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09-08-2023, 09:26 AM
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#1 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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Portland Pioneers (SVMLB)
After manning the helm in Los Angeles for the last 10 seasons, and winning my 5th World Series in 2084, it became clear that my tenure with the Leopards had come to an end – either I stay on in La La Land or I take to the road like Kwai Chang Caine in search of new challenges, wrongs to right, and evil to thwart. To that end, after walking the Earth for a bit, I’ve found myself in Willamette Valley, near Salem, and just a short drive from my ultimate destination – Portland, Oregon.
And, with that, it’s time – time to take on new challenges, to fashion yet another club into a perennial contender, to bring championships and glory to Multnomah County, to bloom once again in the City of Roses. But first… a look at where we’ve been – The Los Angeles years: 2075: Starts here @ post #160 2076: Starts here @ post #1 2077: Starts here @ post # 33 2078: Starts here 2079: Starts here... (Post 67) 2080: Starts here... (Post 136) 2081: Starts here… (Post 205) 2082: Starts here… (Post 275) 2083: Starts here... (Post 334) 2084: Starts here... (Post 346) Offseason Awards
Summary of Offseason Changes
Note: All of the logos, caps, and kits for the above MLB teams were pulled from these here boards and are the work of txranger, hockey13playa, robo, and edamametommy. Summary of Offseason Roster Moves
Summary of Notable FA Signings
A look at the preseason predictions, our offense, defense, and pitching – I did what I could, and, unlike the preseason punditry, I think we’ll compete for a WC slot. Batters... Pitchers... Fielding... is attached. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-08-2023 at 04:54 PM. |
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09-08-2023, 10:51 AM
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#2 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (March 27th – 29th)
Seattle Metros (0-0, .000, t-1st AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (0-0, .000, t-1st AL West)
I’ll start my tenure in Portland at home against our fiercest rival, the Seattle Metros, in a 3-game set that will count towards 2 of the 3 trophies up for grabs this season – the Cascadia Cup, awarded to the team with the best H2H record between Seattle, Vancouver, and ourselves, and the MLB Regular Season. Seattle, not unlike us, isn’t the most highly regarded club in the American League, though they are seen as a team in the hunt, a club who could, if things break their way, secure a wildcard spot this season after missing the postseason for 4 straight years. They’re a far cry from the club that made it to the post season in 10 of 11 straight seasons, winning it all three times during that span but expect that their reimagining project (see: rebuild) starts to pay some early dividends this season. And, who knows, maybe they’ll run roughshod over all comers in our division – their infield defense looks fierce, Silver Sluggers Patrick Adams and Rajkumar Kosciusko are manning the outfield corners, and their Ace, while not necessarily a top 3 guy, is top 10 in the Majors at least. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP W. Macomber (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs LHP A. Gunter (0-0, 0.00 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP B. Dauncey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) RHP H. Wilson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP M. Fauske (0-0, 0.00 ERA) #1: Win, 5-0… 3B Ron Henry hit a 3-run homer during the bottom of the 8th to put us up 5-0 and SP William Macomber picked up his 1st win of the season after turning in 5-innings of shutout baseball with the bullpen allowing only a single hit the rest of the way. 1B Jaden Korzec hit a triple, we’d get a 2-out RBI from Leo Bullock on a single, and, most importantly, get the opening day win, at home, in the first game of this new era. #2: Loss, 1-5… Seattle would rely on a 4-run top of the 5th to put this one to bed, mostly from a bases-clearing double courtesy of CF Page Sommers, while SP Bob Dauncey had little trouble subduing our lineup over 6-innings of 3-hit work that included 8 strikeouts. Hornbrook is saddled with the loss in his debut after allowing all 5 of Seattle’s runs, we couldn’t muster a single EBH, and 3B Ron Henry contributed a costly fielding flub that was the beginning of Hornbrook’s demise. As days at the office go, this one was not my favorite. Elsewhere: SP Rad Taylor, who signed a 1yr/$3.2mm contract with Montreal during the offseason, turned in an 8-inning, 3-hit shutout with 7 K’s to lead his new club to a 2-0 win over division rival Pittsburgh. After a rough season with me in Los Angeles last year, it’s nice to see Rad land on his feet and with a club that has room for him near the top of their rotation. #3: Win, 6-0… our second win of the season, a winning set to begin the 2085 campaign, a smashing start to my tenure here, and our second shutout all rolled into one – SP Hank Wilson was dealing, giving us a winning 5.2-inning, 5-hit, 3 K, clean sheet with RP Tristan Kim and RP Adrian Adragna preserving that the rest of the way. We’d get a nice, balanced offense here as well with 5 batsmen contributing RBI, led by Ron Henry’s 2-run double. A good team win, a great way to start against a fellow Cascadian club, and about as good of a start I could have hoped for. Elsewhere: SP AJ Quimby, who joined the Leopards during the offseason on a 1yr/$3.28mm contract, pitched a PERFECT GAME against San Diego to lead the La La’s, who are now 1-2, to a 2-0 win over the Skipjacks. This marks the 81st No Hitter in this save and only the 4th Perfect Game. SP David Arney last accomplished the feat with Seattle back in 2080. Record: 2-1, .667, 2nd AL West Up Next: We’ll take this show on the road with a set in Utah against the Salt Lake Alpines. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-09-2023 at 12:35 AM. |
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09-09-2023, 10:24 AM
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#3 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (March 30th – April 1st)
Portland Pioneers (2-1, .667, 2nd AL West) @ Salt Lake Alpines (2-1, .667, 1st AL West)
Our first of many trips to Salt Lake City – a fact that, as the former Los Angeles GM, I’ll have to get used to – to meet up with a club who, not unlike us, was lightly regarded by the preseason punditry and picked to hang out in the rear with the gear during the 2085 campaign. So far, with the 2nd rated offense & 3rd rated staff, they’ve done anything but, handling the Colorado Kings with relative ease to kick this thing off. For us, and I do realize that there is a ton of baseball left to play, this is the kind of set that we have to win if we want to make our goal of making it to the playoffs a reality. Simply put, the Alpines are one of those clubs we are supposed to beat, and, given that this set will be contested in Utah, we want to be good boys and do what we’re supposed to. