There's little doubt that OscarBaumann & JesusFernandez are two of the top pitchers this world has seen, if not the two best aces for the first 10 seasons of Ripken, Jr. Like sands thru an hour glass, time is starting to pass these two by, however each is due a hefty salary over the next 4 - 5 seasons before either can think of heading off to their golden years.
At his peak, Baumann was blessed with pinpoint control, wicked heat, nasty splits, but only 1 ++ pitch and 3 average to above average pitches. This was certainly enough to headline any rotation, but perhaps the key to his success was his ability to constantly work on short rest, allowing more starts per season than your average ace. While offseason elbow surgery following season 7 robbed Oscar of a good chunk of his zip on his fastball and a little bit of stuff off each pitch, he still commanded top dollar in the free agent bonaza on season 9 where Witchita signed Oscar up for a 5 year, $130 mil deal, including a $10 mil bonus. Oscar's 94 make-up rating would indicate a guy that should retain his skill set as he ages well better than most, however Wichita has hired Dr Kevorkian's brother as their team trainer, taking their buget from 15 in season 8, down to 11 in season 9 (Oscar's first w/ the team) and now standing at 10 this season. Just this past offseason, Oscar saw further corrosion of his fastball, a small loss in some of his pitches, and most importantly, another decent drop in his stamina that threatens to turn him into a 6 inning pitcher before too long. With the further decrease in training, similar drops could be expect this offseason, but make no mistake, when Oscar's on the mound he's still amongst the leagues best. Oscar is still only 33, so he shouldn't hit a sharp drop off outside of another serious injury, but unless the training buget gets back to a more acceptable level, he may be forced into long relief by the last year of his deal.
Meanwhile, the 36 year old Jesus Fernandez was set on a more reasonable contract the 3 years prior, but rather than agree to his initial demands, Jesus decided to get greedy and claim his initial demands were no longer good enough and headed to free agency. More money for Jesus, bad for Salem's buget. Salem decided to take the plunge, fight off at least one other suited and signed Jesus up to a 5 year, back ended deal that will see him garnering $18.3 mil during his age age 39 & age 40 seasons. Even at his peak, Jesus never relied much on heat, ranking towards the bottom of the world in velocity, however he more than made up for it with pin point control, a nasty sinker a + slider, and 3 more average to above average splits. It seems that velocity and stamina are the first 2 skills to seriously erode as one ages, however Jesus's doesn't have much room to fall with his fastball, and his stamina remains near 90 in his age 36 season, though it dropped from 94 last offseason due in part to Salem's lowering of the training buget in season 10 (down to 10) Careful of the impact of such a low training buget w/ an aging team, team owner quickly put more resources in training, and expec to raise it even further, eventually up to 20 before Jesus' contract is up.
so the question becomes, in the last couple of years of their respective deals, how overpaid will these two aces be? Please vote in the poll to let us know.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Heros & Goats, round 3, Season 9
Salem over Wichita (4-1)
Hero: Patrick Watson. After begining the series slow (1-8 w/ 1 rbi in games 1 & 2), Watson exploded and lead the charge as Salem's offense finally showed some life. While pitching and defense carried the day in the prior series and first 2 games of this set, a couple of hitting duels broke out in games 3 & 5 and Watson was right in the mix. In addition to a P.O.D. in game #3, Watson's last 3 games in this series had him slurping 7 hits in 11 at bats, 3 walks, 5 runs and 3 rbi to help Salem close out Wichita and capture their third AL penant in the last 5 seasons.
Goat: Oscar Baumann. Oscar's $110 mil contract this offseason reflects his strangle hold on world Ripken Jr the last 8 seasons. 4 Cy Young awards, and 8 all star selections reflect just how dominate he's been the first 8 seasons of this worlds existance. however, perhaps his failure to make the all-star game was the first sign that his star is starting to slip, however a late season surge towards another Cy Young nomination earsed those fears until the playoffs begun. Oscar made it thru the 1st series with 2 short stints, but little damage. He showed signs of wear in the 2nd round, but pitched a solid 7 innings in the game 4 clincher vs Trenton. However, the postseason wear took an even further tole when he allowed 5 earned runs in a mear 5 innings in a game 5 lose, followed up by a shorter than you'd like 6 innings out of the Wichita Ace in the deciding game 5. While he only gave up 3 runs thru those 6 innings, qualifing for a quality start, his short stint turned things over to the soft underbelly of the Wichita bullpen where promptly allowed 4 runs to the Salem offense and saw their season come to an abrupt halt. Rumors have Baumann training at the Roger Clemons school for the aging vet with the cream and the clear this offseason. If similar results are produced, expect a few more Cy Young awards out of Oscar.
Fresno over Austin (4-2)
Hero: Tim Kinney. In a classic back and forth series, Kinney provided enough highlight material to fill a complete 30 minute SI team video next offseason. There was the back to back homers with Fultz in a game 1 victory to push Fresno's lead out to 5, There was another 3rd inning solo shot in game 3 to push the first run across the board as Fresno re-gained the series edge. Finally a solo shot to score the first run in the 6th to open things up in the pivotal game 5, as well as a 3 run shot to turn out the lights in the 9th inning. All that was left was for Fresno to seal off game 6 and move to the W-S where Kinney gets another shot to prove his postseason wares. In his first postseason trip in 7 previous major league season, this 32 year old is getting a chance to show his talents on the big stage, perhaps another all star trip will come along with it next year.
Goat: Chris Lyons. Austin's all star right fielder had his best season of his prestigous career. 150 rbi, 37 homers, 205 hits and 139 runs pushed him into elite territory. However, he managed just 3 hits and 3 rbi in the series vs Austin. In a series played as tightly as this series, Lyon's lack of offensive production really hindered their chances of making the big show. Look for Austin to return even stronger next year with the combination of great vets and emerging youth.
Hero: Patrick Watson. After begining the series slow (1-8 w/ 1 rbi in games 1 & 2), Watson exploded and lead the charge as Salem's offense finally showed some life. While pitching and defense carried the day in the prior series and first 2 games of this set, a couple of hitting duels broke out in games 3 & 5 and Watson was right in the mix. In addition to a P.O.D. in game #3, Watson's last 3 games in this series had him slurping 7 hits in 11 at bats, 3 walks, 5 runs and 3 rbi to help Salem close out Wichita and capture their third AL penant in the last 5 seasons.
Goat: Oscar Baumann. Oscar's $110 mil contract this offseason reflects his strangle hold on world Ripken Jr the last 8 seasons. 4 Cy Young awards, and 8 all star selections reflect just how dominate he's been the first 8 seasons of this worlds existance. however, perhaps his failure to make the all-star game was the first sign that his star is starting to slip, however a late season surge towards another Cy Young nomination earsed those fears until the playoffs begun. Oscar made it thru the 1st series with 2 short stints, but little damage. He showed signs of wear in the 2nd round, but pitched a solid 7 innings in the game 4 clincher vs Trenton. However, the postseason wear took an even further tole when he allowed 5 earned runs in a mear 5 innings in a game 5 lose, followed up by a shorter than you'd like 6 innings out of the Wichita Ace in the deciding game 5. While he only gave up 3 runs thru those 6 innings, qualifing for a quality start, his short stint turned things over to the soft underbelly of the Wichita bullpen where promptly allowed 4 runs to the Salem offense and saw their season come to an abrupt halt. Rumors have Baumann training at the Roger Clemons school for the aging vet with the cream and the clear this offseason. If similar results are produced, expect a few more Cy Young awards out of Oscar.
Fresno over Austin (4-2)
Hero: Tim Kinney. In a classic back and forth series, Kinney provided enough highlight material to fill a complete 30 minute SI team video next offseason. There was the back to back homers with Fultz in a game 1 victory to push Fresno's lead out to 5, There was another 3rd inning solo shot in game 3 to push the first run across the board as Fresno re-gained the series edge. Finally a solo shot to score the first run in the 6th to open things up in the pivotal game 5, as well as a 3 run shot to turn out the lights in the 9th inning. All that was left was for Fresno to seal off game 6 and move to the W-S where Kinney gets another shot to prove his postseason wares. In his first postseason trip in 7 previous major league season, this 32 year old is getting a chance to show his talents on the big stage, perhaps another all star trip will come along with it next year.
Goat: Chris Lyons. Austin's all star right fielder had his best season of his prestigous career. 150 rbi, 37 homers, 205 hits and 139 runs pushed him into elite territory. However, he managed just 3 hits and 3 rbi in the series vs Austin. In a series played as tightly as this series, Lyon's lack of offensive production really hindered their chances of making the big show. Look for Austin to return even stronger next year with the combination of great vets and emerging youth.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Heros & Goats, round 2, season 9
Salem over Tampa (3-1)
Hero: Alex Gomez. After sitting out the 1st game loss while coach Taz21 was trying to "play the matchups" and left his leadoff hitter on the bench in favor of a righty to face Tampa's slew of left handed starters, the Salem message boards light up with enough flames to keep downtown Salem a glow till the next morning. Hearing the critics, coach wised up and got Gomez back into left field and back into the lineup where he responded by hitting .455 over the next 3 nights, not to mention his standard gold glove defense in left.
Goat: Achilles Cohen. Tampa's MVP canidate had a series he'd like to forget. Just 2 hits in 16 at bats. Post season struggles are nothing new to this budding star, as heel injuries each of the last 2 postseason have held him well short of regular season accolades. From a .280+ batting average and over 100 regular season home runs, to just 8 hits (in 43 at bats) and single homer the last 2 postseasons.
Wichita over Trenton (3-1)
Hero: Bruce Gibbons. Bruce scored 7 runs, piked up 6 hits (6/15-.400), drove in 5, walked 4 times and stole 3 bases to pace Wichita's offense in an easier than expect 3-1 series win over Trenton
Goat: Kris Jackson. Another middle of the order DH struggling to pace his team's offense when it matters most. This season's 2-15 showing w/ only 1 rbi follows last year's equally brutal 2-11 showing with no rbi. Jackson will enter next year looking for a new contract for season 11 and hopes to move past the last 2 postseason failures and put up something more along the lines of season 7 where he knocked out 6 long balls to go w/ 20 rbi in 14 games.
Fresno over Honolulu (3-1)
Hero: Ricky Brock. Ricky don't lose that number, didn't hit many, but he certainly made his hits count. Trailing 1 game to none, and down 4-5 in the 8th inning of game 2, Ricky hit a 2 run jack to flip the game and tie the series. 2 nights later in game #3, again trailing by a run (1-0) in the 9th, Ricky found himself at the plate w/ the bases juiced and slashed a line drive to left field to knock in 2 runs, take the lead and send Fresno to a 2 games to 1 lead.
Goat: Honolulu pitching after the 5th inning. They had a lead in all 3 games at some point after the 5th, only to see each lead flipped in a single inning (including allowing 5 runs in a 4-0 game in the 6th inning of game 4) to seal their fate. Dick Hoover is left to continue dreaming of a World Series ring.
Austin over Dover (3-1)
Hero: Stewart Wells. Austin's silver slugging CF paced their offense by hitting .414 over their arch nemisis, including 4 rbi and 5 runs.
Goat: Tony Brown. After Dover fell behind 1 game to none, they took a 6-4 lead to the 9th of game 2. 2 walks and an error later and the bases are full of Stunners. 1 pitch later, Pineda deposits a ball over the LF fence. Game over, series over. Dover would come back to win in game 3, but by that point their pitching was so worn out that they allowed 13 runs in the deciding game 4 in an otherwise heartless performance.
Hero: Alex Gomez. After sitting out the 1st game loss while coach Taz21 was trying to "play the matchups" and left his leadoff hitter on the bench in favor of a righty to face Tampa's slew of left handed starters, the Salem message boards light up with enough flames to keep downtown Salem a glow till the next morning. Hearing the critics, coach wised up and got Gomez back into left field and back into the lineup where he responded by hitting .455 over the next 3 nights, not to mention his standard gold glove defense in left.
