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Old 01-21-2020, 03:11 PM   #561
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pauwoo View Post
If he doesn't develop some control, I worry that he might kill somebody! Ha!
I always enjoy watching pitchers like this in OOTP. They aren't generally consistently good, but boy when they are on watch out!
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Old 01-22-2020, 08:42 AM   #562
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2080 Season (5/13 – 5/15)

Jacksonville Jaguars (16-21, .432, 5th AL East) @ Miami United (16-21, .432, 6th NL East)
Florida residents have a mental list of essentials – items that are necessary to have in order to cope with life in the sunshine state. These include a good, semi-stylish pair of ray-bans nearby at all times, a sturdy pair of flip-flops, some strong, DEET-filled insect repellant, sunscreen (SPF infinity), and potable water with your reach. In 2080, for fans of Florida baseball, you’ll need all of those things plus a heaping helping of indifference… if you’re a fan, in sickness and in health, we’re making Floridians work for it this year. Jacksonville made the playoffs in 6-straight seasons from 2072 through 2077 and even won the World Series in 2075 before falling on hard times in ’78 (.420 winning percentage), and on harder times in ’79 (.383 winning percentage). So far, 2080 isn’t looking much better – they are winning games at a subpar .432 clip, have no power bats (12th in the AL for HRs), and have the worst bullpen in the American League (12th – Bullpen ERA in the AL). They are not a very good baseball team – plain and simple – so, what does that say about us? We have an identical .432 winning percentage, an equally inept bullpen (12th - Bullpen ERA in the NL), and, while we can hit it out of the park a little bit (6th), we can’t get on base enough (10th) to make it mean anything. So – I guess what I’m saying is the battle for Florida will be contested by two of the worst clubs in the majors, the winner gets a pair of worn-out alligator boots, and, because they have to, the fans will approach it with all the indifference they can muster.

28 of 162: Christopher McAllister (1-1, 3.63) @ Cullen Craig (1-2, 7.71)
Loss, 2-1
. Cullen went the distance, only allowed two runs, K’d 5, and took the loss because our offense is a joke. We could only muster 6 hits, our only RBI went to Kyle Weaver who was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded (MLB rule 10.04(a)(2) – he also hit a double), Magee stole 2 bags, and we left 4 runners stranded despite being in scoring position. Evan Prag, Jacksonville’s LFer, hit a solo homer in the top of the 6th that was the game-winner here – normally, I’d talk some mess about the guy but, as it turns out, he’s a pretty good ballplayer… even made the all-star team last season.

29 of 162: Casey Tucker (2-5, 2.58) @ Radoslav Borovsky (3-2, 3.38)
Loss, 8-3
. I don’t even like alligator boots anyways…. Hamza scored twice and hit two, two-baggers, Magee drove two in, and Anaconda hit a SAC FLY. OH HONG went 0 for 2 with 2 walks… really need him to heat up. Borovsky allowed 5 runs, Sibley allowed 3 in relief – it was a blood bath.

Elsewhere: 2B Sammie Fregoso (SDC) went 3 for 4 with a double, a homer, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs in the Chargers’ 10-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Fregoso, at 37-years old and still going strong, has become the crazy uncle you were warned about… he’s hitting .258/5/21 with 17 SBs, 12 BBs, and a .750 OBP.

30 of 162: Carson Vespa (3-3, 3.93) @ Rad Taylor (4-3, 2.48)
Loss, 5-2
. Rad was just so-so – he gave up 5 runs over 8 innings of work – and our offense was absent once again. Hamza hit a double, 2-run homer for Anaconda, and everyone else didn’t bring much to the party. Not like this was some kind of party – there was no cake, no DJ blasting house tunes… getting swept by Jacksonville, in our park, is difficult to stomach. Harder still is rationalizing the fact that we are a .400 team that has gone 2-8 in its last ten games.
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Old 01-25-2020, 11:23 AM   #563
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2080 Season (5/16 – 5/19)

Philadelphia 76ers (22-18, .550, 2nd NL East) @ Miami United (16-24, .400, 6th NL East)
With an offense that has taken a few steps back after the loss of Palmer Parker to free agency, the 76ers aren’t blowing the doors off their competition. They’re 9th in OBP, OPS, AVG, and wOBA, and are as power-starved a unit as you will come across in the NL at 11th in HRs. It seems like everyone in their lineup is doing their level best to fill Parker’s shoes and failing miserably in the process. With their offense in shambles, it is their pitching that has propped them up so far in 2080 – their starting unit boasts the 2nd best ERA, are 2nd in runs against, and when you get past their gatekeepers and into the Bullpen it doesn’t get any better for you as they are 2nd in Bullpen ERA, and, combined with their starting rotation, are first overall in Pitching WAR. This could be a tough 4-game stretch at home for our club here as our offense is still sputtering along and our bullpen is leaking like a sieve. I mean, we’ve dropped our last 4 at home, included getting swept by our in-state rival last time out, so what’s four more losses in the grand scheme of things – you know, besides being, potentially, the end of my tenure in Miami…

Note: We traded 3B Rueben Johnson to Phoenix for a Reliever. The trade should improve our pen, albeit slightly, and the cost to our already anemic lineup is minimal. Or, that’s our story anyway.

41 of 162: Wilson Pena (2-1, 2.72) @ Kordell Littles (4-3, 3.75)
Win, 7-1
. With the recent trade of 3B Reuben Johnson, we’ve called 2B Magmo Noyola up from Havana – he wasted no time introducing himself in this one with a 2 for 4 effort that included a two-bagger, a homer, 2 RBIs, and a couple of runs, and SP Kordell Littles pitched a complete, 1-run, 5-hit, 9 K masterpiece to befuddle the already perpetually befuddled Philadelphia offense. We snapped our 4-game home skid in emphatic fashion – let’s hope we can ride these good vibes for a few more days like an advancing surfer at Pipe Masters.

42 of 162: Grimm McGowan (4-2, 3.81) @ Harvey Allen (1-3, 4.67)
Win, 8-4
. Magee went off with a 4 for 4 performance that included 2 runs and a bases-clearing triple, Ethan Loy scored twice, and Harvey Allen picked up his 2nd win in 5.1 innings of work. OH HONG drove in two runs, Anaconda scored and recorded an RBI of his own on a solo homer, and we swiped three bags as a unit. Team cycle in this one – doubles for Early and Hamza, the aforementioned triple from Magee, and that jack of Anaconda’s I told you about. New guy Hunter Vaughn got his first hold in a Miami kit in a 2.2 inning effort where he registered 3 K’s.

Elsewhere: Rajkumar Kosciusko went 4 for 6 with two, two-baggers, a homer, and 5 RBIs in the Los Angeles Kings’ 12-6 win over the Denver Miners. He’s hitting .305/.376/.545 so far this year with 8 jacks and 24 RBIs. Paul Bryant, Left fielder in the CITY OF COMPTON, went 3 for 4 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs in the Raiders 7-6 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The former Tennessee Volunteer is hitting .288/.366/.551 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs in AAA. He recently went 4 for 7 with 1 RBI in two wins for Compton during their trip to Havana.

43 of 162: Bill Marvin (4-2, 3.13) @ Cullen Craig (1-3, 6.00)
Loss, 5-2
. Jason Spears gave us the business in this one – he went 4 for 4 with 2 homers and 3 RBIs for the 76ers to lead them to victory. Only Weaver and Loy could drive any in for us here as the offense crumbled under Marvin’s pressure for 7 innings before succumbing to Philly’s bullpen in the 8th & 9th. We had our chances here, but Philly’s staff finally showed up and squashed those opportunities expertly. The worst-case scenario now is a home split… we need a series win here desperately.

Elsewhere: We had ourselves a home run derby in the Bush League tonight with Blake Wilson hitting two jacks for the Roanoke Racoons, Neil Rush smashing two ding dongs for his Mississippi Hound Dogs, and Harley Murphy putting two over the fence for his Dearborn Dilly’s. Interestingly, each team lost their games by two or more runs.

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NCAA Tourney: The annual NCAA May Madness tourney is all set – this year’s unaffiliated division participants include the Ridgemont Community College Tasty Waves, the MIT Equations, San Dimas Community College Wyld Stallyns, and the Wyoming Cowboys. I'll be pulling for the Tasty Waves to ride a cool buzz all the way to their 1st ever NCAA Championship.

44 for 162: Bentley Noonan 92-1, 4.15) @ Radoslav Borovsky (3-3, 3.96)
Win, 3-0
. We’d get a much-needed series win at home here – finally – on the back of a 7.2 inning, 8 K, shutout performance from Radoslav and Kyle Weavers 2 for 3 day. Anaconda and Hamza scored, Weaver and Magee drove runners in, Early hit a double, Anaconda hit a triple, and we got the win despite hitting into three double plays. Team shutout in this one with Radoslav, Murray, and Jeremy Dial all contributing to our best Philadelphia pitching impression. This was a satisfying series that came at the perfect time.