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP K. Voll (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP T. Green (0-0, 0.00 ERA) RHP B. Sánchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs LHP W. Winston (0-0, 0.00 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP W. Allen (1-0, 2.84 ERA) #4: Loss, 2-3… with a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th, Salt Lake would produce some late magic in this one to send us off to the ice cream shops to be cheered up by heaping helpings of Utah’s finest vanilla. RP Payton Inzen takes the loss (and is charged with a blown save) after giving up a solo homer to CF Mason Duryea on his first pitch of the inning followed by the game-winning, 2-run TANK, courtesy of LF James Rivero just two batsmen later. Our pitching, with the obvious exception here, remains stout, while the offense continues to find ways to make an impact without much in the way of extra base hits. We really need to mix things up a bit more – singles don’t win ballgames. Down on the Farm: SP Waldo Long, currently plying his trade down on the farm with our 3A club in Eugene, is one of the few bright spots I see in our development system. At 27yo, however, we really need to bring this kid along – he’s got 5 pitches, with his 60/60 Changeup being the best of the bunch, is an Extreme Groundball guy that tops out around 98mph, with 55/60 movement and 55/55 control. Kids a big leaguer… we’ll let him soak a bit longer, but I have designs on bringing him up this season. Looking at the Big Club – I could see dumping someone from the back of our rotation for a young-ish, versatile utilityman to open up a slot for him. #5: Loss, 2-7… felled, destroyed – the Alpines hung 6-runs around our staffs neck during the bottom of the 7th, 4 of which came on a Bakari Konate GRAND SLAM, the 1st in five years as a pro for the Ivorian, and our offense, anemic and underfed, would not have what it takes to answer back, wilting under the pressure applies by the Alpines instead. We did get two homers though – one for Leo Bullock, one for Wyatt Raphael – with nothing else of note to highlight. Just another example of too little, too late for my new club. Look, we have a lot of work to do, we knew that coming in. #6: Loss, 0-4… swept, in Salt Lake City, with nowhere to go to drown our sorrows – this ain’t the life. Again, our offense was nonexistent, wholly incapable of, well, anything, while our staff, once our beacon of shining light, was bashed into oblivion again, allowing 4 total runs and a couple more homers. So, yeah, stop me if you’ve heard this before – we could muster nary an extra base hit, the staff came unglued, and these Alpines styled on us like a agile playground bully in a game of dodgeball. Elsewhere: 1B Oh Hong, of the Los Angeles Leopards, went 3-for-4 with 2 TANKS, 4 RBI, and 2 runs to help his club improve to .500 on the year with a 6-2 win over the Las Vegas Outlaws. Hong now has 3 homeruns in the early going of the 2085 campaign, which if you’re counting, has him trending to bash an unholy 81 of those this season. I mean, I’ll take the under, but still… Record: 2-4, .333, 4th AL West Up Next: We’ll have a day off to rest & reflect before heading north to British Columbia where another Cascadian rival will be anxiously awaiting our arrival… |
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09-09-2023, 01:17 PM
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#4 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,528
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Quote:
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Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 |
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09-10-2023, 10:13 AM
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#5 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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Quote:
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09-10-2023, 10:17 AM
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#6 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 3rd – 5th)
Portland Pioneers (2-4, .333, 4th AL West) @ Vancouver Mounties (3-3, .500, 3rd AL West)
Widely considered the class of our division, and perhaps our league, Vancouver is a club questing to get back to the promised land this season and to take care of what many in their organization see as unfinished business. As a club that has been to the post season in 3 of the last four years, even winning it all in 2081, that they’ve made it all the way to the World Series two seasons in a row only to be vanquished by the NL representative doesn’t sit well with their front office. This then is their season – it has to be – their chance to right those wrongs, to fulfill their promise as a championship club… or, not. Who knows? Who cares? We don’t – we want to win this set, to get back on track, and to start fashioning this thing into a winner. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP D. Hornbrook (0-1, 1.93 ERA) vs RHP J. Salcido (1-0, 0.00 ERA) RHP H. Wilson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP M. Villalobos (0-1, 5.40 ERA) RHP K. Voll (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Q. Benoit (0-0, 3.38 ERA) #7: Win, 3-2… we’d put three bad ones on the board through 5 and hang on for dear life from there – CF Micky Austin went 3-for-4 with 3 singles (meh) and 2 RBI, we hit two, two-baggers as a club (1B Angel Marino & 2B Mike Duncan), and swiped 4 bags (SS Sam Gore, RF Leo Bullock, CF Micky Austin, and SS Jess Alford). The pitching was solid too – Hornbrook improved to 1-1 after turning in 5-innings of 1-hit ball, and we’d trot 5 relievers out to the mound over the final four frames with RP Morris Jones getting credit for a save after retiring the final batter on 7 total pitches. Elsewhere: Patrick Adams, Metros legend and Seattle’s adopted son, went 4-for-4 with TWO TANKS, 5 RBI, and 4 runs to lead his club to a 19-7 dismantling of the Colorado Kings in Denver… the 36yo vet has now hit 339 homers for his career. #8: Loss, 7-5… SP Marcos Villalobos gets the win despite allowing 4 of our 5 runs and Vancouver’s RF Joshua Strahan finished 2-for4 with a 2-run homer and 4 total RBI to pace the offense as the Mounties got themselves some of that sweet, sweet get back for their hometown fans. For our part, our 3 HRs (Angel, C Elijah Arvinda, and Leo Bullock) would not be enough to get it done as Vancouver had an answer for everything we threw at them today, knotting this set up with a critical rubber match now on tap tomorrow. #9: Win, 5-2… a nice win for the boys against the sturdiest club in the AL West and a Cascadia Cup rival to boot. 1B Angel Marino did the dirt – 2-for-4, 3 RBI – and RF Leo Bullock hit his 3rd HR, a solo shot, to contribute to the cause. Great win for SP Kade Voll here too… 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K’s for our starter and CL Payton Inzen picked up his 1st save of the 2085 campaign after turning in a 12 pitch bottom of the 9th. It’s always satisfying to pick up a series win against a division rival – especially one that is supposed to handle the likes of us with ease. Record: 4-5, .444, 3rd AL West Up Next: We’ll head home where the Dallas Chaparrals will be waiting for us. |
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09-11-2023, 09:18 AM
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#7 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 6th – 8th)
Dallas Chaparrals (6-3, .667, 1st AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (4-5, .444, 3rd AL West) These Chaparrals, led by C Dom Cooke (76/76), 1B KJ Marcus (64/64), and SP Kito Western (50/50) are looking to improve on last years finish where they completed the 2084 campaign at the top of the pops in the AL West before losing 3 games to 2 in the Second Series against the Vancouver Mounties. And, so far, in the very early goings of this 2085 season, they look like a club that has what it takes to complete that mission and make some real noise in this years playoffs… of course, that’s a long way from where we are now, a mere 9-games into this campaign, where things can, and often do, change at the drop of a hat. On paper, these guys a pretty good, but Vancouver is still better, and, if Dallas doesn’t shore up their rotation somehow, it doesn’t look like it’s built for the long haul. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP B. Sánchez (0-1, 7.11 ERA) vs LHP C. Tucker (0-0, 3.86 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (1-1, 1.69 ERA) vs RHP K. Western (0-0, 2.63 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (1-1, 0.93 ERA) vs RHP J. Arai (0-2, 9.31 ERA) #10: Win, 3-0… Our first two batsmen in the 7th, Rowan Calvin & Chaz Gildea, got on with singles, Angel Marino would draw a walk a batter later to load them up, and Leo Bullock would clear the bases on a double, his 2nd of the season (and of the game), to put us up by an insurmountable 3-runs. SP Bernal Sanchez was fierce – 8.1 innings, 7 hits, and nothing earned with 5 punchouts – and CL Payton Inzen, though he labored a bit allowing a hit and doling out a free pass, secured his 2nd save of the 2085 campaign. Back to .500, baby! Elsewhere: Tom Franzone, 34yo and still going strong, finished 2-for-4 with 2 TANKS, 5 RBI, and 2 runs to lead his recently renamed Boston Patriots to a resounding, 9-3 win over the Buffalo Nickels. With the win, Boston improved to 5-5 on the season while Buffalo drops to a still awesome 7-3. Also, I should note that Franzone already has 7 HRs and is now trending to hit a measly 113 of them in 2085. #11: Win, 4-2… CL Payton Inzen labored through another save for us here – striking out the first batter before giving up two straight singles and finally inducing a DP ball from the next batsmen – and the offense, led by 2B Wyatt Raphael’s 2-run homer, did just enough to get the job done. SP William Macomber picks up his 2nd win after a 6-inning, 4-hit, 2 earned outing that included 10 K’s, 2B Mike Duncan, who has literally no power, hit his first dinger of the year, and relievers Morris Jones, Robinson Bridges, and Gray Switzer each walked away with a hold. #12: Loss, 2-3… Dallas wouldn’t go away empty handed, winning the 3rd of three on a run-scoring single during the top of the 5th, courtesy of RF Simon Harris, to saddle SP Dominic Hornbrook with his 2nd loss of the year despite his 7.1-innings of better-than-serviceable work. Two more two-baggers for Leo, both with no one on, 3 swiped bags for the club, and two expertly crafted double plays would not be enough to earn the sweep as we settle for a series win, our 3rd of those this season, and 2nd at home. Record: 6-6, .500, 3rd AL West Up Next: We’ll enjoy a day off, at home, before welcoming the Colorado Kings to town for a 3-game set. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-11-2023 at 06:01 PM. |
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09-12-2023, 09:41 AM
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#8 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 10th – 12th)
Colorado Kings (5-7, .417, 5th AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (6-6, .500, 3rd AL West)
The Kings have sputtered off the line, a bum fuel injection system has kept them from keeping pace, and their staff/defense has suffered the same fate I saw in Mexico City so often over the last decade… tossing it around at altitude is a frustrating mess. Yet, this is a staff who, on paper, looks to be one of the American League’s very best, boasting Ace Elias Belanger (55/70) at the top of the rotation and backing him up with Jack Sanchez-Flores (73/73) and Larimel Alvarez (65/65). And, as I keep saying, it’s early, they still have more than enough time to prove that out – if nothing else, this will be a fun experiment to keep tabs on… one that could answer the age-old question of, “can a great pitching staff be great in Denver, Colorado”? Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP H. Wilson (1-1, 5.62 ERA) vs RHP E. Belanger (1-1, 3.09 ERA) RHP K. Voll (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs RHP J. Dickrell (1-1, 2.19 ERA) RHP B. Sánchez (1-1, 3.07 ERA) vs RHP B. John (1-0, 3.95 ERA) #13: Win, 2-1… we’d knot this one up on a 2B Wyatt Raphael solo homer during the bottom of the 7th and win it, two innings later, on a walk off SAC FLY courtesy of 1B Angel Marino… SP Hank Wilson gave us a hard scrabble 6.1 innings of 2-hit, 9 K work, and CL Payton Inzen picked up his first win of the season after pitching to Colorado’s final two batsmen during the top of the 9th. A good win – still, I’d like to see the offense put things together a bit better – we left 10 men stranded in this one and could of run up the score a little bit if we were halfway decent at running the bases. #14: Win, 5-4… Leo Bullock would tie this one up, with two outs already on the board, just after the stretch on a run-scoring single and LF Adam Collins would play the role of walk-off hero during the bottom of the 9th hitting a dramatic, solo homer on the 4th pitch of his AB. Collins was really the whole show for us here… 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs, with Ron Henry, Leo Bullock, and Sam Gore, putting in some work in the outfield for our ailing CFer in this one, each contributing a run batted in. Elsewhere: I spend a relatively significant amount of time mining this save for talent, going through feeder league rosters, analyzing crops of international ammy’s, and even combing through the bush leagues to find minor league filler that can help my blue chippers along, so, when I stumble upon someone like LF Porky Black, whose name alone should of caught my attention, it always comes as something of a fun surprise. Today, the Stetson Hatters sophomore had himself a day… 4-for-5 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 3 runs to lead his collegiate peers to a 14-8 win over Pittsburgh. This kid’s going to wreck things in the majors… reminds me of Aitor Cubas without the drastic splits. #15: Win, 8-2… our first sweep, not counting the one we were on the other side of earlier this month, against a club that should be a bit better than they’ve been so far and by a margin that is ushering some sense of hope in our hometown faithful – here, we went buck – 8 total runs on two doubles, two tanks, and a host of singles. Sam Gore, still putting in work at CF, hit a 3-run DING DONG, his first of the year, to pace the offense, while SP Bernal Sanchez picks up win #2 after turning in a superb 7-innings of 6-hit, 2 earned ball. A great set for the club, this one, it will do wonders for our confidence in the short term and, should we find a way to keep these superb vibes flowing, could be the beginning of something special to close out our first full month of the season. Record: 9-6, .600, 3rd AL West Up Next: We’ll board a cross country flight bound for Boston where Tom Franzone and his band of foul-mouthed curmudgeons are, no doubt, anxiously awaiting our arrival. |
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09-13-2023, 09:16 AM
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#9 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 13th – 15th)
Portland Pioneers (9-6, .600, 3rd AL West) @ Boston Patriots (8-7, .533, 4th AL West) The highly regarded Boston Patriots should contend this year – their misfortune, however, is that they ply their trade in the same division as the Charlotte Flyers, who, over the past 3 seasons have ruled the AL East roost with an iron fist. Will this be the year that Strangeverse legend, 34yo Tom Franzone, finally breaks on through to the other side and adds a championship ring to his already otherworldly resume that includes 2 MVP’s, 9 all-star appearances, and 8 Silver Slugger awards? It has to be, right? He’s old and getting older, there can’t be too much left in the tank… he’s a rainbow candidate if ever there was one, and, I’m pulling for him – I don’t want him to end up like SP Josiah Weber who won 7 Pacheco’s but never won the whole thing. I want his name etched into the World Series Trophy, remembered for all eternity as a man amongst men. Head and shoulders above most of his contemporaries – the Tim Duncan of Strangeverse. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP W. Macomber (2-1, 2.16 ERA) vs RHP K. Rubertone (1-0, 1.12 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (1-2, 2.12 ERA) vs RHP C. Forbes (2-0, 3.86 ERA) RHP H. Wilson (1-1, 3.77 ERA) vs RHP K. Littles (0-2, 3.32 ERA) #16: Loss, 5-7… the staff came unglued during the 7th as Starter, William Macomber, gave up three runs in that frame before handing it off to Robinson Bridges & Gray Switzer who both continued that trend by allowing 4 more runners to plate – that’s right, we gave up 7 runs during the bottom of the 7th to allow these Boston Patriots to come all the way back from a 5-run deficit. And all without a single homerun from Boston… rough way to start this set for the boys, especially after we came in on such a high having swept our opponents the last time out. Elsewhere: SP Patrick Torres, that stalwart from Mexico City and, IMHO, the best pitcher in baseball, was at it again for the Jaguars, turning in an 8-inning, 7-hit, nothing earned masterpiece that included 14, count ‘em, FOURTEEN, K’s to lead his squad to a resounding 4-0 win at home against the New Orleans Gators. Kid’s got two Pacheco’s at just 23yo – he just might be Josiah Weber reincarnated & improved upon. And, he’s a leader with high intelligence too. Kid’s