Goat: Achilles Cohen. Tampa's MVP canidate had a series he'd like to forget. Just 2 hits in 16 at bats. Post season struggles are nothing new to this budding star, as heel injuries each of the last 2 postseason have held him well short of regular season accolades. From a .280+ batting average and over 100 regular season home runs, to just 8 hits (in 43 at bats) and single homer the last 2 postseasons.
Wichita over Trenton (3-1)
Hero: Bruce Gibbons. Bruce scored 7 runs, piked up 6 hits (6/15-.400), drove in 5, walked 4 times and stole 3 bases to pace Wichita's offense in an easier than expect 3-1 series win over Trenton
Goat: Kris Jackson. Another middle of the order DH struggling to pace his team's offense when it matters most. This season's 2-15 showing w/ only 1 rbi follows last year's equally brutal 2-11 showing with no rbi. Jackson will enter next year looking for a new contract for season 11 and hopes to move past the last 2 postseason failures and put up something more along the lines of season 7 where he knocked out 6 long balls to go w/ 20 rbi in 14 games.
Fresno over Honolulu (3-1)
Hero: Ricky Brock. Ricky don't lose that number, didn't hit many, but he certainly made his hits count. Trailing 1 game to none, and down 4-5 in the 8th inning of game 2, Ricky hit a 2 run jack to flip the game and tie the series. 2 nights later in game #3, again trailing by a run (1-0) in the 9th, Ricky found himself at the plate w/ the bases juiced and slashed a line drive to left field to knock in 2 runs, take the lead and send Fresno to a 2 games to 1 lead.
Goat: Honolulu pitching after the 5th inning. They had a lead in all 3 games at some point after the 5th, only to see each lead flipped in a single inning (including allowing 5 runs in a 4-0 game in the 6th inning of game 4) to seal their fate. Dick Hoover is left to continue dreaming of a World Series ring.
Austin over Dover (3-1)
Hero: Stewart Wells. Austin's silver slugging CF paced their offense by hitting .414 over their arch nemisis, including 4 rbi and 5 runs.
Goat: Tony Brown. After Dover fell behind 1 game to none, they took a 6-4 lead to the 9th of game 2. 2 walks and an error later and the bases are full of Stunners. 1 pitch later, Pineda deposits a ball over the LF fence. Game over, series over. Dover would come back to win in game 3, but by that point their pitching was so worn out that they allowed 13 runs in the deciding game 4 in an otherwise heartless performance.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Season 9, Heros & Goats
Better late than never, short but sweet...
round 1
Tampa over Syracuse (3-1)
Hero: Hard to pick any 1 hero for Tampa, very much a team effort game to game, but we'll go w/ Walter Russel for his 7.2 innings of 2 run baseball in game 2. After getting shellacked (sp?) in game 1 11-2, Russell put the hammer down for 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit before giving up a wall grazing 2 run homer with his team ahead 3 runs. The bullpen cleared up the rest and Tampa never looked back taking the remaining 2 games in the series.
Goat: Harpo Norton. Harpo wasn't the biggest problem w/ the defending W-S champs, just the biggest definition in their miserable blowouts in the last 2 games. In 2 appearances, spanning 1.2 innings, Harpo gave up 6 hits, 2 homers and 7 runs to end any conversation of Syracuse making a run towards a repeat. However, and even bigger crime is Norton's mama insistance on naming her son after her favorite talk show host on opposite day.
Wichita over New York (3-1)
Hero: Another team series win for Wichita, so we'll give the award to Jolbert Mesies. He may not have collected many hits, or manned the plate behind dominate pitching, but he made his hits counts, highlighted by the 2 run homer to cap off an epic 11 inning game 1 victory in his only at bat as well as the 2 run homer to turn a 1-0 New York lead, into a 2-1 Wichita lead they would never relinquish in the deciding game 5.
Goat: Ted Lush produced nearly every time he was called upon during the regular season, however when the playoff bell went off, lush apparently slept in. 3 hits and 0 rbi from the heart of New York'order has New Yorkers screaming louder than A'Rod's early postseason struggles.
Honolulu over Pittsburgh (3-1)
Hero: Anthony Post. Post rebounded from a dissapointing 2 inning start in a game 1 loss to Pittsburgh, however he rebounded strong w/ 9 innings of 2 hit ball in the deciding game 4 (a 3-0 Honolulu victory).
Goat: Omar Franco. sometimes you only get 1 shot at glory, and sometimes its thrown in your face. In his only appearance, with Pittsburgh holding a 1-0 lead in the series following a long extra innings affair in game 1, Franco was given the pill with a 1 run lead and a chance to go up 2-0. Franco's first pitch cleared the wall off of pinch hitter Fernando Manzinillo allowing honolulu to steal the game in extras, and never look back.
Dover over Charlotte (3-2)
Hero: Scott Tankersly. In a series where 5 seemed to be the magic number, might as well pick a guy w/ 5 rbi in the series, not to mention 3 homers, including a key 2 run homer in game 2 and a solo shot in game 5 to give Dover the lead.
Goat: Fausto James. At least he was consistant. 6.1 innings of 5 run (4 earned) followed up by 6.0 innings of 5 runs (4 earned) allowing 7 & 8 hits repectively.
round 1
Tampa over Syracuse (3-1)
Hero: Hard to pick any 1 hero for Tampa, very much a team effort game to game, but we'll go w/ Walter Russel for his 7.2 innings of 2 run baseball in game 2. After getting shellacked (sp?) in game 1 11-2, Russell put the hammer down for 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit before giving up a wall grazing 2 run homer with his team ahead 3 runs. The bullpen cleared up the rest and Tampa never looked back taking the remaining 2 games in the series.
Goat: Harpo Norton. Harpo wasn't the biggest problem w/ the defending W-S champs, just the biggest definition in their miserable blowouts in the last 2 games. In 2 appearances, spanning 1.2 innings, Harpo gave up 6 hits, 2 homers and 7 runs to end any conversation of Syracuse making a run towards a repeat. However, and even bigger crime is Norton's mama insistance on naming her son after her favorite talk show host on opposite day.
Wichita over New York (3-1)
Hero: Another team series win for Wichita, so we'll give the award to Jolbert Mesies. He may not have collected many hits, or manned the plate behind dominate pitching, but he made his hits counts, highlighted by the 2 run homer to cap off an epic 11 inning game 1 victory in his only at bat as well as the 2 run homer to turn a 1-0 New York lead, into a 2-1 Wichita lead they would never relinquish in the deciding game 5.
Goat: Ted Lush produced nearly every time he was called upon during the regular season, however when the playoff bell went off, lush apparently slept in. 3 hits and 0 rbi from the heart of New York'order has New Yorkers screaming louder than A'Rod's early postseason struggles.
Honolulu over Pittsburgh (3-1)
Hero: Anthony Post. Post rebounded from a dissapointing 2 inning start in a game 1 loss to Pittsburgh, however he rebounded strong w/ 9 innings of 2 hit ball in the deciding game 4 (a 3-0 Honolulu victory).
Goat: Omar Franco. sometimes you only get 1 shot at glory, and sometimes its thrown in your face. In his only appearance, with Pittsburgh holding a 1-0 lead in the series following a long extra innings affair in game 1, Franco was given the pill with a 1 run lead and a chance to go up 2-0. Franco's first pitch cleared the wall off of pinch hitter Fernando Manzinillo allowing honolulu to steal the game in extras, and never look back.
Dover over Charlotte (3-2)
Hero: Scott Tankersly. In a series where 5 seemed to be the magic number, might as well pick a guy w/ 5 rbi in the series, not to mention 3 homers, including a key 2 run homer in game 2 and a solo shot in game 5 to give Dover the lead.
Goat: Fausto James. At least he was consistant. 6.1 innings of 5 run (4 earned) followed up by 6.0 innings of 5 runs (4 earned) allowing 7 & 8 hits repectively.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Chase for 20 wins.
As a still relative young kid living in SW Ohio, with the home team only 1 season away from a world series title, the Reds went out and made 2 big pitching moves in the offseason, acquiring Tim Belcher from the Dodgers and Greg Swindell from the Indians. Swindel had lost 16 games the prior season for the craptastic Mistakes by the Lakes, but sported a tidy 3.40ish era along w/ a fantastic 5.1 k/BB ratio. He was basically all the Indians had at that point, just prior to the emergence of Visquel, Manny, Belle, etc... and had won 18, 13 & 12 wins in the 3 years prior. Meanwhile Tim Belcher had a sub 3.00 era in 4 of his 5 prior major league seasons, winning as many 15 games just a few years prior to joining the Reds. These 2 top shelf pitcher were set to join "Mr Perfect" Tom Browning who had won 18 & 15 games the 2 seasons prior and Jose Rijo who had won 14 & 15 wins the 2 prior seasons, and may be the only player to have recieved a Hall of fame vote prior to officially ending his major league career when he returned to the reds in the early 2000s following 5+ seasons of injury/inactivity.
The thought was real that any of these 4 could post 20 wins for the Reds that season, and perhaps the dream of dreams that all 4 would reach the magical 20 win mark. Sure the Reds had to give up this fan's favorite Red, Eric Davis, to acquire Tim Belcher, but they gave up little to nothing for Swindell, and still returned Barry Larkin, Paul O'neill, Spuds Sabo and a dominant back of the bullpen. Sure this boy's dream of (4) 20-win pitcher fell short, but aside from Tom Browning's horrific broken elbow while throwing a screw ball mid-game, the other 3 went on to post 15, 15 & 12 wins a piece.
Fast forward 18 years, and toss in a handful of fake players in cybe space, and the Salem Witch Doctors have the possiblity of taking (4) 20 game winners to the postseason. The Salem staff is balanced by the big 4 of Jesus_Fernandez, Sandy_Murphy, Bronson_Brown, and Keith_Bagwell. Sandy Murphy has set the pace to date, picking up his 17th win this afternoon, while the remaining 4 all have staked 15 wins so far vs 8, 4 & 2 losses respectively. Salem has 41 games remaining, as well as 2 off days, which will allow for some shuffling of the rotation and provide each of these 4 pitchers with 8 to 9 starts should they remain injury free. Additionally, Jesus, Sandy & Bronson are all high durability/stamina pitchers which will allow them to pitch on short rest if needed and a shot at 10, perhaps even 11 starts. Only Keith Bagwell will have trouble getting by on short rest too often, 10 starts will likely be the absolute top number of starts he could make, more likely he'll get 9 more, and perhaps makes him the longest shot at obtaining the 20 win mark.
Offensively, they're going to need at least 1 run, and likely several more a game if they want to reach the 20 win mark. so far, only DH Stan Arnold has shown any signs of fatigue, but a few others are probably getting close to the 99 mark. A few off days will need to be mixed in amongst the position players, but with a 1st round bye likely for the playoffs, there shouldn't be any "sunday specials" thrown out there. Additionally, the schedule is favorable with 4 series remaining vs likely playoff teams, and 8 series vs teams likely to miss the playoffs.
The thought was real that any of these 4 could post 20 wins for the Reds that season, and perhaps the dream of dreams that all 4 would reach the magical 20 win mark. Sure the Reds had to give up this fan's favorite Red, Eric Davis, to acquire Tim Belcher, but they gave up little to nothing for Swindell, and still returned Barry Larkin, Paul O'neill, Spuds Sabo and a dominant back of the bullpen. Sure this boy's dream of (4) 20-win pitcher fell short, but aside from Tom Browning's horrific broken elbow while throwing a screw ball mid-game, the other 3 went on to post 15, 15 & 12 wins a piece.
