Worst to First - The Sequel - Page 2

NYY #23 · 05-06-2012, 11:40 PM

After finishing May with a 26-12 record I felt good about the Browns. Since that time we've gone 11-15, 13-14, and 11-16 respectively the past three months. Meanwhile, the Highlanders finished August with an impressive 22-4 record.

I'm hoping for some signs of life from some of my pitchers and that we can finish the year strong.

No Pepper · 05-07-2012, 11:23 AM

Good to see this again NYY#23. I tried this last year (alas, only one season) and was with the Browns and won the WS that first year. Some(most)times I think the game is rigged for that first year success and I am by no means a good OOTPer by any stretch or one to cheat the system. It looks like your fortunes are a bit in the future with this team, though.

NYY #23 · 05-07-2012, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Pepper

Good to see this again NYY#23. I tried this last year (alas, only one season) and was with the Browns and won the WS that first year. Some(most)times I think the game is rigged for that first year success and I am by no means a good OOTPer by any stretch or one to cheat the system. It looks like your fortunes are a bit in the future with this team, though.

Thanks, it is good to be back. It's funny after such a long layoff how quickly you can get addicted once again. I've always wondered that too. We'll rope you in with some early success, then let the real suffering begin!

I wouldn't consider myself a good OOTPer either, but I don't know if it's rust, bad luck, improved AI, or a combination of the three, but it feels more challenging the second time around.

NYY #23 · 05-07-2012, 06:43 PM

There just seems to be something mentally reassuring when you finish with a winning record. Unfortunately we didn't quite get there this year, which I really expected. We finished with the same record as last year, and I need to find someone to make the team better this offseason.

St Louis Browns - 54-86 (.386) 28 GB
1902 - St. Louis Browns 69-71 (.493) 20 GB (Season Score - 35)
1903 - St. Louis Browns 69-71 (.493) 11 GB (Season Score - 36)

NYY #23 · 05-07-2012, 08:46 PM

October was the month where I finally decided to take some action with the Browns. All of our coaches contracts were up, which gave me the opportunity to start fresh with a new coaching staff. A good manager is hard to find, and I didn't really like my choices. I decided to hire former Tiger's hitting coach John Mitchell as my manager as he appeared to be the best choice. A rookie manager can be interesting, so I hedged my bets and brought aboard recently fired Highlander manager John McGraw as my bench coach. As a former Manager of the Year I'm sure Mitchell will always be looking over his shoulder, and probably with good reason as McGraw makes three times as much as Mitchell.

Tomas Castillo was brought aboard as hitting coach, fresh off a three year stint with the Senators, who had the second and fourth best offense in the league during his tenure. Unfortunately there weren't a lot of choices for good pitching coaches, so we went with Carlos Solis on a one year deal since he is a first time pitching coach.

I also made not one, not two, but three trades to shake things up. The first deal was with the Highlanders in an exchange of outfielders as we shipped off 22 year old David Delucci and 26 year old Gene Larkin to the Highlanders and got back 25 year old Rick Peters along with 25 year old third baseman Denny Walling. We gave up a little more offensively, but I think we got back solid defenders.

I really hate trading pitching, but I shipped off 33 year old starter Roger Wolff and 28 year old first baseman David Segui to the New York Giants in exchange for 32 year old third baseman Minnie Minoso and 28 year old shortstop Steve Yerkes. Despite his gold glove Jim Ray Hart isn't cutting it at third base, so we will give Minoso a try and send away one of my best trading chips in Segui.

And finally a minor deal, sending reserve outfielder Mike Aldrete to the Superbas for backup catcher Mike Lieberthal.

Nothing like putting together and executing two thirds of a plan, so we ended up not getting the new starting catcher we wanted leading into the draft. So that ended up changing my draft strategy and we ended up taking a catcher, Joe Mauer in the first round, but the big starting pitchers were already off the draft board.

We selected Carlos Beltran in the second round, just drafting the best available player, then took a flier on starting pitcher Bob Shirley.

The fourth round I couldn't resist selecting palindrome - Mark Salas to add to our catching depth, then shortstop Ben Dyer in the fifth round. Now the tough part comes in making sure we sign Mauer, who I hope doesn't recognize how desperately we want him. Interesting that a team with Yogi Berra behind the plate would be trying to upgrade their weakest position.