got it all. #17: Win, 5-4 (14)… no lead is safe in Boston as the Patriots dug deep once again, knotting this thing up with a 3-run bottom of the 8th and send us to extras to sort it out… and, after trading zeroes until the 14th our own 3B Ron Henry would do just that, hitting a run-scoring single off RP Roger Gentile to put us in front for good. It helped that Tom Franzone finished 0-for-6 with 2 K’s. Also, DH Frodo Gonzales, who we signed to a minor league contract with a majors option on April 3rd, cashed in said option with an appearance on the big club already, finishing 4-for-5 with a HR, 3 RBI and a run for us here. He was a 2-3 WAR guy for Vancouver & Buffalo for a 4-year stretch before the skills, especially the fielding, started to erode – here’s hoping he’ll put in some good work for us this season. #18: Loss, 5-10… there’d be no comeback from Boston required here, no late-inning heroics, and, while we tried our rally caps on, putting up all 5 of our runs during the top of the 9th, it was nothing doing as Boston handled us with relative ease throughout this contest. We hit three doubles and a triple but couldn’t match Boston’s output as our starter, Hank Wilson, got shelled in this one, allowing 5 runners to plate in just 4.2-innings of work. He drops to 1-2 on the year with a 5.21 ERA. Record: 10-8, .556, 4th AL West Up Next: We’ll head into New York City for a set against the Sluggers in their park. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-13-2023 at 09:51 AM. |
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09-14-2023, 08:54 AM
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#10 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 17th – 19th)
Portland Pioneers (10-8, .555, 4th AL West) @ New York Sluggers (10-8, .556, 3rd AL West) New York is like us – picked to finish at or near the bottom of their division yet swimming with the sharks during the early part of the 2085 campaign, buoyed by hope that will soon dissipate once rising fan expectations begin to weigh them down. What’s interesting is that they’re off to a start like this at all, what with the 6th ranked offense and 8th ranked staff in the AL… throw in their -8 RDiff and the fact that the Pyt would have their record reversed and what you have here is a club that has front-loaded their good luck so far this year and if they’re not careful they won’t have any left for the dog days of summer when clubs start dragging, beat down from this long slog of a baseball season. Perhaps we can help them with that. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP K. Voll (1-0, 0.98 ERA) vs RHP S. Mabry (1-0, 4.05 ERA) RHP B. Sánchez (2-1, 2.49 ERA) vs RHP N. Holmberg (1-3, 8.50 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (2-1, 2.66 ERA) vs RHP V. Uhlman (0-1, 4.50 ERA) #19: Win, 4-0… from the game generated box score: “Pioneers Squelch Sluggers Offense in Shutout Win”. Couldn’t have said it better myself… 2B Wyatt Raphael finished 3-for-5 with a 2-run HR, we hit three doubles as a club, Mike Duncan swiped a bag, we got an OF Assist from CF Micky Austin, and sat back and watched SP Kade Voll win his 2nd game of the year after tossing 6-innings of 4-hit baseball. Listen – nothing too fancy here, just good old-fashioned, blue-collar baseball. Sidenote: I noticed that my old club, the Los Angeles Leopards, have 28yo SP Orlando Arce (57/58) plying his trade in AAA after turning in a 15-4, 2.64, 3.0 WAR season last year… I also was able to work a deal with them where I’d get him and 23yo 3B Sandro Brincat (50/55) for 29yo SP Dominic Hornbrook (54/55) and 30yo 3B Ron Henry (55/55)… I kind of like it, but, I don’t know – feels cheap grabbing players off my old club. Decisions, decisions… I did grab Leo in free agency, so… #20: Loss, 5-7… CF Franklin Boudreaux’s 2-run single during the bottom of the 1st put New York up 4-0 and they’d not relinquish the lead from there continuing to pour it on to always stay a step or two ahead of us. SP Bernal Sanchez was destroyed, managing a scant 2.2 IP after allowing 5 runners to plate, and falling to 2-2 on the year as a result. Elsewhere: SP Walt Allen, currently putting in work in Salt Lake City as the Alpines’ Ace, and the proud owner of a 5-0 record & 0.99 ERA so far this year, turned in a performance for the ages in a tilt against Detroit, twirling a NO HITTER with 9 K’s as his club bested the Motors by a score of 1-0. This is our 2nd no-no this year with the other one being a PERFECT GAME. #21: Win, 6-2… SP William Macomber gave us 6.1 hard-scrabble innings of work, allowing just 5 hits and 2 earned while fanning 9 to improve to 3-1 on the year and the offense came up smelling roses with 11 hits and 6 runs led by DH Frodo Gonzales who finished 3-for-4 with a 2-run double and 4 total RBI. Nice little road trip here, actually… for now a 3-3 east coast swing, for a club still trying to figure out who it is, is a solid start you ask me. Trade Alert: Welp… I won’t be getting Orlando Arce as I traded an integral piece of that deal. 3B Ron Henry (54/54) and prospect 1B Dean Nagel (20/44) are headed to Las Vegas for 3B Shane Fukumoto (59/59) and RP Tyler Gilman (44/44). They’ll both join us on the big club. Record: 12-9, .571, 3rd AL West Up Next: We’ll head home where the recently no-hit Detroit Motors will meet us for a 3-game parlay. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-14-2023 at 10:28 PM. |
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09-15-2023, 01:13 PM
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#11 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 20th – 22nd)
Detroit Motors (5-16, .238, 6th AL East) @ Portland Pioneers (12-9, .571, 3rd AL West)
Detroit is in a bad, bad way – winners in just 5 of their 21 contests so far, 8 games off the pace being set in their division by Charlotte and Buffalo, and losers of three straight in Salt Lake City their last time out. They’re led offensively by 33yo LF Palmer Parker who, despite his age, still has a bit left in the tank, and their staff is headed up by SP Trevor Dotson whose best season came way back in 2082 when he put up 4.0 pWAR. Both guys are formidable, better-than-solid pros, and in the case of Palmer, a low-key legend with two Boyce Rigg’s to his name. The problem then is what’s around them, on the periphery, filling in the gaps, and solidifying their foundation. That’s where Detroit is found wonting, they’re all surface with no cream filling. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP D. Hornbrook (1-2, 1.93 ERA) vs RHP L. Morelli (0-2, 2.62 ERA) RHP H. Wilson (1-2, 5.21 ERA) vs RHP M. Ferguson (1-0, 3.65 ERA) RHP K. Voll (2-0, 0.74 ERA) vs RHP D. Wirgau (0-2, 6.60 ERA) #22: Win, 8-5… my signing of Frodo will go down as one of my better moves it seems – 2-for-4 with 2 RBI tonight – 3B Shane Fukumoto finished 2-for-5 with a 2-run TANK in his debut, and LF Adam Collins finished 2-for-2 with 2 runs, 2 RBI, and a walk. Two swiped bags (Austin, Alford), 2 double plays, an OF Assist, and a winning, 5-inning, 6-hit, 3 earned effort from Hornbrook who improves to 2-2 on the year. #23: Win, 5-4… it’d take some late game heroics from Leo Bullock to get this one sorted… your boy delivered a walk off, run-scoring double during the bottom of the 9th to send the hometown faithful into a tizzy and run our winning streak up to 3 games. Fukumoto finished 2-for-4 with a run, CF Micky Austin hit a 3-run TANK and burgled a bag, and our bullpen pitched flawlessly after our starter, Hank Wilson, gave up four runs during his 5-innings on the bump. #24: Win, 8-0… SP Kade Voll gave us 5 flawless innings, allowing 6 hits while fanning 4, and RP Morton Shepard went hitless for us the rest of the way, preserving the clean sheet and the sweep. Two runs scored for Fukumoto – he’s fitting right in at the top of our order – a 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R day from CF Micky Austin, and a 2-run homer for SS Jess Alford would round things out for us offensively as we get the sweep in front of our fans while running the streak, such that it is, up to 4 games. Oh, and Frodo went 4-for-4. So, this sojourn in Portland is going swimmingly so far… something’s got to give. And soon. Record: 15-9, .625, 2nd AL West Up Next: Three more in front of the hometown faithful as the Miami Gators are headed our way for a 3-game interleague set. |
