oscar Arreola and Edwin Mosqueda look like future stalwarts, while CF Mario Soto isn't a high contact hitter, but has power, speed, and a slick glove.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (2-1, 5.91) / Billy Heine (2-0, 3.32) / Eric Jones (3-0, 1.50)
BOS pitchers: Tony Villarruel (0-1, 5.17) / Manny Gomez (2-1, 3.24) / Mike Wiater (0-1, 11.57)

#17: WIN 5-3 ... 12 hits and 3 HR, and Hart holds on to an early 5-1 lead, although his final line doesn't look great (6.1 IP, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K)
#18: LOSS 5-6 ... we can't make an early 4-0 lead hold up...this time, the bullpen is the culprit, yielding 5 hits and 3 runs late
#19: WIN 3-2 ... Groff knocks in two during a 3-run first, and we hold on late...four relievers back up Jones after six innings

Still rolling, even without any big or decisive wins this series.... Our first three draft picks in 2039 were pitchers. Two of them are in A ball Eureka this year, and now both are done for the season with elbow injuries. Second-round pick Justin Sutton in fact already looks like a major bust, sadly.... ELSEWHERE: The Red Sox are now on a 1-9 skid, battling the Yankees for last in the AL East.

April 22-24 @ NY YANKEES
Struggling out of the gate, like the Sox, at 5-12 and last in the East. Hitting was their bugaboo last year, and ditto so far this year, as they're dead last in all the major hitting stats. Pitching has also been subpar, but not downright execrable like their hitters. RF Tony Flores has 7 HR, following up a season where he hit 30 in 308 AB. C Juan Jimenez has 88 HR his last two seasons, but just 2 so far this year. Pitchers Mario Oliva and Bill Casas are a solid top two, but the staff is hurting from the loss of ace SP Pat Teer, out until the AS Break. Manager Miguel Rodriguez has somehow held onto his post for five years, with just one winning season to show for it. Finances and Futures: 20th in budget and 22nd in payroll. How the mighty have fallen. Prospects rank just 26th, with knuckleballer Casey Moore at #22. There's not much to like behind him.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (2-0, 2.25) / Leon Casillas (4-0, 2.45) / Rob Hart (3-1, 5.53)
NYY pitchers: Justin Darrisaw (1-2, 4.50) / Daniel Brooke (1-1, 5.19) / Mario Oliva (1-1, 2.10)

#20: WIN 10-8 ... a 10-2 lead gets whittled down late...Groff's GRAND SLAM and dingers from three others pace the scoring...only 15K show up in the Bronx
#21: LOSS 2-5 ... Casillas takes his first loss thanks to a 2-run HR in the 7th...outhit 12-6
#22: WIN 2-1 ... Hart wins the pitcher's duel with Oliva, giving up just 3 hits over 8 IP...Kieffer walks 2 in the 9th but holds on for the save

Another good series, outside a few bad innings in that second game. The only dark spot at the moment is Sanchez's double dtd injury is hurting him at the plate, and he's down to just .233. I'd drop him down the lineup, but his best replacement at the #2 spot, Carillo, is hitting just .196. Maybe a switch would jumpstart both of them. Or maybe Sanchez needs a few days off.... Tomorrow is a travel day, then it's back home to close out the month.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy is hot in the NL Central, at 16-7, a game-and-a-half up on the Cards.... Remember Ken Clark? My "ace pitcher forever," whom I dumped off on the Cards after two subpar seasons? He's beginning his third season with STL, and is off to a 3-1 start with 39 K in 29 IP. He's earned 4.0 and 4.6 WAR in his first two NL seasons, but the worst part is that he exercised his option with the Cards, and since I retained salary in that trade, I'm on the hook for six more years at $6M per. Gulp.

April 26-28 vs MIAMI
Currently on top of the AL East at 13-7, a game up on Baltimore. First in runs, BA, and OBP, and 3rd in HR. Sixth in runs against, and first in defensive efficiency. 2B George Bradshaw is hitting .411, and CF Jason Molnar is at .318 with 9 HR. Six starters are hitting over .300. Matt Rubin is finally showing some ace stuff, and off to a 5-0 start with a 1.96 ERA. Tony Diaz is the fourth-year manager. Finances and Futures: 20th in budget, but 16th in payroll, so they're not playing moneyball any more. Prospects rank 20th, led by #19 Jon Ladd, a SS with some pop who probably has a better future at third. 1B Jake Laufer has a big power bat, but misses on too many swings and runs his mouth far too often.

HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-0, 3.58) / Eric Jones (4-0, 1.88) / Mike Messinger (3-0, 2.90)
MIA pitchers: Chris Keast (1-1, 4.50) / Ken Newman (0-0, 6.00) / Levi Brady (2-2, 4.55)

#23: WIN 6-5 ... Henkel comes through with a two-run double in the 8th to put us on top, and Kieffer saves his 13th to close it out
#24: WIN 11-7 ... our pitchers get pushed around handily, but we stake out a 10-0 lead early then hold on for the win...MIA starter Newman gives up 11 R over 6 IP
#25: WIN 7-4 ... this time it's a 7-0 lead that holds up...RP Pat Stanley has been rocked in his last couple outings, now sports an 18.00 ERA

No complaints with this series, outside of some sloppy pitching, especially from the bullpen. Still, we're way ahead of last year's pace, and the pen has been much, much better than 2040.... OF Jonathan Spalding come off the DL, but will go straight to AAA, where OF Steve Hopkins is out with, yes, gout.... ELSEWHERE: KC's Nick Boston tosses a one-walk no-hitter over the Orioles; quite a turnaround from his 19-loss season last year.... Nearing the end of April, and MIN's Paul Foster (.411) and SD's Tony Solar (.433) are the only two batters still hitting .400. Miami's Jason Molnar and Arizona's Heriberto Martinez are the first hitters to 10 HR. Martinez is also the only batter over 2 WAR, at 2.3.... SF 2B Ty Cobb is only hitting .258 this year, but did pass Willie Mays to move into the 11th spot in career hits. He currently has 3289 hits, just 26 behing Eddie Collins.

April 29-30, May 1 vs TEXAS
The first of three series against divisional foes, culminating with a 4-spot vs Oakland. Texas is 11-14, in fifth place just behind the A's and Astros. Only 10th in runs for, but 2nd in steals; but 16th in runs against, and 13th in defense. DH Luis Olivo is hitting .329, while 2B Gabriel Gallegos is at .315, but their 3 and 4 hitters are sub-Mendoza. Four relievers are on the DL, and only one SP has an ERA better than league average, with #2 guy Jeff Sullivan dragging along at 8.38. Drew Saylor is the ninth-year manager, and has only one winning season to his credit. I suspect this is his last go-round with the team. Finances and Futures: 32nd in budget and 31st in payroll, which is kind of surprising considering they make money every year. Just one big tax write-off I suppose. Prospects do rank 6th, with #1 overall Callum Hewitt already in the bigs (but limping along at .194), and #42 Jonathan Bell forced into the pen due to injuries. I've been keeping my eye on their third prospect, SP Thomas Cannaday, a hard-throwing ground ball pitcher with great intangibles, but he's missing the first half of the season with a torn UCL, and at 24 may already be done as a promising prospect.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (4-1, 3.15) / Rob Hart (4-1, 4.54) / Billy Heine (2-0, 4.28)
TEX pitchers: Julio Roca (1-3, 3.90) / Jeff Sullivan (0-2, 8.38) / Alex Mares (2-2, 4.05)

#26: WIN 7-0 ... Casillas bounces back with a 2-hit, 10-K complete game...Groff and Dunklee homer, and Sanchez gathers three hits
#27: LOSS 4-5 ... Hart is so-so, and Yee suffers his first big league loss...two errors compound the loss
#28: LOSS 1-15 ... our first real stinker, and what a doozy...Heine is butt, and Goeweleeuw gives up 6 in just over an inning...5 HR against, too

Ok, so this is what happens when I talk trash about an opponent.... The pen is starting to show some cracks, sadly, with three ERAs over 10. Somebody's getting shipped out to KC tonight.... Andy Sanchez hurts his knee again, so I may finally have to put him on DL, after trying to nurse him along.... Casillas is named AL Pitcher of the Month for April.... ELSEWHERE: KC has won 7 straight, while the Angels have a five-game streak. Both teams are in 2nd in their divisions now. San Fran has dropped to bottom in the league, at 7-20, with the Cubs next at 8-19.

Bub13 · 03-30-2018, 08:15 PM

May 2-5 @ HOUSTON
Our first four-game series. Houston sits at 12-16, 11 games behind us, and just ahead of Seattle. Only 14th in runs for (and 15th in AVG and 16th in HR), but 7th in runs against. 1B Bruce Calhoon (.313/7/16) leads most hitting categories for the team, with LF Jefferson McKenzie (.299/6/15) just behind. Jay Russo is once again the clear ace in the rotation, but there's not much behind him at the moment. Closer Brent Philbrick has an ERA under 1. Manager Guillermo Reyes is in his third season with the club. His players seem to like him, although there's no leadership and the clubhouse is unhappy. Owner Jim Crane is already "Mad," with none of his five goals looking likely to be met. Finances and Futures: the lowest budget ($75M) in the bigs, and a payroll at 34th place. Not hard to see why this team hasn't made the playoffs in nearly a quarter century. Prospects rank 18th overall, although their top two prospects--both SPs--look like middle-grade starters at best. RF Hughie Noonan looks legit: a big power hitter with nice contact and a good eye. Terrible fielding, tho.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (5-0, 2.67) / Mike Messinger (4-0, 2.61) / Leon Casillas (5-1, 2.57) / Rob Hart (4-1, 4.54)
HOU pitchers: Jason Ray (0-3, 6.04) / Jay Russo (2-2, 3.05) / John Fox (1-2, 4.23) / Nelson Gonzalez (1-5, 4.12)

#29: WIN 9-8 ... nearly blew an 8-1 lead, and only a run in the 8th put us over the top...only 16K showed up to see this one
#30: LOSS 3-5 ... Messinger throws a poor game (5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 HR) and look generally flat...Russo is sharp, as he usually is against us
#31: WIN 12-3 ... 16 hits, including 7 2B and 2 HR...Casillas is excellent, but Stanley is awful in relief again (13.50 ERA)...Carillo hurt, report pending
#32: WIN 7-1 ... only 8 hits this time, but 5 are HR, which seems like a pretty good ratio...Hart goes 7 IP, gives up 4 H and 1 R

Carillo is diagnosed with a sore hamstring, which only slightly affects his running. He's already slow as molasses, so perhaps this won't matter? More concerning is that 2/3 of my outfield has months-long dtd injuries, which just means more sacrificial chickens sent to the basement.... RP Aldo Gouweleeuw and his 10+ ERA are packed off to KC, and we call up Zach Randolph for his second go-round on the island. You might recall Randolph threw 49 innings for us last year, racking up a sweet 7.11 ERA while allowing 2 HR and 4.2 BB per 9 IP. His first line this series: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 WP. Sigh.... The pen's ERA is down to 12th in the AL now, after a really nice start. Pat Stanley is moved from setup to middle relief, and Ricky Jimenez is moved into the #2 setup role. We'll see.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs have lost 8 in a row to fall to a league-worst 8-23, while Portland has lost six straight and is 9-20. Oakland has won six straight and is now in 2nd in the AL West. Guess who we host next?.... On paper, Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez should be a superstar: contact, gap power, great HR power, a stud fielder, and a speed demon with good baserunning instincts. In reality, he's indolent and unmotivated and has never hit over .253 in seven full seasons. This year, tho, he's been golden: .369/.434/1.188, with 14 HR, 11 SB, and a 3.0 WAR already.... And I'm very disappointed that the Cubs are no longer starting SS Jordan Cruz, who's lead the NL in strikeouts seven years running while batting leadoff. He has 11 K in 28 AB this year, which is an improvement.

May 6-9 vs OAKLAND
The first big rivalry series of 2041. The A's are 18-14, 8 games behind us, and riding a six-game winning streak. Just 11th in runs, and without the stacked lineup of years past, but C Vinny Vargas is having his usual big year: .351/7/22. CF Dale Condon is hitting .326. They're missing three starters (at 1B, 3B, and CF), and SP Tom DiFranco was lost for the year after just two starts. Overall, pitching has been so-so, but the starters ERA is 4th in the AL. Ricky Hose, a disaster of a person but an ace on the mound, has a wonderful 6:1 K-to-BB ratio. Despite their record, the clubhouse is unhappy, and 10th-year manager Robert Woodard has his hands full. (His pitchers hate him and his batters are mostly 'meh.') Finances and Futures: 13th in budget, 10th in payroll. Despite making the playoffs five years running, being a smaller budget team has probably hurt them down the years, and they've lost money four of those five years (and on pace to lose nearly $10M this year). Prospects rank 13th, with top guy Jaysen Moss already in the A's rotation. I really like OF Jordan Coronado, who's still a few years away.

HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-1, 5.72) / Eric Jones (6-0, 3.22) / Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.14) / Leon Casillas (6-1, 2.40)
OAK pitchers: Jaysen Moss (2-1, 3.96) / Chad Celli (1-2, 5.28) / Fernando Pena (1-1, 3.06) / Ricky Hose (4-2, 4.03)

#33: LOSS 3-4 ... Heine continues to struggle, giving up 11 H and 4 R in 6 IP...outhit 12-7
#34: WIN 5-1 ... Jones keeps on truckin', although he lasts just 5.2 IP...Yee tosses 2.2 IP to get his first MLB save...RP Steve Miller hurt
#35: LOSS 4-9 ... shades of last season, with the pen giving up 5 in the 9th to blow it...both Sanchez and Carillo get injured again
#36: WIN 15-8 ... well, when the pitching struggles, racking up 19 hits is still a good way to win a game...four HR helps too

INJURIES are mounting. Carillo has a more severe injury pending, while Sanchez keeps tweaking various parts of his legs. Now Dunklee has a one-week dtd injury. Can't sit him, tho. RP Steve Miller has a pending diagnosis as well.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit's won seven straight, surging to 22-12 and first in the Central. The Cubs have won one of their last ten, and are at rock bottom at 9-26.... Portland's Mat Quadrini, with 91 HR his last two years, is flailing along at .149/.252/.298, with 48 K in 114 AB.

May 10-12 vs CINCINNATI
Interleague play starts now, with a three-spot against the Reds. Currently sitting 23-14, second in the Central to St Louis, and are third in runs for and fourth in runs against. 1B Daniel Matias leads the attack at .309/8/25, and LF Tom Bilby is also hitting .300. The rotation is the second best in the NL right now, with Jarrod Kearns sporting a 2.17 ERA. Dan Remenowsky is the 12th-year manager. Oddly, owner Bobby Joslin is upset despite having all his team goals being met at the moment. Finances and Futures: 14th in team budget but 28th in player payroll. Only one player is making north of $10M, that being CF Pete Howarth, right at the ten mark. Prospects rank 3rd overall, with top rated Tony Vazquez on the big club. He got off to a great start (0.47 ERA in 3 starts), but is on the DL for the next couple of months.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (5-1, 4.07) / Billy Heine (2-2, 5.76) / Eric Jones (7-0, 3.00)
CIN pitchers: Jarrod Kearns (3-2, 2.17) / Justin Clark (1-1, 4.38) / Enrique Garcia (4-1, 3.19)

#37: LOSS 4-12 ... another stinker, with Hart giving up 12 H and 9 R...backups started tonight, but I can't blame them for this one
#38: WIN 2-1 ... three singles and a walk result in 2 runs in the 9th inning, and we pull this one out at the last minute...Heine throws his first good game of the year
#39: WIN 6-5 ... Groff's solo HR in the 8th breaks a tie and makes the difference...RP Stanley continues to blow up (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB)

Well, real injuries finally caught up with us: Carillo has a broken knee and is done for the season, and RP Miller has a torn back muscle and is gone for four months. OF Steve Hopkins and RP Ian Albring get the first crack at taking their places.... Our team in A ball, Eureka, is off to a 9-27 start.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit's now won 12 in a row, upping their record to 27-12. The Cubs have won 3 of 4, dropping Portland (10-27) to the worst record in the league.... Richmond's Rafael Maldonado is the hot pitcher of the moment: 6-2, 1.15 ERA, 76 K in 55 IP.... Arizona's Heriberto Martinez keeps hitting, and is leading the NL in HR, RBI, SB, OPS, and WAR.... Nobody is hitting .400 any longer, but Minny's Paul Foster is the closest, at .392.

May 14-16 vs ST LOUIS
Winners of 9 of their last 10, the Cards sit in first in the NL Central, at 27-12. Hitting has been superb, first in runs, AVG, OBP, and 2nd in HR. They're just 12th in runs against, but the rotation has been solid. RF Willie Guerra is carrying the power game, at .296/12/26. SS Erik Morgan is hitting .326 from the leadoff spot, and 1B Justin Wade leads the team with 28 RBI. 38-year-old C Devlin Ransberger is only hitting .263, but is closing in on 2000 hits and 500 HR. Expatriate SP Ken Clark is having his best year in a while, at 4-2, 3.21, and 57 K in 47 IP. Manager Orlando Lopez is in his fourth year, and the team has improved every year of his tenure. Finances and Futures: Budget is 14th, Payroll is 21st, but will probably change soon, what with every starter but one being under the age of 30. Prospects rank 14th, with three of the top five already in the bigs (two are starters: CF Steve Rutledge and 3B Nesty Arteaga).

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.31) / Leon Casillas (6-1, 3.10) / Rob Hart (5-2, 5.10)
STL pitchers: D.C. Weltman (3-2, 4.57) / Kasey Sikkema (5-3, 3.02) / Ken Clark (4-2, 3.21)

#40: LOSS 4-6 ... Messinger shines, but--this'll sound familiar--the pen blows it, yielding 4 runs in the 8th and 9th...Robertson dtd after an HBP
#41: WIN 10-7 ... it's our turn to rally, scoring 9 runs from the 6th on to take a wild one...Robertson tweaks his hip, will have to sit a bit now
#42: LOSS 2-4 ... Clark outpitches Hart (9 IP, 4 H, 10 K, but the loss)...aaaand we get another dtd injury

After a hot April (23-4), we've cooled off to 8-7 in May. Worse are the mounting nagging injuries: Sanchez's woes have been documented; add to them 2B Robertson (back and hip) for 4 more days, and OF Ian McGowan (concussion) for 6 days. John Canning will get some time vs RHP in place of Robertson, while McGowan will sit for Sanchez and one of Steve Hopkins or Dave White.... Worse still, the bullpen has fallen to 15th in AL ERA, while throwing the fewest innings in the league.... ELSEWHERE: Hot or Not: Milwaukee (9-1) and New Orleans (8-2) are Hot, while Portland and Cleveland (both 2-8) are Not.... Selfish gonna Selfish: the two hottest hitters in baseball are KC's 3B Juan Garcia (league best .390) and Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez (3.4 WAR, 18 HR). Both, however, hate everybody and are unpopular figures despite their obvious talents. Both teams are hovering around .500.... Here's your weekly checkup on Cubs SS Jordan Cruz: despite a brief tumble out of the lineup, Cruz is now back to batting leadoff for the now-terrible (13-28) Cubbies. He's a SS who is a career .205 hitter (4782 career AB). This year he's batting .108 with 29 K in 74 AB.

Bub13 · 03-31-2018, 10:01 AM

May 17-19 @ NEW ORLEANS
The defending champs got off to a slow-ish start (15-12 in April), but have now won 7 straight and are back in the race in the NL Central. Despite average batting numbers, they're 5th in the NL in runs. And they're pitching is a paean to depth: even with SIX pitchers on the DL, they are 3rd in runs against, and have a bullpen that makes me question my life choices, with three guys working an ERA below 2. SS Jose Rodriguez bats cleanup and is having a career start, at .338/.419/.548. This is a lineup without stars, as only 3B Dan Martin is ranked higher than 12th (positionally) by MLB. Last year's playoff hero Sam Thompson and 36-year-old retread Sean Reid lead the rotation. Manager Rolando Valles worked a 30-game turnaround last year (96 wins), and has everyone on the same page again this year. Finances and Futures: 34th in budget and payroll, these guys are a small market dream. Prospects rank first in baseball, with Rodriguez and three pitchers already in the bigs. They still have high hopes for 2039 #1 overall IF Josh Suprenant, but he's 23, still in A ball, and out for the season with a shoulder injury.

HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-2, 5.16) / Eric Jones (7-0, 3.26) / Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.21)
NOZ pitchers: Jake Marker (5-2, 3.71) / Sean Reid (4-2, 2.08) / Nate Schleicher (1-2, 5.46)

#43: WIN 7-3 ... 15 hits, including a double for SP Heine (along with 7 IP and 10 Ks)...OF McArthur hurt, diagnosis pending
#44: WIN 5-3 ... 14 more hits and a another strong outing from Jones, but we only win in with 3 in the 11th, thanks to RBI hits from Groff and Henkel
#45: WIN 1-0 ... the hits dried up (just 3 today), but Messinger is BIG TIME, scattering 4 hits in a complete game gem

A sweep is just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, the doc also brought along more injury news, this time that Travis McArthur will miss a month with a hamstring strain. I call up Ashton Gooding from KC to take his place. I thought about recalling Jonathan Spalding, who has better overall ratings than Gooding, but I like that Gooding can play OF and IF equally well, and with the recent rate of dtd injuries this club has had, I need that kind of versatility right now.... Three good starts from my rotation, but better news is encouraging signs from the bullpen. I spent big money on you guys this winter: don't make me regret it....
ELSEWHERE: Austin SS Bryan Rush made his big league debut by going 5-for-5 in a victory over Oakland.... Hot and Not: Yankees are working on an 8-2 stretch, while Portland is 1-9 and has the worst record in the bigs at 11-30.... Individual Spotlight: Austin OF Steve Colpo hit .429 in a brief callup late last year, but this season has been a drag so far. The 23-year-old is ranked the 21st overall prospect in MLB, but is hitting just .145 with no HR in 41 starts so far in 2041. He's an average fielder, but looks to be a solid hitter, should he find his groove. Austin is playing better even with his rough start: at 20-23, their .465 winning percentage would be their best in nearly a decade.

May 20-22 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX
A quick return home for a three-spot against the Sox, who at 19-25 are in 5th place in the AL Central. They're 8th in runs scored, despite sitting in 17th in AVG and 18th in OBP, largely thanks to an AL-2nd-best 69 HR. Catcher Dan Starr is the only legit, um, star, according to MLB, with a big bat and decent catching ability. But he's a big-time prima donna who only seems to turn it on every second or third season. Pitching is 13th in the league, with the pen outperforming the rotation by a fair stretch. Closer Stan Krueger is working a 1.80 ERA with 8 saves, while MR Les Crowley is humming along at 1.17. No one in the rotation has an ERA below 4. They currently have six players on the DL, including four pitchers. Manager Jose Ortiz has somehow clung to his job for eight years despite only one winning season and no playoffs. Finances and Futures: 25th in budget, 24th in payroll, with an owner who wants to cut the budget and increase profit (and who's UNHAPPY right now, to boot). Despite being a bottom-dwelling team for over a decade, their prospects only grade out as the 19th best: no pitchers look any good, and all of their hitters (outside of contact-and-glove OF Matt Powell) look like high power/low contact duds.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (6-1, 3.74) / Rob Hart (5-3, 4.95) / Billy Heine (3-2, 5.01)
CHW pitchers: Zach Setaro (1-5, 5.29) / Alex Arrieta (3-2, 5.46) / Max Stover (3-4, 4.38)

#46: WIN 12-1 ... 2 HR and 5 RBI from Mercedes, and 3 hits from Hopkins, now hitting .500 as a replacement
#47: LOSS 4-9 ... Hart looks terrible again, and RP Zack Randolph has given up runs in 3 of his 4 appearances
#48: WIN 7-4 ... teams combine for 6 HR, 18 H, and 6 errors in a sloppy outing...5 more RBI for Mercedes, and a decent start for Heine

No injuries and a full-time return to the lineup for Josh Robertson. CF Andy Sanchez continues to gimp along at .279, the lowest BA in my starting lineup, but he's been great in the field. Please don't get hurt worse, Andy.... Zack Randolph earns a ticket back to AAA with his shoddy pitching, and Ronnie Corgan gets the callup this time. He tossed 22 innings for us last year, with a 4.84 ERA and an 0-5 record, while also making three appearances in the field (at 2B, CF, and RF). He's 24, has more room to grow (so my scouts tell me), and looks decent on paper but has never impressed at the AAA or MLB level. Now's your chance, Ronbo.... ELSEWHERE: SD pitcher (and two-time defending Cy Young champ) Gary Florence was sitting at 1-3 with a 4.64 ERA on May 1st. In four starts since then he's gone 2-0, with 31 IP, 20 H, 5 R, 42 K, and just 1 BB.... STL let pitcher Joey Muhlenkamp go 10.1 innings in a losing effort in San Francisco. He allowed 10 hits and struck out 13.... Hot and Not: Philly's won 6 straight, and 8-2 in their last ten. Seattle is 2-8 recently. Two players are approaching 20-game hit streaks, but let's see if they get there first before I out them.... Individual Spotlight: Manager Mike Johns is closing in on his 900th career victory, all with the Blue Jays. He's a two-time coach of the year, and won the World Series in 2035. He was a batting coach for seventeen years with the A's, Indians, Dodgers, and Jays, before getting promoted to the top spot for Toronto in 2032.

May 24-26 @ DETROIT
The defending AL champs are strong again, leading the Central at 30-17. Pitching is good (5th in runs against), but hitting is leading the way, at 2nd in runs and 1st in HR. CF Cameron Kerr and SS Cory Hopkins are out with injuries, but everyone else is chipping in, led by LF John Sheets (.301/13/45) and RF Roberto Rivera (.317/7/31). Last year's HR champ C.J. Lee is hitting 50 points below his career average, but has added 10 HR. Closer Alex Castaneda, maybe the best in the game, already has 16 saves and sports a 1.80 ERA. Italian manager Francesco Miani is in his sixth year, and owner Mike Ilitch, Jr. is in his 86th year. Finances and Futures: 6th highest budget and 12th biggest payroll. They're profitable and have tons of room to makes moves at the trade deadline. Prospects rank 2nd in MLB, with Sheets being the only top prospect already in the bigs. Seven of their top ten prospects are pitchers, and all have potential to be solid big leaguers. This is a well-run organization that is just churning out kids right now.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (7-0, 3.19) / Mike Messinger (5-1, 2.77) / Leon Casillas (7-1, 3.48)
DET pitchers: Alex Gomez (4-2, 3.49) / Alex de la Roca (5-2, 4.56) / Lance Hansen (3-3, 5.17)

#49: LOSS 2-7 ... 11 hits for each team, and Mercedes hits his 17th HR, but Jones throws his first stinker and Yee his first bad relief outing...Sanchez hurt again
#50: WIN 7-2 ... Dunklee works his power stroke for two HR and 5 RBI...Messinger allows 3 H and 4 BB through 6, and Corgan is solid in his first outing for the save
#51: LOSS 3-9 ... we put 18 runners on but can only score 3...Casillas struggles, as does Stanley (again) in relief...ugh

Well, not what I was hoping for, as our pitching let us down in both losses. Hitting held up, but we couldn't score runs when we needed them.... Sanchez suffers yet another leg injury, leading me to shut him down for now, and placing him on the 11-day DL. Not sure what I'm going to do to replace him yet, as we're getting low on decent minor-league OF now.... With Sanchez on the DL, all three of my projected opening day OF starters are on out: Carillo, Sanchez, McArthur. T-Mac is due back in three weeks, and I hope Sanchez will be back for the stretch drive. Carillo is done for the year. I now have four OF on the roster who started the season on the DL or in AAA: Ian McGowan, Steve Hopkins, Ashton Gooding, and Dave White. This is less than thrilling.... Casillas, signed for five more seasons, is now in his second season of extreme hot-and-cold pitching. He's just turned 31, but has eight straight seasons of over 200 IP. Let's hope he's not near the end of the line.... ELSEWHERE: KC's Juan Garcia continues to light up AL pitching to the tune of .397, with TB's Tim Ost enjoying a .383 line.... Minny's Dave Holbrook now has a 22-game hit streak.... Hot and Not: Washington is riding a 5-game winning streak, while Montreal is 1-9 of late, dropping them to 19-30 overall.... Individual Spotlight: Toronto 1B Preston Sorensen is nearly 34, and having a down year (.268/7/19), but has been perhaps the best hitter in baseball over the last decade. His 162-game averages are .308/44/117 and an 8.0 WAR. He's nearing 400 HR and 1700 hits, and has 71 WAR in his 10 seasons. He's signed through next year, and if the Jays don't sign the native Ontarian, we may see a good old-fashioned Canadian riot next year. Fun times.

May 27-29 @ MINNESOTA
Once again battling the Tigers at the top of the Central (they've finished 1st or 2nd in 6 of the last 8 years). Hitting is only slightly above AL average (although OPB is outpacing every other stat). Pitching is 2nd in the league, however, with the best rotational ERA in the AL and the 4th best bullpen. Paul Foster has been the go-to guy at the plate, at .356/10/34, and Peanuts Carter has added 9 HR and 32 RBI. The only pitcher having a standout early summer has been SP Ben Martin (6-2, 3.28 ERA), but he's done for the season after suffering an elbow injury two days ago. Manager Jose Mateo has been at the helm since 2024 and is six wins away from 1800. Finances and Futures: 10th in budget and 8th in payroll. Owner Adam Thompson wants big profit, and has cut the budget from 196M to 146M over the past two seasons. Prospects, however, are ranked 35th, and no one looks like a bona fide big leaguer outside of #5 guy SP Kyle Hoots, who looks like a back-end starter at best.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (5-4, 5.69) / Billy Heine (4-2, 4.88) / Eric Jones (7-1, 3.53)
MIN pitchers: Lawrence Teklu (1-1, 3.38) / Brett McGee (1-1, 1.91) / Dave Harpold (5-3, 4.99)

#52: WIN 7-4 ... a four-run 6th breaks open a 3-3 tie, spurred by Hunter's 2-run double...Hart gives up 2 HR but gets the win, and Kieffer earns his 20th save
#53: LOSS 2-11 ... somehow Heine survives an 8-run first inning, and gives up 12 H and 10 R over 5 IP. Oy...Nothing else to see here
#54: LOSS 1-3 ... Jones throws six solid innings, but comes out and the pen blows it up again, losing the game in a 3-hit, 2-run 7th

The bullpen is causing me more and more pains as the season goes along. I may have to put myself on the DL.... With three OF on the DL, I sign free agent Joel Courtney for the rest of the season. Courtney is 33, a ten-year veteran, and a good fielder and runner. He's a contact hitter, a .291 career batter, who hit .297 in 109 games with San Diego last year. He just has to stay healthy and hit at or near his average to be a plus in the lineup.... ELSEWHERE: Yankees RF Tony Flores has 23 HR, on pace for 72. I'm pulling for you, Tony.... Dave Holbrook's 22-game streak came to an end, but Portland's Miguel Esqueda is working on his own 21-game thread now.... Individual Spotlight: SP Jay Russo is toiling in his 8th season for the hapless Astros. The 2037 Cy Young winner, now 29, is having what could be a career year: 1st in K, 2nd in ERA, and 7-2 on a sub-.500 team. In the off-season he signed a four-year extension, and is a bargain at $18M per year. Plus, he just kills us: he has 3 career shutouts, and I'd swear they have all come against us. I hate him.

Bub13 · 04-01-2018, 07:49 PM

May 30-31, June 1-2 @ TEXAS
Fifth place in the division, just behind LA and ahead of Seattle. Also fifth in runs scored, with above average hitting across the board, but pitching has been the bugaboo so far. 2B Gabriel Gallegos is hitting .341, and 3B J.J. Dean .322. Power guys Nate Lobdell and Callum Hewitt have combined for 23 HR, but are also only hitting at combined .205. They're next-to-last in runs allowed, however, with only Edgar Ulloa (4-3, 2.80) pitching anywhere near league average. They do have four relievers on the DL, which isn't helping things. Finances and Futures: 32nd in budget and 31st in payroll. They don't spend money, and don't win many games, but they make money for owner Ray Davis, so he's happy at least. Prospects do rank 6th in baseball, with Hewitt the #1 guy in the game. He's only 21 and has room to grow, but looks to have a tremendous power stroke. Pitcher Jonathan Bell is currently in the Rangers bullpen, but figures to grow into a decent starter one day.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (6-1, 2.66) / Leon Casillas (7-2, 4.01) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.57) / Billy Heine (4-3, 5.80)
TEX pitchers: Edgar Ulloa (4-3, 2.80) / Julio Roca (2-7, 5.83) / Jeff Sullivan (1-5, 7.14) / Alex Mares (4-3, 4.58)

#55: WIN 21-3 ... 16 H + 10 BB = 21 runs. Wow...5 hits for Robertson, who also knocks in 5, along with Groff...Messinger also Ks 10 in 6.2 IP...OF Hopkins injured
#56: WIN 5-2 ... a Groff triple and Henkel double key a 3-run 8th and the win...Casillas pitches well, just 2 R over 7 IP
#57: LOSS 8-9 ... a 3-run 9th puts us up, but Kieffer gives up a bottom-of-the-9th grand slam and we go home unhappy
#58: WIN 8-3 ... Gooding gets 3 hits and 2 RBI, with a double and a HR...Heine goes a decent 5 IP and Stanley tosses 4 solid innings for the save

Steve Hopkins becomes our 4th outfielder on the DL, out with back spasms. He's gone for six weeks. Jonathan Spalding gets the callup, and we're down to 2nd string AAA players in the outfield now.... But they are hitting well so far: McGowan .323, Courtney .412, and Gooding .300.... A ball Eureka is now 14-41, season pretty much over. Probably no changes coming until after the draft, when I can refigure some of the lower level rosters, and maybe even pick up some castoffs from other teams.... ELSEWHERE: Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez, the hottest player in the NL through two months, is out for five weeks with a broken foot.... Hot and Not: no team is really hot right now, but New Orleans has now dropped 10 straight... Individual Spotlight: As stated above, Rangers OF Callum Hewitt is the #1 prospect in baseball. Number two is Atlanta pitcher Jose Gutierrez, a scouting discovery from 2037. The 20-year-old Dominican is already on the big club, and is a solid back-end starter. He looks to develop into one of the top pitchers in the game soon, with an elite slider and above average curve and fastball. In 12 starts this year, he's 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA, and 65 K in 75 IP.

June 3-4 vs LA ANGELS
Currently 27-32, fourth place in the West. 12th in runs scored and 11th in runs against, with OBP (7th) and bullpen ERA (8th) the only decent stats. RF Chris Bateman is hitting .320 as an injury replacement, but no one else is hitting over .269. Ace Jeff Caraway is having a good season, as is 5th starter George O'Toole; we'll see both in these two games. Andy Raaff is the second-year manager, and is the only Dutchman leading an MLB team. Finances and Futures: 17th budget, 20th in payroll. Several losing seasons have hurt fan interest, but they're willing to spend and have a number of young players already on the team that bode well for the future. All those youngsters on the big team means the farm is a bit depleted, and they rank 23rd in MLB. The top player is 17-year-old Emmanuel Garcia, toiling in the international complex. He looks like a classic five-tool guy, maybe not an all-time great, but a future star in the making.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (7-1, 3.34) / Mike Messinger (7-1, 2.67)
LAA pitchers: George O'Toole (3-2, 2.35) / Jeff Caraway (6-4, 2.97)

#59: LOSS 2-7 ... Jones is chased early, as we're down 6-0 after three...Robertson goes 4-for-4, now hitting .362; Henkel hits his 13th HR
#60: WIN 3-0 ... Messinger scatters 2 hits through 8 IP, strking out 10...Dunklee's 3-run HR paces the offense

No more injuries, so there's that.... Robertson nets a Player of the Week honor, batting .556 last week.... Through 60 games we're 42-18, 8 games ahead of Oakland.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego has four starting pitchers in the top ten of NL ERA, the best being Aaron Armstrong leading the league at 1.78. They have the league-best starters ERA, but 16th ranked bullpen ERA, meaning their GM must be just as frustrated and confounded as I am.... Hot and Not: the Dodgers have ridden an 8-2 run to first place in the NL West.... Three Cubs batters are killing their offense: Alex Castillo, Jordan Cruz, and Zach Huber are hitting a combined 12-for-136 in the last few weeks, with 3 HR and 48 K.

