Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

[Bub13]

2047-48 Off-season, cont'd.

Free agency opens, and I'm not spending any money! Or wait...maybe I am!

We make a pitch (ha!) to two relievers who just wanted minor league contracts, only to have both come back upping their demands to just below a million per. No thanks. Rumor has it that we've been in talks with several other pitchers, and an infielder or two. No comment.

We do, however, make a trade, sending pitcher Mickey McCarthy to Minnesota for IF Joe Sayers. McCarthy was a 2nd rounder from the 2042 draft, but who never panned out. At least, I don't think he's got it, and he struggled for us in AAA this year. Expendable. In Sayers, we get a slap-hitting, no-strikeout (also no-power) middle infielder who's fielding is at least "good enough." He'll compete for one of the utitily infield spots, and if he doesn't make it, at least he's on a minor league contract and won't count against the 40 man roster. What a stunning testimonial. Welcome aboard, Joe!

......

Back to free agency... Richmond (four players) and Cincinnati (three) make the most early grabs. My former seat of power, Richmond, won 64 games this season and is looking for a shortcut to competitiveness, it seems. They grab a SS, Evan Weiser, at $14M per (overpaid, a .250 hitter with Gold Glove potential); two decent middle relievers (including one newbie from Japan); and also grab our reject Ryuma Sato (at only $5.1M, so no supplemental pick for me). Cincy grabs SS Enrique Antunez away from Seattle (out of the division! yes!), who's a .280-hitting solid defender; they also nab aging stars D.J. Breland (SP, out for five more months) and Lance Powell (C, former MVP winner). Both of these picks would have been brilliant 5 or so years ago. They also lost their ace, Juan Valdez, who went to Oakland (boooo) where he'll torment me for the next two seasons. Or, one and a quarter seasons, as he's on the shelf until August (at least) with a bum shoulder.

...Seattle inks pitcher Edgar Tinajero for $68.5M over 5 years. That's a lot of term for a 32-year-old who has had exactly two seasons pitching more than 100 innings.
...Milwaukee grabbed a guy I've never heard of, 1B Luis Ruiz (from Arizona, that's why), for $56M over 4 seasons. Ruiz is good for 30 HR a season, and should also help boost the Brewers lovely .226 team batting average from this season.
...the Winter Meetings kick off with six trades on day one. None are particularly big, but one did catch my eye. KC got backup OF Cory George and potentially useful prospect pitcher named Henry Galvan, in exchange for 2B Brian Pifer, who's off to Washington. So what, you say. Well, in parts of four seasons with the Royals, Pifer has "earned" -4.5 WAR, and this past season batted a studly .101 before being kidnapped in the middle of the night and dumped in a field somewhere outside Wichita. Somehow he found his way home, and now is off the nation's capital, where with his survival ability, he'll be a Senator or ambassador in no time.
...the White Sox sign the second former Islander, this time getting OF Joseph Hart for $23M over 3 seasons. The fans aren't happy. Boo hoo. Hart is sure to smack a grand slam or two against us next year, but que sera sera.
...the Dodgers stay true to their own selves by signing a...wait for it...closer. This time it's Lorenzo Quinones for three years, at $17M total. The Vegas over/under on the total number of off-season-Dodger-closer-signings is 4.5.
...Hawaii gets in on the act, signing South Korean reliever H.C. Kym to a 2-year, $5.2M total deal. Kym brings a 99 MPH fastball, a sharp curve, and gets a lot of groundball outs. His control is not the greatest, but I can live with it (for now). Plus, he's a lefty, which I wanted.
...six more trades on day two of the Meetings, but nothing worth discussing.
...the Dodgers actually sign a non-closer, getting catcher Juan Luarca. Although they did make a trade for a reliever.
...Milwaukee signed Daniel Becker away from Toronto. Becker, this year's AL Cy Young winner, will get $158M over the next seven seasons. I think this will prove a terrible contract, as Becker is 29 and never had a season worth writing about until this year.
...Boston makes a splash, inking SS Victor Sanchez for $109M over 6 seasons. Sanchez has topped 40 HR in five of his last seven seasons, but I think this contract will also be a mistake. At just 30, Sanchez's ratings have already started dropping, and despite hitting 46 HR last year, his average dropped nearly 20 points, and he has stopped taking walks. He's also lost his speed and has no range for short anymore, and should really move to third. But that would actually make sense...
...Milwaukee decided to add another all-HR batter to the pile, grabbing catcher Antonio Chamorro. He hit 33 HR for the Reds, but batted just .210, and had a smashing K/BB ratio of 186/20.
...Boston signed OF Faustino Whitton away from Richmond, for $32M over 4 years. Whitton has lost a few years due to injury (and more than a few steps in the outfield), but at 32 he still has a chance at reaching 3000 hits over the term of this contract.
...Detroit is all fired up about signing Japanese free agent Hideki Matsuro to a 5-year, $41M deal. But...he's 30, has ratings lower than his ceilings, was signed as a 3B but listed as a SS (even though he's only suited for 2B), and may not hit over .230. He is, however, captain material, and averaged about 120 walks a season in Japan. And he is an improvement over last year's model, Leo Renteria, who hit 18 HR but batted just .231 with a .278 OBP.
...We add one more piece to the team, signing IF Marcus Walker to a one-year, $1.1M deal. Walker, 32, spent five seasons with Baltimore and one with the Yankees, starting at third base all that time. He's got the chops to play anywhere in the infield, and seeing as how his hitting seems to be declining, he'll be a backup at most. He's a lefty who has produced 15-20 home runs a season, will take a walk, and won't strike out much. Useful as a utility guy, but not so great as a 1-to-2 WAR starter.
...Oakland looks like they're trying to load up, signing SS Daniel Hopkins for $102M over 5 years. That's a lot of dough for a lifetime .268 hitter, but one who does average 25 HR a season. He's also got a noodle arm, so how the Mets managed with him at short for five seasons is beyond me.
...Tampa gets the biggest plum so far, signing top free agent Dan Starr for 3 years, and $79M total. Having spent 15 years with the White Sox, Starr is no longer the 40-HR hitting guy he was in his 20s, but he still produces over .900 OPS and is closing in on 500 HR in his career.

...the Rule 5 Draft comes and goes, and once again we make no selections. We do lose one player, catcher Justin Cecil, taken by Texas. Cecil was a 6th round pick in 2043, and played in AAA last season. He wasn't going anywhere in our system, so won't be missed. Overall, 41 players were selected in the draft, with Richmond and St Louis taking four players each.

......

At the close of the calendar year, we're near the bottom in the "offseason summary by team" chart, having lost over 11 WAR to free agency. No worries from me, tho: I think between our new acquisitions and improving youngsters, we'll more than make up for that loss. Anway...we're a month away from preseason, and almost two months until spring training starts. I doubt we'll go after any more MLB-level free agents, but I'll be on the lookout for some minor league (AAA/AA level) help, especially middle infielders and maybe a few pitchers.

[Bub13]

WELCOME TO 2048, or, Off-Season Report Part 3

2048! Amazing! How are we all still alive? Sure, it's hot out all the time now, and high tide is lapping at my front door, but it's almost baseball season again!

...so yes, the Dodgers kick off the new year by signing two relief pitchers to a total of $4M per season. They've added five relievers to the payroll this off-season, three by free agency, one by trade, and one in the Rule 5 draft. This brings their team payroll to $253M, tops in baseball. They have 21 players making over a million per season, and an amazing six over $20M. In addition, their starting infield payroll adds up to nearly $98M. When you're rich you're not poor.
...Hall of Fame votes are in, and we have two new members. As expected, 2B Ty Cobb goes in with 97% of the vote in his first year. He'll be joined by OF Kelvin Robinson, in his second time on the ballot. No one else was that close, with pitcher Orlando Ramos (63%) and catcher Tyler Markey (62%) gaining votes, but clearly not enough. With only one player in 2049 looking close to a sure thing--3-time MVP Preston Sorensen--those two might just get in next time up.
...the Yankees signed longtime Islander RP Pat Stanley, to $5M over 2 years. Stanley was subpar for us the last two seasons, and at 34, I wasn't willing to extend him any longer. Good luck in the Big Apple, big guy.

......

Back to us for a moment. The 2048 season will be our 15th in MLB, so to celebrate we're changing our logo and uniform. Some guy from Texas did the redesign, and I'd like to think we paid him handsomely for it, but I'm not sure... Anyway, take a look:



[honestly: THANKS Txranger for the great work. And see player pics in previous post for new unis.]

Also, we talked OF Cameron Daley into giving up some arbitration years by signing him for five more seasons. He'll make $500k this season, then $3.63M for each of the next two seasons, then two at $4.63M, and then one last year at $5.63M. He wanted just one year, so I'm a little surprised he went for the longer term. Even if he doesn't consistently live up to last year's Rookie of the Year totals, that contract is quite affordable. But I'm convinced he's not a one-year wonder.

......

More free agency and whatnot...
...San Diego just inked 39-year-old pitcher Levi Brady to a three-year (!!!) deal. Brady still has good stuff and control, but his movement is nearly worthless, as witnessed by his league-leading 49 dingers yielded last year. So he'll be an over-slotted #2 guy, or a sometimes-has-it #4 guy, reach 3000 career strikeouts, and ride off into the sunset at 42.
...still some top names available. Mike Wiater has won 78 games over the last six seasons, piling up over 30 WAR, but no one has bitten yet. Maybe it's because he's a clubhouse cancer whom no one likes, despite his 300 K per season. No surprise that Boston is rumored to be interested. Catcher Arturo Sena, who's only 29 and hits over 30 HR every year, is also waiting for the phone to ring. Maybe it's because you throw like a five-year-old and want $22M per season? Just a guess. Then, way down the list, there's 37-year-old SS Pablo Delgado. He's played for 18 seasons, yet has just over 1900 games to his credit. Injuries, man, injuries. With a career average of just .258 he's managed to amass 81 WAR and over 300 HR. He reminds me of guys I used to watch as a kid, like Darrell Evans or Gene Tenace, who didn't hit for average but hit for power and got on base. (Delgado's career OBP is 130 points higher than his BA.) He's one of the crop of stars from the Pirates dynasty of the '30s, that I really need to write more about one day. The amount of hitting power they amassed, all through the draft, was truly astounding. Oh, and then there's our old closer Dan Brown, who wants less than $6M now and has three teams rumored to be sniffing around him. So no compensation pick for me, and some angry fans when he signs. Cool cool cool.
...the Dodgers just inked two more relievers, bringing the total to seven this off-season. Both signed for under a million, so LA must think they're minor leaguers.
...one day later, make it eight relievers for LA now
...another day, another two relief pitchers for the Dodgers. Although one, Chris Wead, is an extremely-low-stamina starting pitcher who's best years have come as a swingman rather than one role or the other. He'll make over $8M for the next three years, and could actually fare well in that park.

......

It's the second week of January, and time to cull some more non-prospects from the ranks. I did a bit of pruning back in November, but my six minor league teams still have 23, 26, 27, 22, 25, and 37 players on their rosters. Add in a number of guys pushing up from the int'l complex, and then the crop of guys coming after the June draft, and you can see that I'll have way more players than I know what to do with. My problem has always been that since I draft for intangibles so often, I get these guys in the mid- to low-minors that I still think can get a boost and become interesting prospects. And cutting a guy at 21 who you think will never have it, only to see him go off to Italy or Korea and bash 500 home runs and come back an all-star at 28 would be no fun. Still, it's gotta be done... Update: I released about 15 or so guys, most of whom it was easy to let go. One 6th round pick, a couple of 8th and 10th round guys, but no one who had ever moved the needle. Switched a few positions, saw a few guys whose ceilings looked higher than I remembered...I must be getting old. Anyway, early prognosis is that my low minors--short A, and two rookie ball--teams are going to be terrible. And I need to sign a AAA level catcher, since I got rid of a few guys at AA and A who were not worth keeping, and moved up my only two not-at-all-terrible-looking catching prospects to A ball. Last, I once had a glut of power-hitting 1B prospects. Eeechh...not any more. The upcoming prospect report is going to look a lot different than last year (when we were 7th).

......

...Boston drops the mike on everyone and signs Mike Wiater, locking him up for $84M over 4 years. He'll fit right in with that always-bitchy clubhouse. (Although last year they seemed pretty content. This year they have no captain and a fresh crop of selfish and unmotivated players. Yippee!)
...as it stands right now, two weeks before pitchers and catchers report, only seven teams are in the "plus" for WAR added/lost this off-season. Boston leads the way at +8.9. The Dodgers, with their octad of relievers, have added just 0.7. Money well spent, there. (We're third from the bottom, btw.)
...Texas signed our former closer Dan Brown to a one-year, $9.8M deal. The fans may boo, but I don't hear them from my beachfront villa. (High tide is especially loud.) The Rangers now have, by my estimate, five or six extremely hard-throwing relievers, most of whom look pretty decent. Add in three actual MLB-quality starters, and they may finally be building a pitching staff down there.
...SF signed former Yankees slugger Tony Flores to a cheap, 2-year $9.2M deal. Flores, 31, has popped 410 home runs over nine seasons, including years of 68 and 65. He's cheap, tho, because he doesn't bring much else to the table besides a sunny disposition and a strong arm in right field. Right now, OOTP has him starting over former Isle prospect Dillon Ritter, who doesn't hit for much power, but in three seasons with the Giants has batted .326, .303, and .322, while leading the NL in doubles twice. Their other OF starters right now look like Greg Tackett (aging but still effective slugger, when healthy), and 20-year-old superstar-to-be Drew Elliott. I think they ought to move Elliott to 2B, where he looks decent, and shore up that glaring hole in their offense. But no, they'll sit a quality OF and roll with half a productive infield, and likely barely improve on their bottom-five NL offense from last year. (I only bring this up because they shockingly won 86 games last year, ending over a decade of horribleness, and have a quality pitching staff again this year. I'm pulling for them over the Dodgers, because it's the Dodgers.)
...speaking of the Dodgers, as we end the month of January, I should note that they have now added 12 pitchers to their roster this off-season, all on major league contracts. Is this unusual? No, of course not. I bring this up with them every year. What is unusual is that they've only added one reliever who'll make over $1M. He's a closer, of course, but that they haven't added three or four more in addition is shocking.

......

Now that it's February, preseason has started. Granted, that doesn't mean anything is happening, but there it is. Spring Training will begin on the 29th, and the regular season on April 6th. Next report, I'll wrap up our off-season signings, Spring Training developments, and preview the 2048 roster. Plus, any final before-the-season league developments.

[Bub13]

Off-Season Report Part 4: The Final Chapter

Around the League:

...those autumnal owner vaccinations must have worn off, as Austin owner Charlie Monfort passed away in early February. To the surprise of no one, his son, Charlie Monfort, Jr, will take the reins. He's generous, hands-off, tolerant, likes babies and sunset walks on the beach, and wants a playoff team. Austin made the post-season in '43, so it's possible, but the last time they went before that was...uh, 2021. Bold approach: The 22-Year Plan.
...another former Isle is off the dole: Aaron Little has signed with his hometown Tigers for two years and $5.0M. He wants to start (like he wanted to here), but is best suited as a backup corner infielder and rah-rah team guy. Ex-Isles still waiting for the call are Kyle "Mr 7 At Bats" Crowl, Ian "The CF of the Future Until He Wasn't" McGowan, and Travis "First Draft Pick Ever" McArthur. All are still decent (although TMac is old now) but shouldn't wait for any "Old Home Week" phone calls from me.
...Richmond 1B Bruce Calhoon broke his foot changing a flat tire. The tire, described as "slumped and defeated," coud not be reached for comment.
...Philly signed pitcher Roberto Maldonado to a 3-year, $25M deal. He's an outspoken potty-mouthed junkballer who doesn't strike anyone out and gives up a ton of hits, but will probably win 20 games a year for the powerhouse Phils.
...the AL West arms race continues, with Seattle signing power-hitting catcher Arturo Sena (7 years, $135M). Not a clubhouse guy, and doesn't hit for average, but somehow has three Gold Gloves and earns about 5 WAR a season. There's a lot of power (most of it old tho) in the M's lineup now, although it doesn't look as though they'll hit for much average.
...one trade has finally garnered some interest: Miami sent 1B/DH Matt Anderson and a prospect to Milwaukee for pitcher Travis Calhoun. Anderson, 39, is still a powerful hitter (.307/36/117), and the prospect is a solid starting prospect. Calhoun, 30, is a #3 or so SP. Getting more pitching is always a good thing, but Anderson was still the best hitter in their lineup and Calhoun doesn't appreciably improve their rotation. I only hope Anderson isn't impeded in his pursuit of 3000 hits; he's just over 200 away.
...Toronto signed former Boston loudmouth Robby Liantonio for two years, $18.4M. RL's a power pitcher, and I briefly entertained signing him (why? see below, sigh) until I noticed that he a) hasn't had an ERA below 4.7 in seven seasons, b) gives up home runs in bushels, and c) is a certified pain in the neck. I'll take my chances elsewhere...

