Erffdogg Memorial League

Free Agent Signing

2012-01-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Cincinnati Reds shelled out $17.1M for Alcides Benitez and feel like they just won the lottery. There is some question about his age however as it was discovered that he was 13 for at least 6 years, on the bright side we actually think he is 24. There are some unsubstantiated that he has already actually played some semi-pro ball in San Diego. Some have him as ML ready but I don't think quite yet as he should probably spend the rest of this season and next in a good minor league spittoon. His nickname is Angel by the way. He could have good control and a good split against rights and a plethora of highly regarded pitches. Lefties will be lining up to take their swats at those off speed pitches however. It looks like money well spent for the long term.

Season 22 Draft

2012-01-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Season 22 draft looked pretty dismal and after looking over the first round, it wasn't even close to dismal. Half of the top 10 picks are still unsigned which could yet contain some studs I can't see. There were some good defensive players but no real plate beasts. A couple good starters but nothing in the absolute Cy Young range or even Fireman of the Year categories. Compared to last year where most of the first round was dominated by quality pitching, maybe only two or three this year at most in all reality.

1. Landon Jones, P, San Francisco Giants:

Grade:

2. Alvin Krueger, SS, Louisville Colonels: My scouts listed him as a SS but relatively weak defensively and would be better at 3B. Hitting would be relatively good for a SS though. Health is not of good quality. Wanted to be drafted in the first round, as the 2nd pick I think that qualifies pretty soundly. So is he going to raise his asking price before signing? Listed on my board but was dropped out due to Bio and Health.

Grade:

3. Ray Shunick, P, Washington D.C. Senators: Could be a great lefty starter if he gets close to his projections. A catcher will need extra padding to handle that fastball and hitters might need special goggles along with umps that may need to guess. Yes, he was #1 on my board.

Grade: A+

4. J.J. Bowen, 2B, St. Louis Hawks: Too weak to play 2B and may look better in RF. Hitting will be good but nothing to write home about.

Grade: B

5. Claude Chatwood, CF, Chicago Cubs: The hitting beast of the draft has left Linda Loo screaming for more. Could be defensively good in CF or maybe even better at 2B. Maybe a little short in the durability department but we won't hold that against him. Is capable of lots of power with contact, eye and splits to match, an opulent OBP power machine. By far the best position player in the draft. Why wasn't he on my board? Now the trend is set for the unsigned to claim more money.

Grade: A+

6. Andrew Robinson, P, Cleveland Indians: Has all the makings to develop into a number 1 starter. Hopefully his FB rating doesn't cause problems at the ML level.

Grade A+

7. Victor Pose, P, Kansas City Royals: Control looks good, splits are good, but after pitch 1 a little on the weak side. Couple the pitches with the weak durability might cause a missed turn or delay in the rotation once in a while.

Grade: A-

8. Marino Vizcaino, P, Mexico City Diablos Rojos: A middle reliever to closer with so-so ability in my books. Has the pitches and decent enough splits for a lefty but the control may not be good enough.

Grade: B

9. Rick Ramsay, LF, Detroit Tigers: Could be an interesting character in the long run when he signs and for how much. May not look great in LF as 1B might be a better fit. Should have consistent long ball power, a good eye and pretty good splits though contact could be a downfall.

Grade: A

10. Kiki Bennett, 2B, Little Rock Heads: Looked better with my abysmal scouting on the draft board than with my real scouts. 2B is probably out but will find a place on the roster somewhere at COF. Hitting has power and contact and a good eye but splits are just average.

Grade: B+

News Flash
The State of the Union was on, good thing TBS had the Big Bang Theory. Almost the same thing if you ask me. Back to your regularly scheduled report.

11. Lou McKain, SS, Atlanta Braves: SS would be weak as he is better suited to 3B or a strong armed 2B. Has power and speed but lacks contact in the hitting department.

Grade: B

12. Ruben Fernandez, P, Anaheim Angels: Would have been the number 1 pick in the draft if his health wasn't so anemic. Can he withstand the demanding tribulations to be what Anaheim is hopeful for?

Grade: A

13. Joshua Burns, 1B, Dover Dung Beetles: Granted he won't be a Gold Glover at 1B but should be good enough. Hitting ability is good for DH also but doesn't have the beastly power.

Grade: B+

14. Jim Conner, SS, Toronto Blue Jays: Other than a strong arm he isn't good enough to play a decent SS but 3B is a great place to start. Projections in hitting might become someones dream also. Might be a project that may or may not pan out.