June 6-9 vs SEATTLE
Sitting in last place at 22-37, little has gone right so far for the Mariners. Offense ranks 11th or worse, and pitching is 14th in runs against, with the starters ERA at 17th. DH Enrique Cervantes has been the team's best hitter, at .273/14/35, and last year's AL MVP Mike Wapner is hitting .301, and is just back from a 3-week stint on the DL. In the rotation, only Aaron Myers has an ERA below 5 (and he's at 4.96), and only two relievers are having above average seasons. This is the second series between the two teams: we swept them in Seattle in April.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (8-2, 3.89) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.71) / Billy Heine (5-3, 5.66) / Eric Jones (7-2, 3.49)
SEA pitchers: Amir Farland (3-6, 5.79) / Aaron Burton (1-4, 5.21) / Aaron Myers (2-7, 4.96) / Sean Easter (5-5, 5.03)

#61: WIN 7-4 ... Dunklee's 3-run shot in the 2nd and 3 more hits from Robertson stake us to an early 7-1 lead, and Casillas scatters 7 hits with no BB (and 7 K)
#62: WIN 9-6 ... Henkel's 3-run HR in the 10th caps a 7-run comeback, pretty rare for us...Hart's shaky season continues: 10 K but 8 H and 6 R in 6 IP...Groff hurt tho
#63: LOSS 4-12 ... as long as he throws like today, I will never stop saying "Heine is butt"...15 H over 5.2 IP, great for a $23.2M starter...Mercedes with 2 more HR
#64: WIN 3-2 ... Henkel drives in his 57th of the season to win it in the 8th...Jones is good through 6, and Yee tosses 2 scoreless innings for his 4th win

Two more injuries in this series, but at least they're both dtd: Groff and Dunklee, each for a week. Dunklee's is a bit more serious, so I might move him out of the lineup some this week. Groff moved to DH, since his issue is throwing, and we need his bat. In other injury news, we're also a week away from getting McArthur back in RF.... It's feast of famine in the rotation: Casillas, Jones, and especially Messinger continue to throw well, but Hart and Heine are really fighting it. Hart's ERA is up to 5.83 now, Heine to 6.15. Heine is grossly overpaid for what he's bringing us right now, and I'd consider moving him if I could, but I doubt anyone would take that contract for another year; plus, he's 33. He may just be done.... We completed the draft just now, and it was thoroughly unimpressive. I'll put up a report in the next post.... ELSEWHERE: Yankees OF Tony Flores went nutty in May with 14 HR; he's added five more this month and leads the majors with 28. He hit 30 in 308 AB last year, and has done his damage in 236 AB this year. He's a big (6'3") switch-hitting RF with a huge power bat and all the speed of a dried slug.... Hot and Not: Cubs closer Fernanda Alameda hasn't allowed a run in his last 18 appearances, adding 13 saves over that stretch. Sadly, Cleveland starter Tyler Holman is 0-4 in his last six starts, with an ERA over 10.... Individual Spotlight: It was a coup for Richmond when they nabbed pitcher Rafael Maldonado in free agency for the bargain bin price of $14M (although it does jump to $21M in a few seasons). The 26-year-old was coming off a five year stint in Montreal where he'd racked up 32 WAR, over 11 K/9, and a nearly 6-to-1 K-to-BB ratio. So it's hardly surprising to see him off to such a hot start: 13 GP, 2.16, 87 IP, 116 K, 19 BB, 4.3 WAR. The Eagles are struggling, at just .500 through 64 games, but it's not Maldonado's fault.

Next up: Draft and organizational prospects review.

Bub13 · 04-01-2018, 07:57 PM

2041 Draft

The obvious downside to winning comes on draft day. On top of picking near the bottom of the first round, thanks also to a record 20 supplemental first round picks, our second selection didn't come until 76th. I know: boo hoo, take your trophies and go home.

Looking over the players that were chosen in the first, I don't see any real sleepers. I suppose OF John Arrington, taken by Atlanta at #15, could fit the bill: great runner and good fielder, but just average at the plate. His intangibles should really help him out, but he is already 22. On the other hand, there were some real head scratchers, such as OF Jesse Lewis (San Diego, #30). Another strong runner, and good in the field (but with a weak arm), his hitting looks no better than minor league to me. He's also 22, so pretty far along the developmental curve already. The real tragedy comes at #2, tho: 3B Jason Neighbors, taken by the perenially craptacular Astros. He looks to me like a guy who may hit .270 with 25 HR, but only in a good year. He looks lost in the field, and can't run worth a nickel. On top of that, his INT and WE are terribly low. Time will tell.

Now on to our picks. Thanks to my usual impatience with the end of the draft, some time over the winter I traded away a raft of lower picks, meaning we were done after round 24. Thank goodness.

Round 1, 24th overall: CL Rick Ramirez, 21, Oklahoma State. I'm not fond of taking relievers with high picks, but Ramirez was clearly the best player available. Like most kids, his control has some catching up to do, but he's already good enough to start in A ball, at the least. Good work ethic will help, too.

Round 2, 76th overall: P Chris Sanborn, 19, high school. Frankly, as a pitcher he looks a little fringe-y to me, like a AAAA guy. But he's got real talent with the bat: nothing that stands out, but solid starter material. Problem is, he has no talent for defense. So he's likely a 1B/DH guy once he signs. Intangibles are solid. Probably starts in rookie ball.

Round 3, 107th overall: P Dustin Barton, 18, high school. Another guy, like Sanborn, who could end up playing anywhere. Has better pitching potential than Sanborn, so I may at least start him off there. But his hitting looks even better than his draftmate, and he's a better fielder (at least with range and an arm; iron glove, however). He could find himself pitching and playing in the outfield in rookie ball this summer, if I manage him right.

Round 4, 140th overall: SS J.J. Simmons, 19, high school. A little guy (5'8", 160) that I'm really high on. He's a real throwback to middle infielders of yore (well, at least the 70s) -- great fielder, terrific arm, some speed, good contact, but no power at all, and very little patience at the plate. He may never be more than a useful utility IF, but I'm hopeful he'll be more than that.

Round 4, 142nd overall: P Ryan Berridge, 20, UCLA. Groundballer and junkball thrower, with a good cutter and change. Not the greatest stuff, and doesn't look like a future big leaguer, to be honest. But he's a demon hard worker, so worth chancing on him overdeveloping. Strictly bullpen, with no third pitch.

Round 5, 178th overall: 1B Matt Hefty, 20, West Florida. He's 6'5", 220#, and named Hefty. How could I resist? Future 1B/DH, with some speed but no baserunning skills. Hitting looks average, with a bit of pop. Was a 7th round pick by STL last year but didn't sign.

Round 5, 187th overall: P Nick Kramer, 19, high school. Listed as a catcher, but with average plate skills and below average defense, I moved him to the mound. Looks like a mid-level relief pitcher, who will need a boost or two to see the big club. Since I apparently have zero ability to develop catchers, making the switch was a no brainer.

There's not much left to tell among the rest of our picks. Rounding out the top ten were guys with some bright spots but also obvious flaws that need to be corrected or overcome. Pitchers Jason Ackerman and Bernardo Lujan, infielders Isidro Vidal and Kevin Jacobsen, and OF Danny Simmons all have potential. But it's just as likely you'll never hear from them again. Lujan may not end up signing with me since he wants a large bonus, and my owner is balking at paying for it right now.

......

Prospect Overview
Thanks to a number of graduations, our minor league system now ranks 22nd (out of 36). Two players rank in the top 100. Nobody really stands out as a future all-star, but there is some nice potential swirling around down there.

1. P Cam Bornhoft, 24, MLB 27th overall. Last year's #2 prospect for us, he's still trying to make it work in AAA. Having a good season so far (11 starts, 3.04 ERA). Still looks like a back-end starter, with good stuff but only so-so movement. Brings four solid pitchers, with his curve (odd, given his low movement) easily his best pitch. Only hits 91 mph on the gun, however, so I'm not sure how much upside he really has. Made 9 appearances on the island last year, resulting in a 4.93 ERA in 38.1 IP.

2. P Taylor Barnett, 22, MLB 78th overall. A first rounder from my soon-to-be-horribly-disappointing 2039 draft. Better movement than Bornhoft, but less stuff and control. Bring five decent pitches, hits 97 mph. Like Bornhoft, a lefty, so that will earn him more of a look than it might otherwise. Struggling with control in AA this season. There's no rush on him, but he needs to start showing me something soon.

3. P Frank Soto, 25, MLB 113th overall. Came over from the Dodgers last December as part of Operation Rebuild the Bullpen. Has decent ratings, but only a reliever's stamina (9 of 20). Elite changeup, keeps the ball down. Has been just adequate in AAA, but looks decent enough to earn a callup come September, or if injuries strike the rotation.

4. OF Pedro Cepeda, 22, MLB 149th overall. Acquired via trade from STL in 2038, I had hopes of him developing into a big power bat, which hasn't happened. Now in his third season in our system, he missed half of last year due to injury. He's put together a good season so far, batting .370 with 8 HR (on pace for 22) in AAA. Has decent speed, and a cannon arm, but is otherwise just frightful in the field. He'll probably earn a look in September, but I'm not high on him right now, and it might be better for me to consider trading him while his value is still high.

5. OF Jim Klein, 21, MLB 176th overall. Last year's 1st round pick, he's struggling to hit in AA right now. Has solid potential across the board, excepting only in HR power. Good range projects him as a CF, and he could start one day in the not-too-distant future. Currently injured (torn meniscus) for two months.

Also keep an eye on...
...OF Salvador Higareda, 22. His batting potential looks seriously underwhelming, but my scouts tell me to bring him to the bigs right now. Gold Glove potential in the field, and has dynamite intangibles. It's just that...he can't hit. Still, he'll get a look in September at least, or maybe sooner if my outfielders keep dropping like flies.
...OF/IF Ashton Gooding, 23. Currently in MLB due to injuries. Decent hitter, with more than a little power, his true value lies in his versatility. Equally adept (and quite good, really) across the outfield and the infield, if he hits at all he'll be incredibly useful. Also has some pitching talent.

......

Minor League Standings:
AAA -- Kansas City, 29-23, 2nd, 2 GB
AA -- Lewiston, 31-24 2nd, 2 GB
A -- Eureka, 18-44, 6th, 24 GB

Bub13 · 04-04-2018, 08:09 PM

June 10-12 @ MONTREAL
Our passports are in order as we're off to Montreal for another round of interleague play. The Expos are 29-35, 10 games out of first, but are 7-3 in their last ten. They're scoring a lot of runs (2nd in NL), but are giving them up in bunches (14th) as well. Interesting tho that their run diff is zero (306/306). As usual, 3B Matt Anderson is leading the offense (.323/20/59), with support from SS Bobby Moore (.261/13/50). 1B Luis Ruiz has 14 HR, but is on the DL for two more weeks. Pitching has been a strong suit for the Expos for years, but free agency has gutted the rotation. Ruben Villasenor has been their best pitcher by far, in his 11th year, but will probably be leaving as well this fall. Michael Ryan is the manager, in his 11th year with the team. Reports say the team is 'content,' but rumors say that he's lost the locker room, and the team leaders have tuned him out. Finances and Futures: 24th budget, 23rd payroll. Owner T.J. Reid is also upset, with attendance down and his desire for profit going down the tubes. Prospects rank 33rd in the league, with top guy Nate Hart at #100. He looks to be average at best. Cuban 3B Frank Acevedo looks decent, with nice power, but brings nothing else.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (8-1, 2.42) / Leon Casillas (9-2, 3.79) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.83)
MTL pitchers: Ryan Sorrow (2-6, 5.27) / Dorian Zimmerman (3-2, 2.98) / Ruben Villasenor (6-3, 3.25)

#65: LOSS 0-3 ... Sorrow holds us to 3 H, outpitching Messinger's decent start
#66: WIN 6-0 ... our turn for the shutout: Casillas scatters 4 hits in a complete game, and Henkel drives in two more with a pair of hits
#67: WIN 10-0 ... yet another shutout, this time helped by Mercedes' four hits and four RBI...Hart has his best game of the year, but gets lifted in the 9th, oddly

Very nice, even the loss was well pitched, we just ran into a hot pitcher. I still don't understand why you pull the starting pitcher with 2 outs in the 9th in a 10-0 win. Who knows.... We're 47-20 now, 9.5 games up on Oakland.... With the win, Casillas is the first pitcher to reach 10 wins.... ELSEWHERE: Miami has made their usual early-summer run to the top of the AL East, which will shortly be followed by a gradual decline to somewhere around a .500 record.... Hot and Not: Portland 1B Mat Quadrini, two years removed from a 53 HR season, has been a disaster this year: batting .160 with 98 K in 237 AB. Our own Alexis Mercedes is batting .500 in his last ten games. Individual Spotlight: Expos 3B Matt Anderson, fresh off going 4-for-8 against us, has been a lights-out hitter for nearly a decade now. His career average is .330, and he's topped 200 hits each of the last six seasons, and also reached 50 HR in 2038. He'll be 33 in a month, so it'll be interesting to see how long he can keep it going. And to give you the full picture of the man, he's also one of the worst fielding 3B you'll ever see. He only makes about 10 errors a season, but that's because he's nearly immobile at the position. Plus, his ZR and EFF usually rank at or near the bottom each year. His hitting more than makes up for it, tho.

June 14-16 @ CHICAGO CUBS
Currently in last at 29-38, looking at possibly their first losing season since 2032. They're hitting a lot of home runs (89, 4th in the NL), but they're 13th in runs scored and 16th in runs against. Leadoff hitter Jordan Cruz (I talk about him all the time) is batting .113 with 82 K in 177 AB. WOW. 1B Willie Jaramillo has 105 K in 246 AB. At least LF Oscar Sandoval is present, batting .319/23/55, and 2B Mark Hoger is hitting .286. Closer Fernando Alameda is the only pitcher doing well so far, with a 2.25 ERA and 17 saves. Two former closers for us--Jack Shewmake and Jay Yates--are on the DL and haven't pitched at all this year. Alexis Lara is the first-year manager, in his first big league job (coming off two years managing Boston's DSL farm team). Finances and Futures: 2nd in budget and payroll, but staring at losing over $20M, which has owner Chris Woodrum worried. I'd be worried too, given the odd lineup choices his manager makes. Prospects rank 30th, with pitcher DJ Evans their top guy; but he's 26, in AAA, and out until September. Their #2 guy is a 25-year-old pitcher stuck in AA, so maybe ranking these guys #30 is being a bit generous.

HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (5-4, 6.15) / Eric Jones (7-2, 3.45) / Mike Messinger (8-2, 2.36)
CHC pitchers: Danny Zarate (3-5, 4.05) / Bryan Melstrom (4-6, 3.83) / Scott Kopetsky (4-5, 5.27)

#68: WIN 3-1 ... Groff's single in the 7th drives home the winning run...3 hits apiece for Robertson and Courtney, and 10 K in 6 IP for Heine
#69: WIN 3-2 ... Hunter is the hero tonight with a 5th-inning single to make the difference...Jones throws a strong 7, and five relievers close it out for the win
#70: LOSS 8-9 ... 3 runs in the 14th win the ga-- oh, 4-run bottom half kills the buzz, as Albring is hammered for the whole schmeer

Dang, almost had the sweep. The pen had been pitching much better of late too.... Still playing well, tho, now at 49-21, and about to get healthier: Groff and Dunklee's dtd injuries are done, and McArthur will be off the DL in two days.... Mercedes leads the AL with 4.3 WAR and 1.145 OPS.... ELSEWHERE: Brooklyn pitcher T.J. Bohanan has given up 2 ER in his last three starts, 20 IP.... Padres 2B Tony Solar leads with majors with a .370 average, including 25 doubles (and just 5 walks in 254 AB).... Hot and Not: the Mets have won four straight and pulled out a 4.5 game lead over Brooklyn in the NL East; Washington is 4-10 in June and has dropped to the bottom of the division. Cleveland is now at the bottom of the league barrel, on an 8-game losing streak and a record of 24-46.... Individual Spotlight: Twins 3B Paul Foster has been a fixture at third for ten seasons, a career .295 hitter averaging nearly 35 HR a season. He's on pace for his second consecutive 40-HR season and a 9.8 WAR, while batting .347. He also has just 4 doubles, and could be on the way to his second career season of single-digit doubles.

June 17-19 vs PITTSBURGH
The dynasty of the 2030s, the Pirates missed the playoffs for two seasons before rebounding with 91 wins last year. Currently they're 35-34, treading water and 6.5 games behind the Cardinals. Twelfth in runs scored and 7th in BA, but they're top three batters--Brendan Glenn, Mike Blough, and Jordan Shields, all perennial all-stars--are on the DL. CF Larry Kendall and two relief pitchers are also out. SS Danny Diaz (.265/14/47) is holding down the offense by himself right now. Pitching is 14th in the NL, with the bullpen faring worse than the rotation. No one is covering themselves in glory on the staff right now. David Wallace is the fourth-year manager, and he's not making dynasty-desiring owner Robert Nutting happy. Not at all. Finances and Futures: 25th in budget, 18th highest payroll, and on pace to lose nearly $20M. Prospects rank dead last, 36th. SP Robert Montoya ranks 108th, but looks to have a decent future. 3B D.J. Flores looks real: great contact and power, decent in the field, and great intangibles. One to watch. (Although I'd also love to see pitcher Sincere Brown take off and become a decent big leaguer.)

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (10-2, 3.44) / Rob Hart (7-4, 5.31) / Billy Heine (6-4, 5.83)
PIT pitchers: Mike Flynn (4-6, 4.34) / Franklin Sanchez (3-2, 4.46) / Daniel White (5-2, 3.82)

#71: WIN 10-5 ... three HR for guys named Diaz (one for our Guillermo, two for their Danny)...Casillas goes 7, wins his 11th
#72: LOSS 1-5 ... Hart throws a complete game: why?...two hits and an RBI for Dunklee, no one else shows up
#73: WIN 7-6 ... the bullpen tries hard to blow it, giving up NINE hits and four runs late...what doofus lets two relievers stay in while the other five sit and watch?

I don't manage the games, so maybe I should keep my trap shut, but bullpen management this year has been atrocious. Why have seven guys available if you're going to just go with one guy until he blows your game for you? That last game was ugly all around: three errors, and outhit 15-11. Only four XBH in a crazy six-run sixth won it.... Sigh. At 51-22 I should just shut up. It's not in my nature to be perfectly happy, tho.... ELSEWHERE: Cleveland fired manager Jose Jimenez after a 24-48 start. He was in his fifth season, and had done little with the team after guiding them to 91 wins his rookie year of 2037. His replacement is Jose "Who?" Ariza last seen as the pitching coach of the Grand Junction Rockies in the Pioneer League, two years ago.... Hot and Not: The Cardinals have lost six straight, dropping their lead over Cincy to four games.... Another look-in at Padres pitcher Gary Florence, NL Mr Cy Young Two-Years-Running: after a 1-3/4.64 April, here are his stats in his ten starts since: 7-1, 76 IP, 48 H, 87 K, 3 BB. Yes, THREE WALKS IN 76 INNINGS. Who does that?.... Individual Spotlight: 1B Benjamin Worley was signed as an international free agent in the spring of 2038 by the Rangers. He was 31 and coming off an amazing nine-year run in Japanese ball where he was MVP six times, a six-time Glove Wizard winner, among others. He had seasons of 81, 76, 69, and 68 home runs. He was supposed to be the cornerstone of a rebuild in Texas, yet was traded to Milwaukee by the all-star break, for two no-hoper prospects. Since playing in 129 games his rookie season, he's been in 98, 84, and 37 games (this year). Yesterday he suffered a broken elbow and his done for the year. He's hit 85 HR in 348 games since coming back to the bigs, but to say he's been a disappointment would be a major understatement. Milwaukee dropped from 91 wins in '39 to 71 last year, and despite sitting at 42-30 right now, losing Worley will have to hurt their chances moving forward.

Bub13 · 04-07-2018, 12:01 PM

June 21-23 @ LA ANGELS
Our third go-round with the Angels: we split two earlier this month, and swept them in four back in April. Sitting at 35-39, 16.5 games behind us, and about mid-pack stats-wise (11th in runs for, 8th in runs against). Youngsters Juan Rodriguez (SS) and Tony Mendoza (3B) look great on paper but aren't standing out this season, and injuries (starting 1B and 3 of top 4 OF) have hurt as well. Second in defensive eff, tho, and staff ace Jeff Caraway, at 33, is having another solid year.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (8-2, 3.38) / Mike Messinger (8-2, 2.61) / Leon Casillas (11-2, 3.47)
LAA pitchers: Jeff Caraway (8-5, 3.05) / Adam Pereira (1-8, 6.44) / Leonardo Vigil (5-3, 4.52)

#74: WIN 6-1 ... Groff's two-run shot in the 8th salts it away, and Joel Courtney is now hitting .424...Jones goes 6.2, gives up 1 run with 5 K and no walks
#75: WIN 6-1 ... Groff, Mercedes, and Henkel homer, Courtney with two more hits...Messinger yields just two hits through 7, with 9 K
#76: LOSS 4-7 ... Jimenez gives up three in the 8th for the loss...Casillas was meh, giving up 10 H and 4 R through 7

Disappointed with that last game, esp with Casillas pitching, but I'll still take 2 out of 3 wins every time.... We're still ten up on Oakland.... My "next in line" SP in AAA, Cam Bornhoft, is out for the season with shoulder inflammation. Stay healthy, everyone. Please.... ELSEWHERE: Ty Cobb has been hitting of late, getting his avg to .294, and recently passed Eddie Collins and Paul Molitor to move into 9th place in career hits (3329). No other active player is in the top 100.... Hot and Not: Seattle is losing touch with everyone else, at 4-17 in June, and has the worst record in MLB (25-51). St. Louis still leads their division, but a 2-8 stretch has that down to just a game over the Reds.... Individual Spotlight: Let's roll back the clock and take the first of several upcoming looks at retired players who will be first-time eligibles for the Hall of Fame this winter. First up: Brendan Rogers [see stats below]. The infielder enjoyed a 21-year career, was a 5-time all-star, and won an MVP (in '24 with Houston), a Gold Glove, and a World Series in '34 with the Giants. Injuries and subpar late-career hitting kept him from reaching the 3000-hit plateau, but he still amassed over 2700 hits, along with 420 steals, 347 home runs, and a career WAR of 81.3. It's hard to say where these numbers rank him among his peers at any position, since he played 1095 games at second, 808 at third, and 778 at short. He played mostly second and third in his prime with Houston. And, as you can see below, some metrics put him in the Hall, while others do not. What say you? Hall of Fame, or Hall of Pretty Good?

June 24-27 vs HOUSTON
Second series vs the 'stros: we took 3 of 4 from them in May. Currently in third in the division, at 39-38, which is a vast improvement over the normal state of affairs. (One winning season in the last 16, fyi.) The bats are struggling, as they're 16th in runs, 17th in average and HR. Sixth in runs against, with the 3rd best bullpen and best team defense. Jefferson McKenzie (.264/17/38) and Bruce Calhoon (.305/14/46) lead the offense, and Jay Russo is by far the staff ace. Closer Brent Philbrick has 19 saves and a 0.80 ERA.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (7-5, 5.28) / Billy Heine (7-4, 5.65) / Eric Jones (9-2, 3.22) / Mike Messinger (9-2, 2.43)
HOU pitchers: John Fox (5-6, 4.30) / Nelson Gonzalez (4-9, 5.01) / Khalil Palmer (6-4, 3.99) / Jay Russo (8-2, 3.02)

#77: WIN 5-4 ... Ethan Bradshaw hit his 2nd HR of the game to tie it in the 9th, but Courtney doubles home Robertson in the bottom half for the win...solid start for Hart
#78: WIN 4-3 ... Bradshaw hits another one, but Henkel is the hero this time, with a 2-run single in the 7th...Heine is not butt for once, and Kieffer picks up his 28th save
#79: WIN 3-0 ... Jones allows just two runners--both hits--over 8 innings, and Mercedes (26) and McArthur (8) homer...Courtney and Groff pick up dtd injuries tho
#80: WIN 1-0 ... little-used backup Dave White is the hero, with a 10-inning walk-off solo HR...Messinger goes 6, allows no runs, and Yee and Tanner close out with four good innings

Well that just destroyed Houston's weekend vacation to Hawaii, didn't it. Those injuries to Groff and Courtney worried me at first, but they're just dtd. Groff's is shoulder trouble, so I move him to DH and Henkel out to left, where he's fairly terrible, tbh. OF/IF Ashton Gooding will get a week at third to show what he's got. Courtney will sit every other game (particularly against lefties) while he heals, but I want to keep his hot bat in the lineup, so I'm rolling the dice on him.... ELSEWHERE: We have our first noteworthy trade of the year: the White Sox send SS/OF Kyle Crowl to Cincy for SP Jarrod Kearns. Crowl is a second-year player in a down year (.226, 11 HR), but is a versatile fielder with good power. The Sox need pitching (two starters are done for the year), but at 12.5 games out of first already, isn't this too little too late? The Reds had pitching to spare, and have not hit a lick this year, so this is a good deal for them. They're competitive (2 games behind STL) and got a young slugger for fairly cheap, imo.... Hot and Not: San Diego's 9-1 of late, pulling to a half game behind the Dodgers. Milwaukee's Colby Sandu has 10 HR in his last 9 games, while hitting .429. My hero Jordan Cruz continues to be the worst hitter of all regulars this season: .132/.238/.238 with 98 K in 227 AB.... Individual Spotlight: 38-year-old closer Will Ness is having a renaissance with the Mets. After amassing over 300 saves in 11 seasons with the Royals (including a Hoyt Wilhelm trophy win in '32), he sank into obscurity with five years of middle relief in KC. Now, in his first year in New York, he's hit 26 saves at the season's midpoint, with 49 K in 34 IP, and an ERA of 2.38. He's a big reason the Mets currently lead the NL East.

Bub13 · 04-09-2018, 01:18 PM

June 28-30 vs MILWAUKEE
Our first series against the Brewers this season. Winners of their last three, they're a game behind the division-leading Tigers, and stand at 46-32. Just 12th in runs scored, they're obviously wasting chances as all their other offensive stats are better. Pitching has been standing out: 2nd in runs, 3rd best rotation, top bullpen in the AL. RF Colby Sandu has emerged as the offensive star (.302/24/54), and three other starters are in double figures in HR. Nobody in the rotation is having a standout season, but no one has been terrible either. Same with the bullpen, although closer Bill Brunson is riding a 1.06 ERA with 24 saves. Manager Franklin Blanco is in his third season, and has alternated a good one with a bad one; right on schedule, he's having a good one. Finances and Futures: 9th highest budget, 13th payroll. They're profitable and fans are filling the stadium. Still nothing to show for it all, yet. Prospects rank 17th, with P Pete Burke ranked #11 by MLB. Decent, middle-of-the-rotation chap. Their top five prospects are all SPs: three look good, two don't. After them there's a smattering of semi-decent batters, but no one stands out.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (11-2, 3.57) / Rob Hart (7-5, 5.07) / Billy Heine (8-4, 5.51)
MIL pitchers: Brandon Jarmon (6-6, 4.90) / Nick Shockley (8-5, 3.58) / Pete Burke (4-2, 3.54)

#81: LOSS 2-4 ... pen gives up 2 late, erasing our comeback attempt...McGowan crashes in CF chasing a fly, suffers a concussion, is dtd for 2 weeks
#82: WIN 11-6 ... wild game: 4-0 lead, down 6-4, up 10-6, all in first five innings...terrible start for Hart, 6 runs in 4 IP...three Brewers injured, no one for us (shock)
#83: LOSS 4-6 ... HEINE IS BUTT, I will always say it, until he's gone...and he commits his 6th error of the season (tied for team lead with SS Mike Hunter)

Big question: should I rid myself of Billy Heine? He's fabulous on paper, but way less so in actual games. Maybe I can package a sort-of prospect and get someone who's less of a stiff in return, even for just one year. How can I justify paying this guy nearly 18 mill when he gives up nearly six runs a game? Jeez.... McGowan becomes the fifth player on the DL. He and Steve Hopkins will be back in two weeks, so I'll have to move somebody out by then. Roberto Mendez gets the call from KC this time: world-class glove and speed, but middle school-class batting. He struck out twice in a late callup last year.... ELSEWHERE: Yes, I'm going to talk about SD's Gary Florence again. This time he throws a PERFECT GAME, nine innings of 14-K ball. BUT--he won't get credit for it, since his teammates declined to score for him, and his bullpen blew the game in the 10th. Harvey Haddix's ghost has some nice words for you, Gary.... Hot and Not: the stupid Brewers just ended their second straight 17-10 month, but still trail the Tigers. The Giants have won six straight, but they stink so nobody cares.... Individual Spotlight: part two of HoF eligibles this fall: today we'll consider 3B Mason Templet (2020-36). Despite a six-year run in the '20s where he was arguably the best 3B in the game, he has few awards to show for it: 4 Gold Gloves, 4 All-Star apps, 1 Silver Slugger. Won a championship at age 32 with the Braves, then turned in perhaps his best season two years later (207 H, 7.1 WAR, .315/.378/.443). Hurt by not having much power in a power league, with 213 career homers. But did rack up over 2600 hits, 500 doubles, and a nice 76.3 career WAR. Was an iron man as well, appearing in 150+ games in ten seasons, and never fewer than 118. JAWS says he's in, other metrics say thanks but no thanks. Top ten for 3B in numerous categories, which is good...but hasn't helped guys like Manny Machado, Scott Rolen, or Buddy Bell yet. What say you?

July 2-4 @ KANSAS CITY
In the midst of a rebuild, and coming off a 73-win season, they're actually not too bad this year, although at 39-41 they probably won't threaten the top of the Central. This is a split-personality team: great pitching, terrible hitting. Dead last in runs and home runs, and close to it nearly everywhere else. 3B Juan Garcia is the lone bright spot, at .354, and RF Erik Holz has 13 HR, buuuuut that's it. The back of the rotation looks shaky, but the top three have a combined ERA over a full point lower than league average. CL Vince Bell is finally off the DL and has 2 wins and a save in his 3 appearances since. They're also excellent on defense. Dom Duggan is the rookie manager, after three years as bench coach. His players like him, but there are several slackers who are starting to make trouble. Tsk! Finances and Futures: 19th in budget, and 15 in payroll. Prospects rank only 28th, but pitchers Brian Simon and Rey Navarro look like solid future big leaguers, and OF Kareem Lampkin and Chris Sanchez should hold down spots for the next decade or so.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (10-2, 2.96) / Mike Messinger (9-2, 2.30) / Leon Casillas (11-3, 3.54)
KCR pitchers: Ryan Bailey (2-8, 4.06) / Jack Thomas (6-4, 3.72) / Chris Ellis (4-9, 6.00)

#84: WIN 4-2 ... Mercedes hits a 3-run shot in the 1st, and Dunklee adds a solo in the 4th...Jones keeps rolling, going 8 while allowing 4 hits and a run...2 Royals hurt
#85: WIN 8-2 ... Mendez gets his first MLB hit: a 2-run HR in the 4th that gives us the lead for good...3 more Royals hurt. WTH?
#86: LOSS 9-10 ... Mercedes homers in the first but it's all downhill after that...Casillas is entering another dark phase, it seems...yes, another Royal is injured

Missed out on the sweep, but for the first time all year everyone in the bullpen has an ERA under 10. Congrats to Ian Albring for his one perfect inning in game 86, bringing his ERA (for now) to 7.71.... FOUR Royals went on the DL in this series, btw.... Oakland has won four in a row, bringing our lead to 11 games. Why do I smell a "down to the wire" finish coming up?... International Free Agents have arrived! And no studs are to be found, which is good since I spent over $4M last year and can't spend over 660K on any one player. So I scrape around and make offers to P Tony Reza (390K) and OF Alex Luna (600K). Neither is a game-breaker, but both have decent intangibles which I hope will help speed them along. To my surprise, they both sign right away.... In case you're wondering, last year I signed a pitcher named Roberto Vieyra for $2.92M. His ratings are nearly an exact match for Reza, the guy I got for 390K this year. Makes you think.... ELSEWHERE: LA (51-34) and San Diego (50-36) closed out solid Junes and are pulling away from the pack in the NL West.... OF Darius Arrington rode a .330/35/109 season with the Brewers in 2038 to a 7-year, $76M deal and has done zippo since. He earned 6.6 WAR that year, and has earned a combined 0.5 WAR since, and has been traded twice. He's currently with Miami, and making noises that he wants out. The feeling's probably mutual, D.... Hot and Not: Hawaii's Jesse Henkel (hey, that's us!) is in a 1-for-27 hole, while Cleveland's Nate Roges is hitting .444 with 6 HR in his last ten games.... Individual Spotlight: Detroit hitters are crushing it right now, leading MLB with 138 HR (in 86 games). Rookie John Sheets and all-star CJ Lee grab the headlines, but let's look at an unsung part of the lineup: catcher Mashashi Wada. Now in his 8th year, all with the Detroit, the free-agent-to-be quietly goes about his business, and turns in solid year after solid year. He's rarely injured, hits 20+ homers a year, and (outside his rookie season), his worst batting average has been .280. His $17M contract may seem high, but he contributes every year and you'd think the Tigers would rush to re-sign him. GM Rod Medina hasn't said anything yet, preferring to do his contract talking in the off-season.

July 5-7 @ CLEVELAND
Last in the Central, at 31-55, and having a pretty miserable year across the board. Thirteenth in runs scored and dead last in runs against, with a -81 run diff. 1B Nate Rogers (.297/25/66) is having an all-star year, as is RF Greg Tackett (.273/10/22 in just 38 games). Only one starter has an ERA under 5.8, but they do lead the AL with 72 steals. So, huzzah there. Manager Jose Ariza has been on the job for two weeks, and has a decent-enough record of 5-7. Attendance is down, the team is not making money, and owner Kurt Dolan is cranky at everyone. Finances and Futures: 28th in budget, 27th payroll. Still, they're on track for losing over $12M. Prospects rank 16th, and there is hope on the horizon: P Jeff Rafferty is nearly ready, and P Jeremy Hughes would be in the rotation already if he wasn't on the DL. Eight of their top ten prospects are pitchers, so if they play their cards right they'll be a top staff in a few years.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (7-5, 5.35) / Billy Heine (8-5, 5.55) / Eric Jones (11-2, 2.82)
CLE pitchers: Danny Powers (5-7, 5.99) / Matt Knowlton (2-9, 5.80) / Mike Cote (5-8, 4.03)

#87: WIN 6-2 ... Henkel eases his slump with a 2B and a HR; Groff and Gooding also homer...Hart with a complete game, six-hitter
#88: WIN 7-3 ... Mercedes goes 3-for-5 and is the star with the GWRBI in the 13th...Heine tosses a strong 7 (5 H, 2 R), and Jimenez gets the win throwing the final three
#89: WIN 6-4 ... Mercedes parks two more, including a 3-run shot in the 10th, again a game winner...Dunklee injured tho, diagnosis pending

Mercedes is our hero, now has 31 HR and personally won two games in the sweep.... Mendez strains his hamstring, is dtd for 2 weeks, and becomes our sixth OF currently nursing an injury. Plus, we're waiting on Dunklee's diagnosis, on pins and needles.... Seven Islanders make the All-Star roster, three as starters: C Alexis Mercedes, 1B Jeremy Dunklee, and 3B Adam Groff. Pitchers Casillas, Jones, Messinger, and Yee also make the squad.... ELSEWHERE: a couple more minor trades, and one odd signing: Mets MR Tom Starks signed for 2 years and 10.6M, quite a payment for a non-closer.... Hot and Not: The Dodgers have won 7 of 8, and have passed the Padres for first place in the NL West. Toronto SP Caleb Dickerson turned a strong 2040 with Austin into a four-year contract with the Jays, but hasn't come close to living up to the money: 5.60 ERA, 98 IP, 111 H, a career-low 4.1 K/9, and a career-high 2.7 BB/9.... Individual Spotlight: Mets 1B Nate Johnson was once the most feared slugger in the NL, with seasons of 47, 48, 54, and then 63 home runs. He followed that last huge season with 41 more in 2039, then promptly lost his job in 2040 to rookie Erik Reed. Reed hit .314 with 33 HR of his own that last year, and was on pace for 42 more this year until a concussion sidelined him this week for over a month. Johnson gets his chance in the sun for now, although he's been awful so far: .204 with just 5 HR in 111 PA. Let's see if he can reclaim lost glory.

Bub13 · 04-10-2018, 10:51 AM

The AL beat the NL in the All-Star game, 11-9. MVP was Boston SS Pablo Delgado, who went 4-for-5 and helped spark a 7-run 2nd inning outburst. All six of our guys played, with Dunklee and Mercedes going hitless, and Groff getting two hits and a HR. Our three pitchers (Jones, Messinger, and Casillas) each threw an inning, and as they're the next up once regular games resume, my rotation may be out of whack for a couple of days. Hmph.

We're past the halfway mark of the season (89 games played), but this is still a good time to take stock of things. Our record is 63-26, 13 games up on the A's, 18 on the Rangers. We're first in runs and hitting, 4th in home runs and steals (an owner goal this off-season, believe it). Second in runs against, with the #1 rotation ERA, and 7th best bullpen numbers. Team defense is third. All to the good. We've also been relatively healthy: despite the crazy rash of dtd knocks, only two players have had their seasons largely derailed by injuries. Both are outfielders (Mel Carillo, Andy Sanchez), and both were penciled in to the opening day starting lineup. In fact, outfield has been plagued by breaks, strains, pulls and bruises all season: we've already run through 11 outfielders, with as many as six guys at once either on the DL or nursing dtd hurts. In addition to the above guys, Steve Hopkins is also out for another week, having suffered two minor-ish setbacks in his recovery. He should be back in a week. Joel Courtney, rescued off the FA scrapheap, should be fully healthy after our next series. Sanchez is back in a month; Carillo is done for the season.

Three-fifths of our rotation has been solid, but Hart and Heine still concern me. Hart is on-again-off-again, so he'll get hammered in his next start (just watch). Heine has been pretty bad most times, but has won 3 of his last 5 starts, and lowered his ERA over half a run of late. However, given that he makes over $17M and my owner wants me to cut payroll, Heine's likely on his last legs with us. Despite my constant complaining, the pen has actually been mostly dependable this season. Kieffer has not been money as the closer (4.43 ERA, 7 HR in 42 IP), but he's been good enough. The setup and middle relief guys have been good, but I'm still looking for consistency from the back end guys, and have rotated through Gouweleeuw, Randolph, Albring, and Miller (currently injured). I'll probably try out a couple other guys this month, maybe let's see what we're able to establish as we work through the summer.