......

Around the Islands:

...we didn't do much with the rest of the off-season. A few new minor league free agents, one waiver claim, and one new contract. The waiver claim was OF Brian Ware from Pittsburgh. Ware looks like a minor league lifer at this point, but he's got huge power potential, and so might have a future on the big league bench one day. But it's an outside shot. We also extended pitcher Shamar Jackson with a 7-year, $39M deal, taking off a couple arbitration years, but at an affordable price. He's 25, so this takes him through age 32 at less than $6M per. Pretty good deal, I think, for a guy who's a middle-rotation guy at worst.
...Spring Training saw us go 20-10. We hit the tar out of the ball, and the pitching was passable, with some really nice springs for some guys, and some disappointments for others. (Namely, all my new relievers stunk.) And despite me saying above that we "didn't do much" with the spring, we did do one thing really well, and often: get hurt. To wit: 1B Adam Groff missed 2+ weeks with two minor injuries, and will miss opening day. Not a good sign for the season, imo. Catcher Rob Rich also missed two weeks, but is healthy again. SS Rich Stoneback, however, is out for the first three weeks of the season. SP Dennis Perry gave up zero runs (and just one hit) in two starts, but went out for nearly the entire season with elbow trouble. He may be back for the post-season, should we get there. And SP hopeful Jonathan Ashton, throwing well enough to earn a spot, blew out his elbow (again) and will miss 12 months. Ashton, a 1st round pick in '45, has pitched 14, 14, 11, and 1 games in his time as our prospect, and now will make exactly 0 appearances this year. He is just 20, and his ratings went up in our latest scouting report, but these injuries problems are likely a sign of a doomed career.
...those last two injuries, to Perry and Ashton, mean I'm looking for help at the bottom of the rotation. Two hopefuls, Ben Germann and Angel Cordova, flat out stunk during their spring starts. A third, Shaun Gates, looked better but didn't wow anybody. I didn't give OF Phil Lasky a start, but I might if no one else steps up in April. I do have an offer on the table to a free agent, but he's kept me on hold for over a week now... Stay tuned here. [EDIT: And Oakland, having just lost #2 SP Jim Schwartz to injury, is now bidding on this dude. STOP.]

......

More League Musings

...It's Opening Day Eve, and the final pre-season predictions, pontifications, and wild-ass guesses (WAGs) are in. MLB says Boston and the Yankees had the best off-seasons, gaining 11.7 and 11.5 WAR, respectively. Boston added two SP, a 2B, 1B, and an OF, while the Yanks snagged six pitchers with positive WAR from '47 and a couple of backup OF. Arizona had by far the worst off-season, losing 15.7 WAR, including last season's C, 1B, 3B, SS, and three RP worth 4.4 WAR. They were in the wildcard hunt until fading late, finishing at 79-83. They've only added a decent 3B, some middling pitchers, and two terrible catchers, both from the Yankees. There are no promising rookies to add to that, so expect another dreary summer in the desert.
...doubling down on the WAR news, MLB then puts NYY and BOS at the top of the AL East in their overall pre-season predictions. They also have us winning 100 games and taking our division. Fingers crossed. KC figures to take the Central, and DET, MIL, and OAK look like the other contenders. In the NL, the pundits have PHI, CIN, and SD winning their divisions, with strong challenges from ATL, PIT, and LA. Arizona figures to come in last in the West, but STL will take the "worst of" title, with 100 losses. Again, fingers crossed.
...probably the most surprising news is that our prospect system comes in 7th overall, right where we were last season. We do have five players in the top 100, but the high ranking is largely due to Jules Medici being named the #1 prospect in baseball. He's not yet 18, but did manage to get through the winter and spring scouting reports without his ceilings dropping a lick, so...maybe he's legit? If so, someone uncovered a real gem for once. The three next top guys are all pitchers, and all in Chicago: Cubs SP Mike Grimshaw (#2) looks like a stud, while White Sox hurlers Ben O'Neal (#3) and Burton Dick (#4) are future stars.

......

Opening Day Roster

The roster could be in flux pretty quickly if some guys don't perform early, and I really don't like the look of the bottom of my rotation right now. (That one free agent is proving a bit more savvy in negotiating than I hoped...) The starting lineup on Opening Day won't include two regulars, as 1B Adam Groff will miss a day, and SS Rich Stoneback three weeks. NO ONE ELSE CAN GET HURT, THAT IS AN ORDER.

As usual, players listed with handedness, salary, last year's stats and WAR, and some fun commentary. Starters are underlined.

BATTERS:

C Rob Rich, 27, LH, $4.5M (thru '51), .260/.300/.344, 3 HR, 44 RBI, 0.7 WAR. My owner has a standing order to improve this position, and if Rich doesn't return to his .300 average (or come close), then I'll definitely be looking for an upgrade come November. He is a superb receiver, however, and strikes out less than 40 times a season, a rarity in this age. He's been a platoon guy for three seasons, but his ratings look better against LHP than I remember, so I'm going to play him more often this season, at least to start with.

C Dave McCollum, 27, RH, $850k (arb), .250/.313/.398, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 0.8 WAR. Team captain, and hits well enough to stay on board. Just average behind the plate, which will cost him some PT this year, unless Rich stinks it up. There's no one in AAA pushing to replace him.

1B Adam Groff, 34, LH, $37.5M (thru '53), .385/.473/.671 (371 AB), 27 HR, 95 RBI, 6.7 WAR. Tremendous year in '47, when healthy. Has always battled injuries, and my fear is this is only getting worse with age. Still the face of the franchise, and is closing in on shoo-in status for the Hall. We'll need him healthy if we're going to have a chance at winning it all, frankly.

DH/1B Jonathan Klump, 27, LH, $5.25M (arb), .282/.350/.473, 16 HR, 68 RBI, 1.8 WAR. His power never developed quite as I hoped, but in a good year he could pop 30, I believe. Strikes out a bit too much, but gets on base and lines a lot of doubles. Fan favorite.

2B Josh Matson, 24, SH, minor league deal, .284, 13 HR, 39 doubles 70 RBI combined AAA/AA. First round pick from '46. Barring other injuries, could be the first sent down once Stoneback returns. Once fully developed, looks like a solid hitter with about average power, but won't take a walk. Good runner, just fair on defence. If he fully develops, he'll take over from Rangel, although the latter's defence is far superior.

2B Manny Rangel, 27, RH, $3M (arb), .262/.343/.382, 12 HR, 67 RBI, 3.5 WAR. Looked solid (but faded down the stretch) in his first full year in MLB. Also won a Gold Glove. Hitting is decent, but not so solid as to not get pushed every spring training. Another guy who needs to cut down on the whiffs.

3B/1B/DH Dante Padilla, 24, RH, $500k (arb), .247/.311/.429, 18 HR, 77 RBI, 0.9 WAR. Will get starts at third, with Stoneback on the DL, to open the season. Still projects to become a home run machine, and one who won't fan much at all. If he can get his average up and keep that SLG pct up, I will overlook his tin glove. Rocket arm at third too. Needs to develop more against RHP, truth be told.

SS/3B J.J. Simmons, 25, RH, $12.5M (thru '56), .303/.407/.397, 0 HR, 36 RBI, 4.3 WAR. Hasn't come close to repeating his .350 average from his rookie year, but he hits over .300, hits doubles, runs well, is a dynamite fielder, and walks 2-3x more than he fans. (Just 19 K last season.) Hasn't homered since '44, tho. Will likely slide back to third when Stoney returns, but frankly is good enough to be a GG candidate anywhere he plays.

IF Marcus Walker, 33, LH, $1.1M (thru '48), .236/.331/.398, 16 HR, 49 RBI, 1.2 WAR (with NYY). Free agent signing, as my two prospect IF (both on the roster to start the season however) don't look quite ready yet. Probably won't hit for average, but gets on base, has some power, and is a solid fielder at the 'skill' positions. Exactly what you want in a utility guy.

IF Bob Goodloe, 24, LH, $500k (arb), .276/.328/.461, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 14 SB (AAA Santa Barbara). Former first round pick, but now projects as a utility guy and captain material. Decent fielder, but best suited for the right side, rather than short (where he's played in the minors). Either he or Matson will go back to AAA with Stoney's return.

LF Cameron Daley, 24, RH, $500k (thru '53, jumps to $3.6M next year), .335/.364/.483, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 17 SB, 3.1 WAR. Played his way into a starting role early on and won Rookie of the Year. Limited to LF due to average range and arm. Power looks to be going up still, so fingers crossed for a possible 20 HR season? Just hit .300 again...

OF Jerry Cappuccilli, 25, LH, $500k (arb), .329/.378/.500, 2 HR, 11 RBI in 76 AB (plus .326 with 18 HR in AAA). Our #4 prospect, who really jumped up in my estimation in the last two seasons. Wants to start, but isn't quite there yet. Still, the scouts rate him nearly on par with Daley, and he can play (but not at a high level) center too. Has leveled out his L/R splits somewhat, no longer looks like a liability against portsiders.

CF Jim Klein, 28, RH, $5.1M (thru '51), .289/.340/.388, 4 HR, 43 RBI, 17 SB, 1.5 WAR. Returns for his 5th season in center, and struggled with injuries last year for the first time. Lost a bit of range, too, from the look of things. Failed to hit .300 for the first time, so I'm looking for a bounceback season. Not a power hitter, but did hit 11 HR a few years ago.

OF/DH Phil Lasky, 26, LH, $500k (arb), .314/.362/.479, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 1.8 WAR (315 AB). Was incredibly productive in his 300+ at bats, and will once again push for more playing time. Doesn't hit LHP as well as Cappuccilli, but is the better fielder. With both due to cash in with 'real' contracts next year, it's possible one could be dealt sooner than later. If both hit over .300 again, it's a problem I'll relish having.

RF Josh Frederick, 25, LH, $500k (arb), .243/.302/.412, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 136 AB (plus .295/15/50 in AAA). Former first round pick (as a pitcher, no less) and future team captain, and looks like the real deal. Didn't hit so well last year, but has developed more and is the best fielder of the Fred/Capp/Lasky triumvirate. Another LH batter who isn't as good against LHP, but he'll get chances to start against them out of the gate. Sink or swim, big guy.

Injured:
SS Rich Stoneback, 30, RH, $22.5M (thru '55), .302/.387/.531, 18 HR, 52 RBI, 4.3 WAR (75 games, 288 AB). Power, average, OBP, defense (3x GG winner), and solid teammate. Has played just 114 and 75 games the last two seasons, which is worrisome. Still, if healthy again could definitely reproduce the 42 HR and 8.7 WAR season from '45. Will miss three weeks.

PITCHERS:

SP Ryan Ratliff, 27, RH, $2.97M (arb), 21-6, 3.76, 203 K, 208 IP, 33 BB, 4.2 WAR. Not really ace material, but will be the Opening Day starter and de facto #1 pitcher on the staff. Superb control, walked just 1.4 per 9 IP. Not a groundballer, so gives up some HR when he's off, but really shines with our solid team defense behind him.

SP Shamar Jackson, 25, RH, $500k (thru '55, jumps to $5.47 next season), 17-12, 3.73, 200 K, 234 IP, 3.4 WAR. Knuckleballer, but adds a solid change and slider in the mix occasionally. Grinder, a real sparkplug guy. Like Ratliff, not ace material, but definitely a solid second-line SP. With us without a true ace, we'll rely on him heavily again.

SP Eric Jones, 31, LH, $11M (thru '48), 14-8, 3.95, 150 K, 214 IP, 3.2 WAR. Every year I pick on him, and nearly every year he delivers 3-4 WAR. His ERA bounces up and down on alternate years, and last year was a high year, so maybe he's got something special in store for us. In the last year of his contract, and his 11th season with the team. Not sure if he'll be back, but if he's solid this year, and willing to work for cheap, then who knows...

SP Ben Germann, 28, RH, $1.4M (arb), 0-0, 4.13, 11 GP, 24 IP, 28 K, 0 WAR (also 9-9 in 19 starts in AAA). This is where things get dicey. On paper Germann looks tremendous: great stuff, elite fastball/curve combo, decent movement, groundball pitcher. Yet he hasn't impressed at all in three seasons in our organization. He'll start off in the rotation, but will have a short leash. If he finally performs well, will become my team MVP automatically. If he doesn't, well...best not to think on bad things.

SP Shaun Gates, 24, RH, $500k (arb), 10-6, 3.55, 155 IP, 156 K, in AAA (one MLB start, 7 IP, 2.57 ERA). Another short-leasher, and one who's ratings have actually declined over the past year. Tough competitor tho, and being a groundballer won't (or shouldn't) hurt. Struggled in the spring, but was better than some (cough*Germann*cough), so is getting the call early on. But really, 3/5 of a starting rotation does not help my reflux.

CL Ramon Sanabria, 32, RH, $5M (thru '49), 26 SV, 1.62, 56 IP, 77 K, 2.2 WAR. Signed as a free agent on New Year's Eve '46, he won his 2nd Hoyt Wilhelm award in his return to the AL. (Had 50 saves as a rookie for Detroit in '40, his first award.) Combines excellent stuff, control, and groundball tendencies to make me very happy we signed him. Will probably want a huge raise after next season, and will be nearing 34, but let's not worry about that for now.

SU Rick Ramirez, 28, RH, $4.75M (thru '48), 7 SV, 2.28, 59 IP, 86 K, 2.1 WAR. Has never become the closer I envisioned when I drafted him in the 1st round in '41, but has turned into a decent-enough setup guy. Still has some of the best stuff in the league, but is too inconsistent to be relied upon every day. Last year looked like a turning point tho, at least that's how I'm going to read it.

SU Bruce Parton, 33, RH, $4.7M (thru '49), 1 SV, 3.03, 39 IP, 41 K, 0.5 WAR, with RIC and HAW. Aging, and struggled after coming over in a deadline deal, but still looks like near-closer material. Sidearmer, extreme groundballer, and fan favorite. Paying real money for relievers has really, ahem, paid off for me of late, and I'm counting on the pen delivering again.

MR Justin Crowley, 29, RH, $1.9M (thru '50), 1 SV, 5.03, 20 IP, 27 K, 0 WAR. Injured for much of the season, he didn't fare well upon his return. Does have five solid seasons as a closer (with OAK) in his past, so I'm confident he'll return to form. Another fan favorite.

MR Mark Money, 27, RH, $810k (arb), 18 SV, 3.44, 71 IP, 85 K, 1.4 WAR (with ARZ). Acquired via trade in November. Power power power: throws the ball over 100 MPH, and keeps it down too. If he can get his control (5.0 BB/9 last year) under wraps, he'll be, uh, money.