Fast forward 18 years, and toss in a handful of fake players in cybe space, and the Salem Witch Doctors have the possiblity of taking (4) 20 game winners to the postseason. The Salem staff is balanced by the big 4 of Jesus_Fernandez, Sandy_Murphy, Bronson_Brown, and Keith_Bagwell. Sandy Murphy has set the pace to date, picking up his 17th win this afternoon, while the remaining 4 all have staked 15 wins so far vs 8, 4 & 2 losses respectively. Salem has 41 games remaining, as well as 2 off days, which will allow for some shuffling of the rotation and provide each of these 4 pitchers with 8 to 9 starts should they remain injury free. Additionally, Jesus, Sandy & Bronson are all high durability/stamina pitchers which will allow them to pitch on short rest if needed and a shot at 10, perhaps even 11 starts. Only Keith Bagwell will have trouble getting by on short rest too often, 10 starts will likely be the absolute top number of starts he could make, more likely he'll get 9 more, and perhaps makes him the longest shot at obtaining the 20 win mark.
Offensively, they're going to need at least 1 run, and likely several more a game if they want to reach the 20 win mark. so far, only DH Stan Arnold has shown any signs of fatigue, but a few others are probably getting close to the 99 mark. A few off days will need to be mixed in amongst the position players, but with a 1st round bye likely for the playoffs, there shouldn't be any "sunday specials" thrown out there. Additionally, the schedule is favorable with 4 series remaining vs likely playoff teams, and 8 series vs teams likely to miss the playoffs.
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Decade of Brilliance
With Ripken Jr closing in on its 10 year anniversary, it is only fitting to acknowledge those players that have made the first decade memorable. While there have been many ups and downs throughout the years, Ripken Jr has always produced competitive seasons and teams, year in and year out.
Today we will be releasing the first Ripken Jr Decade team. This team consists of the very best players in the league throughout this first decade and honors them for their contribution to this great world. During the Winter Meetings we will honor the Franchise of the Decade.
Without further delay, let us unveil the team!
The obvious choice for the Ace of the team was 9 time All-Star and 4 time Cy Young winner - Oscar Baumann. Baumann is the career wins leader with 179 and has a sparkling career ERA of 2.42. Baumann is also the career strikeout leader with 2174 k's in his career. While there may be other pitchers who have the talent that Baumann has there is no doubt that he has outperformed every other pitcher throughout his career. Baumann has won one World Championship and has started 14 postseason games. He is 6-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 89.1 innings.
The second starter on the Decades team is 8 time All-Star and 2 time Cy Young winner, lefty Pat Politte. Polite is currently third on the career wins list with 159 and is the top lefty in the game. Politte is one of the few pitchers who have a chance to break some of Baumann's records once he decides to hang it up. Politte is one of the best postseason pitchers in the game. He has started 24 games and is 15-5 with 135 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA in 160 postseason innings, recording a single complete game.
In the third slot is 5 time All-Star and Cy Young winner,Chad Lamb. Lamb is one of the youngest studs in the game and already is fifth on the all-time wins list with 144. He has a career ERA of 3.08 and has won three World Series Rings. Lamb rivals Politte in the postseason. He has 16 postseason wins to go along with 12 losses and a 3.82 ERA. Lamb has started 31 postseason games and has pitched 195.2 innings.
Fourth in the rotation is Torey Fernandez. Torey is an 8 time All-Star and a Cy Young winner. Fernandez is the youngest starting pitcher on the team and the future looks bright for him. At 28 Torey is fourth on the wins list with 154 and has a career ERA of 3.85, which should only continue to drop as he continues to develop. Fernandez has pitched in 25 postseason games and for two World Champions. He is 10-7 with a 4.29 ERA in 151 innings.
Rounding out the Starting Rotation is six time All-Star and yet another Cy Young winner, Jesus Fernandez;. Fernandez has been a workhorse his entire career and this rotation would not be complete without him in it. Even at age 35 he still continues to baffle hitters and put up amazing numbers. Jesus is second on the All-Time wins list with 168. At his age it doesn't appear he will be able to catch Baumann but 200 wins is easily within his reach. His career ERA is 3.35 and he has the most mileage on him in the league with 2,254 innings. Fernandez has pitched in 19 postseason games and started 18. He has also won a World Championship. Fernandez is 6-7 with 2 complete games. He has a glistening 3.13 ERA in 135 innings of work.
Of course you can't win games without anyone to relieve these guys, so let's take a look at the decade's relievers. The long relief pitchers are all current starters who may have failed to make the rotation but deserved to be on the team.
The top Long Reliever is two time Cy Young winner and 5 time All-Star - Julio Santiago. It was a very tough decision to not put him in the rotation, but there was never a doubt that he belonged on the team. Santiago is fourth on the All-Time ERA list, with a career ERA of 2.68 to go along with his 134 wins and sits third with a career WHIP of 1.08. Santiago also has a career 183 Quality Starts, which is good for fourth place all time. Santiago has started 9 postseason games and is 3-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 54.1 innings of work.
Second out of the bullpen is lefty hurler Rod Young. Young has a career 107 wins and an ERA of 2.60 which is second All-Time, despite having a .59 Groundball to Flyball Ratio, which is good for third worst All-Time. Young is a 4 time All-Star and has a Cy Young to his name. Rod Young has not pitched in the postseason.
Rounding out the Long Relief is Sandy Murphy. Murphy has a career 130 wins and 3.06 ERA. He is a 3 time All-Star but has yet to win a Cy Young. Murphy has started 265 career games and is 131-72 with a career 3.05 ERA and 1366 strikeouts. Murphy has pitched in 16 postseason games, starting 15. He is 4-5 and has completed 2 games with a 3.12 ERA.
No team is complete without the back of the bullpen, responsible for closing out every win. These next set of guys have shown throughout their career, and especially this last decade, to be the best at maintaining a lead late in the game.
First the three setup men, all either currently are or have been closers for their respective teams throughout their careers. Lefty Harold Blake leads the way. He has recorded 293 saves in his career, which is good for first place all time. Blake and his 3.17 ERA passed Thurman Wright earlier this season on the All-Time Saves list. Blake has pitched in 20 postseason games and is 14 for 15 in save opportunities with a 4.00 ERA in 18 innings of work. Wright, who has 288 career Saves is another member of the decades team. He has a career 3.75 ERA and has struck out 402 career batters. Wright has pitched in 21 postseason games and is 11 for 13 in save opportunities with a 5.50 ERA. Last is Danny Brinkley, who is one of the younger members on the team and is largely helped out by 3 of his last 4 years. Brinkley recorded an incredible 1.28 ERA just 3 seasons ago in route to a career 3.72 ERA and 221 Saves. Brinkley has pitched in 15 postseason games and is 9 for 9 in save opportunities with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings of work.
Closing out games is none other than Pablo Bonilla. Bonilla has baffled batters for years while amassing 67 wins, 227 saves, 942 strikeouts and a nasty 1.05 WHIP. As a closer he has pitched in over 100 games twice in his career and has pitched in 923 innings. There is no relief pitcher who can match his dominance. Unfortunately Bonilla's regular season dominance has yet to carry over into the postseason. He has pitched in 26 games and is 3-2 with 4 saves and a 4.89 ERA in 38.2 innings of work.
Now that we have taken a look at the Decades Pitching Staff it is time to turn our attention to the guys that score the runs, allowing these pitchers to record all their wins and saves! The team has a starter at each position and a bench consisting of five players.
Leading off for the Decades team is All-Star 2b Ed Donovan. Donovan is one of only two players in the World that have achieved a Runs Created Per Game of more than 1. Donovan mixes speed with power and has a career .323 batting average to go with 230 Home Runs, 887 RBI and 421 Stolen Bases. Donovan is the career leader with 345 doubles and is second with 62 Triples. Donovan is a 6 time All-Star and an MVP. He has won 3 Silver Slugger Awards and a single Gold Glove. In 53 playoff appearances Donovan has a .381 Batting Average with a 1.062 On Base plus Slugging Percentage and 50 Runs.
Batting second in the lineup is 3b Ryan Carr. Carr is an electric, multitalented player and that can be seen in the numbers he has put up throughout the decade. Carr is a 5 time All-Star and 3 time Silver Slugger. Surprisingly Carr does not rank in the top 5 in league history in any major category but his talent and production still speaks for itself. Carr has the ability to hit for average, career .323, and power, career 242 Home Runs. He has a career On Base Percentage of .422, which currently is just shy of 5th all time. Carr has two World Series Rings and has played in 86 postseason games. He has 11 Home Runs and 50 RBI to go with a .317 Batting Average and .409 On Base Percentage and is 1 Hit shy of 100.
Batting third in the lineup is rf Damaso Peron. Peron is another unique talent, with elite speed and power. Peron has 314 career Home Runs and 823 RBI but does not rank in the Top 5 in either category All-Time. He also has 224 career Stolen Bases, which is quite a few for someone with as many Home Runs as he has. One of the biggest drawbacks of Peron's game is his near 1 strikeout per game. Peron is a 6 time All-Star and 4 time Silver Slugger and has won has been a league MVP. Peron is also a member of the 40/40 club.
Batting cleanup for the Decades team is none other than 3 time MVP and 7 Time All-Star lf, Andy Clayton. Clayton is the only other player in Ripken Jr to have a career Runs Created per Game of more than 1. Clayton is the career leader in On Base Percentage with a .437 and just pasted Ted Wilson for 1st in RBI with 1112. He is also 2nd in Home Runs with 392. His career 1.098 On Base plus Slugging Percent's also sits at the top of the career list. Clayton helped lead Syracuse to the World Title last season and added to his impressive post season numbers. Clayton is also a 4 time Silver Slugger Award winner. Clayton has played in 82 postseason games and boasts 26 Home Runs and 76 RBI.
Protecting Clayton on the decades team and batting fifth is 7 time All-Star and 5 time Silver Slugger as well as his current teammate , c Endy Suzuki. Suzuki is right on Clayton's tale in many categories, he currently ranks 3rd All-Time with a 1.029 On Base plus Slugging Percent and is 4th in Home Runs with 381. Suzuki is has a very good eye at the plate, walking 483 times in his career while striking out only 381 times. Suzuki may not be the best defensive catcher, but his career ERA is 4.10, which is not too bad, although it has helped that he has been catching Hall of Fame arms his entire career. Suzuki has been great in the postseason, with a career .303 batting average and 18 Home Runs in 79 games.
Batting sixth for the Decades is 2 time MVP and current teammate of two other starters, 1b Mikey Robbins. Robbins has exceled in every aspect of the game throughout his career and is the current career hits leader with 1,684 and holds the career batting average record at .342. Robbins is also in the Top 5 in career walks with 798. He has been selected to 3 All-Star games and is a 2 time Silver Slugger. Robbins finally won his first Ring last season, leading the Syracuse Tyrants to the Title and bolstering his Post Season numbers which include 94 Hits, 23 Home Runs and a .402 On Base Percentage in 320 At Bats.
Batting seventh in the lineup is cf Vic Sosa. Sosa is a 5 time All-Star and 2 time Silver Slugger. He does not rank in the Top 5 in any statistic but has clearly separated himself from the pack in centerfield. Sosa has a career .305 batting average and has added 217 Home Runs and 814 RBI. At 26 I'd expect to see Sosa on the next installment of the decade team as well.
Batting eighth for the decades is 3 time All-Star and two time Gold Glove winner, ss Diego Johnson. Deciding the Short Stop position was the hardest one to decide but Johnson ended up getting the nod for his superb defensive play. His career Fielding Percentage of .981 sets him apart from the rest. But don't think Johnson doesn't have a bat – while his career batting average of .258 is not stellar, he does have 151 Home Runs and 612 RBI.
With the lineup set, we still have 5 places left for the bench. These last five positions were the hardest to fill as there are quite a few qualified candidates. These next five players are listed in no particular order.
First on the bench is our backup c, 4 time All-Star and 4 time Silver Slugger, Jolbert Mieses. This was another hard position to fill, especially with Mieses switching between Designated Hitter and Catcher throughout his career, but his offensive statistics make him stand out among the rest of the catchers in the league. Mieses is 5th All-Time with a career .421 On Base Percentage and is 3rd All-Time with 836 Walks. Mieses may not be the best catcher behind the plate but his bat sets him apart from other catchers. While Mieses has yet to win a World Series Ring, he has help lead his team to the AL Pennant. He has 16 postseason Home Runs and 40 RBI in 46 Games.
