Season 27 (2045) Discussion Thread

[old timer]

Originally Posted by pappyzan

Who's the manager of that Brooklyn Cyclones team?

It's mcp with no forum name.

[macacks]

Originally Posted by waittilnextyear

I knew today's sims would be pretty tough considering the difficult schedule with 20 games versus serious playoff contenders. What I didn't know, is that I should've been more worried about the weaker teams on the schedule instead.

The Frogs had a really sluggish day overall (14-14), losing 7 of 10 to end the night. And of those 10 games, losing 5 of 6 to teams I'd consider not to be in the running (with all due respect). On the other hand, the Frogs pretty much held their own against the top teams, going 2-2 against Fresno, 3-4 against Chicago, 2-0 against Belfast, and 4-3 against San Angelo. All the same, the Fresno Losers (58-24) used the Frogs' (51-30) hiccup today to build a 6.5 game division lead.

The main concern for the Frogs is not scoring runs at the usual clip. In fact, the team is 8th in runs scored (346) which is significantly below the usual. The team scored 850 runs last week, so we're on pace for just 692 this week. It's hard to pin it to any one thing, but it's more like everyone on the team (save for SUPER ICHIRO) is having an off season. SE Appling, SE Sisler, PEAK Chipper, gold Ashburn, gold Boudreau--none of these guys are putting up numbers as good as last week. SE Pudge Rodriguez has debuted with a thud (.211/.298/.367). So, we've done some lineup gymnastics (I, like many of you, like to tinker) as well as recalled Smoky Burgess at catcher for Lava to try for an offensive spark. Hopefully the team will wake up in July.

On a positive note, I just sold my stat-laden Buck Ewing after trying for about a week. PP levels have crept back up to where it's about time to do another serious run of packs.

Also positive, Ed Walsh (10-0, 2.34 ERA). Getting Walshie was the best set of missions as far as I'm concerned.

How about a standings screen shot...I am unable to login until later Friday. Thx!

[CrazyWR]

Welp, my Suns are plodding along towards a .500 season. Currently 48-50 (although we should be 53-45). Maddux and Clarkson are a combined 23-7 in 40 starts with ERAs of 1.6 and 2.2 respectively, but the rest of the staff is poor. Currently have lost 6 in a row while oldtimer's Evergreen team have 15 straight at the top of the division. Props to you sir! At least my dad is holding down the last wild card spot, but I'm pretty disappointed with my team this year. Didn't expect to win the division but below .500 is abysmal with our track record, even in this very difficult league.

[JasonC23]

Originally Posted by getheroff

Hey Red Raiders...are you a Mike Leach fan?

I tend not to follow the seasons so closely now that we are 26 seasons in. Usually just check a couple of times a week and tweak the lineup here and there. But great to see that we are running neck and neck.

What I've learned about OOTP and Perfect Team in my many hours of devotion is that results/outcomes will eventually gravitate (regress or improve) to the mean. My first few years I had great teams on paper and very good regular season records, but struggled (relative to the other "premium" teams) to win championships. The last 10 years or so have gone better for the Sluggers in terms of titles...but it is fundamentally the same team as the first few years and I haven't really done anything different. Except that I tinker less now than I did before. Maybe all of the Perfect Team leagues have diluted the opposition?

So I guess I'm trying to give you some encouragement. You have a great team...and you still have a winning record over the Sluggers this year. It is only a matter of time before you start taking home the hardware.

I always enjoy reading your summaries...all the best!

Wow...thanks, getheroff! That means a lot coming from someone who's had such success. It's funny--of the 5 total championships the Red Raiders have won over the years (<cough>obnoxioushumblebrag<cough>), the only time I really felt like I had THE team to beat come playoff time was my first Perfect League championship way back in 2028. The rest have been very good regular season teams that, through the magic that is the baseball playoffs, really came together all at once and shocked me by winning it all. (And let's be honest--the 2028 team shocked me too because I always assume I'll lose to make the defeats less painful...) I really hope, no matter which one of us (me) ends up in the Wild Card game, we can meet up in the playoffs again, because the challenge is the thing that drives it all, and you embody the ultimate challenge for the Red Raiders.

So, seriously, thanks for all the kind...

Wait...

Originally Posted by brrrdt1

None of this playing nice and wishing the best. Red Raiders vs. Sluggers is THE rivalry of PT. I want this to be Red Sox vs Yankees, Bears vs Packers, Barca vs Madrid, Duke vs UNC. Name-calling, rioting, burning cars, storming the field. I paid good money to follow along with this (maybe) entirely random rivalry in a fake baseball game where I only learn the results of the rivalry from message board posts. Don't let me down!

Oh, right. Um...

Uh...

OK, I got it!

No, I am NOT a Mike Leach fan! How DARE you!! My Red Raiders are quite obviously named after my son's high school and NOT inspired by some football coach! Them's fighting words, my friend! You and your Sluggers are going DOWN!!

(How was that?)

