The New York Patriots - A Free To Play Project

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 2 - LATE NIGHT REPORT

Record (for the day): 19-14
Overall Record: 28-26
Position: 3rd in AC East (4 games behind Highvalley Hooligans), 2nd Wildcard (1 ahead of two teams)

TRANSACTIONS
2B - Davey Johnson (76) 1973 Historical All Star Acquired via Pack

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.292, 10 HR, 22 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.219, 1 HR, 10 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.290, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
1B/DH - Von Hayes (.268, 5 HR, 16 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.118, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.194, 4 HR, 13 RBI)
3B - Bobby Bonilla (.286, 8 HR, 27 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.287, 5 HR, 17 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.279, 3 HR, 16 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.304, 7 HR, 29 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.200, 1 HR, 10 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.261, 4 HR, 31 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.265, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
RF - Aaron Rowand (.281, 8 HR, 25 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (4-5, 3.46)
SP - Tom Seaver (6-2, 3.71)
SP - Jerry Koosman (3-2, 5.86)
SP - Burt Hooton (1-1, 5.74)
SP - John Maine (5-3, 2.51)

RP - Tim Burke (1-3, 4.78, 1 sv)
RP - Ken Hill (4-4, 5.76)
RP - Terry Leach (1-0, 1.09)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-2, 6.57)
RP - Jeff Reardon (1-0. 3.00)
CL - John Franco (0-3, 2.45, 15 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Gary Carter - .348 (8 for 23), 3 HR, 6 RBI in his last 8 games
John Franco - Has not given up a run in his last 15 innings (11 saves)
Lance Johnson - .550 (11 for 20), 1 HR, 9 RBI in his last 6 games
Terry Leach - 1.06 ERA in his last 17 innings (1-0)

WHO SUCKS?
Bobby Bonilla - .083 (2 for 24), 1 HR, 5 RBI in his last 7 games

Notes: Feels good to end a day over .500 and in a playoff spot. Not sure how long it'll last, but for the moment I'm not depressed. Our aggression on the basepaths is paying off with Lance Johnson being 2nd in the AC in stolen bases. Our pitching has improved lately, with John Maine surprisingly being the driving force behind it. He pitched to an ERA over 5 in entry pool, but now he's really turned it on. Everyone's playing well enough to where there's no place for guys like Davey Johnson, Al Oliver, and Gregg Jefferies. Also, I've begun to experiment with training at other positions. Trying Zimmerman at 1st and 2nd base, Rowand in right field, and Castillo at shortstop haven't backfired on me just yet. All are learning their positions relatively quickly, and I'm pleased about that.

We are firing on all cylinders at the moment, and if we can keep this pace, we might end up being ahead of schedule. The plan is still to challenge for a playoff berth next season. This season, it's just an experience.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 743

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 3 - EARLY EVENING UPDATE

Record: 10-4
Overall Record: 38-30
Position: 2nd in AC East, 3 games behind Highvalley Hooligans, 1st wildcard

TRANSACTIONS
2,000 points in packs (As usual, eternal baseball disappointment)
2B - Granny Hamner (75) 1954 Historical All Star Purchased for 300 points
3B - Aramis Ramirez (74) 2005 Historical All Star Purchased for 288 points
RP - Todd Worrell (69) 1986 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 64 points
RP - Dave Campbell (60) 1977 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 31 points

I should have put those 2,000 points (1,500 I got from a 13-game winning streak) towards a gold player. Will I ever bleeping learn?

Anyway, enough of me crying, let's look at the new recruits. Granny Hamner is a favorite among several teams I've seen during my short time on Perfect Team. Very good contact hitter, decent power, doesn't strike out often, good defensive ratings that allow me to train him elsewhere.

Aramis Ramirez is probably a DH only, but he looks the part of a good DH. Good contact, good power, good strikeout avoidance. Crushes left handed pitching. If I ever get a chance to use him, he'd make a good middle/lower lineup guy.

Todd Worrell & Dave Campbell were acquired on the cheap in the hopes that if my relievers start to fail miserably, I could slot one of them in and not lose too much in effectiveness. Worrell in particular is excellent for a bronze pitcher, reminiscent of Terry Leach, who continues to dominate in my bullpen at this time. Campbell is less imposing, but is still a very solid bronze reliever.