Second on our bench is 3 time MVP, 1b Clarence Guiel. it was tough not getting Guiel into the starting lineup, but playing 1b has its downfalls. Guiel currently sits 5th on the All-Time Home Run list with 362. A major accomplishment of Guiel's career is the fact that he is a two time member of the 40/40 club and he has 244 career stolen bases. Guiel is hurt slightly by his .288 career batting average.
Third on the bench is 8 time All-Star, 2 time Gold Glove and 5 time Silver Slugger, as well as former league MVP, Philip Cashman. Cashman ranks 5th on the All-Time RBI list with 1061 and while he does not rank in the Top 5 in any other statistic he has magnificent career numbers. He has a career .316 batting average to go along with 331 Home Runs, 184 Stolen Base and 993 Runs. Cashman has played a variety of positions throughout his career, including SS, CF and 3B. While Cashman has only played in 31 postseason games, he does have a .320 Batting Average with 26 Runs and 12 Home Runs.
Fourth on the bench is 5 time All-Star, 2 time Gold Glove winner and 2 time Silver Slugger cof/3b Hick Hartley. Hartley does not rank in the Top 5 in any major statistic but he has some amazing offensive numbers to go along with his Golden Glove. Hartley has a career .292 Batting Average and .359 On Base Percentage to go along with 282 Home Runs and 853 RBI. Hartley has also flirted with the 40/40 club in his past, but has not reached that milestone yet. His closest year was Season 6 where he hit 44 Home Runs and stole 32 bases. Hartley has been a major contributor to two world Championship teams, playing in 61 Games and recording 15 Home Runs and 49 RBI to go along with 18 Stolen Bases and 43 Runs.
And now it is time to announce the final member of the Decades Team. This was a very hard decision to make but a few stats stood out among others for this player and one in particular that made his inclusion on the team a must.
The last player is 2 time All-Star and the only member of the 300 Home Run and 300 Stolen Base club, 1b/lf Walter Miller. Miller has a unique skill set, which can be seen with his inclusion in his very own club. Miller passed Ted Wilson this year for 3rd All-Time on the Runs list with 1,029 and is the career leader in Triples with 71. Miller has a career .343 On Base Percentage to go along with 1,434 Hits, 314 Home Runs, 917 RBI and 354 Stolen Bases. Miller is also one of three members of the 40/40 club, all of which made the decades team. Miller has played in 41 postseason games and has had good success. He has a .308 Batting Average, 8 Home Runs and 29 RBI to go with 9 Stolen Bases and 30 Runs.
And that concludes the first addition of the Ripken Jr – Decade Team. While there can be arguments made for players that did not make the team I believe we have selected players that accomplishments make them worthy of the recognition. Many of these players look to continue their dominance in hopes of being elected to the Hall of Fame once they decide to hang up the shoes and retire from the game. Tune back in a decade from now when we will honor the next decades worth of stars!
Please check out here for the spreadsheet where I calculated and recorded career stats for players as well as other information to this process.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
NL First Half Features
The National League has heard for years how they don't have the overall talent that the American Leagues has. Somebody needs to remind the Charlotte Big Red and Fresno Griz, apparently the missed that memo. The All-Star weekend has pasted and the NL All-Stars took down the AL All-Stars in a game that, wasn't really a game.
But let's move on to what really matters, who has positioned themselves for Playoff time!
The top two teams in the NL this year are Charlotte (60-33) and Fresno (60-33) who right now are leading their respective divisions and are tied for Home Field Advantage in the post season. Both teams are up 6 games in their division. Charlotte leads the Austin Stunners (54-39), who are currently sitting in a Wild Card spot, while Fresno leads Honolulu Humuhumukununukuapua (54-39), who is sitting in the other Wild Card Spot.
Surging to take control in the East is the Dover Devils (51-42), two years removed from their Championship. Thanks to a six game win streak, accompanied by a 5 game skid by the Atlanta Crackers (50-43) Dover sits one game ahead in the East.
Lastly the North, where not a single team is above .500. The young and super talented Pittsburgh Pranksters (45-48) lead the division by three games over the Sioux Falls Badlands (42-51) who had a mid-season ownership change.
The NL is a bit more predictable then the AL this year as there is not a team like Kansas City that is underachieving and could potentially turn it on and mix things up. I fully expect to see Charlotte, Austin, Fresno and Honolulu in the Postseason. The Las Vegas Slots (50-43) are 4 games out of the Wild Card currently and have a lot of young talent but I still think they are a year away. In the East it could go either way but i'll stick with Dover. They have been here before and I expect that to be a huge advantage for them. In the North you might as well role a die. The only team I don't expect to win is the Pawtucket Trash Monsters (34-59) who are 11 games back. Pittsburgh has had talent for years and hasn't been able to make it to the playoffs yet. I'd like to say this is their year but history is not on their side. I'll stick with them here, only because of the talent they do have but would not be surprised to see either Sioux Falls or the Minnesota Conspiracy (40-53) make a push for the division either.
But let's move on to what really matters, who has positioned themselves for Playoff time!
The top two teams in the NL this year are Charlotte (60-33) and Fresno (60-33) who right now are leading their respective divisions and are tied for Home Field Advantage in the post season. Both teams are up 6 games in their division. Charlotte leads the Austin Stunners (54-39), who are currently sitting in a Wild Card spot, while Fresno leads Honolulu Humuhumukununukuapua (54-39), who is sitting in the other Wild Card Spot.
Surging to take control in the East is the Dover Devils (51-42), two years removed from their Championship. Thanks to a six game win streak, accompanied by a 5 game skid by the Atlanta Crackers (50-43) Dover sits one game ahead in the East.
Lastly the North, where not a single team is above .500. The young and super talented Pittsburgh Pranksters (45-48) lead the division by three games over the Sioux Falls Badlands (42-51) who had a mid-season ownership change.
The NL is a bit more predictable then the AL this year as there is not a team like Kansas City that is underachieving and could potentially turn it on and mix things up. I fully expect to see Charlotte, Austin, Fresno and Honolulu in the Postseason. The Las Vegas Slots (50-43) are 4 games out of the Wild Card currently and have a lot of young talent but I still think they are a year away. In the East it could go either way but i'll stick with Dover. They have been here before and I expect that to be a huge advantage for them. In the North you might as well role a die. The only team I don't expect to win is the Pawtucket Trash Monsters (34-59) who are 11 games back. Pittsburgh has had talent for years and hasn't been able to make it to the playoffs yet. I'd like to say this is their year but history is not on their side. I'll stick with them here, only because of the talent they do have but would not be surprised to see either Sioux Falls or the Minnesota Conspiracy (40-53) make a push for the division either.
AL First Half Features
All-Star Weekend has come and gone, the second half is upon us! After a Winter of helter skelter moves and numerous teams cashing in on a fantastic free agent market the season itself has been just as exciting! We started the discussing the power and talent of the American League; the National League must not have liked all that talk as they have shown through the first half they have some serious title contenders as well.
In no particular order the four teams that were talked about the most were the Wichita Black Lightning, Trenton Generals, Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus and, as always, the Salem Witch Doctors. These four teams were talked up as the Class of the League and top title contenders.
Two of those teams, Salem (62-31) and Trenton (60-33), have played fantastic ball all season, positioning themselves in the early 1 and 2 spots respectively. Wichita (54-39) has been good but not great and has played rather inconstantly, outside of future Hall of Fame starter Oscar Baumann none of the starters have found their groove yet. Chili Stocker started the year strong but has been very inconsistent in his last 10 starts. All three of these teams seem to be in good position to make the Playoffs this year barring some unforeseen disaster.
Kansas City has been non-existent and is absolutely the biggest surprise of the first half. The team looked like a lock for 100 wins in Spring Training but has struggled to stay above .500 and is 1-4 against division rival Wichita. Currently the team sits in third place in the AL East behind the Hartford Yellow Jackets. Kansas City can not afford this lackluster performance any longer being 9 games out of the Wild Card currently, or they will not be seeing any postseason ball.
AL North rivals, Syracuse Tyrants (55-38) and New York Moose Knuckles (54-39) have been strong this year and sit in the Wild Card spots early. Syracuse has stayed strong despite being gutted of Cy Young pitchers Pat Politte and Oscar Baumann who led the team to the World Series last season.
In the South the Tampa Bay Waves (49-44) lead the way behind their big free agent signee, slugger Achilles Cohen who was left off the All-Star team but leads the league with 43 Home Runs. Tampa Bay looks strong but is only 3 games ahead of Iowa City I Wanna Score More (46-47).
When the Playoffs start I expect to see Trenton and Salem as the 1 and 2 seeds, with Wichita as the 3. Although it would not surprise me to see Wichita make a strong push for a 1st round bye. I expect to see Tampa Bay hold on to the South. If Cohen's bat goes cold then watch out, Iowa City will be ready to take the division if he should falter. I expect New York and Syracuse to hold onto the Wild Cards, but would be shocked not to see Kansas City make a push at some point. Hartford is a very young and talented team but they have no pitching and that is going to hurt them, they might be a spoiler, knocking someone out of the Playoffs, but I don't see them making a push for a spot themselves.
In no particular order the four teams that were talked about the most were the Wichita Black Lightning, Trenton Generals, Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus and, as always, the Salem Witch Doctors. These four teams were talked up as the Class of the League and top title contenders.
Two of those teams, Salem (62-31) and Trenton (60-33), have played fantastic ball all season, positioning themselves in the early 1 and 2 spots respectively. Wichita (54-39) has been good but not great and has played rather inconstantly, outside of future Hall of Fame starter Oscar Baumann none of the starters have found their groove yet. Chili Stocker started the year strong but has been very inconsistent in his last 10 starts. All three of these teams seem to be in good position to make the Playoffs this year barring some unforeseen disaster.
Kansas City has been non-existent and is absolutely the biggest surprise of the first half. The team looked like a lock for 100 wins in Spring Training but has struggled to stay above .500 and is 1-4 against division rival Wichita. Currently the team sits in third place in the AL East behind the Hartford Yellow Jackets. Kansas City can not afford this lackluster performance any longer being 9 games out of the Wild Card currently, or they will not be seeing any postseason ball.
AL North rivals, Syracuse Tyrants (55-38) and New York Moose Knuckles (54-39) have been strong this year and sit in the Wild Card spots early. Syracuse has stayed strong despite being gutted of Cy Young pitchers Pat Politte and Oscar Baumann who led the team to the World Series last season.
In the South the Tampa Bay Waves (49-44) lead the way behind their big free agent signee, slugger Achilles Cohen who was left off the All-Star team but leads the league with 43 Home Runs. Tampa Bay looks strong but is only 3 games ahead of Iowa City I Wanna Score More (46-47).
When the Playoffs start I expect to see Trenton and Salem as the 1 and 2 seeds, with Wichita as the 3. Although it would not surprise me to see Wichita make a strong push for a 1st round bye. I expect to see Tampa Bay hold on to the South. If Cohen's bat goes cold then watch out, Iowa City will be ready to take the division if he should falter. I expect New York and Syracuse to hold onto the Wild Cards, but would be shocked not to see Kansas City make a push at some point. Hartford is a very young and talented team but they have no pitching and that is going to hurt them, they might be a spoiler, knocking someone out of the Playoffs, but I don't see them making a push for a spot themselves.
Friday, August 27, 2010
First Half Awards
Well we are at the half way point in the season and there have been many surprises and also expected results. As Ryan Carr went out and won the Home Run derby today in slugging fashion let's take a closer look at how the first half has played out!
First let's take a look at both league's early Cy Young Races. Both leagues have a few guys who stand out early. In the AL you have Oscar Baumann (14-4, 3.17) who leads the league in wins and is likely has the slight early edge as you can guarantee he will continue to get the wins with the Wichita lineup behind him. Pat Politte (10-1, 2.55) is right there behind him but I give the early edge to Baumann since he has meant a lot more to the Lightning than Politte has meant to the Brachiosaurus'. Also right behind those two is Salem pitcher Keith Bagwell (11-1, 2.64) and Syracuse pitcher Enrique Carrasquel (11-2, 2.67). I think all four of these guys will be in the mix for the award at the end of the year I give Baumann the slight edge because he has clearly meant much more to his team, without him the Lightning would be lucky to be above .500.