MR HC Kym, 28, LH, $2.6M (thru '50), no stats, played in Korea. Bit of an unknown, and doesn't have the greatest control. Still, is another power pitcher in a power league, and yet another groundballer (can't have enough, tbh). My one LH in the bullpen for now. Prankster, should help keep the clubhouse loose.

Injured:

SP Dennis Perry, 26, RH, $500k (arb), 16-6, 3.95, 201 IP, 148 K, 1.8 WAR. Turned in a solid back-of-the-rotation effort last year, getting better as the season wore on. Is out through early September with a torn labrum; he could possibly return (after rehab) for the stretch run, but that looks doubtful right now.

SP Jonathan Ashton, 20, RH, minor league deal, 1 start in A ball last year, and 14 the year before. First rounder from '45, and has already suffered three major arm injuries. Was looking like a solid bet for the #4 or #5 SP role this season, too. If he doesn't lose anything from this injury, I'm hopeful he'll be in the rotation next season. (Although he is out through next April.) It's just as likely, however, that he'll never pan out b/c of injuries, and will live a life of could-have-beens.

SP Joe Koval, 31, RH, $13.8M (thru '49), 8-4, 2.45, 15 GP, 99 IP, 94 K, 3.8 WAR. Was having a career year until tearing his rotator cuff (hoo boy) last year. Has become sort of a forgotten man, since he's still out for 7 more weeks, then will get a rehab stint in AAA. Not the greatest stuff, but excellent movement and control make him near-ace material. Extreme groundballer too. You can see why I traded two solid prospects for him. Now just get healthy again and shore up my frayed nerves, Joe.

MR Ben Willard, 27, RH, $500k (arb), 13 SV, 1.23, 15 IP, 16 K, in AAA, before getting hurt. Will miss 8 more weeks, then go back to AAA. Looks like closer material on paper, but has a 6.04 ERA in 57 IP over two seasons with Hawaii. He's been gold in AAA, however. I'm still bullish on him becoming more than a AAAA pitcher.

......

My prediction: We can definitely win the division again, and also contend for the title. But the key will be staying healthy. Groff, Stoneback, Koval: all are key players who need to be back in the lineup and stay there. If we keep players fit and playing, and our pitching holds up (pen looks much stouter than the rotation, honestly), we'll be fine. Like last year, we'll be closer to the bottom of the pack in home runs, but we should put so many men on base that we'll just overwhelm enemy pitching. That's been our key to winning the last two seasons. I would love to hit 200 HR as a team, but I'd prefer to bat .290 and win 100 games, given the choice.

[Bub13]

New Season! 2048 Opening Day and Beyond

So as Opening Day was April 6, and we didn't have a game, it turns out that Groff won't miss any games at all. At least, not until he gets hurt again... April has us with 22 games, 10 at home, including a six-game set to open the season.

April 7-9 vs BOSTON 2047: 77-85, 6th place // 2048 prediction: 88-74, 2nd place
The Sox look like they had a good off-season: they added ace SP Mike Wiater, slugging SS Victor Sanchez, speedy OF Faustino Whitton, and CL Lance Hansen. They also added former Isles star catcher Austin Collins, who used to bat .300 in his sleep, but at 38 now has trouble getting out of his crouch and is at best a .260 hitter with little power. But he is captain material, which they're going to need as they added a bunch of troublemakers to the squad, and team chemistry is already listed as "unhappy." Manager Sean Ochinko is back for his third go-round, having won 77 and 78 games previously. He also won 81 games in a one-year stint with the DBacks, which means that he can actually coach, given their recent track record. Fun Fact: Whitton, from Brazil, is 149 hits behind countryman Macario "The Brazilian Waxer" Fiel, who went into the HoF in '43. Whitton isn't a Hall consideration right now, but if he can stay healthy for a few more years (narrator: he can't) he might reach 3000 hits. (He has 2236 currently.)

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (21-6, 3.76) / RH Shamar Jackson (17.12, 3.73) / LH Eric Jones (14-8, 3.95)
BOS pitchers: RH Mike Wiater (13-13, 3.74) / LH John Baldwin (10-16, 5.21) / RH Fernando Alameda (6-1, 2.81)

#1: LOSS 5-6 ... 7 strong innings for Ratliff, but first Ramirez and then Crowley blow up and lose it in extras...HR for Groff, Frederick, and Rangel
#2: WIN 2-1 ... pitcher's duel, and we score one run off an error and another after a walk, WP, and a double...eleven hits combined tonight
#3: WIN 6-5 ... Padilla's solo shot ties it in the 7th, and Rangel wins it in the 10th with an RBI double...Groff also homers...4.2 shutout, no hit innings for the pen

Disappointing opening game, but I'll take the two wins. Three one-run games too. Can't read anything into that yet, right?... Nice 5-for-12 start for new RF Josh Frederick, but Padilla and Rich only got one hit in that series.... Where are the fans? We sold out for game one, but had about 10K empty seats for each of the next two games. What else could people have to do in Hawaii in April?... ELSEWHERE: You might remember me making fun of SD when they signed 39-year-old SP Levi Brady to a three-year deal, saying he'd either be an overslotted #2 or a meh #4. Well, he's actually their #1 and he tossed a 5-hit shutout on Opening Day. Sure.... Major news out of Richmond, where 2B Philip Easterday announced his retirement at the end of the season. Previously, he spent nine seasons with Toronto, and when reaced for comment, the Jays PR department could not for the life of them remember a single one of his 400 at bats during those nine years.


April 10-12 vs TORONTO 2047: 81-81, 2nd place // 2048 prediction: 78-84, 3rd place
The Jays didn't add much from what barely worked last year. In Jose Gonzalez and Andy Janski they have a new double play combo that hits about .230 every year, with little power. SP Robby Liantonio might still have something left in the tank, but he looks like their worst SP, in my humble opinion. And new closer Brandon Jarmon was a so-so starter for Miami last year; he looks like he'll be so-so in his new role too. Add to that rookie LF Chris Piper, getting his first crack at a big league job. Manager Jose 'A' Jimenez worked in our system for over a decade, before going off to helm the Yankees for two unimpressive seasons. He did better in his first year in Toronto last season, tho. Fun Fact: Fan Interest dropped and twitter was abuzz when free agent Jordan Cruz signed with Montreal after two years with the Jays. Cruz has one impressive stat: his strikeout totals rival Nolan Ryan. Problem is, he's a shortstop.

HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (0-0, 4.13 in '47) / RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 2.57 in '47) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 2.57)
TOR pitchers: LH Frank Tate (2-2, 4.91 in '47) / RH Matt Sheil (7-6, 4.14 in '47) / RH Luke Weaver (0-1, 1.13)

#4: WIN 8-5 ... Germann isn't great (7.2, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR), but we pound out 13 hits, including six for extras...3 hits for Klein, 3 RBI for Simmons
#5: WIN 6-5 ... down 5-0, we score in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th to pull one out of the fire...4 hits for Simmons, HR for Padilla and Frederick...Gates is no bueno
#6: WIN 5-3 ... Cam Daley Show tonight, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI doubles and a walk...Ratliff is good tonight, but gets a no-decision

Sweep! We've started the season 5-1, tying for first with Texas (!!). LA and OAK are 4-2. Early days, but every one counts, as they say.... That mystery pitcher we've been negotiating with keeps upping his demand. It's still a cheap deal, but I'm getting frustrated and may just give up. We'll see.... Klump has started the season .111/0/1, and may be playing his way to a front-row seat if he doesn't get in the swing quickly. The kids are pushing you, Johnny.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee rookie Johnny Brownlee won't soon forget his MLB debut, a 5-hit shutout of the Astros.... Tampa dropped their fist six games before becoming the final team to register a win this season. Brooklyn, St Louis, and New Orleans also have one win apiece.... Washington OF Kevin Mazurowski was coveted so much coming out of college that the Nats made him the #1 overall pick in '41. Then he didn't sign. So they picked him again in '42, at #2 overall. After a couple of so-so years he finally broke out with 33 HR and a .292 average last season, and has started off this year with 5 HR in 7 games (for a cool 116 HR pace).... Austin's Tom Bruce has saved 5 of their 6 wins.


April 14-16 @ BALTIMORE 2048: 2-4, 4th place // 2047: 78-84, 4th place
First road trip of the season. The O's feature all-everything OF Cesar Alvarenga (.400/2/5 so far), and they've surrounded him with a few power bats, including newbie C Brad Duscher (from Richmond). But there are glaring holes, still, mainly 2/3 of the OF and the left side of the infield are made up of has-beens or no-hopers. The pitching staff is similarly feast-or-famine, with ace Brian Simons, closer Curt Paddock, and a couple other RP looking very sharp. But if the middle of the lineup hits, the pitching stays healthy and a couple guys pitch over their heads, they could surprise. The AL East is wide open, with no one looking dominant in the pre-season predictions or in early season play. Former Isles field boss Pat Wilson is the new guy calling the shots, after 11 great years with us, and three bad, worse, and even worse years in Texas. Fun Fact: Names. I was really hoping pitcher Henry Weareorwear would make the team, but he got hurt in the spring. Now I'm pinning my hopes on top prospects named Blizard, Freerks, and Cassette. (All are Americans, so I'm not picking on anyone else, you scold.)

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 1.13) / LH Eric Jones (0-0, 8.44) / RH Ben Germann (1-0, 4.70)
BAL pitchers: RH Danny McCanless (0-0, 13.50) / LH Jeremy Stines (1-0, 1.80) / LH Jonathan Bell (0-1, 6.23)

#7: LOSS 10-11 ... a 10-4 lead in the 9th inning with the league's "best" closer ought to be safe, huh?
#8: WIN 6-0 ... Jones walks 5 but is otherwise sharp in 8 IP...Padilla with a HR (and 2 last night) and 4 RBI, 4 hits for Klein, 3 each for Groff and Simmons
#9: WIN 5-3 ... Germann plays with fire all night, but scrapes by and is now 2-0...Sanabria recovers from his earlier meltdown for save number 3

That was an epic blowup in that first game, ruining a great night for Padilla, who drove in 5 runs with 2 HR.... Remember the nickname Earl Weaver gave closer Don Stanhouse in the late 70s? Stanhouse was a flaky guy with a big perm, and always seemed to put guys on base late and then get out of jams he had created. So Weaver dubbed him "Fullpack" saying that's how many cigs he'd go through every appearance. I don't smoke, but Germann is already making me thing he's Fullpack 2.0.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego is giving me the finger with their 8-2 start, including two wins and a 1.20 ERA for Levi Brady. Well, just keep it up, smart guys.... St Louis is 1-8, and you can hear the crying clear across the continent. One-time golden boy Steve Rutledge (first overall pick in '38 btw) is now a bench-warmer, and my scouting director says he's shocked at how far the 30-year-old's skills have already plummeted.... SD's Blake Langer won the NL batting crown last year, and is off to a fun 18-for-36 start for the Padres. Screw .400, let's see someone hit .500 for a season.... The body of Pittsburgh owner Robert Nutting was found at the base of a cliff near his seaside home this week. The coroner ruled his death "natural causes." His son....wait for it...Robert Nutting, Jr, will take over running the club and spending all of daddy's cash.


April 17-19 @ HOUSTON 2048: 4-5, 6th place // 2047: 85-77, 3rd place
Can the Astros make the playoffs for the first time since 2018? A lot of the pieces are there. The rotation looks decent, with a sterling 1-2 punch at the top, and the bullpen is a nice mix of flamethrowers and groundball control pitchers. Leadoff batter Dan Phoenix is good for .300 every year, and there's punch in the next five slots behind him. After that, however, there's very little. They added LF Jason Molnar from Boston, but he's 33 and clearly in decline. With Oakland and Seattle loading up, and Texas looking like a real team for once, the road is not a smooth one for these hopefuls. Manager Dylan Barrow, in his fourth year, was the only survivor of a coaching purge that swept away every other guy on the big club. Fun Fact: Yes, it has now been 30 years since their last playoff appearance, and they've finished higher than third only once in that span. That's some high-grade futility right there.

HAW pitchers: RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 7.94) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 3.46) / RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 3.94)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (0-0, 9.64) / LH Chris Harris (0-1, 5.25) / RH Dustin Springer (0-1, 2.87)

#10: LOSS 4-5 ... a triple in the 17th is tonight's difference...three Houston pitchers left the game with injuries...Sanabria blows the save opportunity
#11: LOSS 2-8 ... we give up five HR tonight, and generally look terrible everywhere...we do injure another Astros pitcher, however
#12: LOSS 2-4 ... another flat game, despite outhitting them

Well that's a kick in the teeth after the previous series. We're now 7-5 and I think it's time to reconfigure the lineup a bit. We're getting hits and runners on, but are only 10th in runs. MORE CLUTCH BATTING NEEDED, since that's totally a real thing.... So we went out and signed a guy, who I've been teasing for a couple of weeks now. Lefty Brandon Mercer agreed to a one-year, $3.9M deal and will be slotted in as the #5 starter. (Shaun Gates returns to AAA.) Mercer, 30, pitched six seasons for Richmond, earning 18 WAR and picking up 64 wins (mostly over the last four seasons). He did lose 20 last year, but for a bad Eagles team. He keeps the ball down, and is a gamer, which is good since we do play games.... ELSEWHERE: Injuries are biting hard at AL wannabes. Detroit lost slugger Sean West for three months; Yankees closer Brendan Gallo is done for the year; and Houston suffered eight injuries in their series with Hawaii, three of whom having pending diagnoses.... St Louis is now 1-11, losing 8 straight. And San Fran's promising 2047 has devolved to a 2-10 start. As I predicted, they've benched a career .320 hitter who also hits 50 doubles a season, in place of a free agent slugger who so far has gone ...checks notes... .120 with zero home runs.

......

TL;DR Version: The joys of a sweep are often followed by the uglies of getting swept. (I think Confucius said that.) At least we almost literally killed a bunch of their players tho, right? Yes, if you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up. We're 3rd in AVG, 6th in OBP, but only 10th in runs. That's gotta change. (Smart guy, I am.) Fourth in runs against, so the pitchers are generally on top of things. Our run diff is only +5, so we've got to start producing, and soon. Klump (DH) and Rich (C) are not producing, but most others are, including six regulars batting over .300. And is closer Sanabria doesn't stop stinking things up every other appearance, he'll be swapped out quickly.

[Bub13]

April 20-23 vs TEXAS 2048: 8-5, tied for 2nd place // 2047: 61-101, 6th place
Are you sitting down? Texas Rangers: 1st in runs, AVG, OBP, OPS, and HR. Rookies Omar Gurrola, Luis Venegas, and Juan Espinoza are all producing, which is good since their one free agent acquisition, SS Emilio Tejeda, is out for four months. Pitching hasn't been so good, with new closer Dan Brown currently on the skids. Let's see if we can keep him down and out. New manager TH Nam has pushed all the right buttons so far. Fun Fact: The Rangers were alive for 35 years before making the playoffs. Their current run is now 23. Ten post-season appearances in over 80 years, and no championships. Maybe that's not such a fun fact after all.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (1-0, 3.38) / RH Ben Germann (2-0, 4.30) / LH Brandon Mercer (debut) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-1, 5.19)
TEX pitchers: RH Antonio Amezcua (1-0, 4.97) / LH Bill Butts (0-0, 0.00) / RH Greg Buchanan (2-1, 6.19) / RH Mike Messinger (0-2, 6.53)

#13: WIN 7-5 ... 2 HR for Lasky, and solo shots from Frederick and Groff...Jones with a poor outing, but what ho! A strong bullpen tonight!
#14: WIN 6-1 ... calm night for Germann, 7 IP and just 3 BB...13 hits for the good guys
#15: WIN 7-0 ... nice debut: 7-hit shutout for Mercer...2-run HR for Padilla, and 3 hits each for Simmons and Klump
#16: WIN 10-4 ... we break open a 2-1 deficit with 9 late runs...2 HR and 5 RBI for Daley...Klein and Rich combine for 5 hits and 5 RBI as well

All or nothing for us right now: sweep, swept, sweep. This series vaults us into a first place tie with Seattle, and drops Texas into 5th.... Lasky moves into the lineup for Klump, goes 5-for-12 in three starts with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Klump then has a big game too. Genius!... And nice pickup in Mercer so far! He'll never be able to top that.... Stoneback returns in three days, and will move into the lineup rather than going down for a rehab stint. Simmons will go back to 3B, and Padilla to DH since he's been hot so far.... ELSEWHERE: St Loo won a game, but are still languishing at 2-14 now.... Toronto is 6-10, and Brandon Jarmon has saved all six victories.... SD's Blake Langer is still batting .464. Yes, it's early, but I'm hoping for someone to have a long run at .400 this year, like William Antonio's stab last year. (Antonio is struggling at .213 this year.).... Toronto's Joe Erkel just became the third active pitcher with 3000 K, behind Eddy Llamas and Rafael Maldonado. Erkel currently sits 29th on the career list, just 20 behind Garrett Gooden and Zack Wheeler.