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.279, 12 HR, 27 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.252, 1 HR, 22 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.286, 4 HR, 10 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.283, 6 HR, 19 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.206, 5 HR, 18 RBI)
3B - Bobby Bonilla (.266, 8 HR, 28 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.377, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.289, 7 HR, 25 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.286, 4 HR, 21 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.294, 8 HR, 34 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.197, 2 HR, 13 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.254, 4 HR, 36 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.248, 2 HR, 12 RBI)
RF - Aaron Rowand (.273, 10 HR, 27 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (5-5, 3.56)
SP - Tom Seaver (7-3, 3.77)
SP - Jerry Koosman (4-3, 5.82)
SP - Burt Hooton (2-2, 4.00)
SP - John Maine (5-4, 2.59)

RP - Tim Burke (2-3, 4.46, 2 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (2-0, 1.35, 2 sv)
RP - Ken Hill (5-4, 5.97, 1 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (4-2, 4.96)
RP - Jeff Reardon (2-0, 2.73)
CL - John Franco (0-3, 3.08, 18 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
John Maine: 1-1, 2.29 ERA in his last 3 starts

WHO SUCKS?
Bobby Bonilla: .132 (5/38), 0 HR, 2 RBI in his last 11 games

Notes: Ever since the 13 game winning streak ended, everyone fell off a small cliff as we lost 4 of our next 6. Bobby Bonilla's been mired in a long slump, and has been benched in favor of starting Granny Hamner on learning 3rd base. Luis Castillo, Aaron Rowand, and Ryan Zimmerman continue to take to their new positions well, and we haven't taken as bad a defensive hit as I thought we would, not like we're any good on defense anyway. Our bullpen ERA is only 7th in the conference, so we should try to pick it up a little bit. To aid this, I'm contemplating sending Ken Hill down to the reserves in favor of Todd Worrell. Might do it and see how it goes for the rest of the evening and into tomorrow.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 448

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 4 - AFTERNOON REPORT

Record: 10-8
Overall Record: 48-38
Position: 2nd in AC East, 3 games behind Highvalley Hooligans, 1st wildcard

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Livan Hernandez (75) 2004 Historical All Star Purchased for 449 points

HAPPY TRAILS
SP/RP - Jerry Koosman (4-4, 6.83 in 20 appearances, including 15 starts)
3B - Bobby Bonilla (.256, 8 HR, 28 RBI)

Replacing these two on the roster were Dave Campbell and Aramis Ramirez.

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.282, 12 HR, 33 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.226, 1 HR, 22 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.266, 5 HR, 17 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.262, 9 HR, 27 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.249, 8 HR, 28 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.279, 4 HR, 18 RBI)
3B - Aramis Ramirez (.222, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.276, 8 HR, 28 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.284, 5 HR, 26 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.293, 12 HR, 48 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.268, 3 HR, 20 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.259, 4 HR, 43 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.266, 4 HR, 17 RBI)
RF - Aaron Rowand (.273, 10 HR, 30 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (7-7, 4.11)
SP - Tom Seaver (9-4, 4.06)
SP - John Maine (5-5, 3.26)
SP - Livan Hernandez (1-1, 3.86)
SP - Burt Hooton (3-3, 3.74)

RP - Terry Leach (2-0, 1.02, 2 sv)
RP - Todd Worrell (0-0, 3.86)
RP - Dave Campbell (1-0, 0.00)
RP - Greg McMichael (4-3, 6.86)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-0, 2.27)
CL - John Franco (1-3, 2.70, 22 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Terry Leach: 0.68 ERA in his last 22 appearances (26.1 IP)
Jeff Reardon: 3-0, 1.11 in his last 24 games (24.1 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Mike Lieberthal: .077 (2/26) in his last 8 games
John Maine: 0-0, 9.72 in his last 2 games (8.1 IP)
Rick Reed: 0-2, 10.24 in his last 2 games (9.2 IP)

Notes: Things have stabilized from last night and we're back to winning more often than not. Some winnable games coming up to expand our lead on the wildcard pack, and perhaps keep cutting into Highvalley's lead. Our starters have to get their act together if an improbable division title is gonna happen.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 4 - ALL STAR BREAK