Grade: B

15. Juan Rivera, 2B, Cincinnati Reds: Probably won't sign - A shame at that, his demands are $6.5M and worth every penny if my scouts are right.

Grade: A

16. Ronn Penny, SS, New York Mets: I made an interesting pick in all reality, it was him or the guy drafted 30th left on my board. Of course you can't have too many actual defensive SS on the rosters in my thinking. Has a horrible eye but the rest of his hitting abilities are okay, even decent power.

Grade: B

17. Tim Looper, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks: Projects to be a great defensive SS with some nice hitting abilities. Standing in his way however is a terrible temper and a lack of patience. Will those two items put his projections short of goal?

Grade: B

18. Matthew Ford, P, Philadelphia Phillies: Could have the control and splits of a star pitcher but those pitches could end up causing nightmares.

Grade: B

19. Andy Carter, 3B, Helena Hot Pockets: Was drafted as a SS but will likely play 3B and hitting will be just so-so or worse.

Grade: C

20. Derek Rodgers, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays: I am not too keen on 2B but I do see great potential in RF maybe even a weak 3B if he progresses well. I like his hitting potential but will become a work in progress.

Grade: B+

21. Junior Olmedo, P, Minnesota Twins: Has everything going for him except great control. Will his other abilities hide that fact?

Grade: B+

22. Alex Mesa, P, San Diego Padres: Has good control and a line of good pitches. Will the average splits be a nuisance is the question.

Grade: B-

23. Sherm Brock, P, Los Angeles Dodgers: The biggest concern is whether the stamina shortcoming will have an effect. Has good abilities but may have problems getting a full inning under his belt in an outing.

Grade: B-

24. Boots Rivera, RF, Boston Red Sox: As his name indicates he can't catch worth a damn, one of many drawbacks. Has a good eye, speed and contact but not so lucky at the plate after that.

Grade: C

25. Dummy Carver, C, Pittsburgh Pirates: Will forgo the failing attempt at humor.

Grade:

26. Andruw Bumgarner, P, Milwaukee Brewers: A project closer the Brewers may forgo. Short on stamina but could have the control, split and pitches to succeed according to me scouts.

Grade: C

27. Brian Patrick, C, Las Vegas Slobs: Defensively outstanding at the position. The Slobs don't look so thrilled on his hitting ability however. Has power but tends to swing at anything with his eyes closed but seems to be lucky enough to hit it on occasion.

Grade: C

28. Darrell Gardner, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays: RF might be a better position. A swatter at the plate and has the ability to take second on a walk.

Grade: B

29. Carlton Saunders, CF, Florida Marlins: The best part is being right handed which means he will have the ability to play 2B also. Decent abilities at the plate with real good speed and contact.

Grade: B

30. Douglas Perez, SS, Seattle Mariners: No way he can be a SS, good enough to play RF and that could be questionable on greatness. Has speed and good hitting ability.

Grade: B

31. Nicholas Weaver, P, Houston Astros: Could be decent or so-so depending on how things go in the future. Has the pitches but control and splits are not overwhelming but such possible quality this late in the first round isn't easy.

Grade: B

32. George Sipp, 3B, Salem Super Sequoias: 3B is doubtful, maybe a strong 1B is possible. At the plate has a tendency to hit the ball but not well.

Grade: C-

The Deal That Almost Was

2012-01-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was contacted a few days ago by a team that was wishing a trade for Ted Maxwell. I really wasn't looking to trade Maxwell so my initial thought was to reply with a big fat reject right off the bat. But couldn't figure out what to reply with so decided to take a break and look things over and think about it.

After the break I looked hard at the offer. I was actually being offered a top of the line starter in my opinion to start with. He really hadn't had that much success with his club however but would have become my best pitcher in all reality. Then added to the deal were too young closer type prospect pitchers. Just what I was asking for if you look at my trade needs. However, the chances of them actually making it to my ML pen was very optimistic to say the least. Better pitches on the youngest might have sealed the deal though. I still decided to think about it a little while longer.

While I was thinking about it, I didn't rule out a counter offer. I did look over potential candidates throughout his minor league organization. Looking Hi and Lo, woohoo just needed to add that remark, I did find an interesting catcher that I liked but the durability sunk me into the abyss quickly. In simple terms there was nothing to counter. I even looked at a huge trade but thought it would have been a bit over the top for either of us to justify. While I was at it I even looked over the reason why the trade was initiated, yup found a glaring hole alright. So it was off for another break, in all I think I took about 6 hours trying to decide what I wanted to do.