April 24-26 @ TAMPA BAY 2048: 6-9, 4th place // 2047: 80-82, 3rd place
Fifth in runs, and 14th in runs against, for a -2 run differential. After a poor start, the hitting has started to come around, with off-season acquisitions Dan Starr and Brendan Glenn leading the way. But two starting OF are now on the DL, and SP Ross Barnett is out as well. Tony Bajoczky is in his sixth season as manager, and is popular with his players, which is a rare thing. Fun Fact: RF Vance Wise went .304/42/124 last season, and is batting .339 so far this season. He's also listed as the closer, with two appearances and 4 K in 3.2 IP.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (1-1, 4.13) / LH Eric Jones (1-0, 4.74) / RH Ben Germann (3-0, 3.32)
TBR pitchers: LH Jimmy Dalaba (1-2, 4.56) / LH Taylor Barnett (1-0, 11.57) / RH Tony Zuniga (0-1, 13.50)

#17: WIN 2-0 ... two-hitter for Jackson, with the dancing knuckler...nine hits for us, two each for Padilla and Lasky
#18: WIN 8-2 ... 17 hits tonight, at least one for everyone...Rangel gets 4, just misses the cycle...complete game four-hitter for Jones
#19: WIN 5-4 ... Germann walks six, but yields just 5 hits and 2 runs over 8 IP...3 hits for Rich and Simmons, and another HR for Padilla

Another series, another sweep. We're now 3rd in runs and have a +34 differential. What a strange month this has been.... At the risk of upsetting the apple cart, Stoneback is now off the DL, and will probably bat 4th, with Lasky going back to a part-time role. One of Goodloe or Matson (backup IF) will go back to AAA.... Pitcher Joe Koval still has four weeks on the DL, and RP Ben Willard 4-5 weeks.... ELSEWHERE: St Louis won another game! But they're still at 3-16. I'm hoping for a historically bad season, just for fun.... One more STL note: the team batting average is .195. The rotation has a combined record of 0-14. Please please please keep this going.... Washington's Kevin Mazurowski is the first to reach 10 HR, while our own Dante Padilla has 24 RBI. SD's Blake Langer (.435) and CLE's Eddie Hummel (.408) are the only batters chasing that dream.... Hey, remember Mel Carrillo? He was our first truly hopeful Int'l. Free Agent, signed back in '34, our inaugural season. He developed as promised, and batted .301 in '39 after a mid-season call-up. He battled injuries (and fans) over the next three seasons, before finally getting over 400 AB and hitting .358 with 4.5 WAR in '43. Sensing imminent disaster, however, I sent him and a handful of players and picks to Austin for OF John Cannon and a pitcher. Cannon gave us a 43 HR campaign in '44 and a World Series title. (And then a less successful, but at least healthy '45.) Carrillo missed all of '44 with injury, and made just over 800 PA in the next three seasons. And today? He's hurt again, out until the end of June after playing a single game. Oh, and he's making $20M a year for the next five seasons. CRISIS AVERTED.


April 27-29 @ NY YANKEES 2048: 9-8, 2nd place // 2047: 77-85, 5th place
Truly just another team now, with few winning seasons these days and an almost-forgotten playoff appearance way back in '29. But the East looks winnable this year, so maybe they've got a shot. Right now, hitting is 16th in runs, but pitching is 1st, for a +12 differential. It remains to be seen, however, if the pitching can weather injuries to starter Phil Avery and closer Brendan Gallo. (Avery will be back, Gallo won't.) Signee Craig Long has taken over the power-hitting duties from departed Tony Flores, but 3B Jon Diaz (37 HR last year) has had nagging injuries and hasn't hit one out yet. Former #2 overall pick Chris Hinrichs is finally getting his shot in LF, batting .167 with no walks and two XBH. Just do better, Chris. Manager Efrain Nevares is in his third year, and has yet to distinguish himself. Fun Fact: Compare the Yankees budget and salaries ($168M and $120M) to ours ($200M and $148M) to see everything you need to know about the two clubs respective standings of late. They're even getting outspent by the Rays, Marlins, and the Royals. Maybe half of New York is under water by now?

HAW pitchers: LH Brandon Mercer (1-0, 0.00) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-1, 5.01) / RH Shamar Jackson (2-1, 3.00)
NYY pitchers: RH Yo****oki Oh (0-1, 10.32) / RH Travis Heumann (0-1, 7.88) / RH Jim Kieffer (3-1, 2.65)

#20: WIN 4-0 ... two starts, two shutouts for Mercer...solo HR for Daley and two hits including an RBI double for Frederick...we also take 8 walks
#21: WIN 4-3 ... with us down 3-2, Frederick wins the day with a 2-run HR in the 8th...Ratliff went 6, was fine, but gets hurt and is pending
#22: LOSS 2-5 ... Jackson's knuckler was flat today, as he yields FIVE solo HR and walks 6...Groff homers, and Simmons gets two hits, staying hot

After a rainout, we played a double header for those last two games.... Stoneback returns, going 2-for-11. Josh Matson gets sent down, Simmons moves to third, and Padilla to DH.... So, this Brandon Mercer kid looks okay so far, huh. Two starts, two shutouts, 14 K and 4 BB. Not excited to see Ratliff get hurt, however, and we're hoping for just a short injury.... There's a pitcher-killing virus on the loose in my minor league system, with four AA pitchers and three A guys currently out. We've promoted a couple of probably-overmatched guys to cover for them, and also signed a couple of free agents as filler. There are some decent arms on the Short A and rookie ball teams, but they're not ready to move up yet. No sense in infecting them too.... ELSEWHERE: There were three other shutouts on Mercer's latest night, so he doesn't even get a "three stars" billing.... The NL Central looks tough this year: Chicago is 15-7, Pittsburgh 15-8, and Cincy 14-8. Oh, and St Louis has greatly improved, now at 5-17.... Early season stats don't necessarily mean much, but Mets journeyman starter Andrew Martin had himself a month: 3-0, 1.09 ERA, 33 IP, 24 K, 3 BB.

......

TL;DR Version: Outside of that one horrendous series against Texas, this was a successful month. We're 16-6 and 2 games up on Seattle, 4.5 over Houston. We're up to 3rd in runs scord, and 1st in AVG/OBP/OPS. Fifth in HR, which is a surprise. Second in runs against, with some more stable pitching (led by Mercer!) of late. Ratliff's pending injury is concerning, but no other players have been added to the DL, and the offense is now fully healthy with Stoneback's return. And some nice starts to the season hitting-wise, with Simmons batting .385, Klein .360, and Frederick at .300 with 5 HR. Klump has been the only sour note, and he's been relegated to the bench for the most part. If we need to make a trade later this season, he's looking like a prime candidate, especially making over $5M to just watch most games.

[Bub13]

May has us playing 29 games, as well as making our first foray into Interleague Play. Ten games on the road, and nineteen at home. We'll pay for that imbalance down the line. We'll get to see the rest of our divisional foes this month. Also, Ryan Ratliff's diagnosis came back: forearm stiffness, dtd for 3-4 weeks. It's a 'moderate' effect, and that's no good for a pitcher, so on to the DL he goes. Rather than bring Gates back up, this time I send for Seth Howard, a 25-year-old RHP who will make his big league debut this week. Howard was a 5th round pick in the underwhelming '43 draft, and is the first player to make it to Hawaii from that crop.

May 1-3 vs MIAMI 2048: 12-8, 1st place // 2047: 84-78, 1st place
The Marlins are 15th in runs and 5th in runs against, with a sketchy -2 differential. To last year's squad, they added only DH Ricky Chavez (powerful but slow in every way) and SPs Travis Calhoun (good) and Norm Rowsell (meh). They really don't look that threatening to me, but as I've already said, the AL East is wide open, so if their bats get even a little bit warm they could win the division again. Manager Paul Trashini is in his first year with the club after two seasons as Toronto's bench coach, and five seasons in the same role with Austin. And if he sounds familiar, it's because he was our hitting coach for seven seasons as well. Glad to see he's finally getting a head gig. Fun Fact: Since their revival in 2016, there's only been one no-hitter in Marlins history. That was tossed in '42 by Matt Rubin, who is still on the team.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (2-0, 3.86) / RH Ben Germann (4-0, 3.03) / LH Brandon Mercer (2-0, 0.00)
MIA pitchers: LH Jason Mangiaracina (3-1, 3.81) / RH Travis Calhoun (2-1, 3.77) / RH Arturo Verduzco (2-2, 3.56)

#23: WIN 10-3 ... 10 hits + 8 walks = 10 runs...3 H and 4 RBI for Klein, and two RBI doubles for Lasky...Jones goes the distance, allowing 8 hits with zero walks
#24: LOSS 3-7 ... long ball blues tonight, with Germann giving up 3 and Ramirez one more...two hits apiece for Frederick and Rangel
#25: WIN 11-7 ... Stoneback cranks two out, including a GRAND SLAM in the 2nd...Mercer gets roughed up for 12 H and 6 R in 6 IP but the bats save him

Okay. The pitchers got roughed up a bit, but the bats are still hot. We're hitting .301 and have an .847 OPS. Not shabby at all.... Stoneback's return has been slow, at .238, but as this is essentially his rehab period, I'm not concerned at all. I do want to work some reserves into games a bit more frequently this month, to keep the big guys refreshed.... After starting the season a combined 1-7, my AA and A teams have gone 26-11 since. AAA Santa Barbara has started 7-3.... ELSEWHERE: The top of the NL Central is strong, but the bottom is most definitely not. New Orleans has lost 6 straight to drop to 7-17, while St Loo has lost 4 in a row, and are 5-20.... Funny thing about all those relievers the Dodgers signed this fall/winter: they have three converted starters (not new guys) in the pen, so most of those signees are on the farm.... Also from the Dodgers, it looks like injuries have finally caught up to pitcher Gary Florence. He had five fantastic seasons with San Diego, winning two Cy Youngs and earning nearly 40 WAR. Then followed a six-year run of 24, 11, 14, 29, 23, and 8 starts. This year, he sports a 5.55 ERA in 4 starts and is walking nearly three times as many batters per nine as his career average. Shame. Could have been one of the greats.


May 4-6 vs OAKLAND 2048: 13-12, 4th place // 2047: 91-71, 2nd place
They're he-ere! Our Old Enemy. The league's highest-scoring and home-runniest team comes to town. However, combine that with the league's bottom pitching staff, and you get a -3 run differential and a near .500 team. Only 12th in batting average, they still get a lot of guys on base and then bring them home the Earl Weaver way: a lot of 3-run homers. Pitching tho...they lost ace Mike Wiater to free agency, so went out and signed Juan Valdez away from Cincy, only to lose him for six months to injury. Then #2 guy Jim Schwartz went down for five months. Of the current rotation, only Miguel Valencia was here last year. To him add three former relievers and one rookie. The pen has been roughed up a lot too, with closer Bill Brunson and SU George Fraser both with ERA over 6. Manager Robert Woodard is 63 and has been in charge since 2032, so he probably feels too old for this sh*t. He's guided the team to ten playoff appearances but has yet to win a title. No tears from me, tho. Fun Fact: With fourteen playoff appearances in the last 24 years, this is one of the most successful teams in recent MLB history. And yet...only two World Series trips this century, and still looking for their first title since 1989.

HAW pitchers: RH Seth Howard (debut) / RH Shamar Jackson (2-2, 3.60) / LH Eric Jones (3-0, 3.65)
OAK pitchers: RH Ron Pearson (2-0, 6.21) / RH Chris Ronan (0-1, 8.56) / RH Pablo Aguero (2-1, 4.91)

#26: WIN 9-1 ... Howard only fans one over 6.1 IP, but also yields just 6 hits and 1 HR...2-run triple for Simmons, and 2 sac flies for Padilla, leading the AL with 30 RBI
#27: WIN 6-4 ... Jackson gets pushed around a bit, but we put 18 runners on and win with quantity...three hits for Simmons
#28: WIN 5-2 ... Simmons walks and steals a base in the first, but gets hurt, dtd for a week...Jones walks four but fans seven (!), and the pen works it's magic over the final 3

Well, surprise surprise. I guess this could have been expected, with our "sweep or get swept" mantra this season.... Nice start for Seth Howard, and a good series for the bullpen, giving up zero runs in ten innings of work.... Simmons strains a groin, which will effect his running. I'll bench him for the week, so he doesn't full-on snap the damn thing.... Rule 5 loss Justin Cecil had A Night with the Rangers just now: 5-for-6 with a HR and 3 RBI, earning player of the day from MLB. He might just get five hits the rest of the season, tho, tbh.... ELSEWHERE: Another losing streak for STL, this one seven games, and the Cards are now 5-23. Brooklyn (8-19) and Tampa (9-18) are the only other teams with single-digit wins.... Milwaukee's Matt Anderson just passed Vada Pinson for 58th on the all-time hit list. He's now at 2758, just five behind Jake Beckley and Ichiro!.... the 2049 draft pool is out, and it's not a great one. It'll be a good year for relief pitchers, with 22-year-old closer John Rogers getting the nod by my scouts as having the most potential. The most intriguing guy to me is pitcher Ted Miller, a high-intangible guy who rates as the #1 SP in the draft (looks like a mid-rotation guy who could pass his ceilings) but also rates as one of the best hitters--with power to burn--available. He won't fall to us, but one guy who might is 18-year-old Cuban Rodrigo Jimenes, who's only drawback seems to be an unwillingness to take a walk. A future CF with good speed, contact, and power, he'll likely go in the mid-teens, but I'd love to snag him. There's also high school pitcher Jim Plunkett, who's name is giving me flashbacks.


May 7-10 @ SEATTLE 2048: 17-11, 2nd place // 2047: 82-80, 4th place
They've slowed to 3-3 this month after a 14-8 April. Runs are 8th, pitching is 10th. But with only a +1 differential, they must be doing well in one-run games (they are: 7-2). Batting average is only 16th, and is not helped by having four starters (1B, SS, two OF) on the DL. New signee catcher Arturo Sena (.333/7/24) is earning his keep, but 3B Kevin Venable (.165/1/11) is not. The rotation has been barely average, but closer Daryl Kennedy has 9 saves and a 2.12 ERA. Manager Jacob DeGrom is in his second season; he's a firebrand, but has the clubhouse happy (having seven "leaders" on the team helps). Fun Fact: Umm...is there anything "fun" about this franchise? I guess that Mike Wapner (currently on DL) is a solid 4th in most all-time M's batting stats, behind Martinez, Suzuki, and Griffey (although he's 1st in WAR and 2nd in HR). Another few healthy years and he'll move up those lists, as well as giving himself an outside chance at a Hall look. How's that? Kinda boring, right?

HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (4-1, 3.41) / LH Brandon Mercer (3-0, 2.25) / RH Seth Howard (1-0, 1.42) / RH Shamar Jackson (3-2, 3.75)
SEA pitchers: LH Carlos Zenon (3-0, 4.91) / RH Edgar Tinajero (2-3, 5.97) / RH Mark Guest (1-1, 5.65) / LH Ryan Galletto (2-2, 4.11)

#29: LOSS 5-13 ... Germann's body is dumped by the curb in the 2nd, after 8 ER in just 1.0 IP...Groff hit his first HR in a couple weeks, so yay for that
#30: WIN 3-2 ... Mercer tosses a sharp 8 IP, and Daley goes 3-for-5 with a HR...2 hits each for Stoney and Freds...Padilla gets injured by a pitch
#31: WIN 10-3 ... 4 hits and 3 RBI for the on-fire Daley, 3 hits and a HR for Rich, and 2 each for Klein and Stoney...another quietly solid outing for Howard
#32: WIN 7-3 ... 2 hits and a HR for Lasky, making a pitch for playing every day...2-run HR for Klein...complete game for Jackson, with 8 K

other than Germann getting hammered in game one, we looked okay here. Although the pen gave up runs in every game someone appeared, so it's feast or famine for those guys.... Germann started the season 4-0, but has looked as incapable of pitching as you can look in his last two starts. His ERA went up a run-and-a-half in this game.... Daley and Klein have been hot of late, as was Simmons before getting some time off with his injury. He'll be back full time in a couple of days. Padilla has seen his average drop nearly 60 points over the last week, and Klump is still batting sub-Mendoza.... Joe Koval comes off the DL in two weeks and will start his rehab in AAA. Meanwhile, Seth Howard has looked pretty good in his two starts. Only three K in 13.1 IP, but he's never been a big-stuff pitcher.... ELSEWHERE: Oakland rookie starter Oscar Escobedo didn't have a great stat line after his first five MLB starts: 15.2 IP, 7.89 ERA, 20 H, 7 HR. Whatever else happens to the hard-throwing, no-movement-having pitcher this season, he can now at least say he's got a no-hitter to his credit, a 15-K, 2-0 victory effort over Houston.... Eleven straight losses and a 5-27 record now for St Louis. They are the only team in MLB more than 10 games out of first place already.... San Diego (22-10) and LA (20-11) are threatening to run away with the NL West, having opened up a five game spread to the third place DBacks.

May 11-14 vs LA ANGELS 2048: 15-17, t5th place // 2047: 79-83, 5th place
Fifth place has been their home for five of the last six years, so hurrah for consistency I guess. This year, outside of Tony Mendoza (.315/7/25) and Jason Eastep (.260/13/27) no one is hitting. Well, SS Marcus Anderson is batting .301, but with zero pop. Pitching, however, is 3rd in the AL, with the 2nd best rotation ERA. This makes for an odd-looking +12 run differential. Only starter Bob Tranchida and closer Chris Brown (10.97 ERA!) haven't yet gotten in on the act. Manager Brad Davis is in his second season, after four seasons with Arizona (is everyone a former DBacks manager?). Fun Fact: Not exactly fun, but between the years 2017 and 2035 they missed the playoffs just four times. Since then, not a single season with 80 wins. Somebody may need to re-learn the meaning of the word "rebuild."

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (4-0, 3.56) / RH Ben Germann (4-2, 4.97) / LH Brandon Mercer (4-0, 1.97) / RH Seth Howard (2-0, 2.02)
LAA pitchers: RH Justin Allred (2-2, 2.63) / RH Mike Hosey (1-2, 4.00) / RH Jon Carlsen (2-1, 3.19) / RH Bob Tranchida (1-4, 8.44)

#33: WIN 5-0 ... only five hits, but six walks helps some...Jones goes out in the 2nd, but Money, Kym, and Crowley combine for 7.2 IP, 3 H, 10 K
#34: WIN 12-1 ... good Germann (9 IP, 6 H, 7 K) shows up tonight...3 H, 2 RBI for Padilla, 3 H for Groff...we've been hit by 4 pitches this series so far
#35: WIN 3-1 ... we're outhit 8-6 tonight, but 2 HR give us the edge...Mercer solid again, 8 IP, 7 H, but does walk 5
#36: WIN 3-1 ... Howard goes 8 more fab innings tonight...just 7 hits, but 5 are doubles...toss in six more walks and some crazy pitching, and here we are

When things are going well like this, all you can do is shrug and roll with it. I'm sure it'll all turn around at some point, but it's a lot of fun right now.... Late pickup Mercer and why-not callup Howard are pacing the rotation right now, at a combined 8-0 and an ERA around 1.73.... Simmons' dtd injury ended, just when Marcus Walker picked one up, along with RP Justin Crowley. Padilla's ends tomorrow. Eric Jones tweaked his forearm in his start here, and may miss his next turn.... Simmons is 3rd in AL batting at .365, and tied for first with 10 steals.... ELSEWHERE: SD's Blake Langer got hot again, and is back over .400, at .406.... St Louis won a game! But lost three more, and sits at 6-30.... Texas 1B Luis Venegas leads nearly every rookie offensive category going away, at .309/11/28 and 1.8 WAR. Minnesota's Conor MacLeod ("There can be only one!") has been the best rookie pitcher also by far, at 6-1, 2.30 ERA, 54 IP, 52 K, 1.3 WAR. No rookie in the NL is doing much yet.

......

TL;DR Version: A 12-2 stretch is fun fun fun auf der Autobahn. We're 28-8 and 7.5 games up on Houston, 8 over Seattle. Six regulars are batting over .300 right now, and another one is at .294. The offense is first in runs, AVG, OBP, and OPS, and we're also first in runs against. We're not homering as much, and have dropped to 12th in the AL, but a team batting .295 should still score a lot of runs. Next, we're off to some Interleague Play against the NL Central (why not the NL West?). Three guys with dtd injuries should get healthy over the next few days, and Joe Koval will begin his AAA rehab in a week, while Ryan Ratliff will return in about ten days. If our new guys are still pitching well, he might get a rehab stint as well.

[Bub13]

May 15-17 vs PITTSBURGH 2048: 23-14, 2nd place // 2047: 94-68, 1st place
Having drifted along in a haze for much of the decade, it's good to see the Pirates are back. Fourth in runs, ninth in runs against, with a +26 differential. Batting average is only 10th, but OBP is 4th, so they put runners on. Otherwise, their offense doesn't stand out, other than leading the NL in steals. No one's hitting over .300, no one has reached 10 HR or 25 RBI; but no one is really struggling, either. Pitching is led by Chris Liles and David Fults, with ten wins between them and a combined ERA at 2.50. Closer Manny Gomez has saved 14 and given up just one run in 18.2 IP; setup man Wayne Ivey has been almost as good, yielding just one run in 9.2 IP. Manager JY Lee was booted out of Toronto after just one 67-win season, but managed this team to 94 wins a year ago. Fun Fact: With prospects named Twining, Wellington, and Skiffington, you might think a cricket match was about to break out. But let's talk about Josh Hohn, 24, now pitching in AA. So beloved that he was taken #1 overall twice, he's looking like something of a bust to me. He hasn't developed a reputable third pitch yet, and his control is...not good. His walks per nine are down to 2.9 this season, but in a quick September taste of MLB life last year he walked 9 in 5 IP, and his career BB/9 across all levels hovers just below five.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (4-2, 3.63) / LH Eric Jones (4-0, 3.45) / RH Ben Germann (5-2, 4.21)
PIT pitchers: RH Danny Ruiz (1-3, 6.70) / RH Joe Britton (2-2, 4.47) / RH Chris Liles (5-1, 2.31)

#37: LOSS 1-4 ... we're held to just 5 hits, all from the bottom of the lineup...Jackson is wild, walking 5 over 6 IP
#38: WIN 5-4 ... Jones starts anyway, goes 5 decent innings, but Money nearly blows it...Simmons singles home Lasky in the 10th for a comeback win
#39: WIN 2-1 ... Rangel doubles home a run in the 9th, and Daley walks to plate the winner in the 11th...Germann goes 9, earns a hearty handshake

We didn't hit much here, so two wins out of three is better than we probably deserved.... Eric Jones says he's interesting in re-signing for two more years at $13M per. I'll think about it.... Dante Padilla is really struggling right now, batting just .122 this month.... ELSEWHERE: two bench-clearing melees resulted in a handful of suspensions for SEA-MTL and STL-TEX.... Boston is still trying to get any traction in the East, and now they'll do it without two starting pitchers, having just lost Brett McGee and Fernando Alameda for over a year.... 2047 #1 overall draft pick Aaron Vacante is already up with the Giants, and he's just not ready. Too many walks and an ERA over 6. He still looks like a sure-fire ace starter one day, but he's gonna get ruined if this keeps up.


May 19-21 vs CINCINNATI 2048: 25-13, 1st place // 2047: 84-78, 3rd place
Doing a lot of things right: 1st in runs and HR, 1st in runs against and starter's ERA. They have a +80 run differential. Star RF Jose Tavares (.272/16/30) is having his usual strong start; 1B Larry Schnackenberg, at 24, is coming into his own at .333/8/29; and SS Enrique Antunez (.320/9/27) has been a great addition. Pitchers Cris Frias and Jason Bailey have also been excellent, and closer Quinn Driscoll has 11 saves. Manager Ezequiel Sedano is in his first year, after 14 seasons as bench coach with five clubs. Fun Fact: A ball team Dayton Dragons have the best record in baseball right now, at 31-5. In fact, all four active minor league teams have winning records.

HAW pitchers: LH Brandon Mercer (5-0, 1.80) / RH Seth Howard (3-0, 1.69) / RH Shamar Jackson (4-3, 3.71)
CIN pitchers: LH Cris Frias (5-1, 1.85) / LH Corey Nelson (4-1, 3.52) / RH Jason Bailey (4-0, 2.93)

#40: LOSS 6-13 ... Mercer comes back to earth, getting rocked over 5.1 IP...outhit just 14-11, but we allow 8 walks too...3 hits, 3 RBI for Daley
#41: WIN 9-6 ... Howard gets beaten up too, but a 7-run 8th saves the day...3 hits each for Simmons and Daley, and a 2-run HR for Stoney
#42: WIN 10-1 ... Jackson fans 11 in a complete game 7-hitter...we put 22 runners on base, and score 10 with just 2 XBH

The shine comes off the new pitching studs a little here, but we still pull out two wins.... Koval begins his rehab stint. Ratliff is back in four days; not sure what he'll do yet.... RP Rick Ramirez is terribly off, with an ERA over 8, so he's moved out of a setup role; Justin Crowley (1.14 ERA, 38 K in 23.2 IP) takes his place.... ELSEWHERE: At the quarter pole, the AL East is the tightest division going: just 4.5 games separate first from last, with four teams within 1.5 games of first place Miami.... Philly has won ten straight, surging back to the top of the NL East, now 2.5 games up on Richmond and New York.... San Diego's Alfredo Longoria is the only pitcher with an ERA still under two, at 1.95. He's also 6-1, tied for first in wins.


May 22-24 @ ST LOUIS 2048: 8-34, 6th place // 2047: 60-102, 6th place
Hard to believe this team won 97 games as recently as 2044. Pitching hasn't been good--14th in runs against--but it's hitting that has been the real disaster. Dead last in runs, average, OPS, etc etc. The team is batting .195 and has scored just 116 runs. 1B and totally-not-a-Dickensian-villian J.R. Crudge leads with a .261 average; cleanup hitter Alexis Mercedes is batting just .144, but does have 6 HR. The best-looking stats on the team belong to MR Soren van der Hoeven and his 0.73 ERA in 12.1 IP. Manager Ron Miller took over last summer, and got a taste of what was coming this year by finishing 37-68. And remember star-of-the-future Steve Rutledge? A Missouri boy who was taken #1 overall in 2038, he went .276/27/81 and earned 5.6 WAR as a rookie in 2041. He did have subsequent years of 39 and 37 HR, but never did produce at the level of his rookie season. He was a .231 hitter by '46, batted .207 from the bench last year, and is hitting just .111 in 18 AB this year, at the age of 31. Washed up already. Fun Fact: Is there anything fun here? Not really. There's very little talent anywhere close to ready on the farm, but they have a lot of money to spend, so maybe they can shortcut their way back into relevance.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (4-0, 3.47) / RH Ben Germann (5-2, 3.70) / LH Brandon Mercer (5-1, 2.98)
STL pitchers: RH Steve Davenport (0-5, 7.63) / RH Freddy Trujillo (2-2, 6.51) / RH Emanuel Vasquez (2-5, 3.69)

#43: WIN 5-2 ... 3 H, 2 RBI for Rangel, and a HR for Groff...Jones goes a strong 7; Crowley and Sanabria strike out the side in their appearances...we win in 10
#44: LOSS 6-7 ... we get 19 hits and still manage to lose...4 H and 3 RBI for Stoney...Germann puts 9 men on base and lets 7 score...sheesh
#45: WIN 4-0 ... second shutout for Mercer...3 hits each for Simmons and Klein, and 4 RBI somehow for Rich

Thank goodness for Mercer. If we had lost two to the Cards...no thanks.... Simmons went 7-for-13 here and now leads the AL with a .358 average. Still zero home runs, and none since '44.... Six regulars are batting .300. Two who aren't--Padilla and Frederick--have gone ice cold tho.... We're now 16th in home runs, with 45. Oh well, can't lead in everything.... ELSEWHERE: So we're now 34-11, but Philly is the hottest team going, with 13 wins in a row and a 28-14 record.... Richmond's John Cannon hit .301 with us in '44, which was the highest average (by about 30 points) in his 8-year career. This year, tho, he's tearing through the NL early on, with 16 HR and a .392 average.... The AL East is still tight, with top dog Miami now just 21-21 and only 1.5 games separating first from fifth place.


May 25-27 vs MINNESOTA 2048: 17-26, 5th place / 2047: 65-97, 6th place
Not a bad hitting club, 7th in runs and 5th in OBP. Pitching is just 12th, and the bullpen is next-to-last. Closer Dan Wears has an 8.64 ERA and 2.10 WHIP. The odd thing about the Twins is that they go out and sign a few decent free agents every year, but they almost never work out. Second-year RF Josh Jacobson leads the offense at .328/15/32, but last year's star William Antonio is just .220/0/11, after going .361/11/64 last year and flirting with .400 for much of the season. Rookie SP Conor MacLeod has gone from A to MLB overnight and so far is 6-1 with a 2.56 ERA. He's got great stuff, but no movement and middling control. Manager Ruben Vasquez is in his seventh campaign, and that's about all I can think to say about him. Fun Fact: there's very little movement among the pitchers on the staff, and so it's no surprise they're dead last in home runs allowed.

HAW pitchers: RH Seth Howard (3-0, 3.20) / RH Shamar Jackson (5-3, 3.38) / LH Eric Jones (4-0, 3.36)
MIN pitchers: RH Conor MacLeod (6-1, 2.56) / LH Pete Morrow (1-1, 6.19) / LH Francisco Naranjo (0-3, 12.46)

#46: WIN 3-2 ... Groff singles home the winner in the 10th...Howard fans zero in 6.1 IP, and the pen puts just two men on over the final 3.2
#47: WIN 3-2 ... no extra innings tonight...Lasky and Rich single home the tying and winning runs in the 6th...Jackson goes 8, fans 8, walks 4
#48: WIN 8-0 ... five hitter for Jones...we rap 15 hits, 3 each for Klein and Rich...3-run HR for Groff

Sorry, Minny, you just got in the way.... Ryan Ratliff and Ben Willard come off the DL and go to AAA for rehab stints, joining Joe Koval. Ratliff and Koval will be tracked back to the bigs when they're ready, but Willard might not. Barring injury to someone else, I may have to waive or trade him a month from now.... So Ben Germann stays in the rotation for the moment, despite having the only ERA over 4.00. In fact, his 4.45 is more than a run over the next highest number.... ELSEWHERE: Minnesota put catcher William Antonio on the trade block after the Hawaii series.... No one in the AL East is over .500 any more, with Miami topping the charts at 22-23, In the NL West, five teams are over .500, with only 22-25 Austin not joining the party.... Everybody has won at least 20 games except for Tampa (19 wins), Brooklyn (18), and St Louis (10).