On the farm, both KC (AAA) and Lewiston (AA) are playing well, and Eureka (A) has slowly turned things around, with the 32-57 record being a major improvement on how they stood just a few weeks ago. Beyond that, records don't matter to me, as long as players develop. Our #1 prospect, pitcher Cam Bornhoft, was rolling along in AAA, and was probably going to get a shot with the Isles soon, until he hurt his shoulder. He might be back for a September callup, might not. And further down the list, the three pitchers I took at the top of the 2039 draft (1st round, Supplemental pick, 2nd round) have not turned out to be the arms of the future I'd hoped. Taylor Barnett (1st rnd) is 22 and throwing okay in AA, and looks like he could still become a useful part. I'm still hopeful. Jamie Berisford (Suppl.) suffered his second elbow injury this spring, and at age 24, is looking like he might not make it past A or AA. Justin Sutton, (2nd rnd, also 24), a Hawaii native, was my dark horse guy, someone I wanted to become a hometown hero. After a good rookie season in Short A, he was subpar in A ball last year, and has been on the DL this entire season with an undisclosed injury. Very hush hush. He looks like a total bust at this point, sadly.

Okay, back to regular programming.

......

July 12-14 vs TORONTO
We took two of three from the Jays way back in the second week of the season, and they haven't really been on track since. Currently sitting at 43-44, in third behind the Marlins and the Red Sox, but they have won four straight. Sixth in runs for, 4th in runs against, with a +45 run differential, so it's not like they can't get things done. Their recent turnaround has coincided with the return of 4-time Cy Young winner Dave Henderson, who's pitched well in four starts but has no record to show for it. CF Tim Manske is delighting home crowds (.310/26/77), but Canadian superhero Preston Sorensen is having a waaay down year (.267/18/51) by his lofty standards.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (10-2, 2.33) / Leon Casillas (11-4, 3.84) / Eric Jones (11-2, 2.85)
TOR pitchers: Dave Henderson (0-0, 2.57) / Jimmy Wunderlich (3-3, 4.61) / Kevin Welch (6-5, 3.56)

#90: WIN 11-4 ... a 7-run first sends Henderson to the showers, and all the scoring is over after four innings...four hits for Henkel, three for Groff...McArthur hurt on the bases, diag. pending
#91: WIN 7-1 ... Hunter and White with a pair of hits and RBIs each, and Casillas goes the distance, scatters four hits
#92: WIN 4-0 ... McGowan and Gooding are the stars at the plate, each with a HR...Jones goes 8, as it must be against state law for him to pitch a complete game

Yes! A sweep against one of our big rivals, and one I didn't see coming. Pitching was the key, with our big three all throwing well.... McArthur, however, suffers two dtd injuries (wth with our OF injuries this year?), and so I should sit him for the next series. But will I.... RP Albring is sent back to AAA, and it's Frank Soto's turn in the pen.... ELSEWHERE: a handful of shutouts, plus a rash of 1-, 2-, and 3-hitters in the first post-all-star break series of games.... Cubs pitcher Bobby Morfin wants out, according to reports from the Windy City. Over a 12-year career with the Cubs, he's gone from decent MR, to a solid starter, and back to top-rank MR. He's also not your typical malcontent, bringing good intangibles. I'd consider making an offer for him, if he weren't making $18M this year.... Hot and Not: Austin is 47-43 this year, not great, but miles ahead of anywhere they've been in over a decade. Leading the way is 40-year-old 2B Jimmy Campbell, hitting .360 for the season, and nearly .600 the past two weeks. And SP Bryant Owens is 5-1 with a 1.73 in his last 8 starts.... Individual Spotlight: Original Islander Ryan Key is still puttering along, closing games for the terrible Portland Pioneers. After three years (and 230 games) with San Diego and Richmond, he was taken by Hawaii in the 33rd round of the expansion draft. He spent the next six-plus years with us, and is still our all-time games pitched leader, with 308 games. He also earned 21 saves, and was part of our championship team in 2039. But, along with the rest of the bullpen, he imploded in 2040, with a 7.23 ERA in 21 games, and a stunning 3.9 HR/9. He was traded to the Yankees that summer, for reliever Ricky Jimenez (terrible last year, but solid this year), and did okay. Still, he was traded over the winter, with a hot prospect, for 2B Chris Flock, who's had a bangup year for the Yanks. Key's been good but not great: his Ks are up, BBs down, and he has 21 saves, but a .376 BABIP, a career worst. He's 33, signed for one more year, and--like much of the team--is an unhappy camper, with the team's 35-56 record, and a handful of slackers ruining everyone's mood.

July 15-17 @ TAMPA BAY
Sitting at 40-52, last in the East, and coming off a series sweep at the hands of the just-as-bad Mariners. We swept them in three way back in early April. They're 15th in runs, 14th in runs against, and sport a -60 run diff. Three outfielders (two starters) and three pitchers are on the DL, and their replacements aren't measuring up. 2B Tim Ost (.341/11/45) and C Will Antonio (.315) have been the lone bright spots in the lineup, and pitcher Joe Ingram (now 29, and a Ray lifer) is having his best year.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (8-5, 5.12) / Billy Heine (8-5, 5.37) / Mike Messinger (11-2, 2.52)
TBR pitchers: John Swindell (7-4, 3.83) / Jose Hernandez (5-9, 5.82) / Joe Ingram (7-5, 3.09)

#93: LOSS 4-5 ... a four-run 7th kills us, despite Hart's good start up to then...Mercedes hits his 32nd, overall we outhit them 11-6
#94: LOSS 2-5 ... put this one squarely on Heine, who somehow stays in for six innings
#95: LOSS 1-3 ... just five hits for each team, but they get a 2-run HR, ours is a solo shot...Messinger is strong, batters are not

Well, that's a letdown. The bats went dry, and it was all she wrote. The only good thing is that no one else got hurt, and McArthur will be back at 100% for our next series.... ELSEWHERE: Twins 3B Paul Foster hit his 20th HR this week, against just 5 doubles. (In 2037 his ratio was 7-to-31.) For his career, he has 152 doubles and 278 homers.... Hot and Not: Yankees OF Tony Flores has 39 home runs, on pace for 69. New Orleans SS Chris Martin is batting .179 for the season, and is 2-for-34 in July.... Individual Spotlight: I try to keep my eye on the comings and goings around the league, so it's pretty rare for someone to have a 15-year career and go completely unnoticed. But 39-year-old 3B Johnny Winn has done just that. He's made nearly 1700 career infield starts and has made nearly no mark at all, just two Gold Gloves to show, one with Seattle and one with Arizona. A career .251 hitter, who topped out at 21 HR one season, but managed single digits as often as he hit double figures. After hitting .303 in part-time play with Texas last year, he signed with the Padres this year, but has hit only .196 and looks done. So long, Johnny, we hardly knew ye.

July 19-21 @ BALTIMORE
Fourth in the East, at 46-50, but only 4.5 games behing the Marlins for first. Most team stats are underwhelming: 8th in runs and AVG, 13th in runs against, and a -28 run diff. They are 5th in home runs, with six starters already in double figures. The bullpen is 15th in the AL, with ex-Isle Bryan Dever having a decent-enough year as the closer. Their best player is rising star, 24-year-old RF Cesar Alvarenga, hitting .317 with 18 HR. We took three straight from them to open the season.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (12-4, 3.64) / Eric Jones (12-2, 2.66) / Rob Hart (8-6, 5.15)
BAL pitchers: Miguel Moreno (5-10, 3.43) / Hideyuki Asano (5-9, 4.28) / Andy Goeser (6-6, 4.77)

#96: LOSS 3-7 ... nine hits and a couple of home runs, but we can't put enough together, and now we have a four-game losing streak, longest of the season
#97: LOSS 3-4 ... Jones is left in too long, and gives up 3 runs late to squander a 3-1 lead...Robertson goes 3-for-3, batting .330 on the season
#98: WIN 11-1 ... ahhh, finally...Robertson moves to the leadoff and gets 2 more hits, and McArthur, Dunklee, and Mercedes each drive in three...Hart has a good game, two in a row now

It appears the dread mid-season slump is upon us, having put together a nifty little five-game losing streak. Just in time for eleven upcoming games against division opponents.... Steve Hopkins comes off the DL, so Dave White (.231/4/8 in 65 AB) heads out to KC. Hopkins went 1-for-5 in his return to the lineup.... Made one roster tweak which I hope sparks some more offense: Mike Hunter has been leading off all season and has just a .298 OBP to show for it. So I swapped him down to 9th and put Josh Robertson in his place. It's worked for one game so far, so I'll jump the gun and call it a success.... ELSEWHERE: This week brought the first big-splash trade of the month: Boston acquired OF Mike Blough from Pittsburgh for SP Kaz Matsuoka and prospect OF Cam Daley. Blough's had an injury-filled year, appearing in just 19 games, but he's a career .311 hitter who's capable of 40 HR and plays solid defense. I'm not sure where he'll play, as all three outfielders and their DH are having good years, but I guess it's a good problem to have. For the Pirates, while they definitely need pitching (next-to-last in NL runs against), this opens a huge hole in a so-so offense. Matsuoka gives them a true #1 starter they haven't had since B.J. Nault left after 2036. Daley, a 2041 first round pick by Oakland who's now been traded twice this month, looks like a future star, but is at least 3-4 years away.... Hot and Not: well, our five-game losing streak looked bad, and so does Oakland's current 5-game schneid, which has dropped them to 14.5 games behind us. And the top three teams in the NL East--New York, Brooklyn, and Richmond--are each 8-2 in their last ten. Five games separates them in the standings.... Individual Spotlight: In a league full of quality catchers, we always have to steal ours from others (first Austin Collins, now Alexis Mercedes). San Francisco's Adam Behling is another guy who might look good in an Islanders jersey one day. The 26-year-old is in his fifth year behind the plate for the Giants, is a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and the defending NL batting champ (.345 last year). His 8.1 WAR also lead the league, and it was a crime that he received hardly any MVP votes. He's hitting .326 this year, and although his home runs are down (on pace for 14, after two years of 28), and is a team leader for the struggling Giants. He's signed through 2045, and with no decent catching prospects in our system, you never know...

Bub13 · 04-11-2018, 11:30 AM

July 22-24 @ OAKLAND
Our first look at the A's since we split four back in early May. We'll also see them in late August, and again in September, as part of our two-week season-ending homestand. At 53-46, they're 14.5 games behind us, and four games behind Milwaukee in the wild card standings. As usual, hitting is their strength: 5th in runs, 4th in AVG, 6th in OBP. All-Star C Vinny Vargas is hitting .310/18/55, and second-year 3B Kevin Venable is having a breakout year at .279/15/63. Pitching has been a struggle, as they're 12th in runs against, for just a +9 run diff, and team defense is next-to-last. The rotation hasn't been good, frankly, outside of #5 pitcher Jaden Graham, and he's been sliding back and forth between the rotation and closing out games. Still, a dangerous team that I don't want to give any breathing room.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (11-3, 2.54) / Billy Heine (8-6, 5.47) / Leon Casillas (12-5, 3.73)
OAK pitchers: Santiago Hurtado (0-2, 4.05) / Matt Bienvenu (4-7, 4.54) / Mike Wiater (4-6, 6.11)

#99: WIN 7-3 ... 12 hits and 9 walks, with Dunklee and Mercedes getting 3 RBI each...Messinger goes 7, scatters 3 hits and strikes out 8
#100: WIN 10-1 ... 25 baserunners (14 H, 11 BB!)...Heine goes the distance, allows just 4 hits...Courtney, finally healthy, gets hurt again, diagnosis pending
#101: WIN 9-1 ... Casillas with, yes, a 4-hit complete game...16 more hits and 8 walks...Henkel, McArthur, and Hunter each get 3 hits...Robertson gets a dtd injury

A lot to unpack from this series. First, a sweep? Surprising. Second, A's pitchers gave up 28 walks. 28! A quick check confirms that they have in fact given up the most walks in the AL, 420 in 103 games. Third, more injuries. Courtney suffers two, a dtd and a longer injury, which we await with the usual trepidation. Robertson bangs his elbow, which will bother him for a week, but not enough to pull him out of the lineup.... The Yankees offered us RP Alejandro Menjivar, who I like, but he's an overpaid ($3.1M) d*ckhead who's been demanding trades for three years now. The price was a 26-year-old AAA 1B who's best qualities are his blazing speed, if you can believe that. Still, I said no to adding a disruptive influence to a placid clubhouse.... ELSEWHERE: Houston's Jay Russo continues to toil away successfully in obscurity. The Astros ace leads AL pitchers in WAR, FIP, and K, and is 2nd in ERA and K/9.... Hot and Not: Oakland has now lost 9 in a row. Pirates star 3B Jordan Shields is hitting .439 in July, with a 1.178 OPS. The 9th year player has hit .300 in seven seasons, and the two he didn't still came in at .296 and .297.... Individual Spotlight: Number Three in our preview of HoF eligible players this fall. This time, it's longtime 1B Colin Moran. Moran racked up a lot of stats, mostly by playing 20 years, staying healthy, and piling up what Bill James would call "hanging around" numbers. He played full seasons 8 times during his career, and most of his seasonal stat "wins" came in PA, AB, and hits. He did lead the league in doubles five times (and currently ranks 6th all-time in career doubles, with 675). He was never a major star, but he still made six All-Star teams and won 3 Gold Gloves. And he was a major part of six World Series winning teams. Without those titles, he's probably a debatable candidate, despite getting just over 3000 hits. With those titles, which voters LOOOVE, he's in. Rumor has it he also once shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Ok, I'm biased (I GMed those Richmond teams), but I don't think he should be penalized for being good enough and healthy enough to stick around and pile up very good career numbers. But what say you? In? Out?

July 25-28 @ SEATTLE
I try to be respectful to bad teams, I really do. But after the horrid Rays swept us, now all bets are off. Seattle is 36-64, 33.5 games behind us, and isn't close to decent in any measurable statistic. Yes, they're 10th in batting average, you got me there. But they're also dead last in team defense, the bullpen is awful, and the rotation isn't much better. So suck it, Mariners fans. I will grant that stars Mike Wapner and Enrique Cervantes to rock some fine 'staches, and pitcher Sean Easter has a nice Pythonesque-Spanish-Inquisition goatee thing going. That's it.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (12-3, 2.78) / Rob Hart (9-6, 4.98) / Mike Messinger (12-3, 2.47) / Billy Heine (9-6, 5.16)
SEA pitchers: Aaron Burton (1-7, 5.31) / Amir Farland (5-11, 5.68) / Edgar Maldonado (2-3, 4.91) / Aaron Myers (6-9, 4.49)

#102: WIN 4-3 ... signs of life from Hunter, going 3-for-4; all singles, so baby steps...WE HAVE NOW GONE ONE DAY WITHOUT A WORKPLACE INJURY
#103: WIN 9-6 ... Dunklee's 4th inning grand slam is but one of the many blows we strike against our amoral antagonists...Groff, Mercedes, and Henkel also go deep
#104: WIN 11-1 ... two more bombs for Dunks, one for Henkel, and two more dinky singles for Hunter. All is well...Messinger throws 110 mostly quality pitches too
#105: LOSS 2-3 ... cheating umpires rob us of a hard-earned sweep, and my Billy Heine Voodoo Doll finally pays off as he's pulled in the second with a "mysterious injury"

If Heine is injured just before the trade deadline, it's quite possible I may never be rid of his albatross contract. He may have to be removed "by other means," if you get my drift.... Joel Courtney is now nursing two dtd injuries for the next two months. Somehow, this is still fewer injuries than fellow-CF Andy Sanchez is recovering from. I think we have suffered an outfield injury every 1.7 games this season, and OSHA is now reviewing our workplace procedures. Thanks guys, for the heavy fine incoming.... In the tried and true classic bullpen management that we've perfected, Frank Soto is called up, sits for nearly two weeks, then pitches 3.1 innings in his first appearance. I guess that's breaking someone in slowly? I dunno.... ELSEWHERE: Tony Flores now has 45 dingers, is back on pace for 70 on the season.... Pittsburgh's Jordan 'Bear' Shields (actually quite hairless, from what I hear) now has a 22-game hit streak.... Hot and Not: It's six losses in a row for the Twins and the Braves. The Braves are quite out of things, and while the Twins aren't, they're working hard at it now.... Individual Spotlight: I've talked more about Austin this summer than any of you probably care to hear, so of course I'm going to do it again. That they're still over .500 (okay, 52-51, close enough) is due not at all to the play of SS Eigo Mikami. We signed him after our inaugural season, in December 2034, with an eye to turning the so-believed defensive whiz into our next everyday 2B. Come July, and we said "nah," and sent him to San Diego, along with IF Walt Hubert (pronounced like Hue-Bert or Hue-Bear, depending on his mood), for back-end starter Steve Brock. Two trades later, and Mikami finds himself in Austin, now two years removed from an actual Gold Glove season for Arizona in 2039, but playing for the Outlaws as one of the worst shortstops in the game. On paper he looks great: range, glove, can turn the DP, but with a modest arm. On the ground, however, he's pretty terrible. His .227 average isn't helping, either. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, their other SS, Edwin Maldonado (who can hit a ton) has "hands like pitchforks," to quote Sparky Anderson, so he's shuffled over to second (where he's equally bad) or outfield (even worse). I'm always glad to see other GMs, even artificial ones, making questionable decisions.

July 29-August 1 vs TEXAS
Sitting at 54-51, almost in second place, and suffering team-wide nosebleeds from the rarefied air. Texas hasn't seen the playoffs since 2023, the year Jeff Bezos formally bought the White House, and despite sitting outside the wildcard hunt for now, people are already talking. They're not making any sense, but they're talking anyway. These guys don't hit (13th), but they get on base somehow (7th), and their rotation is league-average, which counts as a win, really. It's probably fair to say that their -63 run differential is their most telling stat. Let's add to it.

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (13-5, 3.56) / Eric Jones (13-3, 2.85) / Rob Hart (10-6, 5.08) / Mike Messinger (13-3, 2.41)
TEX pitchers: Alex Mares (10-5, 3.54) / Jeff Sullivan (2-10, 6.86) / John Fox (7-8, 4.26) / Edgar Ulloa (7-5, 3.23)

#106: WIN 13-11 ... Slugfest! 32 hits and 7 homers...add to that 16 walks and the art of pitching was set back decades today...Rangers' Callum Hewitt hits for cycle
#107: WIN 9-2 ... Groff double dips on the home runs, and all-time name favorite, Texas pitcher Alpha Mann gets hurt in the middle innings...everyone gets a hit today
#108: LOSS 2-4 ... three hits for Groff, four for everyone else. That's no way to win games, guys...Hart gets hurt, but just a 2-day dtd back thing
#109: WIN 4-2 ... Ten more Ks for Messinger and two more hits for Groff

Jeremy Dunklee earns a player of the week and the player of the month awards. Right on, J.... The news on Heine is good or bad, depending on your take on him. It's good in that his wild inconsistency can be avoided for the rest of the season, thanks to a broken shoulder. It's bad because he'd been pitching better of late, as in down to good-bad-good-bad, an improvement over good-bad-worse-mediocre-repeat. Hopefully he'll be healthy enough for me to deal, say, during the Winter Meetings, because that's just business, Billy.... A day before the deadline, the Cardinals offered me #3 starter Joey Muhlenkamp, who's actually quite good and having a 4+ WAR season for the Redbirds. (So why are the division-leading Cards offering him up, with no real minor leaguers to replace him?) I'd have pulled the trigger for a passel of prospects, but owner Angel Pagan nixed the deal due to Muhlenkamp's $6.7M salary, and the Cards were not willing to retain salary. We also looked at Atlanta's BJ Nault, who's 37 and clearly near the end of his rope, but they wanted way too much for the few magic beans he's got left in his arm. Sooooo, we're biting the bullet and going to try going with AAA options. Bobby Piccirillo gets the first nod. I figure since we only roll 3 starters in the playoffs anyway, maybe we should save our money and prospects and give the little guys a shot.... ELSEWHERE: Boston's Ernesto Plancarte leads baseball with 30 steals. It's been five years since anyone stole at least 40 bases, so we're all pulling for you, Ernie.... Hot and Not: Chicago's SS Jordan Cruz, a frequent visitor to these pages, had a hot July: .212/.275/.313, with 8 XBH and only 42 K in 99 AB. Powerful.... Individual Spotlight: Recently I looked back and compiled a list of all the International Free Agents I've signed in this dynasty. The list included 64 players, 50 if you remove the 14 still percolating in Hawaii's sweaty minor leagues. How many became big league regulars? Juan Reynoso hit 156 HR and earned 8.0 WAR in an 8-year career. That's one. Ivan Lopez made 359 relief appearances over 9 seasons, including 49 in Hawaii's inaugural season, earning just 3.0 WAR over that span. That's two. Dave Vicioso saw action in nearly 500 games, and won a title in Richmond, but was a utility player at best. Let's call that two and a half. Closer Enrique Ramirez earned 108 saves in six years with Brooklyn, so that's 3.5 guys now. Hector Olivarez started two seasons at short for Oakland, but never found his footing and finished with 653 games and 5.3 career WAR. Four point five guys. The only other guys I could find who've done more than a few scattered games here and there, are our own Mel Carillo (currently on the DL, but a decent player when not fighting fans), and Richmond OF Faustino Whitton. Whitton, now 27, is a five-tool guy who has a chance to become the second-greatest Brazilian big leaguer, behind the legendary Macario 'Crowbar' Fiel. Injuries have taken their toll this season and last, but when healthy Whitton's a .300 hitter with 20-HR pop, and capable of 35-40 steals. He's clearly the class of my international FAs. Six (maybe seven, at a stretch) players out of 50. My personal favorite? 2B Juan 'Squirt' Benvaz, whose career numbers were .217/.244/.320 with 5 HR and -1.0 WAR in 214 GP and 322 AB. The best part of his story is the bidding war we got into over him in 2020, where I ended up signing him for an $8.7M bonus. Good times.

Bub13 · 04-14-2018, 12:38 PM

It's just after the trade deadline, and yes, there were trades. Do you want to hear them? No, of course you don't. I don't want to read about them either. Suffice it enough to say that another pitcher I noodled after just now was Portland's Mike Michalowski, a 30-year-old righty, whose best features are his control and his wonky forkball. He's a small man for a starter, at 5'8" and 180 pounds, and it's no surprise that he has the stamina of a kitten. Still, I enquired after him and his $9.4M salary (for six more years, to boot), and was told the cost would be either Adam Groff or Jeremy Dunklee. Two days later and I'm still calling Portland GM Mike Johnston so I can laugh a him until he hangs up on me. Anyway, Angel Pagan would have nixed the deal after all, so no use wondering "what if." So the Pioneers turned around and dealt him to the Nats for a backup catcher, which actually does gripe my drawers. Ergh. (Btw, Portland is 43-65 and Washington is 48-59, so obv this is season-changing stuff for someone.)

......

August 2-4 @ MIAMI
We took three from the Marlins in April, when they were struggling. Now they're pretty good, at 59-48 and 4 games up on the Jays for first place. It won't last--Marlins divisional leads never do--but it's fun to see some new blood in there. Ricky Beard (.343/24/64) and Jason Molnar (.305/24/88) lead the #2 offense in the AL (guess who's first!), and malcontent Darius Arrington ("Trade me right effing now!") is on the DL, so everyone's happy. Pitching and defense are lagging way behind the offense, so maybe we can take adavantage of that. Meaning...expect three shutouts, of course.

HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (0-0, 0.00) / Leon Casillas (13-5, 3.76) / Eric Jones (14-3, 2.88)
MIA pitchers: Levi Brady (10-9, 4.02) / Jake Marker (7-12, 4.25) / Corey Downes (7-8, 4.85)

#110: LOSS 2-4 ... B Pics is fair enough through seven, but we can only manage four hits off a trio of Marlins pitchers...Dunklee homers again
#111: LOSS 2-4 ... only five hits this time, as we continue to make this B-level pitching staff look like world beaters...Casillas goes all 8, but 2 HR doom his efforts
#112: LOSS 5-7 ... Jones is ugly, and it was 7-0 before I'd finished my first beer...we got 9 hits, so yay for improvements

Well that was an ass series. No one got hurt, is all I want to say about that.... ELSEWHERE: Don't look now, but Oakland's won six straight.... Giants LF Alfredo Gazca is the latest to embrace the streaking fad, having hit safely now in 21 straight.... Hot and Not: Detroit has won five in a row, and is now up on the Brewers by six; the Dodgers are cold, winning four of their last eleven, and are now just a half game ahead of the Padres.... Individual Spotlight: Hey Cleveland, I see you sitting in the Central division basement, at 42-69. Tough days, huh. And I know they just got tougher when favorite son Greg 'Tornado' Tackett suffered his latest in a string of long-term injuries, this one a damaged thumb that'll keep him out for a couple of months. Tackett, the first overall pick from 2032, was billed since birth as a power-hitting, do-it-all outfielder (well, his fielding is just good-enough, so we'll leave that there), so you couldn't blame Indians fans for thinking they had a lefty-swinging Albert/Joey Belle (without the headaches) on their hands, someone to build around. And they do--when he's healthy. On the field, he's a 7-8 WAR guy who's capable of 40+ home run power and is a career .285 hitter. But injuries, oh so many injuries, which have limited his games played to: 106, 40, 150, 137, 26, 108, 118, 138, and 59. He's 30 now, with a year left on his contract, and you'd not be wrong to think that the hapless Indians should consider dealing him this off-season and going all in on a rebuild. But hey, egos are involved! So they'll probably hang on to him and suck again next year and lose him for nothing. And he'll get hurt again, leaving us all with thoughts of what could have been.

August 6-8 vs NY YANKEES
We can't help but play better against the cellar-dwelling Yanks, right? Terrible hitting, subpar pitching, their best pitcher done for this year (and probably next), but hey they're pretty good on defense. It'll be interesting to see how many home runs Tony Flores (sitting at 46) will hit against us. NONE I HOPE.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (10-7, 5.12) / Mike Messinger (14-3, 2.42) / Bobby Piccirillo (0-1, 5.14)
NYY pitchers: Pat Teer (1-4, 6.83) / Daniel Brooke (8-5, 4.29) / Bob Bull (5-4, 4.77)

#113: WIN 32-2 ... NOT a misprint...some stats: 30 hits, 13 walks, 8 doubles, 7 HR...reliever Bobby Amico goes 1.2 IP, 11 H, 13 R, 6 BB...it was 15-0 before we added a casual 13 more in the 7th
#114: WIN 2-0 ... so boring after yesterday's laugher...Robertson 2-for-4 with a homer...Messinger yields just 4 hits over 8, strikes out 9, for his 15th win
#115: WIN 10-4 ... Piccarillo is still failing to impress (9 H, 4 R through 6 IP), but we score for him today, getting 12 hits and 5 walks

That first game should've been called after four: Skunk Rule.... Piccirillo hasn't looked good (5.54 ERA) in his first two starts. He'll get one more before I try someone else. Maybe Frank Soto (in my pen now), or recalling Gouweleeuw (awful for us early, but a 2.68 ERA in 18 AAA starts), or maybe Luis Cortez (no stuff at all, but wicked movement and control). We'll see.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland lost their last game, and is 16.5 games behind us. Maybe they don't challenge for the division, but they're firmly in the wildcard hunt, just a couple behind Milwaukee and several up on everyone else.... Hot and Not: The Cubs have won 8 of 10, and despite being 55-59 they're only 6 games out of first in the NL Central. Rays 2B Tim Ost was leading the AL in hitting just over a month ago. But he hit .183 in July and is hitting .125 in August, dropping him well out of the running for the title.... Individual Spotlight: KC shortstop Cody Kruer has 16 triples this season, and is on pace to become the first AL player to hit 20 in a season since Curtis Granderson hit 23 back in 2007. The 23-year-old is in his first season in the bigs, and his slash of .233/.308/.386 (with one steal) doesn't suggest a speedy line drive hitter. In fact, he looks like a low-contact groundballer, like a career backup utility infielder. Still, I'm pulling for him.

August 9-11 vs BOSTON
Treading water at 57-57, 7.5 behind Miami and 5 behind Oakland for the second wildcard spot. Decent hitting, bad rotation, good bullpen, blah blah blah. Enough of that. The best thing about the Sox is that every year--EVERY YEAR--the clubhouse is a freaking mess. This year they're feuding. Last year the feuded. And so on: it's feuds all the way down. There's no team leadership, half the team dislikes manager Kris Harvey, and everybody is mad at the handful of slackers and selfish oafs who keep hogging the boom box in the locker room. Owner Matthew Zunker, however, is quite happy, for no apparent reason (losing money, not currently a playoff team, etc etc). Oh well...where would we be without bitterness in Boston, eh?

HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (13-6, 4.80) / Eric Jones (14-4, 3.23) / Rob Hart (11-7, 4.99)
BOS pitchers: Manny Gomez (9-8, 4.18) / Orlando Amaya (3-2, 4.59) / Robby Liantonio (8-7, 4.85)

#116: WIN 12-0 ... Two HR each for McGowan (5, 6) and Mercedes (36, 37), and a complete game 4-hitter for Casillas...McArthur tweaks a calf, but should be okay
#117: LOSS 5-11 ... it was too good to last, as we're outhit 21-5...Jones is worryingly terrible again, and his ERA has gone up nearly a run over his last five starts
#118: WIN 7-6 ... two in the 9th and Courtney's run on an infield error in the 10th bring home the win...Hart is solid through 6, picking up some of Jones' slack these last couple of weeks

Two wins out of three and no major injuries. Reason enough to be happy with these results.... It can't all be sunshine, tho, as Eric Jones' last five starts have yielded thus: 2-3, 7.75 ERA, 26.2 IP, 39 H, 23 R.... Dunklee and Mercedes both have 100 RBI.... ELSEWHERE: both batting title races have tightened up considerably. KC's Juan Garcia leads at .331, four points ahead of two others and seven points ahead of three more. In the NL, SD's Tony Solar still leads, but is clinging to just a two point lead over Washington's Travis Tanner.... Hot and Not: Richmond's Josh Wall, a six-time all-star, is settling into a new role as the league's most dangerous (and highest paid, at $24M) pinch hitter. Consider this slash: .431/.525/.765 in 66 PA. On the 'Not' side, a trio of Twins starters--Tyson Murphy, Jesse Squire, and Chris Wead--are bringing down the whole squad: 12 starts, 2-8, 68 IP, 89 H, 48 K, 31 BB, 10.47 ERA.... Individual Spotlight: Milwaukee's Jake Heberer is the team's starting LF, and although he's hitting just .243, he does have 17 HR and brings a positive vibe to the clubhouse. At 38, he still has enough motor to be a plus in the field, although he's not the star CF he once was. He's 38 now, in his 14th season, and will retire soon with decent career numbers: over 52 WAR, 1600 hits, nearly 300 HR, .274 career hitter. I bring him up b/c I drafted him in the 6th round way back in 2024 with Richmond, and he looked decent-but-not-great until he reached AAA in 2027, where he hit .304 with 26 HR in half a season. He finished the year in the majors, and looked okay but with no hint of what was to come. In 2028, playing in the shadow of 40+ HR-hitting RF Manny Sanchez, he turned a good season into an incredible August/September run. I swear he hit 20 homers and batted over .350 those two months, and his final line of .311/37/104 earned him a surprise MVP award and a hefty new contract. He never did come near those overall numbers again, although he did hit 30 HR twice more, and regularly batted in the .280-.290 range. I traded for him when I moved to Brooklyn, and who knows, maybe I'll bring him to Hawaii next year. Injuries curtailed his career numbers, but he still has a career to be proud of.

Bub13 · 04-14-2018, 12:50 PM

August 13-15 vs MINNESOTA
Fourteen games over .500 in April/May, and 13 games under since. Team defense is terrible, but they still have a +32 run differential, so they're clearly better than they've been playing. Manager Jose Mateo has been around for 24 years, as long as most of their international prospects have been alive. And my favorite prospect, pitcher Kyle Hoots, is having a strong year in A ball.

HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.30) / Bobby Piccirillo (1-1, 5.54) / Leon Casillas (14-6, 3.60)
MIN pitchers: Rafael Aragon (6-1, 2.41) / Brett McGee (2-1, 2.11) / Tyson Murphy (7-7, 5.22)

#119: WIN 4-3 ... Hunter's 9th inning single brings home Mercedes for the win...two Twins pitchers injured, starter Aragon and closer Greg Giggity Giglio
#120: WIN 14-1 ... Henkel parks two and drives in six, part of a 20-hit effort...Piccirillo throws a solid 6.2 innings, earns another start
#121: WIN 10-3 ... 18 more hits, including four for Groff and three for McGowan and McArthur...couple of guys get serious dtd injuries tho

SS Hunter and OF Hopkins have 2-3 week dtd injuries, but they'll play for now.... Casillas wins his 15th, and Henkel is the third on the team to drive in 100 runs.... Piccirillo looks good enough to earn a fourth start.... ELSEWHERE: Cubs RF Oscar Sandoval has turned a hot August into the NL lead in WAR and OPS.... Hot and Not: the bottom has officially dropped out for the Giants, losers of 11 straight, and the Expos, who've dropped seven. Both are vying for the #1 overall pick now.... Individual Spotlight: 7-time all-star closer Ethan Villines is nearing 500 career saves. His 488 put him 5th all-time, and in line for the Hall of Fame. There are 12 relievers there ahead of him, so he'd be lucky #13.

August 16-18 vs DETROIT
First place in the Central, 72-49, four games up on Milwaukee. This is a stacked team, 3rd in runs, 5th in pitching. They've hit a league best 179 home runs, and every starter is in double figures already. The rotation ERA is just 9th, but the bullpen is tops in the league, led by closer Alex Castaneda, with 29 saves and a 1.06 ERA. Rookie John Sheets is by far the AL's top freshman: .316/32/102.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (14-5, 3.60) / Rob Hart (11-7, 4.97) / Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.37)
DET pitchers: Travis Heumann (3-2, 3.62) / Sean MacPherson (8-10, 4.34) / Raul Bravo (14-5, 3.67)

#122: WIN 11-8 ... 8-run third for us, 8-run 5th for them, then a 2-run shot from Mercedes in the 8th gives us the lead for good...everyone gets a hit for both teams
#123: LOSS 5-10 ... a 7-run third for the bad guys chases Hart, and we can't catch up...Groff goes 4-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBI
#124: LOSS 3-7 ... tied at three in the 9th, Chris Leonard parks a grand slam against closer Kieffer...I suspect the Kieffer-as-closer era may be drawing to a close

Well that's a disappointment. The season series ends 3-3, and it's quite possible a rematch from last year's AL Championship series is in the offing, and I really want to take these guys out.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland's won 8 of 10, now 14.5 games behind us and firmly in first in the wildcard race.... Hot and Not: The Dodgers have won 10 straight and pulled out a bit of a lead over the Padres. On the other hand, the Expos have lost ten straight and are battling with Seattle for the worst record in the game.... Individual Spotlight: Catcher Devlin Ransberger, now 38, is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Now in his second season with the Cardinals, and while his batting skills have eroded (hitting just .220), his leadership and steady play behind the plate are big reasons why the Cards have risen to the top of the NL Central. He's closing in on 500 HR and 2000 hits, but this late in the season, isn't likely to reach either this season. Still, he's the all-time leader in HR for catchers, 2nd in career WAR (85.4), and is a two-time MVP and three-time World Series champ.

August 19-21 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Fifth in the Central, 57-67, and looking at their 11th season in a row without post-season play. Second in HR, which probably explains how they're 8th in runs scored despite being dead last in average. Pitching is next-to-last, team defense not much better. Team is unhappy, and it's funny how the two unhappiest players are the two team slackers: 3B Jaden Miller and CF Mike Elefante.

HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (2-1, 4.12) / Leon Casillas (15-6, 3.58) / Eric Jones (14-5, 3.67)
CHW pitchers: Jarrod Kearns (13-7, 3.34) / Zachary Setaro (5-15, 5.70) / Jason Henry (2-6, 5.22)

#125: LOSS 4-5 ... Henkel hits his 30th, but Kieffer blows another one in the 9th, on a 3-run HR by Eric Cowden
#126: WIN 13-7 ... 5 hits for Groff, 19 for the team...pitching struggling right now
#127: WIN 4-3 ... Henkel's 2-run double in the 1st stakes us to a 3-0 lead, and Diaz wins it with a solo shot in the 6th...new closer Tanner saves his first

Kieffer is out as closer, Jeff Tanner is in. Let's see what happens.... Josh Robertson is hitting .339, leading the AL, with Groff six points behind. Henkel leads with 108 RBI, Dunklee second with 106.... ELSEWHERE: Dodgers have now won 13 in a row, five games up on San Diego.... Contrary to my expectations, Miami has kept winning and has a ten game lead over the Red Sox.... Hot and Not: Giants 2B Ty Cobb is working on a 22-game hit streak; Oakland starter Jaden Graham hasn't lost a game since May, and has an ERA under 2 over the last three months.... Individual Spotlight: Nats SS Travis Tanner, at 26, is becoming one of the league's best contact hitters. Coming off two seasons of 200 hits, he's batted .318 and .334 those years, with the Angels. This year, he's leading the NL at .340, with 169 hits. In just his fifth season, he's rounding into a 40-double, 4-5 WAR batter, and also has the chops to be a Gold Glove winner at anywhere in the infield.