NYY #23 · 05-07-2012, 11:09 PM

That is the big question. I'm experiencing mixed emotions now - happy to be in first place, but annoyed by the line-up my manager is using. After executing three trades and a draft strategy my plan was to have an outfield of Jerry Mumphrey in right, Carlos Beltran in center, and Rick Peters in left. My manager is going with Raul Ibanez, Rick Peters and Yogi Berra. Not only much weaker defensively, but offensively as well.

Yet we are in first place so I shouldn't complain too much. I really don't want to interfere too much with the day to day lineups and running of the club, but I'll be keeping a close eye on performance to see if a change is in order.

NYY #23 · 05-08-2012, 06:58 PM

Things are going really well for the Browns, following up a 11-5 month with a 19-8 month. I should be happy, but I'm still annoyed at my line-ups, especially the fact that Yogi Berra is starting in Left Field.

But I really shouldn't complain sitting in first place with a 5 game lead.

NYY #23 · 05-12-2012, 06:16 PM

There is a lot to like right now about how we are playing. We've had a few downs, and a few injuries, but we increased our lead to 8 1/2 games over the White Sox. We are scoring quite a few runs, getting decent pitching, and our defense is playing well right now.

Even Yogi Berra seems to have accumulated enough stats that his ratings can't help him, and he has been moved out of the starting line-up. I do know that it's a long season though, and even making the playoffs is no guarantee at winning. I do like our chances though, and that is all I can ask for at this point.

NYY #23 · 05-12-2012, 08:42 PM

There is nothing like a 9-18 month to bring you crashing down to earth. My overconfidence last month has been replaced with a sense of panic. Do I stand pat and hope that the team that won so many games in May and June returns in August and September? Or do I trade for some help?

As a side note, I really like seeing whether a team is in rebuilding mode to choose a potential trading partner. I don't feel as bad trying to deal with a team that is in rebuilding mode. I don't remember that from the last version I played, but regardless I like seeing that.

So after getting passed out by the Chicago White Sox, noticing that the Chicago Cubs were in rebuilding mode was tempting to get the Cubs on the front page of the Chicago sports pages instead of the White Sox. So I took a look at their roster, saw a name I liked, Jim Clancy, and saw what it would take to get him. Of course it had to be one of my favorite players on my team, Jerry Mumphrey.

So trading Mumphrey was really tough, as he is still very well rated, can play all three outfield positions well, and sentimentally was my first draft pick of the dynasty. Despite his stellar stats this season, Clancy appears to be over-performing, while Mumphrey is underperforming. But I felt like I have the outfield depth to take a chance, and feel like a good starting pitcher would help out. From the Cubs perspective they are strong in pitching and weak on offensive, especially in the outfield.

Hopefully it is one of those trades that works out for both teams.

Orcin · 05-13-2012, 09:30 AM

Great trade in my opinion. You traded a player your manager was not using (yet) to get a #2 starter. It should help.

I like to check the disposition of my trade partners also. If I am dumping a salary, I like to look for "Win Now" teams.

NYY #23 · 05-13-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin

Great trade in my opinion. You traded a player your manager was not using (yet) to get a #2 starter. It should help.

I like to check the disposition of my trade partners also. If I am dumping a salary, I like to look for "Win Now" teams.

The disposition is helpful justify the trade in my mind. It definitely feels better dumping salary on a "Win Now" team, or trying to acquire a veteran to put you over the edge from a Rebuilding team.

I do have to say that the more I've played 13 the more impressed I've been with the trade AI on hard. You really seem to have to work to get the player you want, which I like quite a bit. Without any concrete proof to back it up - those deals where you feel like you really won out don't always pan out either.

NYY #23 · 05-13-2012, 08:37 PM

A 15-12 month put us back into first place with a narrow 2 1/2 game lead. The Browns rank second in the league in runs scored, second in the league in runs allowed, and we are second in defensive efficiency. I guess it all works out in the end to a pretty well rounded team.