May 29-31 @ KANSAS CITY 2048: 20-27, 4th place / 2047: 84-78, 4th place
Despite being 3rd in AVG, they're just 12th in runs scored, and 12th in OBP. They're also 12th in runs against, with a -25 run differential. Currently riding a 7 game losing streak, and have dropped to 5.5 games behind the Brewers. 2B Juan Garcia is 30, in his 10th season as a starter, and has only missed hitting .300 three times. Those seasons he batted .299 each time. He's at .346 this year, looking for his first career batting title. Nobody has reached double figures in HR, or 30 RBI. Manager Andy Raaff is in his fifth season, his 18th overall, and is by far the most successful Dutch-born manager in MLB history. Fun Fact: Former Islander alert! 1B Jeremy Dunklee has made just 14 starts and is batting just .244 with 1 HR. At 38, he's nearing the end. 2B Josh Robertson is batting .248; he's had nothing but injury trouble in the four seasons since leaving the Islands. And RP Jayden Grant has been a solid contributor in his three Royals seasons, this year sitting on a 1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP.

HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (5-3, 4.45) / LH Brandon Mercer (6-1, 2.48) / RH Seth Howard (3-0, 3.13)
KCR pitchers: RH Phil Eckert (2-3, 5.40) / RH Dan Dronet (3-3, 4.65) / RH Jon Errington (1-5, 7.41)

#49: WIN 11-3 ... called after 6 due to rain...3 hits each for Groff and Padilla, HR each for Groff and Rangel...Germann gets the W despite a poor outing (5 IP, 7 H, 6 BB)
#50: WIN 4-2 ... Groff homers again, and Mercer goes 8 IP and yields just 7 hits...8 hits for each team...KC closer Ryan June injured
#51: WIN 17-3 ... 21 hits and 4 HR for us...plus 5 doubles (3 for Groff) and 4 steals

Another sweep, and we give the Royals a now-ten game losing streak.... Team is now batting .301, and we've jumped up to 11th in home runs, for what that's worth.... Rehab notes: Koval and Ratliff have been pushed around in three combined starts, and Ben Willard put four runners on (allowing all to score) without getting any outs in his one appearance so far.... ELSEWHERE: KC traded Dunklee to San Diego after our first game. They got three okay prospects in return. Dunklee went 3-for-4 in his first game for the Padres.... Austin's Phil Imel is the first to reach 20 HR, and also leads the NL with 47 RBI. Imel was NL ROY in '44, and is coming off two seasons of 40+ HR. The 26-year-old is an unknown superstar signed through '52, but with an opt-out after next season. He could cash in big time if he goes to free agency early. I might have to check our bank account in about 18 months.

......

TL;DR Version: 12-3 this stretch, 24-5 this month, and now 40-11 overall. I really did not see this coming, at all. No one else has more than 32 wins. We're 11.5 up on Houston, and lead the AL in runs scored and runs against, with a +150 run differential. And with two of our (on paper) top starting pitchers coming off rehab next month? We can't play better, can we? Last year, however, June was not so good for us. We'll probably regress a bit, so I'm bracing for it. Anyway...Stoneback is also named the AL Player of the Month for May, after going .340/7/23. Seemed much quieter to me at the time. And Sanabria is Pitcher of the Month after 9 saves and 19 K in 13.1 innings.

[DD Martin]

Wow what a tremendous start to the year. You even had key pitchers go down and the young guys have been surprisingly good. Even Germann is doing better than I expected from his previous years. He’s not great but he can be a serviceable #5 starter (not everyone can be an All-Star).

Hopefully the key cogs on offense stay healthy. This could be a serious run at 120 win team but there is a long ways to go.

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by DD Martin

Wow what a tremendous start to the year. You even had key pitchers go down and the young guys have been surprisingly good. Even Germann is doing better than I expected from his previous years. He’s not great but he can be a serviceable #5 starter (not everyone can be an All-Star).

Hopefully the key cogs on offense stay healthy. This could be a serious run at 120 win team but there is a long ways to go.

It has been a crazy start. This team has been trending this way for a few years now, and appears to now be the apotheosis of two things: flooding the bases vs. lots of power, and pay for a bullpen and hope for at least good-enough starting pitching. So far, at least, the TCMs have all gone our way too.

[Bub13]

And now, we bring you a short break from the regular season for...

2048 DRAFT and MID-SEASON SYSTEM REVIEW

Welcome to the 2048 amateur draft! We have two third round picks this year, but no sixth rounder. We also traded away a handful of very low round picks, since I'm usually extremely bored by then and can't be bothered. The top of the draft order in round one will be: POR, STL, TEX, LAA, and TEX (two picks!). Along with the Rangers, the Cards and Angels also have two first round picks. The top of the draft looks pitching heavy, with MLB listing pitchers as 8 of the top 10 prospects.

Portland makes pitcher Justin Weitlauf the number one pick, and I...don't get it. His best rating looks like his '20' stamina. Mediocre movement, just okay stuff, and a third pitch that may never develop. St Louis goes and takes pitcher Travis Nowell, and he looks no better than Weitlauf. Are my scouts deluded? Texas takes OF Ronnie Halverson #3 and pitcher Ted Miller #5. Halvorson should be an okay hitter, who could overdevelop. Safe pick. Miller, frankly, looks way better than the top two picks, and also could become a terrific power hitter. Should have been the #1 guy, really. At #4, LA took pitcher Jeff Corcoran, a low-effort guy with control issues. No thanks. Nobody else in the first round blows me away, but there are a few good picks to mention. There's a trio of outfielders (Nate Forrester, STL #15; Jeremy Hyde, LAA #16; and Rodrigo Jimenes, ATL #27) and two top-notch closers (John Rodgers, WSH #9; and Shane Cameron, PIT #32) who look solid. And Minnesota grabbed pitcher Jerry Caprio at #6, after he went #2 to Texas (them again) and didn't sign. Worst pick? Can't say there look like any outright busts here, but the picks I mentioned at the top of the draft don't look like much to me. If Miller develops as a hitter, he could be the only guy anyone ever remembers from this first round.

......

As usual, here are our top picks, plus a few select others. This was not a very good draft for us, so I'll be surprised if more than, say, two guys make it to the bigs--let alone become starters--out of this class.

Rnd 1, 34th overall: P Josh Egan, 18, high school. A six-pitch repetoire and a groundballer? Sure! Hard worker, smart kid, and young enough to grow beyond his ceilings. Control needs major work, and will be what determines his MLB future.

Rnd 2, 64th overall: P Greg Van Tilburn, 22, Louisiana-Monroe. Risky pick, honestly. Has three good pitches already, and will probably get sent right away to A ball. Ceiling looks low right now, tho, unless his intangibles make up for that.

Rnd 3, 88th overall: OF Caleb Royer, 21, Manhattan. Speedy and defensive outfielder, with average hitting ceilings. Won't walk much but could become a good contact hitter who won't strike out. Supplemental Round pick by STL way back in '45.

Rnd 3, 123rd overall: OF/P Jesse Mills, 18, high school. As a batter, very similar to Royer, but with less power and a better eye. Also rates as a potential SP, so will get a crack at both in the low minors. Another guy who has to rise above his current numbers.

Rnd 4, 159th overall: OF Stephen Eason, 17, high school. Intriguing pick. Has intangibles to burn, can play across the outfield, and ceilings project him as a better hitter than Royer and Mills, above. Very young, however, so he could end up going either way, the way things work out. Probably our #2 prospect out of this draft, really.

Rnd 5, 195th overall: OF Ryan Sligh, 18, high school. Drafted for his defense and work ethic. Average-looking hitter, with no power. Decent speed, adequate runner. Goes into our large OF prospect pool and will get to simmer along for several years before we poke him for doneness.

Rnd 7, 267th overall: P Travis Waite, 21, Long Beach State. Fair relief pitcher, needs control work. Another high INT/WE player who could surprise in a couple of years or fade off into obscurity by age 24.

Best of the rest: Not much at all. IF Ashton Marks (11th) is a fantastic fielder, but has little else; C Ian Guerin (12th) becomes another never-will-be catching prospect for us; and OF David Husnik can run, has a huge arm, but considers hitting optional. We did pass on pitcher Carlos Spalding, however, who just wrapped up his days at the Ohio State School for the Blind.

......

Our system ranks 7th overall, which is surprising, giving how many guys (five) moved on from last year's top six. Only one of the current six is in the bigs (two if you count the DLed Ashton, who's career as a useful player may be over). As usual, pitching looks like a strength, and (non-1b) infielders and catchers a weakness.

#1: 1B Jules Medici, ranked #1 by MLB. International complex. Dare I keep hoping? At this point, yes, I'm all in. Still looks like a future premiere contact/power hitter, cornerstone-type player. No defense, but that's what 1B and DH are for, right? Will turn 18 in a month or so, and I'm already resisting the temptation to move him to rookie ball.

#2: P Braden Mathiesen, #61 by MLB. Eureka (A), 11 GS, 4-3, 4.80 ERA. Acquired in a trade with Richmond in '47. Groundballer, elite change, and ceilings projected as a mid-rotation starter. My hope is his high INT/WE combo will push him higher. Stuff and movement coming along, control lagging behind (4.4 BB/9 for Eureka right now). Would like to see him in AA by the fall, and AAA next year. Only 19, so there's no rush.

#3: 1B Tim Chapman, #76 by MLB. Poughkeepsie (Short A), no stats yet. First rounder from '47. Looks like a high-contact hitter, who could hit 40 doubles and 20 HR with regularity. At worst, he's a platoon player and regular backup. No defense, but a surprisingly fast and dangerous runner.

#4: OF Jerry Cappuccilli, #82 by MLB. Hawaii, .264/.333/.396, 53 AB. Hasn't hit what he did last year (.329), but is becoming a very useful platoon guy across the outfield. Wants to start, and could in a pinch. Still battling with Phil Lasky to become the #1 go-to backup and pinch hitter.

#5: P Chris Carpenter, #87 by MLB. Boone (rookie), no stats yet. A fifth round pick from '47, our scouts have been nudging him up the charts over the last year. Right now he projects as a AAAA-level pitcher, but as he's been rising, who knows how far he'll progress. He struggled last year in Boone, so starts there again this year.

#6: P Jonathan Ashton, #106 by MLB. Hawaii, on the DL, out 9-10 more months. He's just 21 and already has a scary injury history. Pitched 14 games in '46, and just one last year. Won't pitch again until the spring. Still looks decent, however, so I'm hopeful he'll be able to salvage something out of his career. Pitched well this spring until he got hurt, so it's possible he could take a run at the roster again next year.

Others of note...
...2B Josh Matson, 23, AAA (.418/.443/.627). Only 67 AB in AAA this year, but is just killing it. Solid hitter, could probably hit MLB pitching already, but is only a middling fielder. Should push Rangel at second this fall and next spring, and might just outright take his place, if I can live with his (much) lesser defense.
...P Jaheim Mwaura, 22, AAA (19 GP, 4.98, 30 K in 21.2 IP). Was dynamite in the spring, but fell victim to a veterans numbers game. With Ramirez struggling, he could be in Hawaii sooner than later. Is struggling a bit this year, but still has room to grow. Will get a look this fall, at least.
...P Tim Mitchell, 23, A (on the DL, out for 2-3 more weeks). First rounder from '46. Missed half of last season, and hasn't pitched yet this year. Still, could become a back-end starter one day.
...OF Julius Burrows, 22, A (.239/.316/.408). Coming along nicely. Looks a lot like most of our other OF prospects: LHB, good fielder, solid hitter, bad L/R splits. Should fight for a spot by 2050.

......

Take out Medici, and this is definitely not a top ten group, possibly not even top twenty. Not that there aren't some quality guys after him. But years of drafting at the bottom of each round, plus a drop in the developmental budget, have probably taken their toll. If I had to make a lineup out of my prospects, assuming they reach their scouted potentials, we'd have a decent pitching staff, about half of a solid starting lineup, and not much power hitting. And we still don't have a catching prospect worth talking about.

[Bub13]

June 2048

We've got 27 games on tap this month, only nine at home. Plus three more series against the NL Central to close out interleague play. We'll also be 1/3 of the way through the season after the first series of the month. Time for a June swoon? JUST SAY NO, KIDS.

June 1-3 @ DETROIT 2048: 25-25, t2nd place // 2047: 92-70, 1st place
The offense has fallen way off from recent heights, just 15th in runs and 17th in average. Still hitting HR, however, third in the AL with 71. Pitching is better, 5th in runs against, for a -6 run differential. Leadoff batter Jesus Villalobos is pacing the offense, at .280/11/22. Their best hitter is 2B Sean West, who hit 52 HR in '46, but he's been out since early April with a broken ankle. Ethan Larrison is the fifth-year manager, and will have to work hard to keep the Tigers three-year playoff run going. Fun Fact: this is an old team. Of the top 30 salaries in the org, only two are under 28, and six are over 35. Only four players on the 26 man roster are under 28.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (6-3, 3.26) / LH Eric Jones (5-0, 2.89) / RH Ben Germann (6-3, 4.52)
DET pitchers: RH Alex Hidalgo (0-2, 3.03) / LH Jeffrey Foley (3-4, 4.76) / Mike Cote (5-3, 3.50)

#52: WIN 11-8 ... Groff homers again, and Klein adds a little GRAND SLAM to help out...15 hits for us, plus 8 walks...Jackson struggles, Ramirez gets hurt in relief
#53: LOSS 4-5 ... Kym gives up a solo HR in the 8th to take the loss...Klein goes 2-for-2 but is lifted for a PH with a runner on in the 9th, b/c why
#54: LOSS 0-4 ... just five hits tonight, with only Simmons' triple making any noise...Germann goes 7 IP, walks 5, gives up 9 hits

Well, there it is. Our first losing series in a long time. Still a 10.5 game lead over Houston, so we're juuuust hanging on.... Ramirez has a dtd back injury, duration 5 days. His ERA is now below 7, but it's looking clear to me that he'll never become the lights-out closer I had in mind when I drafted him.... Germann is looking more certain to be back in AAA by the start of summer.... ELSEWHERE: Six NL teams have won 30+ games, only two AL teams tho.... Baltimore got to 21-20, battling for first in the East, but since has lost 11 straight.... STL is now 12-42, and that .222 win pct is an improvement. Silver lining!


June 4-7 @ OAKLAND 2048: 28-26, 4th place
The offense is cranking, 2nd in runs and HR. Reigning MVP Jordan Coronado is way off last year's 32 HR pace (just 3 this year), but is batting .316. 3B Ryan Walton is having a career year, at .293/16/43. Pitching, however, has been pretty bad, 17th in runs against and with the AL-worst rotation ERA. Their best three on-paper SP--Jim Schwartz, Juan Valdez, and Pablo Aguero--are out, the first two for the whole season. Rookie pitcher Conrad Robertson has pitched out of his head in stead of those guys, but the other four current starters have a combined ERA near 6.50.