August 22-25 @ OAKLAND
So here we are again, battling the A's for the division. Except this time, we have a 15.5 game lead and our magic number is 20. The division is probably safe, but I would love to bury these guys and take them out of the wildcard running. Problem is, behind Milwaukee (70-54) and Oakland (72-56), the next teams in line are at least 8 games behind. Oh well. Anyway, these guys are super streaky this year, backing up a 9-game losing streak in July with a 15-4 August. If they get past the one-and-done wildcard game, they're gonna be tough on somebody in the post-season.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (11-8, 5.25) / Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.43) / Bobby Piccirillo (2-1, 3.58) / Leon Casillas (16-6, 3.61)
OAK pitchers: Ricky Hose (14-6, 4.37) / Jaden Graham (11-3, 2.31) / Santiago Hurtado (2-4, 3.52) / Matt Bienvenu (6-10, 5.18)

#128: WIN 10-5 ... everyone gets a hit, including three for Groff and a 3-run blast by Dunklee...Hose gets hosed early, giving up 10 H and 7 R in just four innings
#129: LOSS 2-5 ... we outhit them 6-5, but Messinger's wildness and 2 key HR spell defeat...four walks for Mercedes, tying a team record
#130: LOSS 0-3 ... bats are going silent against less-than-stellar pitching suddenly...Groff with 3 more hits, and Piccirillo continues to throw well enough, just...no hitting
#131: LOSS 3-4 ... blech

That was a thoroughly aggravating series. A's pitching gets hot, our bats cool, and our power desserts us.... We're definitely running all-or-nothing right now. Still plenty of time to get right again, but we have to up our games against quality opposition or else fall break will hit us sooner than we want.... ELSEWHERE: Miami has cooled a bit, and just lost their best setup man and starting 2B for the season, just as Boston is heating up (7 straight wins) and has closed the gap to 7.5 games.... Yankees RF Tony Flores now has 55 HR, but speedy Boston IF Edwin Plancarte has been stuck at 30 SB for nearly a month now.... Hot and Not: Ty Cobb has hit in 26 straight and is leading NL batters at .345 (and with a .436 OBP). Minny SS Dave Holbrook just had his 24-game streak ended by the White Sox.... Individual Spotlight: Arizona manager Jace Smith is channeling his inner Joe Maddon, batting his pitcher #8 against righthanders. Smith, who retired from the game in 2012, was doing god-knows-what for nearly 30 years before being hired by the Diamondbacks this off-season. The Dbacks are 63-67 under his guidance, and while the clubhouse seems relatively complacent, he has been able to alienate about 1/3 of the roster. His biggest cheerleader appears to be closer Joey 'Zipper' Creech, since the closer is having a career year, with both ERA and WHIP below 1.

August 26-28 @ LA ANGELS
14-9 in August, and SS Juan Rodriquez was just named AL player of the week. That's about it for the good news. None of their young guns in the lineup are having particularly good years, and the only pitcher having an above-average season is 33. It's fun for me to see Original Islander(TM) Miguel Torres come off a 4-month stint on the DL, start 19 games in the outfield, play poorly, then go out with a season-ending injury. It's also odd to see 38-year-old C Jared Grose still in this lineup, six years into a so-called rebuild.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (15-5, 3.69) / Rob Hart (12-8, 5.22) / Mike Messinger (15-4, 2.59)
LAA pitchers: Greg Langworthy (7-8, 4.23) / Adam Pereira (4-12, 5.36) / Leonardo Vigil (9-7, 4.31)

#132: LOSS 0-2 ... blargh...Tony Mendoza's 2-run blast in the 8th is all it takes...just 7 hits, as the batters continue to flail
#133: LOSS 4-5 ... Hart Ks 11 but gives up 4 home runs, all solo shots, in just 5 innings...7 hits again today, everyone's struggling now
#134: WIN 9-4 ... finally the bats wake up, as everyone gets a hit and Groff drives in 3...Messinger walks 5, but gives up just 4 hits in 7 IP

That last game cauterized the wound somewhat, but we're still reeling a bit right now. With Oakland winning 5 straight, the lead is at 12 games, and the magic number at 17.... OF Steve Hopkins goes back on the DL after his dtd back injury worsened. Ashton Gooding comes back up to take his place.... ELSEWHERE: Miami is still holding off the Red Sox, but their lead is now 7 games. The NL Central is the tighest division, where 5 teams are still within range, including the defending champs in New Orleans: despite a 64-69 record, they're just 7 games behind the Cardinals.... Hot and Not: Tony Flores hit a couple out against the Marlins, now has 57 on the year. He's got a great shot at breaking the dynasty record of 63, set by the Mets Nate Johnson in 2038. Also, the above-mentioned closer Joey Creech has not given up a run since the third week of June, covering 23 games and 20.2 innings. Sadly, he plays for the mediocre Dbacks. Almost as sad, he's out for 13 months--and possibly for good--with a shattered elbow tendon.... Individual Spotlight: Our next HoF spotlight falls on pitcher Cobi Johnson, who had a solid 19-year career with 6 teams. Johnson was never really in the conversation regarding "best pitcher" during any part of his career, but he did stick around and put up remarkably consistent--and quite good--numbers for a long time. An iron man, he led the league in innings six times, and in an era where pitching wins are depressed, he stuck around to accumulate 255 of the things, whatever they're really worth. Honestly, he's probably a guy like Jim Kaat or maybe Mike Mussina, guys who get debated because they stuck around long enough to have nice-looking career stats. Unlike those two, however, Johnson did win a Cy Young, in 2029 with the Dodgers. And he added a World Series title, at age 38, in 2034 with the Giants. So what's the verdict here? A decent pitcher with deceptively good career numbers? Or a no-brainer HoF who shouldn't be punished just because he's not a Clemens/Maddux/Strasburg type?

Bub13 · 04-15-2018, 10:42 AM

August 30-31, September 1 @ HOUSTON
Two numbers for your consideration. First: 23, as in "23 years since this team has been to the playoffs." Second: 1.4 million, as in home attendance. The last time that few people saw the Astros play was 1995, when they drew 1.3 million. On the other hand, their .481 winning pct. is the second time they've approached .500 since 2025. And their .281 BABIP is the first time the pitching staff has been below .300 since 2029. False dawn, or light at the end of the tunnel?

HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (2-2, 3.48) / Leon Casillas (16-7, 3.66) / Eric Jones (15-5, 3.57)
HOU pitchers: Jay Russo (13-3, 2.47) / Travis Calhoun (1-7, 4.37) / Nelson Gonzalez (5-14, 5.38)

#136: WIN 7-4 ... down early 3-0, we score six straight and hold on late for our 90th win...Mercedes hits his 40th HR...McGowan gets another concussion, dtd for 6 days
#137: LOSS 1-3 ... Groff gets 3 hits, but the rest of the news isn't good: Casillas and Ashton Gooding get hurt, both pending diagnosis
#138: WIN 11-6 ... Jones pitches 7 innings for the first time in nearly a month, and everyone gets a hit...Mercedes jacks two more, now with 42

Little injuries are mounting and could play havoc with the playoff roster. Trainer Jordan Villalobos tells me that Mike Hunter has an "unknown" return date from his dtd back injury; Ashton Gooding sprains his knee and is dtd for two months; and Casillas is still pending diagnosis. If we lose him, that will be a huge blow come post-season. Meanwhile, no one goes on the DL, but with the 9/1 roster expansion, I call up a few guys to spell the injured: IF Jim Bowman, OF Dave White, and RP Luis Cortez. Bowman is a scrappy middle infielder, signed as a FA in February; White had 80 AB with us earlier this summer; Cortez has been a starter in AAA, but will throw from the pen, barring catastrophe, this month.... That makes nine players either on the DL or nursing dtd injuries. Ian McGowan and Joel Courtney should be completely healed soon, hopefully Steve Hopkins will too, and fingers are crossed that Casillas isn't done for the season.... ELSEWHERE: Boston's Robby Liantonio becomes the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, as the Sox beat Toronto 10-0. Liantonio struck out 12 and walked two.... SF's Ty Cobb is looking good to capture his 11th batting crown, and RIC pitcher Rafael Maldonado is working on the pitching Triple Crown.... Hot and Not: Miami is struggling, and Boston has gotten hot, reducing the Marlins lead to just 5 games now. And congrats to the Mariners for becoming the first team officially eliminated from the post-season hunt.... Individual Spotlight: The Cardinals--in first in the NL Central--have played Baseball The Right Way(TM) all season, and probably the Most Right-Way-est of them all is rookie CF Steve Rutledge, 2038's first overall draft pick. Rutledge is pure midwest: born in Stover, MO, went to college in Kansas, drafted by the Cardinals, his favorite team growing up. Until this year, he wasn't blazing a trail up the minor leagues: rookie ball in '38, S A and A in '39, and A again last season. Bypassing the next two rungs, he earned the starting CF nod in camp, and has done nothing to diminish the trust manager Orlando Lopez put in him: .288/.352/.542 with 36 doubles and 25 homers, along with 12 steals and plus defense in center. Fans love him, reporters love him, I'm guessing even his family loves him. He'll probably run for Congress one day, damn him.

LOCAL PRESS RELEASE, 9/2/2041: Pitcher Leon Casillas has been placed on the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to 8/31. Preliminary diagnosis on his injured shoulder revealed a torn rotator cuff, which was confirmed by the player's own doctor. Casillas made 28 starts this season, with a 16-7 record, 3.67 ERA and 115 strike outs in 189 innings. Although the team did not confirm a date for his surgery, Casillas stated that he'll "probably" go under the knife sometime later this month. Recover time is estimated at 5 months, meaning Casillas should be completely healed in time for training camp.

September 3-5 vs CLEVELAND
The Indians will be facing the reaper soon enough, with their 54-82 record putting them right up to the cliff's edge. But they've been out of things since early in the summer, particularly when superstar OF Greg Tackett went down for three months. 1B Nate Rogers (.293/38/100) is having a great season for naught, although DH Carlos Beltran, Jr, has hit .312 with 49 doubles. Neither is particularly young, so I don't know who the Indians will build around for the coming years. This team is a mess.

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (12-9, 5.32) / Mike Messinger (16-4, 2.64) / Bobby Piccirillo (2-2, 3.89)
CLE pitchers: Danny Powers (6-11, 6.36) / Zach Gioeli (11-8, 5.39) / Tyler Holman (7-11, 5.57)

#138: WIN 10-9 ... Groff pounds out three more hits and two more RBI...closer Tanner blows up with a grand slam to Rogers, but Kieffer rides in and saves the day for his 38th save
#139: WIN 5-2 ... Messinger is huge, mowing down 13 and winning his 17th...Groff knocks in his 100th run, and we do a lot with just 8 hits
#140: WIN 13-9 ... Piccs really struggles in 1st innings, and gives up four here...he's wild (6 BB) but hangs in for 5 innings...McGowan HRs twice, sets a team record with 8 RBI (including a Grand Slam)

Well, the other shoe dropped and Casillas is out until next year. That hurts, and means that Messinger and Jones (and hell, Rob Hart even) need to step up if we're going to get past Detroit, et al, and get back to the World Series. Frank Soto will come out of the pen and make Casillas' next start, at least. Ramon Archila gets called up into the pen, and Steve Miller comes off the DL and will 'rehab' on the big club. Needs must.... Pitching in general is leaking oil, looking at the runs we're giving up lately. We've dropped to 3rd in the AL in runs against, after leading the league most of the summer. There's still time to get things straight tho, and fingers crossed we'll keep hitting.... ELSEWHERE: No surprise, but Seattle fires manager Jose Alfonso, after 76 wins last year, and a 49-90 effort this season. No word yet on his replacement.... Cleveland is also eliminated from the post-season.... No teams are making any big moves anywhere, other than the Brewers (5 straight wins) putting distance between themselves and Boston for the #2 wildcard slot.... Hot and Not: Tony Flores (NYY) reached 60 HR in a 6-3 win over Houston. Just four more, Tony!.... Individual Spotlight: If this were still a steroids era, Brooklyn's Victor Sanchez would be raising eyebrows everywhere. The 5'11" SS hit 16 home runs combined over five years in the minors, then managed 27 in 621 AB for the Robins last year. This season he's leading the NL with 45 HR and 109 RBI, playing in a park that slightly favors pitching. One year fluke? Perhaps, and maybe he'll settle back as a 25-30 home run guy. But right now he looks like this generation's Brady Anderson.

September 6-8 vs KANSAS CITY
Predicted by MLB to win just 72 games this year...well, they're six away from that. They don't hit much, that's for sure: last in runs and HR, near-bottom in AVG, OBP, steals, etc etc. Pitching is dynamite, however, 2nd in the league. Team defense ranks first. SS Cody Kruer sits at 18 triples, still hoping to reach 20 and be the first guy in, er, quite a long time to do that. In fun news, pitcher Eddy Llamas did in fact recently purchase a llama farm in Peru. "Llamas y Llamas," he says his new company will be called.

HAW pitchers: Frank Soto (0-0, 3.26) / Eric Jones (16-5, 3.58) / Rob Hart (13-9, 5.39)
KCR pitchers: Chris Ellis (8-12, 5.29) / Eddy Llamas (8-9, 3.11) / Yutaka Fujino (3-4, 3.59)

#141: WIN 7-0 ... well don't I look like a genius for keeping Soto (7.1 IP, 5 H, 4 K) under wraps for so long...Mercedes bangs out another one, is battling Dunklee for the AL RBI crown
#142: WIN 13-1 ... ah bugger it, Adam Groff is out for three weeks now...six HR and a strong start for Eric Jones don't help my mood however
#143: LOSS 1-2 ... Hart goes 5, puts 10 men on (5 H, 5 BB), Ks 9, and takes the loss. He's exhausting...no one gets hurt, at least. FOR ONCE.

So Groff's out for three weeks, but the good news is that we clinched the playoffs and we've maintained a 14.5 game lead over Oakland, so we're likely going to get a few extra days rest from that. So he should be back just in time for us. Phew.... So Frank Soto looked pretty good in that one start, huh? He's playoff eligible, should I get all starry eyed and fall in love.... ELSEWHERE: Proving that he's got the goods on someone, mananger Jose Jimenez, late of the Cleveland Indians (and a 24-48 record this year before getting fired) is announced as the Mariners new bench boss. L.O.L.... Miami has stabilized their lead (4.5) over Boston, but things are getting tight in two of the three NL divisions: Brooklyn is hot and closing in (4) on the Mets, and the Dodgers have cooled considerably and are clinging to a 3 game advantage over the Padres.... Hot and Not: Ty Cobb is hitting .349, and has hit .415 since June, but SD's Tony Solar has rebounded from a tough August (.212) with a .486 start this month, and has closed to just four points behind in the NL batting race.... Individual Spotlight: I will never get over the career of Cubs SS Jordan Cruz. Yes, he's had two complete seasons below the Mendoza line before, but this year he's outdone himself: batting just .150 with 206 K in 474 AB. Why is this man not only starting in the Majors, but leading off for someone? Please please please let this guy go to free agency. Hell I'll delete him from the game and give you my A ball SS for free and he'd be an upgrade. Why haven't Cubs fans ordered a hit on this guy? He's been killing this team for six years now, basically stealing $30M of the club's money. He strikes out once every three plate appearances, and yet has parlayed a decent glove and a rah-rah attitude into nearly 6000 career PA and a World Series ring. If he were a pitcher he'd have lead the NL in strikeouts three times. I just...dunno.

11-29-2017, 09:15 PM	#101
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	How It All Ends 2040 PLAYOFFS CONTINUED What can I add from last post's preview? We have our work cut out for us again. This series could be a slugfest, featuring two teams that pounded the ball all season long. However, if we get pitching like we did in the Toronto series, I really like our chances. Like we did against Toronto, we were 2-4 versus Detroit this year. Let's see if we can take at least one in Detroit, and capitalize on some good home cooking again. Oh, I almost forgot about the NL series. San Diego beat the Mets in four, and then New Orleans stunned the baseball world by coming back on Pittsburgh and winning the series in five games with an extra inning 4-3 win at home. They'll host San Diego to start their series...wouldn't it be something to have the two most recent expansion teams face each other in the World Series, just six years later? LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Game One: HAWAII (Leon Casillas, 0-0, 3.68) @ DETROIT (Raul Bravo, 1-0, 3.86) Well, it wasn't quite a slugfest, but it was close. A solo shot by McArthur in the second, and two singles for Detroit in the fifth had the score tied at a surprisingly low 1-1, heading into the final three innings. After a quiet sixth for Hawaii, things went to pot on Casillas: a single, a two-run home run, and a solo shot, and just like that it's 4-1 Detroit. It got crazier from there. With two outs in the top of the seventh, McArthur and Rifkind singled and were brought home by a Kevin Collins three-run blast to deep left. Score tied, 4-4. With Casillas still pitching in the bottom of the inning, some poor infield play doomed us: a single followed by two misplayed sac bunts and run-scoring single, resulted in zero outs and loaded bases with no one out. Ian Albring came in, promptly gave up a two-run single, followed by a sac fly, and hey presto it's 8-4 Detroit. We added four hits but only one run in the eighth, and couldn't manage any runners in the ninth, ending the game with an 8-5 loss. Not a strong start, and our ace got shelled for eight runs. NL, Game One: San Diego rode a strong start from ace Gary Florence and scored twice in the ninth to come back and steal game one. Game Two: HAWAII (Rob Hart, 0-0, 2.57) @ DETROIT (Lance Hansen, 0-0, 3.00) Well, we managed ten hits and five runs, including Nate Hullinger's third post-season blast in the second. However...Hart was absurdly bad and we got bashed around all night to the tune of 19 hits and 10 runs, including four home runs. Mike Messinger and Ian Albring were equally bad in relief, but it was a moot point by fourth, with the Tigers up 7-1. Making matters worse, RF Travis McArthur pulled (broke?) something on the bases, and could be out for a while. Things have gone from optimistic to pretty grim in no time flat. NL, Game Two: Down 5-2, New Orleans put two in the seats in the eighth, tying the game, then won it in the ninth on a Jon Church walkoff solo shot, stunning the Padres and evening the series at one. Well, at least somebody's happy. Game Three: DETROIT (Alex de la Roca, 1-0, 0.00) @ HAWAII (Billy Heine, 1-0, 1.50) I'll make this quick: it's over early as Jesse Henkel crushes an 0-1 pitch 401 feet into right center, giving us a 3-0 lead after one. Billy Heine continues his post-season mastery, and has me questioning my sanity, this time striking out seven in 7.2 innings, while giving up just four hits. Where was this all season? We manage to scrape together a few more hits in the third and sixth, bringing home runs each time, to take the game 5-0 and get on the board in the series. Groff gets three hits, but Mike Hunter goes 0-for-4, and is hitting just .129 in the post-season, two hundred points below what he hit in the regular season. C'mon Mike, get it together. Also, the McArthur injury diagnosis is strained ribcage, making him dtd for a week. The effect is just minimal, I'm told, so he stays in the lineup. NL, Game Three: Padres starter Jung-Hyn Kim has now made two post-season starts, with combined stats that read 14 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 14 K. The 31-year-old rookie dominated, and the Padres plated two in the fourth to retake the series lead, 2-1. Game Four: DETROIT (Mike Martin, 0-0, 0.00) @ HAWAII (Eric Jones, 1-0, 0.00) It's a thrilling start for the home side when two singles and an error bring home two runs in the bottom of the first. It's less than thrilling when Tigers 1B C.J. Lee hits a solo shot in the top of the second, and sadder still when two hits, a steal, and a fielder's choice in the fourth bring home three Tigers and it's 4-2 bad guys. Sadness turned into outright depression with another C.J. Lee home run, this time a two-run deal in the fifth. We scratch some back when, with the bases loaded, a wild pitch scores one runner and a Dunklee sac fly scores another. A walk loads the bases again, but a short fly into right holds the runners, and a Tom Rifkind strikeout ends the threat. Mass suicide is the order of the day, as Detroit salts it away with two walks and two more singles adding up to two more runs, and it's 8-4. A rub-it-in run in the ninth gives the final score, 9-4. Our solid pitching from the Toronto series has been nearly nonexistent against the Tigers, with Jones getting shelled, Messinger giving up two runs and three walks in his 2.1 innings, and Kieffer allowing a run for good measure. Our backs are officially up against the wall now. NL, Game Four: A real pitcher's duel, with Padres starter Jon Dodge yielding just four hits and a run through six, and Zephs starter Erik Presley only six hits through seven. Sadly for New Orleans, the Padres get five hits against Zephyr relievers, plating one in the 8th, and the game-winner in the 10th. San Diego is now just a game away from their second consecutive trip to the World Series. Game Five: DETROIT (Raul Bravo, 2-0, 5.14) @ HAWAII (Leon Casillas, 0-1, 7.14) Can Casillas redeem a disappointing personal season? Will our batters show up? It's a promising start: Carillo singles home Hunter in the first; Rifkind triples in the second and scores on Collins' sac fly; and a walk and two errors bring another run home in the third, making it 3-0 after three frames. Casillas gives one back in the fifth, but overall is solid, giving up just the one run on six hits through seven. In the bottom of the seventh, we load the bases, but a wounded McArthur, ribs wrapped tight, can only weakly pop out to short to end the threat. Casillas sets the Tigers down in order in the eighth, and we likewise go quietly in the bottom of the inning. It's 3-1 Islanders, just three outs from extending the series, and sending it back to Detroit. And then...oh God, and then. With Casillas icing his arm in the dugout, Pat Stanley comes in to seal the deal. He gets Cam Kerr to ground out. Then walks a batter. Then gives up a single. Then someone named Ford Hammonds lines a gapper into left center, scoring two and tying the game. Oh dear. But wait, there's more...Stanley yields another single and then Travis Leftwich lines the next pitch into the left-center gap, scoring another run, and now we're behind. Stanley is pulled (ya think it's time?), and Aaron Glass comes in with runners on second and third and one out. It's dead silent in the ballpark now. Glass does get his first batter to fly out, but a runner tags up and scores. After that, it gets worse, believe me: single, single, single, wild pitch, double, and a single, before Glass is pulled for Ian Albring. (Who's making these craptacular decisions?) Albring gets his first batter to ground out, ending the inning, but not before nine hits and a wild pitch bring home TEN Detroit runners. We put two on the the ninth, but it doesn't matter, and once again, FITTINGLY, the bullpen explodes all over everything, this time ending our season. Holy crap are heads gonna roll after this one. NL, Game Five: Ace Gary Florence gives up two first-inning runs, but settles down after that, and the Padres take a 4-2 lead into the top of the eighth. For some reason, Padres manager Colin O'Connell goes to the bullpen, and the Zephs scratch out a run in the eighth. 4-3 Padres. And another in the ninth, to tie it at 4. San Diego gets a runner to second, but can't score, and it's extra innings. Whereupon New Orleans catcher Jon Church hits a solo shot in the tenth, the Padres go down in order, and now it's San Diego who's stunned and feeling a little less sure of themselves than they were 30 minutes before. NL, Game Six: New Orleans score five in the second and holds off a furious late-game San Diego rally, to hold on for a 5-3 win. Ladies and gents, we have a game seven! NL, Game Seven: The Impossible Dream just got one step closer to reality: New Orleans dominated San Diego to the tune of a 7-0 wipeout in game seven. New Orleans, a team with a previous best season of 69 wins, a team who had only finished out of last place once across five seasons, and never finished closer than 27 games out of first, not only turned it around with a 96-win season and a division title, but are going to the World Series. It'll be a test, with their mediocre hitting and league-best pitching facing a powerful Tigers lineup, but I wouldn't bet against them. After all, Detroit won't have the advantage of facing our pipsqueak bullpen. ...... 2040 World Series Game One: New Orleans 4, Detroit 0 ... New Orleans leads 1-0 Game Two: New Orleans 4, Detroit 1 ... New Orleans leads 2-0 Game Three: Detroit 7, New Orleans 6 ... New Orleans leads 2-1 Game Four: Detroit 7, New Orleans 0 ... Series tied, 2-2 Game Five: New Orleans 3, Detroit 2 ... New Orleans leads 3-2 Game Six: New Orleans 3, Detroit 2... New Orleans WINS 4-2 So I'll admit my crankiness kept me from writing up these games, but holy crap what a series. And topped off by a dramatic ending to game six, played in New Orleans: facing ace Tiger closer Ramon Sanabria, Zephs LF Mitchel Masse (whom we lost in the Rule 5 draft in 2035, btw) drove an 0-1 pitch into the stands in left and sent the crowd into hysterics. Crazy to think that, as good as we've been these last three years, and as bad as New Orleans has been for all time (okay, for five years), we have the same number of World Series trophies. "Crazy" in that it really grinds my gears. Sigh. What a season. I'll wrap it up with the next post.

12-06-2017, 07:02 PM	#102
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	Early Off-Season 2040 Given that as late as, oh, August, I wasn't sure we were even going to make the playoffs, winning the division and getting to the AL championships feels okay, in hindsight. Not getting the chance to defend our 2039 World Series title was a blow, to be sure, but I think we rode our underperforming pitching staff as far as we could. If you've been reading along, you know by now that the two things I try to build on -- pitching and defense -- were a mess all season, and need some major reconfiguring this off-season. ...... First, a deeper dive into the team defense. We finished 18th, and last, in the AL in defensive efficiency, and 11th in combined ZR (-9.1). Looking at each position, there were some glaring weak spots, but also a lot of quality play. The infield was, on the whole, okay. At first, Dunklee has mediocre ratings, but has become a workable fielder, never near the top of any stats, but not a black hole either. Hunter, at short, and Groff at third were solid and dependable. The injury to Robertson, at second, killed us. Kevin Collins made 81 starts and was a league-worst -8.1 ZR. John Canning filled in with decent play in his 41 starts, but getting Robertson back will solidify the infield. Barring injury, we'll be okay here. At catcher, Alexis Mercedes was excellent behind the plate, but I wonder a bit how much the change from five-year starter Austin Collins affected the pitching staff. Mercedes is, on paper at least, a much better catcher than Collins. But in 21 games Collins' CERA was 4.05. In 106 games Mercedes' was 5.10. How significant is that? How much of that is due to Mercedes? Dunno, but I'll be watching this again next season. The outfield was wracked by injury and we got mediocre to poor defense across all three positions. In left, Carillo and Henkel split time, and while Carillo has better ratings, Henkel had the better numbers. Carillo may win out, having a better arm and range. Both should not play anywhere but left. McArthur played the most games (112) in center, but he's a corner guy all the way, with average range and a cannon arm. His DE was terrible (-18.5), and really needs to be in right field next year. Ian McGowan showed promise in his 35 starts in center, and will be the de facto starter when camp opens. He can motor, and looks like a near-classic center field type. Chris Wiggins made zero errors and gunned down twelve runners from right, but has lost all his mobility and had terrible advanced defensive stats. I'm not planning on re-signing him. Overall, I think we have the guys in place to be at least average defensively here, but we need to keep McGowan healthy, as he's the only real CF in the system who can both field and hit. In short, I'm not looking at adding anyone to the team to help our defense. I think we've got the guys in place already to better our numbers from last year. Having rangier outfielders should help the pitching staff too, as we'll (hopefully) get to more balls in play and thus keep fewer enemies from reaching base. ...... Pitching will be the major focus this off-season. Overall, we were 14th in runs against, and our team ERA was .62 runs higher than 2039 (4.72 to 4.10). We gave up the fourth most hits, were about in the middle in home runs against, and had the worst BABIP in the AL. The rotation was run-of-the-mill, 7th in ERA and near the middle in hits, average, and earned runs against. The good news is they were fourth in strikeouts and fifth best in walks, which I like. But the bullpen... Dumpster. Fire. Nineteen players threw in relief last year, setting a new team record. They combined for 453 innings, fifth fewest in the AL. But they had the worst ERA, worst SLG and OPS, and gave up the most home runs. Trying to find something positive, I guess you could say that having a nearly 3:1 K-to-BB ratio was pretty good, and they did come close to having the fewest wild pitches of any AL bullpen. Wow, am I digging hard here. Of our opening day bullpen (Kieffer, Glass, Randolph, Stanley, Powers, Yates, and Key), only two will likely be Islanders come April 2041: Kieffer and Stanley. Glass was pretty good (2.97 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, both bullpen bests), but he wants $10M/season for three years. Nope. By the end of the year, Key had been traded, Randolph was in AAA, Kieffer had gone from closer to starter to middle reliever, Powers was injured, and Yates was put on the "use less often" list. In-season acquisitions Jimenez, Archila, and Mayer were awful, and youngsters Bornhoft, Corgan, and Albring took turns looking decent and downright pitiful. Where does that leave us heading into November? I think 4/5 of the rotation looks set. There are several candidates for the #5 spot already in the system, so I won't be going after a big money starter. (More about money in the next post.) However, I'll probably bring in 4 or 5 bullpen arms, depending on what's out there in free agency and via trade, and open up competition in camp. No one will be safe. I'd love Kieffer to reclaim the closer position: I think he's ideally suited there. I'd love younger (and cheaper) guys like Stanley, Corgan, and Albring to establish themselves in the pen. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess as to who'll be where come April. ...... Owner Alexis Pagan made his usual post-season check-in, with the usual mixed bag. He's happy we made the playoffs. Ditto, although I want more. He's unhappy our stolen bases only went up by a few. He wants more, I could care less. He wants another championship by 2042. I'd like two; happy now? For next year, he's upped the ante by giving me five goals: 1. Win the Championship. (Right there with ya, big guy.) 2. Improve team Stolen Bases. (Not that high of a priority, tbh.) 3. Cut payroll from $142M to $130M. (Doable, I think.) 4. Have a final balance of $18M. (We actually lost $2M this season. Sigh.) 5. Build a team to win it all again by 2042. (I'M TRYING HERE.) Of course, the next day he ups my team budget to $152M and says I can spend up to $140M on salaries. He also extends my contract for four years and ups my pay to $1.3M. (If only.) Elsewhere, Asst GM Jason Knauss and Bench Coach Jake Robbins leave after their contracts expire. Both had been with us for two seasons, and neither added much to the program, in my opinion. A bigger loss is hitting coach Paul Trashini. He'd been with us since the summer of our inaugural season, and was a fine hitting coach, guiding our league-best offense these past few seasons. He wanted a raise to $2M, way too high for a hitting coach, so I let him go. Of course he signed with Austin to be their bench coach for just $310K, which OOTP does to me ALL THE TIME. Eh, we'll live... To replace them I make several moves. First, I promote AAA manager Clarence Whitney to be our new bench coach. He's won 3 titles with the T-Bones, and I think puts manager Pat Wilson on notice if he can't get a grip on any struggles this coming season. Danny Espinosa also gets the call from AAA as our new hitting coach. Hopefully our offense won't miss a beat. Finally, we sign unproven 44-year-old Grant Henning as my new assistant. Whatever, Grant, just stay out of the way and get my morning donuts, and we'll be good. ...... Finally, awards season came and went, with little fanfare for us. No Islanders won Gold Gloves, although Groff (3B) and Hunter (SS) must have come close. Groff did claim his third Silver Slugger, however. Jesse Henkel made the biggest splash, beating out White Sox teammates Eric Cowden and Kyle Crowl to claim Rookie of the Year honors. And, disappointingly, Groff lost out in the MVP race to Seattle's Mike Wapner, thanks in large part to Wapner's 48 HR (Groff had higher WAR, AVG, and RBI, but oh well). Also of note, Toronto's Dave Henderson won his fourth AL Cy Young award, and San Diego's Gary Florence claimed his second consecutive NL Cy Young, and also won NL MVP. Next up: Arbitration, Free Agents, Winter Meetings. All the Good Stuff! Attached Images

12-21-2017, 06:18 PM	#103
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	2040-2041 Off Season With about 10-12 million to spend, and a few holes to fill, I decide to take an aggressive approach to free agency, with my eye already on several available players who, I think (hope, really) will be bargain pick ups. To wit, I need to... ...rebuild the bullpen. I will bring in at least five new pitchers to compete for spots in camp; ...OF depth. At second glance, I'm not sure Ian McGowan is ready for prime time in center, and we're thin in MLB-caliber depth; ...the usual raft of AAA (or AAAA) players, especially as most of my AAA pitching staff left via free agency. Kicking things off, we claim RP Aldo Gouweleeuw off waivers from Minnesota. We signed him as a minor league free agent in 2034, then traded him to the Twins in '36 as part of the six-player deal centering on 2B Phil Clarke (to MIN) and SP Tom DiFranco (to us). He's pitched 24 games for Minny the last two years, but hasn't shown much besides strikeout power. We sign him to a 750K contract right away, as he's an upcoming free agent. Next, we let a number of guys who were fixtures in Hawaii last year walk via free agency. Most noteworthy is OF Chris Wiggins, who hit .300 in 543 AB (but still had a WAR under 1) but had become a liability in the field, and was too expensive at $13M. Relievers Aaron Glass (2.97 ERA and 26 SV), Jay Yates (6.27, 2), and Ken Powers (5.51, 0) also left. Backup OF Tom Rifkind was also let go. At the Winter Meetings, I made three trades, all bringing in more pitching help. First, we pick up RHP Luis Cortez (and a draft pick) from New Orleans for 1B/DH Nate Hullinger. At first glance, this looks surprising, given Hullinger's 50-HR output from 2039. But in 2040 he was pretty awful, managing just 18 HR and a .248 AVG, was limited in the field, and my scouts tell me he's lost some speed off his swing. I decided not to keep two guys on the roster who can only play first or DH (along with Dunklee), so Hullinger was packed off to the world champs. In Cortez we get a guy without dominant stuff, but with excellent movement and control, and a strong groundball slant. He's 26, makes 800K, and has made 16 appearances for the Zephyrs since 2039. Second, we grab RHP Frank Soto from the Dodgers, in exchange for 2B Kevin Collins and RHP Cory Taylor. Another reliever who will get a chance at his first real (just 6 innings in his career so far) MLB job. The primary purpose for this trade was to rid ourselves of Collins' 6.7M albatross contract. He's a good hitter (.324 in 2610 career AB) but a disaster in the field. Taylor is very similar to Soto, but at 4.2M, much more expensive (Soto will make 500K). Even if Soto bombs out, dumping 10.5M worth of stale contracts off on the rich-kid Dodgers makes this worth it. Finally, we make a futures trade, sending off high-intangible prospects OF Noah Fontenot and IF Ervin Negron for RHP Nelson Mendez, from Richmond. Mendez is 21, pitched in A ball last year, and will be there again in 2041. With his intangibles, he could develop into a decent-enough starter one day. One day... We also manage to pluck four players from the free agent wires. To wit: ...Korean RHP Jin-Song Yee, a high-stuff fastball/slider reliever. He'll make 3.2M, so he's not cheap, but the kind of guy we need to take a chance on after last year's bullpen nightmare. ...We also bring back RHP Steve Miller, who made 133 appearances for us in '37 and '38. Like Yee, he's a strikeout pitcher who should keep the ball down. He'll make 1.2M. ...One more! Long-time closer Jeff Tanner is rescued from Austin, where he had 218 saves over six seasons. Another high-stuff groundballer, and also a righty. Captain material, which we need. He'll likely be a setup guy to start the season, and will make 2.8M. ...Finally, we take a chance on former Montreal CF Andy Sanchez. Good fielder, cannon arm, and has decent speed and baserunning. (That will make my owner happy.) He's 30, has played ten seasons already in the bigs, and had a down year in 2040 (.265, but led the NL with 48 doubles). He'll make 5M for the next five seasons, but with a team option after 2043. Is also a Fan Favorite. So, when the dust settles by the New Year, we've added six pitchers and an outfielder. ...... Elsewhere, a lot of money gets tossed around during free agency, and not just by the usually-spendthrift Dodgers: ...Detroit re-signs stud 24-year-old RF Roberto Rivera for 53.5M over five years. Oddly, they also add closer Alex Castaneda for 28M over three years, despite already having Wilhelm-winning closer Ramon Sanabria. ...the Dodgers drop 140M (over seven years) on power-hitting, and injury-prone, OF Bill Duce, luring him away from the Braves. ...Richmond throws 128.6M over six years on Montreal pitcher Rafael Maldonado. Probably a great signing. ...LA signs yet another closer (this makes maybe a dozen over the last three years), Josh Werner, for 10.5M per for three seasons. They also add former Toronto closer Miguel Trevino for 3.8M on the same day. Then they sign former Mets 2B Danny Baca for 18.8M over five years. ...not done yet, the Dodgers sign starting pitcher Gabe Delfin away from the Mets for 12.5M over seven years. And later add four more pitchers for a combined 22M per season. ...San Diego grabs former Islander catcher Austin Collins for 14.3M per for four years. ...other big deals include Cincy getting OF Pete Howarth (10.6M), Washington with SP Ernie Brereton (11.8M), and Portland getting SP Mike Michalowski (11.2M). FUN FACT: The Dodgers added $92M to their payroll this off-season; that amount by itself would give them the 21st highest payroll in baseball. (All that, and they've added just 2.8 WAR to last season's roster.) FUN FUN FACT: Defending champs New Orleans have the next-to-lowest payroll, at $60.6M. (The highest? The Dodgers, duh: $208M) Overall, Washington has had the best off-season, according to MLB, gaining 13.4 WAR. They've added a starting C, 2B, SS, OF, and two starting pitchers, while losing only two players who earned more than 1.0 WAR last season. On the flip side, Montreal (-17.2) and Atlanta (-16.1) lost the most this winter. The Expos gained a backup catcher, but at the cost of a top flight SP (Maldonado), their starting C and CF, and another SP. Atlanta added a so-so closer, but said goodbye to their best hitter (CF Duce), best SP (Michalowski), a backup C, and two other SP.