Moving to the NL Trevor Douglass (10-4, 2.04) leads the way. The 23 year old rightie has been amazing this year and will be in the mix right down to the end. Right behind him is a group of three pitchers who have all had fantastic first halves, former Cy Young winner Torey Fernandez (12-5, 2.41) has been electric for Dover. Also Chad Lamb (11-3,2.45) and Doc Hunter (9-2, 2.52) have been fantastic for Austin and have kept the team near the top of the league all year. I'll stick with Douglass and his near sub-2.0 era as my first half Cy Young.
Moving onto the AL MVP race, the story of the year has been Achilles Cohen (43 HR, 97 RBI, .277) , who has been crushing the ball all year and has already matched his Home Run total from last year. But is his .277 going to hurt his MVP candidacy? He has brought Tampa Bay to the top of the South, so in my book he has a very legit claim to the title. This year has also been a career year for Ryan Carr (26 HR, 94 RBI, .360). He came to Wichita this spring in the hopes of getting back to the World Series and if he keeps up these numbers he might make that happen. If neither of those stat lines made you wish those guys were dressed in your colors take a look at a guy that combines both Cohen's Power and Carr's Average - Bill Weaver (32 HR, 80 RBI, .357). Bill has New York fighting for a division title this year and has done what neither of the previous two players have, hit for both power and average. He might not be at the top of the list but I think we also need to mention Trenton All-Star Ed Donovan (23 HR, 71 RBI, 29 SB, .328) he adds speed and stolen bases to his resume which neither of the other top players do. Right now I have to say that Cohen is the early favorite with Carr right on his tail.
In the NL we start out with Chris Lyons (23 HR, 89 RBI, .310). Lyons is a great player who is able to hit for power, average and steal the occasional base. Steven Munson (34 HR, 84 RBI, .341) is also having a spectacular year. Like Lyons, Munson also has the ability to steal bases and is leading Minnesota to their best year ever. Harry Rodriguez (19 HR, 69 RBI, .361) is having a solid year, but no on the level of either Munson or Lyons. I think the MVP will come down between the two of those and my early winner has to be Munson.
The AL has some good rookies this year and I will touch on a few. This award will come down to the very end of the year. Right now I would have to give the early lead to Ken Borchard (10 HR, 40 RBI, 19 SB, .332). He combines everything and what he lacks in power he gets back with his speed. He is helping Albuquerque become relevant this year and getting them close to .500 along with fellow rookie Valerio Rosario (16 HR, 54 RBI, 19 SB, .309). I think that Fred Hutch (1 HR, 27 RBI, 52 SB, .242) as well. If he can raise his batting average 20 to 30 points in the 2nd half he could seriously contend for the award if he goes over 100 SB. The World Record is 118, which he won't hit this year but as he gets more comfortable at the Major League level I'd expect him to contend for the record, as he should get on base enough with his bat.
For the NL Rookie of the Year award I don't really feel there is much of a competition currently. Right now I feel the Award is Desi Carreras (7-2, 3.82) award to lose. Al Alvarado (6-6, 3.67) is the closest competitor but I think his losses hurt him currently.
Let's take a quick look at the leaders for the Fireman Award. Right now I think the AL leader is Danny Brinkley (0-0, 21 SV, 1.71). He doesn't quite have the save numbers yet - which ultimately might kill him because his team had had so many blowouts but he has been near un-hitable this year with a .062 WHIP and .162 OAV. Also Harold Williams (0-2, 25 SV, 4.05), Jose Gabriel (1-5, 19 SV, 3.60) and Bing Frazier (0-0, 23 SV, 2.96) should be in contention. If Esmailyn Rojas (0-5, 29 SV, 4.25) can get his ERA down he could contend as well.
The NL award is a bit harder to predict seeing as how the ERA's are a bit higher. I'd have to say the award will come from between Jerry Murphy (0-1, 24 SV, 3.62), Brian Davis (0-2, 22 SV, 2.78), Hiram Kent (0-0, 21 SV, 2.70) and Omar Franco (0-4, 21 SV, 2.63). I'll take Davis as the current early leader.
First let's take a look at both league's early Cy Young Races. Both leagues have a few guys who stand out early. In the AL you have Oscar Baumann (14-4, 3.17) who leads the league in wins and is likely has the slight early edge as you can guarantee he will continue to get the wins with the Wichita lineup behind him. Pat Politte (10-1, 2.55) is right there behind him but I give the early edge to Baumann since he has meant a lot more to the Lightning than Politte has meant to the Brachiosaurus'. Also right behind those two is Salem pitcher Keith Bagwell (11-1, 2.64) and Syracuse pitcher Enrique Carrasquel (11-2, 2.67). I think all four of these guys will be in the mix for the award at the end of the year I give Baumann the slight edge because he has clearly meant much more to his team, without him the Lightning would be lucky to be above .500.
Moving to the NL Trevor Douglass (10-4, 2.04) leads the way. The 23 year old rightie has been amazing this year and will be in the mix right down to the end. Right behind him is a group of three pitchers who have all had fantastic first halves, former Cy Young winner Torey Fernandez (12-5, 2.41) has been electric for Dover. Also Chad Lamb (11-3,2.45) and Doc Hunter (9-2, 2.52) have been fantastic for Austin and have kept the team near the top of the league all year. I'll stick with Douglass and his near sub-2.0 era as my first half Cy Young.
Moving onto the AL MVP race, the story of the year has been Achilles Cohen (43 HR, 97 RBI, .277) , who has been crushing the ball all year and has already matched his Home Run total from last year. But is his .277 going to hurt his MVP candidacy? He has brought Tampa Bay to the top of the South, so in my book he has a very legit claim to the title. This year has also been a career year for Ryan Carr (26 HR, 94 RBI, .360). He came to Wichita this spring in the hopes of getting back to the World Series and if he keeps up these numbers he might make that happen. If neither of those stat lines made you wish those guys were dressed in your colors take a look at a guy that combines both Cohen's Power and Carr's Average - Bill Weaver (32 HR, 80 RBI, .357). Bill has New York fighting for a division title this year and has done what neither of the previous two players have, hit for both power and average. He might not be at the top of the list but I think we also need to mention Trenton All-Star Ed Donovan (23 HR, 71 RBI, 29 SB, .328) he adds speed and stolen bases to his resume which neither of the other top players do. Right now I have to say that Cohen is the early favorite with Carr right on his tail.
In the NL we start out with Chris Lyons (23 HR, 89 RBI, .310). Lyons is a great player who is able to hit for power, average and steal the occasional base. Steven Munson (34 HR, 84 RBI, .341) is also having a spectacular year. Like Lyons, Munson also has the ability to steal bases and is leading Minnesota to their best year ever. Harry Rodriguez (19 HR, 69 RBI, .361) is having a solid year, but no on the level of either Munson or Lyons. I think the MVP will come down between the two of those and my early winner has to be Munson.
The AL has some good rookies this year and I will touch on a few. This award will come down to the very end of the year. Right now I would have to give the early lead to Ken Borchard (10 HR, 40 RBI, 19 SB, .332). He combines everything and what he lacks in power he gets back with his speed. He is helping Albuquerque become relevant this year and getting them close to .500 along with fellow rookie Valerio Rosario (16 HR, 54 RBI, 19 SB, .309). I think that Fred Hutch (1 HR, 27 RBI, 52 SB, .242) as well. If he can raise his batting average 20 to 30 points in the 2nd half he could seriously contend for the award if he goes over 100 SB. The World Record is 118, which he won't hit this year but as he gets more comfortable at the Major League level I'd expect him to contend for the record, as he should get on base enough with his bat.
For the NL Rookie of the Year award I don't really feel there is much of a competition currently. Right now I feel the Award is Desi Carreras (7-2, 3.82) award to lose. Al Alvarado (6-6, 3.67) is the closest competitor but I think his losses hurt him currently.
Let's take a quick look at the leaders for the Fireman Award. Right now I think the AL leader is Danny Brinkley (0-0, 21 SV, 1.71). He doesn't quite have the save numbers yet - which ultimately might kill him because his team had had so many blowouts but he has been near un-hitable this year with a .062 WHIP and .162 OAV. Also Harold Williams (0-2, 25 SV, 4.05), Jose Gabriel (1-5, 19 SV, 3.60) and Bing Frazier (0-0, 23 SV, 2.96) should be in contention. If Esmailyn Rojas (0-5, 29 SV, 4.25) can get his ERA down he could contend as well.
The NL award is a bit harder to predict seeing as how the ERA's are a bit higher. I'd have to say the award will come from between Jerry Murphy (0-1, 24 SV, 3.62), Brian Davis (0-2, 22 SV, 2.78), Hiram Kent (0-0, 21 SV, 2.70) and Omar Franco (0-4, 21 SV, 2.63). I'll take Davis as the current early leader.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Power Rankings
Here we go with the first set of power rankings. I will post the top 10 and the associated stats and add a little write up later on the top 5.
1) Charlotte Big Red (20-6, 10-0 W14)
7) Austin Stunners (15-11, 6-4 W1)
8) Atlanta Crackers (16-10, 6-4 W3)
9) Vancouver Giants (15-11, 6-4 L2)
10) Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus (13-13, 5-5 L1)
I have to admit with the AL being the stronger league I did give a little more weight to teams in the American over the National League, you might disagree with that and you will see a team like Kansas City ranked a bit higher then you might assume. I fully expect to see them in the Top 5 by the end of the year but as of now they have not played to their potential.
1) Charlotte Big Red (20-6, 10-0 W14)
Without a doubt the #1 team in RJ currently. The team is 6th in the League with a 3.80 ERA and closer Jerry Murphy leads the league with 10 saves. And don't forget the bats, Charlotte is 4th in the league with a .293 average and even after losing slugger Achilles Cohen this offseason the team is ranked 4th in the league with 46 Home Runs and 5th with a .490 slugging average.2) Trenton Generals (19-7, 8-2 W2)
Trenton comes close to being #1, if it were not for the 14 game win streak that Charlotte is on I would likely have moved Trenton into the top slot. Trenton, lead by Ed Donovan, leads the League in almost every offensive category, average (.314), on base percent (.377), slugging average (.531), hits (302) and doubles (62). Trenton's pitching is not so good and might be the teams Achilles heal throughout the season. The team is 23rd in the league in ERA with a 4.64.3) Wichita Black Lightning (17-9, 6-4 W3)
Wichita gets a slight boost over Salem and Iowa City due to their last 3 games performance, including a 31 run game yesterday. As expected the clubs offense has been phenomenal. The club combines power and speed like no other team in the league. The team 2nd in the league in stolen bases, with 69 and 12th with 37 Home Runs. The team also leads the league in walks with 103 and triples with 12. The team is 2nd, only to Trenton, in almost every other offensive stat. The team has been lead by 3b Ryan Carr, who has been sensational since being acquired via trade from the Sioux Falls Badlands. The team also has 3 players in the top 5 in the league in stolen bases. The clubs pitching has been mediocre. The rotation, other then Ace Oscar Baumann and #2 Chili Stocker, has been ok but relief pitching has been the teams Achilles heal. Closer Danny Brinkley has been solid but outside of him the bullpen needs help.4) Salem Witch Doctors (17-9, 6-4 W1)
Salem is the top team when it comes to averaging their overall bats with their arms, it hasn't shown quite as much as GM Taz would like but it bodes well for October. The team is ranked #2 in the league in average (.304), #4 in on base percent (.374) and #3 in walks (101). Couple that with their #5 ERA (3.66) and #6 WHIP (1.27) and you have a team that will be in the hunt for the World Series come October.5) Iowa City I Wanna Score More (19-7, 8-2 W1)
Iowa has one of the top record in the League and has shown that they might be able to hang in with the top tier of teams, time will show whether they can through the entire season. Either way I expect Iowa City to be in the Playoffs come season end. The team is lead by a pitching staff ranked #5 in WHIP (1.24) and #9 in ERA (4.00). Ace Omar Vargas is right near the top of the league in all pitching categories and is 4-1 with a 1.88 ERA. The teams bats have been near the top of the league as well, with the club currently in #6 in average (.285) and #9 in on base percent (.341). The team also leads the league in Home Runs with 51. Lead by Mark Carew who is 6th in the league with 10 HRs.6) Honolulu Humuhumukununukuapua (18-8, 7-3 W1)
7) Austin Stunners (15-11, 6-4 W1)
8) Atlanta Crackers (16-10, 6-4 W3)
9) Vancouver Giants (15-11, 6-4 L2)
10) Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus (13-13, 5-5 L1)
I have to admit with the AL being the stronger league I did give a little more weight to teams in the American over the National League, you might disagree with that and you will see a team like Kansas City ranked a bit higher then you might assume. I fully expect to see them in the Top 5 by the end of the year but as of now they have not played to their potential.