Notes: After a day off we can now head up to Brooklyn with a small measure of confidence after securing the always elusive home series win (we’re no 10-15 at home). Pittsburgh’s Tom Franzone is heating up and now leads the majors in HRs at 16 with Aitor Cubas (SEA) and our own Aris Anaconda tied for 2nd with 14 jacks each. Aris continues to lead the league in WAR at 2.7 – what a season he’s having (let’s try not to think about the fact that our club is squandering it, for now). Cathall Magill (SF), who we traded last season for a lifetime subscription to National Geographic and a bag of donuts, is leading the league in strikeouts at 76 – that's a low-key bummer (but the donuts were delicious, and the latest issue of National Geographic included a tip-top expose on the psychic dangers of immersive holography). After finishing April with a 12-15 record, we’ve been even worse in May (7-10 so far, .412 winning percentage), so, we’ll need to carry this series win forward and use it as a springboard into respectability if we are to meet Elvira’s “playoffs or bust” expectation. A tall order, to be sure, but not one that I’m willing to discount just yet…Also, speaking of Palmer Parker, the newly established Seattleite took home player of the week honors on the back of a 15 for 31 stretch that included 4 dingers, 10 RBIs, and 9 runs, while Rajkumar did the same in the National League with a 15 for 34, 3 HR, 12 RBI week.
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Old 01-25-2020, 04:04 PM   #564
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2080 Season (5/21 – 5/23)

Miami United (19-25, .432, 6th NL East) @ Brooklyn Citizens (22-23, .489, 4th NL East)
James Hinckley’s office is nearly a mile from the ballpark and nestled between a Men’s Barbershop and an Artisan Coffee house that hosts live poetry readings every Thursday night. He likes it this way, having resisted the call to move his office to the ballpark in each of his 20 years as the Brooklyn Citizens GM. Other GMs around the league have bandied many theories about - all intending to explain this odd set-up... he doesn’t want to get to know his players (even though he rarely trades his core talent), he doesn’t like the smell in the locker room (plausible, I don’t either), or, maybe, he just doesn’t like to go far for a fade and a cup of coffee. Who knows... and, more importantly, given that he’s made the playoffs 17 times and won the World Series once doing it his way, who cares? 2080 is looking like a down year for Hinckley’s club - his pitchers have been hornswoggled by rapidly declining ability and past success that seems to suggest a recapturing of former glory is right around the corner. Guys like Merl Crawford and Matthew Krebs have had successful runs in the Majors, but if 2080 is any indication those days are gone, replaced by a more pedestrian version of hurling skillfulness. Add in the unfortunate circumstance of having a middling offense at best and it’s easy to see why the recent scuttlebutt suggests that he has one foot out the door and the other rooted in retirement to the Bahamas. Yan has scheduled us an in-person meeting with Hinckley during this trip... we intend to inquire about a possible player swap and to gain some understanding of what a post-Hinckley Brooklyn might look like (and if it might be a possible landing spot should our run in Miami go tits up). If you don’t keep your options open then you won’t have any - that’s my motto... well, that and ‘when in doubt, eat puttanesca’.

But first… Ridgemont Community College passed their first test of the May Madness tournament, defeating the Villanova Wildcats by a score of 5-1. Low-key pitching prospect Paul Grant went the distance, allowed 9 hits, 1 run, and fanned 7 en route to the victory. RF Edwin Pederson, who looks like a late first-rounder in this year’s draft, went 2 for 3 with a 3-run dinger and two runs in the win. SP Delroy Roberts, of the Wyoming Cowboys, pitched a complete game, 2-hit shutout over the Blue Mountain State Goats (forgot to mention them as another unaffiliated team that made the dance in the previous post) to help his team advance to the second round off a 4-0 victory. MIT and San Dimas Community College were both eliminated in the 1st round.

45 of 162: Rad Taylor (4-4, 2.81) @ Merl Crawford (4-3, 5.26)
Loss, 6-5
. Brooklyn rallied against our bullpen late and walked us off in the bottom of the 11th. This is no way to begin a 3-game set in New York. OH HONG secured 2 RBIs, Saucerman hit a double and scored, Manning hit a 2-run double, and Kyle Weaver laid down two SAC BUNTS. Nothing doing though as our less than crackerjack offense wastes another solid effort from Rad.

Elsewhere: Yan and I met with James Hinckley and found out a few things… first, he’s as stingy as they say, completely unwilling to take on any of our recycled trash for any of his less-than-desirable relievers. Second… he is, indeed, planning to retire at the season’s end and is of the mind that his owner will choose his son as the next general manager of the Citizens… nepotism at it’s finest. The kid has an international finance degree from Yale but never played a game of ball in his life. And, lastly, the artisan coffee served by the Beatnik Beantopia is overly bitter, light-bodied, and stale.

46 of 162: Kordell Littles (5-3, 3.37) @ Matthew Krebs (3-5, 4.08)
Loss, 1-0
. Listen, Cheech’s assertion that Crawford and Krebs were starting their slow descent for the heights they had previously attained wasn’t wrong – it was our overestimation of what our offense could do with that reality that nipped us in the fanny here. Krebs left after the 1st with an undisclosed injury and Brooklyn’s bullpen kept us off-balance the rest of the way. Kordell had one misstep in the bottom of the second when he allowed a runner to get by, but was otherworldly the rest of the way, Saucerman stole his 17th bag of the season, and our infield defense completed three double plays. Offensively we were fanned 7 times, could only manage 5 hits, and only drew a single free pass.

Elsewhere: Ridgemont Community College’s march towards eternity hit a snag when they were unceremoniously dismissed from the tournament by a rowdy band of brigands representing Oklahoma State. The Cowboys won by a score of 4-2, outhit the Tasty Waves 15-6, and survived a late rally attempt in the top of the 8th to advance to the Great 8. Wyoming, however, did not meet the same fate – they defeated the New Mexico State Aggies in a tightly contested 3-2 victory to advance. Wyoming will face the Rice Owls next. At this stage of the game, the smart money is on an OK ST versus USC final.

47 of 162: Harvey Allen (2-3, 5.01) @ Dontrell McNeil (1-3, 7.31)
Loss, 2-1
. If I’m being honest, and why shouldn’t I be, life as the President of Baseball Operations in Miami is anything but rainbows and unicorns. We were walked off in the bottom of the 11th for the second time in this 3-game set, got swept, and couldn’t eke out a win despite having an opportunity to do so in each of these contests. We wasted a 9-inning, 11 K, 1-hitter from Harvey when Jerome Dial, after fanning 3 batters in 1.2 innings of work, gave up the game-winning home run to 2B Kenton McMahon in the bottom of that fateful frame – of note… it was Kenton’s 2nd homerun of the year and 6th of his career that did us in.

Notes: This is our 3rd time being on the wrong side of a sweep this month… our second time being on the wrong end of a sweep at the hands of a division rival, and our lack of confidence, as a result, is pervasive… seeped into the fabric of our being. When Cheech, Yan, and I look at our roster, we feel good about it, when we look at our development system, we feel even better – unfortunately, that good feeling and all the fancy vibes associated with them hasn’t translated to anything of value on the field of play. We need to make some moves, do something drastic to shake this thing up… but, I don’t know what that is. They guys we have that are worth their salt can’t be moved, they factor into my long-term plans, and our mid-range guys are overpaid and underperforming at the moment. We are stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Up next – no rest for the wicked… we’ll welcome the san Francisco Seals to Miami where the 30-win, 1st place in the NL West club will put it on us like they were running a scrimmage against a junior varsity club… good times. That being said – Radoslav, Cullen Craig, Early Felger, Magee Ives, Kordell Littles, Hamza McDonnell, and Kyle Weaver have all been put on the block and Yan has the green light to pull the trigger on any trade involving those guys that tickles her fancy. Mediocrity will not exist in our dojo.
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Old 01-25-2020, 04:34 PM   #565
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2080 Season (Trade)

Traded 28-year-old starting pitcher Radoslav Borovský to the Seattle Sounders, getting 25-year-old reliever Adam Sullivan and 37-year-old reliever Saul Guzman in return. Drafted 28th overall in 2076 by the New York Jets out of UC Santa Barabara, Sullivan bolsters our bullpen at some cost – Radoslav was a solid starter and fan favorite, but we have needs… here we get a top-shelf reliever for a mid-rotation guy at a fraction of the cost. That he finished 3rd in the 2079 AL Kingston Cashmore voting may prove costly in arbitration, it’s a risk we’re willing to shoulder. This one of those, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” type of deals…

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Additional silliness:
  • Placed 3B Bump Stanley on the International League 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/23/2080.
  • Promoted 2B Mattheos Maria from Double-A Barbados to Triple-A Havana.
  • Optioned RP Funky Martín to Triple-A Havana.
  • Demoted SP Orlando Vasquez from Triple-A Havana to Double-A Barbados.
  • Demoted SP Nick Espinal from Triple-A Havana to Double-A Barbados.

Another trade...
Traded 29-year-old right fielder Kyle Weaver and 23-year-old minor league left fielder Jayden Telting to the New York Jets, getting 22-year-old starting pitcher Aiden O'Brien, 27-year-old minor league left fielder Joel Templeton and 22-year-old minor league center fielder Thomas Arrington in return. O’Brien was the 42nd pick of the 2078 draft by the New York Jets out of Ridgemont Community College. Slight decrease in fan loyalty over the move, but, I have no doubt that it will pay big dividends down the road.

Additional Silliness:
  • Optioned SP Cullen Craig to Triple-A Havana.
  • Promoted LF Thomas Arrington from Double-A Barbados to Triple-A Havana.
  • Demoted SP T-Rex Stiles from Triple-A Havana to Double-A Barbados.
  • Demoted LF Benito Mata from Triple-A Havana to Double-A Barbados.

And yet another trade…
Traded 25-year-old second baseman Early Felger, 22-year-old minor league left fielder Benito Mata and 22-year-old minor league second baseman Rodolf Blank to the Pittsburgh Steelers, getting 28-year-old reliever Milt Montemayor and 24-year-old second baseman Scottie Farless in return. I think we fleeced Pittsburgh in this one - Montemayor is a top-flight reliever.

Additional Silliness:
  • RP Sebastian Sibley was designated for assignment and placed on irrevocable waivers.
  • RP Sebastian Sibley was removed from the 40-man roster.

Notes: Yan's been busy - she needs a break... so, we'll get through this set against the Seals, and then get back at it. Kordell & Magee could fetch something snappy, I think.

Okay, I lied... here's one more...

Traded 25-year-old first baseman Magee Ives and 23-year-old minor league closer, Corbin Betancourt, to the Vancouver Giants, getting 21-year-old minor league starting pitcher Adony Moya and 31-year-old first baseman Arnold Webster in return. Webster gives us some additional power, Moya bolsters our already fierce pitching stable.

Other Silliness:
SP Adony Moya was placed on the 40-man roster.
Assigned SP Adony Moya to Double A Barbados.
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Old 01-26-2020, 11:56 AM   #566
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2080 Season (5/24 – 5/26)

San Francisco Seals (30-16, .652, 1st NL West) @ Miami United (19-28, .404, 6th NL East)
It’s difficult to take San Francisco seriously – they’d languished in the land of the also-rans since 2075 with winning percentages in the .400s and no real hope of a future for the bay area. That they’ve emerged from this self-exile to reveal themselves as a card-carrying member of the baseball elite is difficult to parse out. They didn’t buy the best players, their development pantry was missing some staples, and there never seemed to be a plan for a return to prominence – what we have here instead is some strange brand of alchemy that mixes career-years, hyper-development, and luck. Offensively the club is among the best in the NL at getting on base, average at scoring runs, and, generally speaking, power-starved (12th NL). In summation – they are an average offensive ballclub, capable of holding their own against anyone in the league but without that special brand of hitting alchemy that gives opponents fits. Their pitching, however, is a different story – 1st in runs against, starters ERA, and bullpen ERA – these guys are elite from their Ace (SP Max Harrington, 6-1. 1.11 ERA) to the last guy in the bullpen. They are, in short, dominant from the stripe… you have to keep picking at them, battling, just to find an opportunity to make a dent, and, once you’ve found it, they specialize in closing that door until you find yourself locked in a room with no exits, with no idea how you got there, and no route of escape.