Newcomer Jim Clancy has gone 2-4 since he arrived, and has suffered a big performance dip. Jerry Mumphrey has hit .308 since being traded. It's early to evaluate the trade, but the early returns aren't favorable. I guess if we can pull off the division, and somehow win the World Series it would be worth it. With the expanded rosters we'll be taking advantage of that and calling up some reinforcements. September will be a big month for the Browns.

NYY #23 · 05-14-2012, 05:17 PM

As we get closer to wrapping up our first pennant, I can't help but notice what a streaky team we can be. Three separate 3 game losing streaks, and a 7 and 6 winning streak.

Our remaining schedule is 2 games against Boston, 3 against the Highlanders, and 3 against the White Sox.

I am hoping to hold on and head to the World Series, which would equal the Browns real life success from 1902-1953 where they went 3414-4465. Maybe that is the real reason I want to get out of St. Louis.

NYY #23 · 05-15-2012, 07:01 PM

With a 9-5 victory over the New York Highlanders the St. Louis Browns are heading to the World Series for the first time in their history, and my first time in this dynasty. Of course anything can happen once you get to the World Series, but I'm pleased with making it in year number 3. Of course the parody of a new league helps out quite a bit, but I won't talk about that yet since we still have the most important four victories to get.

On the mound for the pennant clincher was none other than Jim Clancy, which makes me feel a little better about the trade. He wasn't sharp, giving up 11 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs in the complete game victory, but it got the job done.

Carlos Beltran led the way with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and scored three runs. Steve Yerkes added 2 hits, while every starter but Deron Johnson collected a hit. Our likely opponent in the World Series will be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who need just one win, or Reds loss to advance. I won't talk too much about the Pirates yet, but I'm hoping I'm hoping their ace Josh Beckett breaks out the fried chicken and beer for the playoffs.

NYY #23 · 05-16-2012, 10:24 PM

Before we get in to the season wrap-up we will square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. While we won 3 more games than the Pirates this year, the Pirates feature a strong rotation led by Josh Beckett and Tom Glavine and it looks to be a tough match-up.

But before we get into the World Series it was time to set the playoff roster, where my intent was to use my regular season roster, but I did notice that Denny Walling was pretty hot after a September call-up, going 11-35 with 4 walks for a .314 average and .385 on-base percentage. Why not take a flyer on the 25th man on the roster.

One thing that I am doing differently this time is actually managing the team once they get to the playoffs. At least that is the plan now, for no other reason than I didn't feel like helplessly watching the World Series games.

With Josh Beckett on the mound for the Pirates we got the scoring started in the bottom of the second when Steve Yerkes hit a sacrifice fly, and our pitcher, The Only Nolan, singled home the second run of the game. On the mound Nolan was rolling right along, until the fifth inning.

One of my main priorities when building the Browns was to build a strong defensive team, so it was only fitting that Rick Peters would make an error that would lead to the Pirates first run. Miscues by Steve Yerkes and Joe Mauer led to another unearned run in the seventh that tied up the game at 2 apiece.

It remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when Rick Peters led off the inning with a walk, and Minnie Minoso was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Steve Yerkes failed to move the runners over with a shallow fly ball to center, which brought to the plate none other than our pitcher, The Only Nolan.

I didn't care how many more innings Nolan could have thrown, but there was no way I was going to potentially lose a World Series game because the pitcher grounded into a double play to end the inning in the bottom of the ninth. I'd rather have Joe Mauer pitch the 10th than pass up a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth.

There were better options to pinch hit, but something was telling me to use Denny Walling as the pinch hitter. Of course I have the added benefit of writing the narrative, so I could have left the bad decision out if it didn't work. But Walling singled to right field, and with the not too speedy Rick Peters on third base I was given the choice of sending him home on a shallow ball with an average arm. Immediately I thought why tempt fate, but then I thought Walling wasn't even going to be on the roster so it must be destiny, right?

The jury is still out on destiny vs. luck, but Peters scored on a walk off Denny Walling single to give the Browns a 3-2 victory and 1-0 series lead.

NYY #23 · 05-17-2012, 06:13 PM

Game 2 we would be facing off against Tom Glavine, who went 20-15 for the season with a 1.85 ERA. On the mound for the Browns would be Jim Clancy, who went 7-7 with a 2.10 ERA since being acquired.