Record: 4-6
Overall Record: 52-44
Position: 2nd in AC East, 6 games behind Highvalley Hooligans, 1st wildcard

TRANSACTIONS
CL - Kent Tekulve (77) 1979 Hardware Heroes Acquired via Challenge Mode Pack
SS - Jose Reyes (73) 2011 Historical All Star Purchased for 1,150 points
RP - Anthony Young (62) 1993 Unsung Heroes Purchased for 35 points
RP - Steve Bedrosian (62) 1987 Historical All Star Purchased for 30 points

ALL STAR
RP - Terry Leach
ASG: Did not pitch

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.266, 12 HR, 33 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.228, 2 HR, 23 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.302, 6 HR, 24 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.266, 10 HR, 30 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.239, 11 HR, 35 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.300, 5 HR, 25 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.271, 9 HR, 31 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.283, 5 HR, 28 RBI)
SS - Jose Reyes (No Stats)
LF - Jeff Conine (.293, 14 HR, 55 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.273, 5 HR, 24 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.251, 5 HR, 48 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.260, 4 HR, 19 RBI)
RF - Aaron Rowand (.271, 12 HR, 34 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (7-7, 3.95)
SP - Tom Seaver (10-4, 4.06)
SP - John Maine (5-6, 3.71)
SP - Livan Hernandez (2-2, 4.91)
SP - Burt Hooton (3-3, 3.26)

RP - Terry Leach (3-1, 1.42, 2 sv)
RP - Todd Worrell (0-1, 4.08)
RP - Dave Campbell (1-0, 3.12)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-0, 2.27)
RP - John Franco (2-5, 3.99, 23 sv)
CL - Kent Tekulve (0-0, 0.00, 2 sv)

Notes: Terry Leach being our only all star is terrible. Jeff Conine was more than deserving, as were Jeff Reardon and Gary Carter. Now, we enter a tough stretch coming out of the All Star Break and into the 2nd half of the season. We have to work hard to keep a wildcard spot and keep our hopes of promotion alive. That means our pitching in general has to pick it up, otherwise I may have to resort to desperate measures and sign an ace out of Japan by the name of Maki Nishikino. (See avatar, or google "Maki Nishikino baseball")

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 46

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 5 - AFTERNOON REPORT

Record: 6-8
Overall Record: 58-52
Position: 2nd in AC East, 1st wildcard

HAPPY TRAILS
SP - Ken Hill (5-5, 6.05, 1 sv) Quicksold for 100 points
CF - Lance Johnson (.247, 7 HR, 53 RBI) Suspended for remainder of season for performance detrimental to a baseball career
RP - John Franco (2-6, 4.35, 23 sv) Suspended for remainder of season for failing to perform like a competent relief pitcher

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.247, 13 HR, 35 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.250, 2 HR, 27 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.322, 6 HR, 28 RBI)
1B - Gregg Jefferies (.167, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.400, 0 HR, 6 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.250, 11 HR, 36 RBI)
3B - Bobby Bonilla (.241, 8 HR, 28 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.277, 6 HR, 28 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.273, 10 HR, 36 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.271, 5 HR, 29 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.279, 16 HR, 60 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.260, 5 HR, 25 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.275, 13 HR, 41 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.237, 4 HR, 21 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Tom Seaver (11-5, 3.90)
SP - Rick Reed (8-8, 3.62)
SP - John Maine (5-6, 3.57)
SP - Burt Hooton (4-4, 3.30)
SP - Jerry Koosman (4-4, 6.83)

RP - Steve Bedrosian (0-0, 16.20)
RP - Anthony Young (0-0, 6.23)
RP - Terry Leach (3-2, 1.59, 2 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (5-3, 6.11)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-0, 2.65)
CL - Kent Tekulve (2-1, 4.05, 4 sv)

Notes: I give up on this season. I'm at the end of my rope trying to stop this rot and it's clear to me that the players do not want to win. I have no points to upgrade with, so I'm stuck with these losers. We are going to lose our wildcard place, and inevitably miss the playoffs. We have nothing but another season of abject misery in Iron to look forward to, and I needed to be talked down from rage-selling the worst of our loser players. Do not expect to see Franco or Johnson back on this team. Those two have disgusted me endlessly with their underachievement. How do you blow so many saves? How do you hit .247 when you're rated as one of the better lead-off type hitters? Questions I'm never going to get answered, and at this point, questions I don't want to bother answering. I deserve better than to be stuck with a group of players who have zero desire to win.