My final determination came on the top two players involved. Maxwell will have at least another 7 seasons in a Mets uniform. Meanwhile the other player is older with another year on his contract. Although another contract is possible, there is also a big chance that he would opt for Free Agency instead. So it boiled down to 7 years versus a year and half. Business sense decided the outcome more than anything else in the end.

So what does one say in the end? Thanks but no thanks? Business sense says no? The reply box isn't that big ya know. Think I said something relatively polite like, "Maxwell isn't for trade" or something like that. Yeah there is trade chat but what does one say there also?

Free Agent Signings

2012-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Free Agent Market has been less than redeeming so far this season. But then I usually only hit on players that make the big money as that is the players one needs to focus on. It was brought to my unwarranted attention that some not so big money mongerers need some attention also.

The first attention getter is Orber Acevedo. He was paid a mere $6M by the Boston Red Sox. He could become a closer though his velo is a bit weak and one must wonder about his FB rating. If he progresses well he could become a future force out of the pen in short relief. A very good pickup in my estimation.

Angel Aviles was signed by the Dover Dung Beetles $5.8M. In all reality I think his Overall is very inflated for future endeavors. He can play a somewhat weak RF has some speed and power. Redeeming qualities, if it pans out, is his contact which could save his bacon and a trip to the ML lineup.

Juan Park was paid $4.4M by the Kansas City Royals. Juan is almost a photo copy of Orber Acevedo above. Which one will be better remains to be seen. For the money, Juan may have been a better buy.

Miguel Pizzaro was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays for a look see $4.1M. Being a lefty drives the price down and being just above mediocre doesn't help. However he does have the ability to become a decent 4th or 5th starter or long reliever. It is that cut above mediocre potential that says he could be good enough and at bargain basement price makes him a primo buy.

Shaping Up Part 2

2012-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

NL North

The Cubs still hold the division in the palm of their hands. The Brewers are giving chase. Speaking of Chase, he has his internet connection back and the Pirates are gaining ground.

NL East

The Mets had the lead but an inextricable slump occurred which allowed the Phillies and Indians to catch up making for a kinky three way.

NL South

Houston is keeping ahead of the fast swimming Marlins. Wow! 12 in a row so far.

NL West

Salem is zooming along while Arizona keeps pace for the final wild card. People may have thought winning 90 games and still be 20 back was a joke.

Most fans would think the NL is going to be rather mundane as they think four of the playoff spots look to be wrapped up already. The North may get interesting before things are done and it could be a three-legged race all season in the East. The big problem is a key injury could change the landscape so fast it would make ones head spin. With almost 100 games to go anything is still possible.

AL North

Seattle and Minnesota keep flip flopping with their streaking. Maybe they should keep their pants and cleats on?

AL East

The Red Sox keep winning while the rest of the division keeps swimming in the heat of unrequited desire.

AL South

Things are rather heated in this division as we progress. The Rays are charging, the Heads are motivated and the Rangers are on the move. Could turn into quite a race.

AL West

The Padres looked like they may walk away from the pack early but suddenly here comes Helena throwing off their early season woes. Anaheim is in a funk while the up and down Slobs slink.

All that can be said of the AL at the moment is hold on to your hats as it might take a while for it to sort itself out.

How My Draft Board Fared

2012-01-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

1. Juan Rivera - 91 - Cincinnati Reds, selected 15th with a $6.5M plus signing, that is more than my budget..lol

2. Ray Shunick - 88 - Washington D.C. Senators, drafted 3rd.

3. Henderson Simon - 87 - Little Rock Heads, selected 72nd. Who knows if he will sign and for how much really but no one took a chance early.

4. J.J. Bowen - 85 - St. Louis Hawks, selected 4th.

5. Alvin Krueger - 82 - Louisville Colonels, drafted 2nd.

6. Douglas Perez - 82 - Seattle Mariners, drafted 30th. This is probably the guy I was suppose to draft.

7. Cookie Mijares - 81 - Toronto Blue Jays, drafted 42nd.

8. Kiki Bennett - 81 - Little Rock Heads, selected 10th. Little Rock gets two of my top players on the board...Kudos!

9. Joshua Burns - 81 - Dover Dung Beetles, drafted 13th

10. Rick Ramsay - 80 - Detroit Tigers, drafted 9th.

11. Ronn Penny - 80 - New York Mets, selected 16th, yeah I did get one of them.

Draft Insider

2012-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

It is draft time baseball fans, time to find that one player that can define the future for some or strengthen a position for others. To tell the truth I was looking for a can't miss prospect for the future but that actually looks rather dismal. That in itself was rather oblique to begin with in reality as I have the 16th pick, but one can dream a little. So now I have to look at what I can find that might help as a backup to near star starter. I gave up my second round pick to Free Agency, I believe a very good choice also. With a 14 in College and 6 in High School scouting you can tell where I am leaning.