HAW pitchers: LH Brandon Mercer (7-1, 2.45) / RH Seth Howard (4-0, 2.79) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-3, 3.74) / LH Eric Jones (5-0, 3.03)
OAK pitchers: RH Ron Pearson (3-2, 6.37) / RH Chris Ronan (0-5, 7.78) / LH Miguel Valencia (1-3, 6.75) / Conrad Robertson (3-2, 3.19)

#55: WIN 5-4 ... Klump's solo pinch-HR puts us ahead in the 9th, and Sanabria shuts the door in the bottom half
#56: WIN 4-3 ... another late comeback, this time it's McCollum driving in the second, and game-winning, run in the 8th
#57: WIN 4-3 ... Cappuccilli gets a rare start and hits the GW triple in the 17th, bats 3-for-7 on the night...Simmons is 4-for-9...Crowley goes 5.1 IP in relief
#58: WIN 7-3 ... 3 hits and a HR for Daley, 2-run double for Lasky...Jones gets pulled in the 2nd with an injury; Money replaces him and also gets hurt

Always great to sweep these guys, and this series pushes them to 17 games behind us.... Those two injuries don't help, however. Money's is just a dtd, one week. Jones, however, has a pending diagnosis, so no word on him yet.... Simmons (.336), Klein (.333), and Daley (.328) are all in the top six AL batters.... We're third in the AL in steals, with 47. We've also been caught 27 times.... ELSEWHERE: Boston (9 wins) and Miami (4) are on winning streaks, and are the only over-.500 teams in the AL East now. Baltimore has now lost 15 straight.... Mikwaukee's Jay Russo missed all of last year, but has come back nicely: 6-2, 2.36, 99 K in 72.1 IP, 2.5 WAR. He's closing in on 3000 K and possibly a run at the Hall, at 36.... the Cardinals win pct is now .241. Moving up!


June 8-9 @ TEXAS 2048: 24-35, 6th place
An odd two-game series here, followed by a day off. Still hitting, at 6th in runs scored, 5th in average. 1B William Swanson (.322/14/33) is having a nice sophomore season, and LF Luis Venegas (.264/14/36) was just named AL Rookie of the Month for May. Rookie catcher Juan Espinoza is batting just .257, but is still growing and looks like a long-term fixture behind the plate. Pitching, however, ranks dead last. Only Greg Buchanan (4.41) has an ERA below league average, and ace Mike Messinger is on the shelf for another month-plus. June hasn't been good to these guys yet, at just 1-6 so far.

HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (6-4, 4.58) / LH Brandon Mercer (8-1, 2.43)
TEX pitchers: RH Francisco Pantaleon (5-3, 4.83) / RH Greg Buchanan (5-6, 4.41)

#59: LOSS 2-5 ... we only manage 4 hits (2 for Simmons), and Germann gives up 11 hits and all 5 runs
#60: WIN 9-5 ... 3 hits (and a HR) and 4 RBI for Stoney, and a 3-run blast for Freds...Mercer picks up the win despite giving up all 5 runs in 7 IP

A split, which is fine.... No other news, except that we get the diagnosis on Jones: sore shoulder, dtd for two weeks. He'll go on the DL, and we recall Joe Koval from his rehab stint. Koval hadn't pitched well in AAA, but he was about due to come back anyway, so this is convenient.... ELSEWHERE: It's really upsetting that STL has won 6 of their last 10. I want a 40-win season, guys, c'mon! They're still 16-44, but not playing like absolute ass anymore. Sad.... Brooklyn, at 21-38, decided that as STL was now catching up to them, both GM Este Palermo (GM since '34) and Manager Buster Posey (since '41) needed to go. Posey won the Robins only title, back in '41. No word on their replacements.... So, yeah, nothing is going right for Brooklyn right now, but second-year 2B Corey Rhea leads baseball with a .371 average.


June 11-14 vs HOUSTON 2048: 32-27, 3rd place
Playing .500 ball outside of their 17-12 month of May. Only 11th in runs, 10th in runs against, with a shady-looking -16 differential. Nobody is standing out at the plate, where only two guys are batting over .290 and none of the power guys are hitting over .250. The offense is going to have to get into gear if they're going to sustain a run at a wildcard spot. Former Isle slugger Sen Masuda is on a rehab stint in AAA, so won't be able to beat us with any 3-run HR, like he did last time we played.

HAW pitchers: RH Seth Howard (5-0, 2.89) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-3, 3.61) / RH Joe Koval (debut) / RH Ben Germann (6-5, 4.74)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (5-1, 4.82) / RH Alejandro Gonzales (2-6, 6.00) / RH Dustin Springer (5-3, 3.86) / LH Chris Harris (4-6, 3.61)

#61: LOSS 3-6 ... the pen blows this one, Crowley giving up three in the 13th...Groff's 2-run shot in the 8th tied it, so at least we tried to come back
#62: LOSS 3-4 ... pffft, flat game...we leave Jackson in, and he gives up 2 in the 8th to take the loss
#63: LOSS 5-10 ... Koval gets hammered early, and Sanabria screws the pooch in the 9th (5 runs)...two HR tonight, but we're not hitting and not pitching now
#64: LOSS 2-7 ... no comment

Wow, that was brutal. Good thing we've got a big cushion, so I'm not too too concerned yet. But our hitting has dried up some, and the pitching has been outright terrible here. Germann was particularly awful that last game, and Koval was NFG in his return. Germann may be done now. Ratliff has tossed well in AAA, and looks ready to return.... Padilla has dropped to .220 and isn't hitting HR right now, so he goes to the bench in place of Lasky, batting .320.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego becomes the second team to 40 wins, now at 41-23 and 4.5 games ahead of the Dodgers.... Brooklyn's new GM is Nick Cicio, who spent 11 years with the Orioles and 5 with the Yankees. The good news is he's experienced; the bad news is only two of his teams ever made the playoffs. The new manager is Austin Adams. This is his first appointment anywhere. Not sure what he's been doing with himself since retiring 30 years ago.... Tampa Bay has made the playoffs three of the last five seasons, but brutal pitching has them at 22-41, worst in the AL.

......

TL;DR Version: A disappointing 6-7 stretch, but one that I was sure was coming. Hitting always comes and goes, but our pitching has been uniformly craptastic. Jones is still out, Germann is being sent to the scrapyard, and Koval looked terribly rusty in his debut. Not helping were untimely blowups by the bullpen too. And I mentioned us having a cushion that we could fall back on, but looking at it now: Seattle is hot, and just 7 games behind us. Getting tight!

[Bub13]

June 15-17 @ CHICAGO CUBS 2048: 34-31, 3rd place // 2047: 89-73 2nd place
Although the curse of the goat is still going strong, the Cubs made the playoffs last year and are solid again this season. Seventh in runs, and 8th in runs against, with a nice +20 run differential. The pitching might be even better if they didn't have five guys (and a sixth pending) currently on the DL. SS Ben Grossman (.310/6/33) has led the attack, with RF Justin Doss (.321/7/24) and cleanup hitter LF Neil Cockrell (.270/9/32) playing well. The bottom half of the lineup has over 20 HR, but also a combined average of .234. And I would love to hear Harry Carey have fun with 2B Brendan Polchlopek's name: "Polchlopek spelled backwards is Kepolhclop. Hey, everybody!"

HAW pitchers: LH Brandon Mercer (9-1, 2.79) / RH Seth Howard (5-0, 2.96) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-4, 3.64)
CHC pitchers: RH Mike Grimshaw (3-2, 3.00) / RH Rafael Maldonado (6-5, 2.89) / RH Aaron Maloy (0-0, 0.00)

#65: WIN 9-4 ... complete game for Mercer, 10th win, and he gets a hit...3 hits for Stoney and Simmons, and 4 RBI for Daley
#66: LOSS 1-2 ... only 10 combined hits, and no XBH for us...Groff reaches 2000 career hits
#67: LOSS 2-5 ... still in the doldrums...little hitting, and Jackson goes 7 but puts 10 guys on

Ok, now we need to figure something out. At least Seattle got swept, so they're now 8 behind us.... I did send Germann down, and brought up Ratliff. Maybe he can get someone out? Can anyone but Mercer start games right now? Howard at least has been okay of late, but gets very little support.... The lineup is getting shuffled around a bit, in hopes that we can get some more consistent hitting. Although if we can't get anyone out, will it even matter.... ELSEWHERE: While I wasn't watching, two teams in the AL East have actually been winning and are now over .500: Miami (38-27) and Boston (38-28). No one else is close.... Pittsburgh's Yuji Nagata leads MLB with 27 steals, and has a chance to become the first guy to reach 50 steals in maybe decades.


June 19-21 @ MONTREAL 2048: 33-35, 4th place // 2047: 75-87, 5th place
Only two games below .500 despite some ugly team stats: 15th in runs and 16th in runs against, with a -44 run differential. The bullpen ERA is 4th in the NL, but other than that, nothing looks good. CF Tony Acevedo is batting .315, but no one else is anywhere near him. Team MVP right now is closer Jason Faries, with 17 saves and a 1.62 ERA. Six pitchers are on the DL, which sounds like a bad thing. Manager Andres Reyna is in his 5th year, and his best record has been the 4-3 mark he hit as a late-season replacement in '44. Fun Fact: Jordan Cruz! He'll never die, my friends. The two-time Gold Glover (at SS) has made 64 starts this year (35 at 1b!), and has responded to management's faith in him by slashing .149/.230/.267, with 137 K in 255 at bats. And batting leadoff. Leadoff! Miracles do happen, people.

HAW pitchers: RH Joe Koval (0-0, 9.00) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-1, 4.91) / LH Brandon Mercer (10-1, 2.92)
MTL pitchers: LH Elijah Bragg (4-4, 4.98) / RH Bill Barger (2-7, 4.73) / RH Pat Fortier (4-2, 4.01)

#68: LOSS 2-7 ... outhit 13-7...Koval lowers his ERA by giving up just 5 ER in 6 IP...Sanabria also stinks in the 9th, just for fun
#69: LOSS 2-6 ... yep
#70: LOSS 5-6 ... 11 hits for us, 6 for them...what can you say?

All right, DD Martin, you've got a lot to answer for. Take it all back, will you.... Frederick hit well in this series, and Simmons kept his average at .324. But everything else was for s**t.... Our pitchers have forgotten how to throw, even Mercer got tattooed in this series.... Guess who's the worst team over the last ten games? Yes! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.... ELSEWHERE: Ten wins in a row for Pittsburgh, moving them into first place.... Philly's George Livezey (.309/14/41) is the first batter to 4.0 WAR.... Seven teams have not yet reached 30 wins, five of them in the AL.


June 22-24 vs NEW ORLEANS 2048: 32-36, 5th place // 2047: 79-83, 4th place
Not a hitting squad, at 17th in runs and average. Hopefully, our pitching can help them out! Pitching has been better, 7th in runs against. C Willie Alonzo (.284) and CF Matt Powell (.271) are the only regulars hitting over .238. And like seemingly every other team out there, they've already lost a ton of pitchers: seven on the DL. Still, they are a rare team with a rotation ERA under 4. GM Cole Rohrbaugh is in his fourth year, and the team has regressed every year since his first. Manager Clarence Whitney used to manage us, but was let go after some truly questionable decisions in the '45 World Series. He's in his third year here, and the players like him. Yippee. Fun Fact: Is this fun? 2B Jose "G not Q" Rodriguez averages 35 HR a season, and at 29 he is the all-time NOZ leader in nearly every offensive category. But he'll be a free agent this fall, so I hope you Zephs fans enjoyed him while you had him.

HAW "pitchers": RH Seth Howard (5-1, 2.87) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-5, 3.74) / LH Eric Jones (5-0, 2.97)
NOZ pitchers: LH Jeff Schon (5-3, 2.85) / RH Justin Ross (4-5, 5.16) / RH Gary Buttacavoli (0-1, 4.74)

#71: LOSS 3-6 ... 13 hits but we don't score until the 9th...Howard is strong through 7, but the pen (c'mon guys!) gives up 5 in the final two innings
#72: LOSS 2-4 ... hey, at least we outhit them AGAIN...um, that's about it
#73: LOSS 2-9 ... close game until a 5-run 8th...Jones returns, throws well, but--wait for it--the pen vomits up 6 runs over 3 IP

Who are these guys? I don't know. Were we really 41-11 after June 1st? Yes. Remember that? Still 1st in offense, somehow.... And we're only 4 up on Seattle now. Is it possible we'll be sellers by the deadline? Am I overreacting? Probably.... Eric Jones returns, and Koval moves to long relief for now. Seth Howard isn't giving up a lot of runs, but is walking more than he's striking out.... I don't know what else to say, except that I think June did this to us last year too.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego, at 48-25, now has the best record in baseball. Philly is second at 46-24.... Brooklyn's Corey Rhea is now batting .390. EXCITING.... For the first time since I don't know when, no one in the AL has an OPS over 1.000.... Not even halfway through the season, and Pittsburgh closer Manny Gomez has 30 saves.


June 26-28 @ TEXAS 2048: 32-41, 5th place
Seattle is 17-6 this month. The other five teams in our division (including us) are 29 games under .500. And those awful Cards? 11-11, after winning 11 games total in April and March. Texas has gone 9-12, which would put them in second place, had the season started on June 1. And the only reason we don't have the worst record is that we keep getting days off between series. Small comfort, that.

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (0-2, 5.09) / LH Brandon Mercer (10-1, 3.29) / RH Seth Howard (5-2, 2.71)
TEX pitchers: RH Francisco Pantaleon (7-3, 4.59) / RH Dale Tessman (3-3, 6.30) / RH Greg Buchanan (5-9, 4.93)

#74: WIN 9-4 ... pretty sad that a win "comes from outta nowhere" now...7 of our 11 hits go for extras...Ratliff goes the distance, not a bad call with the pen in flames
#75: WIN 3-2 ... two in a row, wut...11 total hits, 7 for us including HR from Groff and Daley...8 IP for Mercer, fanning 6 and giving up only 4 hits
#76: WIN 8-4 ... hahaha these guys...four HR tonight, two for Frederick...HR and 3 RBI for Stoneback

Who knows anymore.... The Great Lineup Shuffle was really just putting Klump back in the lineup, and swapping Groff and Stoneback at the #3 and #4 slots. I'm guessing somebody found out I'm thiiiis close to making a trade for a power hitting DH and pushing a couple of guys right off the roster.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego is now the hot hot hot team, having won 11 in a row. They've opened up a 10.5 game lead over LA too.... Corey Rhea is batting .384, but he's got company: Arizona LF Dan Dellinger, at .380. Dellinger also hit .397 last year, but only had 291 PA. And he hit .344 as a starter the year before, so I'm not sure why he got moved to the bench. He may be the best pure contact hitter in the game right now, which means he's completely wasted on the Arizona franchise. Last year's champ Blake Langer is in third, waaaay back at .334.... Speaking of the DBacks, they are the new cold team (thanks also to us finally winning a few), going 1-9 in their last ten.... And Toronto SS Sam Moore became the first player in this dynasty to have a four HR game, in a 12-7 win over Baltimore.


June 29-30 vs SEATTLE 2048: 46-31, 2nd place
Still hitting, producing runs at the 4th-best rate in the AL. No one is crushing it, but most of the lineup is hitting. Catcher Arturo Sena is .275/16/43, about 20 points better than his career average. CF Aaron Harrison has been his usual productive self, but is injured for another month. Pitching has been decent, 7th in runs against, but ace SP Miguel Moreno will miss this series. And yet, the combo of their 20-6 month and our dumpster fire stretch has brought them to just 4.5 games behind us. No bueno. These two games will close out June, and we'll start July with two more.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (6-6, 3.82) / LH Eric Jones (5-1, 3.09)
SEA pitchers: RH Erik Ramey (5-4, 4.13) / RH Mark Guest (4-4, 5.37)

#77: LOSS 3-4 ... stop me if I repeat myself: twice the hits, but the pen blows up late...can't make a 3-0 lead stick, wasting a solid 8 IP from Jackson
#78: WIN 7-6 ... turning the tables, scoring 1 in the 9th and winning in 15...but we did give up 4 in the top of the 9th, because of course we did

This bullpen is killing me. Still third in ERA, but we're blowing a lot of games late. So Sanabria (5.35 ERA) is moved out of the closer spot, and we'll give Justin Crowley (1.77) a go.... Cam Daley has been slumping of late, and his average has dropped below .300 for the first time this season.... ELSEWHERE: Twelve straight wins now for the Padres, and the league's best record at 53-25.... Every year I talk big about relenting and signing a hard-throwing, pricey free agent pitcher. This fall's catch might be Pittsburgh's Chris Liles, who's seriously in contention for the NL Cy Young, at 11-1 and a 2.27 ERA. Of course, if he's not re-signed (they'd be crazy not to sign him, but they won't of course) he'll probably demand $30M on the market, and I'll pass. As usual.