48 of 162: Miguel Cejas (5-3, 4.92) @ Randy Kline (1-0, 8.76)
Loss, 6-1
. Cejas went the distance, fanned 8, and only allowed one run… San Francisco’s pitching came in as advertised and blew the doors off our offense. Saucerman went 3 for 4 with a run, Hamza hit an RBI, we stole two bags and committed two boneheaded fielding flubs (Ethan at 3rd and Norton at C). The Flim Flams are in a bad way – this ain’t no baseball team, it’s an albatross.

Elsewhere: SP Julen Morales (STL) threw his first-ever NO HITTER in a 6-0 win over the Phoenix Suns. A Mo Brokaw error cost him the perfect game… Julen pitched 9 IP with 0 H, 0 BB, and 3 K’s, faced 28 batters (thanks Mo), and only needed 87 pitches to get it done. At nearly 35-years old, Julen is having one of his best Major League seasons at 3-3 with a 2.73 ERA. 1.27 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, and a 154 ERA+. The pride of Venezuela will live forever in the annuals of Strangeverse folklore. Also, the Final Four is all set with OK St set to face off against Stanford and the Santa Clara Broncos preparing for a date with the Rice University Owls.

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49 of 162: Frederick Long (2-2, 4.91) @ Aiden O’Brien (3-5, 6.57)
Loss, 10-3
. Saul Guzman, who I, for some unknown reason, love, gave up 6 runs in the top of the 7th. SMH. And, because why not, Long went the distance for SF, fanned 9, and only allowed 3 runs to score. Anaconda and OH HONG both found their way home, Webster hit his 1st RBI as a ‘Mingo, and Hamza hit his 13th double of the year.

Elsewhere: Radoslav Borovsky (SEA) went 8.2 innings while allowing only 2 hits and no runs in Seattle’s 5-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons. That makes me feel crappy… Also, SP Cullen Craig, who we sent down to Havana after our recent trading spree, hurled a complete game, 5-hit shutout with 7 K’s in a 3-0 win over the Sugar Land Skeeters.

50 of 162: Javier Cuello (1-0, 1.65) @ Rad Taylor (4-4, 2.90)
Loss, 3-2
. Aargh! Rad was RADICAL in an 8 inning, 5-hit, 10 K performance where he allowed only one earned run… but, same as it ever was, our offense gave him nothing and our bullpen ruined it – SF wins it with a run scored in the top of the 10th off Jerome Dial. This will be Jerome’s 2nd blown save of the year. And, we’ve now been swept in B2B series.

Elsewhere: Otto Isaac (COM), in a rehab start against the Spokane Steelheads, went 3 for 4 with THREE HOMERS, SEVEN RBIs, and 3 runs in Compton’s 9-5 win. Welcome back, young man, may you have fair winds and following seas from here on out… OK State and Rice will play for the National NCAA Championship – whatever.

Notes: I’ll be keeping my bags packed, screening my calls, and doing my level best to avoid any interactions with Elvira Hancock. We’re traveling to San Diego next… so, if I can just get on the plane without seeing her, I can avoid my certain firing for at least a few more days.
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Old 01-29-2020, 10:28 PM   #567
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2080 Season (5/27 – 5/29)

Miami United (19-31, .380, 6th NL East) @ San Diego Chargers (26-23, .531, 3rd NL West)
A trip to San Diego is something to get excited about – world-class sushi, ceviche at La Perla del Pacifico, attractive people walking around in varying states of undress… it really is a paradise in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, we’re here on business – tasked with bringing our insufferable brand of baseball to town and to act as the whipping boy for a team that, prior to last year’s improbable unscathed sojourn through the playoffs, often played that role with expertise earned during three straight years of futility. And, same as it ever was, we’ll arrive in town at the perfect time for our opponent – 8-2 in their last 10, 12-11 so far this month… they’re coming off back-to-back sweeps over the Kings and the Citizens, and recently took 3 of 4 off of the NL West-leading San Francisco Seals. Basically, we’re in for it – set up to fail against the 2nd rated pitching staff in the NL and likely to be pummeled by the 4th rated offense. Three days of getting smashed by the Chargers, gorging myself on ceviche, and an insane amount of tequila shots are definitely in my future – could be worse, I suppose, I could sit behind a desk for a living,

51 of 162: Kordell Littles (5-4, 3.18) @ Jack Grace (4-3, 5.93)
Win, 4-0
. Who? What? Kordell gave us 7 innings of 3-hit ball, allowed no runs, and fanned 7 batters, and Magmo Noyola went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run. OH HONG went 2 for 4 with a run, our new center fielder hit a 2-run two-bagger, and we managed to put four runs on the board despite getting caught with our hand in the honey pot twice. Another recent addition, RP Adam Sullivan, pitched two hitless innings in relief. We broke our 6-game losing streak here – finally something to feel good about.

Elsewhere: CF Ethan Mullens (VAN) went 3 for 4 with a 3-run dinger and 4 runs in the Giants’ 10-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Mullens hasn’t quite lived up to the expectation a $31M annual salary hangs around your neck so far – he’s hitting .268 with 9 HRs and 28 RBIs this season. He has hit two homers in his last three games though, so maybe he’s starting to turn the corner.

52 of 162: Julian Horne (6-1, 2.53) @ Peter Garcia (3-4, 2.28)
Win, 4-2
. Another day, another debut, another win… new SP Julian Horne went 7.2 innings, allowed 6 hits, 2 earned runs and fanned 7 batters in his debut with the Pink Tops and Aris Anaconda went yard during a 2 for 4 day at the park. The club hit three out today with Gordon and Norton joining the party. Noyola, who was our offensive player of the game yesterday, went 0 for 4 with 3 Ks. Kids these days, man…

Elsewhere: The Rice Owls are your 2080 NCAA Champions! They won a close one against the Stanford Cardinal by a score of 6-5. Blue-chip prospect SP Michael Galeno pitched 6 innings, allowed 4 runs, and fanned 10 batters – a bit uneven, sure, but at 18-years old the sky is the limit for this kid.

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53 of 162: Harvey Allen (2-3, 4.14) @ Cason Torres (4-3, 5.37)
Win, 5-3
. Road sweep! Only my pink tops can get swept twice in a row, at home, and then hit the road, against the defending champions, and take all three off of them… OH HONG went 2 for 5 with a double, a dinger, 3 RBIs, and a run, Harvey gave us 7 hard-scrabble innings of work (7 hits, 3 earned, 3 K’s), and RP Adam Sullivan, who pitched in all three of these contests, picked up his 2nd hold since joining the club.

Elsewhere: CF Lonzo Gonzo (PHX), an old favorite of mine, went 4 for 6 with a two-bagger, 3 RBIs and 3 runs in the Suns’ 16-10 win over Tom Franzone and the rest of his merry yinzers. Lonzo is hitting an insane .373 so far this year but only has one long ball and 23 riblets to show for it. He’s not engaging in much thievery so far either… Phoenix doesn’t seem to know how to use him. What else is new?

Notes: Well, that was unexpected… Julian Horne had some elbow stiffness after his debut, he’ll likely miss a start, maybe two… but, outside of that, we came through this set large, in charge, and unscathed. We’ll have a much-need respite from the grind tomorrow before heading to Atlanta for some interleague silliness – hopefully, we can carry some of what we had going for us in San Diego to Hotlanta. They’re not great – but, overall, they are still a better ballclub than we are. Cheech and I will be working on our draft strategy over the next few days – we’re about 6 days away from the event and are in possession of the 11th overall pick. We’re hoping that RF Edwin Pederson or SP Alfred Wallace will still be available… and, lastly, the Continental League will be back underway in a couple of days – So, if nothing else, taking in a few games in Barbados is in my (near) future.
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Old 02-07-2020, 10:28 PM   #568
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2080 Season (5-31 – 6/2)

Miami United (22-31, .415, 6th NL East) @ Atlanta Falcons (27-28, .491, 3rd AL East)
In the top-heavy AL East, where the Carolina Panthers are busying themselves by running roughshod over all comers, the Atlanta Falcons, the artist formerly known as the Green Bay Packers, are making a comfortable middle class living so far in 2080. They top out at 3rd in AVG and 4th in Steals but are 5th or worse everywhere else with their starting pitching being the anchor that is keeping them from setting sail towards the top of the pops. Youngster Vance Johnson (.314/.361/.503, 8 HRs, 25 RBIs) leads the way offensively, while RP Al Bundy (of Polk Community College fame (or is it infamy?)) is leading the team in wins as a set-up man. This is our club's first trip to the land of Pimento Cheese, fried chicken, and hummingbird cake… so, except for the shoddy job our travel department did in booking our accommodations for this trip, we should be free from distractions by virtue of not knowing where to find them yet. Well, that’s probably wishful thinking, because… internet.

54 of 162: Randy Kline (1-1, 8.47) @ Tommy Matthieu (5-3, 3.17)
Loss, 5-4
. Jeremy Glickstein’s (ATL) solo homer in the bottom of the 6th was the difference maker as the Falcons bullpen shackled our offense over the game’s final 3 innings. CF Bill Gordon went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs, OH HONG also hit .750 on the day with a two-bagger and two RBIs, and Kline gave us 5 innings of work while allowing all 5 of Atlanta’s runners to plate. Three doubles for the club (Marshburn put one on the board to go along with the other two), a SAC FLY for Manookian, a SAC BUNT for Anaconda, and two expertly turned double plays weren’t enough to get it done for the ‘Mingos here. We battled, which I like, but just didn’t have enough in the tank to take this one over the finish line.