Carr Reaches 24 straight, breaks Franchise Record
3b Ryan Carr set a Franchise record earlier today in the Wichita Black Lightning's shelling of the Tacoma Amber Flashlongs.
Carr extended his hitting streak to 21 games with his 2nd inning Grand Slam.
Carr's streak currently sits at 24 games, which breaks Nick Hunter's franchise record of 20 games set in season 5 and is 18 games behind Ted Wilson's record of 40 games.
Right behind Carr is teammate Peter Elster who is currently sitting with a 23 game hit streak.
"I want to beat him bad," Elster said after today's game.
While Carr's answer to the question was a little more team oriented "We're here to win games for Wichita. Period. If that means I help out with a nice hitting streak so be it, but I really couldn't care less about the personal accolades, I want to be playing and winning in October."
Carr extended his hitting streak to 21 games with his 2nd inning Grand Slam.
Carr's streak currently sits at 24 games, which breaks Nick Hunter's franchise record of 20 games set in season 5 and is 18 games behind Ted Wilson's record of 40 games.
Right behind Carr is teammate Peter Elster who is currently sitting with a 23 game hit streak.
"I want to beat him bad," Elster said after today's game.
While Carr's answer to the question was a little more team oriented "We're here to win games for Wichita. Period. If that means I help out with a nice hitting streak so be it, but I really couldn't care less about the personal accolades, I want to be playing and winning in October."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Top 4 in the AL by the numbers
I'll start w/ an apology to the NL. I was planning to do this for both leagues, but have quickly realized it took long enough just for the AL, so there likely won't be any NL preview unless someone else wants to take the horns. I'll offer a second apology to anyone in the AL that thinks they deserve to be on this list of the top 4; I feel pretty good that these 4 teams will be top in the AL by the time the season ends, but please prove me wrong (just not at my expense).
So w/o further ado, there were 4 teams I thought were head & shoulders above the rest of the AL. Well at least Heads above, as there are still some pretty strong teams that will contend for the WC spots and division crowns and certainly there will be a trade or 2 that will turn teams from pumpkins into chariots by the time the playoffs roll around. Anyhoo, those 4 are largely the top 4 teams from last season, Trenton, Kansas City, Salem, and near playoff team Wichita that has made 2 huge offseason moves to put themselves up there amongst this group. However, rather than just spewing my worthless opinion (who needs my $0.02 anyways?), I thought I'd put some ratings analysis behind it, and see if I can properrly rank them. So here we go.
We'll start w/ the offense and the likely starting 9. I'm not going to worry myself w/ durability or health ratings. Injuries will happen, and players will need rest, but I want to look what each team's best lineup will be, which assuradly they'll throw out there once the "real" season begins.
Team: Con/Pwr/vsL/vsR/Eye/Brn/Spd Tot Pwr Tot OBP Tot Spd Tot Offense
A 70 65 71 70 74 61 66 3.5 3.51 1.3 8.31
B 80 40 66 67 62 74 77 3.15 3.52 1.5 8.17
C 78 64 59 65 76 58 75 3.43 3.54 1.3 8.27
D 64 58 62 73 65 55 63 3.21 3.26 1.2 7.67
A little commentary, using factors that went into power, obp, and the running game, I figured out an offensive production number for each rating, a relative worth and a total offensive output. Perhaps there are better ways to do it, but this was off the top of my head, using things that made sense in my mind, then went to see how it shaked out, which seemed to match what my gut told me before I started. Team C & Team A appear to be pretty close, though Team A has a little more power. Team B has about 10% less power than both A & C, but makes up for it w/a 15% advantage in the speed and base running catagory and in the end, ends up about 2% short of teams A & C. Team D falls short in all 3 catagories. I thought their offense would be a little more potent on paper, but they fall about 7-10% short of the top 3.
Pitching:
I'll start by looking at starters, and by starters, I mean your starters in the playoffs, and any GM/Coach w/ his salt is going to get his stud out there twice in a 5 game set, and 3 times in a 7 game set. So I took each team's top 3, doubled up on 1 & 2, since you can expect them twice, and came up w/ an average starter.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2/P3/P4/P5
A 87 89 77 85 35 83 88 79 50 63 43
B 75 76 82 86 55 76 76 72 61 49 22
C 71 84 79 78 63 81 83 73 65 48 19
D 83 74 73 74 72 51 77 64 58 55 31
Overall, these 3 sets of starters looks pretty even. Team A won't strike many out, but doesn't expect a lot of long balls. Team D will mow thru your lineup, but expect some flyball homers. Team B has the best splits, while Team C kind of falls in the middle in every area. Team A has the best combo of control and stamina to get you deep into a ball game, they also have the best set of P1 & P2, w/ a solid kicker in the P5 department. As mentioned, Team B's splits are great, but their top 2 pitchers fall behind A & C w/o the control of either. Overall, I'd say the fall just a notch below A & C like they did in the offensive catagory, with Team D coming up clearly in 4th.
Back of the bullpen:
Middle relief is nice, but these guys starters are designed to carry you deep into games so you can turn it over to your setup men and closer. I took each teams top 3 bullpeners or starters turned playoff relievers to rank each set. I'm only looking at P1 & P2, as many relievers lack those last 3 pitches.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2
A 38 88 79 77 84 66 81 83
B 51 86 81 71 88 80 73 72
C 21 90 68 65 78 74 86 82
D 45 77 80 71 73 65 84 75
Again its hard to seperate teams A, B & C. All 3 have similar control, A & B dominate in splits over C, while C has the top set of P1 & P2. Team B has the best groundball ratio, meaning you won't see many walk-off homers, but questionable pitches for the back of a bullpen. And once again, team D comes up short of the top 3. Overall, I'd say A & B are tied for the best back of the bullpen, with C coming up just a shade short, and D trailing along, clearly in 4th.
Pitching depth:
Injuries are going to happen, starters will need rest during the season, and nothing can derail a championship run than losing your top starter once the playoffs begin.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2/P3/P4
A 59 85 81 71 79 48 74 63 43 43
B 82 73 71 74 53 78 72 77 51 26
C 61 84 50 58 77 82 80 73 41 21
D 58 71 66 72 63 79 87 67 44 44
First, Team B's depth, while looking strong at the moment, is highly influenced by only carring 9 pitchers at the moment, 5 solid starters, but short of middle relief. For the playoffs, this shouldn't be much of an issue, but it could cost them a few games mid-season when they're forced to turn to crappy long men. Aside from that, Teams A comes out on top w/ solid control and splits, a little lacking on the groundball/flyball ration, but a solid set of pitches. Next is D w/ a great set of pitches, but just acceptable control, but decent splits and a great gb/fb ratio. Team C comes in 3rd w/ great perhiphals, but terrible splits, a solid combination for middle relief, but perhaps a bit troublesome for the back of the rotation or injury relief. Final team B comes in last w/ the previously mentioned concerns. A couple of injuries could send this staff to a 10 game losing streak, hampered even more by a tight team payroll.
Now, I'll turn my attention to defense, which will be a little more subjective and based upon positions. I'll skip presenting the numbers and just go w/ my thoughts since its a lot tougher to make a defensive determination w/ so many different ratings mattering to different position.
Behind the plate:
Team A clearly comes out on top w/ the top pitch caller amongst projected playoff starters, not to mention the best overall defensive backup for the regular season and great depths in the minors should injuries occur. Team D comes in 2nd, well behind team A in defensive catching amongst projected playoff starters, but with a very solid pitch calling backup w/ an 'OK' arm. Team C comes in next with an ok defensive catcher behind the plate, and an above average backup. Team D comes in last, though not by much w/ a so-so defensive catcher and a great defensive backup w/ no bat. Probably the best bet to use their backup as a defensive replacement.
Up the middle (SS-2b-CF)
Team B comes out ahead in this catagory, especially at 2b and CF, however there will be some worries w/ their regular SS defense. Teams A & D, look to be pretty close and in a tie for 2nd w/ solid defense at all 3 spots, GG level at SS, with A having a better centerfielder, and D having the better defensive second baseman. Team C takes 4th w/ equally solid defense at SS, but a step or 2 behind A & D at CF & 2b.
At the corners (3b-RF-LF-1b)
OK, so defense doesn't matter so much at LF and a little less at 1b, but both can cost you a ball game or 2. Team A has the best defense at 3b and RF, with potential gold glovers in both spots, not to mention solid defenders in LF & 1b. As team B slides their 3b to SS, their going to be hurting in 3b defense, not to mention the outfield corners as they continue to slide. right now, I'd have to consider them the weakest at the corners, but could improve rapidly w/ a great defensive SS (which they have on the bench) and sacraficine some offense elsewhere. Team C is a little weak in 3b arm, but solid at the other spots, while team D takes 2nd in this catagory w/ solid play at third, and solid defense in the outfield.
Overall defense:
Unless team B fixes its projected SS situation, which will help 3b & RF, team A takes the cake in this catagory, followed by D, then team B, then team C. However, as noted, team B could jump to the top by sacraficing a little offense.
One final note, all teams' bench seem to be about even. each has a solid defensive replacement, a solid defensive catcher, a little speed, not much pop but all players that could fill in for an injury. No body that is screaming for playing time, but all that can give the occasional rest.
So to wrap it all up.
Team A takes top honors in offense, starting pitching, back of the bullpen, pitching depth, and overall defense.
Team B takes top honors for the back of the bullpen, a close 3rd in offense and starting pitching, a lot to worry about in pitching depth, and the worst defense of the 4, but the potential to be the best.
Team C takes top honors in offense, and starting pitching, 3rd in the back of the bullpen, 3rd in pitching depth and defense
Team D takes 2nd in defense and pitching depth, and 4th in offense, starting pitching and the back of the bullpen.
I thought team D would be more competitive when I started this, however, last year's regular season wins champ has a tough road ahead if it wants to keep that crown. Team D is Trenton
Team B comes in 3rd, though not by much. Defense could be an issue and depth could be a huge issue if there are multiple injuries. However its offense (particularly their speed) and starting pitching gives them a legit shot at the W-S crown. Team B is Kansas City
Team C comes in 2nd w/ great offense and great starting pitching. Their back of the bullpen and defense leave them a notch below top honors, but are probably the 2 easiest areas to fix thru the trade market before the playoffs get here. Team C is Wichita
Team A takes top honors or at least challenges for them across the board. Of course w/ the top payroll, anything less than having the top team on paper would be a sore eye on the GM, while anything less than reclaiming the W-S crown will be a blackeye on the city. Team A is Salem.