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09-16-2023, 09:22 AM
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#12 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 24th – 26th)
Miami Herons (10-14, .416, 5th NL East) @ Portland Pioneers (15-9, .625, 2nd AL West)
The Herons, led by SP Cathal Magill and SP Wilson Pena, have about as good a rotation as a club could hope for… there problem, or problems as it were, stem from the fact that their bullpen leaks like a sieve and their offense is wholly incapable of making, well, anything happen at the plate. Ranked last in the NL in Runs Scored, AVG, OBP, OPS, and wOBA – theirs is an order that, down to a man, hasn’t been able to get into anything resembling a groove. So, for us, this set represents, if nothing else, an opportunity to keep playing well above our station, punching above our weight, as they say, and to continue our surprising, some would say unfathomable, winning ways. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP B. Sánchez (2-2, 3.70 ERA) vs RHP C. Magill (0-3, 4.85 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (3-1, 2.70 ERA) vs RHP W. Peña (0-1, 2.17 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (2-2, 2.54 ERA) vs RHP D. Herrington (1-3, 4.32 ERA) #25: Win, 8-4… Frodo Gonzales put us ahead on a 1-0 slider from Cathal Magill, putting out his 5th longball and putting us up 4-2 at the time, then, after the Herons knotted things up in the 6th, the boys would find a way to bury them in during the bottom of the 7th, on a 2-run double from 1B Angel Marino and another 2-run double courtesy of CF Micky Austin. Our starter, Bernal Sanchez, earned the win after turning in 7.2-innings of work, allowing just 2 earned and 4 total, and CL Payton Inzen picked up his 5th save of the season, striking out the last two batters on 12 total pitches. #26: Win, 7-0... Look, I made some good moves during the offseason, brought in some better arms, found ways to improve in the margins, even got lucky with the whole Frodo signing… but, something’s got to give here… we just can’t be this good all year. Micky Austin finished 3-for-4 with a 2-run double, a 2-run TANK, 3 total RBI, and a run, and 3B Shane Fukumoto, who’s starting to remind me of a young Pepper Grant, finished 1-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs. SP William Macomber sprained his ankle and left the game early, he’ll be listed day-to-say, and RP Johndale Bill, saved the day by turning in 8-innings of 4-hit, 10 K relief work. Wow. What a stud. #27: Win, 7-4… Sweep City, USA! We’d get most of our offensive contributions from the bottom of the lineup with Angel Marino, Adam Collins, and Wyatt Raphael each contributing 2 RBI, Dominic Hornbrook picked up his 3rd win of the 2085 campaign, and Payton Inzen was at it again with save #6, closing the door for us on 12 total pitches. I know we’ll be found out soon enough… so, I’m just going to enjoy this insane run of tip top form for as long as I can. Our winning streak is up to 7 games now… it’s silly. Record: 18-9, .667, 1st AL West Up Next: We’ll head to Brooklyn for a 3-game interleague set on the road. Last edited by pauwoo; 11-13-2023 at 09:13 AM. |
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09-17-2023, 10:36 AM
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#13 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (April 27th – 29th)
Portland Pioneers (18-9, .667, 1st AL West) @ Brooklyn Americans (15-12, .556, 2nd NL East)
A solidly built club stuffed with sturdy vets, good young talent, and enough around the periphery to do some real damage this season, these Americans are off to a, well, solid start so far in 2085… a +22 RDiff, ranked 3rd in runs scored, 2nd in runs against, and 2nd in HR’s, Brooklyn can beat you in a myriad of ways - stifle your offense with their brutally efficient defensive unit, shut you down with their 3rd ranked starting corps and 4th ranked bullpen. Here, in their park, and despite our superb form, we’ll have our work cut out for us… Brooklyn is a serious club, stacked with series ballplayers, that’s looking to do some serious things in 2085. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP H. Wilson (1-2, 5.62 ERA) vs LHP S. Weldon (1-0, 3.12 ERA) RHP K. Voll (3-0, 0.61 ERA) vs RHP D. Ehrenreich (3-2, 4.30 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (3-1, 2.61 ERA) vs RHP G. Wayne (3-0, 2.36 ERA) #28: Win, 6-1… our improbable streak is up to 8 games now as Mike Duncan capped off a 3-run top of the 1st with a 2-run single and Leo Bullock backed that up one inning later with a 2-run dinger that put us up 5-0 before the start of the 3rd. A double and swiped bag for Fukumoto, Micky Austin hit his 5th TANK, we fielded a crispy, Fukumoto-Raphael-Duncan double play, and SP Hank Wilson improved to 2-2 on the year after laying down a nice 5.1-inning start, allowing just 4 total hits and 1 earned while fanning 5 helpless hitters. Elsewhere: While I’d normally not highlight an NCAA player, we’ll make an exception for this guy – partly because of his game-generated name and partly due to the fact that he’s got 80 potential. Stetson’s RF Porky Black put it down something fierce for his club, finishing 3-for-4 with a 3-run DING DONG, 4 runs, and a free pass to lead his Hatters to a resounding, and wholly satisfying, 14-1 win over the Clemson Tigers. It’s just a moral victory for Stetson who improved to a dismal, 9-21 with the win – way, way, way out of the cake come tournament time. #29: Loss, 0-4… and, just like that, Brooklyn brings us crashing back down to reality, our streak broken on the back of a fierce, 7-inning, 4-hit shutout courtesy of SP Doug Ehrenreich who improved to 4-2 as a result while our guy, Kade Voll, drops to 3-1 after allowing all four Brooklyn runs. We couldn’t even muster a single EBH in this one as Brooklyn’s sublime defense laid our boys to waste with three, count ‘em – THREE – double plays, thwarting every rally attempt we tried. #30: Loss, 4-6… Brooklyn took the lead during the bottom of the 6th when 3B Brody Owens sent a 2-run MOONSHOT out of the park, and never looked back from there as their staff stayed stout despite the defense committing two fielding flubs during the game. Our only EBH was a triple from Angel Marino with nobody on and Bernal Sanchez dropped to 3-3 on the year after allowing 6 runners to plate over 6.2 innings of work – they took him yard twice in this one… oof. Elsewhere: Austin SP, Joe Matthiessen, twirled a complete-game, 3-hit shutout to lead his Grackles to a sweet 6-0 victory over the visiting Buffalo Nickels at home. This marks the first time Matthiessen has pitched a complete game shutout in the bigs and only the second time he’s done it in this save – the last time he had it like this was when he was in college – he tossed a CG, 2-hit shutout with 12 K’s against the St. Marys Gaels as a member of the Washington Huskies. Record: 19-11, .633, 1st AL West Up Next: We’ll head back to PDX where the Salt Lake Alpines will meet us for a 3-game, winner-takes-all cage match. |
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09-18-2023, 09:56 AM
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#14 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 1st)
A look at the league standings…
*Note... several of the team name changes you see in the graphic below were reverted to their previous name after I thought better of it. So, teams like New Orleans, Miami, and Charlotte have all been reverted to their previous monikers. Your Portland Pioneers… Our Pitching… Our Batting… Last edited by pauwoo; 09-18-2023 at 10:02 AM. |
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09-18-2023, 10:07 AM
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#15 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 1st – 3rd)
Salt Lake Alpines (18-12, .600, 2nd AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (19-11, .633, 1st AL West)