The Pirates got the scoring started in the third when Steve Yerkes committed yet another error that led to a run.

In the bottom of the fourth Deron Johnson collected a one out single, followed by a Jack Dittmer to put runners on second and third. A Minnie Minoso single tied up the game, and a sacrifice fly by Rick Peters gave us our first lead of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run to put us up 3-1, although the Pirates came right back to narrow the gap to 1 run in the next half inning.

I can't say anything other than Jim Clancy was good enough the whole game to limit the Pirates to 2 runs to put us up 2 games to none in the World Series.

It was a nerve racking game to watch, and Clancy was in trouble more than he wasn't it seemed. In fact, there was just one inning where Clancy didn't put the leadoff runner on, a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The game ended when he struck out Tom Glavine with the winning run 90 feet away.

Jim Clancy was named Player of the Game, but I don't see how we didn't win this game without Joe Mauer, who threw out 6 of 6 base runners. A key double play to end a one out rally in the top of the 6th was also a crucial point in the game.

We will take advantage of an off day travelling to Pittsburgh for game 3.

NYY #23 · 05-17-2012, 07:26 PM

I was planning on pitching Nolan for game 3, but noticed that Ferrell finished strong winning his final seven starts to finish the year with a 23-15 record and 2.17 ERA. He will be facing off against Woodie Fryman, who was 21-15 with a 2.55 ERA.

The Pirates struck first in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, but a Nate Colbert single knocked in a run in the top of the second to tie the game up.

Things really went downhill from that point on. We committed 5 errors on the field, while Ferrell gave up 13 hits and 5 walks and outside of a 2 run rally in the fifth we went down in order every inning. It was a disappointing game that cut our series lead to 2-1, so hopefully The Only Nolan brings his A game tomorrow.

NYY #23 · 05-17-2012, 09:37 PM

Round two of the Nolan-Beckett match-up, this time from Pittsburgh. I made a couple of changes to my line-up before the game, putting George Stickland in the line-up at short, and Denny Walling in the line-up at third base. After a disappointing loss let's see if there is anything behind my man of destiny theory.

With two runners on in the top of the second who should stroll up to the plate but none other than Denny Walling. A base hit should give us the lead, or at least keep the rally going. A soft liner to first base to double off the base runner would end the inning, and after an 0-4 night it appears Walling's magic has run out.

The Pirates scraped out a pair of runs on 5 hits, one in the second and one in the sixth. The Browns scored to narrow the gap to 1 heading into the top of the ninth. I really didn't want the series to even up at 2 apiece, and wanted to get within one win of winning the World Series. First batter up - Denny Walling. I debated between a pinch hitter and leaving him in, and decided on leaving him in, only to watch him hit a weak grounder to first. Max West pinch hit and drew a walk. With Beckett on the mound and Nolan due up it was time for a pinch hitter. The only lefty on the bench was Yogi Berra, who grounded into a fielder's choice.

Down to our final out scorched a double that put runners on second and third. Note to self - I should have pinch run with a faster runner and the game would have been tied up. Up steps Joe Mauer with a chance to be the hero, or the goat.

He drove it high, Thomas goes back, and it looks like we will score a pair of runs, but no, Thomas makes an outstanding catch to end the game, tie the series, and make me mad.

NYY #23 · 05-18-2012, 07:43 PM

A tie series with the second Glavine-Clancy match-up of the series. We fell behind quickly 1-0, and then the Pirates scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 4-0 lead.

A two out rally in the seventh started by Jim Clancy narrowed the deficit to 1 run, but it would stay at 1 run the rest of the game. We had our chances in both the 8th and 9th with runners in scoring position with less than one out, but we couldn't convert those chances. We couldn't take advantage of 6 Pirate's errors and left 10 on base and fell behind in the series 3 games to 2.

A disappointing loss as we head home needing to win both games.

NYY #23 · 05-19-2012, 09:57 AM

Game 6 trailing, and we lose and our season is over. Wes Ferrell took the mound for us with a very short leash and I came within an inch of pulling him in the third after giving up one run before he worked out of a jam. That would be the only jam he got in though, and the only run he allowed in a brilliant effort.