Also, if anyone reads this, save your holier than thou comments. Most of the stuff said in the "Notes" section is done IN CHARACTER, and as such aren't meant to be taken too seriously. Failure to understand this will result in me blocking you instantly. Had to block someone for that in discord, and I don't want to do that on the forums. Fair warning.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 566

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 5 - NIGHT REPORT

Record: 12-5
Overall Record: 70-57
Position: 1st AC Wildcard, 4.5 ahead of Hudson Valley Nighthawks & 5 ahead of Wellington Stars

TRANSACTIONS
2,000 points in packs (more of the usual eternal baseball disappointment because remember, I'm not allowed to have nice things)

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.243, 13 HR, 36 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.268, 4 HR, 34 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.324, 7 HR, 32 RBI)
1B - Gregg Jefferies (.194, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.348, 0 HR, 17 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.248, 12 HR, 45 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.262, 7 HR, 33 RBI)
3B - Aramis Ramirez (.273, 1 HR, 8 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.271, 11 HR, 38 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.280, 5 HR, 36 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.286, 21 HR, 78 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.264, 5 HR, 28 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.267, 16 HR, 48 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.275, 5 HR, 26 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Tom Seaver (12-6, 3.70)
SP - Rick Reed (10-9, 3.82)
SP - John Maine (7-7, 3.66)
SP - Burt Hooton (6-5, 3.33)
SP - Jerry Koosman (6-4, 6.19)

RP - Steve Bedrosian (1-0, 3.45)
RP - Anthony Young (1-0, 4.15, 1 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (3-2, 1.86, 2 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (6-3, 5.80)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-1, 3.99)
CL - Kent Tekulve (2-1, 5.11, 8 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Jeff Conine: .393 (11 for 28), 5 HR, 15 RBI in last 8 games
Tom Seaver: 2-1, 1.91 in last 5 starts (33 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Jeff Reardon: 0-1, 9.00 in last 19 games (15 IP)

Notes: These guys are really gonna serve me up some eternal baseball disappointment in the wildcard, aren't they? I stuck a fork in you guys hours ago, only for you to do this? The only thing that will placate me now is more alcohol!

Also, screw the OOTP gods for continuing to fill my packs with eternal disappointment. FOR ONCE, SMILE UPON ME AND GIVE ME SOMETHING BIG TO BUILD A SHRINE TO YOUR BRILLIANCE (and my incompetence) WITH!!!

The manager's descent into madness continues...

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 801

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 6 - AFTERNOON PLAYOFF PUSH REPORT

Record: 8-4
Overall Record: 78-61
Position: 1st wildcard, 5.5 clear of Camelot Knights (2nd wildcard), 6 clear of Hudson Valley Nighthawks.
Promotion Race: t-5th overall, .001 percentage points ahead of New Orleans Zephyrs for the 6th and final automatic promotion spot. (Promoted if season ended now)

TRANSACTIONS
6,000 points worth of packs (first pack plus five more. After the Bryant pack was nothing but eternal baseball disappointment. I didn't know better.)
3B - Kris Bryant (96) 2019 MLB Live Acquired in pack Sold for 4,950 points
RP - Bruce Sutter (71) 1984 Record Breaker Purchased for 460 points, way below market value

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.254, 15 HR, 38 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.262, 5 HR, 38 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.325, 7 HR, 34 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.252, 11 HR, 32 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.355, 1 HR, 23 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.248, 14 HR, 51 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.268, 8 HR, 37 RBI)
3B - Aramis Ramirez (.217, 1 HR, 9 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.268, 11 HR, 39 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.289, 7 HR, 45 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.286, 25 HR, 86 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.271, 6 HR, 31 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.286, 21 HR, 60 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.269, 7 HR, 34 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Tom Seaver (13-7, 3.78)
SP - Rick Reed (11-9, 3.77)
SP - John Maine (9-7, 3.46)
SP - Burt Hooton (7-6, 3.24)
SP - Livan Hernandez (2-4, 5.67)

RP - Steve Bedrosian (1-0, 3.66)
RP - Anthony Young (2-0, 3.00, 1 sv)
RP - Todd Worrell (0-1, 5.06)
RP - Bruce Sutter (2-0, 3.00)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-1, 3.73)
CL - Terry Leach (3-2, 1.63, 2 sv)

Notes: For being just like John Franco, only with glasses, Kent Tekulve has been exiled to the gulags of the auction house and been told not to come back. Instead, for the rest of the way I will run with Terry Leach as my closer and hope that doesn't backfire on me like everything else I've ever done in my life. Starting pitching's been really good, but the bullpen still continues to let them down. Many gulags are in this group's future if they don't stop the whole letting our starters down thing.