Good luck knocking me off my high horse fellas :)
So w/o further ado, there were 4 teams I thought were head & shoulders above the rest of the AL. Well at least Heads above, as there are still some pretty strong teams that will contend for the WC spots and division crowns and certainly there will be a trade or 2 that will turn teams from pumpkins into chariots by the time the playoffs roll around. Anyhoo, those 4 are largely the top 4 teams from last season, Trenton, Kansas City, Salem, and near playoff team Wichita that has made 2 huge offseason moves to put themselves up there amongst this group. However, rather than just spewing my worthless opinion (who needs my $0.02 anyways?), I thought I'd put some ratings analysis behind it, and see if I can properrly rank them. So here we go.
We'll start w/ the offense and the likely starting 9. I'm not going to worry myself w/ durability or health ratings. Injuries will happen, and players will need rest, but I want to look what each team's best lineup will be, which assuradly they'll throw out there once the "real" season begins.
Team: Con/Pwr/vsL/vsR/Eye/Brn/Spd Tot Pwr Tot OBP Tot Spd Tot Offense
A 70 65 71 70 74 61 66 3.5 3.51 1.3 8.31
B 80 40 66 67 62 74 77 3.15 3.52 1.5 8.17
C 78 64 59 65 76 58 75 3.43 3.54 1.3 8.27
D 64 58 62 73 65 55 63 3.21 3.26 1.2 7.67
A little commentary, using factors that went into power, obp, and the running game, I figured out an offensive production number for each rating, a relative worth and a total offensive output. Perhaps there are better ways to do it, but this was off the top of my head, using things that made sense in my mind, then went to see how it shaked out, which seemed to match what my gut told me before I started. Team C & Team A appear to be pretty close, though Team A has a little more power. Team B has about 10% less power than both A & C, but makes up for it w/a 15% advantage in the speed and base running catagory and in the end, ends up about 2% short of teams A & C. Team D falls short in all 3 catagories. I thought their offense would be a little more potent on paper, but they fall about 7-10% short of the top 3.
Pitching:
I'll start by looking at starters, and by starters, I mean your starters in the playoffs, and any GM/Coach w/ his salt is going to get his stud out there twice in a 5 game set, and 3 times in a 7 game set. So I took each team's top 3, doubled up on 1 & 2, since you can expect them twice, and came up w/ an average starter.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2/P3/P4/P5
A 87 89 77 85 35 83 88 79 50 63 43
B 75 76 82 86 55 76 76 72 61 49 22
C 71 84 79 78 63 81 83 73 65 48 19
D 83 74 73 74 72 51 77 64 58 55 31
Overall, these 3 sets of starters looks pretty even. Team A won't strike many out, but doesn't expect a lot of long balls. Team D will mow thru your lineup, but expect some flyball homers. Team B has the best splits, while Team C kind of falls in the middle in every area. Team A has the best combo of control and stamina to get you deep into a ball game, they also have the best set of P1 & P2, w/ a solid kicker in the P5 department. As mentioned, Team B's splits are great, but their top 2 pitchers fall behind A & C w/o the control of either. Overall, I'd say the fall just a notch below A & C like they did in the offensive catagory, with Team D coming up clearly in 4th.
Back of the bullpen:
Middle relief is nice, but these guys starters are designed to carry you deep into games so you can turn it over to your setup men and closer. I took each teams top 3 bullpeners or starters turned playoff relievers to rank each set. I'm only looking at P1 & P2, as many relievers lack those last 3 pitches.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2
A 38 88 79 77 84 66 81 83
B 51 86 81 71 88 80 73 72
C 21 90 68 65 78 74 86 82
D 45 77 80 71 73 65 84 75
Again its hard to seperate teams A, B & C. All 3 have similar control, A & B dominate in splits over C, while C has the top set of P1 & P2. Team B has the best groundball ratio, meaning you won't see many walk-off homers, but questionable pitches for the back of a bullpen. And once again, team D comes up short of the top 3. Overall, I'd say A & B are tied for the best back of the bullpen, with C coming up just a shade short, and D trailing along, clearly in 4th.
Pitching depth:
Injuries are going to happen, starters will need rest during the season, and nothing can derail a championship run than losing your top starter once the playoffs begin.
Team Stm/Cnt/vsL/vsR/Vel/GdB/P1/P2/P3/P4
A 59 85 81 71 79 48 74 63 43 43
B 82 73 71 74 53 78 72 77 51 26
C 61 84 50 58 77 82 80 73 41 21
D 58 71 66 72 63 79 87 67 44 44
First, Team B's depth, while looking strong at the moment, is highly influenced by only carring 9 pitchers at the moment, 5 solid starters, but short of middle relief. For the playoffs, this shouldn't be much of an issue, but it could cost them a few games mid-season when they're forced to turn to crappy long men. Aside from that, Teams A comes out on top w/ solid control and splits, a little lacking on the groundball/flyball ration, but a solid set of pitches. Next is D w/ a great set of pitches, but just acceptable control, but decent splits and a great gb/fb ratio. Team C comes in 3rd w/ great perhiphals, but terrible splits, a solid combination for middle relief, but perhaps a bit troublesome for the back of the rotation or injury relief. Final team B comes in last w/ the previously mentioned concerns. A couple of injuries could send this staff to a 10 game losing streak, hampered even more by a tight team payroll.
Now, I'll turn my attention to defense, which will be a little more subjective and based upon positions. I'll skip presenting the numbers and just go w/ my thoughts since its a lot tougher to make a defensive determination w/ so many different ratings mattering to different position.
Behind the plate:
Team A clearly comes out on top w/ the top pitch caller amongst projected playoff starters, not to mention the best overall defensive backup for the regular season and great depths in the minors should injuries occur. Team D comes in 2nd, well behind team A in defensive catching amongst projected playoff starters, but with a very solid pitch calling backup w/ an 'OK' arm. Team C comes in next with an ok defensive catcher behind the plate, and an above average backup. Team D comes in last, though not by much w/ a so-so defensive catcher and a great defensive backup w/ no bat. Probably the best bet to use their backup as a defensive replacement.
Up the middle (SS-2b-CF)
Team B comes out ahead in this catagory, especially at 2b and CF, however there will be some worries w/ their regular SS defense. Teams A & D, look to be pretty close and in a tie for 2nd w/ solid defense at all 3 spots, GG level at SS, with A having a better centerfielder, and D having the better defensive second baseman. Team C takes 4th w/ equally solid defense at SS, but a step or 2 behind A & D at CF & 2b.
At the corners (3b-RF-LF-1b)
OK, so defense doesn't matter so much at LF and a little less at 1b, but both can cost you a ball game or 2. Team A has the best defense at 3b and RF, with potential gold glovers in both spots, not to mention solid defenders in LF & 1b. As team B slides their 3b to SS, their going to be hurting in 3b defense, not to mention the outfield corners as they continue to slide. right now, I'd have to consider them the weakest at the corners, but could improve rapidly w/ a great defensive SS (which they have on the bench) and sacraficine some offense elsewhere. Team C is a little weak in 3b arm, but solid at the other spots, while team D takes 2nd in this catagory w/ solid play at third, and solid defense in the outfield.
Overall defense:
Unless team B fixes its projected SS situation, which will help 3b & RF, team A takes the cake in this catagory, followed by D, then team B, then team C. However, as noted, team B could jump to the top by sacraficing a little offense.
One final note, all teams' bench seem to be about even. each has a solid defensive replacement, a solid defensive catcher, a little speed, not much pop but all players that could fill in for an injury. No body that is screaming for playing time, but all that can give the occasional rest.
So to wrap it all up.
Team A takes top honors in offense, starting pitching, back of the bullpen, pitching depth, and overall defense.
Team B takes top honors for the back of the bullpen, a close 3rd in offense and starting pitching, a lot to worry about in pitching depth, and the worst defense of the 4, but the potential to be the best.
Team C takes top honors in offense, and starting pitching, 3rd in the back of the bullpen, 3rd in pitching depth and defense
Team D takes 2nd in defense and pitching depth, and 4th in offense, starting pitching and the back of the bullpen.
I thought team D would be more competitive when I started this, however, last year's regular season wins champ has a tough road ahead if it wants to keep that crown. Team D is Trenton
Team B comes in 3rd, though not by much. Defense could be an issue and depth could be a huge issue if there are multiple injuries. However its offense (particularly their speed) and starting pitching gives them a legit shot at the W-S crown. Team B is Kansas City
Team C comes in 2nd w/ great offense and great starting pitching. Their back of the bullpen and defense leave them a notch below top honors, but are probably the 2 easiest areas to fix thru the trade market before the playoffs get here. Team C is Wichita
Team A takes top honors or at least challenges for them across the board. Of course w/ the top payroll, anything less than having the top team on paper would be a sore eye on the GM, while anything less than reclaiming the W-S crown will be a blackeye on the city. Team A is Salem.
Good luck knocking me off my high horse fellas :)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Aftermath
There was surprises, mishaps and of course a few max contracts the past few days. While many questioned his tactics, GM Flytekk of the Austin Stunners went out and locked up Chad Lamb, the youngest of the Ace's on the market. Lamb and his three rings left the Anaheim Pepperchuckers for Free Agency and left town because the club could not match the offer that Austin put out. To lure Lamb the Stunners made Thurman Linebrink the highest paid coach in league history. Rumor's sorounded Lamb through the winter that whoever landed Linebrink would have the inside track to landing Lamb. A few franchises headed the advice, as you can see with the $11.5 million salary he commanded. True to the rumor Lamb went ahead and signed with Austin shortly after the hiring of Linebrink was announced.
Also making big news this week in Free Agency was the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus. Kansas city GM indiansrck27 went out and re-signed last year's MVP LF Ted Wilson to smaller deal after letting him go just days prior. Wilson was joined by COF Omar Campos, who fits KC's player pattern very well. KC also landed one of the 3 Ace's on the market in Pat Politte, which was some consultation for losing All-Star 2b Philip Cashman, who the team did not even offer a contract to and signed with the Pittsburgh Pranksters for a less then max deal - which surprised many.
The Salem Witch Doctors stuck out on priority number one in Cashman due to an accounting error which left the team with less money then expect and therefore they could not offer a full max deal. Instead the club signed 2b Larry Carver, who is a better offensive player the Cashman is and came cheaper then a full max offer.
After acquiring Ryan Carr early in Winter Meetings the and declaring their offense the "Best in the League" the Wichita Black Lightning added a key piece to their title hopes in Max Free Agent Ace, Oscar Baumann. Many teams were scared off by his age, 32 and giving him $60 million guaranteed money after he turned 35 but even after the Joe Cohen incident the team was ready to do what it takes to make themselves a contender again.
The Tampa Bay Waves made a push to get back into contention by signing the leagues all time Home Run leader in 3b Achilles Cohen. This should give them a good boost to their offense, Cohen is moving to a slightly less hitter friendly park so his power numbers may fall a bit but non-the-less it was a good signing by the club.
Lastly the Vancouver Giants went out and got another good starter after getting Galahad Dale last season, who they still hope can have some good recovery in a month when he returns. The club signed Len Knott to a hefty contract, which GM Kreller131 did say he might have overspent but said he would do whatever it took to make Vancouver a winner and this was one of those steps.
In this unprecedented free agent class, one that some had been looking forward to for seasons, things may not have shook out exactly as expected, reigning world champs Syracuse Tyrants were unable to secure either of their stud Ace's from last years title run, it brings a whole new look on how this season and seasons to come will play out. After the dust settles I would contend that the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus, Wichita Black Lightning and the Salem Witch Doctors come out as the top three teams in the League, followed by the Austin Stunners.
Also making big news this week in Free Agency was the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus. Kansas city GM indiansrck27 went out and re-signed last year's MVP LF Ted Wilson to smaller deal after letting him go just days prior. Wilson was joined by COF Omar Campos, who fits KC's player pattern very well. KC also landed one of the 3 Ace's on the market in Pat Politte, which was some consultation for losing All-Star 2b Philip Cashman, who the team did not even offer a contract to and signed with the Pittsburgh Pranksters for a less then max deal - which surprised many.
The Salem Witch Doctors stuck out on priority number one in Cashman due to an accounting error which left the team with less money then expect and therefore they could not offer a full max deal. Instead the club signed 2b Larry Carver, who is a better offensive player the Cashman is and came cheaper then a full max offer.