Joe Mauer tripled and scored on a Carlos Beltran single in the bottom of the third to tie the game back up, and Joe Dittmer drove in the winning run in the bottom of the fourth. The rest of the game was uneventful, which I was pleased with.

With the series tied at 3 we head into a winner take all game 7….

05-06-2012, 11:40 PM	#21
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	9/1/1903 - The Highlanders come on strong After finishing May with a 26-12 record I felt good about the Browns. Since that time we've gone 11-15, 13-14, and 11-16 respectively the past three months. Meanwhile, the Highlanders finished August with an impressive 22-4 record. I'm hoping for some signs of life from some of my pitchers and that we can finish the year strong. Attached Images

05-07-2012, 11:23 AM	#22
No Pepper All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,553	Good to see this again NYY#23. I tried this last year (alas, only one season) and was with the Browns and won the WS that first year. Some(most)times I think the game is rigged for that first year success and I am by no means a good OOTPer by any stretch or one to cheat the system. It looks like your fortunes are a bit in the future with this team, though. __________________ Uniforms compatible with OOTP23/24 Historical Major League Baseball 1901-current Historical Major League Baseball 1871-1900 Historical Federal League Historical Negro Leagues

05-07-2012, 06:43 PM	#24
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/1/1903 - Another losing season There just seems to be something mentally reassuring when you finish with a winning record. Unfortunately we didn't quite get there this year, which I really expected. We finished with the same record as last year, and I need to find someone to make the team better this offseason. St Louis Browns - 54-86 (.386) 28 GB 1902 - St. Louis Browns 69-71 (.493) 20 GB (Season Score - 35) 1903 - St. Louis Browns 69-71 (.493) 11 GB (Season Score - 36) Attached Images

05-07-2012, 08:46 PM	#25
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	11/1/1903 - Draft Results and other activities October was the month where I finally decided to take some action with the Browns. All of our coaches contracts were up, which gave me the opportunity to start fresh with a new coaching staff. A good manager is hard to find, and I didn't really like my choices. I decided to hire former Tiger's hitting coach John Mitchell as my manager as he appeared to be the best choice. A rookie manager can be interesting, so I hedged my bets and brought aboard recently fired Highlander manager John McGraw as my bench coach. As a former Manager of the Year I'm sure Mitchell will always be looking over his shoulder, and probably with good reason as McGraw makes three times as much as Mitchell. Tomas Castillo was brought aboard as hitting coach, fresh off a three year stint with the Senators, who had the second and fourth best offense in the league during his tenure. Unfortunately there weren't a lot of choices for good pitching coaches, so we went with Carlos Solis on a one year deal since he is a first time pitching coach. I also made not one, not two, but three trades to shake things up. The first deal was with the Highlanders in an exchange of outfielders as we shipped off 22 year old David Delucci and 26 year old Gene Larkin to the Highlanders and got back 25 year old Rick Peters along with 25 year old third baseman Denny Walling. We gave up a little more offensively, but I think we got back solid defenders. I really hate trading pitching, but I shipped off 33 year old starter Roger Wolff and 28 year old first baseman David Segui to the New York Giants in exchange for 32 year old third baseman Minnie Minoso and 28 year old shortstop Steve Yerkes. Despite his gold glove Jim Ray Hart isn't cutting it at third base, so we will give Minoso a try and send away one of my best trading chips in Segui. And finally a minor deal, sending reserve outfielder Mike Aldrete to the Superbas for backup catcher Mike Lieberthal. Nothing like putting together and executing two thirds of a plan, so we ended up not getting the new starting catcher we wanted leading into the draft. So that ended up changing my draft strategy and we ended up taking a catcher, Joe Mauer in the first round, but the big starting pitchers were already off the draft board. We selected Carlos Beltran in the second round, just drafting the best available player, then took a flier on starting pitcher Bob Shirley. The fourth round I couldn't resist selecting palindrome - Mark Salas to add to our catching depth, then shortstop Ben Dyer in the fifth round. Now the tough part comes in making sure we sign Mauer, who I hope doesn't recognize how desperately we want him. Interesting that a team with Yogi Berra behind the plate would be trying to upgrade their weakest position.