With ourselves and Salt Lake picked to finish in the rear with the gear by the preseason punditry, that we both find ourselves at the top of the pops, the class of the AL West with the first full month of the 2085 campaign already in the rearview, is something of a surprise. So, if those BNN predictions are to be believed, then we’re both living on borrowed time, and this set could go a long way in determining which one of us gets to keep borrowing it for a bit longer. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP W. Macomber (3-1, 2.61 ERA) vs LHP W. Winston (2-1, 3.25 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (3-2, 2.70 ERA) vs RHP Q. Sieg (1-3, 6.07 ERA) RHP H. Wilson (2-2, 4.91 ERA) vs LHP B. McElheny (3-0, 1.27 ERA) #31: Loss, 8-9… our 2-run rally during the bottom of the 9th fell just short as Alpines Reliever, Troy Green, managed to dial it in for the save after giving up a 2-run TANK to Leo Bullock. Wyatt Raphael hit one out and tallied 4 total RBI but we’d not have enough to overcome a poor start from Macomber, who allowed 7 earned over just 3.1-innings of work. Elsewhere: Mexico City’s SP Patrick Torres went the distance against Austin, tossing a complete game, 3-hit, 2 earned start with 13 K’s as his Jaguars dispatched the Grackles by a score of 3-2… Austin Starter, Alfred Adcock, went 8-innings for the Grackles, allowing only one earned run with 8 K’s before CL Noah DiMaio blew it for him. #32: Loss, 1-5… it would seem that whatever good fortune and luck has led us here has come due and that we’re behind on the karma payment plan. Here our suddenly beleaguered staff would come undone during the top of the 4th when Salt Lake’s LF Bakari Konate hit a GRAND SLAM off Hornbrook, dismissing him early after just 3 complete innings with 5 bad ones charged to his account. Even our 3 DP’s wouldn’t be enough here as our starter just couldn’t keep it in the park, allowing 2 homers on the day. Elsewhere: 1B Paulo Legna, a 1x Boyce Rigg winner who’s posted 200+ hits in a season twice in his career, secured his 2000th hit during a 2-for-3 day that included 1 RBI during what would be recorded as a 5-3 loss for his Pittsburgh Pipers against the Philadelphia Liberty. The 10-year vet who went to the Bush League after going undrafted has quietly amassed some great career numbers. Oh, and speaking of the Bush League – both the BL and the Western Bush started their season’s on the first… RF Shock Vaugn, currently putting in work with the Lackawanna Lickers of the BL, went 4-for-8 with 4 solo homers during a tilt against the Naperville Nibblers. His club would eke out a 7-5 win on the back of that otherworldly performance. Shock’s 4 HR game is the 3rd in BL history with the last one coming nearly 40 years ago when a guy called Isaak Thursby did it. Isaak was a good little player – spent most of his career in Dallas, made 5 all-star teams, before becoming a Bush League legend over a 6-year period. #33: Win, 8-5… we’d get some sweet, sweet revenge on the back of a near-miraculous 5-run, bottom of the 9th punctuated by a 3-run walk off homer courtesy of Leo Bullock that sent the hometown faithful off into the night, buoyed for their journey home by that satisfying feeling of seeing your hometown club snatch victory form the jaws of defeat. Angel and Frodo each hit two-baggers, we secured a well-fielded, Raphael-Alford-Marino DP, and would get 3, 2-out RBI in this one coming through in the clutch to get it done. Elsewhere: Our own SP Waldo Long, currently plying his trade with the 3A Eugene Ducks, twirled a complete game masterpiece, allowing just 1 hit and 1 BB while fanning 10 during a 4-0 victory over the Windsor Whistlers. Like, he’s ready now – I just don’t have the room. I might look to move Bernal Sanchez or Hank Wilson… maybe for low-key catching prospect or a couple of arms for the development system. Record: 20-13, .606, 2nd AL West Up Next: We’ll await the arrival of the Seattle Metros for a 3-game set in Pendleton Park. Last edited by pauwoo; 11-13-2023 at 09:46 AM. |
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09-19-2023, 06:42 PM
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#16 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 4th – 6th)
Seattle Metros (13-20, .394, 6th AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (20-13, .606, 2nd AL West)
Seattle is, by every statistical measure and predictive model, a better club than we are… on paper, of course, where things like math and predictive models carry real weight. In practice, or life as it were, that simply has not been the case. And, while we’ve busied ourselves so far this season by punching well above our weight, Seattle has bogged themselves down with piss poor offensive performances (11th in runs scored, base running, 10th in average, OPS) and an equally repugnant pitching & defense (10th starters ERA, 11th defensive efficiency, 12th zR, 10th errors). This this is likely just an aberration, a mirage in the desert - but that doesn’t matter in the here and now as Seattle arrives in Portland mired in a funk so pervasive that Eddie Hazel himself may as well be their 3rd base coach while your Pioneers have been laying down a groove so thick, so bass heavy, that hips spontaneously sashay, women dance the Lambada, and the hometown faithful take flights of fancy and allow themselves to believe in a future filled with champaign wishes and caviar dreams. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP K. Voll (3-1, 1.57 ERA) vs LHP A. Gunter (1-5, 3.94 ERA) RHP B. Sánchez (3-3, 4.19 ERA) vs RHP S. Kenny (1-1, 4.05 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (3-2, 4.19 ERA) vs RHP B. Dauncey (3-1, 3.70 ERA) #34: Loss, 3-4 (10)… that CL Payton Inzen came unglued during the top of the 9th, allowing a game-tying two runs during that frame, is no real surprise, he’s been laboring a bit of late (even as he’s found ways to get the job done), and that RP Gray Switzer would be saddled with the loss after allowing the game winning homer is hardly of note as well – we’re as capable of shutting teams down late as we are of falling apart. Seattle's 3B Austin Velasquez was the man of the match – 3-for-5 with 2 TANKS and 3 runs scored – and RP Al Bundy picked up the win in relief, his 2nd this season, to improve to 2-2 on the year. Ugh… always gross to lose to Seattle, especially at home in Pendleton Park. I made this FG a long time ago… always cracks me up when I see him in a game against my club. Elsewhere: Los Angeles’ 1B Oh Hong went GONZO during a tilt against the San Diego Skipjacks, finishing 4-for-4 with a double, 4 RBI, 2 runs and a walk to lead the Leopards to a hard-earned, 7-5 win. Oh Hong is batting 346/420/602 with 9 HRs and 27 RBI so far in 2085. #35: Win, 9-3… we’d get some of that sweet, sweet get back here as SS Jess Alford put it down something fierce during a 3-for-3 day that included a bases-clearing triple, 4 total RBI, and 2 runs while our starter, Bernal Sanchez, gave us 6.2-innings, allowing 10 hits & 3 earned in the winning effort, his 4th of those. We’d round out the highlights with an RBI double from Fukumoto, two swiped bags (Fukumoto & Alford), and an OF Assist. We hung 6 on their starter over the first 2.2-innings of this one… so that felt pretty good too. Jess Alford… your top performer of the day! Trade Alert: We’ve sent 29yo SP Hank Wilson ((50/50) to the Brooklyn Americans for Minor League RP 25yo Kade Diao (47/48) and 19yo CF Twan van Goens (20/38). This gives me room to bring 27yo SP Waldo Long (46/50), who I’m higher on than Hank, up to the big club from Eugene. #36: Win, 11-2… that we’re winning at this clip is shocking, that we’re faring so well against our Cascadian competition, this early in my tenure, is also shocking… something’s got to give. Here we’d ride an EIGHT RUN BOTTOM OF THE 4TH all the way home as Micky Austin, Angel Marino, and Frodo Gonzales each hit homers during that fateful frame, and the just ride things out as SP William Macomber twirled his way to his 4th win of the season on 5.2-innings of, largely, stress-free work. 22 wins already, a Los Angeles-esque .611 winning percentage, and, if this keeps up, free Voodoo Donuts for life? Sign. Me. Up. Record: 22-14, .611, 2nd AL West Up Next: We’ll take a day off to rest & reflect before travelling to British Columbia where the Mounties will be awaiting our arrival with claws out & fangs exposed. |