Also, funny thing about Kris Bryant when he walked into the facility...and by mean walking into the facility, I mean he was dragged in, kicking and screaming every step of the way. He took one look at us, said "f*** this", and demanded I auctioned him immediately...so I did. This was not what I had in mind, OOTP gods. I was hoping for the kind of player that would go for 6-figures in auction house so I don't have to worry about points for the rest of my life. Bastards.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 626

[Magus978]

Unrelated...but I think I should mention it.

WHY BRING ME THIS ON MY SECOND TEAM AND NOT THE TEAM THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS IT?!? CURSE THE OOTP GODS!

The manager pulls whatever hair is left on his head out and goes full Daffy Duck. Never go full Daffy Duck.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 6 - THE "WE'RE IN BUT WE SUCK!" UPDATE

Record: 7-9
Overall Record: 85-70
Position: Clinched 1st Wildcard, will have home field for wildcard game

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Ron Darling (74) 1989 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 209 Points
SP - Doug Drabek (76) 1990 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 777 points

Acquired players will not join the roster until the start of next season.

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.260, 16 HR, 41 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.255, 7 HR, 45 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.325, 8 HR, 44 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.252, 11 HR, 40 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.330, 2 HR, 31 RBI)
2B - Ryan Zimmerman (.266, 17 HR, 59 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.269, 11 HR, 43 RBI)
3B - Aramis Ramirez (.235, 3 HR, 13 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.254, 12 HR, 40 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.279, 7 HR, 45 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.280, 26 HR, 93 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.272, 7 HR, 33 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.280, 23 HR, 66 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.263, 10 HR, 43 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Tom Seaver (13-8, 4.10)
SP - Rick Reed (13-9, 3.80)
SP - Burt Hooton (10-6, 3.11)
SP - John Maine (9-9, 4.02)
SP - Livan Hernandez (3-6, 4.53)

RP - Jerry Koosman (6-4, 6.24)
RP - Bruce Sutter (2-1, 4.05)
RP - Todd Worrell (0-1, 5.10)
RP - Anthony Young (3-0, 4.98, 1 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (4-1, 3.52, 2 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (3-4, 2.16, 5 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Ryan Zimmerman: .422 (19/45), 5 HR, 11 RBI in last 13 games
Burt Hooton: 2-0, 1.76 ERA in last 2 starts (15.1 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
John Maine: 0-2, 10.66 ERA in last 3 starts (12.2 IP)

WHO REALLY BLEEPING SUCKS?
New York Patriots Bullpen: 26 blown saves, 4.36 ERA (13th in conference) this season

Notes: I have a rule in the clubhouse that we don't celebrate anything in losses. We clinched our wildcard in a loss, so we didn't celebrate it. Instead, I threatened to get out the whip if we didn't start acting like a competent baseball team. Needless to say, nobody's listening. We're in the playoff crapshoot, maybe we'll get lucky...but for the moment, we're not thinking about potential promotion. We're thinking about what we need to do to make sure the later innings in the wildcard game aren't decided by our bullpen, which is about as useful as a dull razor.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 140

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 7 - PRE-PLAYOFFS REVIEW

Record: 4-3
Overall Record: 89-73

Notes: I'm not expecting much. I hope we get by the 84-78 Wellington Stars in the wildcard game to at the very least give us a chance of promotion, because we will have ZERO hopes against the 120-win Watford Hornets. We have to hope we're one of the two best records among division series losers to get promoted, but those chances are very slim. Chances are, we'll still be in Iron next season.

The bullpen has to be held accountable for how awful they were this season, and we hope to have a better bullpen next season by moving a pair of starters into it.