Elsewhere: 1B Yoshimasa Sugawara, the former bush-leaguer done good, went 3 for 3 with a double, a dinger, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs for the Kings in their 8-4 win over the Portland Timbers. The Kings are still sitting at 3rd place on the NL West table and are 3-7 for their last 10 contests. I wouldn’t exactly say that their club is turning the corner, but they can see it off in the distance, for sure. Palmer Parker (SEA) took the BoTM award in the AL for the month of May… the 2-time Boyce recipient hit .362 with 10 jacks and 29 RBIs over the last 31 days. In the National League, Jason Spears, of Palmer’s old club (76ers), took home that same honor on a .386 average with 9 jacks and 23 RBIs – Palmer who? Am I right?

55 of 162: Rad Taylor (4-4, 2.74) @ Jason Bangs (3-5, 6.18)
Loss, 2-1
. Man, oh, man… Rad deserves so much better from us. He gave us another stellar outing (8.1 IP, 2 ER, and 9 Ks) and we, as is our wont, offered him nothing in support. Atlanta Catcher, Chris Levesque, was the offensive hero in this one – he finished 2 for 4 with a walk-off solo HR in the bottom of the 9th off of Rad (our fault though – we should have taken him out given his 128 PC). Manookian swiped two bags and Gordon hit a two-bagger – that’s the good stuff – plus we committed two fielding flubs, hit into 3 double plays, and left 6 guys stranded – that’s the bad stuff. It’s the standard roller coaster style of play we’ve become accustomed to… one series we’re sweeping the defending champs, the next we’re having our asses handed to us by a ho-hum ballclub with a dumb team mascot.

Elsewhere: The Continental League started its 2nd season of play today… our own Barbados based Tridents won a dog fight in extras against the Terrapins on the road in Chula Vista by a score of 9-7. Nice. We’ll take it. Meanwhile, in the Bush League, SP Cody Silas, of the Shreveport Sashimi Samurai, took a no-hitter 7.2 innings before allowing Bowling Green’s CF Rowan Calvin to hit a double. He was lifted before the start of the eighth and his ball club lost the game in extras by a score of 2-1.

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56 of 162: Kordell Littles (6-4, 2.90) @ Gregory Morgan (3-4, 3.24)
Win, 2-0
. We avoided the sweep despite Kordell’s less-than-stellar 6.1 innings of work and were bolstered in this one by Norton Manning’s solo HR in the top of the 8th. Murray Wagner sniped the win in relief, Dial picked up his 7th save of the year, OH HONG recorded two hits and an RBI, and Saucerman stole his 22nd bag of the season. Let’s be honest, this game was short on excitement, but, when it’s about getting wins at any cost, who really cares about aesthetics?

Elsewhere: Legend Otto Isaac is back in the Majors after a rehab stint in Compton and went 3 for 5 with a 3-run jack and 2 runs of his own for the Kings during their 15-5 win over Portland. Now that he’s back, they should be able to take that corner like they're on rails and finally start making some power moves in the NL West… SP T-Rex Stiles, of our Havana Sugar Kings, earned his FIRST win of the year after a hard-earned 7.2 inning effort against the Salem Silverbacks – Havana won the game by a score of 7-5 and improved to 23-26 on the year.

Notes: That was a tougher series than it should have been… I think. Who knows really? When I look at my roster, I feel like we should be better than we are, but the results tell the only story that matters and according to the numbers… we suck. And, speaking of suckage, there could be a whole lot more of that on the horizon as we are heading to Carolina to face off against the AL East leading Panthers for 3 games before a quick jaunt to Philly to lock horns with the 76ers for 4 games. No rest for the Pink Tops here… if we navigate these next seven anything like our last 7 there’s a good chance that I’ll arrive back at the houseboat to find it engulfed in flames with local United Fans doing the forbidden dance on the dock.
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Old 02-08-2020, 04:18 PM   #569
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2080 Season (6/3 – 6/5)

Miami United (23-33, .411, 6th NL East) @ Carolina Panthers (30-25, .545, 2nd NL East)
Carolina can hit. They’re 1st in AVG, OBP, OPS, and wOBA, and 2nd in Runs Scored and bWAR – they do lack in the power department, but they are built on speed, moving runners over, and wrecking the base path. Pitching is average with a starting rotation that is a bit top-heavy – after their Ace, Matt Martin (6-2, 2.84) and their #2, Lee Myers (5-3, 3.95) the talent drop-off gets steep in a hurry. They have the look of a club that can make a run at the top prize, though it remains to be seen if their Front Office has the mettle to go after some pitching improvements before the trading deadline. 2077’s AL Boyce Rigg winner, 1B Pablo Madera, still leads the offense – he’s put together a better-than-respectable campaign thus far at .372/.414/.516, 11 HRs, 35 RBIs and is tied for 2nd overall in WAR with Jason Spears (PHI). It’s easy to get up for a trip to Charlotte – it’s a great town with a rock-solid brewery scene and a populace that verges on being too accommodating, so I’ll find plenty of opportunities to hole up with Cheech to put the finishing touches on our draft strategy… it’s just too bad that our club isn’t playing with more verve – it’s hard to stay excited about the baseball when our club is playing like a traveling rock band that can’t seem to get their bass player and drummer on the same page. After all, a disjointed rhythm section only serves to weaken the foundation of the band and even the most virtuosic of lead guitarists will struggle to build anything of value on top of that mess.

57 of 162: Cullen Craig (1-4, 6.14) @ Adam White (3-1, 4.53)
Loss, 4-3
. We battled admirably, Cullen gave us a solid 8.1 inning effort where he only allowed 3 runs, and Anaconda hit a 3-run blast that tied things up in the top of the 5th. From there we went flat and spent 5 more innings trying to sort things out until Larry Wronski hit a solo shot off of Jerome Dial during the bottom of the 10th. Again, we battled here, there was no quit in our guys – but, if we don’t start getting some results in these close games, I fear our club is just going to pack it in and start going through the motions. Who knows, maybe they’re in that mode already – I mean, for Pete’s sake we’re 0-14 in 1-Run games… that’s ‘snake-bit’ defined.

Elsewhere: SP Orlando Vasquez, the #80 prospect in baseball and a member of our Barbados Tridents, pitched a complete game, 7-hit shutout over Chula Vista in a nice bounce-back performance from the Trident who improved to 2-1 on the year after securing the victory here by a score of 1-0. 2B Rick Casablanca’s solo HR in the bottom of the 2nd was all we’d need to secure the victory. Of note: We’re 2-1 and currently have a -5 rDiff.

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58 of 162: Harvey Allen (3-3, 4.10) @ Matt Martin (6-3, 2.84)
Loss, 3-1
. Harvey was solid over 8 innings of work – he allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and fanned 6 – but our offense struggled again in managing only a single run against starter Martin before being closed out unceremoniously by Carolina’s bullpen. Carolina’s Jonah Dove led the offensive effort for the Panthers – he went 2 for 3 with a solo HR and 1B Pablo Madera put his 12th ball out of the park for the bad guys. Outside of Allen’s gritty performance, not much of value to highlight for the Pink Tops… it’s a sad state of affairs.

Elsewhere: Tom Franzone (PIT) went off for Pittsburgh during their 11-3 win over the New York Jets… the most likely candidate for this year's Boyce award went 3 for 4 with 2 dingers, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs in the win. St. Louis’ SP Ash Newman pitched a complete game, 6-hit shutout for the Rams to lead them to a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Reds BC. In fact, and it pains me to point this out, the ‘Mingos were the only NL East team to lose against the AL East in interleague play today as Montreal, Philly, and Brooklyn were all victorious for the National League. In Continental League play, SP Jean-Jacques Turgeon, of the Bremerton (WA) Yardies, pitched a complete game, 3-hit shutout with 9 Ks to lead his club to an 8-0 victory over the Fontana Venom. Turgeon is a long shot for future greatness… he’s rated low in movement (not wonderful) and is considered ‘fragile’ when it comes to injury proneness (that won’t bode well…). He’s got a cool, movie star-ish first name though… so, maybe there’s a future for him in the entertainment business.

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The 2080 Draft: This is not the deepest draft I’ve seen… in fact, I’d say that it’s sort of a disappointing one – however, we should get some value out of our first two picks and will highlight any low-key amethysts in the rough we find… I’m just not seeing the type of generational maybe I usually do here… time will tell, of course, but given the research Cheech and I have done neither of us is super excited about making picks after the second round.

The Top 3 Picks:
Jacksonville Jaguars (Rnd 1, Pick 1): SP Myeong-Seok Moon, Binghamton Bearcats

This one was a bit of a surprise, Moon is good with the potential to develop into something a couple of ticks above that, but Cheech and I had this guy going 7-10. There are better pitchers on the board, so, I’m not sure what the Jaguars play is here – but, what they get in Moon is a durable arm that tops out at 101 MPH with great stuff/movement potential and poor control. The kid has a major league ready fastball with a Changeup and Forkball that aren’t too far behind.

Denver Miners (Rnd 1, Pick 2): SP River Hudson, UCLA Bruins
Another surprising selection… a power pitcher with velocity reaching up to 99 MPH who tracks to develop killer stuff with a great fastball and a better-than-good slider/changeup combo. He’s durable, well-liked by his teammates and had a sub 2.00 ERA in each of his seasons at UCLA. This is a good pick, one that likely addresses a need – but, they left some pretty solid talent on the board to reach for this guy. What did Shawna’s brain trust see that we didn’t?

Houston Texans (Rnd 1, Pick 3): SP Alfred Wallace, Grand Lakes University Hooters
Another reach – that’s three in a row. Here’s a guy who is not quite as powerful a power pitcher as the two selected in front of him but he does top out at 97 MPH, has great stuff, a killer fastball, and his slider/changeup isn’t far behind. He’s a strong kid of Danish origin who could make an impact with some development in the Minors – I look at him like a Michael Brisk type – always solid, sometimes good, and occasionally great with a flair for wiggling his way out of compromising situations (both in life and on the mound). He’ll be fun – and perhaps will make an all-star game or three.

Our Top 2 Picks:
Rnd 1, Pick 11: C Michael Wilson, Pittsburgh Panthers
Cheech is higher on this guy than I am, but, passing on the ever-elusive Catcher who can both play the position and hit proved too difficult to fight… add in that the kid is seen as a leader with an ability to adapt (he’ll need that in Miami) and who possesses a renowned work ethic and this really was a no brainer for Cheech and I. He’ll be difficult to sign – but, if we can clear that hurdle, Wilson tracks to be a good line-drive hitter with a little bit of pop and an above-average patience at the plate. He could be our catcher of the future.