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09-21-2023, 06:12 PM
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#17 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 8th – 10th)
Portland Pioneers (22-14, .611, 2nd AL West) @ Vancouver Mounties (19-17, .528, 4th AL West)
Are these Mounties supposed to be much, much better than us? Yes. Yes, they are. Are they also supposed to be much, much better than the rest of the AL West? Yes. Yes, they are. But, listen, I was supposed to take out the trash last night. It’s one of my chores, and my wife asked me to do it, nicely, twice… But, did I do it? No. No, I did not. Which is to say that sometimes people, teams, companies don’t do what they are supposed to do, sometimes they just aren’t who we thought they were… and, so far, Vancouver, while solid, isn’t the world beater the BNN punditry would have had you believe when they published their annual predictions. Here, we have an opportunity to hold Vancouver’s head beneath the water for a bit longer, to make them struggle for breath as they do their level best to stay afloat, to tread water like some kid trying to pass his lifeguard test. No, you can’t sit in that taller-than-usual chair Vancouver, underneath that swank umbrella, charged with saving lives at the local aquatic center – not on our watch. I mean, c’mon, even the Mounties’ dog paddle could use some work at this point. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP D. Hornbrook (3-3, 3.72 ERA) vs RHP J. Salcido (1-4, 3.96 ERA) LHP M. Shepard (2-0, 0.47 ERA) vs RHP M. Villalobos (3-3, 5.09 ERA) RHP K. Voll (3-1, 1.55 ERA) vs RHP T. Pushkin (4-1, 2.93 ERA) #37: Win, 13-2… That we look this good in a speedo, this yoked in our red tank top is, as you are no doubt aware, something of a welcome surprise… that the something that has to give hasn’t yet is equally surprising – I honestly don’t know what to think about this start… I just don’t. Here Frodo, Marino, and LF Adam Collins each drove in two while 2B Wyatt Raphael led the charge with a 2-for-3, 2-run TANK, 3 RBI day… 6 doubles and Wyatt’s HR for the offense, a DP and an OF Assist for the defense, with win #3 for Dominic Hornbrook sprinkled in for good measure… we’re on a roll, folks, a hot streak if you will. An unstoppable force hurtling through the space-time continuum. Assuming, of course, that you can, in fact, hurtle through the space-time continuum. Elsewhere: Setting aside his unfortunate facial hair for a second, I’d be remiss not to make note of the fact that LF Palmer Parker, Strangeverse legend and 2x Boyce Rigg recipient, secured his 2000th hit as a Major League ballplayer during a 9-01 win over the Boston Patriots. He finished 2-for-5 with a run during the game… his 200th hit was a triple, the 13th triple of his big-league career to be exact. #38: Loss, 3-7… Vancouver got after it here, giving their fans a glimpse of what they one day hope to become, what many of the so-called experts already believe them to be, as they dispatched us, in their park with relative ease… 3B Basil Sanchez led the charge for Vancouver, finishing with a 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R line while their starter, Marcos Villalobos, kept our boys in check over 6-innings of 5 hit, 3 earned work. Our two homeruns as a club, one each for Frodo and Leo, would not be enough to crib the series off Vancouver… yet. We’ll have an opportunity to make that happen during the rubber match tomorrow. #39: Win, 4-3… We’re doing big things so far in 2085, I’ve come in like some savior, made a few tweaks to the lineup via trade, some key signings, updated the strategy sliders, and… Vwa-Lah, we’re the best thing since sliced bread, or avocado toast, or something like the first time someone mixed vodka with orange juice… Kade allowed two over 5.1-innings of work, was good enough to earn his 4th victory this year, and Payton Inzen closed this one out with a 3 K, 22 pitch bottom of the 9th. Marino, Raphael, and backup backstop, Chris Levesque, each drove in a run, and the defense, as evidenced by its three double plays, was fierce for us once again as we managed to find a way to crib this series off Vancouver in their park. Note: 2B Wyatt Raphael suffered a minor injury during the game and will be out of action for a week… we’ve called up 23yo 2B Antwon Cross up in his stead – who can field decently but can’t hit a lick. Elsewhere: 1B Satoru Ono, still putting it down something fierce in Mexico City, had himself a day at the plate for his Jags, finishing 4-for-4 with 3 HOMERUNS, 7 RBI, and a walk during his clubs rather unfortunate 17-15 loss against the San Diego Skipjacks. Record: 24-15, .615, 2nd AL West Up Next: Our road trip continues as we travel south to Denver for a set against the Colorado Kings. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-21-2023 at 11:23 PM. |
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09-22-2023, 09:50 AM
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#18 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 11th – 13th)
Portland Pioneers (24-15, .615, 2nd AL West) @ Colorado Kings (15-24, .385, 6th AL West)
On paper, these Kings field an offense as adept as ours at scoring runs, which is to say not very adept at all, and a staff, that in my humble opinion, operates at a slower clip than our own – at altitude and sea level. Still, the punditry saw fit to rank them ahead of us at the start of the season… but, that was then and this is now – and here, in the present, nothing could be further from the truth. We’ve been busy beating the brakes off of nearly all comers while they’ve done the opposite, playing the role of whipping boy nearly every time out… so, here we’ll either continue fostering our bullying ways or get set straight by the 98lbs weakling who has been doing some extra pushups lately. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP B. Sánchez (4-3, 4.17 ERA) vs RHP B. John (2-2, 3.68 ERA) RHP W. Macomber (4-2, 4.05 ERA) vs RHP J. Sanchez-Flores (0-6, 4.82 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (4-3, 3.48 ERA) vs LHP L. Álvarez (3-2, 3.02 ERA) #40: Loss, 5-6 (14)… Colorado knotted things up during the bottom of the 7th on a 2-run double courtesy of CF Eric Hayhurst, then knotted things up again after we secured a short-lived 2-run lead during the top of the 12th with a 2-run BLAST of their own, courtesy of RF Smith Wells, during the bottom of that frame, before sending us off into the night with nowhere to got during the bottom of the 14th on a LF Lucas Zander walk off solo shot. CL Payton Inzen was the culprit for us again, allowing those two runs during the bottom of the 12th and RP Gary Switzer gave up the ghost during the 14th to fall to 1-3 on the year with an untenable, 4.91 ERA. #41: Loss, 2-4… the Kings did their bit early, bringing each of their four runs across before the start of the 5th while our guys waited until the top of the 8th to get on the board, a 2-run TANK for Leo, yet were ultimately unable to get over on Colorado for the 2nd game in a row. Macomber drops to 4-3 after allowing each of Colorado’s runs, two on a 2B Eugenio Madrigal double and two more on a SS Steve Green TANK. The boys are getting cooked at altitude, we’re dehydrated, can’t breathe, aren’t hitting, and the pitching has come unglued. #42: Win, 6-2… we’d save some face, winning our 25th contest of 2085, after putting up 3-runs during the top of the 7th followed by 2 more during the top of the 9th, putting this one just out of reach for the Kings and keeping them from earning a home sweep at our expense. Former Leopards Ace, Larimel Alvarez, took the loss, his 3rd of the year, after allowing 3 runners to plate in 6.2-innings of work, giving up two of our 4 doubles in the process. Fukumoto put one out, his 2nd, Leo swiped his 5th bag, we fielded a crispy Cross-Alford-Gonzales double play, and RP Morris Jones picked up his second save of the season – we’ve not installed him as closer yet, but if Inzen doesn’t step it up, we just might. Record: 25-17, .595, 2nd AL West Up Next: First we rest, then we welcome Dallas to town for a 3-game set in Pendleton Park. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-22-2023 at 11:48 AM. |
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09-23-2023, 11:31 AM