05-07-2012, 11:09 PM	#26
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	5/1/1904 - To interfere or not interfere That is the big question. I'm experiencing mixed emotions now - happy to be in first place, but annoyed by the line-up my manager is using. After executing three trades and a draft strategy my plan was to have an outfield of Jerry Mumphrey in right, Carlos Beltran in center, and Rick Peters in left. My manager is going with Raul Ibanez, Rick Peters and Yogi Berra. Not only much weaker defensively, but offensively as well. Yet we are in first place so I shouldn't complain too much. I really don't want to interfere too much with the day to day lineups and running of the club, but I'll be keeping a close eye on performance to see if a change is in order. Attached Images

05-08-2012, 06:58 PM	#27
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	6/1/1904 - Getting out to a comfortable lead Things are going really well for the Browns, following up a 11-5 month with a 19-8 month. I should be happy, but I'm still annoyed at my line-ups, especially the fact that Yogi Berra is starting in Left Field. But I really shouldn't complain sitting in first place with a 5 game lead. Attached Images

05-12-2012, 06:16 PM	#28
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	7/1/1904 - Comfortably in first There is a lot to like right now about how we are playing. We've had a few downs, and a few injuries, but we increased our lead to 8 1/2 games over the White Sox. We are scoring quite a few runs, getting decent pitching, and our defense is playing well right now. Even Yogi Berra seems to have accumulated enough stats that his ratings can't help him, and he has been moved out of the starting line-up. I do know that it's a long season though, and even making the playoffs is no guarantee at winning. I do like our chances though, and that is all I can ask for at this point. Attached Images

05-12-2012, 08:42 PM	#29
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	8/1/1904 - Starting to panic There is nothing like a 9-18 month to bring you crashing down to earth. My overconfidence last month has been replaced with a sense of panic. Do I stand pat and hope that the team that won so many games in May and June returns in August and September? Or do I trade for some help? As a side note, I really like seeing whether a team is in rebuilding mode to choose a potential trading partner. I don't feel as bad trying to deal with a team that is in rebuilding mode. I don't remember that from the last version I played, but regardless I like seeing that. So after getting passed out by the Chicago White Sox, noticing that the Chicago Cubs were in rebuilding mode was tempting to get the Cubs on the front page of the Chicago sports pages instead of the White Sox. So I took a look at their roster, saw a name I liked, Jim Clancy, and saw what it would take to get him. Of course it had to be one of my favorite players on my team, Jerry Mumphrey. So trading Mumphrey was really tough, as he is still very well rated, can play all three outfield positions well, and sentimentally was my first draft pick of the dynasty. Despite his stellar stats this season, Clancy appears to be over-performing, while Mumphrey is underperforming. But I felt like I have the outfield depth to take a chance, and feel like a good starting pitcher would help out. From the Cubs perspective they are strong in pitching and weak on offensive, especially in the outfield. Hopefully it is one of those trades that works out for both teams. Attached Images

05-13-2012, 09:30 AM	#30
Orcin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 9,798	Great trade in my opinion. You traded a player your manager was not using (yet) to get a #2 starter. It should help. I like to check the disposition of my trade partners also. If I am dumping a salary, I like to look for "Win Now" teams.

05-13-2012, 08:37 PM	#32
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	9/1/1904 - Slipping back into first A 15-12 month put us back into first place with a narrow 2 1/2 game lead. The Browns rank second in the league in runs scored, second in the league in runs allowed, and we are second in defensive efficiency. I guess it all works out in the end to a pretty well rounded team. Newcomer Jim Clancy has gone 2-4 since he arrived, and has suffered a big performance dip. Jerry Mumphrey has hit .308 since being traded. It's early to evaluate the trade, but the early returns aren't favorable. I guess if we can pull off the division, and somehow win the World Series it would be worth it. With the expanded rosters we'll be taking advantage of that and calling up some reinforcements. September will be a big month for the Browns. Attached Images