Rnd 2, Pick 12: RF Evan Colon, LSU Tigers
Cheech and I are reaching a bit here… Colon, in addition to having a stellar ‘stache, is a wizard in the field who is still developing at the plate but looks to have the tools necessary to develop into a guy who hits for average and draws a lot of walks – he’s also durable, good at running the bags, and is dutiful in his approach to baseball… like a good soldier content to go about his business for the greater good. We’ll turn him loose in Barbados and see what he can do – if we’re right, he’ll become a mainstay on the big club, if not – well that would be par for the course.

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59 of 162: Randy Kline (1-2, 8.59) @ Dontell Wilburn (1-1, 6.23)
Win, 9-4
. For the 2nd series in a row, we woke up just in time to avoid the sweep… Magmo went 4 for 5 with a two-bagger, an RBI, and 2 runs, OH HONG hit s 2-run jack and scored twice, and Kline worked for 7.1 innings, gave up 4 runs, and still got the W (somewhere deep inside the clubhouse Rad & Kordell are busying themselves by plotting their revenge). Two doubles (Magmo & Anaconda), a triple (Marshburn), and a homer (HONG) complete the team cycle, Manookian stole three bags, and we survived another Madera homer to hold on for the victory in this one.

Notes: Sure, it’s nice to record the win in game three, but all it really does is underscore our complete inability to play up to our potential night in and night out. Frustration is a constant emotion when you’re the Vice President of Baseball Operations for a club like the ‘Mingos. Up next is a 4-game foray through Philadelphia, followed by some home-cooking' against the St. Louis Rams. Philly will be tough, harrowing even, and we’ll start things off by facing good ol’ Cliff Slavinski in the first of four games. I’m sure he’s looking forward to showing Yan and I all the reasons our trading him was stupid. Something to look forward to, I suppose.
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Old 02-09-2020, 12:58 PM   #570
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2080 Season (6/6 – 6/9)

Miami United (24-35, .407, 6th NL East) @ Philadelphia 76ers (31-28, .525, 3rd NL East)
The Post-Parker era has started off pretty well for Philadelphia in some respects – they’re winning games at a 53% clip, are only 4 ½ games off the pace with plenty of runway left and boast a +6 rDiff despite their many offensive challenges (AVG, OBP, and OPS come to mind – 10th or worse in each category). Pitching/Defense has been the key – 2nd in ZR, 3rd in Defensive Efficiency, and 4th in Runs Against… Philly knows how to buckle down on defense and their pitching staff is just serviceable enough for the defensive unit to cover up for the rest. SP Grimm McGowan looks like he will miss some significant time after leaving his last start early – the jury is still out on that one, but the bad news would seem to be in the mail – and without him in the rotation, Miami castaway, SP Cliff Slavinski, will have to shoulder the load for an already slightly anemic rotation. Offensively, 3B Jason Spears is quietly putting together his best campaign in some time and at .349/.403/.563, 12 HR, 45 RBIs, 3.1 WAR so far this year looks to have recaptured some of the form he put on display in 2074 when he won the second of his two Boyce Rigg awards. We’ll have our work cut out for us here – this is not the Philadelphia of 2079, that much is certain, but they still play a hard to beat brand of baseball and, here in their park, will, undoubtedly, have their efforts supported vigorously by a raucous home crowd.

60 of 162: Rad Taylor (4-5, 2.69) @ Cliff Slavinski (4-6, 4.34)
Win, 6-2
. Finally, Rad comes out, does his thing, and our offense gives him enough support to be rewarded with a win for his efforts… 8.1 innings of work, 9 hits for the bad guys, 1 run against, and 1 fanned batter (okay, so Rad’s thing tonight was a bit off… but, he should be on the karma payment plan at this point so I expect more good fortune to come his way). Anaconda went 2 for 4 with a solo-HR, Bill Gordon finished 3 for 5 with a two-bagger, a triple, an RBI, and a run, and OH HONG broke the tie in the top of the 5th innings by drawing a bases-loaded walk with two-outs already on the board for Philadelphia… take that Slavinski, that’s why you don’t work here anymore. Also, we completed 5 double plays as a team today – that has to be some kind of team record, I’d think… definitely the most we’ve completed in a single game in 2020.

61 of 162: Kordell Littles (6-4, 2.69) @ Bentley Noonan (3.92)
Win, 7-5
. It was the OH HONG show in this one (finally) as he went 3 for 4 with a two-bagger, an RBI, 2 runs, and a walk – he opened the flood gates in the top of the 9th putting us up by one with his run-scoring double before being brought around by Norton. Kordell was solid, nothing fancy in his 6 innings, 11 hit, 3 earned effort where he handed out as many free passes as Ks (2, each), Dial got the Save, his 9th of the year, Noyola & Anaconda added doubles, and Manookian swiped another bag (his 9th). We’re looking good again all the sudden, all chesty and confident in front of baseball’s most rowdy fans. Listen, Yan, Cheech, and I like what we see – but, it’s still hard to discern what version of our club is the one we should pay attention to.

Elsewhere: San Francisco’s SP Max Harrington flirted with a no-no until the 7th inning of their 1-0 win over the San Diego Chargers when DH Rich Morgan managed to sneak one by the infield on a little bloop that should have been picked up for an easy out had it not been for the aggressive shift San Francisco employed. Overthinking it, you ask me. SP Rob Valenzuela, of the Bremerton Yardies, pitched a complete-game, 4-hit shutout over the San Bernardino Sea Lions in Continental League action – the young hurler added 12 Ks to his permanent record in Bremerton’s 1-0 road victory.

62 of 162: Cullen Craig (1-4, 5.60) @ Wilson Pena (3-4, 3.69)
Win, 4-1
. Make it 4 in a row for the Pink Tops – our form has, suddenly, come in like a violent high tide subverting the Farmer’s Almanac… Cullen went the distance, allowed only 3 hits, 1 run, and even fanned a batter, Bill Gordon went 4 for 6 with a couple of RBIs, and this one wasn’t decided until we put three runs on the board in the top of the 12th. We stole 5 bags in this one, just wrecking the base paths, got a SAC FLY from Manookian, and found a way to stay focused, sharp, and to do all the little things required to bring this win home. It would seem like we are determined to end this road trip on a high note – it’s not that we blew a gasket before hitting the 500-mile mark, it’s that we managed to find a reputable mechanic in Surprise, AZ without running into Grace to mess it all up… it’s either you flip a donut and head back home with your tail stuck firmly between your legs or you get the quick fix, put the blinders on, and keep on keeping on…

Elsewhere: We’d see our 2nd near-hit no-no in Strangeverse in as many days as Carolina’s SP Adam White whitewashed the Jacksonville Jaguars for 8 innings before Page Sommers broke up his bid at immortality. This one was no blooper at least as Sommers hit one into the gap for an easy single… Carolina won the game by a score of 12-0, so, even without the no-no, they left with a lot to feel good about. And, lastly, I’ve been avoiding this one because it seems like every time that I announce a hitting streak the player in question goes hitless in his very next contest – but, Toronto’s 2B Julian Etcheverry’s 39-game hitting streak came to an end against the New York Jets as he went 0 for 3 in a 5-1 loss on the road. The 39-game hitting streak ties him for 4th all-time with Micah Hudson (who accomplished the feat in 2008) and Nathaniel Littlejohn (who did it in 2048). Of note, Carolina’s 1B Pablo Madera put a 44-game hitting streak together in 2077 which is 3rd all-time.

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63 of 162: Harvey Allen (3-4, 3.99) @ Tim Gage (0-0, 1.13)
Loss, 1-0
. Harvey was lights out – he gave up one run in the 7th, fanned 7, and only walked 1 in 8 innings of work… Saucerman was busy, 3 for 4 (with nothing else), but our anemic offense was extra iron deficient and could only muster 5 hits while fanning 11 times. Would’ve been overjoyed with the sweep here but instead will have to settle for dropping to 0-15 in 1-run contests so far in 2080 while managing to, somehow, navigate these 13 road games with an 8-5 record.

Elsewhere: Los Angeles 3B Dontrell Gay went 4 for 6 with 2 homers, 7 RBIs and 2 runs in the Kings’ 20-7 win over the Denver Miners. The single-game performance moves Dontrell into 4th on the rankings with a game score of 97. 1B Bakari Konate finds himself at the top of that ranking with a 101 game score during the same tilt after going 3 for 5 with a double, 2 dingers, 6 RBIs, and 4 runs. The joys of playing at altitude were never illustrated so clearly…

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Notes: Finally, some measure of road success (or just success in general) for the ‘Mingos. This is something to feel good about, an 8-5 road trip contested against some really good ball clubs, and something that we hope to look back on as a turning point in what has been a harrowing season so far. We’re still the caboose in the NL East, we still have a lot of work to do, Yan is still looking to make some improvements through trades, and there will be no rest for the wicked if we are to work our way into wild-card contention. Tina Turner said it best… “the road, honey, the road to peace of mind and love is long, winding, with dangerous curves, bump ups, downs, smiles, and frowns”. Reaching our potential, after doing our level best to subvert it so far in 2080, will require all the mettle we can muster – it will require steadfast belief, in ourselves, the process, and each other. 2080 has, no doubt, been a frustrating mess – but here, after this recent stretch of well-played baseball, our merry band of misfits needs to stay focused on moving forward with no attention paid to the naysayers who want to rip away our confidence, tear it to shreds, and dance on the empty vessel left behind after that complete & thorough dressing down. The Miami Flim Flams will have their revenge on Strangeverse… mark my words.
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Old 02-12-2020, 07:24 PM   #571
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2080 Season (6/11 – 6/12)

St. Louis Rams (32-32, .500, t-3rd NL East) @ Miami United (27-36, .429, 6th NL East)
After a long, successful (by our standards) road trip, we’re afforded a day off to reacclimate ourselves to Miami before welcoming the St. Louis Rams to town for a quickie two-game set. At 32-32, the Rams find themselves tied for 3rd in the NL East with the recently struggling Philadelphia 76ers (you’re welcome), are 5-5 over their last ten games, and just sort of shuffling along so far in 2080 like a club that, while not necessarily satisfied with their lot in life, can’t quite figure out where they need to start to improve it. The pitching is below average with only the insufferable Julen Morales putting his best foot forward at 6-3, 2.43 ERA, and his 1st No-No officially on the books a scant 3 appearances ago – after him, in all his 34-year old glory, the drop off is steep and the ground beneath littered with the corpses of games that should have been wins. As a unit they leak runs like a sieve (11th in Runs Scored), rarely start off on the good foot (11th Starters ERA), and don’t get much in relief after that (6th Bullpen ERA). The offense is better, a respectable unit that finds itself rated in the top half of the National League in most categories, though they top out at 5th in each of those… LF Shawn Sullivan is on the IL for 9 more days and 2B Mike Duncan is working hard to pull up the slack from the leadoff spot with a .320/.376/.383 line that includes 15 SBs, 34 runs, and 17 RBIs. The Rams are representative of the type of ballclub we have to beat when they visit Miami – simply put, we can’t let these guys beat us if we are to have any chance at shoving our way into wildcard contention.