[stl jason]

know the feeling... my boys had to win a tie-breaker game just to get the 2nd wild card spot... so we're not exactly a juggernaut


good luck in the playoffs

[sethisthegoat]

Tbh, soak up the Iron League for one more year and go for a title there.

[Magus978]

Originally Posted by sethisthegoat

Tbh, soak up the Iron League for one more year and go for a title there.

I've accepted that as a likely outcome. We don't deserve to go up with a bullpen that was in such dire straits all season, and that may be even more overmatched in bronze.

[Magus978]

BREAKING: Patriots lose 5-2 in the Wildcard game, miss out on promotion. Manager vows that nobody makes the team next season.

More info to come soon.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE SEASON 1 - EXIT COMMENTS

Kent Tekulve: The manager's lost his mind. He's chasing Koosman, Reed, and Bonilla with a chainsaw.

Ron Darling: What the hell did I just sign up for? I swear, this may be worse than hearing Dykstra whine about my book.

Doug Drabek: Terry Leach doesn't have the best facial hair in the locker room. That now belongs to me! Read it and weep, boys!

Jeff Conine: My back hurts from carrying you bums. Next season, can you uhh...pull your own weight? My back would appreciate it.

Anthony Young: I WON FOUR GAMES, AND I DIDN'T HAVE A LOSING STREAK HIGHER THAN ONE! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! *Young runs around celebrating his accomplishments like a headless chicken, eventually running into Jeff Reardon's fist*

Jeff Reardon: Sorry Anthony, that was for your own good. Now shut up.

Granny Hamner: Just because I call myself "Granny" doesn't mean that Von (Hayes) has to put a can of prunes in my locker.

Von Hayes: I think it's Granny's nap time.

Ryan Zimmerman: Please, Washington...take me back!

This was just filler until tomorrow, because I wanted to post something that sounded comedic. Don't worry, proper content continues when the new season begins.

[Magus978]

One last piece of content on this season before we wipe the slate clean and look forward to next season. In this post, I'm coming out of character to give a detailed review on each player that may be carrying over from this season, and giving them a report card-style grade for their performance (or lack thereof). New acquisitions will not be listed in this report, but they will be accounted for in the first post of the new season.

Let's get started. Enjoy!

STARTING PITCHING
Tom Seaver
13-8, 4.21 ERA

Seaver came in with high expectations, but despite a strong July and August, he failed to deliver on them, having particularly hard June and September starts. His May starts were deceptive, as he went 4-0, but pitched to a 4.02 ERA. For an ace, his 2022 season will not do.

Grade: C-

Rick Reed
14-9, 3.78 ERA

Reed was the steady hand the Patriots needed in the regular season, and despite falling apart in their wildcard loss to Wellington, he still had a fine season. His best months in particular were in April, June, and August, as he went 9-3 and had a solid ERA in the low-3's for those months combined. However, you cannot overlook his bad postseason start, and that'll be something Reed carries with him into next season.

Grade: B-

Burt Hooton
11-6, 3.17 ERA

Hooton joined the team in May, and while it took him some time to get stuck in, he would go on to pitch fairly well in the later months, including a 4-1 September with a 2.48 ERA. The knuckle-curve specialist gives off hope that he can be a solid piece of an improved Patriots rotation next season.

Grade: B

"BULLPEN"
Livan Hernandez
3-7, 4.39 ERA

Livan only made 11 starts, but he struggled. He did have his moments, but they were few and far between, and that resulted in his demotion to the bullpen for the 2023 season, where he is expected to be used as a workhorse reliever to give innings and take one for the team in blowouts, and if we're honest, that's probably his best role.

Grade: D

Terry Leach
3-4, 2.29 ERA, 5 saves

Leach surprised everyone by being this team's only All-Star representative. While he failed to get into the game itself, it was a huge accomplishment for Leach, who was expected to be nothing more than a seldom-used mopup guy. For most of the season, his ERA was in the low to mid 1's, performing far above his overall rating. He was the only person in the Patriots bullpen who had any trust, and although his brief stint as closer tarnished his season a tiny bit, it was still an excellent season for the hard-working right-hander from Selma, Alabama.

Grade: A+

Jeff Reardon
4-1, 3.50 ERA, 2 saves

"The Terminator" was not called upon to be the team's closer, but he still had a hand in terminating his fair share of opponent hopes as the team's setup man. Pitching to a respectable 3.50 ERA, another one of the few bright spots in the Patriots bullpen, and he is expected to play a big role in their promotion push in 2023.