05-14-2012, 05:17 PM	#33
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/1/1904 - 5 is the magic number As we get closer to wrapping up our first pennant, I can't help but notice what a streaky team we can be. Three separate 3 game losing streaks, and a 7 and 6 winning streak. Our remaining schedule is 2 games against Boston, 3 against the Highlanders, and 3 against the White Sox. I am hoping to hold on and head to the World Series, which would equal the Browns real life success from 1902-1953 where they went 3414-4465. Maybe that is the real reason I want to get out of St. Louis. Attached Images

05-15-2012, 07:01 PM	#34
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/5/1904 - Browns clinch the pennant! With a 9-5 victory over the New York Highlanders the St. Louis Browns are heading to the World Series for the first time in their history, and my first time in this dynasty. Of course anything can happen once you get to the World Series, but I'm pleased with making it in year number 3. Of course the parody of a new league helps out quite a bit, but I won't talk about that yet since we still have the most important four victories to get. On the mound for the pennant clincher was none other than Jim Clancy, which makes me feel a little better about the trade. He wasn't sharp, giving up 11 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs in the complete game victory, but it got the job done. Carlos Beltran led the way with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and scored three runs. Steve Yerkes added 2 hits, while every starter but Deron Johnson collected a hit. Our likely opponent in the World Series will be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who need just one win, or Reds loss to advance. I won't talk too much about the Pirates yet, but I'm hoping I'm hoping their ace Josh Beckett breaks out the fried chicken and beer for the playoffs.

05-16-2012, 10:24 PM	#35
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/12/1904 - World Series Game 1 Before we get in to the season wrap-up we will square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. While we won 3 more games than the Pirates this year, the Pirates feature a strong rotation led by Josh Beckett and Tom Glavine and it looks to be a tough match-up. But before we get into the World Series it was time to set the playoff roster, where my intent was to use my regular season roster, but I did notice that Denny Walling was pretty hot after a September call-up, going 11-35 with 4 walks for a .314 average and .385 on-base percentage. Why not take a flyer on the 25th man on the roster. One thing that I am doing differently this time is actually managing the team once they get to the playoffs. At least that is the plan now, for no other reason than I didn't feel like helplessly watching the World Series games. With Josh Beckett on the mound for the Pirates we got the scoring started in the bottom of the second when Steve Yerkes hit a sacrifice fly, and our pitcher, The Only Nolan, singled home the second run of the game. On the mound Nolan was rolling right along, until the fifth inning. One of my main priorities when building the Browns was to build a strong defensive team, so it was only fitting that Rick Peters would make an error that would lead to the Pirates first run. Miscues by Steve Yerkes and Joe Mauer led to another unearned run in the seventh that tied up the game at 2 apiece. It remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when Rick Peters led off the inning with a walk, and Minnie Minoso was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Steve Yerkes failed to move the runners over with a shallow fly ball to center, which brought to the plate none other than our pitcher, The Only Nolan. I didn't care how many more innings Nolan could have thrown, but there was no way I was going to potentially lose a World Series game because the pitcher grounded into a double play to end the inning in the bottom of the ninth. I'd rather have Joe Mauer pitch the 10th than pass up a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. There were better options to pinch hit, but something was telling me to use Denny Walling as the pinch hitter. Of course I have the added benefit of writing the narrative, so I could have left the bad decision out if it didn't work. But Walling singled to right field, and with the not too speedy Rick Peters on third base I was given the choice of sending him home on a shallow ball with an average arm. Immediately I thought why tempt fate, but then I thought Walling wasn't even going to be on the roster so it must be destiny, right? The jury is still out on destiny vs. luck, but Peters scored on a walk off Denny Walling single to give the Browns a 3-2 victory and 1-0 series lead.