64 of 162: John Aivazian (3-4, 5.16) @ Randy Kline (2-2, 7.67)
Win, 4-3
. We’d get our very first 1-run win of the season in this one – 1-15 in 1-run games feels a lot better than it should… Saucerman went 2 for 4 with a 2-run dinger and a run, Kline gave us 6 strong innings, walked 4, K’d 5, and only allowed 3 runs to score, and Marshburn drove two in. Two doubles, a jack, and another Manookian theft for the club here – plus two double plays and Dial’s 10th save of the season. 29K+ and Carnival Cruise Lines Ballpark were treated to some rip-roaring baseball from the club tonight even if none of our heavy hitters contributed… this is a team sport, and when your team has the structure of swiss cheese, you’ll take it where you can get it.

Elsewhere: SP Felan West, of the Mobile Mallards, hurled a complete-game, 4-hit shutout over the Stockton Sailors and recorded a whopping 12 strikeouts in the process… Mobile won the game by a score of 5-0. West was the 108th pick of the 2079 draft and has started to pick up some steam in the Golden State development system – he’s still an MLB long-shot though. C Michael Wilson, of your BARBADOS TRIDENTS, went 3 for 4 with two, two-baggers, 4 riblets, 2 runs and a walk in our A-Club’s 8-6 win over the Amarillo Armadillos. Wilson, of course, was our 1st pick of this year’s draft (11th overall), and is already doing his level best to make Cheech and I look pretty smart – so if the kid never makes the big club (unlikely), at least he’s got that feather in his cap.

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65 of 162: Cosmo Puente (1-5, 9.00) @ Rad Taylor (5-5, 2.56)
Win, 12-2
. Rad gave us 7 innings of work, allowed two runs, and struck out 6… he got a little wild at the end though and was lifted at the start of the eighth inning after doling out 6 free passes… Anaconda went 1 for 4 with a GRAND SLAM in the bottom of the 4th, Webster hit his first long ball as a ‘Mingo and drove in 3 runs, we hit 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homers as a club, had a near brawl after Manookian got pegged in his lower back, turned 4 double plays, and flat out destroyed the Rams. Their walk of shame back to the airport begins now… get your snaps uploaded to Instagram with the quickness, Miami fans – these kinds of opportunities are rare around these parts.

Elsewhere: 24-year-old Havana Sugar Kings pitcher T-Rex Stiles had a strong outing against the Gwinnett Stripers at Sugar Cane Fields today, keeping them off the scoreboard the whole game. He struck out 3 in the 4-0 win and walked 0 while surrendering 7 hits.

Notes: Conjuring my best McConaughey.. well – alright, alright, alright – now we’re playing some baseball! 7-3 over our last ten contests and closing the gap on the St. Louis Rams – 5th place here we come. OH HONG is starting to dial things in a bit - .295/.362/.385 with 3 HRs and 20 RBIs – we still need him to stretch a few more balls out of the park though. Anaconda at .300/.368/.584 with 18 jacks and 54 RBI (trending 135) has been flat out otherworldly so far, Rad continues to stay focused and give us good starts (even though our offense can’t seem to show up when he’s on the mound), and our Starters ERA has improved to 2nd in the NL (I knew those were good trades the whole time). Things are starting to look up in the Capital of Latin America for our ‘Mingos and with Shawna’s Denver Miners coming to town for a 4 game parlay we have a great opportunity to keep the good times rolling until the Kings drop by after the Colorado-based ballclub heads somewhere else. Also, because I haven’t looked in on him in a while, it’s comforting to see that Dallas’ Jo Jo Jackson is leading the league in whiffs at 110 – if you’re counting, and why wouldn’t you be, that’s a whopping 28 more K’s than the next guy on the list…
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Old 02-14-2020, 11:37 AM   #572
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2080 Season (6/13 – 6/16)

Denver Miners (23-42, .354, 6th NL West) @ Miami United (29-36, .446, 6th NL East)
Shawna’s club can hit. They can score (4th in the NL), they can run the bases (2nd in the NL), and they hit the long ball with some regularity (3rd in the NL). What they can’t do is pitch – at altitude, at sea level, everywhere in between, doesn’t matter – they just can’t do it. The best Starter has a 4.52 ERA (Miguel Machado, 27yo, no movement) and their bullpen arms are no better. It’s as if Shawna’s brain trust purposely built the worst pitching staff in all of baseball – you can’t assemble something this below average without trying really hard to break something. At 4-7 so far in June, 3-7 in their last 10, and 23-42 overall, the Denver Miners inaugural season in Colorado has been a bust. They’re trending to earn their worst winning percentage of the last 10 seasons and, despite attracting more fans in Denver than they did in Minnesota last season, are doing their level best to make a horrible first impression. When Shawna came on the scene, swiping Oklahoma City’s ball club like a thief in the night, the general consensus was that she, with her hyper-focus on neuroscience and analytics, represented a sea change for the establishment. Instead, and this may have a lasting negative impact, she’s created a template to follow for miserly owners who are more inclined to make money than win. In that regard, the fleecing of a municipality for profit, Shawna is worth her weight in gold – a case study for profiteers, the template by which you sell wolf tickets and get away with it. This is a gimme, 4-game parlay – an automatic shot from 4-inches out on some perfectly manicured and level green – unfortunately for us, the foursome that is Major League Baseball requires that we take the shot anyway, that we drill down and focus on this most mundane and automatic of tasks… and, that’s where a club like mine runs into problems… especially at home where we are playing .400 ball.

66 of 162: Miguel Machado (4-6, 4.52) @ Kordell Littles (7-4, 2.81)
Win, 9-3
. Off to a rip-roaring start… Ethan Loy went 2 for 4 with 2 JACKS, 5 RBIs, and 2 runs, Anaconda hit a solo HR (his 19th) and scored a couple of times, and Kordell gave us 8 innings with 8 K’s and 3 ERs. SAC FLY for Saucerman, two double plays, and Bill Gordon managed to steal a bag, get caught trying to steal a bag, and found himself on the wrong side of a fielding flub. We really got after Denver’s pitching today, gave our hometown faithful something to feel good about, and kept the good times rolling if only for one more day.

Elsewhere: 1B Tom Franzone (PIT) went 3 for 5 with a two-bagger, a homer, 6 RBIs, and 2 runs in the Steelers 11-4 victory over the San Francisco Seals. Franzone leads the league in HRs so far at 22 and is trending to hit 55 which would eclipse his record-setting 54 HR season by one long ball.

67 of 162: Taylor Pushkin (4-7, 5.83) @ Harvey Allen (3-5, 3.64)
Win, 4-3
. Harvey was good enough over 8 innings of work to get the job done, Dial earned his 11th save, and Magmo Noyola drove in the winning run on a double. And, just like that, we’ve won our 2nd 1-run game in a row after failing to win any of our first 15 of those…4 two-baggers for the club, 4 2-out RBIs, two stolen bags, and another double-play. Not our best win here – we left 10 runners stranded – but we got it done and have now won 4 in a row.

Elsewhere: SP Julen Morales (STL) continues to impress at nearly 35-years of age (his birthday is on the 27th of June) with a complete-game, 9-hit shutout against the San Diego Chargers… the Rams won the contest by a score of 6-0. This is Julen’s 2nd complete-game shutout this season with his 1st being that no-no I told you about… LF Tony Voorhis (PHX) hit his 300th career home run for the Phoenix Suns – the historic moonshot came during a road win (5-3) in Montreal. In 11 seasons, Tony has averaged ~27 bombs per season and has hit at a .286 clip – not bad for the former 9th overall pick out of Nebraska.

68 of 162: Octavio Cervera (3-11, 6.35) @ Randy Kline (3-2, 7.07)
Initially canceled due to weather, this one was moved to the 16th as the 1st in a doubleheader… also, Tony Voorhis hit his 301st HR, again in Montreal. Palmer Parker is leading the All-Star voting in the AL at ~2.5M and Tom Franzone leads it in the NL at ~2.3M votes.
Win, 2-1. Kline was far from brilliant – 5.2 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BBs, and 8 K’s – but got the job done well enough for the bullpen to take over and bring us home. Norton Manning hit a 2-run homer, Dial picked up save #12, and Goldberg sniped the win in a 2.1 inning effort where he fanned 4 batters. Our 3rd victory in 1-run games is in the books now, seems like the law of averages is starting to come around for us a bit – we’ll keep riding this wave for as long as possible.

69 of 162: Miguel Machado (4-7, 4.72) @ Rad Taylor (6-5, 2.56)
Win, 10-9
. 4th victory in a 1-run game! Woo-hoo! Rad was less than, no need to talk about that, Anaconda went 3 for 4 and hit his 20th HR, OH HONG scored, and Magmo drove in three runs on a 2 for 5 effort. 3 doubles, 3 homers (Magmo and Gordon joined Anaconda in the derby), a SAC BUNT for Saucerman, 2 double-plays, and our 6th victory in a row. We’re on to those good vibrations now…

Elsewhere: LF Severino Serrano (GSW) hit a GRAND SLAM in the Warriors 11-2 win over the Atlanta Falcons… it’s the 11th homer this year for Serrano and marks his 3rd all-time Grand Slam as a big leaguer. The Mexico national, and rare international signee done good, is on his 4th year of major league service and looks to be coming into his own as a fringe, albeit heavily localized, superstar. Also, 3B Dontrell Gay, of the Los Angeles Kings, hit his 22nd jack of the season to move into a two-way tie for top of the pops with Tom Franzone (who, by the way, has hit safely in his last 25 games)…. Should be a good home run race for the fans in the 2nd half! In International League play, the Staten Island Killer Bees destroyed the Buffalo Bills by a score of 18-1 – the KB’s hit 4 homeruns during the game, 2 each for Joe Watkins and Cody Jensen.