01-13-2018, 07:17 PM	#104
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	2041 Season Preview Preseason came and went fairly quietly. We were fortunate to escape with no major injuries, although LF Mel Carillo suffered back spasms on two consecutive days and finds himself on the DL to open the season. His return is listed as "unknown," which could mean anything, really, from a few more days to a few weeks, or more. Everyone else is healthy. On the field, we went 15-15, giving a lot of at bats to hopefuls, never-were's, and never-will-be's. Our AL-leading offensive lineup returns largely intact (more below), so I'm hopeful we'll pick up where we left off and enjoy another season of bashing balls through the nighttime Pacific air. The starters were okay, but a mixed bag in that no one was consistently good all spring. Still, no one was awful either. On the "Promising" front, our reconstructed bullpen looked really good most nights, and final cuts were very difficult, as I had ten players vying for seven spots, and all ten pitched well enough to earn a place on Opening Day. Obviously, three had to be demoted, but I'm going to try keeping the pen on a shorter leash than I did last year, and I feel like (right now at least) I have the depth to squelch any trouble spots that crop up. Because they always do, somewhere. MLB's preseason predictions put us at the top of the heap this year, with 103 wins. They expect us to have baseball's best offense, and the AL's best pitching. They expect big years from Adam Groff and Jeremy Dunklee at the plate, and Mike Messinger (!) and Eric Jones (!!) on the mound. Owner Alexis Pagan also expects me to Win It All! this year. No pressure. Boston and Milwaukee are tabbed as the other AL division winners, with the Mets, Cardinals (!!!), and Dodgers topping their divisions in the NL. Last year's champions, New Orleans, will miss the playoffs. Fun stuff: MLB predicts Brewers RF Coby Sandu to hit 56 HR, and teammate Benjamin Worley to hit 55. ...... Opening Day Roster: Batters Starters underlined. Age is for this season, not necessarily player's current age. Last year's stats in parens. C Alexis Mercedes, 29, RH, $8.3M thru '43 (.282/42/114 combined SDP and HAW) Acquired for popular catcher Austin Collins, Mercedes more than delivered at the plate. That his CERA was a full run higher than Collins' was worrisome, and bears watching this year. He also slumped late, and did not deliver much in the post-season. Still, if he hits anything near last year's totals, he's worth it. C Guillermo Diaz, 25, RH, $750K (.165/2/9 in 127 AB) Ratings make him look like a low-rent version of Mercedes, but he's combined to hit .199 in the backup role for two seasons. Started to use his excellent eye to take some more walks last year, and is an excellent defensive backstop. But he must hit better than .165 to keep his spot on the roster. 1B Jeremy Dunklee, 31, LH, $11.15M thru '42 (.274/27/106) His average and power numbers have declined each of the last two seasons, so he may be on the back side of his career already. Slugged less than .500 for the first time since his rookie season in 2034. Still, walks over 100 times a year and has turned into a steady defender. Franchise leader in nearly every batting category. 2B Josh Robertson, 26, LH, $5.28M thru '48 (.395/1/8 in 43 AB) Strong defender who also hit .360 in '39, with 13 HR. If he can top .300 and get on base, our offense will be on the go. We never did find an adequate replacement for him after he went down in April. Keys the infield defense with great glove and DP ability. 3B Adam Groff, 27, LH, $11.57M thru '43 (.348/37/126) Mr. MVP, although he was cheated out of it despite winning his second batting crown and pacing the AL with a 9.3 WAR. Has contact and power to burn, steals 20+ bases, and doesn't strike out often. A heads-up tho: every other season he's missed over a month with injury, and he's on schedule for that to occur this year. Let's hope for a break to that streak. SS Mike Hunter, 26, RH, $4.428M thru '41 (.334/10/61) Formed a potent duo at the bottom of the lineup with Robertson in '39. Moved to leadoff last year and responded with 214 hits and 55 doubles. Not the greatest eye, but only strikes out about 50 times a season. Dynamite fielder at short and third, if needed. IF John Canning, 24, RH, $500K (.322/1/20 in 205 AB) Made 47 starts at second late last season, and hit well but with no power. Allergic to walks, but also doesn't strike out often. Occupies my usual "skilled IF backup" slot in the lineup; can also play solid OF in a pinch. LF Jonathan Spalding, 27, LH, $500K (.211/0/3 in 19 AB; .336 in AAA) Filling in for Carillo until he's healthy. Decent contact and won't strike out, but has no power and refuses to take walks. So-so fielder, so not a long-term answer. Can also play first, so right now is the top choice to stay on the roster once Carillo is back. CF Andy Sanchez, 31, SH, $5M thru '45 (.265/3/52 with MTL) A .286 career hitter in his ten-year career, but coming off a down season. Did lead the NL with 48 doubles, and a threat to steal 15-20 bases. Good range and arm, and a fan favorite. If he hits .275 or so and gets on base (he will take some walks) he's worth the price. Struggled in spring training, but those numbers don't count... RF Travis McArthur, 28, RH, $6.05M thru '46 (.286/18/58 in 462 AB) Missed nearly two months last year with various ailments, so I'm hoping for a bounce-back season. Former first overall pick, never has become a true star, but has developed into a solid 3.0-3.5 WAR guy with power and a good glove and arm in right. OF Ian McGowan, 23, RH, $500K (.244/1/23 in 164 AB) Still has some growing to do, which led me to go sign Sanchez off the free agent pile. Great range and speed (but a terrible baserunner), he's best utilized in left or center, as his arm is only a little better than average. He's a high-effort sparkplug guy, who could develop into an everyday OF or remain a useful role player. Wants to start, so I'll have to watch his attitude. OF Dave White, 25, LH, $500K (.400/1/7 in 10 AB; .246 with 12 HR in AAA) Roster-filler until Carillo comes back. Very little stands out with Dave. Bat is mostly average, with some pop; runs well, but not great; great arm, but bad range; supbar splits versus righties. Another sparkplug who busts his tail every day, so maybe he'll show me more than meets the eye? DH Jesse Henkel, 23, LH, $500K (.301/29/87 in 366 AB) Broke out at the plate last year, and made 67 starts in left despite some truly awful ratings. My scouts say move him out of the field, but his stats say he played well. He also should look lost against lefties, but managed to hit .280 against them last year. He'll get a full-time shot against everyone this year. Has a very nice power bat, and despite his terrible OF range, is a decent baserunner with some speed. This is his chance to earn a big paycheck for next year. On the DL: OF Mel Carillo, 23, LH, $3.6M thru '41 (.310/8/53 in 364 AB) Quite a season, was 2040 for Mel: missed two months of play with various injuries, got into fights with fans and opposing players, and finally displayed some pop in his bat and learned to take walks to get on base. The opposite of Henkel: scouts say he should be just fine in the field, but he hasn't shown anything there yet. Will be my LF when he comes back. ...... Opening Day Roster: Pitching Staff SP Leon Casillas, 31, RH, $26M thru '46 (14-11, 3.93, 215 IP, 181 K, 5.1 WAR) After winning two straight Cy Youngs for me, came back to earth with his worst year as a pro. His ERA was nearly a full run over his career number, and that WAR was his worst since 2033. Still, his K/BB/HR per 9 were consistent with his career numbers, and his BABIP was 30 points higher than usual, so maybe he was mostly unlucky. Better outfield defense should help him, and he hasn't lost any ratings (yet). A comeback year from him will go a long way to making our road a lot smoother than last year. SP Rob Hart, 24, RH, $4M thru '41 (9-5, 3.75, 154 IP, 180 K, 2.7 WAR) A terrible '39 and a rough start last year had me way down on Hart, and then he got hurt, missing over a month of the season. He pitched well upon returning, and threw well in camp this year. If he's back, he brings a strong power pitchers game, and is a nice complement to the craftier Casillas. Could earn a nice pay day with a strong year. SP Billy Heine, 33, RH, $23.8M thru '42 (13-9, 4.80, 201 IP, 192 K, 3.0 WAR) Shopped him around some this spring, but had no takers; probably thanks to that outrageous contract. Was wildly inconsistent last year, and struggled down the stretch. A poor start will definitely have me offering him around again. Outspoken character, but has always been happy here. SP Eric Jones, 24, LH, $6.6M thru '46 (11-10, 4.75, 180 IP, 143 K, 2.9 WAR) After two strong seasons, suffered from whatever malaise overtook the staff last year. Threw better down the stretch, and well in camp. My only lefty, so we need him for variety's sake, if nothing else. SP Mike Messinger, 24, RH, $500K (3-3, 5.19, 59 IP, 72 K; 1.88 in 114 IP in AAA) The wild card here; in his case, literally so, as his control has been slow to develop. Last year's #2 prospect in MLB gets a full-time shot in the rotation this year. Blessed with dominant stuff (and an elite changeup), if he keeps his walks down my ulcers will act up far less often this season. I don't know what to expect, really: an ERA over 5 over 90 inning in MLB so far hasn't impressed anyone, so this is put-up-or-shut-up time for Mike. CL Jim Kieffer, 27, RH, $2.8M thru '41 (10-9, 7 SV, 4.43, 177 IP, 182 K, 2.8 WAR) Kieffer was everywhere last year: closer, middle relief, starter (21 starts, 26 relief apps). He saved 40 in '39, and I'm going to slot him as closer again, in the hopes that my rotation will be better than it was last year. By all rights he should be a dominant closer, but his struggles with the long ball early last season helped tip the bullpen into chaos. I'm determined (as of now, lol) to ride him out longer this season. Teeth gritted. SU Jeff Tanner, 28, RH, $2.88M thru '42 (5-8, 39 SV, 4.93, 77 IP, 78 K with Austin) Coming off two mediocre years with the execrable Austin club, Tanner will start the year as my primary setup guy. Keeps the ball down, has great stuff and good-enough movement and control. Should be--should be--a solid new contributor for us. Walks per nine shot up last year, but I'm confident he'll get that fixed. Captain material as well. SU Pat Stanley, 27, LH, $850K (4-2, 4 SV, 3.02, 57 IP, 57K, 1.1 WAR) One of the few guys who kept his head all season, although he did lose it in the playoffs. Keeps the ball down, down, down, which is good as long as the infield is healthy. My only lefty in the pen to start the season, and an example of what paying attention to free agency can do (signed as a minor league wannabe after the Cubs released him at 22 after one year in their org. Tsk.) MR Aldo Gouweleeuw, 27, RH, $750K (1-1, 1 SV, 5.58, 40 IP, 43 K, 0 WAR with MIN) We traded him to Minny in '36, and claimed him off waivers in November. Good stuff, with a nice fastball, and is okay enough to be an emergency starter. Threw great in camp, earned a place on the roster. Will be one of those "short-leash" guys I mentioned above, however. MR Ricky Jimenez, 27, RH, $900K (5-4, 1 SV, 7.62, 52 IP, 51 K, 0.3 WAR with NYY and HAW) Was just awful for us after we traded for him last May, but had a great camp, so he's getting another bite at the apple. (Just not in the Big Apple.) Wants to be a starter, but has the stamina of a newborn kitten, so just shut up already, Ricky. Looks good on paper, and his square jaw drives the ladies crazy. Whether or not he'll be surfing in Hawaii or eating BBQ in AAA Kansas City by May is anyone's guess, tho. MR Steve Miller, 32, RH, $1.2M thru '41 (7-6, 2 SV, 3.48, 137 IP, 93 K, 1.9 WAR with CHW) After two years away (and 50 starts with PHI and CHW for some foolish reason), Steve's back in the band, where he pitched for us in '36 and '37. Great stuff and control, with enough movement to be dangerous (to hitters, not the box score, one hopes). Is another key element in the bullpen rebuilding this off-season. Aging, but hasn't lost anything yet. MR Jin-Song Yee, 33, RH, $3.2M thru '44 (no stats?) Rookie from Taiwan, and is a beast at 6'3" and 230#. Has great stuff with a nice fastball/slider combo. Took a chance with that large contract, but one thing we definitely lacked in the pen last year was high-stuff throwers. Now we're loaded with them. If we bomb out this year, I may just shoot everyone. Yee is a huge (literally) question mark, as I have no stats to go on, and only the word of my scouts. He looked good in camp, tho, so fingers crossed. Not making the cut out of camp were MR Ian Albring (looked great), MR Ronnie Corgan (ditto), RP Frank Soto (looked okay), SP Bobby Piccirillo (stinkeroo), and SP Cam Bornhoft (like a yo-yo). I'm sure they're all pissed at me right now, but hey, look at last year: another dumpster fire in the pen and you'll be on the first plane back to baseball paradise. ...... So what's my outlook? All things being equal, I think we'll win the division and be a contender for the title again. If the pen is truly competent this year, we'll be incredibly stout. I like that MLB gave us a good rating; they were fairly accurate last year, having us with fewer wins that I expected. I'm more than cautiously optimistic for the season, should the injury gods smile on us. Also of note: we've got the 22nd rated prospect pool currently, with only two players (Bornhoft #27 and SP Taylor Barnett #78) in the top 100. For the first time in years, none of our "top six" prospects are on the big club, either. I'll do a more complete prospect write-up around the draft, but for the first time in a while the cupboard is starting to look a little...empty. What's Next: PLAY BALL!

01-20-2018, 01:09 PM	#105
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	Game on 2041 REGULAR SEASON April 2-4 vs BALTIMORE We open the season with three series against Eastern division opponents. The Orioles are on a run of nine seasons of 70-win ball, stacked around 2039's bologna of a division-topping 91 wins. MLB has them winning 75 games, with subpar offense and near-basement pitching. The lineup does look paltry, but there is some power to be had, featuring budding star RF Cesar Alvarenga, who hit .287 with 33 HR last year. 2B John Paine added 19, and free agent signee 1B Andy Catron hit 30 with Tampa. The staff is led by Miguel Moreno, who looks more like a capable #2 than a staff ace, along with White Sox bust Hide Asano, and former Islander prospect Aya Yoshimoto, who throws very hard but very straight. Likewise the bullpen is full of holes, with a mix of hard throwing, low-movement guys, and no-stuff/decent-movement guys. Nestor Corredor begins his sixth year at the helm. Finances and Futures: both Budget and Payroll sit at 33rd (out of 36), and their prospects grade out to 21st best. Pitcher Andy Goeser is 20th in MLB, and begins the season in AAA Norfolk. He looks to be a capable middle-of-the-staff guy. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (14-11, 3.93) / Rob Hart (9-5, 3.75) / Billy Heine (13-9, 4.80) BAL pitchers: Miguel Moreno (14-12, 4.39) / Hideyuki Asano (10-15, 4.77) / Ayahito Yoshimoto (3-13, 6.34) #1: WIN 9-4 ... McArthur and Hunter HRs pace a 5-run 6th, and Casillas goes the distance (7 H, 4 K, 0 BB) #2: WIN 7-5 ... Hart is wobbly, giving up 4 HR in 7.1 IP, but Hunter and Robertson each get 3 hits and 3 RBI (Hunter now with 6 this season) #3: WIN 7-3 ... Henkel's third inning grand slam paces the attack, Mercedes adds a 2-run shot in the fifth, and Heine is good enough...Everyone's happy This sure beats getting swept by Detroit (last year's opener). And let's all take a moment and appreciate the fact that, after last season's unquenchable dumpster fire, the bullpen ERA sits at 0.00 right now. There will be plenty of time for my whining soon enough, I'm sure.... Somehow almost all of my farm teams have way too many guys right now. Maybe I should actually do something about that?.... ELSEWHERE: Aaaand just like that, we have our first no-hitter of the season. New Orleans' Sam Thompson walks the second batter of the day, then sets everyone else down in order, beating the Padres 1-0. Nice start for the defending champs.... Nine other teams swept their opening series, including divisional foes Oakland and LA.... Mets 3B George Dawson hit a homer in each game to start the season. April 5-7 vs TAMPA BAY Swept by the Angels to open the season, including a hearty 14-0 blowout in game one. They were good not too long ago, with six division titles and nine playoff appearances over eleven seasons, but they've been in or near the basement for six years running. MLB has them with 76 wins this season, so maybe next year, Rays fans. 2B Tim Ost looks like their best player, with good contact and a sharp glove, and catcher William Antonio is a nice complementary player, hitting .310 for his career (four seasons). DH Ricky Chavez is the only real power bat, but he's too much of an all-or-nothing swinger to drive an offense. Pitcher Jordan Sanchez is the real deal, tho, and would be a superstar if he played on a better team. Dee Brown begins his third season as manager, and did lead them to a +28 improvement over 2039. Finances and Futures: Budget is 28th and Payroll is 30th. Prospects are ranked 8th, with six guys in the top 100. 2B Raymond Davila tops the pile, and frankly looks like a better LF than infielder. Low contact, but excellent ratings everywhere else. A keeper. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (11-10, 4.75) / Mike Messinger (3-3, 5.19) / Leon Casillas (1-0, 4.00) TBR pitchers: Justin Ragland (11-10, 4.26) / Jose Hernandez (3-2, 4.66) / Jordan Sanchez (0-1, 10.38) #4: WIN 3-2 ... only five hits, but Jones is money (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB)...Kieffer gives up the first bullpen run of the year, but earns his third save #5: WIN 4-0 ... six hits this time, but Messinger brings the pain, striking out 13 in a complete game. Has he truly arrived now? Who knows? But this is at least a promising start #6: WIN 7-3 ... Dunklee and Groff homer, and Casillas pitches his second straight complete game win...everyone gets a hit tonight I guess the key to an improved bullpen is forcing your starters into more complete games. Who knew?... After six games, the run diff is already +20 (37 to 17).... OF Jonathan Spalding gets injured on a HBP, diagnosis pending.... We get a day off, and are off to Toronto for a stretch of 12 road games in our next 15.... ELSEWHERE: LA and HAW are now the only unbeatens, although Oakland is 5-1. Tampa Bay is the only winless team.... Giants 2B Ty Cobb is sitting on 3268 hits, 15 behind Willie Mays for 11th place. He's also third in career singles with 2790.... Baltimore is now 1-6 and has given up 69 runs. April 9-11 @ TORONTO Off to a slow start at 1-5, and predicted to win just 85 by MLB and miss the playoffs (a rarity of late, riding 9 apps in the last 10 seasons). 1B Preston Sorensen is still Mr. Everything, although there are signs he's lost a step, at 33. Henry Maldonado is a defensive whiz at second, and popped 37 HR last year, but hasn't yet topped .250 in the bigs. Dan Munoz (SS) and Tim Manske (CF) have power, average, and defense, to round out a pretty solid-looking lineup. Pitching looks decent, with Joe Erkel and four-time Cy Young winner Dave Henderson at the top of the rotation, but behind them there may be some struggles, especially if free agent pickup Caleb Dickerson doesn't come back soon from a forearm injury. Mike Johns parlayed 17 seasons as a batting coach into his tenth year as the head guy for the Jays, and has a Series ring and two Manager of the Year trophies to show. Owner Jody Patterson wants money, Money, MONEY!, and is already upset that he's not earning profit. Finances and Futures: 8th in Budget and 9th in Payroll. Owner Patterson has already cut the budget over $40M in just three years, with more likely to come. Prospects rank 31st, with only catcher Roger Morales (59th) in the top 100. Other than having a nice power stroke and good eye, he doesn't look to bring much to the table, honestly. Dark times are coming, Jays fans. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (1-0, 6.14) / Billy Heine (1-0, 4.05) / Eric Jones (1-0, 1.29) TOR pitchers: Dave Henderson (0-0, 2.57) / Caleb Dickerson (0-0, 0.00) / Jimmy Wunderlich (0-1, 9.00) #7: LOSS 4-7 ... Hart struggles with the long ball again, giving up three this time, along with six runs...Mercedes hits his 2nd and we outhit them 10-9 #8: WIN 3-2 ... only nine hits combined (5-4 us), but two runs in the 9th put us over...Heine is good through 7, but does walk 4 #9: WIN 9-1 ... a 4-run ninth turns a nice win into a blowout...Jones good through 6, but walks 5...CF Sanchez injured; diagnosis pending The strong start continues, although we're looking at our second outfield injury now, depending on what we hear re Sanchez. Spalding took a pitch to the bean, and is out for three weeks. Carillo came off the DL the same day, tho, so we were covered there.... At 8-1 we're a half game up on the Angels now.... ELSEWHERE: Washington's strong offseason has yielded a 2-8 record so far.... Dodgers signed yet another closer this week; now their top four relievers had 122 saves last season, all for other teams.... Yankees signed the only quality FA left on the market, adding catcher Juan Jimenez, who had 88 HR over the last two seasons for Baltimore. April 12-14 @ SEATTLE At 4-5 so far, and predicted to win 85 and challenge for a wild card. Pitching has been their strong suit for years, but is doing them no favor so far (14th in runs against). Returning MVP Mike Wapner leads the offense, and he's joined by stud 2B Alex Cruz (30 HR last year). 1B Fernando Orozco slumped from .307/36/103 to .228/20/70, and needs to step back up for this team to go anywhere. Aaron Myers and Sean Easter are a fine 1-2 punch in the rotation. Long-time minor league pitching coach Jose Alfonso was signed out of nowhere as manager last year, and hasn't shown much yet. Finances and Futures: Budget is 25th and Payroll is 29th. (Where are all the big budget teams?) The system ranks 24th, with two guys in the top 100. Pitcher Carlos Zenon was outright stolen in a deal from Mimami, and could develop into the staff ace in a few years. I'd also keep an eye on SS Enrique Antunez, tho, who's going to get a lot of hits for this team, and soon. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (1-0, 0.00) / Leon Casillas (2-0, 3.50) / Rob Hart (1-1, 6.91) SEA pitchers: Aaron Myers (0-1, 6.23) / Ruben Alvarado (1-0, 4.91) / Sean Easter (0-1, 1.69) #10: WIN 6-5 ... Mercedes singles home the winner in the 10th, as Messinger comes back to earth (6 IP, 5 ER)...Henkel drives in three #11: WIN 6-0 ... Why Casillas gets pulled after 8.2 innings is beyond me...Groff with three doubles, and Sanchez adds one despite his injury diagnosis (see below) #12: WIN 5-3 ... Hart gives up another bomb, but only after we're up 5-0...McArthur with a HR and 3 RBI, Robertson with three hits Woot, what a start! Fourth in hitting and 2nd in pitching, with strong defense too. What? It's only 12 games, you say? Shush.... Sanchez gets his diagnosis and it's a torn meniscus, leaving him day-to-day--for four months. For now, tho, I'm going to play him. The effect is minimal, although I'm sure soon enough he'll get hurt again and be lost for the season. Do not question my judgment.... ELSEWHERE: New Orleans starter Sam Thompson has given up 0, 3, and 2 hits in his three starts this year.... Baltimore is now riding a six-game winning streak after a 1-6 start. STL and LAA are each 10-3, just behind us in the overall standings.... Oakland's Vinny Vargas (who else?) has gotten hot, and is leading the AL with a .476 clip. The A's are cold, tho, dropping five in a row. Next Time: The Rest of April

02-23-2018, 10:55 PM	#106
mongster_03 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 100 Blog Entries: 1	Aloha Do you have a .prk for Aloha Stadium? __________________ Some Quickstarts Los Angeles Stars

03-24-2018, 10:06 AM	#108
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	April 19-21 @ BOSTON Four AL East teams are off to rough starts, including the Sox at 5-10. Hitting has been average, but pitching has struggled, with both the starters and bullpen in the bottom quarter of the league. SS Pablo Delgado is a former NL MVP (Pirates), a lifetime .273 hitter off to a .203 start. RF Jason McColl had 47 HR back in 2037, but has struggled to stay healthy since then. SP Tony Villarruel is a cornerstone ace pitcher, lured away from the Yankees last year, but is off to a rough start this year. He leads a strong rotation, on paper at least. Kris Harvey is the team's 13-year manager, and the mysterious Jon Powell (mysterious in that he has no record at all prior to 2040) is the GM. Finances and futures: Budget is $176M, 5th in baseball, while payroll is the 6th largest. Prospects rank 7th overall, with SP Joe Koval picked at #5 in baseball. But he's 24 and still in AA, and doesn't look like a future ace. Pitchers Oscar Arreola and Edwin Mosqueda look like future stalwarts, while CF Mario Soto isn't a high contact hitter, but has power, speed, and a slick glove. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (2-1, 5.91) / Billy Heine (2-0, 3.32) / Eric Jones (3-0, 1.50) BOS pitchers: Tony Villarruel (0-1, 5.17) / Manny Gomez (2-1, 3.24) / Mike Wiater (0-1, 11.57) #17: WIN 5-3 ... 12 hits and 3 HR, and Hart holds on to an early 5-1 lead, although his final line doesn't look great (6.1 IP, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K) #18: LOSS 5-6 ... we can't make an early 4-0 lead hold up...this time, the bullpen is the culprit, yielding 5 hits and 3 runs late #19: WIN 3-2 ... Groff knocks in two during a 3-run first, and we hold on late...four relievers back up Jones after six innings Still rolling, even without any big or decisive wins this series.... Our first three draft picks in 2039 were pitchers. Two of them are in A ball Eureka this year, and now both are done for the season with elbow injuries. Second-round pick Justin Sutton in fact already looks like a major bust, sadly.... ELSEWHERE: The Red Sox are now on a 1-9 skid, battling the Yankees for last in the AL East. April 22-24 @ NY YANKEES Struggling out of the gate, like the Sox, at 5-12 and last in the East. Hitting was their bugaboo last year, and ditto so far this year, as they're dead last in all the major hitting stats. Pitching has also been subpar, but not downright execrable like their hitters. RF Tony Flores has 7 HR, following up a season where he hit 30 in 308 AB. C Juan Jimenez has 88 HR his last two seasons, but just 2 so far this year. Pitchers Mario Oliva and Bill Casas are a solid top two, but the staff is hurting from the loss of ace SP Pat Teer, out until the AS Break. Manager Miguel Rodriguez has somehow held onto his post for five years, with just one winning season to show for it. Finances and Futures: 20th in budget and 22nd in payroll. How the mighty have fallen. Prospects rank just 26th, with knuckleballer Casey Moore at #22. There's not much to like behind him. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (2-0, 2.25) / Leon Casillas (4-0, 2.45) / Rob Hart (3-1, 5.53) NYY pitchers: Justin Darrisaw (1-2, 4.50) / Daniel Brooke (1-1, 5.19) / Mario Oliva (1-1, 2.10) #20: WIN 10-8 ... a 10-2 lead gets whittled down late...Groff's GRAND SLAM and dingers from three others pace the scoring...only 15K show up in the Bronx #21: LOSS 2-5 ... Casillas takes his first loss thanks to a 2-run HR in the 7th...outhit 12-6 #22: WIN 2-1 ... Hart wins the pitcher's duel with Oliva, giving up just 3 hits over 8 IP...Kieffer walks 2 in the 9th but holds on for the save Another good series, outside a few bad innings in that second game. The only dark spot at the moment is Sanchez's double dtd injury is hurting him at the plate, and he's down to just .233. I'd drop him down the lineup, but his best replacement at the #2 spot, Carillo, is hitting just .196. Maybe a switch would jumpstart both of them. Or maybe Sanchez needs a few days off.... Tomorrow is a travel day, then it's back home to close out the month.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy is hot in the NL Central, at 16-7, a game-and-a-half up on the Cards.... Remember Ken Clark? My "ace pitcher forever," whom I dumped off on the Cards after two subpar seasons? He's beginning his third season with STL, and is off to a 3-1 start with 39 K in 29 IP. He's earned 4.0 and 4.6 WAR in his first two NL seasons, but the worst part is that he exercised his option with the Cards, and since I retained salary in that trade, I'm on the hook for six more years at $6M per. Gulp. April 26-28 vs MIAMI Currently on top of the AL East at 13-7, a game up on Baltimore. First in runs, BA, and OBP, and 3rd in HR. Sixth in runs against, and first in defensive efficiency. 2B George Bradshaw is hitting .411, and CF Jason Molnar is at .318 with 9 HR. Six starters are hitting over .300. Matt Rubin is finally showing some ace stuff, and off to a 5-0 start with a 1.96 ERA. Tony Diaz is the fourth-year manager. Finances and Futures: 20th in budget, but 16th in payroll, so they're not playing moneyball any more. Prospects rank 20th, led by #19 Jon Ladd, a SS with some pop who probably has a better future at third. 1B Jake Laufer has a big power bat, but misses on too many swings and runs his mouth far too often. HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-0, 3.58) / Eric Jones (4-0, 1.88) / Mike Messinger (3-0, 2.90) MIA pitchers: Chris Keast (1-1, 4.50) / Ken Newman (0-0, 6.00) / Levi Brady (2-2, 4.55) #23: WIN 6-5 ... Henkel comes through with a two-run double in the 8th to put us on top, and Kieffer saves his 13th to close it out #24: WIN 11-7 ... our pitchers get pushed around handily, but we stake out a 10-0 lead early then hold on for the win...MIA starter Newman gives up 11 R over 6 IP #25: WIN 7-4 ... this time it's a 7-0 lead that holds up...RP Pat Stanley has been rocked in his last couple outings, now sports an 18.00 ERA No complaints with this series, outside of some sloppy pitching, especially from the bullpen. Still, we're way ahead of last year's pace, and the pen has been much, much better than 2040.... OF Jonathan Spalding come off the DL, but will go straight to AAA, where OF Steve Hopkins is out with, yes, gout.... ELSEWHERE: KC's Nick Boston tosses a one-walk no-hitter over the Orioles; quite a turnaround from his 19-loss season last year.... Nearing the end of April, and MIN's Paul Foster (.411) and SD's Tony Solar (.433) are the only two batters still hitting .400. Miami's Jason Molnar and Arizona's Heriberto Martinez are the first hitters to 10 HR. Martinez is also the only batter over 2 WAR, at 2.3.... SF 2B Ty Cobb is only hitting .258 this year, but did pass Willie Mays to move into the 11th spot in career hits. He currently has 3289 hits, just 26 behing Eddie Collins. April 29-30, May 1 vs TEXAS The first of three series against divisional foes, culminating with a 4-spot vs Oakland. Texas is 11-14, in fifth place just behind the A's and Astros. Only 10th in runs for, but 2nd in steals; but 16th in runs against, and 13th in defense. DH Luis Olivo is hitting .329, while 2B Gabriel Gallegos is at .315, but their 3 and 4 hitters are sub-Mendoza. Four relievers are on the DL, and only one SP has an ERA better than league average, with #2 guy Jeff Sullivan dragging along at 8.38. Drew Saylor is the ninth-year manager, and has only one winning season to his credit. I suspect this is his last go-round with the team. Finances and Futures: 32nd in budget and 31st in payroll, which is kind of surprising considering they make money every year. Just one big tax write-off I suppose. Prospects do rank 6th, with #1 overall Callum Hewitt already in the bigs (but limping along at .194), and #42 Jonathan Bell forced into the pen due to injuries. I've been keeping my eye on their third prospect, SP Thomas Cannaday, a hard-throwing ground ball pitcher with great intangibles, but he's missing the first half of the season with a torn UCL, and at 24 may already be done as a promising prospect. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (4-1, 3.15) / Rob Hart (4-1, 4.54) / Billy Heine (2-0, 4.28) TEX pitchers: Julio Roca (1-3, 3.90) / Jeff Sullivan (0-2, 8.38) / Alex Mares (2-2, 4.05) #26: WIN 7-0 ... Casillas bounces back with a 2-hit, 10-K complete game...Groff and Dunklee homer, and Sanchez gathers three hits #27: LOSS 4-5 ... Hart is so-so, and Yee suffers his first big league loss...two errors compound the loss #28: LOSS 1-15 ... our first real stinker, and what a doozy...Heine is butt, and Goeweleeuw gives up 6 in just over an inning...5 HR against, too Ok, so this is what happens when I talk trash about an opponent.... The pen is starting to show some cracks, sadly, with three ERAs over 10. Somebody's getting shipped out to KC tonight.... Andy Sanchez hurts his knee again, so I may finally have to put him on DL, after trying to nurse him along.... Casillas is named AL Pitcher of the Month for April.... ELSEWHERE: KC has won 7 straight, while the Angels have a five-game streak. Both teams are in 2nd in their divisions now. San Fran has dropped to bottom in the league, at 7-20, with the Cubs next at 8-19.

03-30-2018, 08:15 PM	#109
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	May 2-5 @ HOUSTON Our first four-game series. Houston sits at 12-16, 11 games behind us, and just ahead of Seattle. Only 14th in runs for (and 15th in AVG and 16th in HR), but 7th in runs against. 1B Bruce Calhoon (.313/7/16) leads most hitting categories for the team, with LF Jefferson McKenzie (.299/6/15) just behind. Jay Russo is once again the clear ace in the rotation, but there's not much behind him at the moment. Closer Brent Philbrick has an ERA under 1. Manager Guillermo Reyes is in his third season with the club. His players seem to like him, although there's no leadership and the clubhouse is unhappy. Owner Jim Crane is already "Mad," with none of his five goals looking likely to be met. Finances and Futures: the lowest budget ($75M) in the bigs, and a payroll at 34th place. Not hard to see why this team hasn't made the playoffs in nearly a quarter century. Prospects rank 18th overall, although their top two prospects--both SPs--look like middle-grade starters at best. RF Hughie Noonan looks legit: a big power hitter with nice contact and a good eye. Terrible fielding, tho. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (5-0, 2.67) / Mike Messinger (4-0, 2.61) / Leon Casillas (5-1, 2.57) / Rob Hart (4-1, 4.54) HOU pitchers: Jason Ray (0-3, 6.04) / Jay Russo (2-2, 3.05) / John Fox (1-2, 4.23) / Nelson Gonzalez (1-5, 4.12) #29: WIN 9-8 ... nearly blew an 8-1 lead, and only a run in the 8th put us over the top...only 16K showed up to see this one #30: LOSS 3-5 ... Messinger throws a poor game (5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 HR) and look generally flat...Russo is sharp, as he usually is against us #31: WIN 12-3 ... 16 hits, including 7 2B and 2 HR...Casillas is excellent, but Stanley is awful in relief again (13.50 ERA)...Carillo hurt, report pending #32: WIN 7-1 ... only 8 hits this time, but 5 are HR, which seems like a pretty good ratio...Hart goes 7 IP, gives up 4 H and 1 R Carillo is diagnosed with a sore hamstring, which only slightly affects his running. He's already slow as molasses, so perhaps this won't matter? More concerning is that 2/3 of my outfield has months-long dtd injuries, which just means more sacrificial chickens sent to the basement.... RP Aldo Gouweleeuw and his 10+ ERA are packed off to KC, and we call up Zach Randolph for his second go-round on the island. You might recall Randolph threw 49 innings for us last year, racking up a sweet 7.11 ERA while allowing 2 HR and 4.2 BB per 9 IP. His first line this series: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 WP. Sigh.... The pen's ERA is down to 12th in the AL now, after a really nice start. Pat Stanley is moved from setup to middle relief, and Ricky Jimenez is moved into the #2 setup role. We'll see.... ELSEWHERE: The Cubs have lost 8 in a row to fall to a league-worst 8-23, while Portland has lost six straight and is 9-20. Oakland has won six straight and is now in 2nd in the AL West. Guess who we host next?.... On paper, Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez should be a superstar: contact, gap power, great HR power, a stud fielder, and a speed demon with good baserunning instincts. In reality, he's indolent and unmotivated and has never hit over .253 in seven full seasons. This year, tho, he's been golden: .369/.434/1.188, with 14 HR, 11 SB, and a 3.0 WAR already.... And I'm very disappointed that the Cubs are no longer starting SS Jordan Cruz, who's lead the NL in strikeouts seven years running while batting leadoff. He has 11 K in 28 AB this year, which is an improvement. May 6-9 vs OAKLAND The first big rivalry series of 2041. The A's are 18-14, 8 games behind us, and riding a six-game winning streak. Just 11th in runs, and without the stacked lineup of years past, but C Vinny Vargas is having his usual big year: .351/7/22. CF Dale Condon is hitting .326. They're missing three starters (at 1B, 3B, and CF), and SP Tom DiFranco was lost for the year after just two starts. Overall, pitching has been so-so, but the starters ERA is 4th in the AL. Ricky Hose, a disaster of a person but an ace on the mound, has a wonderful 6:1 K-to-BB ratio. Despite their record, the clubhouse is unhappy, and 10th-year manager Robert Woodard has his hands full. (His pitchers hate him and his batters are mostly 'meh.') Finances and Futures: 13th in budget, 10th in payroll. Despite making the playoffs five years running, being a smaller budget team has probably hurt them down the years, and they've lost money four of those five years (and on pace to lose nearly $10M this year). Prospects rank 13th, with top guy Jaysen Moss already in the A's rotation. I really like OF Jordan Coronado, who's still a few years away. HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-1, 5.72) / Eric Jones (6-0, 3.22) / Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.14) / Leon Casillas (6-1, 2.40) OAK pitchers: Jaysen Moss (2-1, 3.96) / Chad Celli (1-2, 5.28) / Fernando Pena (1-1, 3.06) / Ricky Hose (4-2, 4.03) #33: LOSS 3-4 ... Heine continues to struggle, giving up 11 H and 4 R in 6 IP...outhit 12-7 #34: WIN 5-1 ... Jones keeps on truckin', although he lasts just 5.2 IP...Yee tosses 2.2 IP to get his first MLB save...RP Steve Miller hurt #35: LOSS 4-9 ... shades of last season, with the pen giving up 5 in the 9th to blow it...both Sanchez and Carillo get injured again #36: WIN 15-8 ... well, when the pitching struggles, racking up 19 hits is still a good way to win a game...four HR helps too INJURIES are mounting. Carillo has a more severe injury pending, while Sanchez keeps tweaking various parts of his legs. Now Dunklee has a one-week dtd injury. Can't sit him, tho. RP Steve Miller has a pending diagnosis as well.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit's won seven straight, surging to 22-12 and first in the Central. The Cubs have won one of their last ten, and are at rock bottom at 9-26.... Portland's Mat Quadrini, with 91 HR his last two years, is flailing along at .149/.252/.298, with 48 K in 114 AB. May 10-12 vs CINCINNATI Interleague play starts now, with a three-spot against the Reds. Currently sitting 23-14, second in the Central to St Louis, and are third in runs for and fourth in runs against. 1B Daniel Matias leads the attack at .309/8/25, and LF Tom Bilby is also hitting .300. The rotation is the second best in the NL right now, with Jarrod Kearns sporting a 2.17 ERA. Dan Remenowsky is the 12th-year manager. Oddly, owner Bobby Joslin is upset despite having all his team goals being met at the moment. Finances and Futures: 14th in team budget but 28th in player payroll. Only one player is making north of $10M, that being CF Pete Howarth, right at the ten mark. Prospects rank 3rd overall, with top rated Tony Vazquez on the big club. He got off to a great start (0.47 ERA in 3 starts), but is on the DL for the next couple of months. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (5-1, 4.07) / Billy Heine (2-2, 5.76) / Eric Jones (7-0, 3.00) CIN pitchers: Jarrod Kearns (3-2, 2.17) / Justin Clark (1-1, 4.38) / Enrique Garcia (4-1, 3.19) #37: LOSS 4-12 ... another stinker, with Hart giving up 12 H and 9 R...backups started tonight, but I can't blame them for this one #38: WIN 2-1 ... three singles and a walk result in 2 runs in the 9th inning, and we pull this one out at the last minute...Heine throws his first good game of the year #39: WIN 6-5 ... Groff's solo HR in the 8th breaks a tie and makes the difference...RP Stanley continues to blow up (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB) Well, real injuries finally caught up with us: Carillo has a broken knee and is done for the season, and RP Miller has a torn back muscle and is gone for four months. OF Steve Hopkins and RP Ian Albring get the first crack at taking their places.... Our team in A ball, Eureka, is off to a 9-27 start.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit's now won 12 in a row, upping their record to 27-12. The Cubs have won 3 of 4, dropping Portland (10-27) to the worst record in the league.... Richmond's Rafael Maldonado is the hot pitcher of the moment: 6-2, 1.15 ERA, 76 K in 55 IP.... Arizona's Heriberto Martinez keeps hitting, and is leading the NL in HR, RBI, SB, OPS, and WAR.... Nobody is hitting .400 any longer, but Minny's Paul Foster is the closest, at .392. May 14-16 vs ST LOUIS Winners of 9 of their last 10, the Cards sit in first in the NL Central, at 27-12. Hitting has been superb, first in runs, AVG, OBP, and 2nd in HR. They're just 12th in runs against, but the rotation has been solid. RF Willie Guerra is carrying the power game, at .296/12/26. SS Erik Morgan is hitting .326 from the leadoff spot, and 1B Justin Wade leads the team with 28 RBI. 38-year-old C Devlin Ransberger is only hitting .263, but is closing in on 2000 hits and 500 HR. Expatriate SP Ken Clark is having his best year in a while, at 4-2, 3.21, and 57 K in 47 IP. Manager Orlando Lopez is in his fourth year, and the team has improved every year of his tenure. Finances and Futures: Budget is 14th, Payroll is 21st, but will probably change soon, what with every starter but one being under the age of 30. Prospects rank 14th, with three of the top five already in the bigs (two are starters: CF Steve Rutledge and 3B Nesty Arteaga). HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.31) / Leon Casillas (6-1, 3.10) / Rob Hart (5-2, 5.10) STL pitchers: D.C. Weltman (3-2, 4.57) / Kasey Sikkema (5-3, 3.02) / Ken Clark (4-2, 3.21) #40: LOSS 4-6 ... Messinger shines, but--this'll sound familiar--the pen blows it, yielding 4 runs in the 8th and 9th...Robertson dtd after an HBP #41: WIN 10-7 ... it's our turn to rally, scoring 9 runs from the 6th on to take a wild one...Robertson tweaks his hip, will have to sit a bit now #42: LOSS 2-4 ... Clark outpitches Hart (9 IP, 4 H, 10 K, but the loss)...aaaand we get another dtd injury After a hot April (23-4), we've cooled off to 8-7 in May. Worse are the mounting nagging injuries: Sanchez's woes have been documented; add to them 2B Robertson (back and hip) for 4 more days, and OF Ian McGowan (concussion) for 6 days. John Canning will get some time vs RHP in place of Robertson, while McGowan will sit for Sanchez and one of Steve Hopkins or Dave White.... Worse still, the bullpen has fallen to 15th in AL ERA, while throwing the fewest innings in the league.... ELSEWHERE: Hot or Not: Milwaukee (9-1) and New Orleans (8-2) are Hot, while Portland and Cleveland (both 2-8) are Not.... Selfish gonna Selfish: the two hottest hitters in baseball are KC's 3B Juan Garcia (league best .390) and Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez (3.4 WAR, 18 HR). Both, however, hate everybody and are unpopular figures despite their obvious talents. Both teams are hovering around .500.... Here's your weekly checkup on Cubs SS Jordan Cruz: despite a brief tumble out of the lineup, Cruz is now back to batting leadoff for the now-terrible (13-28) Cubbies. He's a SS who is a career .205 hitter (4782 career AB). This year he's batting .108 with 29 K in 74 AB.