[waittilnextyear]

Originally Posted by macacks

How about a standings screen shot...I am unable to login until later Friday. Thx!

Here you go...

[waittilnextyear]

Originally Posted by getheroff

So I guess I'm trying to give you some encouragement. You have a great team...and you still have a winning record over the Sluggers this year. It is only a matter of time before you start taking home the hardware.

I'm liking this low key (probably unintentional) shade being thrown here. Giving this advice to the manager of a team with 3 PL titles...

[Magus978]

Originally Posted by waittilnextyear

Here you go...

Nice AC Central...may be pacing for a 90-loss team to win it by default.

[old timer]

The Raccoons have now won 18 straight, but the Buffalo Bulls are coming to town so that streak will likely end. They'll be sending Young, Pedro and Johnson against us so I'll be very pleased if we can take 2 of 3 from them. Against that whale in our division last season, we managed to go 10-12 against them (including playoffs) and they had that kind of pitching.

Since the last time we were in a tough league and really struggled, I've not touched the pitching staff. The main difference here is our defense has been improved a fair bit. We're #1 in ZR right now and have been much stronger there since we made some upgrades. We're also benefiting from Ruth finally hitting a lot of HRs and even HR Baker is on a near 30 HR pace.

Because of the winning streak, we're now 2nd in RDiff and 3rd in overall record (.755). We're also the best in the league at home, going 46-6. In other words, we've been lucky (though we're -2 Pyt, so a different kind of luck) and are playing over our heads and should start cooling off soon.

Edit: 1 game against the Bulls, and the streak is over. At least we can play the best teams close now, but still...

[JasonC23]

So, the last 3 games of the day are Huntley at Singapore. Singapore has a 3.5-game lead in the AC Central, but the 2 teams have identical +271 run differentials. Huntley is 37-11 on the road; Singapore is 40-11 at home. Huntley currently leads the season series 7-6, featuring a 3-game sweep at Singapore back in May.

Game 1 features Huntley's Roger Clemens (16-2, 2.40 ERA, 179 ERA+, 4.5 WAR) vs the Sluggers' Ed Walsh (13-3, 2.99 ERA, 147 ERA+, 4.1 WAR).

Let the games begin...

[JasonC23]

Top of the 6th: Trevor Hoffman relieves Ed Walsh. Huntley has already scored 4 runs in the inning to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead on a Yogi Berra double, Mickey Mantle triple, Christian Yelich single, Ken Griffey Jr double, and Luke Appling single, with a walk and a sacrifice fly sandwiched in there too. Hoffman faces Lou Gehrig with 2 on and 2 out. On a 2-2 pitch, Gehrig strikes out looking.

Bottom of the 6th: After a Ted Williams single and walks to Mickey Cochrane and Josh Gibson, Lee Smith takes over for Roger Clemens with the bases loaded and 1 away. 6 pitches and 3 singles later, Singapore has retaken the lead, 7-6, which would hold up as the final score.

Sometimes, your ace reliever shuts the door. Sometimes, he's the world's least effective doorman.

Game 2, pitting Huntley's Ed Walsh (10-3, 2.85 ERA, 151 ERA+, 4.0 WAR) against Singapore's Cy Young (15-3, 3.08 ERA, 143 ERA+, 5.2 WAR) is up next...

[One Great Matrix]

Originally Posted by One Great Matrix

Unintentional 23-2 vs. lefties this week. 32-27 against right-handed starters.

3-4 vs. LHP since 23-2 start noted on bulletin board.

[JasonC23]

In the bottom of the second inning, with a run in and the bases loaded, Eddie Collins strode to the plate. Fresh off a 4-hit game in the opener, he was looking to break game 2 wide open. Ed Walsh fired the first pitch, Collins swung...and grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. A run scored, but the rally was effectively squashed.

Top of the 5th, the game now knotted at 2, Huntley put the following 2-out, nobody-on rally together against Cy Young: Christian Yelich singled; George Brett singled, Yelich to third; Ken Griffey Jr tripled, scoring them both; and Arky Vaughan singled, scoring Griffey. The Red Raiders would never relinquish the lead, eventually winning 8-3 after adding 3 more runs in the 7th off Lee Smith.

Not a great series for pitchers named Lee Smith...

Game 3, featuring the classic 99 Walter Johnson of Huntley (11-4, 2.58 ERA, 167 ERA+, 4.0 WAR) versus 100 Walter Johnson of Singapore (13-4, 3.02 ERA, 146 ERA+, 4.0 WAR), ends the day for the Red Raiders and the Sluggers...

[JasonC23]

Entering the bottom of the 6th inning, Singapore trailed the Red Raiders 2-0. Exiting the 6th inning, Singapore had a commanding 5-2 lead, thanks largely to back-to-back homers by Mickey Cochrane (a 3-run shot) and Ken Griffey Jr.