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Notes: The good times are really rolling now… nice to see our club turn the corner and start to gain some speed on the straight away… we’ll need to stay dialed in with the Los Angeles Kings due to make a 4-game visit to Miami next on the docket. LF Kyle Weaver, now of the New York Jets after we traded him for a reliever and a backup outfielder, took home player of the week honors in the American League – he went 15-27 with 5 RBIs over his last 6 games… We’ve landed at 5th on the weekly power rankings – we’ve been making some noise of late and are starting to make a little bit of noise in the national media (we still have a long way to go though). Let’s hope we can keep this thing on the rails with Los Angeles in town – a tall order for an up-and-down club like the ‘Mingos. Dontrell, Otto, and the rest of that club is capable of putting a bad one an any club, at any time.
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Old 02-14-2020, 06:29 PM   #573
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2080 Season (6/17 – 6/20)

Los Angeles Kings (36-32, .529, 3rd NL West) @ Miami United (33-36, .478, 6th NL East)
Los Angeles is a good, if underperforming club, that underwent a lot of personnel changes after I left – Megan, in an attempt to establish the club as hers, shed payroll, added depth to her development program, and updated her lineup for power (1st) and average (2nd). Her moves did not go unnoticed and have, largely, come in for her so far in 2080, where the Kings have the #1 rated offense in the National League. Her pitching staff, however, is a different story – constructed to hold water, and not much more, the crew has been serviceable but far from great. They’re ranked in the bottom half of the National League and are mired in down years from their top 3 arms – Aiden Jensen (6-5, 4.08), Trevor Dotson (7-3, 4.20), and Newton Weiser (4-6, 3.95) haven’t performed up to last seasons standards and the smart money says that one or more of them will be gone before the trading deadline. This is not to say that the Kings don’t have what it takes to surprise some folks during the playoffs – they do – it’s just that they are sort of listless right now… shuffling along as if to trade on past success, victims of championship expectations after a fantastic 4-year run. They’ve been solid of late, 6-4 over their last 10 games, are -2 against the Pyt, have the 2nd-best rDiff in the NL at +47, and hit right-handers really well (we’ll give them a look at two lefties over the next four games). We’d like a split here – that would be acceptable – but, if I can have my druthers, I’d like to get all four, complete our 2nd straight 4-game sweep, and remind Megan where she came from.

Also, because this is important, I purchased the contract of RP Donald Tully from the Shreveport Sashimi Samurai of the Bush League against Cheech & Yan’s better judgment… because I’m the boss and I like his mustache… he’ll head to Barbados for some fun in the surf. You can never have too many Canadian ex-pats with a Eugene Levy level mustache game in your development system.

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70 of 162: Newton Weiser (4-6, 3.95) @ Julian Horne (7-1, 2.51)
in, 2-0
. Team shutout for Horne (7.1 IP, 4 K’s), Sullivan (0.2, 2 K’s, 2nd Hold), and Dial (1.0 IP, 1 K, 13th Save), OH HONG hit his 4th jack, Magmo went 1 for 2 with a solo HR and a walk, and, interestingly (I guess), LA Catcher, Dom Cooke, gunned us down at 2nd FOUR TIMES… Magmo, Gordon, Saucerman, and Marshburn were each caught with their hand in the honeypot – it’s only comical because we won, had that not been the case, we’d have sent them all to Barbados… by bus.

Elsewhere: Heathcote Kinton’s (PDX) 25-game hitting streak came to an end against the Atlanta Falcons, at home, while Tom Franzone extended his streak to 26 games off his 23rd dinger of the year in a home tilt against the Houston Texans that Pittsburgh won by a score of 5-3. SP Chandler Keaton, of the Hartford Whalers (a Philadelphia affiliate), pitched a complete-game, 4-hit shutout and fanned 12 batters in a 6-0 win over the Calgary Flames at home. Keaton is a low-key, back of the rotation type, who was picked 77th in the 2068 draft by Portland, at 33-years only, and with just a little bit of petrol left in the tank, Chandler may be looking at finishing his career in the Bush League as early as the 2081 season… here’s to a few more years in the sun for the former Aggie of New Mexico State. Also, while I’m not 100% sure what exactly a circle-change is, it sounds cool, so I’m pulling for the guy.

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71 of 162: Aiden Jensen (6-5, 4.08) @ Kordell Littles (8-4, 2.85)
Loss, 7-5
. Well, streaks were made to be broken, I guess – and this one was snapped in emphatic fashion off a 2-run dinger courtesy of Otto Isaac that put the Kings up for good. Kordell took a 3-hit, 1-run effort into the 9th, Dial couldn’t close the door on LA, Loy went 3 for 4 with a two-bagger, a jack, an RBI and 3 runs, and Saucy Saucerman when 4 for 5 with an RBI and run. The OH HONG/Anaconda duo failed us here – going a combined 0 for 9 at the plate with 4 K’s… and, as opposed to yesterday, Dom didn’t gun anyone down at 2nd – in fact, we stole two bags in this one in a small, but ultimately unsatisfying, measure of revenge.

Elsewhere: 1B Pablo Madera (CAR) went 3 for 4 with a GRAND SLAM and 2 runs in the Panthers 11-8 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy…. It was his 5th career Grand Salami and his 16th jack of the 2080 campaign. Madera is now hitting .371/.420/.584 with 16 dingers and 50 RBIs… his 3.5 WAR so far is good enough for 3rd in the Majors and 2nd in the American League (behind the unflappable Heathcote Kinton).

72 of 162: Trevor Dotson (7-2, 4.20) @ Harvey Allen (4-5, 3.61)
Win, 8-6
. The Kings attempted another late-inning rally, putting up 4 runs in the 9th to close the gap, but ultimately Dial was able to hold on to earn his 14th save of the season despite giving up a GRAND SLAM to Rajkumar Kosciusko…. SP Harvey Allen went 7.2 strong innings, allowed only 2 runners to plate and fanned 10, and Magmo went 1 for 3 with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 6th that gave us all the cushion we’d need to bring this W home. Team cycle – OH HONG with his 7th double of the year, a triple from Saucerman, and Magmo’s homer completes it… and we got FIVE stolen bases in this one (if you’re counting, we are now 7-4 against Dom in the SB department).

Elsewhere: 2B Heathcote Kinton (PDX) went 3 for 5 with a two-bagger, a dinger, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs for the Timbers in their 8-2 win over the Atlanta Falcons… he’s on a tear this season and, if he can stay healthy, is looking like an early favorite to win the AL’s Boyce Rigg this year (it would be the 2nd time he’s taken that honor home if he can muster it)… 2B AJ Love, of the Cincinnati Bengals (an Atlanta Falcon affiliate), went 3 for 4 with a double, two homers, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs in his clubs 9-5 victory over the Nashville Picks. SP Fernando Calderon, of the San Jose Sharks (a Golden State Warriors affiliate), pitched a complete-game, 1-hit shutout with 10 K’s to lead his team to a 1-0 victory over the Newport Beach Gypsies on the road… Calderon was discovered by Oakland’s international scouting team in 2072 and is looking like a lock to make the big club and stick) in 2081… sky’s the limit for this kid.

73 of 162: Jonny Garcia (5-3, 4.06) @ Rad Taylor (6-5, 2.91)
Win, 11-3
. We’re on a tear and Rad came through after a couple of ho-hum outings – CG, 9-hit, 2 earned effort from the gnarliest arm in MiamiLoy drove two runs in, Marshburn hit a 2-run triple, and we put 7 runs on the board in the bottom of the 3rd to give Rad all the cushion he’d need to settle into this one and take us the rest of the way home. SIX MORE SWIPED BAGS IN THIS ONE! TWO ERRORS FROM DOM. His soul is ours… make it 13-4 in SBs against him for the series. We also had 3 double plays – this brand of baseball we have on exhibit is really something to behold.

Notes: We’ve managed to, finally, dig ourselves out of the cellar of the NL East and now find ourselves at 5th on the table (we’re tied for 5th with Philly, but, let’s be real, we’ll take what we can get)… Up next we’ll engage in some interleague silliness against the New York Jets for the last 3 games of this homestand. After that, we’ll get fitted for our pink tops for a trip to Atlanta before returning to Miami to meet Montreal, followed by Brooklyn in a winner take all cage match (without the stakes and without the cage). Our Starters continue to carry the club – we’re 2nd in Starters ERA in the NL – with Rad earning his 7th victory of the year last night and Kordell is starting to get himself worked into a groove at 8-4 with a 2.75 ERA. Offensively, Saucerman is leading the team in average at .351 with Anaconda leading in HRs (20), RBIs (59), and almost everything else… the closest to him in total RBIs is OH HONG at 25… we really need to remedy that. I don’t mind having a club that’s built on pitching, but would it kill my guys to give me a little bit of balance?
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Old 02-16-2020, 11:29 AM   #574
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2080 Season (6/21 – 6/23)

Miami United (36-37, .493, 5th NL East) @ New York Jets (33-39, .458, 5th AL East)
The New York Jets are like a lot of middle-class clubs in Strangeverse – they are a halfway house… in this case, pairing an above-average offense with a poorly constructed staff. Interestingly, or not, their bullpen is solid – they just don’t find themselves in too many “here I come to save the day…” scenarios as their starting rotation specializes in ruining things for everyone involved. RP Nate Millard is hanging on to his major league career for dear life – at 38-years old and 4 seasons removed from winning a championship with my Los Angeles Lakers (now the Kings), Millard finds himself plying his trade in the Jets’ bullpen where he is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 8 total appearances. If he’s not a pitching coach (or inside a booth) somewhere this time next season, then I’m calling shenanigans. We’ll need to pitch these guys tough during our stay in the Big Apple – they get on base at a reasonable clip, can score, and are an above-average baserunning team… their issue is power where, while not starved, they go hungry more often than not. So, we’ll pitch them heavy, down in the zone, and hope that our defense will remain stout enough to eat whatever it is they hit our way.