03-31-2018, 10:01 AM	#110
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	May 17-19 @ NEW ORLEANS The defending champs got off to a slow-ish start (15-12 in April), but have now won 7 straight and are back in the race in the NL Central. Despite average batting numbers, they're 5th in the NL in runs. And they're pitching is a paean to depth: even with SIX pitchers on the DL, they are 3rd in runs against, and have a bullpen that makes me question my life choices, with three guys working an ERA below 2. SS Jose Rodriguez bats cleanup and is having a career start, at .338/.419/.548. This is a lineup without stars, as only 3B Dan Martin is ranked higher than 12th (positionally) by MLB. Last year's playoff hero Sam Thompson and 36-year-old retread Sean Reid lead the rotation. Manager Rolando Valles worked a 30-game turnaround last year (96 wins), and has everyone on the same page again this year. Finances and Futures: 34th in budget and payroll, these guys are a small market dream. Prospects rank first in baseball, with Rodriguez and three pitchers already in the bigs. They still have high hopes for 2039 #1 overall IF Josh Suprenant, but he's 23, still in A ball, and out for the season with a shoulder injury. HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (2-2, 5.16) / Eric Jones (7-0, 3.26) / Mike Messinger (4-1, 3.21) NOZ pitchers: Jake Marker (5-2, 3.71) / Sean Reid (4-2, 2.08) / Nate Schleicher (1-2, 5.46) #43: WIN 7-3 ... 15 hits, including a double for SP Heine (along with 7 IP and 10 Ks)...OF McArthur hurt, diagnosis pending #44: WIN 5-3 ... 14 more hits and a another strong outing from Jones, but we only win in with 3 in the 11th, thanks to RBI hits from Groff and Henkel #45: WIN 1-0 ... the hits dried up (just 3 today), but Messinger is BIG TIME, scattering 4 hits in a complete game gem A sweep is just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, the doc also brought along more injury news, this time that Travis McArthur will miss a month with a hamstring strain. I call up Ashton Gooding from KC to take his place. I thought about recalling Jonathan Spalding, who has better overall ratings than Gooding, but I like that Gooding can play OF and IF equally well, and with the recent rate of dtd injuries this club has had, I need that kind of versatility right now.... Three good starts from my rotation, but better news is encouraging signs from the bullpen. I spent big money on you guys this winter: don't make me regret it.... ELSEWHERE: Austin SS Bryan Rush made his big league debut by going 5-for-5 in a victory over Oakland.... Hot and Not: Yankees are working on an 8-2 stretch, while Portland is 1-9 and has the worst record in the bigs at 11-30.... Individual Spotlight: Austin OF Steve Colpo hit .429 in a brief callup late last year, but this season has been a drag so far. The 23-year-old is ranked the 21st overall prospect in MLB, but is hitting just .145 with no HR in 41 starts so far in 2041. He's an average fielder, but looks to be a solid hitter, should he find his groove. Austin is playing better even with his rough start: at 20-23, their .465 winning percentage would be their best in nearly a decade. May 20-22 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX A quick return home for a three-spot against the Sox, who at 19-25 are in 5th place in the AL Central. They're 8th in runs scored, despite sitting in 17th in AVG and 18th in OBP, largely thanks to an AL-2nd-best 69 HR. Catcher Dan Starr is the only legit, um, star, according to MLB, with a big bat and decent catching ability. But he's a big-time prima donna who only seems to turn it on every second or third season. Pitching is 13th in the league, with the pen outperforming the rotation by a fair stretch. Closer Stan Krueger is working a 1.80 ERA with 8 saves, while MR Les Crowley is humming along at 1.17. No one in the rotation has an ERA below 4. They currently have six players on the DL, including four pitchers. Manager Jose Ortiz has somehow clung to his job for eight years despite only one winning season and no playoffs. Finances and Futures: 25th in budget, 24th in payroll, with an owner who wants to cut the budget and increase profit (and who's UNHAPPY right now, to boot). Despite being a bottom-dwelling team for over a decade, their prospects only grade out as the 19th best: no pitchers look any good, and all of their hitters (outside of contact-and-glove OF Matt Powell) look like high power/low contact duds. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (6-1, 3.74) / Rob Hart (5-3, 4.95) / Billy Heine (3-2, 5.01) CHW pitchers: Zach Setaro (1-5, 5.29) / Alex Arrieta (3-2, 5.46) / Max Stover (3-4, 4.38) #46: WIN 12-1 ... 2 HR and 5 RBI from Mercedes, and 3 hits from Hopkins, now hitting .500 as a replacement #47: LOSS 4-9 ... Hart looks terrible again, and RP Zack Randolph has given up runs in 3 of his 4 appearances #48: WIN 7-4 ... teams combine for 6 HR, 18 H, and 6 errors in a sloppy outing...5 more RBI for Mercedes, and a decent start for Heine No injuries and a full-time return to the lineup for Josh Robertson. CF Andy Sanchez continues to gimp along at .279, the lowest BA in my starting lineup, but he's been great in the field. Please don't get hurt worse, Andy.... Zack Randolph earns a ticket back to AAA with his shoddy pitching, and Ronnie Corgan gets the callup this time. He tossed 22 innings for us last year, with a 4.84 ERA and an 0-5 record, while also making three appearances in the field (at 2B, CF, and RF). He's 24, has more room to grow (so my scouts tell me), and looks decent on paper but has never impressed at the AAA or MLB level. Now's your chance, Ronbo.... ELSEWHERE: SD pitcher (and two-time defending Cy Young champ) Gary Florence was sitting at 1-3 with a 4.64 ERA on May 1st. In four starts since then he's gone 2-0, with 31 IP, 20 H, 5 R, 42 K, and just 1 BB.... STL let pitcher Joey Muhlenkamp go 10.1 innings in a losing effort in San Francisco. He allowed 10 hits and struck out 13.... Hot and Not: Philly's won 6 straight, and 8-2 in their last ten. Seattle is 2-8 recently. Two players are approaching 20-game hit streaks, but let's see if they get there first before I out them.... Individual Spotlight: Manager Mike Johns is closing in on his 900th career victory, all with the Blue Jays. He's a two-time coach of the year, and won the World Series in 2035. He was a batting coach for seventeen years with the A's, Indians, Dodgers, and Jays, before getting promoted to the top spot for Toronto in 2032. May 24-26 @ DETROIT The defending AL champs are strong again, leading the Central at 30-17. Pitching is good (5th in runs against), but hitting is leading the way, at 2nd in runs and 1st in HR. CF Cameron Kerr and SS Cory Hopkins are out with injuries, but everyone else is chipping in, led by LF John Sheets (.301/13/45) and RF Roberto Rivera (.317/7/31). Last year's HR champ C.J. Lee is hitting 50 points below his career average, but has added 10 HR. Closer Alex Castaneda, maybe the best in the game, already has 16 saves and sports a 1.80 ERA. Italian manager Francesco Miani is in his sixth year, and owner Mike Ilitch, Jr. is in his 86th year. Finances and Futures: 6th highest budget and 12th biggest payroll. They're profitable and have tons of room to makes moves at the trade deadline. Prospects rank 2nd in MLB, with Sheets being the only top prospect already in the bigs. Seven of their top ten prospects are pitchers, and all have potential to be solid big leaguers. This is a well-run organization that is just churning out kids right now. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (7-0, 3.19) / Mike Messinger (5-1, 2.77) / Leon Casillas (7-1, 3.48) DET pitchers: Alex Gomez (4-2, 3.49) / Alex de la Roca (5-2, 4.56) / Lance Hansen (3-3, 5.17) #49: LOSS 2-7 ... 11 hits for each team, and Mercedes hits his 17th HR, but Jones throws his first stinker and Yee his first bad relief outing...Sanchez hurt again #50: WIN 7-2 ... Dunklee works his power stroke for two HR and 5 RBI...Messinger allows 3 H and 4 BB through 6, and Corgan is solid in his first outing for the save #51: LOSS 3-9 ... we put 18 runners on but can only score 3...Casillas struggles, as does Stanley (again) in relief...ugh Well, not what I was hoping for, as our pitching let us down in both losses. Hitting held up, but we couldn't score runs when we needed them.... Sanchez suffers yet another leg injury, leading me to shut him down for now, and placing him on the 11-day DL. Not sure what I'm going to do to replace him yet, as we're getting low on decent minor-league OF now.... With Sanchez on the DL, all three of my projected opening day OF starters are on out: Carillo, Sanchez, McArthur. T-Mac is due back in three weeks, and I hope Sanchez will be back for the stretch drive. Carillo is done for the year. I now have four OF on the roster who started the season on the DL or in AAA: Ian McGowan, Steve Hopkins, Ashton Gooding, and Dave White. This is less than thrilling.... Casillas, signed for five more seasons, is now in his second season of extreme hot-and-cold pitching. He's just turned 31, but has eight straight seasons of over 200 IP. Let's hope he's not near the end of the line.... ELSEWHERE: KC's Juan Garcia continues to light up AL pitching to the tune of .397, with TB's Tim Ost enjoying a .383 line.... Minny's Dave Holbrook now has a 22-game hit streak.... Hot and Not: Washington is riding a 5-game winning streak, while Montreal is 1-9 of late, dropping them to 19-30 overall.... Individual Spotlight: Toronto 1B Preston Sorensen is nearly 34, and having a down year (.268/7/19), but has been perhaps the best hitter in baseball over the last decade. His 162-game averages are .308/44/117 and an 8.0 WAR. He's nearing 400 HR and 1700 hits, and has 71 WAR in his 10 seasons. He's signed through next year, and if the Jays don't sign the native Ontarian, we may see a good old-fashioned Canadian riot next year. Fun times. May 27-29 @ MINNESOTA Once again battling the Tigers at the top of the Central (they've finished 1st or 2nd in 6 of the last 8 years). Hitting is only slightly above AL average (although OPB is outpacing every other stat). Pitching is 2nd in the league, however, with the best rotational ERA in the AL and the 4th best bullpen. Paul Foster has been the go-to guy at the plate, at .356/10/34, and Peanuts Carter has added 9 HR and 32 RBI. The only pitcher having a standout early summer has been SP Ben Martin (6-2, 3.28 ERA), but he's done for the season after suffering an elbow injury two days ago. Manager Jose Mateo has been at the helm since 2024 and is six wins away from 1800. Finances and Futures: 10th in budget and 8th in payroll. Owner Adam Thompson wants big profit, and has cut the budget from 196M to 146M over the past two seasons. Prospects, however, are ranked 35th, and no one looks like a bona fide big leaguer outside of #5 guy SP Kyle Hoots, who looks like a back-end starter at best. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (5-4, 5.69) / Billy Heine (4-2, 4.88) / Eric Jones (7-1, 3.53) MIN pitchers: Lawrence Teklu (1-1, 3.38) / Brett McGee (1-1, 1.91) / Dave Harpold (5-3, 4.99) #52: WIN 7-4 ... a four-run 6th breaks open a 3-3 tie, spurred by Hunter's 2-run double...Hart gives up 2 HR but gets the win, and Kieffer earns his 20th save #53: LOSS 2-11 ... somehow Heine survives an 8-run first inning, and gives up 12 H and 10 R over 5 IP. Oy...Nothing else to see here #54: LOSS 1-3 ... Jones throws six solid innings, but comes out and the pen blows it up again, losing the game in a 3-hit, 2-run 7th The bullpen is causing me more and more pains as the season goes along. I may have to put myself on the DL.... With three OF on the DL, I sign free agent Joel Courtney for the rest of the season. Courtney is 33, a ten-year veteran, and a good fielder and runner. He's a contact hitter, a .291 career batter, who hit .297 in 109 games with San Diego last year. He just has to stay healthy and hit at or near his average to be a plus in the lineup.... ELSEWHERE: Yankees RF Tony Flores has 23 HR, on pace for 72. I'm pulling for you, Tony.... Dave Holbrook's 22-game streak came to an end, but Portland's Miguel Esqueda is working on his own 21-game thread now.... Individual Spotlight: SP Jay Russo is toiling in his 8th season for the hapless Astros. The 2037 Cy Young winner, now 29, is having what could be a career year: 1st in K, 2nd in ERA, and 7-2 on a sub-.500 team. In the off-season he signed a four-year extension, and is a bargain at $18M per year. Plus, he just kills us: he has 3 career shutouts, and I'd swear they have all come against us. I hate him.

04-01-2018, 07:49 PM	#111
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	May 30-31, June 1-2 @ TEXAS Fifth place in the division, just behind LA and ahead of Seattle. Also fifth in runs scored, with above average hitting across the board, but pitching has been the bugaboo so far. 2B Gabriel Gallegos is hitting .341, and 3B J.J. Dean .322. Power guys Nate Lobdell and Callum Hewitt have combined for 23 HR, but are also only hitting at combined .205. They're next-to-last in runs allowed, however, with only Edgar Ulloa (4-3, 2.80) pitching anywhere near league average. They do have four relievers on the DL, which isn't helping things. Finances and Futures: 32nd in budget and 31st in payroll. They don't spend money, and don't win many games, but they make money for owner Ray Davis, so he's happy at least. Prospects do rank 6th in baseball, with Hewitt the #1 guy in the game. He's only 21 and has room to grow, but looks to have a tremendous power stroke. Pitcher Jonathan Bell is currently in the Rangers bullpen, but figures to grow into a decent starter one day. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (6-1, 2.66) / Leon Casillas (7-2, 4.01) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.57) / Billy Heine (4-3, 5.80) TEX pitchers: Edgar Ulloa (4-3, 2.80) / Julio Roca (2-7, 5.83) / Jeff Sullivan (1-5, 7.14) / Alex Mares (4-3, 4.58) #55: WIN 21-3 ... 16 H + 10 BB = 21 runs. Wow...5 hits for Robertson, who also knocks in 5, along with Groff...Messinger also Ks 10 in 6.2 IP...OF Hopkins injured #56: WIN 5-2 ... a Groff triple and Henkel double key a 3-run 8th and the win...Casillas pitches well, just 2 R over 7 IP #57: LOSS 8-9 ... a 3-run 9th puts us up, but Kieffer gives up a bottom-of-the-9th grand slam and we go home unhappy #58: WIN 8-3 ... Gooding gets 3 hits and 2 RBI, with a double and a HR...Heine goes a decent 5 IP and Stanley tosses 4 solid innings for the save Steve Hopkins becomes our 4th outfielder on the DL, out with back spasms. He's gone for six weeks. Jonathan Spalding gets the callup, and we're down to 2nd string AAA players in the outfield now.... But they are hitting well so far: McGowan .323, Courtney .412, and Gooding .300.... A ball Eureka is now 14-41, season pretty much over. Probably no changes coming until after the draft, when I can refigure some of the lower level rosters, and maybe even pick up some castoffs from other teams.... ELSEWHERE: Arizona SS Heriberto Martinez, the hottest player in the NL through two months, is out for five weeks with a broken foot.... Hot and Not: no team is really hot right now, but New Orleans has now dropped 10 straight... Individual Spotlight: As stated above, Rangers OF Callum Hewitt is the #1 prospect in baseball. Number two is Atlanta pitcher Jose Gutierrez, a scouting discovery from 2037. The 20-year-old Dominican is already on the big club, and is a solid back-end starter. He looks to develop into one of the top pitchers in the game soon, with an elite slider and above average curve and fastball. In 12 starts this year, he's 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA, and 65 K in 75 IP. June 3-4 vs LA ANGELS Currently 27-32, fourth place in the West. 12th in runs scored and 11th in runs against, with OBP (7th) and bullpen ERA (8th) the only decent stats. RF Chris Bateman is hitting .320 as an injury replacement, but no one else is hitting over .269. Ace Jeff Caraway is having a good season, as is 5th starter George O'Toole; we'll see both in these two games. Andy Raaff is the second-year manager, and is the only Dutchman leading an MLB team. Finances and Futures: 17th budget, 20th in payroll. Several losing seasons have hurt fan interest, but they're willing to spend and have a number of young players already on the team that bode well for the future. All those youngsters on the big team means the farm is a bit depleted, and they rank 23rd in MLB. The top player is 17-year-old Emmanuel Garcia, toiling in the international complex. He looks like a classic five-tool guy, maybe not an all-time great, but a future star in the making. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (7-1, 3.34) / Mike Messinger (7-1, 2.67) LAA pitchers: George O'Toole (3-2, 2.35) / Jeff Caraway (6-4, 2.97) #59: LOSS 2-7 ... Jones is chased early, as we're down 6-0 after three...Robertson goes 4-for-4, now hitting .362; Henkel hits his 13th HR #60: WIN 3-0 ... Messinger scatters 2 hits through 8 IP, strking out 10...Dunklee's 3-run HR paces the offense No more injuries, so there's that.... Robertson nets a Player of the Week honor, batting .556 last week.... Through 60 games we're 42-18, 8 games ahead of Oakland.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego has four starting pitchers in the top ten of NL ERA, the best being Aaron Armstrong leading the league at 1.78. They have the league-best starters ERA, but 16th ranked bullpen ERA, meaning their GM must be just as frustrated and confounded as I am.... Hot and Not: the Dodgers have ridden an 8-2 run to first place in the NL West.... Three Cubs batters are killing their offense: Alex Castillo, Jordan Cruz, and Zach Huber are hitting a combined 12-for-136 in the last few weeks, with 3 HR and 48 K. June 6-9 vs SEATTLE Sitting in last place at 22-37, little has gone right so far for the Mariners. Offense ranks 11th or worse, and pitching is 14th in runs against, with the starters ERA at 17th. DH Enrique Cervantes has been the team's best hitter, at .273/14/35, and last year's AL MVP Mike Wapner is hitting .301, and is just back from a 3-week stint on the DL. In the rotation, only Aaron Myers has an ERA below 5 (and he's at 4.96), and only two relievers are having above average seasons. This is the second series between the two teams: we swept them in Seattle in April. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (8-2, 3.89) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.71) / Billy Heine (5-3, 5.66) / Eric Jones (7-2, 3.49) SEA pitchers: Amir Farland (3-6, 5.79) / Aaron Burton (1-4, 5.21) / Aaron Myers (2-7, 4.96) / Sean Easter (5-5, 5.03) #61: WIN 7-4 ... Dunklee's 3-run shot in the 2nd and 3 more hits from Robertson stake us to an early 7-1 lead, and Casillas scatters 7 hits with no BB (and 7 K) #62: WIN 9-6 ... Henkel's 3-run HR in the 10th caps a 7-run comeback, pretty rare for us...Hart's shaky season continues: 10 K but 8 H and 6 R in 6 IP...Groff hurt tho #63: LOSS 4-12 ... as long as he throws like today, I will never stop saying "Heine is butt"...15 H over 5.2 IP, great for a $23.2M starter...Mercedes with 2 more HR #64: WIN 3-2 ... Henkel drives in his 57th of the season to win it in the 8th...Jones is good through 6, and Yee tosses 2 scoreless innings for his 4th win Two more injuries in this series, but at least they're both dtd: Groff and Dunklee, each for a week. Dunklee's is a bit more serious, so I might move him out of the lineup some this week. Groff moved to DH, since his issue is throwing, and we need his bat. In other injury news, we're also a week away from getting McArthur back in RF.... It's feast of famine in the rotation: Casillas, Jones, and especially Messinger continue to throw well, but Hart and Heine are really fighting it. Hart's ERA is up to 5.83 now, Heine to 6.15. Heine is grossly overpaid for what he's bringing us right now, and I'd consider moving him if I could, but I doubt anyone would take that contract for another year; plus, he's 33. He may just be done.... We completed the draft just now, and it was thoroughly unimpressive. I'll put up a report in the next post.... ELSEWHERE: Yankees OF Tony Flores went nutty in May with 14 HR; he's added five more this month and leads the majors with 28. He hit 30 in 308 AB last year, and has done his damage in 236 AB this year. He's a big (6'3") switch-hitting RF with a huge power bat and all the speed of a dried slug.... Hot and Not: Cubs closer Fernanda Alameda hasn't allowed a run in his last 18 appearances, adding 13 saves over that stretch. Sadly, Cleveland starter Tyler Holman is 0-4 in his last six starts, with an ERA over 10.... Individual Spotlight: It was a coup for Richmond when they nabbed pitcher Rafael Maldonado in free agency for the bargain bin price of $14M (although it does jump to $21M in a few seasons). The 26-year-old was coming off a five year stint in Montreal where he'd racked up 32 WAR, over 11 K/9, and a nearly 6-to-1 K-to-BB ratio. So it's hardly surprising to see him off to such a hot start: 13 GP, 2.16, 87 IP, 116 K, 19 BB, 4.3 WAR. The Eagles are struggling, at just .500 through 64 games, but it's not Maldonado's fault. Next up: Draft and organizational prospects review. Attached Images

04-01-2018, 07:57 PM	#112
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	2041 Draft The obvious downside to winning comes on draft day. On top of picking near the bottom of the first round, thanks also to a record 20 supplemental first round picks, our second selection didn't come until 76th. I know: boo hoo, take your trophies and go home. Looking over the players that were chosen in the first, I don't see any real sleepers. I suppose OF John Arrington, taken by Atlanta at #15, could fit the bill: great runner and good fielder, but just average at the plate. His intangibles should really help him out, but he is already 22. On the other hand, there were some real head scratchers, such as OF Jesse Lewis (San Diego, #30). Another strong runner, and good in the field (but with a weak arm), his hitting looks no better than minor league to me. He's also 22, so pretty far along the developmental curve already. The real tragedy comes at #2, tho: 3B Jason Neighbors, taken by the perenially craptacular Astros. He looks to me like a guy who may hit .270 with 25 HR, but only in a good year. He looks lost in the field, and can't run worth a nickel. On top of that, his INT and WE are terribly low. Time will tell. Now on to our picks. Thanks to my usual impatience with the end of the draft, some time over the winter I traded away a raft of lower picks, meaning we were done after round 24. Thank goodness. Round 1, 24th overall: CL Rick Ramirez, 21, Oklahoma State. I'm not fond of taking relievers with high picks, but Ramirez was clearly the best player available. Like most kids, his control has some catching up to do, but he's already good enough to start in A ball, at the least. Good work ethic will help, too. Round 2, 76th overall: P Chris Sanborn, 19, high school. Frankly, as a pitcher he looks a little fringe-y to me, like a AAAA guy. But he's got real talent with the bat: nothing that stands out, but solid starter material. Problem is, he has no talent for defense. So he's likely a 1B/DH guy once he signs. Intangibles are solid. Probably starts in rookie ball. Round 3, 107th overall: P Dustin Barton, 18, high school. Another guy, like Sanborn, who could end up playing anywhere. Has better pitching potential than Sanborn, so I may at least start him off there. But his hitting looks even better than his draftmate, and he's a better fielder (at least with range and an arm; iron glove, however). He could find himself pitching and playing in the outfield in rookie ball this summer, if I manage him right. Round 4, 140th overall: SS J.J. Simmons, 19, high school. A little guy (5'8", 160) that I'm really high on. He's a real throwback to middle infielders of yore (well, at least the 70s) -- great fielder, terrific arm, some speed, good contact, but no power at all, and very little patience at the plate. He may never be more than a useful utility IF, but I'm hopeful he'll be more than that. Round 4, 142nd overall: P Ryan Berridge, 20, UCLA. Groundballer and junkball thrower, with a good cutter and change. Not the greatest stuff, and doesn't look like a future big leaguer, to be honest. But he's a demon hard worker, so worth chancing on him overdeveloping. Strictly bullpen, with no third pitch. Round 5, 178th overall: 1B Matt Hefty, 20, West Florida. He's 6'5", 220#, and named Hefty. How could I resist? Future 1B/DH, with some speed but no baserunning skills. Hitting looks average, with a bit of pop. Was a 7th round pick by STL last year but didn't sign. Round 5, 187th overall: P Nick Kramer, 19, high school. Listed as a catcher, but with average plate skills and below average defense, I moved him to the mound. Looks like a mid-level relief pitcher, who will need a boost or two to see the big club. Since I apparently have zero ability to develop catchers, making the switch was a no brainer. There's not much left to tell among the rest of our picks. Rounding out the top ten were guys with some bright spots but also obvious flaws that need to be corrected or overcome. Pitchers Jason Ackerman and Bernardo Lujan, infielders Isidro Vidal and Kevin Jacobsen, and OF Danny Simmons all have potential. But it's just as likely you'll never hear from them again. Lujan may not end up signing with me since he wants a large bonus, and my owner is balking at paying for it right now. ...... Prospect Overview Thanks to a number of graduations, our minor league system now ranks 22nd (out of 36). Two players rank in the top 100. Nobody really stands out as a future all-star, but there is some nice potential swirling around down there. 1. P Cam Bornhoft, 24, MLB 27th overall. Last year's #2 prospect for us, he's still trying to make it work in AAA. Having a good season so far (11 starts, 3.04 ERA). Still looks like a back-end starter, with good stuff but only so-so movement. Brings four solid pitchers, with his curve (odd, given his low movement) easily his best pitch. Only hits 91 mph on the gun, however, so I'm not sure how much upside he really has. Made 9 appearances on the island last year, resulting in a 4.93 ERA in 38.1 IP. 2. P Taylor Barnett, 22, MLB 78th overall. A first rounder from my soon-to-be-horribly-disappointing 2039 draft. Better movement than Bornhoft, but less stuff and control. Bring five decent pitches, hits 97 mph. Like Bornhoft, a lefty, so that will earn him more of a look than it might otherwise. Struggling with control in AA this season. There's no rush on him, but he needs to start showing me something soon. 3. P Frank Soto, 25, MLB 113th overall. Came over from the Dodgers last December as part of Operation Rebuild the Bullpen. Has decent ratings, but only a reliever's stamina (9 of 20). Elite changeup, keeps the ball down. Has been just adequate in AAA, but looks decent enough to earn a callup come September, or if injuries strike the rotation. 4. OF Pedro Cepeda, 22, MLB 149th overall. Acquired via trade from STL in 2038, I had hopes of him developing into a big power bat, which hasn't happened. Now in his third season in our system, he missed half of last year due to injury. He's put together a good season so far, batting .370 with 8 HR (on pace for 22) in AAA. Has decent speed, and a cannon arm, but is otherwise just frightful in the field. He'll probably earn a look in September, but I'm not high on him right now, and it might be better for me to consider trading him while his value is still high. 5. OF Jim Klein, 21, MLB 176th overall. Last year's 1st round pick, he's struggling to hit in AA right now. Has solid potential across the board, excepting only in HR power. Good range projects him as a CF, and he could start one day in the not-too-distant future. Currently injured (torn meniscus) for two months. Also keep an eye on... ...OF Salvador Higareda, 22. His batting potential looks seriously underwhelming, but my scouts tell me to bring him to the bigs right now. Gold Glove potential in the field, and has dynamite intangibles. It's just that...he can't hit. Still, he'll get a look in September at least, or maybe sooner if my outfielders keep dropping like flies. ...OF/IF Ashton Gooding, 23. Currently in MLB due to injuries. Decent hitter, with more than a little power, his true value lies in his versatility. Equally adept (and quite good, really) across the outfield and the infield, if he hits at all he'll be incredibly useful. Also has some pitching talent. ...... Minor League Standings: AAA -- Kansas City, 29-23, 2nd, 2 GB AA -- Lewiston, 31-24 2nd, 2 GB A -- Eureka, 18-44, 6th, 24 GB

04-04-2018, 08:09 PM	#113
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	June 10-12 @ MONTREAL Our passports are in order as we're off to Montreal for another round of interleague play. The Expos are 29-35, 10 games out of first, but are 7-3 in their last ten. They're scoring a lot of runs (2nd in NL), but are giving them up in bunches (14th) as well. Interesting tho that their run diff is zero (306/306). As usual, 3B Matt Anderson is leading the offense (.323/20/59), with support from SS Bobby Moore (.261/13/50). 1B Luis Ruiz has 14 HR, but is on the DL for two more weeks. Pitching has been a strong suit for the Expos for years, but free agency has gutted the rotation. Ruben Villasenor has been their best pitcher by far, in his 11th year, but will probably be leaving as well this fall. Michael Ryan is the manager, in his 11th year with the team. Reports say the team is 'content,' but rumors say that he's lost the locker room, and the team leaders have tuned him out. Finances and Futures: 24th budget, 23rd payroll. Owner T.J. Reid is also upset, with attendance down and his desire for profit going down the tubes. Prospects rank 33rd in the league, with top guy Nate Hart at #100. He looks to be average at best. Cuban 3B Frank Acevedo looks decent, with nice power, but brings nothing else. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (8-1, 2.42) / Leon Casillas (9-2, 3.79) / Rob Hart (6-4, 5.83) MTL pitchers: Ryan Sorrow (2-6, 5.27) / Dorian Zimmerman (3-2, 2.98) / Ruben Villasenor (6-3, 3.25) #65: LOSS 0-3 ... Sorrow holds us to 3 H, outpitching Messinger's decent start #66: WIN 6-0 ... our turn for the shutout: Casillas scatters 4 hits in a complete game, and Henkel drives in two more with a pair of hits #67: WIN 10-0 ... yet another shutout, this time helped by Mercedes' four hits and four RBI...Hart has his best game of the year, but gets lifted in the 9th, oddly Very nice, even the loss was well pitched, we just ran into a hot pitcher. I still don't understand why you pull the starting pitcher with 2 outs in the 9th in a 10-0 win. Who knows.... We're 47-20 now, 9.5 games up on Oakland.... With the win, Casillas is the first pitcher to reach 10 wins.... ELSEWHERE: Miami has made their usual early-summer run to the top of the AL East, which will shortly be followed by a gradual decline to somewhere around a .500 record.... Hot and Not: Portland 1B Mat Quadrini, two years removed from a 53 HR season, has been a disaster this year: batting .160 with 98 K in 237 AB. Our own Alexis Mercedes is batting .500 in his last ten games. Individual Spotlight: Expos 3B Matt Anderson, fresh off going 4-for-8 against us, has been a lights-out hitter for nearly a decade now. His career average is .330, and he's topped 200 hits each of the last six seasons, and also reached 50 HR in 2038. He'll be 33 in a month, so it'll be interesting to see how long he can keep it going. And to give you the full picture of the man, he's also one of the worst fielding 3B you'll ever see. He only makes about 10 errors a season, but that's because he's nearly immobile at the position. Plus, his ZR and EFF usually rank at or near the bottom each year. His hitting more than makes up for it, tho. June 14-16 @ CHICAGO CUBS Currently in last at 29-38, looking at possibly their first losing season since 2032. They're hitting a lot of home runs (89, 4th in the NL), but they're 13th in runs scored and 16th in runs against. Leadoff hitter Jordan Cruz (I talk about him all the time) is batting .113 with 82 K in 177 AB. WOW. 1B Willie Jaramillo has 105 K in 246 AB. At least LF Oscar Sandoval is present, batting .319/23/55, and 2B Mark Hoger is hitting .286. Closer Fernando Alameda is the only pitcher doing well so far, with a 2.25 ERA and 17 saves. Two former closers for us--Jack Shewmake and Jay Yates--are on the DL and haven't pitched at all this year. Alexis Lara is the first-year manager, in his first big league job (coming off two years managing Boston's DSL farm team). Finances and Futures: 2nd in budget and payroll, but staring at losing over $20M, which has owner Chris Woodrum worried. I'd be worried too, given the odd lineup choices his manager makes. Prospects rank 30th, with pitcher DJ Evans their top guy; but he's 26, in AAA, and out until September. Their #2 guy is a 25-year-old pitcher stuck in AA, so maybe ranking these guys #30 is being a bit generous. HAW pitchers: Billy Heine (5-4, 6.15) / Eric Jones (7-2, 3.45) / Mike Messinger (8-2, 2.36) CHC pitchers: Danny Zarate (3-5, 4.05) / Bryan Melstrom (4-6, 3.83) / Scott Kopetsky (4-5, 5.27) #68: WIN 3-1 ... Groff's single in the 7th drives home the winning run...3 hits apiece for Robertson and Courtney, and 10 K in 6 IP for Heine #69: WIN 3-2 ... Hunter is the hero tonight with a 5th-inning single to make the difference...Jones throws a strong 7, and five relievers close it out for the win #70: LOSS 8-9 ... 3 runs in the 14th win the ga-- oh, 4-run bottom half kills the buzz, as Albring is hammered for the whole schmeer Dang, almost had the sweep. The pen had been pitching much better of late too.... Still playing well, tho, now at 49-21, and about to get healthier: Groff and Dunklee's dtd injuries are done, and McArthur will be off the DL in two days.... Mercedes leads the AL with 4.3 WAR and 1.145 OPS.... ELSEWHERE: Brooklyn pitcher T.J. Bohanan has given up 2 ER in his last three starts, 20 IP.... Padres 2B Tony Solar leads with majors with a .370 average, including 25 doubles (and just 5 walks in 254 AB).... Hot and Not: the Mets have won four straight and pulled out a 4.5 game lead over Brooklyn in the NL East; Washington is 4-10 in June and has dropped to the bottom of the division. Cleveland is now at the bottom of the league barrel, on an 8-game losing streak and a record of 24-46.... Individual Spotlight: Twins 3B Paul Foster has been a fixture at third for ten seasons, a career .295 hitter averaging nearly 35 HR a season. He's on pace for his second consecutive 40-HR season and a 9.8 WAR, while batting .347. He also has just 4 doubles, and could be on the way to his second career season of single-digit doubles. June 17-19 vs PITTSBURGH The dynasty of the 2030s, the Pirates missed the playoffs for two seasons before rebounding with 91 wins last year. Currently they're 35-34, treading water and 6.5 games behind the Cardinals. Twelfth in runs scored and 7th in BA, but they're top three batters--Brendan Glenn, Mike Blough, and Jordan Shields, all perennial all-stars--are on the DL. CF Larry Kendall and two relief pitchers are also out. SS Danny Diaz (.265/14/47) is holding down the offense by himself right now. Pitching is 14th in the NL, with the bullpen faring worse than the rotation. No one is covering themselves in glory on the staff right now. David Wallace is the fourth-year manager, and he's not making dynasty-desiring owner Robert Nutting happy. Not at all. Finances and Futures: 25th in budget, 18th highest payroll, and on pace to lose nearly $20M. Prospects rank dead last, 36th. SP Robert Montoya ranks 108th, but looks to have a decent future. 3B D.J. Flores looks real: great contact and power, decent in the field, and great intangibles. One to watch. (Although I'd also love to see pitcher Sincere Brown take off and become a decent big leaguer.) HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (10-2, 3.44) / Rob Hart (7-4, 5.31) / Billy Heine (6-4, 5.83) PIT pitchers: Mike Flynn (4-6, 4.34) / Franklin Sanchez (3-2, 4.46) / Daniel White (5-2, 3.82) #71: WIN 10-5 ... three HR for guys named Diaz (one for our Guillermo, two for their Danny)...Casillas goes 7, wins his 11th #72: LOSS 1-5 ... Hart throws a complete game: why?...two hits and an RBI for Dunklee, no one else shows up #73: WIN 7-6 ... the bullpen tries hard to blow it, giving up NINE hits and four runs late...what doofus lets two relievers stay in while the other five sit and watch? I don't manage the games, so maybe I should keep my trap shut, but bullpen management this year has been atrocious. Why have seven guys available if you're going to just go with one guy until he blows your game for you? That last game was ugly all around: three errors, and outhit 15-11. Only four XBH in a crazy six-run sixth won it.... Sigh. At 51-22 I should just shut up. It's not in my nature to be perfectly happy, tho.... ELSEWHERE: Cleveland fired manager Jose Jimenez after a 24-48 start. He was in his fifth season, and had done little with the team after guiding them to 91 wins his rookie year of 2037. His replacement is Jose "Who?" Ariza last seen as the pitching coach of the Grand Junction Rockies in the Pioneer League, two years ago.... Hot and Not: The Cardinals have lost six straight, dropping their lead over Cincy to four games.... Another look-in at Padres pitcher Gary Florence, NL Mr Cy Young Two-Years-Running: after a 1-3/4.64 April, here are his stats in his ten starts since: 7-1, 76 IP, 48 H, 87 K, 3 BB. Yes, THREE WALKS IN 76 INNINGS. Who does that?.... Individual Spotlight: 1B Benjamin Worley was signed as an international free agent in the spring of 2038 by the Rangers. He was 31 and coming off an amazing nine-year run in Japanese ball where he was MVP six times, a six-time Glove Wizard winner, among others. He had seasons of 81, 76, 69, and 68 home runs. He was supposed to be the cornerstone of a rebuild in Texas, yet was traded to Milwaukee by the all-star break, for two no-hoper prospects. Since playing in 129 games his rookie season, he's been in 98, 84, and 37 games (this year). Yesterday he suffered a broken elbow and his done for the year. He's hit 85 HR in 348 games since coming back to the bigs, but to say he's been a disappointment would be a major understatement. Milwaukee dropped from 91 wins in '39 to 71 last year, and despite sitting at 42-30 right now, losing Worley will have to hurt their chances moving forward.