05-17-2012, 06:13 PM	#36
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/13/1904 - World Series Game 2 Game 2 we would be facing off against Tom Glavine, who went 20-15 for the season with a 1.85 ERA. On the mound for the Browns would be Jim Clancy, who went 7-7 with a 2.10 ERA since being acquired. The Pirates got the scoring started in the third when Steve Yerkes committed yet another error that led to a run. In the bottom of the fourth Deron Johnson collected a one out single, followed by a Jack Dittmer to put runners on second and third. A Minnie Minoso single tied up the game, and a sacrifice fly by Rick Peters gave us our first lead of the game. In the bottom of the fifth Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run to put us up 3-1, although the Pirates came right back to narrow the gap to 1 run in the next half inning. I can't say anything other than Jim Clancy was good enough the whole game to limit the Pirates to 2 runs to put us up 2 games to none in the World Series. It was a nerve racking game to watch, and Clancy was in trouble more than he wasn't it seemed. In fact, there was just one inning where Clancy didn't put the leadoff runner on, a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The game ended when he struck out Tom Glavine with the winning run 90 feet away. Jim Clancy was named Player of the Game, but I don't see how we didn't win this game without Joe Mauer, who threw out 6 of 6 base runners. A key double play to end a one out rally in the top of the 6th was also a crucial point in the game. We will take advantage of an off day travelling to Pittsburgh for game 3.

05-17-2012, 07:26 PM	#37
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/15/1904 - World Series Game 3 I was planning on pitching Nolan for game 3, but noticed that Ferrell finished strong winning his final seven starts to finish the year with a 23-15 record and 2.17 ERA. He will be facing off against Woodie Fryman, who was 21-15 with a 2.55 ERA. The Pirates struck first in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, but a Nate Colbert single knocked in a run in the top of the second to tie the game up. Things really went downhill from that point on. We committed 5 errors on the field, while Ferrell gave up 13 hits and 5 walks and outside of a 2 run rally in the fifth we went down in order every inning. It was a disappointing game that cut our series lead to 2-1, so hopefully The Only Nolan brings his A game tomorrow.

05-17-2012, 09:37 PM	#38
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/16/1904 - World Series Game 4 Round two of the Nolan-Beckett match-up, this time from Pittsburgh. I made a couple of changes to my line-up before the game, putting George Stickland in the line-up at short, and Denny Walling in the line-up at third base. After a disappointing loss let's see if there is anything behind my man of destiny theory. With two runners on in the top of the second who should stroll up to the plate but none other than Denny Walling. A base hit should give us the lead, or at least keep the rally going. A soft liner to first base to double off the base runner would end the inning, and after an 0-4 night it appears Walling's magic has run out. The Pirates scraped out a pair of runs on 5 hits, one in the second and one in the sixth. The Browns scored to narrow the gap to 1 heading into the top of the ninth. I really didn't want the series to even up at 2 apiece, and wanted to get within one win of winning the World Series. First batter up - Denny Walling. I debated between a pinch hitter and leaving him in, and decided on leaving him in, only to watch him hit a weak grounder to first. Max West pinch hit and drew a walk. With Beckett on the mound and Nolan due up it was time for a pinch hitter. The only lefty on the bench was Yogi Berra, who grounded into a fielder's choice. Down to our final out scorched a double that put runners on second and third. Note to self - I should have pinch run with a faster runner and the game would have been tied up. Up steps Joe Mauer with a chance to be the hero, or the goat. He drove it high, Thomas goes back, and it looks like we will score a pair of runs, but no, Thomas makes an outstanding catch to end the game, tie the series, and make me mad.

05-18-2012, 07:43 PM	#39
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/17/1904 - World Series Game 5 A tie series with the second Glavine-Clancy match-up of the series. We fell behind quickly 1-0, and then the Pirates scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 4-0 lead. A two out rally in the seventh started by Jim Clancy narrowed the deficit to 1 run, but it would stay at 1 run the rest of the game. We had our chances in both the 8th and 9th with runners in scoring position with less than one out, but we couldn't convert those chances. We couldn't take advantage of 6 Pirate's errors and left 10 on base and fell behind in the series 3 games to 2. A disappointing loss as we head home needing to win both games.

05-19-2012, 09:57 AM	#40
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112 Blog Entries: 17	10/19/1904 - World Series Game 6 Game 6 trailing, and we lose and our season is over. Wes Ferrell took the mound for us with a very short leash and I came within an inch of pulling him in the third after giving up one run before he worked out of a jam. That would be the only jam he got in though, and the only run he allowed in a brilliant effort. Joe Mauer tripled and scored on a Carlos Beltran single in the bottom of the third to tie the game back up, and Joe Dittmer drove in the winning run in the bottom of the fourth. The rest of the game was uneventful, which I was pleased with. With the series tied at 3 we head into a winner take all game 7….