......

TL;DR Version: A rotten 5-9 stretch, but we did turn it around a bit after starting 1-8. For the month: 11-16. Oof. I think we've been exposed here, as our pitching has really let down our still-competent offense. Speaking of pitching...Koval and Ratliff came back from rehab, and have been less than good; in fact, less than not good. Koval has been moved to the pen but hasn't pitched in over a week. Ratliff at least won a game, but is still looking for his first truly decent start. At least as concerning has been the bullpen, where Ramon Sanabria in particular has been mostly horrid, and has (for now) lost his closer position. We'll try Justin Crowley first, as he's been pretty good in a setup role. Bruce Parton and Mark Money are still pitching fairly well, so they'll be next up, unless Sanabria snaps out of it. Let's hope he does; this month has tightened the division race considerably, and we'll need all our guns ready if we're going to take the top spot again.

[DD Martin]

You should never try and break the Mariners win record (although maybe it has already been done in your league history). Okay okay, I am sorry for all the compliments. I obviously should not have praised the pitching because wham it has been badly in both ends ever since. Germann reverted back to form and has been sent to Hooterville or Pixlet to toil.

I remove the curse of the Mariners, now go forth and win a ring

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by DD Martin

You should never try and break the Mariners win record (although maybe it has already been done in your league history). Okay okay, I am sorry for all the compliments. I obviously should not have praised the pitching because wham it has been badly in both ends ever since. Germann reverted back to form and has been sent to Hooterville or Pixlet to toil.

I remove the curse of the Mariners, now go forth and win a ring

I would definitely take a wild card and a championship over winning 120 games. (So would the Mariners, I bet!)

[DD Martin]

Originally Posted by Bub13

I would definitely take a wild card and a championship over winning 120 games. (So would the Mariners, I bet!)

Yes as an M’s fan since the beginning, the playoff drought since that 116 win season has brutal. And there is no end in sight. I think that season was a curse.

[Archelirion]

I'm not even halfway through this dynasty yet, but I wanted to swing by and say that I've been reading through this during my downtime on holiday this week and it's been an absolutely fantastic read. Just reached the year after the first WS win and wondering how on earth you're going to negotiate... whatever the hell that bullpen was. Keep it up!

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by Archelirion

I'm not even halfway through this dynasty yet, but I wanted to swing by and say that I've been reading through this during my downtime on holiday this week and it's been an absolutely fantastic read. Just reached the year after the first WS win and wondering how on earth you're going to negotiate... whatever the hell that bullpen was. Keep it up!

Oh man, 2040...what a waste of a good team. That bullpen just destroyed me. Oh, and Detroit's winning pitcher that game? Ramon Sanabria, now one of our rotating closers.

[Bub13]

Twenty-five games this month; twenty-five chances to have a better month. Only 8 at home, however, and we close the month with 11 on the road. Of course, there's also the All-Star break in the middle of things. Very few divisional games as well: we finish last month's series with two against Seattle, then wait until the 27th with a series against LA and a finisher against Houston. Also, International Amateur Free Agents are out, and since we went nuts and spent over $9M last year, we can't spend more than 500k on any one player this year. So are we missing out on anyone? I see zero pitchers with any promise, so there's that. But I would like to have taken a run at catcher Alberto Gonzalez, who looks interesting. But I stink at developing catchers anyway. My scouts also like 3B Luis Nunez, but his actual ratings right now are all 1s and 2s. And OF Lucas Tipping and Alex Duran would have been worth a run too. Both project as solid contact and power hitters, but you know how dicey it is with these 16- and 17-year-olds... In the end, we make no offers.

July 1-2 vs SEATTLE 2048: 47-32, 2nd place
Finishing up a four-game series. We split the first two, in case you've already forgotten.

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (1-2, 4.87) / LH Brandon Mercer (11-1, 3.20)
SEA pitchers: RH Edgar Tinajero (8-4, 4.32) / LH Carlos Zenon (9-3, 3.82)

#79: WIN 5-1 ... 7 IP, 9 K, 3 H for Ratliff...plus two solid relief innings from Ramirez, who's quietly turned his season around, but is far down the depth chart
#80: LOSS 2-3 ... Mercer gives up 3 in the 8th, b/c we just don't trust the pen anymore, apparently...2 hits each for Simmons and Daley, and a HR for Stoneback

These late inning blowups are killing me.... At least we're still 4.5 up on the M's.... Most of the gaudy averages from early on have trailed off, but a couple of guys down the roster are still having quietly effective seasons. CF Jim Klein is batting .309 and on track for 47 doubles and 4 WAR. And catcher Rob Rich has responded well to getting more starts (no more L/R platoon), slashing .307/.365/.455. Not many HR for these two (6 combined), but over 40 doubles and 61 RBI.... ELSEWHERE: With three days left to sign draft picks, ten first rounders remain unsigned, including both Rangers picks.... Fourteen wins in a row for the Padres.... Brooklyn's Chris White (.328/24/69) was named the NL player of the month for June, and followed that up with 2 HR on 7/1, giving him 400 for his career. In other career news, Milwaukee DH Matt Anderson reached 2800 hits.... St Louis has leveled out, and at 26-54 they are very nearly no longer the worst team in the league. I'm always disappointed these days.

TRADE WINDS A'BLOWIN' So despite some shaky pitching, I go against the grain and make a trade for another bat. A big bat. We acquire 1B/DH Craig Long from the Yankees for a trio of players and a pick. Long knocked 151 HR over 7 seasons with Richmond, then struggled with injuries last year in San Diego. He's gone .257/17/52 in the Bronx this year, regaining his power stroke. For me, he needs to be the big power bat we've lacked since we let Sen Masuda walk after '46. He's a lefty, but looks fine against LHP; he has no defense, so will not build upon the 71 starts he's made at first in NY. In exchange, we sent 1B/DH Jonathan Klump, prospect 1B Terry Howard, and P Walt Thompson. Klump had been a clump at the plate this year, and my frustration with him mounted to the point where he just wasn't playing at all. Howard and Thompson aren't kids anymore, and are stuck behind better players for us. They'll get chances to shine for the Yanks. We also send a 6th round pick; and received RP Matt Lester, a low ceiling but still slightly interesting guy who'll go to A ball.


July 3-5 vs CLEVELAND 2048: 40-38, 3rd place
Sixth in runs and 4th in AVG and OBP, but only 11th in runs against. And just a marginal +5 run differential. Leadoff batter D.J. Grace is batting .339, and #2 man Manny Ayala .353. 1B Eddie Hummel is working on a career year at .309/18/61. But DH Sean Kropp is following up his .263/23/67 season with a salty .143/6/13 effort. He's probably just tired, as he's also the #4 starting pitcher, and having a good season on the mound. GM is Geison Aguasviva, who's managed to produce just three winning seasons in his 7-year tenure. Manager Jose Ariza is in his 8th season, and while his batters like him, the pitching staff--to a man--does not. Fun Fact: 2B D.J. Grace is in his fourth full year as a starter, and has gotten better each season. He may never win an MVP, but he's got the chops to win a batting title and hit 20 HR a year. He doesn't fan much, and takes a ton of walks (to the tune of a .441 OBP this year). And he's the team captain. Just what you want from a #1 overall pick (from '43). He developed fast, and was in MLB by the fall of '44.

HAW pitchers: RH Seth Howard (6-2, 2.90) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-6, 3.58) / LH Eric Jones (5-1, 2.91)
CLE pitchers: RH Sean Kropp (8-2, 3.39) / LH Matt Grigg (5-6, 5.06) / RH Luis de Lara (0-0, 5.40)

#81: WIN 8-3 ... 13 hits, all singles...3 hits each for Daley and Stoneback, 2 for Groff...the usual 7 quiet innings for Howard
#82: LOSS 1-5 ... Jackson is wild, walking six...Groff hits his team-leading 17th HR
#83: WIN 10-6 ... 30 total hits tonight; Jones gives up 11 in his 6 IP...3 hits for Lasky and Simmons, and 3 RBI for Groff

I can live with this series, and we gained a game over Seattle.... Long goes 3-for-14 with a double in this series, so he's warming to us slowly.... Still no games pitched for Koval since his two terrible starts. I'd like to get him another start, but only Ratliff and Jackson have struggled recently, and Ratliff had a good outing his last time out. Maybe I'll sneak him in for one start before the all-star break.... ELSEWHERE: Draft pick signing deadline day, and only two guys are unsigned. Texas, much to everyone's relief, actually signed their two first rounders (they've left top picks unsigned two of the last three years, plus letting their 2nd and 3rd round picks walk three years ago.).... AL East-leading Boston sent OF/DH Faustino Whitton to the Dodgers for a couple of prospects. Whitton can still hit and run, but is a tree in the field. The Sox have now fully turned over RF to former Isle Glenn Heath (.282), and DH to rookie Joe Brodowski (.321 in 53 AB). The Dodgers are looking for a spark to catch up to the Padres, as they're now 11 games out.... Whitton's acquisition means disgruntled former MVP winner Bill Duce will likely be traded. Duce, 38, is an 8-time all star with 421 career HR, who's last productive season came in '45. He's also a first-class butthead: greedy, selfish, disloyal, and disruptive to a fault. LA would love to unload his $15M contract, but that's gonna be tough to do.


July 7-9 @ MILWAUKEE 2048: 42-39, 2nd place
What home runs can do for you: 17th in AVG, 16th in OBP, but 11th in runs. Oh, and #1 in home runs. Muscle man Coby Sandu leads the way with 24, and cleanup guy Kaz Kawakami has 20. And 39-year-old Matt Anderson has 16, just passing the 2800 career hit mark. He's clearly slowing--batting under .300 for only the third time in his career--but is still formidable in the middle of the lineup. Pitching is 5th in runs against, helping to contribute to a +25 run differential. After missing all of last season, ace Jay Russo is back: 10-3, 2.54 ERA, 141 K in 109.2 IP. If the pitching holds up, they can remain competitive, to a point. I think there are too many lineup holes (ex: leadoff guy Bill Callahan batting .176) to make a serious run.

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (2-2, 4.38) / LH Brandon Mercer (11-2, 3.19) / RH Seth Howard (7-2, 2.87)
MIL pitchers: RH Dan Tuff (4-7, 4.27) / LH Daniel Becker (4-5, 4.61) / LH Jay Russo (10-3, 2.54)

#84: WIN 9-2 ... 3 H, 3 RBI, and a HR for Groff, and 3-for-3 night for Rich...complete game, 5 H, 9 K for Ratliff
#85: WIN 5-3 ... two hits each for Daley, Groff, and Frederick, and an 8 IP night for Mercer...HR for Daley and Stoneback
#86: WIN 7-6 ... Daley and Stoneback drive in runs in the 9th for a comeback win...3 RBI for Stoneback...Crowley fans the side in the bottom half to bring it home

Solid. Some (mostly) good pitching here, and we're back to 1st in runs against, 2nd in starters and bullpen ERA.... Long smacked a couple of doubles in the second game, but has yet to get on track with us, batting just .240 with no HR.... One more series before the All-Star game, and I'm going to get Koval another start, his first action in a couple weeks.... ELSEWHERE: Seattle has won four straight, making them the sixth team to reach 50 wins. Houston's won 5 in a row, and at 47-38 would be leading or near the lead in the other two AL divisions.... Brookyln's Corey Rhea already has 33 doubles on the season; Cleveland's D.J. Grace has 32.... Phillies pitcher Kevin Wellington has big-time stuff, to the tune of 11.9 K/9. But he also leads MLB with 71 walks (in 95 IP), nearly 7 per 9 IP.


July 10-12 @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2048: 35-50, 5th place
Another team in "constant rebuild" mode, having not finished above .500 since 2038, and no playoff appearances since 2030. Tenth in runs (although 5th in AVG), and 16th in runs against. Sophomore RF Andy Barenberg is doing fine, .319/9/48, and third-year guy Chris Rock has been a solid leadoff batter, at .323. They're also 4th in HR, with OF Jim Timmer at 19 (despite hitting just .200). Former Isle Joseph Hart has shown power (12 HR), but is batting just .232. Another former Isle (prospect), pitcher Cory Graulich, has been their best starter, at 8-3 and a 3.75 ERA. Not much else has gone right on the mound so far.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (6-7, 3.71) / LH Eric Jones (6-1, 3.11) / RH Joe Koval (0-1, 8.18)
CHW pitchers: RH Rob Sczesny (4-1, 3.28) / RH Paul Cole (3-10, 6.68) / RH Jake Davidson (4-8, 5.76)

#87: LOSS 7-10 ... we get 7 runs out of 7 hits, but can't get anyone out tonight...HR again for Stoneback and Frederick
#88: LOSS 2-5 ... HR for Groff is tonight's lone highlight...once again we can't get much going against a terrible pitching staff
#89: WIN 1-0 ... just 3 hits--two in the 2nd inning--but it's enough...Koval goes the distance, yields 4 hits and 2 walks

Well, interesting series, yes? Maybe too interesting. Two bad losses, then a shutout by the guy who hasn't thrown in two weeks. So do I go with a six-man rotation for a while? I can't really condone that.... All-Star rosters are out, and we have two starters: 1B Adam Groff (most votes in the AL) and SS Rich Stoneback. Pitchers Brandon Mercer and Justin Crowley will also go.... ELSEWHERE: St Loo has stabilized somewhat (in fact they went 14-13 in June), but that horrid start still has them as the only team without 30 wins yet.... Philly's George Livezey is the first player to 5.0 WAR.... Texas' William Swanson, in his 2nd season, is fast becoming a star: he's hit .476 this month and moved to the top of the AL batting race, at .337. He also has 24 HR, putting him fifth.... Dodgers' 1B Vinny Vargas has been fine at the plate (.288/14/39) but his wife isn't making any friends, calling Los Angeles "a boring city with no shopping or restaurants." Sounds like ol' Vinny's been keeping the missus locked up in the basement again.

......

TL;DR Version: Still working out the kinks after that last stretch, but 7-4 beats the alternative. We're 58-31 overall, holding a 5.5 game lead over Seattle, 7.5 over Houston. Despite dropping two in the Chicago series, I was encouraged by Koval's start, and am actually considering going with six starters for a while. LOL. I mean, who would I drop out of the rotation? Shamar Jackson has been the "worst" starter of late, and actually leads the AL in walks. Jones has been mostly solid, Ratliff shows signs of coming around, Mercer made the All-Star team, and Howard has been too good to just drop back to AAA. Someone will probably just go to long relief after one run-through of this experiment, but we'll see. Hitting has still been decent, with guys taking turns on the up- and downswings. And we're still pretty healthy: SP Dennis Perry still has six more weeks, then will head to AAA on rehab; RP HC Kym has a tired arm, but should be fine after the break.

[DD Martin]

Can’t remember when Jackson came up, but since he has been erratic maybe a month at AAA will do him some good. And maybe while doing it you can manipulate his service. Sneaking I know but with the free pass issue you could argue it

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by DD Martin

Can’t remember when Jackson came up, but since he has been erratic maybe a month at AAA will do him some good. And maybe while doing it you can manipulate his service. Sneaking I know but with the free pass issue you could argue it

Perhaps...but it doesn't become a problem, as you will soon see...