In the top of the 9th, with the score 6-3 Sluggers, Mariano Rivera took the mound to nail down the game and series win for Singapore. Arky Vaughan harmlessly grounded out, but on an 0-1 offering, Jackie Robinson lined a ball that clanged off the wall. With Robinson at second, Luke Appling battled Rivera with everything he had, but on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he grounded out, Robinson taking third.

Lou Gehrig came to the plate. He'd had a forgettable series thus far, going 0-8 in the first 2 games of the series, with every out a strikeout. Although he'd struck out twice more in the rubber match, Gehrig had also drawn a walk and, just to keep things fresh, actually put the ball in play, flying out. But this time, despite facing one of the greatest strikeout pitchers in the history of the game, Gehrig calmly took ball one and then launched a majestic shot into the bleachers for a 2-run homer, pulling Huntley within 1.

But Yogi Berra flew out, and Singapore extended its division lead to 4.5 games.

And that will most likely hold up, as the Sluggers and Red Raiders don't meet again until late September.

Box score and standings follow...

[Westheim]

Raccoons are 52-36 ……. if you remove their pathetic appearance against the Kogarah Kings (5-14). At least that rectal pain is already over for the season. This is also the furthest in recent times into a season that the Coons have stayed above .500 ...

Lefty Grove had back-to-back 15 K games a the end of July. Big Walt is still putting up better stats though. It's sad how the perfect deGrom smells compared to those two. Even the (97) Seaver is better - by a lot.

The Rebels are wholly uninteresting, apart from a 9-game winning streak in July that nevertheless kept them under .500 …

The Accountants are 57-50, third place, two games out in a tight division in their first year in Diamond. Which I guess counts as acceptable with nearly the worst offense. Apart from the three starting outfielders, *every* batter is below 100 OPS+, and most of them are having quite the off year, even when adjusting for the higher league. I am not going to touch anything this year and wait till next year for a bigger sample size…

[Westheim]

The moment I say something the damn Trash Can Lickers go into a 4-10 spill…

[Orcin]

I am still waiting for that hot streak. We trail the Calrissians by 7 games with 43 to play. I have a chance to make up a lot of ground tomorrow with 6 games against them - all at home.

[old timer]

It's great seeing Babe Ruth hit like Babe Ruth. He leads the entire league in HRs with 43 and is on pace for 59 HRs (169 OPS+). He's already broken the team record of 41 HRs by Frank Robinson. Speaking of Robinson, his OPS+ is 163 and I still can't find anywhere for him to play regularly. He plays 1B, LF and RF and I've got Ruth at 1B, Seymour in LF and Ichiro in RF (and Keeler at DH) and they're all doing extremely well. What a bummer!

We're 89-31 .742 and 2nd in RDiff at 357, which is on pace for 482. We might be able to keep this pace up until September, but then we'll suddenly cool off. We've got 3 games vs Stone Island (.846 WPct, 24 game win streak at the moment), 4 vs USC (struggling at .692) and 3 vs the Soniqs (.785) again (I'm really starting to dislike these guys - they always find a way to beat us! It might have something to do with having a superior roster? Nah!) all coming up in September.

[waittilnextyear]

The Frogs (79-43) are having an uneven season, in part due to the competitive conference they're in. Unfortunately, the Fresno Losers have run the Frogs down and then some--the Losers (91-31) have increased their division lead to 12 games effectively clinching the division after the latest 3-game sweep of the Frogs. We've been trading good months with meh months based on the strength of schedule.

As of right now, the Frogs would make the playoffs as the #2 WC. They are 2 games behind the San Angelo Warbirds (81-41) who have gotten hot against a soft part of their schedule. The Frogs lead the Homestead Grays (72-48) by 6 games and the Belfast Dodgers (72-49) by 6.5 games for the final playoff spot. Unfortunate for all of these teams that the best team in the AC Central is currently 18 games under .500 and will undeservingly consume a playoff spot.

The La Crosse offense is still having a poor season (553 runs scored, 6th in AC) but Super Ichiro is leading the conference in batting average (.343) and is among the leaders in WAR (4.9). The bullpen (2.52 ERA) has also been a strength.

Did a run of 150 packs yesterday and got exactly zero cards worth adding to the active roster. I guess that shouldn't be a big surprise provided pack odds combined with how small a fraction of PT cards are actually better than the ones I have already. Did get a pretty steady stream of LIVE diamonds, a couple of decent historical diamonds, and even a 100 Gerrit Cole so we'll recoup most, if not all, of the original investment.

[JasonC23]

(Yes, the title is a Def Leppard reference for absolutely no reason.)

Anyway, go Roger Clemens!

[pappyzan]

Originally Posted by pappyzan

P445, apologies for potato quality pic, current laptop isn't the greatest. 32 PL titles in AC, the other 8 are paired together in NC Central.

P445 update, 6 teams in the AC are typically contenders for the playoffs. Only 5 get in of course, Medici's IB Breakers have been in the playoffs each year for the past 14 seasons but they're in danger of not making it 15.