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#19 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 15th – 17th)
Dallas Chaparrals (25-17, .595, 3rd AL West) @ Portland Pioneers (25-17, .595, 2nd AL West)
Even winning at a .595 clip gives us no comfort with clubs like Dallas keeping our pace while the Salt Lake’s of the world outpace us both by two games, running roughshod over all comers despite their obvious roster deficiencies. So far the Chaps have paired the AL’s best pitching staff with its 5th ranked offense while we are doing the opposite… the RA & Defensive Efficiency is tops in our league and they boast the 2nd best Starters & Bullpen ERA’s. They’re a solidly built club whose window may be closing on winning championships with their current roster but one who, once the dust has settled, should at least secure a ticket to the dance. In fact, before said dust has settled, I fully expect them to be one of the clubs we’re competing with for that final spot in the AL West and if that premonition comes true, this set could come back to haunt us unless we find a way to take care of business, in our park… Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP W. Long (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP J. Arai (1-2, 4.30 ERA) RHP K. Voll (4-1, 1.76 ERA) vs LHP K. Judd (0-1, 0.82 ERA) RHP B. Sánchez (4-3, 4.05 ERA) vs RHP K. Western (3-2, 3.96 ERA) #43: Win, 6-4… After the Chaps put 4 bad ones on us prior to the start of the 3rd inning, the boys found a way to kick it into gear late, scoring our final four runs after the 5th with the game winners coming during the bottom of the 7th when CF Micky Austin put a 2-run dinger out of the park. LF Adam Collins hit a 2-run double, Frodo put a SAC FLY on the board, and we’d find a way to win despite Waldo giving up 4 runs in 4 innings of work and our offense stranding 8 baserunners over the course of the contest. #44: Loss, 3-4 (15)… it’s always tough to lose a long slog of a ballgame at home – here we’d get caught looking late after RP Morris Jones walked the bases loaded during the top of the 15th and then gave up the game-winning, run-scoring single to 2B Rocco O’Gara. Kade gave us a sturdy 6.1-inning, 7 hit, 3 earned outing with the bullpen backing him up admirably until Morris came in and promptly gave us the ghost. We also left 15 runners stranded, so… the opportunities we created were squandered early and often. #45: Loss, 0-2… oof – we’d take the loss by shutout, lose a set, at home, against a club in our division, only secure 4 total hits, fan 9 times, and drop to 3rd in our division all in one fell swoop. Not wonderful. Bernal was brilliant – 7-inning, 8 hits, 1 earned – but it’d not be enough as the bats went silent, amassing just two extra base hits, both doubles, both with nobody on. Also, SP Kito Western, who we traded to Dallas for a 1B prospect in Russ Adelman (hitting 286/375/714 in A Ball) and a 1st round draft pick, tossed a 4-hit, complete game shutout with 9 K’s to let us know how he feels about us… which is to say, not good. Kito Western looks good in his Dallas kit… putting in good work for the Chaps too – 4-2, 3.45 ERA, 54 K’s… nothing too outlandish, but a solid rotation guy nonetheless. And, really, I didn’t have a good reason to trade him – just got fidgety and wanted to put my thumbprint on the club as quickly as possible. I’d like to still have him in the club, actually. Maybe I’ll get something great with that first round pick. Record: 26-19, .577, 3rd AL West Up Next: We’ll travel to my former home - Los Angeles – to lock horns with the Leopards for the first time since I turned my back on them for the, hopefully, greener pastures of Portland, Oregon. Last edited by pauwoo; 09-23-2023 at 08:42 PM. |
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09-24-2023, 09:39 AM
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#20 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,224
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2085 Season (May 18th – 20th)
Portland Pioneers (26-19, .577, 3rd AL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (26-19, .578, 1st NL West)
Arriving in Los Angeles losers in 3 of the 5 sets we’ve played in May, including the last two in a row, is far from ideal. Especially when you consider that this is my first time back in the city I called home for a decade with my new club… and, though we arrive in Tinseltown on an identical record as the Leopards, given our recent run of form, it’s safe to say that we’re in a bit of a funk, a bad way. Conversely, things are going pretty well for the Leopards, the offense, ranked first overall in the National League, is humming, led by Oh Hong’s 11 tanks with Otto contributing another 10 right behind him, while their staff continues to perform in the style fans have grown accustomed to – which is to say at a clip nearly unmatched by any other club in the majors. We’ll have our work cut out for us here, especially considering our poor form… I sure would like to land some punches while in town, give these guys a little something to remember me by. Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first: RHP W. Macomber (4-3, 4.40 ERA) vs RHP D. Wilburn (5-2, 3.21 ERA) RHP D. Hornbrook (4-3, 3.47 ERA) vs RHP P. Yeager (0-2, 7.80 ERA) RHP W. Long (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs RHP A. Quimby (5-2, 3.16 ERA) #46: Loss, 4-9… with the contest knotted up at 4 each, Los Angeles put 5 bad ones on us during the bottom of the 8th, including a 3-run BLAST courtesy of SS Dan Baker, to all but settle the series opener by a margin that neatly illustrated the actual difference between our two clubs… Otto finished 2-for-4 with a 2-run TANK, Oh Hong’s only hit was a 2-run, two-bagger, and Ramiro Marte, who was an absolute stud for me last season, picked up the win after tossing a hitless 3-innings of relief. For our part, Leo Bullock, former Leopard utilityman, provided our lone highlight, a 2-run DING DONG off LA starter, Dontrell Wilburn, as our pitching staff, all six of the hurlers we trotted out to the mound in this one, were summarily dismissed, dismantled, parted out, and sold off for scraps. #47: Loss, 0-2… while more closely contested than the 1st game, the result would be the same as the Leopards found a way to dig deep, scoring both of their runs after the stretch, to secure the series win in my first ever trip to Los Angeles as the General Manager of the Portland Pioneers. Otto hit the game winner, a solo shot during the bottom of the 7th, while Hernando Benavidez put the cushion on the board an inning later on a SAC FLY, and their pitching, as always, came through with Orlando holding us scoreless through 6 before turning it over to Major Hansen and T-Rex Stiles to close things out. Rough being on the other side of this sort of thing… I mean, hell, I could’ve stayed in LA. Maybe I should have… for our part we fanned 9 times as a club, hit nary an extra base hit, and looked every bit the A Ball club next to the reigning champions. #48: Loss, 4-5 (12)… we hung in there, hangin’ tough like NKOTB, but would not have enough in the tank to get it over the finish line as the Leopards found a way to walk us off during the bottom of the 12th on a C Mason Click solo homer that gave them the win and saddled Gray Switzer with his 5th loss this season. Leo Bullock (3-for-5, 2B, RBI, R) and Jess Alford (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) were the story for us offensively and our pitching, save Gray Switzer, was relatively stout after Waldo Long turned the ball over to the pen to start the 6th. We’d just not have enough to best a juggernaut the likes of Los Angeles – no surprise here, really, though it would have been nice to get at least one while in town. One funny thing about Los Angeles this season… Otto has been moved to 1B, Oh Hong playing DH. Getting older is hard, you guys. Record: 26-22, .541, 3rd AL West Up Next: I’ll cry myself to sleep on the plane ride home, take Monday off, as always, and then get back after it, in Pendleton Park, against the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday. One foot in front of the other and all that. |
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