My first hope was a catcher but none on my board spoke first round pick. Second thought was that I needed a closer, I didn't find one of those either to my liking. I was like a couple other owners that grumbled at a more than likely lost cause but try and make do with what there is.

So here is the top ten picks by my scouts with the Overall leading the way. This in no way should influence what others think of the candidates and their board or decisions.

1. 91 - Listed as a 2B, it would be a push to say he could be a star at that position. Hitting is not super stardom either. Where he shines is in his general abilities. He probably won't sign for me (maybe not others) which got him sent to the skank pile. My feelings is that he might be top end at 81. Top 10 pick: probable

2. 88 - A left handed starter. He should be relatively good but definite can't miss #1 starter could be a long shot, he is a lefty after all. Could easily hit 80. Top Ten pick: maybe top 5 anyway.

3. 87 - A left handed starter with some severe down sides. A low health is not a good starting point. I have seen better lady softball pitchers with more velo. Yes he could make it into the low 80's. Top Ten Pick: to me is a questionable risk and could have extra costs . Yup he went to the skank pile.

4. 85 - Listed as a 2B but lacks the ability in my eyes. Makeup may be a turnoff. Has speed and could be a lead off hitter against lefties. Maybe make 80. Top Ten Pick: probable with what I am seeing so far

5. 82 - Listed as a SS, umm really, 2B at a reach or 3B is what I see. My scouts could be off on this guy. Could have extra cost involved. I see him making the upper end a maybe exceeding what I see. Top Ten Pick: maybe

6. 82 - Listed as a 3B, range has to be better than what I am seeing. The rest is pretty solid to what I am seeing. Could reach 80. Top Ten Pick: Maybe

7. 81 - Another lefty starter. He is 18 and my scouts are all over the board with this kid. With low starting points in key areas shows he is maybe a sup. Top Ten Pick: No

8. 81 - Listed as 2B but possible RF is the best he could get. Durability is looking bad for the long haul but could have the big power. 75 is a maybe to me. Top Ten Pick: Maybe

9. 81 - Listed as a 1B and could fill that position well enough. Hitting could go a long way if he develops. Top Ten Pick: maybe

10. 80 - Listed as a LF but 1B is more like it. Could be a good hitter but wants to play hockey, I say let him. Top Ten Pick: No Moved to skank pile.

11. 80 - Listed as a SS and looks attainable. Hitting is cheesy but does it with power. Top Ten Pick: No

With the 16th overall pick, getting a viable upper crust SP is actually out of the question. A more viable selection is a pen pitcher or a middle of the road position player. The worst part of my draft board is that nothing really stands out that could be available and the pitching is ugly to say the least even for the pen. I left the 88 pitcher in my #1 slot, I can be hopeful at least. I put the 80 SS in the 2nd slot followed by the 82 3B then the 81 1B that I really don't need. Tossing in a couple less than admirable pitchers to round out my top 6. My thinking is I should get one of them.

Shaping up

2012-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that a certain team was going to change their name to the Tom Toms in the coming off season. However the plan was scuttled after the wife put her foot down and said "OMDB" and furthermore didn't want to be called "Tina" anymore by accident.

Anyway the season is proliferating with a lot of teams scratching there heads already among other things. So what does the agenda say about what may come our way?

AL North

Been a wild scramble or maybe scrambled eggs is more like it. Seattle is in first at the moment after a slow start but an upcoming series with the Padres will test their mettle. The Twins have a winning division record but haven't really played well. Toronto opened the season taking 3 of 4 from Seattle but have struggled since. Detroit is better than they appear but the beleaguered pitching staff has been taking it on the chin and the DL.