After acquiring Ryan Carr early in Winter Meetings the and declaring their offense the "Best in the League" the Wichita Black Lightning added a key piece to their title hopes in Max Free Agent Ace, Oscar Baumann. Many teams were scared off by his age, 32 and giving him $60 million guaranteed money after he turned 35 but even after the Joe Cohen incident the team was ready to do what it takes to make themselves a contender again.
The Tampa Bay Waves made a push to get back into contention by signing the leagues all time Home Run leader in 3b Achilles Cohen. This should give them a good boost to their offense, Cohen is moving to a slightly less hitter friendly park so his power numbers may fall a bit but non-the-less it was a good signing by the club.
Lastly the Vancouver Giants went out and got another good starter after getting Galahad Dale last season, who they still hope can have some good recovery in a month when he returns. The club signed Len Knott to a hefty contract, which GM Kreller131 did say he might have overspent but said he would do whatever it took to make Vancouver a winner and this was one of those steps.
In this unprecedented free agent class, one that some had been looking forward to for seasons, things may not have shook out exactly as expected, reigning world champs Syracuse Tyrants were unable to secure either of their stud Ace's from last years title run, it brings a whole new look on how this season and seasons to come will play out. After the dust settles I would contend that the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus, Wichita Black Lightning and the Salem Witch Doctors come out as the top three teams in the League, followed by the Austin Stunners.
Monday, July 12, 2010
AL MVP, Wilson, Released
In a surprising move to many the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus choose to decline their end of reigning AL MVP Ted Wilson. Wilson was scheduled to make $20 million this season.
The club choose to let him go to open up room under the salary cap to offer two max contracts this Winter.
It was an interesting move but one that could backfire if Kansas City is unable to land the players that they are targeting. Losing Wilson also takes away a guy who was just a few stolen bases away from joining the 40/40 club.
The club choose to let him go to open up room under the salary cap to offer two max contracts this Winter.
It was an interesting move but one that could backfire if Kansas City is unable to land the players that they are targeting. Losing Wilson also takes away a guy who was just a few stolen bases away from joining the 40/40 club.
Wichita opens Winter with a BANG!
In the Year of Free Agents, Wichita made sure they were not going to be going home empty handed.
The club had cleared almost $62 million to be able to offer two max contracts to Elite Free Agents before the Winter Meetings had started, things changed quickly when the club realized that All-Star 3b Ryan Carr was available the club quickly shifted it's attention to working out a deal to acquire him.
The club started out by declining to offer arbitration to last years starting 3b, Nick Hunter and 2b Ethan Ellis who were both asking for over $7.5 million. The move was cost cutting so the club could reach their $62 million mark but quickly offered the opening for Carr in the lineup.
Carr, who has played most of his career for the Sioux Falls Badlands Franchise who's new owner has decided to rebuild the team. Carr agreed to a sign and trade extension before the trade was completed, signing a $39.5 million, 5 year deal.
In return for Carr the Badlands received last year's #15 pick, 2b prospect Jeff Bradford, who projects to be a very good every day 2b along with power hitting LF/1B Felipe Romero and closer Colby Friedrich.
"We are very excited to be able to agree to terms to the sign and trade deal for Ryan Carr," said GM Zhawks," We had saved our money to make a push for an Elite pitching staff but the money is better spent here and will give us a top notch lineup for years to come."
The club had cleared almost $62 million to be able to offer two max contracts to Elite Free Agents before the Winter Meetings had started, things changed quickly when the club realized that All-Star 3b Ryan Carr was available the club quickly shifted it's attention to working out a deal to acquire him.
The club started out by declining to offer arbitration to last years starting 3b, Nick Hunter and 2b Ethan Ellis who were both asking for over $7.5 million. The move was cost cutting so the club could reach their $62 million mark but quickly offered the opening for Carr in the lineup.
Carr, who has played most of his career for the Sioux Falls Badlands Franchise who's new owner has decided to rebuild the team. Carr agreed to a sign and trade extension before the trade was completed, signing a $39.5 million, 5 year deal.
In return for Carr the Badlands received last year's #15 pick, 2b prospect Jeff Bradford, who projects to be a very good every day 2b along with power hitting LF/1B Felipe Romero and closer Colby Friedrich.
"We are very excited to be able to agree to terms to the sign and trade deal for Ryan Carr," said GM Zhawks," We had saved our money to make a push for an Elite pitching staff but the money is better spent here and will give us a top notch lineup for years to come."
Friday, July 9, 2010
Free Agent Bonanza
You can't help but notice all the marquee players available in this years Free Agent Pool. You almost wonder where to start? With arguably the best players in the league and Hall of Famers too all available to the highest bidder this year many franchises are 'Miami Heating' their roster's in hopes of landing some of the games best. Almost every team in the league expects to have the money to offer a Max Contract to a player or two, with some of the leagues top teams having multiple offers at their disposal. Where player's will land is still a mystery as many are guarding their futures tight, nobody has yet decided to create their own TV Show to make their decision known.
With that let's get these meaningless introductions of this Free Agent class underway!
(This post will be a work in progress - I will publish it with every player added.)
First let's take a look at the players that are likely to get multiple max offers out of the gate.
Do I even need to speak about Chad Lamb's resume? He is a 4 time All-Star with a Cy Young and 3 World Series Rings under his belt - At 29. I expect numerous teams to offer him right out of the gate. It will be interesting to see if he will stay with the Anaheim Pepperchuckers or if he is willing to move to another city. Rumor has it he is high on the Wichita Black Lightning's wish list as well as Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus' and Syracuse Tyrants if they are unable to bring back both of their Cy Younger's.
And don't count out a return to the Salem Witch Doctors, where he has already won two rings.
Pat Politte needs no introduction either, as no 7 time All-Star should. Pat finally won his first World Series ring last year with the Syracuse Tyrants. Now he has a big decision on his hands. He has already stated he will be testing the market but it is unsure where he might land. Polite is on many teams wish list, including the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus, Wichita Black Lightning, Pittsburgh Pranksters, among other clubs. Polite did bring a title to Syracuse before his contract ended. Insiders believe he is leaning towards staying in Syracuse but wants to 'experience being a Free Agent'.
The most decorated pitcher in Ripken Jr, Oscar Baumann, finally has his ring.. The 8 time All-Star and 4 time Cy Young winner won the Ring last year with the Syracuse Tyrants. Rumors within the league have said that he is the top priority of the Wichita Black Lightning this winter. The club has tried to trade for him numerous times, to no avail. Many other teams should in in on Baumann as well.
Red Parker is the oldest among this years Top Tier of pitchers, at age 36 Parker has 114 wins to go along with a 3.93 era and an All-Star appearance in Season 6. Parker will likely not command a max deal but will still be rewarded nicely.
Len Knott is not an Ace but is the top among the next tier of pitchers. Len has played his entire Major League career for the Iowa City I Wanna Score More. Knott does not have an amazing stat line but has proven he can be a reliable middle of the rotation starter.
The leagues Top Player and 7 time All-Star, Philip Cashman is the prize to be had this Free Agency Period. Cashman has been the leader for the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus for the past 4 seasons, leading them to the #1 seed in the Playoffs last year. Rumors have swirled that Cashmen is top priority for the Salem Witch Doctors this post season and it would seem like a good fit for Cashman if he were to leave Kansas City.
Most years Larry Carver would sit atop the Free Agency Wish-Lists of hopefully clubs, this year though he may be the forgotten. With so many Cy Young caliber pitchers and Star Phillip Cashman all testing Free Agency, there has been little buzz around Carver apart from a feeling that he is many clubs "I-lost-out-on-Cashman" backup.
Achilles Cohen, the leagues all time Home Run leader is recieving even less attention from the top tier clubs. In fact, according to many sources within the league many clubs haven't even considered him. Cohen will likely get a solid deal, and with how much money is on the table it might be near max.
In a surprising move that many journalists (including this one, but more on that later) have questioned, the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus decided to cut last seasons MVP, Ted Wilson, loose and not renew their end of the mutual option. Wilson's market value might be higher if he was not isolated to LF/1B, where many of the top clubs are locked and ready to go. It has been rumored that Kansas City is hoping to re-sign their star for less then they owed him but with the money on the market it would be shocking not to see Wilson get a near max deal.
Roland Rivers played last season for three clubs, Salem Witch Doctors, Pittsburgh Pranksters and the Boston Puritans. He likely will not see any max money come his way but would be a nice consultation prize for whoever misses out on any of the big names.
With that let's get these meaningless introductions of this Free Agent class underway!
(This post will be a work in progress - I will publish it with every player added.)
First let's take a look at the players that are likely to get multiple max offers out of the gate.
Do I even need to speak about Chad Lamb's resume? He is a 4 time All-Star with a Cy Young and 3 World Series Rings under his belt - At 29. I expect numerous teams to offer him right out of the gate. It will be interesting to see if he will stay with the Anaheim Pepperchuckers or if he is willing to move to another city. Rumor has it he is high on the Wichita Black Lightning's wish list as well as Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus' and Syracuse Tyrants if they are unable to bring back both of their Cy Younger's.
And don't count out a return to the Salem Witch Doctors, where he has already won two rings.
Pat Politte needs no introduction either, as no 7 time All-Star should. Pat finally won his first World Series ring last year with the Syracuse Tyrants. Now he has a big decision on his hands. He has already stated he will be testing the market but it is unsure where he might land. Polite is on many teams wish list, including the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus, Wichita Black Lightning, Pittsburgh Pranksters, among other clubs. Polite did bring a title to Syracuse before his contract ended. Insiders believe he is leaning towards staying in Syracuse but wants to 'experience being a Free Agent'.
The most decorated pitcher in Ripken Jr, Oscar Baumann, finally has his ring.. The 8 time All-Star and 4 time Cy Young winner won the Ring last year with the Syracuse Tyrants. Rumors within the league have said that he is the top priority of the Wichita Black Lightning this winter. The club has tried to trade for him numerous times, to no avail. Many other teams should in in on Baumann as well.
Red Parker is the oldest among this years Top Tier of pitchers, at age 36 Parker has 114 wins to go along with a 3.93 era and an All-Star appearance in Season 6. Parker will likely not command a max deal but will still be rewarded nicely.
Len Knott is not an Ace but is the top among the next tier of pitchers. Len has played his entire Major League career for the Iowa City I Wanna Score More. Knott does not have an amazing stat line but has proven he can be a reliable middle of the rotation starter.
The leagues Top Player and 7 time All-Star, Philip Cashman is the prize to be had this Free Agency Period. Cashman has been the leader for the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus for the past 4 seasons, leading them to the #1 seed in the Playoffs last year. Rumors have swirled that Cashmen is top priority for the Salem Witch Doctors this post season and it would seem like a good fit for Cashman if he were to leave Kansas City.
Most years Larry Carver would sit atop the Free Agency Wish-Lists of hopefully clubs, this year though he may be the forgotten. With so many Cy Young caliber pitchers and Star Phillip Cashman all testing Free Agency, there has been little buzz around Carver apart from a feeling that he is many clubs "I-lost-out-on-Cashman" backup.
Achilles Cohen, the leagues all time Home Run leader is recieving even less attention from the top tier clubs. In fact, according to many sources within the league many clubs haven't even considered him. Cohen will likely get a solid deal, and with how much money is on the table it might be near max.
In a surprising move that many journalists (including this one, but more on that later) have questioned, the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus decided to cut last seasons MVP, Ted Wilson, loose and not renew their end of the mutual option. Wilson's market value might be higher if he was not isolated to LF/1B, where many of the top clubs are locked and ready to go. It has been rumored that Kansas City is hoping to re-sign their star for less then they owed him but with the money on the market it would be shocking not to see Wilson get a near max deal.
Roland Rivers played last season for three clubs, Salem Witch Doctors, Pittsburgh Pranksters and the Boston Puritans. He likely will not see any max money come his way but would be a nice consultation prize for whoever misses out on any of the big names.
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