Grade: B+

Bruce Sutter
3-1, 3.86 ERA

Sutter only made 12 appearances for the Patriots, but he was far better than those who came before him. However, considering those guys had ERA's in the 5's and 6's, that's not saying very much. Sutter will be looking for more work and better results next season, but he is definitely one of the guys who will be under pressure to perform straight out of the gate.

Grade: C+

Todd Worrell
0-1, 4.73 ERA, 1 save

Worrell was a bargain basement buy, and he pretty much performed like a bargain basement buy, struggling to keep up for the majority of his 27 appearances. He, like Sutter, will be under pressure to be a factor immediately with their bullpen spots under the most threat should an upgrade pop up.

Grade: D+

Kent Tekulve
2-2, 4.86 ERA, 13 saves

Tekulve was acquired in one of the better pack openings this team has seen, and despite his solid ratings, managed to underperform significantly. Tekulve enters 2023 as the closer by default, but if he struggles out of the gate, expect GM Magus to quickly seek other options and perhaps continue the "closer by committee" strategy he was trying down the stretch.

Grade: F

HITTERS
Gary Carter
.258, 16 HR, 41 RBI

Carter floundered bad in July and August, which led to him losing his starting catcher job to Mike Lieberthal. "Kid" looked every one of his 32 years down the stretch, and it doesn't look like he'll be getting the starting job back anytime soon.

Grade: D

Mike Lieberthal
.252, 8 HR, 47 RBI

Lieberthal took over starting catching duties in the middle of the season, and while being subpar with the bat, he tended to call a better game for the starters and provided better defense than Carter. Expect "Lieby" to be the incumbent starting catcher until someone with a better bat and close to equal defense/catcher ability comes along.

Grade: C-

Mark Grace
.322, 8 HR, 46 RBI

Grace came along mid-season, and immediately provided a jolt to the lineup. Remaining consistent for the rest of his season, once he got over .300 on July 20th, he stayed there. He'll easily be the starting first baseman for the club in 2023, and he'll have a big say in how the offense goes.

Grade: A+

Von Hayes
.259, 13 HR, 44 RBI

The good thing about Von Hayes is that he can play 1st and 3rd base effectively. The bad thing is that he tends to strike out often (85 K's in 321 at-bats). This caused him to lose his starting spot. However, he remains a key part of the Patriots plans as a platoon player and as a designated hitter.

Grade: C+

Jose Reyes
.335, 3 HR, 33 RBI

Reyes provided the big spark at the top of the lineup that the Patriots have been looking for. With a full season under his belt in 2023, he should be challenging for the batting title. He is also taking to a new position at 2nd base better than expected, and should be counted on to provide league average defense there. However, Reyes isn't in the lineup for defense. He's there to get on base and give the big bats RBI opportunities, and he's done that.

Grade: A

Granny Hamner
.274, 11 HR, 46 RBI

Hamner had a fine start to his Patriots tenure, but tailed off a little bit in the middle of the season before recovering down the stretch to put up respectable numbers. Hamner's transition to 3rd base has not gone as smoothly as he'd like, but he'll continue working while also being a part-time 1st baseman and DH. Hamner performed decently enough, and if expectations are tempered, he should do more of the same next season.

Grade: C

Ryan Zimmerman
.278, 19 HR, 64 RBI

I remember when Zimmerman was hitting .139 and was in real danger of being rage-quicksold. He picked it up near the end of May, getting his average up to .184, then he just kept hitting, coming through September with a .350 average. If this is the Zimmerman we see in 2023, then the heart of the Patriots lineup will be that much stronger for it.

Grade: B+

Luis Castillo
.276, 7 HR, 48 RBI

Castillo isn't really in the lineup for his bat so much as he's there for his now competent defense at shortstop (and improving). However, he proved he was very capable with the stick despite tailing off near the end of the season. Combine a decent bat with his great defensive capabilities, Castillo should be able to continue to positively contribute in this fashion.