04-07-2018, 12:01 PM	#114
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	June 21-23 @ LA ANGELS Our third go-round with the Angels: we split two earlier this month, and swept them in four back in April. Sitting at 35-39, 16.5 games behind us, and about mid-pack stats-wise (11th in runs for, 8th in runs against). Youngsters Juan Rodriguez (SS) and Tony Mendoza (3B) look great on paper but aren't standing out this season, and injuries (starting 1B and 3 of top 4 OF) have hurt as well. Second in defensive eff, tho, and staff ace Jeff Caraway, at 33, is having another solid year. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (8-2, 3.38) / Mike Messinger (8-2, 2.61) / Leon Casillas (11-2, 3.47) LAA pitchers: Jeff Caraway (8-5, 3.05) / Adam Pereira (1-8, 6.44) / Leonardo Vigil (5-3, 4.52) #74: WIN 6-1 ... Groff's two-run shot in the 8th salts it away, and Joel Courtney is now hitting .424...Jones goes 6.2, gives up 1 run with 5 K and no walks #75: WIN 6-1 ... Groff, Mercedes, and Henkel homer, Courtney with two more hits...Messinger yields just two hits through 7, with 9 K #76: LOSS 4-7 ... Jimenez gives up three in the 8th for the loss...Casillas was meh, giving up 10 H and 4 R through 7 Disappointed with that last game, esp with Casillas pitching, but I'll still take 2 out of 3 wins every time.... We're still ten up on Oakland.... My "next in line" SP in AAA, Cam Bornhoft, is out for the season with shoulder inflammation. Stay healthy, everyone. Please.... ELSEWHERE: Ty Cobb has been hitting of late, getting his avg to .294, and recently passed Eddie Collins and Paul Molitor to move into 9th place in career hits (3329). No other active player is in the top 100.... Hot and Not: Seattle is losing touch with everyone else, at 4-17 in June, and has the worst record in MLB (25-51). St. Louis still leads their division, but a 2-8 stretch has that down to just a game over the Reds.... Individual Spotlight: Let's roll back the clock and take the first of several upcoming looks at retired players who will be first-time eligibles for the Hall of Fame this winter. First up: Brendan Rogers [see stats below]. The infielder enjoyed a 21-year career, was a 5-time all-star, and won an MVP (in '24 with Houston), a Gold Glove, and a World Series in '34 with the Giants. Injuries and subpar late-career hitting kept him from reaching the 3000-hit plateau, but he still amassed over 2700 hits, along with 420 steals, 347 home runs, and a career WAR of 81.3. It's hard to say where these numbers rank him among his peers at any position, since he played 1095 games at second, 808 at third, and 778 at short. He played mostly second and third in his prime with Houston. And, as you can see below, some metrics put him in the Hall, while others do not. What say you? Hall of Fame, or Hall of Pretty Good? June 24-27 vs HOUSTON Second series vs the 'stros: we took 3 of 4 from them in May. Currently in third in the division, at 39-38, which is a vast improvement over the normal state of affairs. (One winning season in the last 16, fyi.) The bats are struggling, as they're 16th in runs, 17th in average and HR. Sixth in runs against, with the 3rd best bullpen and best team defense. Jefferson McKenzie (.264/17/38) and Bruce Calhoon (.305/14/46) lead the offense, and Jay Russo is by far the staff ace. Closer Brent Philbrick has 19 saves and a 0.80 ERA. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (7-5, 5.28) / Billy Heine (7-4, 5.65) / Eric Jones (9-2, 3.22) / Mike Messinger (9-2, 2.43) HOU pitchers: John Fox (5-6, 4.30) / Nelson Gonzalez (4-9, 5.01) / Khalil Palmer (6-4, 3.99) / Jay Russo (8-2, 3.02) #77: WIN 5-4 ... Ethan Bradshaw hit his 2nd HR of the game to tie it in the 9th, but Courtney doubles home Robertson in the bottom half for the win...solid start for Hart #78: WIN 4-3 ... Bradshaw hits another one, but Henkel is the hero this time, with a 2-run single in the 7th...Heine is not butt for once, and Kieffer picks up his 28th save #79: WIN 3-0 ... Jones allows just two runners--both hits--over 8 innings, and Mercedes (26) and McArthur (8) homer...Courtney and Groff pick up dtd injuries tho #80: WIN 1-0 ... little-used backup Dave White is the hero, with a 10-inning walk-off solo HR...Messinger goes 6, allows no runs, and Yee and Tanner close out with four good innings Well that just destroyed Houston's weekend vacation to Hawaii, didn't it. Those injuries to Groff and Courtney worried me at first, but they're just dtd. Groff's is shoulder trouble, so I move him to DH and Henkel out to left, where he's fairly terrible, tbh. OF/IF Ashton Gooding will get a week at third to show what he's got. Courtney will sit every other game (particularly against lefties) while he heals, but I want to keep his hot bat in the lineup, so I'm rolling the dice on him.... ELSEWHERE: We have our first noteworthy trade of the year: the White Sox send SS/OF Kyle Crowl to Cincy for SP Jarrod Kearns. Crowl is a second-year player in a down year (.226, 11 HR), but is a versatile fielder with good power. The Sox need pitching (two starters are done for the year), but at 12.5 games out of first already, isn't this too little too late? The Reds had pitching to spare, and have not hit a lick this year, so this is a good deal for them. They're competitive (2 games behind STL) and got a young slugger for fairly cheap, imo.... Hot and Not: San Diego's 9-1 of late, pulling to a half game behind the Dodgers. Milwaukee's Colby Sandu has 10 HR in his last 9 games, while hitting .429. My hero Jordan Cruz continues to be the worst hitter of all regulars this season: .132/.238/.238 with 98 K in 227 AB.... Individual Spotlight: 38-year-old closer Will Ness is having a renaissance with the Mets. After amassing over 300 saves in 11 seasons with the Royals (including a Hoyt Wilhelm trophy win in '32), he sank into obscurity with five years of middle relief in KC. Now, in his first year in New York, he's hit 26 saves at the season's midpoint, with 49 K in 34 IP, and an ERA of 2.38. He's a big reason the Mets currently lead the NL East. Attached Images Last edited by Bub13; 04-07-2018 at 12:03 PM.

04-09-2018, 01:18 PM	#115
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	June 28-30 vs MILWAUKEE Our first series against the Brewers this season. Winners of their last three, they're a game behind the division-leading Tigers, and stand at 46-32. Just 12th in runs scored, they're obviously wasting chances as all their other offensive stats are better. Pitching has been standing out: 2nd in runs, 3rd best rotation, top bullpen in the AL. RF Colby Sandu has emerged as the offensive star (.302/24/54), and three other starters are in double figures in HR. Nobody in the rotation is having a standout season, but no one has been terrible either. Same with the bullpen, although closer Bill Brunson is riding a 1.06 ERA with 24 saves. Manager Franklin Blanco is in his third season, and has alternated a good one with a bad one; right on schedule, he's having a good one. Finances and Futures: 9th highest budget, 13th payroll. They're profitable and fans are filling the stadium. Still nothing to show for it all, yet. Prospects rank 17th, with P Pete Burke ranked #11 by MLB. Decent, middle-of-the-rotation chap. Their top five prospects are all SPs: three look good, two don't. After them there's a smattering of semi-decent batters, but no one stands out. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (11-2, 3.57) / Rob Hart (7-5, 5.07) / Billy Heine (8-4, 5.51) MIL pitchers: Brandon Jarmon (6-6, 4.90) / Nick Shockley (8-5, 3.58) / Pete Burke (4-2, 3.54) #81: LOSS 2-4 ... pen gives up 2 late, erasing our comeback attempt...McGowan crashes in CF chasing a fly, suffers a concussion, is dtd for 2 weeks #82: WIN 11-6 ... wild game: 4-0 lead, down 6-4, up 10-6, all in first five innings...terrible start for Hart, 6 runs in 4 IP...three Brewers injured, no one for us (shock) #83: LOSS 4-6 ... HEINE IS BUTT, I will always say it, until he's gone...and he commits his 6th error of the season (tied for team lead with SS Mike Hunter) Big question: should I rid myself of Billy Heine? He's fabulous on paper, but way less so in actual games. Maybe I can package a sort-of prospect and get someone who's less of a stiff in return, even for just one year. How can I justify paying this guy nearly 18 mill when he gives up nearly six runs a game? Jeez.... McGowan becomes the fifth player on the DL. He and Steve Hopkins will be back in two weeks, so I'll have to move somebody out by then. Roberto Mendez gets the call from KC this time: world-class glove and speed, but middle school-class batting. He struck out twice in a late callup last year.... ELSEWHERE: Yes, I'm going to talk about SD's Gary Florence again. This time he throws a PERFECT GAME, nine innings of 14-K ball. BUT--he won't get credit for it, since his teammates declined to score for him, and his bullpen blew the game in the 10th. Harvey Haddix's ghost has some nice words for you, Gary.... Hot and Not: the stupid Brewers just ended their second straight 17-10 month, but still trail the Tigers. The Giants have won six straight, but they stink so nobody cares.... Individual Spotlight: part two of HoF eligibles this fall: today we'll consider 3B Mason Templet (2020-36). Despite a six-year run in the '20s where he was arguably the best 3B in the game, he has few awards to show for it: 4 Gold Gloves, 4 All-Star apps, 1 Silver Slugger. Won a championship at age 32 with the Braves, then turned in perhaps his best season two years later (207 H, 7.1 WAR, .315/.378/.443). Hurt by not having much power in a power league, with 213 career homers. But did rack up over 2600 hits, 500 doubles, and a nice 76.3 career WAR. Was an iron man as well, appearing in 150+ games in ten seasons, and never fewer than 118. JAWS says he's in, other metrics say thanks but no thanks. Top ten for 3B in numerous categories, which is good...but hasn't helped guys like Manny Machado, Scott Rolen, or Buddy Bell yet. What say you? July 2-4 @ KANSAS CITY In the midst of a rebuild, and coming off a 73-win season, they're actually not too bad this year, although at 39-41 they probably won't threaten the top of the Central. This is a split-personality team: great pitching, terrible hitting. Dead last in runs and home runs, and close to it nearly everywhere else. 3B Juan Garcia is the lone bright spot, at .354, and RF Erik Holz has 13 HR, buuuuut that's it. The back of the rotation looks shaky, but the top three have a combined ERA over a full point lower than league average. CL Vince Bell is finally off the DL and has 2 wins and a save in his 3 appearances since. They're also excellent on defense. Dom Duggan is the rookie manager, after three years as bench coach. His players like him, but there are several slackers who are starting to make trouble. Tsk! Finances and Futures: 19th in budget, and 15 in payroll. Prospects rank only 28th, but pitchers Brian Simon and Rey Navarro look like solid future big leaguers, and OF Kareem Lampkin and Chris Sanchez should hold down spots for the next decade or so. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (10-2, 2.96) / Mike Messinger (9-2, 2.30) / Leon Casillas (11-3, 3.54) KCR pitchers: Ryan Bailey (2-8, 4.06) / Jack Thomas (6-4, 3.72) / Chris Ellis (4-9, 6.00) #84: WIN 4-2 ... Mercedes hits a 3-run shot in the 1st, and Dunklee adds a solo in the 4th...Jones keeps rolling, going 8 while allowing 4 hits and a run...2 Royals hurt #85: WIN 8-2 ... Mendez gets his first MLB hit: a 2-run HR in the 4th that gives us the lead for good...3 more Royals hurt. WTH? #86: LOSS 9-10 ... Mercedes homers in the first but it's all downhill after that...Casillas is entering another dark phase, it seems...yes, another Royal is injured Missed out on the sweep, but for the first time all year everyone in the bullpen has an ERA under 10. Congrats to Ian Albring for his one perfect inning in game 86, bringing his ERA (for now) to 7.71.... FOUR Royals went on the DL in this series, btw.... Oakland has won four in a row, bringing our lead to 11 games. Why do I smell a "down to the wire" finish coming up?... International Free Agents have arrived! And no studs are to be found, which is good since I spent over $4M last year and can't spend over 660K on any one player. So I scrape around and make offers to P Tony Reza (390K) and OF Alex Luna (600K). Neither is a game-breaker, but both have decent intangibles which I hope will help speed them along. To my surprise, they both sign right away.... In case you're wondering, last year I signed a pitcher named Roberto Vieyra for $2.92M. His ratings are nearly an exact match for Reza, the guy I got for 390K this year. Makes you think.... ELSEWHERE: LA (51-34) and San Diego (50-36) closed out solid Junes and are pulling away from the pack in the NL West.... OF Darius Arrington rode a .330/35/109 season with the Brewers in 2038 to a 7-year, $76M deal and has done zippo since. He earned 6.6 WAR that year, and has earned a combined 0.5 WAR since, and has been traded twice. He's currently with Miami, and making noises that he wants out. The feeling's probably mutual, D.... Hot and Not: Hawaii's Jesse Henkel (hey, that's us!) is in a 1-for-27 hole, while Cleveland's Nate Roges is hitting .444 with 6 HR in his last ten games.... Individual Spotlight: Detroit hitters are crushing it right now, leading MLB with 138 HR (in 86 games). Rookie John Sheets and all-star CJ Lee grab the headlines, but let's look at an unsung part of the lineup: catcher Mashashi Wada. Now in his 8th year, all with the Detroit, the free-agent-to-be quietly goes about his business, and turns in solid year after solid year. He's rarely injured, hits 20+ homers a year, and (outside his rookie season), his worst batting average has been .280. His $17M contract may seem high, but he contributes every year and you'd think the Tigers would rush to re-sign him. GM Rod Medina hasn't said anything yet, preferring to do his contract talking in the off-season. July 5-7 @ CLEVELAND Last in the Central, at 31-55, and having a pretty miserable year across the board. Thirteenth in runs scored and dead last in runs against, with a -81 run diff. 1B Nate Rogers (.297/25/66) is having an all-star year, as is RF Greg Tackett (.273/10/22 in just 38 games). Only one starter has an ERA under 5.8, but they do lead the AL with 72 steals. So, huzzah there. Manager Jose Ariza has been on the job for two weeks, and has a decent-enough record of 5-7. Attendance is down, the team is not making money, and owner Kurt Dolan is cranky at everyone. Finances and Futures: 28th in budget, 27th payroll. Still, they're on track for losing over $12M. Prospects rank 16th, and there is hope on the horizon: P Jeff Rafferty is nearly ready, and P Jeremy Hughes would be in the rotation already if he wasn't on the DL. Eight of their top ten prospects are pitchers, so if they play their cards right they'll be a top staff in a few years. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (7-5, 5.35) / Billy Heine (8-5, 5.55) / Eric Jones (11-2, 2.82) CLE pitchers: Danny Powers (5-7, 5.99) / Matt Knowlton (2-9, 5.80) / Mike Cote (5-8, 4.03) #87: WIN 6-2 ... Henkel eases his slump with a 2B and a HR; Groff and Gooding also homer...Hart with a complete game, six-hitter #88: WIN 7-3 ... Mercedes goes 3-for-5 and is the star with the GWRBI in the 13th...Heine tosses a strong 7 (5 H, 2 R), and Jimenez gets the win throwing the final three #89: WIN 6-4 ... Mercedes parks two more, including a 3-run shot in the 10th, again a game winner...Dunklee injured tho, diagnosis pending Mercedes is our hero, now has 31 HR and personally won two games in the sweep.... Mendez strains his hamstring, is dtd for 2 weeks, and becomes our sixth OF currently nursing an injury. Plus, we're waiting on Dunklee's diagnosis, on pins and needles.... Seven Islanders make the All-Star roster, three as starters: C Alexis Mercedes, 1B Jeremy Dunklee, and 3B Adam Groff. Pitchers Casillas, Jones, Messinger, and Yee also make the squad.... ELSEWHERE: a couple more minor trades, and one odd signing: Mets MR Tom Starks signed for 2 years and 10.6M, quite a payment for a non-closer.... Hot and Not: The Dodgers have won 7 of 8, and have passed the Padres for first place in the NL West. Toronto SP Caleb Dickerson turned a strong 2040 with Austin into a four-year contract with the Jays, but hasn't come close to living up to the money: 5.60 ERA, 98 IP, 111 H, a career-low 4.1 K/9, and a career-high 2.7 BB/9.... Individual Spotlight: Mets 1B Nate Johnson was once the most feared slugger in the NL, with seasons of 47, 48, 54, and then 63 home runs. He followed that last huge season with 41 more in 2039, then promptly lost his job in 2040 to rookie Erik Reed. Reed hit .314 with 33 HR of his own that last year, and was on pace for 42 more this year until a concussion sidelined him this week for over a month. Johnson gets his chance in the sun for now, although he's been awful so far: .204 with just 5 HR in 111 PA. Let's see if he can reclaim lost glory. Attached Images

04-10-2018, 10:51 AM	#116
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	The AL beat the NL in the All-Star game, 11-9. MVP was Boston SS Pablo Delgado, who went 4-for-5 and helped spark a 7-run 2nd inning outburst. All six of our guys played, with Dunklee and Mercedes going hitless, and Groff getting two hits and a HR. Our three pitchers (Jones, Messinger, and Casillas) each threw an inning, and as they're the next up once regular games resume, my rotation may be out of whack for a couple of days. Hmph. We're past the halfway mark of the season (89 games played), but this is still a good time to take stock of things. Our record is 63-26, 13 games up on the A's, 18 on the Rangers. We're first in runs and hitting, 4th in home runs and steals (an owner goal this off-season, believe it). Second in runs against, with the #1 rotation ERA, and 7th best bullpen numbers. Team defense is third. All to the good. We've also been relatively healthy: despite the crazy rash of dtd knocks, only two players have had their seasons largely derailed by injuries. Both are outfielders (Mel Carillo, Andy Sanchez), and both were penciled in to the opening day starting lineup. In fact, outfield has been plagued by breaks, strains, pulls and bruises all season: we've already run through 11 outfielders, with as many as six guys at once either on the DL or nursing dtd hurts. In addition to the above guys, Steve Hopkins is also out for another week, having suffered two minor-ish setbacks in his recovery. He should be back in a week. Joel Courtney, rescued off the FA scrapheap, should be fully healthy after our next series. Sanchez is back in a month; Carillo is done for the season. Three-fifths of our rotation has been solid, but Hart and Heine still concern me. Hart is on-again-off-again, so he'll get hammered in his next start (just watch). Heine has been pretty bad most times, but has won 3 of his last 5 starts, and lowered his ERA over half a run of late. However, given that he makes over $17M and my owner wants me to cut payroll, Heine's likely on his last legs with us. Despite my constant complaining, the pen has actually been mostly dependable this season. Kieffer has not been money as the closer (4.43 ERA, 7 HR in 42 IP), but he's been good enough. The setup and middle relief guys have been good, but I'm still looking for consistency from the back end guys, and have rotated through Gouweleeuw, Randolph, Albring, and Miller (currently injured). I'll probably try out a couple other guys this month, maybe let's see what we're able to establish as we work through the summer. On the farm, both KC (AAA) and Lewiston (AA) are playing well, and Eureka (A) has slowly turned things around, with the 32-57 record being a major improvement on how they stood just a few weeks ago. Beyond that, records don't matter to me, as long as players develop. Our #1 prospect, pitcher Cam Bornhoft, was rolling along in AAA, and was probably going to get a shot with the Isles soon, until he hurt his shoulder. He might be back for a September callup, might not. And further down the list, the three pitchers I took at the top of the 2039 draft (1st round, Supplemental pick, 2nd round) have not turned out to be the arms of the future I'd hoped. Taylor Barnett (1st rnd) is 22 and throwing okay in AA, and looks like he could still become a useful part. I'm still hopeful. Jamie Berisford (Suppl.) suffered his second elbow injury this spring, and at age 24, is looking like he might not make it past A or AA. Justin Sutton, (2nd rnd, also 24), a Hawaii native, was my dark horse guy, someone I wanted to become a hometown hero. After a good rookie season in Short A, he was subpar in A ball last year, and has been on the DL this entire season with an undisclosed injury. Very hush hush. He looks like a total bust at this point, sadly. Okay, back to regular programming. ...... July 12-14 vs TORONTO We took two of three from the Jays way back in the second week of the season, and they haven't really been on track since. Currently sitting at 43-44, in third behind the Marlins and the Red Sox, but they have won four straight. Sixth in runs for, 4th in runs against, with a +45 run differential, so it's not like they can't get things done. Their recent turnaround has coincided with the return of 4-time Cy Young winner Dave Henderson, who's pitched well in four starts but has no record to show for it. CF Tim Manske is delighting home crowds (.310/26/77), but Canadian superhero Preston Sorensen is having a waaay down year (.267/18/51) by his lofty standards. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (10-2, 2.33) / Leon Casillas (11-4, 3.84) / Eric Jones (11-2, 2.85) TOR pitchers: Dave Henderson (0-0, 2.57) / Jimmy Wunderlich (3-3, 4.61) / Kevin Welch (6-5, 3.56) #90: WIN 11-4 ... a 7-run first sends Henderson to the showers, and all the scoring is over after four innings...four hits for Henkel, three for Groff...McArthur hurt on the bases, diag. pending #91: WIN 7-1 ... Hunter and White with a pair of hits and RBIs each, and Casillas goes the distance, scatters four hits #92: WIN 4-0 ... McGowan and Gooding are the stars at the plate, each with a HR...Jones goes 8, as it must be against state law for him to pitch a complete game Yes! A sweep against one of our big rivals, and one I didn't see coming. Pitching was the key, with our big three all throwing well.... McArthur, however, suffers two dtd injuries (wth with our OF injuries this year?), and so I should sit him for the next series. But will I.... RP Albring is sent back to AAA, and it's Frank Soto's turn in the pen.... ELSEWHERE: a handful of shutouts, plus a rash of 1-, 2-, and 3-hitters in the first post-all-star break series of games.... Cubs pitcher Bobby Morfin wants out, according to reports from the Windy City. Over a 12-year career with the Cubs, he's gone from decent MR, to a solid starter, and back to top-rank MR. He's also not your typical malcontent, bringing good intangibles. I'd consider making an offer for him, if he weren't making $18M this year.... Hot and Not: Austin is 47-43 this year, not great, but miles ahead of anywhere they've been in over a decade. Leading the way is 40-year-old 2B Jimmy Campbell, hitting .360 for the season, and nearly .600 the past two weeks. And SP Bryant Owens is 5-1 with a 1.73 in his last 8 starts.... Individual Spotlight: Original Islander Ryan Key is still puttering along, closing games for the terrible Portland Pioneers. After three years (and 230 games) with San Diego and Richmond, he was taken by Hawaii in the 33rd round of the expansion draft. He spent the next six-plus years with us, and is still our all-time games pitched leader, with 308 games. He also earned 21 saves, and was part of our championship team in 2039. But, along with the rest of the bullpen, he imploded in 2040, with a 7.23 ERA in 21 games, and a stunning 3.9 HR/9. He was traded to the Yankees that summer, for reliever Ricky Jimenez (terrible last year, but solid this year), and did okay. Still, he was traded over the winter, with a hot prospect, for 2B Chris Flock, who's had a bangup year for the Yanks. Key's been good but not great: his Ks are up, BBs down, and he has 21 saves, but a .376 BABIP, a career worst. He's 33, signed for one more year, and--like much of the team--is an unhappy camper, with the team's 35-56 record, and a handful of slackers ruining everyone's mood. July 15-17 @ TAMPA BAY Sitting at 40-52, last in the East, and coming off a series sweep at the hands of the just-as-bad Mariners. We swept them in three way back in early April. They're 15th in runs, 14th in runs against, and sport a -60 run diff. Three outfielders (two starters) and three pitchers are on the DL, and their replacements aren't measuring up. 2B Tim Ost (.341/11/45) and C Will Antonio (.315) have been the lone bright spots in the lineup, and pitcher Joe Ingram (now 29, and a Ray lifer) is having his best year. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (8-5, 5.12) / Billy Heine (8-5, 5.37) / Mike Messinger (11-2, 2.52) TBR pitchers: John Swindell (7-4, 3.83) / Jose Hernandez (5-9, 5.82) / Joe Ingram (7-5, 3.09) #93: LOSS 4-5 ... a four-run 7th kills us, despite Hart's good start up to then...Mercedes hits his 32nd, overall we outhit them 11-6 #94: LOSS 2-5 ... put this one squarely on Heine, who somehow stays in for six innings #95: LOSS 1-3 ... just five hits for each team, but they get a 2-run HR, ours is a solo shot...Messinger is strong, batters are not Well, that's a letdown. The bats went dry, and it was all she wrote. The only good thing is that no one else got hurt, and McArthur will be back at 100% for our next series.... ELSEWHERE: Twins 3B Paul Foster hit his 20th HR this week, against just 5 doubles. (In 2037 his ratio was 7-to-31.) For his career, he has 152 doubles and 278 homers.... Hot and Not: Yankees OF Tony Flores has 39 home runs, on pace for 69. New Orleans SS Chris Martin is batting .179 for the season, and is 2-for-34 in July.... Individual Spotlight: I try to keep my eye on the comings and goings around the league, so it's pretty rare for someone to have a 15-year career and go completely unnoticed. But 39-year-old 3B Johnny Winn has done just that. He's made nearly 1700 career infield starts and has made nearly no mark at all, just two Gold Gloves to show, one with Seattle and one with Arizona. A career .251 hitter, who topped out at 21 HR one season, but managed single digits as often as he hit double figures. After hitting .303 in part-time play with Texas last year, he signed with the Padres this year, but has hit only .196 and looks done. So long, Johnny, we hardly knew ye. July 19-21 @ BALTIMORE Fourth in the East, at 46-50, but only 4.5 games behing the Marlins for first. Most team stats are underwhelming: 8th in runs and AVG, 13th in runs against, and a -28 run diff. They are 5th in home runs, with six starters already in double figures. The bullpen is 15th in the AL, with ex-Isle Bryan Dever having a decent-enough year as the closer. Their best player is rising star, 24-year-old RF Cesar Alvarenga, hitting .317 with 18 HR. We took three straight from them to open the season. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (12-4, 3.64) / Eric Jones (12-2, 2.66) / Rob Hart (8-6, 5.15) BAL pitchers: Miguel Moreno (5-10, 3.43) / Hideyuki Asano (5-9, 4.28) / Andy Goeser (6-6, 4.77) #96: LOSS 3-7 ... nine hits and a couple of home runs, but we can't put enough together, and now we have a four-game losing streak, longest of the season #97: LOSS 3-4 ... Jones is left in too long, and gives up 3 runs late to squander a 3-1 lead...Robertson goes 3-for-3, batting .330 on the season #98: WIN 11-1 ... ahhh, finally...Robertson moves to the leadoff and gets 2 more hits, and McArthur, Dunklee, and Mercedes each drive in three...Hart has a good game, two in a row now It appears the dread mid-season slump is upon us, having put together a nifty little five-game losing streak. Just in time for eleven upcoming games against division opponents.... Steve Hopkins comes off the DL, so Dave White (.231/4/8 in 65 AB) heads out to KC. Hopkins went 1-for-5 in his return to the lineup.... Made one roster tweak which I hope sparks some more offense: Mike Hunter has been leading off all season and has just a .298 OBP to show for it. So I swapped him down to 9th and put Josh Robertson in his place. It's worked for one game so far, so I'll jump the gun and call it a success.... ELSEWHERE: This week brought the first big-splash trade of the month: Boston acquired OF Mike Blough from Pittsburgh for SP Kaz Matsuoka and prospect OF Cam Daley. Blough's had an injury-filled year, appearing in just 19 games, but he's a career .311 hitter who's capable of 40 HR and plays solid defense. I'm not sure where he'll play, as all three outfielders and their DH are having good years, but I guess it's a good problem to have. For the Pirates, while they definitely need pitching (next-to-last in NL runs against), this opens a huge hole in a so-so offense. Matsuoka gives them a true #1 starter they haven't had since B.J. Nault left after 2036. Daley, a 2041 first round pick by Oakland who's now been traded twice this month, looks like a future star, but is at least 3-4 years away.... Hot and Not: well, our five-game losing streak looked bad, and so does Oakland's current 5-game schneid, which has dropped them to 14.5 games behind us. And the top three teams in the NL East--New York, Brooklyn, and Richmond--are each 8-2 in their last ten. Five games separates them in the standings.... Individual Spotlight: In a league full of quality catchers, we always have to steal ours from others (first Austin Collins, now Alexis Mercedes). San Francisco's Adam Behling is another guy who might look good in an Islanders jersey one day. The 26-year-old is in his fifth year behind the plate for the Giants, is a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and the defending NL batting champ (.345 last year). His 8.1 WAR also lead the league, and it was a crime that he received hardly any MVP votes. He's hitting .326 this year, and although his home runs are down (on pace for 14, after two years of 28), and is a team leader for the struggling Giants. He's signed through 2045, and with no decent catching prospects in our system, you never know... Attached Images