NL North

So the Cubs are in first, cue the goat. Pirates, Reds and Brewers are all malingering about trying to figure out if they want to play or not. Yes, we know the Brewers suck. So the Cubs beat the Mets 3 out 4 in Wrigley, all by 1 run, one in extra innings. Can't figure out why my pen was so beat up by them, no my pen doesn't suck. And to top off the woe department, seems Chase is off on another one of his no internet adventures again, shoveling snow in Alaska maybe.

AL East

The Boston Red Sox are in first, oh joy. How long will it last is another story as the old timers will come back to earth soon me thinks. As predicted, the rest of the division is hot on their heels. This could be the one to watch during the season as I expect it to get rather wooly before it is over. I really think the Senators are the best team on paper in the division but they just can't get it done at home but have steamrolled the road show.

NL East

Mets and Indians are in first, huh...what? How can that be? The Phillies are a trotin but look a little lame out the gate. Louisville is out of fried chicken and toficken is not Finger Lickin Good.

AL South

Little Rock is in first, no disrespect here. Just don't expect Tampa Bay and Texas to roll over an play dead as they have started to ramp things up a bit. KC however may be suffering from Black Bart mystique. So much so they have been shopping him around but the price might be too high.

NL South

Houston is in first and plan to stay there. Yeah I accidently disrespected them because I got the teams mixed up in my haste in an earlier dispatch. As usual it looks like a two team race once again. Will the Marlins be the stepchild once again? Mexico City is having Back East nightmares that could turn into full fledged paranoia as they face the West.

AL West

The Padres are in first. Not sure what to think about this topsy-turvy situation myself. The Padres usually don't make a run this early in the season. Maybe Helena and Las Vegae have learned are sitting back and relaxing till the end this season while Anaheim tries to stay close.

NL West

Salem is using those big trees to swat the balls. Arizona is huffing and puffing but it is doubtful they can keep up. The Dodgers are looking better with the new owner on board while the Giants are content to rebuild.

FA Market Signings

2012-01-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Las Vegas Slobs has spent $9.5M on Benny Megias. Listed as a 2B while he played for his little league team but now cleans the fences in RF for the most part. Physically skinny no matter how many hamburgers and fries he eats, the envy of most people. However that leads to some health issues. At the plate however is not a little league matter though we think it might be drug induced. He should crank up the volume once he gets into the swing of things and being a left handed bomber will give him and even bigger edge.

Look what the New York Mets dragged home from the international waters, Felipe Izquierdo for a whopping 80K. What is so interesting is the scouting budget is a huge $2M as I wasn't even planning on delving into the market. The big thing is he was actually better than the scouts said he was, not by much mind you. He sure pondered it over also as he took four full days to sign. So what did we get? A highly defensive non hitting catcher of course, well if training pans out anyway. Does he have a ML future? Maybe, but only as a backup as his job is to play the part of Crash Davis in teaching minor league pitchers how to be ML stars.

FA Market

2012-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Linda Loo reporting live from Tiger Headquarters in Detroit where the Tigs have just announced their newest signing in Ezequiel Uribe. What did the Tigs get for a whopping 13.5M? Well for one a cute stud that can burn some rubber..ooh wait, that is what I got. Love those piercing eyes of his though and I did wear him out quite quickly but over time think that will definitely improve. Seems a bit clumsy for CF in the long haul but believe me he can handle getting to second base. Didn't really bring out the best in me when it was time to step up to the plate. Well worth the effort but me thinks a little over priced but did show this lady a good time.

In other news, the Boston Red Sox acquired Osvaldo Diaz for $8M. Trust me ladies he is no Billy Chapel and a far cry from Steve Nebraska. He has starter potential but those funny ears are dreadful. Lacks control and doesn't throw the kinda of pitches I like to hear, see or feel if you catch my drift. For a lefty he will probably make some money in the majors but nothing big, so if ya want to drive a Mercedes, look elsewhere .

Question

2012-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Is it better to get a great hitter with average defense or a weak hitter with great defense?

The consensus to that question is to go with the better hitter. I agree, but then there are some ifs, ands and buts to that answer. Defense is a little overrated and I agree to that even. This question has been raised in the forum in the past and the answer is actually a little cloudy unless you have played the game for a few seasons.

Basically the answer is that the offense of the player in question must be able to make up for his lack of defense at the position he plays (actually though it is more like the position you play him). I will pick on Kansas City for an example. They have Tomas Ordonez who is listed as a 1B. At 1B he should be pretty decent, however they have Del Alvarez playing 1B because he is a better hitter although his defense is weaker but not that bad. To get Ordonez's bat in the lineup, he is playing LF, a position he is drastically not qualified for.