74 of 162: Murray Wagner (4-3, 5.97) @ Ismaldo Montero (1-4, 9.00)
Win, 7-2
. Murray went the distance, fanned 9, and only allowed 2 runners to find their way home, and Saucerman went 2 for 4 with a dinger, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs. We broke this contest open with a 5-run top of the 8th that was kicked off by an Arnold Webster 3-run shot (his 2nd homer in a ‘Mingo kit). The defense was stout (3 double plays), we got a timely 2-out RBI from Saucerman in the top of the 7th to knot things up and managed to come away with a game one win in the Bronx (yeah, I know – but, in my head, I can’t have a club playing out of East Rutherford)

Elsewhere: 1B Tom Franzone’s hit streak has ended at 30 in Jacksonville, FL. Your boy went 0 for 5 with 1 K and a total of 3 batters left on base. Pittsburgh lost the game by a score of 5-4… Franzone had a chance to be the hero here, but, in the top of the 9th and at-bat against Jacksonville reliever Ty Peterson, he looked at a hittable strike before taking a ball and ultimately whiffing at the next two pitches in succession. Hate to see the streak end that way when there was such good potential for a real, honest-to-god, defining moment for the guy – it’s no bother, he’s looking like a lock for the 2080 NL Boyce. SP Funky Martin, of our Havana Sugar Kings, pitched a 7-hit, complete-game shutout over the Newport Beach Gypsies to lead the club to a 6-0 road win. He’s ready for all levels now – time to get Yan to investigate options around trading from a strength to address a weakness (and to get the young man up here where he belongs).

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Also, a bit of bad news for former ‘Mingo, Mirko Samsonenko… he suffered a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in a recent ballgame and will miss the rest of the season as a result. He’ll finish this campaign at 2-7 with a 2.81 ERA and 72 Ks in a grand total of 93 innings of work. Bummer biscuits…

A Trade: After a week of negotiations (or, more like 15 minutes of me moving players in and out of the trading UI), the United and Seals have come to terms on a deal that will send 28-year-old LHP Randy Kline, 25-year-old 2B Scottie Farless, 23-year-old minor league 2B Rick Casablanca and 20-year-old minor league LHP Ken Bartholomew to San Francisco for 24-year-old 2B Jeremy Collins, 20-year-old minor league 2B Sklaer Kukta, 22-year-old minor league 3B Walther Breedveld and 24-year-old minor league RF Legend Gfeller. Note: Funky will not join the big club as a result of any of this silliness…

75 of 162: Julian Horne (8-1, 2.31) @ Thor Rogers (4-4, 4.48)
Win, 6-1
. Horne gave us a quality start in 6 innings of work, Ardolph Golberg earned his 1st save of the year, and Magmo went 2 for 3 with a solo homer, 2 runs, and a couple of walks to take home Player of the Game honors… a double for Anaconda (off Nat Millard), a 2-out RBI for OH HONG, 7 total stolen bases (4 for Magmo is that right?!?), and an expertly executed SAC BUNT from Manookian. All systems are a go for the Flim Flams right now…

76 of 162: Kordell Littles (8-4, 2.75) @ Oswaldo Flores (4-6, 5.74)
Canceled due to bad weather; rescheduled for 7/29/2080.

Elsewhere: SP Marius Milbank, of the Compton Raiders, pitched a complete game, 6-hit shutout with TWELVE Ks to lead his club to a 4-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. At 34-years old, the Chelsea, AL native spent his last 4 seasons in the Bush League before signing a minor league contract with Megan’s club to take one last shot at getting a cup of coffee in the show before hanging them up.

Notes: First, what a difference a series makes… we now find ourselves in 3rd place on the NL East table and have gone 9-1 for our last 10 contests. Crushing it… CF Ethan Mullens took home the American League Player of the Week honor as he went 11 for 27 with a homer and 9 RBIs over the last seven days… Our own, 1B Ned Saucerman took home the honor in the National League after hitting .625 with a HR and 5 RBIs for the week. We’ll head home for a 3-game set against the Atlanta Falcons before heading back out on the road to see about Montreal and Brooklyn.
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Old 02-18-2020, 07:26 PM   #575
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Wait, did you say....Rick....Casablanca!
Holy crap, that's fantastic.

Here's looking at you, kid.
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And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
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Old 02-18-2020, 09:36 PM   #576
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdWatcher View Post
Wait, did you say....Rick....Casablanca!
Holy crap, that's fantastic.

Here's looking at you, kid.
I use this name set - https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...16&postcount=1

I get all kinds of crazy combos. I have a guy called T-Rex Stiles in this save.
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Old 02-18-2020, 10:28 PM   #577
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Originally Posted by pauwoo View Post
I use this name set - https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...16&postcount=1

I get all kinds of crazy combos. I have a guy called T-Rex Stiles in this save.
Well, that's all well and good.
But I mean, c'mon- Rick Casablanca!
For any classic film buff/Humphrey Bogart fan, it ain't ever going get better than that.
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The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
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On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
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Old 02-20-2020, 09:35 AM   #578
stevem810
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Nah, I could never float it out there. A nickname like 'Bogie'. Cause, you know, it would be too much, right?
However, if it should appear in one of the write ups at a later day in time, it could just work.
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Old 02-20-2020, 06:41 PM   #579
pauwoo
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Originally Posted by stevem810 View Post
Nah, I could never float it out there. A nickname like 'Bogie'. Cause, you know, it would be too much, right?
However, if it should appear in one of the write ups at a later day in time, it could just work.
I have a guy named Boogie Barnett in the league, but I cheated on that one a renamed him plus added a facegen I made.
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Old 02-22-2020, 11:49 AM   #580
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2080 Season (6/24 – 6/26)

Atlanta Falcons (37-40, .481, 3rd AL East) @ Miami United (38-37, .507, 3rd NL East)
With an Owner whose primary concern is turning a profit, at the expense of everything else, the Atlanta Falcons have busied themselves by making the best of it. In the 6 seasons that Hunter Hines has been their manager (after three years as their Bench Coach), the Packers/Falcons have mostly trodden water. They sniffed the playoffs in 2078 and could very well get a whiff of them again this year, but it looks unlikely that they will earn a berth during their first season in Atlanta. The offense is pretty okay – they hit for average, are middle of the pack in most areas, and poor in power – while their pitching is less than okay… substandard, lacking consistency, capable of reaching unexpected lows. Their Ace, Gregory Morgan, is on the wrong side of 30 and starting to show some wear and tear, and their Bullpen boasts 4 arms with a 6+ ERA, including the once highly touted Al Bundy out of Polk Community College. Bundy was once an exciting prospect but injuries and a series of off the field distractions derailed him and left most scouts wondering what could have been. We should be in good shape here – we’ve been playing a tip-top brand of baseball of late, our hitting has started to look pretty good, and their best player, 25-year old CF Vance Dungeon, has a mild oblique strain and is listed as DtD.

76 of 162: Gregory Morgan (4-6, 3.19) @ Kordell Littles (8-4, 2.75)
Win, 2-1
. First, we are suddenly winning 1-run games like it’s going out of style… 5-15 in that category now. This one would require an extra frame to get itself sorted and OH HONG, in a moment of anticlimactic glory, drew a run-scoring walk to send the Falcons off to the showers in a daze. Kordell was okay – he gave us 7.1 innings and fanned 6 batters, Anaconda hit his 21st long fly ball, Norton put a two-bagger on the board, and Saucerman went 4 for 4 with nothing else to show for it. Nice to win a close one here, to dig deep, cut through the boredom, and get the deed did.

77 of 162: Ondino Orellana (4-2, 3.23) @ Harvey Allen (5-5, 3.49)
Win, 6-1
. A 6-run, bottom of the 5th knocked Orellana out of the match and it was all smooth sailing from there… Saucerman hit a 2-run, two-bagger, Gordon went 3 for 4 with an RBI, Anaconda got caught with his hand in the honey pot and scored, OH HONG hit a towering SAC FLY, and we swiped 5 bags as a unit (including 3 for Manookian). We kept (most of) our fans in the park for 3 hours and 21 minutes, with 45 of those being spent on the 5th frame… Side note: our concessions analyst tells me that we set a new single-game record for Taco Dog sales today – we’re really firing on all cylinders right now.

Elsewhere: San Diego’s Cy Greene went 4 for 4 with two, two-baggers, a jack, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs in the Chargers 10-1 win over the Vancouver Giants. The former Binghamton Bearcat signed a 1-year contract with San Diego in the offseason after making stops in San Francisco and Jacksonville during the first 2 years of his major league career. He was traded midseason in ’78 and ’79. Havana’s (hey, that’s us!) SP Orlando Vasquez continued to impress in Triple-A with a complete-game, 5-hit shutout win over the Spokane Steelheads. A Ford Pigott 2-run jack was all the cushion required for the Sugar Kings in this one – Ford has made 10 plate appearances so far in Cuba and is batting .111 with 1 walk and 1 ding dong.

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78 of 162: Graham Doyle (2-8, 6.46) @ Rad Taylor (7-5, 2.84)
Win, 8-0
. SWEEP CITY, FLORIDA! Rad pitched a complete-game, 8-hit shutout and fanned 4 hapless batsmen, Loy hit a 2-run, two-bagger, and Norton brought 2 in on his 1st triple of the year. 4 doubles (with Anaconda, Magmo, and Manookian joining Loy), a triple, 3 double plays, and a swiped bag for Gordon. We put 6 bad ones on Atlanta’s Starter – Graham just didn’t have it tonight and stayed in just long enough to see his ERA balloon up to 6.67 for the year. Nice stretch for Rad who has earned the W in 4 of his last 5 starts – 70% of his pitches were for strikes in this one…

Notes: 9-1 for our last 10, riding a 7-game winning streak, and suddenly the hottest team in baseball, this is not something I expected given our start to the season. But, here we are, a scant 6-games off of Pittsburgh’s pace and heading to Montreal to try and take 2nd place on the table off of the Alouettes. Aris continues to impress – he’s putting together a notable campaign (future looks mighty bright for this kid), Rad is really coming into his own after languishing in the minors for 6 seasons, OH HONG hasn’t been what we’ve needed him to be but is moving in the right direction now, and Magmo’s early ascent to the big club has been a nice surprise. We’ve put together a really nice core here… just need to add some OBP guys and maybe upgrade my LR’s… I feel like we are starting to crack the window – we have an opportunity to really be something special in 2081 if we can keep developing our prospects and younger talent.
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