04-11-2018, 11:30 AM	#117
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	July 22-24 @ OAKLAND Our first look at the A's since we split four back in early May. We'll also see them in late August, and again in September, as part of our two-week season-ending homestand. At 53-46, they're 14.5 games behind us, and four games behind Milwaukee in the wild card standings. As usual, hitting is their strength: 5th in runs, 4th in AVG, 6th in OBP. All-Star C Vinny Vargas is hitting .310/18/55, and second-year 3B Kevin Venable is having a breakout year at .279/15/63. Pitching has been a struggle, as they're 12th in runs against, for just a +9 run diff, and team defense is next-to-last. The rotation hasn't been good, frankly, outside of #5 pitcher Jaden Graham, and he's been sliding back and forth between the rotation and closing out games. Still, a dangerous team that I don't want to give any breathing room. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (11-3, 2.54) / Billy Heine (8-6, 5.47) / Leon Casillas (12-5, 3.73) OAK pitchers: Santiago Hurtado (0-2, 4.05) / Matt Bienvenu (4-7, 4.54) / Mike Wiater (4-6, 6.11) #99: WIN 7-3 ... 12 hits and 9 walks, with Dunklee and Mercedes getting 3 RBI each...Messinger goes 7, scatters 3 hits and strikes out 8 #100: WIN 10-1 ... 25 baserunners (14 H, 11 BB!)...Heine goes the distance, allows just 4 hits...Courtney, finally healthy, gets hurt again, diagnosis pending #101: WIN 9-1 ... Casillas with, yes, a 4-hit complete game...16 more hits and 8 walks...Henkel, McArthur, and Hunter each get 3 hits...Robertson gets a dtd injury A lot to unpack from this series. First, a sweep? Surprising. Second, A's pitchers gave up 28 walks. 28! A quick check confirms that they have in fact given up the most walks in the AL, 420 in 103 games. Third, more injuries. Courtney suffers two, a dtd and a longer injury, which we await with the usual trepidation. Robertson bangs his elbow, which will bother him for a week, but not enough to pull him out of the lineup.... The Yankees offered us RP Alejandro Menjivar, who I like, but he's an overpaid ($3.1M) d*ckhead who's been demanding trades for three years now. The price was a 26-year-old AAA 1B who's best qualities are his blazing speed, if you can believe that. Still, I said no to adding a disruptive influence to a placid clubhouse.... ELSEWHERE: Houston's Jay Russo continues to toil away successfully in obscurity. The Astros ace leads AL pitchers in WAR, FIP, and K, and is 2nd in ERA and K/9.... Hot and Not: Oakland has now lost 9 in a row. Pirates star 3B Jordan Shields is hitting .439 in July, with a 1.178 OPS. The 9th year player has hit .300 in seven seasons, and the two he didn't still came in at .296 and .297.... Individual Spotlight: Number Three in our preview of HoF eligible players this fall. This time, it's longtime 1B Colin Moran. Moran racked up a lot of stats, mostly by playing 20 years, staying healthy, and piling up what Bill James would call "hanging around" numbers. He played full seasons 8 times during his career, and most of his seasonal stat "wins" came in PA, AB, and hits. He did lead the league in doubles five times (and currently ranks 6th all-time in career doubles, with 675). He was never a major star, but he still made six All-Star teams and won 3 Gold Gloves. And he was a major part of six World Series winning teams. Without those titles, he's probably a debatable candidate, despite getting just over 3000 hits. With those titles, which voters LOOOVE, he's in. Rumor has it he also once shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Ok, I'm biased (I GMed those Richmond teams), but I don't think he should be penalized for being good enough and healthy enough to stick around and pile up very good career numbers. But what say you? In? Out? July 25-28 @ SEATTLE I try to be respectful to bad teams, I really do. But after the horrid Rays swept us, now all bets are off. Seattle is 36-64, 33.5 games behind us, and isn't close to decent in any measurable statistic. Yes, they're 10th in batting average, you got me there. But they're also dead last in team defense, the bullpen is awful, and the rotation isn't much better. So suck it, Mariners fans. I will grant that stars Mike Wapner and Enrique Cervantes to rock some fine 'staches, and pitcher Sean Easter has a nice Pythonesque-Spanish-Inquisition goatee thing going. That's it. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (12-3, 2.78) / Rob Hart (9-6, 4.98) / Mike Messinger (12-3, 2.47) / Billy Heine (9-6, 5.16) SEA pitchers: Aaron Burton (1-7, 5.31) / Amir Farland (5-11, 5.68) / Edgar Maldonado (2-3, 4.91) / Aaron Myers (6-9, 4.49) #102: WIN 4-3 ... signs of life from Hunter, going 3-for-4; all singles, so baby steps...WE HAVE NOW GONE ONE DAY WITHOUT A WORKPLACE INJURY #103: WIN 9-6 ... Dunklee's 4th inning grand slam is but one of the many blows we strike against our amoral antagonists...Groff, Mercedes, and Henkel also go deep #104: WIN 11-1 ... two more bombs for Dunks, one for Henkel, and two more dinky singles for Hunter. All is well...Messinger throws 110 mostly quality pitches too #105: LOSS 2-3 ... cheating umpires rob us of a hard-earned sweep, and my Billy Heine Voodoo Doll finally pays off as he's pulled in the second with a "mysterious injury" If Heine is injured just before the trade deadline, it's quite possible I may never be rid of his albatross contract. He may have to be removed "by other means," if you get my drift.... Joel Courtney is now nursing two dtd injuries for the next two months. Somehow, this is still fewer injuries than fellow-CF Andy Sanchez is recovering from. I think we have suffered an outfield injury every 1.7 games this season, and OSHA is now reviewing our workplace procedures. Thanks guys, for the heavy fine incoming.... In the tried and true classic bullpen management that we've perfected, Frank Soto is called up, sits for nearly two weeks, then pitches 3.1 innings in his first appearance. I guess that's breaking someone in slowly? I dunno.... ELSEWHERE: Tony Flores now has 45 dingers, is back on pace for 70 on the season.... Pittsburgh's Jordan 'Bear' Shields (actually quite hairless, from what I hear) now has a 22-game hit streak.... Hot and Not: It's six losses in a row for the Twins and the Braves. The Braves are quite out of things, and while the Twins aren't, they're working hard at it now.... Individual Spotlight: I've talked more about Austin this summer than any of you probably care to hear, so of course I'm going to do it again. That they're still over .500 (okay, 52-51, close enough) is due not at all to the play of SS Eigo Mikami. We signed him after our inaugural season, in December 2034, with an eye to turning the so-believed defensive whiz into our next everyday 2B. Come July, and we said "nah," and sent him to San Diego, along with IF Walt Hubert (pronounced like Hue-Bert or Hue-Bear, depending on his mood), for back-end starter Steve Brock. Two trades later, and Mikami finds himself in Austin, now two years removed from an actual Gold Glove season for Arizona in 2039, but playing for the Outlaws as one of the worst shortstops in the game. On paper he looks great: range, glove, can turn the DP, but with a modest arm. On the ground, however, he's pretty terrible. His .227 average isn't helping, either. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, their other SS, Edwin Maldonado (who can hit a ton) has "hands like pitchforks," to quote Sparky Anderson, so he's shuffled over to second (where he's equally bad) or outfield (even worse). I'm always glad to see other GMs, even artificial ones, making questionable decisions. July 29-August 1 vs TEXAS Sitting at 54-51, almost in second place, and suffering team-wide nosebleeds from the rarefied air. Texas hasn't seen the playoffs since 2023, the year Jeff Bezos formally bought the White House, and despite sitting outside the wildcard hunt for now, people are already talking. They're not making any sense, but they're talking anyway. These guys don't hit (13th), but they get on base somehow (7th), and their rotation is league-average, which counts as a win, really. It's probably fair to say that their -63 run differential is their most telling stat. Let's add to it. HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (13-5, 3.56) / Eric Jones (13-3, 2.85) / Rob Hart (10-6, 5.08) / Mike Messinger (13-3, 2.41) TEX pitchers: Alex Mares (10-5, 3.54) / Jeff Sullivan (2-10, 6.86) / John Fox (7-8, 4.26) / Edgar Ulloa (7-5, 3.23) #106: WIN 13-11 ... Slugfest! 32 hits and 7 homers...add to that 16 walks and the art of pitching was set back decades today...Rangers' Callum Hewitt hits for cycle #107: WIN 9-2 ... Groff double dips on the home runs, and all-time name favorite, Texas pitcher Alpha Mann gets hurt in the middle innings...everyone gets a hit today #108: LOSS 2-4 ... three hits for Groff, four for everyone else. That's no way to win games, guys...Hart gets hurt, but just a 2-day dtd back thing #109: WIN 4-2 ... Ten more Ks for Messinger and two more hits for Groff Jeremy Dunklee earns a player of the week and the player of the month awards. Right on, J.... The news on Heine is good or bad, depending on your take on him. It's good in that his wild inconsistency can be avoided for the rest of the season, thanks to a broken shoulder. It's bad because he'd been pitching better of late, as in down to good-bad-good-bad, an improvement over good-bad-worse-mediocre-repeat. Hopefully he'll be healthy enough for me to deal, say, during the Winter Meetings, because that's just business, Billy.... A day before the deadline, the Cardinals offered me #3 starter Joey Muhlenkamp, who's actually quite good and having a 4+ WAR season for the Redbirds. (So why are the division-leading Cards offering him up, with no real minor leaguers to replace him?) I'd have pulled the trigger for a passel of prospects, but owner Angel Pagan nixed the deal due to Muhlenkamp's $6.7M salary, and the Cards were not willing to retain salary. We also looked at Atlanta's BJ Nault, who's 37 and clearly near the end of his rope, but they wanted way too much for the few magic beans he's got left in his arm. Sooooo, we're biting the bullet and going to try going with AAA options. Bobby Piccirillo gets the first nod. I figure since we only roll 3 starters in the playoffs anyway, maybe we should save our money and prospects and give the little guys a shot.... ELSEWHERE: Boston's Ernesto Plancarte leads baseball with 30 steals. It's been five years since anyone stole at least 40 bases, so we're all pulling for you, Ernie.... Hot and Not: Chicago's SS Jordan Cruz, a frequent visitor to these pages, had a hot July: .212/.275/.313, with 8 XBH and only 42 K in 99 AB. Powerful.... Individual Spotlight: Recently I looked back and compiled a list of all the International Free Agents I've signed in this dynasty. The list included 64 players, 50 if you remove the 14 still percolating in Hawaii's sweaty minor leagues. How many became big league regulars? Juan Reynoso hit 156 HR and earned 8.0 WAR in an 8-year career. That's one. Ivan Lopez made 359 relief appearances over 9 seasons, including 49 in Hawaii's inaugural season, earning just 3.0 WAR over that span. That's two. Dave Vicioso saw action in nearly 500 games, and won a title in Richmond, but was a utility player at best. Let's call that two and a half. Closer Enrique Ramirez earned 108 saves in six years with Brooklyn, so that's 3.5 guys now. Hector Olivarez started two seasons at short for Oakland, but never found his footing and finished with 653 games and 5.3 career WAR. Four point five guys. The only other guys I could find who've done more than a few scattered games here and there, are our own Mel Carillo (currently on the DL, but a decent player when not fighting fans), and Richmond OF Faustino Whitton. Whitton, now 27, is a five-tool guy who has a chance to become the second-greatest Brazilian big leaguer, behind the legendary Macario 'Crowbar' Fiel. Injuries have taken their toll this season and last, but when healthy Whitton's a .300 hitter with 20-HR pop, and capable of 35-40 steals. He's clearly the class of my international FAs. Six (maybe seven, at a stretch) players out of 50. My personal favorite? 2B Juan 'Squirt' Benvaz, whose career numbers were .217/.244/.320 with 5 HR and -1.0 WAR in 214 GP and 322 AB. The best part of his story is the bidding war we got into over him in 2020, where I ended up signing him for an $8.7M bonus. Good times. Attached Images

04-14-2018, 12:38 PM	#118
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	It's just after the trade deadline, and yes, there were trades. Do you want to hear them? No, of course you don't. I don't want to read about them either. Suffice it enough to say that another pitcher I noodled after just now was Portland's Mike Michalowski, a 30-year-old righty, whose best features are his control and his wonky forkball. He's a small man for a starter, at 5'8" and 180 pounds, and it's no surprise that he has the stamina of a kitten. Still, I enquired after him and his $9.4M salary (for six more years, to boot), and was told the cost would be either Adam Groff or Jeremy Dunklee. Two days later and I'm still calling Portland GM Mike Johnston so I can laugh a him until he hangs up on me. Anyway, Angel Pagan would have nixed the deal after all, so no use wondering "what if." So the Pioneers turned around and dealt him to the Nats for a backup catcher, which actually does gripe my drawers. Ergh. (Btw, Portland is 43-65 and Washington is 48-59, so obv this is season-changing stuff for someone.) ...... August 2-4 @ MIAMI We took three from the Marlins in April, when they were struggling. Now they're pretty good, at 59-48 and 4 games up on the Jays for first place. It won't last--Marlins divisional leads never do--but it's fun to see some new blood in there. Ricky Beard (.343/24/64) and Jason Molnar (.305/24/88) lead the #2 offense in the AL (guess who's first!), and malcontent Darius Arrington ("Trade me right effing now!") is on the DL, so everyone's happy. Pitching and defense are lagging way behind the offense, so maybe we can take adavantage of that. Meaning...expect three shutouts, of course. HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (0-0, 0.00) / Leon Casillas (13-5, 3.76) / Eric Jones (14-3, 2.88) MIA pitchers: Levi Brady (10-9, 4.02) / Jake Marker (7-12, 4.25) / Corey Downes (7-8, 4.85) #110: LOSS 2-4 ... B Pics is fair enough through seven, but we can only manage four hits off a trio of Marlins pitchers...Dunklee homers again #111: LOSS 2-4 ... only five hits this time, as we continue to make this B-level pitching staff look like world beaters...Casillas goes all 8, but 2 HR doom his efforts #112: LOSS 5-7 ... Jones is ugly, and it was 7-0 before I'd finished my first beer...we got 9 hits, so yay for improvements Well that was an ass series. No one got hurt, is all I want to say about that.... ELSEWHERE: Don't look now, but Oakland's won six straight.... Giants LF Alfredo Gazca is the latest to embrace the streaking fad, having hit safely now in 21 straight.... Hot and Not: Detroit has won five in a row, and is now up on the Brewers by six; the Dodgers are cold, winning four of their last eleven, and are now just a half game ahead of the Padres.... Individual Spotlight: Hey Cleveland, I see you sitting in the Central division basement, at 42-69. Tough days, huh. And I know they just got tougher when favorite son Greg 'Tornado' Tackett suffered his latest in a string of long-term injuries, this one a damaged thumb that'll keep him out for a couple of months. Tackett, the first overall pick from 2032, was billed since birth as a power-hitting, do-it-all outfielder (well, his fielding is just good-enough, so we'll leave that there), so you couldn't blame Indians fans for thinking they had a lefty-swinging Albert/Joey Belle (without the headaches) on their hands, someone to build around. And they do--when he's healthy. On the field, he's a 7-8 WAR guy who's capable of 40+ home run power and is a career .285 hitter. But injuries, oh so many injuries, which have limited his games played to: 106, 40, 150, 137, 26, 108, 118, 138, and 59. He's 30 now, with a year left on his contract, and you'd not be wrong to think that the hapless Indians should consider dealing him this off-season and going all in on a rebuild. But hey, egos are involved! So they'll probably hang on to him and suck again next year and lose him for nothing. And he'll get hurt again, leaving us all with thoughts of what could have been. August 6-8 vs NY YANKEES We can't help but play better against the cellar-dwelling Yanks, right? Terrible hitting, subpar pitching, their best pitcher done for this year (and probably next), but hey they're pretty good on defense. It'll be interesting to see how many home runs Tony Flores (sitting at 46) will hit against us. NONE I HOPE. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (10-7, 5.12) / Mike Messinger (14-3, 2.42) / Bobby Piccirillo (0-1, 5.14) NYY pitchers: Pat Teer (1-4, 6.83) / Daniel Brooke (8-5, 4.29) / Bob Bull (5-4, 4.77) #113: WIN 32-2 ... NOT a misprint...some stats: 30 hits, 13 walks, 8 doubles, 7 HR...reliever Bobby Amico goes 1.2 IP, 11 H, 13 R, 6 BB...it was 15-0 before we added a casual 13 more in the 7th #114: WIN 2-0 ... so boring after yesterday's laugher...Robertson 2-for-4 with a homer...Messinger yields just 4 hits over 8, strikes out 9, for his 15th win #115: WIN 10-4 ... Piccarillo is still failing to impress (9 H, 4 R through 6 IP), but we score for him today, getting 12 hits and 5 walks That first game should've been called after four: Skunk Rule.... Piccirillo hasn't looked good (5.54 ERA) in his first two starts. He'll get one more before I try someone else. Maybe Frank Soto (in my pen now), or recalling Gouweleeuw (awful for us early, but a 2.68 ERA in 18 AAA starts), or maybe Luis Cortez (no stuff at all, but wicked movement and control). We'll see.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland lost their last game, and is 16.5 games behind us. Maybe they don't challenge for the division, but they're firmly in the wildcard hunt, just a couple behind Milwaukee and several up on everyone else.... Hot and Not: The Cubs have won 8 of 10, and despite being 55-59 they're only 6 games out of first in the NL Central. Rays 2B Tim Ost was leading the AL in hitting just over a month ago. But he hit .183 in July and is hitting .125 in August, dropping him well out of the running for the title.... Individual Spotlight: KC shortstop Cody Kruer has 16 triples this season, and is on pace to become the first AL player to hit 20 in a season since Curtis Granderson hit 23 back in 2007. The 23-year-old is in his first season in the bigs, and his slash of .233/.308/.386 (with one steal) doesn't suggest a speedy line drive hitter. In fact, he looks like a low-contact groundballer, like a career backup utility infielder. Still, I'm pulling for him. August 9-11 vs BOSTON Treading water at 57-57, 7.5 behind Miami and 5 behind Oakland for the second wildcard spot. Decent hitting, bad rotation, good bullpen, blah blah blah. Enough of that. The best thing about the Sox is that every year--EVERY YEAR--the clubhouse is a freaking mess. This year they're feuding. Last year the feuded. And so on: it's feuds all the way down. There's no team leadership, half the team dislikes manager Kris Harvey, and everybody is mad at the handful of slackers and selfish oafs who keep hogging the boom box in the locker room. Owner Matthew Zunker, however, is quite happy, for no apparent reason (losing money, not currently a playoff team, etc etc). Oh well...where would we be without bitterness in Boston, eh? HAW pitchers: Leon Casillas (13-6, 4.80) / Eric Jones (14-4, 3.23) / Rob Hart (11-7, 4.99) BOS pitchers: Manny Gomez (9-8, 4.18) / Orlando Amaya (3-2, 4.59) / Robby Liantonio (8-7, 4.85) #116: WIN 12-0 ... Two HR each for McGowan (5, 6) and Mercedes (36, 37), and a complete game 4-hitter for Casillas...McArthur tweaks a calf, but should be okay #117: LOSS 5-11 ... it was too good to last, as we're outhit 21-5...Jones is worryingly terrible again, and his ERA has gone up nearly a run over his last five starts #118: WIN 7-6 ... two in the 9th and Courtney's run on an infield error in the 10th bring home the win...Hart is solid through 6, picking up some of Jones' slack these last couple of weeks Two wins out of three and no major injuries. Reason enough to be happy with these results.... It can't all be sunshine, tho, as Eric Jones' last five starts have yielded thus: 2-3, 7.75 ERA, 26.2 IP, 39 H, 23 R.... Dunklee and Mercedes both have 100 RBI.... ELSEWHERE: both batting title races have tightened up considerably. KC's Juan Garcia leads at .331, four points ahead of two others and seven points ahead of three more. In the NL, SD's Tony Solar still leads, but is clinging to just a two point lead over Washington's Travis Tanner.... Hot and Not: Richmond's Josh Wall, a six-time all-star, is settling into a new role as the league's most dangerous (and highest paid, at $24M) pinch hitter. Consider this slash: .431/.525/.765 in 66 PA. On the 'Not' side, a trio of Twins starters--Tyson Murphy, Jesse Squire, and Chris Wead--are bringing down the whole squad: 12 starts, 2-8, 68 IP, 89 H, 48 K, 31 BB, 10.47 ERA.... Individual Spotlight: Milwaukee's Jake Heberer is the team's starting LF, and although he's hitting just .243, he does have 17 HR and brings a positive vibe to the clubhouse. At 38, he still has enough motor to be a plus in the field, although he's not the star CF he once was. He's 38 now, in his 14th season, and will retire soon with decent career numbers: over 52 WAR, 1600 hits, nearly 300 HR, .274 career hitter. I bring him up b/c I drafted him in the 6th round way back in 2024 with Richmond, and he looked decent-but-not-great until he reached AAA in 2027, where he hit .304 with 26 HR in half a season. He finished the year in the majors, and looked okay but with no hint of what was to come. In 2028, playing in the shadow of 40+ HR-hitting RF Manny Sanchez, he turned a good season into an incredible August/September run. I swear he hit 20 homers and batted over .350 those two months, and his final line of .311/37/104 earned him a surprise MVP award and a hefty new contract. He never did come near those overall numbers again, although he did hit 30 HR twice more, and regularly batted in the .280-.290 range. I traded for him when I moved to Brooklyn, and who knows, maybe I'll bring him to Hawaii next year. Injuries curtailed his career numbers, but he still has a career to be proud of.

04-14-2018, 12:50 PM	#119
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	August 13-15 vs MINNESOTA Fourteen games over .500 in April/May, and 13 games under since. Team defense is terrible, but they still have a +32 run differential, so they're clearly better than they've been playing. Manager Jose Mateo has been around for 24 years, as long as most of their international prospects have been alive. And my favorite prospect, pitcher Kyle Hoots, is having a strong year in A ball. HAW pitchers: Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.30) / Bobby Piccirillo (1-1, 5.54) / Leon Casillas (14-6, 3.60) MIN pitchers: Rafael Aragon (6-1, 2.41) / Brett McGee (2-1, 2.11) / Tyson Murphy (7-7, 5.22) #119: WIN 4-3 ... Hunter's 9th inning single brings home Mercedes for the win...two Twins pitchers injured, starter Aragon and closer Greg Giggity Giglio #120: WIN 14-1 ... Henkel parks two and drives in six, part of a 20-hit effort...Piccirillo throws a solid 6.2 innings, earns another start #121: WIN 10-3 ... 18 more hits, including four for Groff and three for McGowan and McArthur...couple of guys get serious dtd injuries tho SS Hunter and OF Hopkins have 2-3 week dtd injuries, but they'll play for now.... Casillas wins his 15th, and Henkel is the third on the team to drive in 100 runs.... Piccirillo looks good enough to earn a fourth start.... ELSEWHERE: Cubs RF Oscar Sandoval has turned a hot August into the NL lead in WAR and OPS.... Hot and Not: the bottom has officially dropped out for the Giants, losers of 11 straight, and the Expos, who've dropped seven. Both are vying for the #1 overall pick now.... Individual Spotlight: 7-time all-star closer Ethan Villines is nearing 500 career saves. His 488 put him 5th all-time, and in line for the Hall of Fame. There are 12 relievers there ahead of him, so he'd be lucky #13. August 16-18 vs DETROIT First place in the Central, 72-49, four games up on Milwaukee. This is a stacked team, 3rd in runs, 5th in pitching. They've hit a league best 179 home runs, and every starter is in double figures already. The rotation ERA is just 9th, but the bullpen is tops in the league, led by closer Alex Castaneda, with 29 saves and a 1.06 ERA. Rookie John Sheets is by far the AL's top freshman: .316/32/102. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (14-5, 3.60) / Rob Hart (11-7, 4.97) / Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.37) DET pitchers: Travis Heumann (3-2, 3.62) / Sean MacPherson (8-10, 4.34) / Raul Bravo (14-5, 3.67) #122: WIN 11-8 ... 8-run third for us, 8-run 5th for them, then a 2-run shot from Mercedes in the 8th gives us the lead for good...everyone gets a hit for both teams #123: LOSS 5-10 ... a 7-run third for the bad guys chases Hart, and we can't catch up...Groff goes 4-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBI #124: LOSS 3-7 ... tied at three in the 9th, Chris Leonard parks a grand slam against closer Kieffer...I suspect the Kieffer-as-closer era may be drawing to a close Well that's a disappointment. The season series ends 3-3, and it's quite possible a rematch from last year's AL Championship series is in the offing, and I really want to take these guys out.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland's won 8 of 10, now 14.5 games behind us and firmly in first in the wildcard race.... Hot and Not: The Dodgers have won 10 straight and pulled out a bit of a lead over the Padres. On the other hand, the Expos have lost ten straight and are battling with Seattle for the worst record in the game.... Individual Spotlight: Catcher Devlin Ransberger, now 38, is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Now in his second season with the Cardinals, and while his batting skills have eroded (hitting just .220), his leadership and steady play behind the plate are big reasons why the Cards have risen to the top of the NL Central. He's closing in on 500 HR and 2000 hits, but this late in the season, isn't likely to reach either this season. Still, he's the all-time leader in HR for catchers, 2nd in career WAR (85.4), and is a two-time MVP and three-time World Series champ. August 19-21 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX Fifth in the Central, 57-67, and looking at their 11th season in a row without post-season play. Second in HR, which probably explains how they're 8th in runs scored despite being dead last in average. Pitching is next-to-last, team defense not much better. Team is unhappy, and it's funny how the two unhappiest players are the two team slackers: 3B Jaden Miller and CF Mike Elefante. HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (2-1, 4.12) / Leon Casillas (15-6, 3.58) / Eric Jones (14-5, 3.67) CHW pitchers: Jarrod Kearns (13-7, 3.34) / Zachary Setaro (5-15, 5.70) / Jason Henry (2-6, 5.22) #125: LOSS 4-5 ... Henkel hits his 30th, but Kieffer blows another one in the 9th, on a 3-run HR by Eric Cowden #126: WIN 13-7 ... 5 hits for Groff, 19 for the team...pitching struggling right now #127: WIN 4-3 ... Henkel's 2-run double in the 1st stakes us to a 3-0 lead, and Diaz wins it with a solo shot in the 6th...new closer Tanner saves his first Kieffer is out as closer, Jeff Tanner is in. Let's see what happens.... Josh Robertson is hitting .339, leading the AL, with Groff six points behind. Henkel leads with 108 RBI, Dunklee second with 106.... ELSEWHERE: Dodgers have now won 13 in a row, five games up on San Diego.... Contrary to my expectations, Miami has kept winning and has a ten game lead over the Red Sox.... Hot and Not: Giants 2B Ty Cobb is working on a 22-game hit streak; Oakland starter Jaden Graham hasn't lost a game since May, and has an ERA under 2 over the last three months.... Individual Spotlight: Nats SS Travis Tanner, at 26, is becoming one of the league's best contact hitters. Coming off two seasons of 200 hits, he's batted .318 and .334 those years, with the Angels. This year, he's leading the NL at .340, with 169 hits. In just his fifth season, he's rounding into a 40-double, 4-5 WAR batter, and also has the chops to be a Gold Glove winner at anywhere in the infield. August 22-25 @ OAKLAND So here we are again, battling the A's for the division. Except this time, we have a 15.5 game lead and our magic number is 20. The division is probably safe, but I would love to bury these guys and take them out of the wildcard running. Problem is, behind Milwaukee (70-54) and Oakland (72-56), the next teams in line are at least 8 games behind. Oh well. Anyway, these guys are super streaky this year, backing up a 9-game losing streak in July with a 15-4 August. If they get past the one-and-done wildcard game, they're gonna be tough on somebody in the post-season. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (11-8, 5.25) / Mike Messinger (15-3, 2.43) / Bobby Piccirillo (2-1, 3.58) / Leon Casillas (16-6, 3.61) OAK pitchers: Ricky Hose (14-6, 4.37) / Jaden Graham (11-3, 2.31) / Santiago Hurtado (2-4, 3.52) / Matt Bienvenu (6-10, 5.18) #128: WIN 10-5 ... everyone gets a hit, including three for Groff and a 3-run blast by Dunklee...Hose gets hosed early, giving up 10 H and 7 R in just four innings #129: LOSS 2-5 ... we outhit them 6-5, but Messinger's wildness and 2 key HR spell defeat...four walks for Mercedes, tying a team record #130: LOSS 0-3 ... bats are going silent against less-than-stellar pitching suddenly...Groff with 3 more hits, and Piccirillo continues to throw well enough, just...no hitting #131: LOSS 3-4 ... blech That was a thoroughly aggravating series. A's pitching gets hot, our bats cool, and our power desserts us.... We're definitely running all-or-nothing right now. Still plenty of time to get right again, but we have to up our games against quality opposition or else fall break will hit us sooner than we want.... ELSEWHERE: Miami has cooled a bit, and just lost their best setup man and starting 2B for the season, just as Boston is heating up (7 straight wins) and has closed the gap to 7.5 games.... Yankees RF Tony Flores now has 55 HR, but speedy Boston IF Edwin Plancarte has been stuck at 30 SB for nearly a month now.... Hot and Not: Ty Cobb has hit in 26 straight and is leading NL batters at .345 (and with a .436 OBP). Minny SS Dave Holbrook just had his 24-game streak ended by the White Sox.... Individual Spotlight: Arizona manager Jace Smith is channeling his inner Joe Maddon, batting his pitcher #8 against righthanders. Smith, who retired from the game in 2012, was doing god-knows-what for nearly 30 years before being hired by the Diamondbacks this off-season. The Dbacks are 63-67 under his guidance, and while the clubhouse seems relatively complacent, he has been able to alienate about 1/3 of the roster. His biggest cheerleader appears to be closer Joey 'Zipper' Creech, since the closer is having a career year, with both ERA and WHIP below 1. August 26-28 @ LA ANGELS 14-9 in August, and SS Juan Rodriquez was just named AL player of the week. That's about it for the good news. None of their young guns in the lineup are having particularly good years, and the only pitcher having an above-average season is 33. It's fun for me to see Original Islander(TM) Miguel Torres come off a 4-month stint on the DL, start 19 games in the outfield, play poorly, then go out with a season-ending injury. It's also odd to see 38-year-old C Jared Grose still in this lineup, six years into a so-called rebuild. HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (15-5, 3.69) / Rob Hart (12-8, 5.22) / Mike Messinger (15-4, 2.59) LAA pitchers: Greg Langworthy (7-8, 4.23) / Adam Pereira (4-12, 5.36) / Leonardo Vigil (9-7, 4.31) #132: LOSS 0-2 ... blargh...Tony Mendoza's 2-run blast in the 8th is all it takes...just 7 hits, as the batters continue to flail #133: LOSS 4-5 ... Hart Ks 11 but gives up 4 home runs, all solo shots, in just 5 innings...7 hits again today, everyone's struggling now #134: WIN 9-4 ... finally the bats wake up, as everyone gets a hit and Groff drives in 3...Messinger walks 5, but gives up just 4 hits in 7 IP That last game cauterized the wound somewhat, but we're still reeling a bit right now. With Oakland winning 5 straight, the lead is at 12 games, and the magic number at 17.... OF Steve Hopkins goes back on the DL after his dtd back injury worsened. Ashton Gooding comes back up to take his place.... ELSEWHERE: Miami is still holding off the Red Sox, but their lead is now 7 games. The NL Central is the tighest division, where 5 teams are still within range, including the defending champs in New Orleans: despite a 64-69 record, they're just 7 games behind the Cardinals.... Hot and Not: Tony Flores hit a couple out against the Marlins, now has 57 on the year. He's got a great shot at breaking the dynasty record of 63, set by the Mets Nate Johnson in 2038. Also, the above-mentioned closer Joey Creech has not given up a run since the third week of June, covering 23 games and 20.2 innings. Sadly, he plays for the mediocre Dbacks. Almost as sad, he's out for 13 months--and possibly for good--with a shattered elbow tendon.... Individual Spotlight: Our next HoF spotlight falls on pitcher Cobi Johnson, who had a solid 19-year career with 6 teams. Johnson was never really in the conversation regarding "best pitcher" during any part of his career, but he did stick around and put up remarkably consistent--and quite good--numbers for a long time. An iron man, he led the league in innings six times, and in an era where pitching wins are depressed, he stuck around to accumulate 255 of the things, whatever they're really worth. Honestly, he's probably a guy like Jim Kaat or maybe Mike Mussina, guys who get debated because they stuck around long enough to have nice-looking career stats. Unlike those two, however, Johnson did win a Cy Young, in 2029 with the Dodgers. And he added a World Series title, at age 38, in 2034 with the Giants. So what's the verdict here? A decent pitcher with deceptively good career numbers? Or a no-brainer HoF who shouldn't be punished just because he's not a Clemens/Maddux/Strasburg type? Attached Images

04-15-2018, 10:42 AM	#120
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	August 30-31, September 1 @ HOUSTON Two numbers for your consideration. First: 23, as in "23 years since this team has been to the playoffs." Second: 1.4 million, as in home attendance. The last time that few people saw the Astros play was 1995, when they drew 1.3 million. On the other hand, their .481 winning pct. is the second time they've approached .500 since 2025. And their .281 BABIP is the first time the pitching staff has been below .300 since 2029. False dawn, or light at the end of the tunnel? HAW pitchers: Bobby Piccirillo (2-2, 3.48) / Leon Casillas (16-7, 3.66) / Eric Jones (15-5, 3.57) HOU pitchers: Jay Russo (13-3, 2.47) / Travis Calhoun (1-7, 4.37) / Nelson Gonzalez (5-14, 5.38) #136: WIN 7-4 ... down early 3-0, we score six straight and hold on late for our 90th win...Mercedes hits his 40th HR...McGowan gets another concussion, dtd for 6 days #137: LOSS 1-3 ... Groff gets 3 hits, but the rest of the news isn't good: Casillas and Ashton Gooding get hurt, both pending diagnosis #138: WIN 11-6 ... Jones pitches 7 innings for the first time in nearly a month, and everyone gets a hit...Mercedes jacks two more, now with 42 Little injuries are mounting and could play havoc with the playoff roster. Trainer Jordan Villalobos tells me that Mike Hunter has an "unknown" return date from his dtd back injury; Ashton Gooding sprains his knee and is dtd for two months; and Casillas is still pending diagnosis. If we lose him, that will be a huge blow come post-season. Meanwhile, no one goes on the DL, but with the 9/1 roster expansion, I call up a few guys to spell the injured: IF Jim Bowman, OF Dave White, and RP Luis Cortez. Bowman is a scrappy middle infielder, signed as a FA in February; White had 80 AB with us earlier this summer; Cortez has been a starter in AAA, but will throw from the pen, barring catastrophe, this month.... That makes nine players either on the DL or nursing dtd injuries. Ian McGowan and Joel Courtney should be completely healed soon, hopefully Steve Hopkins will too, and fingers are crossed that Casillas isn't done for the season.... ELSEWHERE: Boston's Robby Liantonio becomes the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, as the Sox beat Toronto 10-0. Liantonio struck out 12 and walked two.... SF's Ty Cobb is looking good to capture his 11th batting crown, and RIC pitcher Rafael Maldonado is working on the pitching Triple Crown.... Hot and Not: Miami is struggling, and Boston has gotten hot, reducing the Marlins lead to just 5 games now. And congrats to the Mariners for becoming the first team officially eliminated from the post-season hunt.... Individual Spotlight: The Cardinals--in first in the NL Central--have played Baseball The Right Way(TM) all season, and probably the Most Right-Way-est of them all is rookie CF Steve Rutledge, 2038's first overall draft pick. Rutledge is pure midwest: born in Stover, MO, went to college in Kansas, drafted by the Cardinals, his favorite team growing up. Until this year, he wasn't blazing a trail up the minor leagues: rookie ball in '38, S A and A in '39, and A again last season. Bypassing the next two rungs, he earned the starting CF nod in camp, and has done nothing to diminish the trust manager Orlando Lopez put in him: .288/.352/.542 with 36 doubles and 25 homers, along with 12 steals and plus defense in center. Fans love him, reporters love him, I'm guessing even his family loves him. He'll probably run for Congress one day, damn him. LOCAL PRESS RELEASE, 9/2/2041: Pitcher Leon Casillas has been placed on the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to 8/31. Preliminary diagnosis on his injured shoulder revealed a torn rotator cuff, which was confirmed by the player's own doctor. Casillas made 28 starts this season, with a 16-7 record, 3.67 ERA and 115 strike outs in 189 innings. Although the team did not confirm a date for his surgery, Casillas stated that he'll "probably" go under the knife sometime later this month. Recover time is estimated at 5 months, meaning Casillas should be completely healed in time for training camp. September 3-5 vs CLEVELAND The Indians will be facing the reaper soon enough, with their 54-82 record putting them right up to the cliff's edge. But they've been out of things since early in the summer, particularly when superstar OF Greg Tackett went down for three months. 1B Nate Rogers (.293/38/100) is having a great season for naught, although DH Carlos Beltran, Jr, has hit .312 with 49 doubles. Neither is particularly young, so I don't know who the Indians will build around for the coming years. This team is a mess. HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (12-9, 5.32) / Mike Messinger (16-4, 2.64) / Bobby Piccirillo (2-2, 3.89) CLE pitchers: Danny Powers (6-11, 6.36) / Zach Gioeli (11-8, 5.39) / Tyler Holman (7-11, 5.57) #138: WIN 10-9 ... Groff pounds out three more hits and two more RBI...closer Tanner blows up with a grand slam to Rogers, but Kieffer rides in and saves the day for his 38th save #139: WIN 5-2 ... Messinger is huge, mowing down 13 and winning his 17th...Groff knocks in his 100th run, and we do a lot with just 8 hits #140: WIN 13-9 ... Piccs really struggles in 1st innings, and gives up four here...he's wild (6 BB) but hangs in for 5 innings...McGowan HRs twice, sets a team record with 8 RBI (including a Grand Slam) Well, the other shoe dropped and Casillas is out until next year. That hurts, and means that Messinger and Jones (and hell, Rob Hart even) need to step up if we're going to get past Detroit, et al, and get back to the World Series. Frank Soto will come out of the pen and make Casillas' next start, at least. Ramon Archila gets called up into the pen, and Steve Miller comes off the DL and will 'rehab' on the big club. Needs must.... Pitching in general is leaking oil, looking at the runs we're giving up lately. We've dropped to 3rd in the AL in runs against, after leading the league most of the summer. There's still time to get things straight tho, and fingers crossed we'll keep hitting.... ELSEWHERE: No surprise, but Seattle fires manager Jose Alfonso, after 76 wins last year, and a 49-90 effort this season. No word yet on his replacement.... Cleveland is also eliminated from the post-season.... No teams are making any big moves anywhere, other than the Brewers (5 straight wins) putting distance between themselves and Boston for the #2 wildcard slot.... Hot and Not: Tony Flores (NYY) reached 60 HR in a 6-3 win over Houston. Just four more, Tony!.... Individual Spotlight: If this were still a steroids era, Brooklyn's Victor Sanchez would be raising eyebrows everywhere. The 5'11" SS hit 16 home runs combined over five years in the minors, then managed 27 in 621 AB for the Robins last year. This season he's leading the NL with 45 HR and 109 RBI, playing in a park that slightly favors pitching. One year fluke? Perhaps, and maybe he'll settle back as a 25-30 home run guy. But right now he looks like this generation's Brady Anderson. September 6-8 vs KANSAS CITY Predicted by MLB to win just 72 games this year...well, they're six away from that. They don't hit much, that's for sure: last in runs and HR, near-bottom in AVG, OBP, steals, etc etc. Pitching is dynamite, however, 2nd in the league. Team defense ranks first. SS Cody Kruer sits at 18 triples, still hoping to reach 20 and be the first guy in, er, quite a long time to do that. In fun news, pitcher Eddy Llamas did in fact recently purchase a llama farm in Peru. "Llamas y Llamas," he says his new company will be called. HAW pitchers: Frank Soto (0-0, 3.26) / Eric Jones (16-5, 3.58) / Rob Hart (13-9, 5.39) KCR pitchers: Chris Ellis (8-12, 5.29) / Eddy Llamas (8-9, 3.11) / Yutaka Fujino (3-4, 3.59) #141: WIN 7-0 ... well don't I look like a genius for keeping Soto (7.1 IP, 5 H, 4 K) under wraps for so long...Mercedes bangs out another one, is battling Dunklee for the AL RBI crown #142: WIN 13-1 ... ah bugger it, Adam Groff is out for three weeks now...six HR and a strong start for Eric Jones don't help my mood however #143: LOSS 1-2 ... Hart goes 5, puts 10 men on (5 H, 5 BB), Ks 9, and takes the loss. He's exhausting...no one gets hurt, at least. FOR ONCE. So Groff's out for three weeks, but the good news is that we clinched the playoffs and we've maintained a 14.5 game lead over Oakland, so we're likely going to get a few extra days rest from that. So he should be back just in time for us. Phew.... So Frank Soto looked pretty good in that one start, huh? He's playoff eligible, should I get all starry eyed and fall in love.... ELSEWHERE: Proving that he's got the goods on someone, mananger Jose Jimenez, late of the Cleveland Indians (and a 24-48 record this year before getting fired) is announced as the Mariners new bench boss. L.O.L.... Miami has stabilized their lead (4.5) over Boston, but things are getting tight in two of the three NL divisions: Brooklyn is hot and closing in (4) on the Mets, and the Dodgers have cooled considerably and are clinging to a 3 game advantage over the Padres.... Hot and Not: Ty Cobb is hitting .349, and has hit .415 since June, but SD's Tony Solar has rebounded from a tough August (.212) with a .486 start this month, and has closed to just four points behind in the NL batting race.... Individual Spotlight: I will never get over the career of Cubs SS Jordan Cruz. Yes, he's had two complete seasons below the Mendoza line before, but this year he's outdone himself: batting just .150 with 206 K in 474 AB. Why is this man not only starting in the Majors, but leading off for someone? Please please please let this guy go to free agency. Hell I'll delete him from the game and give you my A ball SS for free and he'd be an upgrade. Why haven't Cubs fans ordered a hit on this guy? He's been killing this team for six years now, basically stealing $30M of the club's money. He strikes out once every three plate appearances, and yet has parlayed a decent glove and a rah-rah attitude into nearly 6000 career PA and a World Series ring. If he were a pitcher he'd have lead the NL in strikeouts three times. I just...dunno. Attached Images