Grade: B

Jeff Conine
.274, 27 HR, 95 RBI

Conine was the undisputed leader of the lineup this season. Given a high profile role in the team's offense, Conine delivered in a way nobody else on the team could. While his defense in left field is best left unmentioned, Conine's bat offsets that enough to where it is worth his liabilities with the glove to have a strong bat in the middle of the order.

Grade: A

Aaron Rowand
.273, 24 HR, 69 RBI

Another capable power bat, Rowand backed his power up with a surprising amount of contact. Notching 114 hits and 25 doubles, Rowand showed that he's got enough talent to stay in this lineup. However, Patriots officials have been concerned with his propencity to strike out (105 K's in 417 at-bats). If he can keep the strikeouts down in 2023, Rowand will be another potent threat for a Patriots offense that finished 3rd in conference batting average.

Grade: B+

Jason Heyward
.268, 12 HR, 48 RBI

Heyward was one of those guys brought in to be a backup player, but got thrust into a starting role. To a degree, he delivered. However, he too was a victim of a lot of strikeouts (107 in 351 at-bats). Another case of if Heyward can keep his strikeouts in check, he can be useful.

Grade: B-

Timo Perez
.268, 7 HR, 34 RBI

Timo is on the roster for his corner outfield defense, but at times he showed surprising competence with the bat. While he wasn't someone who would grind out a walk, he also didn't strike out very often either. His best role is as a 4th outfielder, but when used as a bottom of the lineup guy, he's not bad. Look for him to try and build off of this season in that same role in 2023.

Grade: C+

[mrbucket]

Not sure how he'd fit in with the rest of your outfield/DH spots but may I recommend Paul Waner? He was on the Pittsburgh Pirates back when they were in the NL East. I've got the silver card in Diamond where he got a 134 OPS+ (.307/.396/.496)

I had the bronze card in OOTP 19 for ages and that card performed well at Diamond level as well, he was the last bronze card I got rid of and I only did that because I got the silver version.

Bronze can be gotten for barely above quick-sell price.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE - SEASON 2

We have been placed in Iron .151 for our second Iron League campaign. Looking at the rosters of our division-mates, there is no excuse for us not to win our division this season. I'm setting the bar high at 94 wins...so naturally, we should expect to come in way below that.

A proper update will come tonight after the first night of play is complete.

Re: Paul Waner: I've actually gone and picked him up for 40 points. Thanks for the suggestion. If Heyward has a bad start, Waner gets a shot.

EDIT: I'm now trying for his silver version.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE .151 DAY 1 - EVENING REPORT

Record: 9-11
Position: 4th in AC East

TRANSACTIONS
LF - Paul Waner (74) 1934 Historical All Star Purchased for 471 points

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.306, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.146, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.292, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.138, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.354, 0 HR, 6 RBI)
3B - Granny Hamner (.195, 0 HR, 6 RBI
3B - Ryan Zimmerman (.271, 1 HR, 7 RBI)
SS - Luis Castillo (.296, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.327, 2 HR, 8 RBI)
LF - Stan Musial (.231, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.229, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
RF - Timo Perez (.118, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.250, 0 HR, 5 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Tom Seaver (0-1, 6.26)
SP - Doug Drabek (1-2, 3.00)
SP - Rick Reed (2-1, 3.71)
SP - Burt Hooton (1-1, 3.46)
SP - Ron Darling (1-0, 2.42)

RP - Livan Hernandez (2-0, 2.35)
RP - Josh Johnson (0-1, 20.25)
RP - Terry Leach (1-0, 0.00, 1 sv)
RP - Todd Worrell (0-2, 7.88)
RP - Jeff Reardon (1-1, 14.73)
RP - Bruce Sutter (0-0, 0.00)
CL - Kent Tekulve (0-2, 3.86, 4 sv)

Notes: The refrain being chanted in my office is simply "Be patient". Yes, it all looks bad right now, but we're not even one full day into this week's season, so there's really no reason to ring in the changes. We will give it another day or so to figure out what's what, and then we will freak out. For now, it's about getting used to the competition in the league and seeing what we're able to do in the early going. However, early signs show me that our bullpen is still incredibly useless, and unfortunately there isn't any affordable help on the way. I honestly don't know what else to do to fix this bullpen, so the only move right now is to do nothing and watch it burn.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 839

[gemini615]

If ootp19 taught me anything, it's that Paul Waner will produce good numbers at your level. Give him a chance