If you look at the team stats you won't find anything amiss with the fielding stats at all at first glance. You really have to know what you are looking for. If you look at the fielding stats of the player card in question, he has made one minus play and if left there the entire season there will be many more. So far he has not made an error, I wouldn't hold my breath that it will stay that way. The glaring hole that I see is his PO's, 9 in 11 games and another is his RF being below 1.

If you compare him to the league leaders at LF, you will find that the RF should be about 1.8 or better and the PO's should be in the 20's or better. That means the offense of the other team is getting hits to LF that they normally wouldn't get.

Is his offense making up for the lack of defense in this case? Right at the moment the answer is no, but the season is still young. His .233 average just isn't doing much for me though his OBP of .377 isn't all that bad due to his walks. To me he would need to hit .300 with 30 plus home runs to make up for the lack of defense.

Now if you are talking about the key positions such as 2B, CF and SS, that is another matter altogether.

As for the Mets as a whole, errors cost me one game so far this season and the lack of hitting the other three.

Player Abilities

2012-01-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

To begin with a player has four sets of abilities, Fielding, General, Hitting and Pitching. Each of these are divided into subcategories ranging from 1 to 100, 100 being the best, normally (always an exception).

Overall is a WIS general rating that is normally overinflated and sometimes underinflated. Most ML capable position players and starting pitchers have a 70 or better while pen pitchers and backup role players are in the 60's. Not a hard rule however.

Fielding Ratings

Range: Determines the movement ability of the player at a position. Higher the range the better he can play sophisticated positions such as SS or CF.

Glove: Determines how well he can use the mitt in fielding the ball.

Arm Strength: Determines how fast and a what speed he can get rid of the ball.

Arm Accuracy: Determines how accurate the throw is.

Pitch Calling: Catcher ability of how well he can handle the pitcher and his pitches.

All of these work together in the players overall ability to field a position. If you go to GM's Office - Roster Management - Edit Rosters and click on the position players position indicator it will open a card that shows the minimum abilities for each position. You can also change the players position from here if desired. There can be some give and take in the abilities as to whether a player can play a certain position or not. However I wouldn't go much lower than recommended in most cases.

NOTE: Never put a left-handed thrower in the infield except at 1B.

General Ratings

Durability: Used to determine when a player starts to fatigue and used in the recovery process of pitchers after pitching. A player with a durability in the mid 80's and higher, you don't have much to worry about. However, under that they will need a day of rest every now and then. Rule of thumb - a player with an 80 durability needs about 10 days off during the season while a 70 needs 30.

Health: This is one we have learned to hate over the last 6 or 7 seasons. Used to be that a health of 75 or better rarely got injured and those below had a good chance of being injured and below 60 almost always found their way to the DL. Now it is like a turkey shoot and a high training budget helps but not an end all to the problem.

Speed: Determines how fast a player is. Helps if you want to steal bases but must have a good base running ability also.

Patience: This helps in training and demotions and maybe waiting for the right pitch.

Temper: This is the exception as it is better low than high. Umpires tend to throw players out of games..hint hint hint

Makeup: Used in injury recovery and to stave off old age..lol..I am not joking.. has some other uses also but not greatly important if you ask me.

Hitting Ratings

Contact: How well a batter puts the bat on the ball. A ball in play is always better than a strike out.

Power: Higher the number the more extra base hits...errr home runs

Splits: How well a batter fares against pitchers.

Eye: How well a batter sees the pitch.

All of these combined determine what happens during an at bat. A high Eye, Splits and Contact will cause a lot of walks also. A low Eye and High contact is not a bad thing and is quite common. Low Contact usually causes more strike outs.

Base Running: How well a player understands base stealing concepts used in conjunction with speed. High speed and low concept is not a good thing. I normally use 70 as a cutoff for both.

Bunt: self explanatory I hope.

Push Pull Tendency: Simple concept of where the batter is going to hit the ball 80% of the time. Over 50 is opposite field hitter.

Pitcher Ratings

Stamina: Determines how many pitches he can throw in an outing. Normally we like starting pitchers above 65. Durability is important as it determines how quickly a pitcher can recover after an outing.

Control: Determines how well he has command of his pitches. higher the better

Splits: Determines his luck (more or less) against batters. Higher the better

Velocity: How hard a pitcher throws. High velo is more of a strike out pitcher while low velo is a finesse pitcher. Both are good.

Ground Ball/Fly Ball: High is mostly a ground ball pitcher and low is fly ball. I run a good defense all the way around so it really doesn't matter but lean towards ground ball. Tempting fate is a fly ball pitcher in Coors Field.

Pitches: How well he throws the pitch. The type of pitch is window dressing. However the best thing is to have at least two good pitches in the first two slots (80,70). Most pitchers have there pitches graduated downward from good to throw away, when they are out of order tend to cause some problems.

International Market

2012-01-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

Tony Pena was signed by the Dover Dung Beetles for $8.9M. Maybe I was expecting a little more in his abilities than what I am seeing with a 13 in advance scouting. Does have great speed which is a positive along with a good eye and contact. Splits are low and power is just average along with his health. May not be a good outfielder either as his range could be iffy and a weak arm. It looks to me he would make a good 1B however. I would say well overpriced and his overall is inflated a bit. ML capability is a maybe.

Albert Moreno was signed for a whopping $12.3M by the Anaheim Angels. He did make the league news reel so he must be something to regale about. 1B is probable even with the bad glove. Could be a behemoth at the plate which garnered him all the money. His durability detracts from his abilities to make him a star acquisition in my books however. His overall tells me he could be an underachiever.

Who Has a Shot in the NL?

2011-12-31T17:13:00.000-08:00

NL North

The North could very well wage all out war. Pittsburgh may excel overall but I am not just giving them the title either. The Brewers, Reds and Cubs are in the mix also. Chicago has a powerful offense I am just not convinced of the pitching. Actually the Reds and Brewers fall into the same category.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Chicago Cubs

NL East

The East is up for grabs by three teams IMO. I would toot my horn and claim the spot myself, but there was spring training and we looked horrible except for defense. The Phillies look like the team to beat again even with half the team on medicare. The Mets look good on paper but that is about it. The Indians could play spoiler but the pitching doesn't look redeeming. The Colonels has a leaders in Mendoza and Rauch but their new digs could cause problems with the pitching staff.

1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. New York Mets
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Louisville Colonels

NL South

The fight once again will be between Houston and Florida. Mexico City can't be ruled out at all and will cause some distinct problems from the get go. All three could very well be post season contenders. St Louis is on a big learning curve and didn't have much to start with., Trivia question that probably no one knows, did Honus Wagner drive a Moline-Knight?

1. Florida Marlins
2. Houston Astros
3. Mexico City Diablos Rojos
4. St. Louis Hawks

NL West

Can anybody in the West stop Salem? I don't think so. Arizona could win 90 games and still be 20 back at the end. Second place will be fought for heavily between Arizona and LA with San Fran bringing up the rear.

1. Salem Super Sequoias
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. San Francisco Giants

It could be a problem choosing 6 teams because it could be nasty and be between 10 teams. Yup, sportsfans that many.

1. Salem Super Sequoias
2. Florida Marlins
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. New York Mets (just because I can)...sigh
5. Houston Astros
6. Arizona Diamondbacks

Who Has a Shot this Season in the AL?

2011-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

AL North

The North doesn't look much changed from last year and don't expect much of a change. Seattle may boast the best starting rotation in the North as well as all of the AL and the offense is just as good. They will be tough to oust for the North crown once again. Minnesota could make some waves but don't expect them to take the crown. Toronto may have taken the course to rebuild as they have dumped most of their overpaid underachieving offense. The Tigers will keep their chins held high as they improve over last year.

1. Seattle Mariners
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Detroit Tigers

AL East

The impact here could hold a dangerous fortitude. What does that mean? Well just a bunch of jibberish if you ask me. I really like the looks of the Atlanta Braves this year to take the crown. I have picked others here before and Boston always finds a way to take the crown. I am actually giving 50-50 odds of any one of the four taking the crown. Having a winning record could even be tough IMO. I think the Senators have the best rotation but the worst pen and the offense is shaky at best. Boston and Dover are about even across the board. The Braves on paper are the best but that doesn't guarantee a crown.

1. Atlanta Braves
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Dover Dung Beetles
4. Washington D.C. Senators

AL South

The Tampa Bay Rays actually lived up to my billing last year. I really expect them to be in a fight this year with the Texas Rangers. Remember them? Came out the middle of nowhere and tied for the playoff spot with how many teams? Kansas City and Little Rock are improved but don't look for that much excitement.

1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Texas Rangers
3. Little Rock Heads
4. Kansas City Royals

AL West

I usually mess this division up or maybe it is a conspiracy. The bad part about this is all four teams are good and to choose one is really tough. Las Vegas surprised me last year, Helena melted down again last year, the Padres fell just short and Anaheim mystified themselves. I choose Helena because they are the best team on paper but they have to get over that late season meltdown. I am going out on a limb here this year totally

1. Helena Hot Pockets
2. San Diego Padres
3. Las Vegas Slobs
4. Anaheim Angels

Since I am kind of a glutton for punishment in AL realm here is my final predictions. maybe another kinky four way for the final spot?

1. Seattle Mariners
2. Helena Hot Pockets
3. Texas Rangers
4. Atlanta Braves
5. San Diego Padres
6. Tampa Bay Rays

Hall of Fame Inductees, 22

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Almost a unanimous voting decision to put Albert Johnson and Yamil Pulido into the Hall. After that it became a little murky as owners couldn't decide and the votes became scattered for their beloved sons of the diamond. Furio Lombard and Sid Bryant couldn't be persuaded into the Hall even with the vigorous campaigning that changed the mind of some.

Johnson and Pulido join Frank Gates and Mitchell Ray, who were inducted in season 20, as our honored guests in the Hall of Fame.

Pirates Season 22 Opening Day Roster

2011-12-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

After a short off season celebrating the teams first world series championship. The Pirates are ready to defend their title. With an aging roster and financial pressures, there was some changes to the roster this off season.
Key additions: Cesar Martin came over in a trade with Toronto. Javy Nunez, Oscar Miller, Jonathan Diaz, and Omar Garrido were all free agent signings. Harry Richardson and Eric Francis are up from the minors.

Departures: Luis Cruz, Ryan Stewart, Geraldo Rosa and Esteban Valdes all left as free agents.

C: Andy Reagan and Glenn Knepper will platoon at this position.
1B: Javy Nunez will get most of the starts here Jonathan Diaz will be a key pinch hitter and see some time at first
2B: Bernard Shelley probably his last season with the team
SS: Harry Richardson late call up last season, he's here to stay this year. Will see some time at 3rd when Riley plays
Bill Riley on the bench this season
3B: Cesar Martin key season for Cesar as Pirates have to decide to resign him or let him walk Oscar Miller will be backup in the IF
LF: David Gomez
CF: Lance Howard
RF: Omar Garrido after he declined his option, we thought we lost him, but we got him back Alex Richardson 4th outfielder this season

Pitchers
SP1: Tim Loewer doesn't get the respect he deserves
SP2: Emil Sosa all he does is win
SP3: Ken Shumpert hoping for one more good season
SP4: Jimmie Torres had a disappointing regular season but turned it up in the playoffs
SP5: Felix Carter
Bullpen
LRA: Roger Mulholland
LRB: Dennis Wingo
SuA: Daniel Blackwell him and Coronado after that its pretty thin
SuA: Flash Leonard
SuB: Eric Francis
SuB: Todd Wolf
CLA: Andres Coronado not bad for a rule 5 pickup

The Pirates see no problem winning their NL North division title this season. This will give them 9 division titles in the past 11 seasons. The offense is stronger this season. The bench is deeper this season. The starting pitching remains strong. The bullpen is weak, but it was like that last season. Defense will be weaker with Riley on the bench, but this should even out with Riley not swinging a bat. Once in the playoffs some luck is needed, but the Pirates do have the Starting Pitching and a deeper, stronger offense to go on a run. I like our chances.

Final FA Report

2011-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Omar Garrido was finally picked up by the team that let him go, the Pirates. Evidently they didn't want to see him go for a box of crakerjacks.

Abdul Riggs was picked up for his quality CF play by Anaheim fro a relatively low prie. I am betting his other attributes will be greatly appreciated in the end also.

Cy Bruske remained unclaimed til the end when his old team intervened, Little Rock. He was worth more than the bag of ball they paid for him.

Paul Keeler remains the only unsigned player that was on my radar scope.

Hall of Fame Voting

2011-12-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

A lot of chatter on the boards for voting this year. As always a very good sign indeed. The big problem is a max of only 5 can make it if the votes aren't spread. Yamil Pulido and Albert Johnson are considered consensus Hall of Fame vote recipients by just about everyone. After that things could get a little cloudy. After reading all of the chatter I did change my vote, but probably not everyone.

Doug Cambridge - 7 time All-Star, 7 WS Rings. By his stats, he was only the bonafide closer in 5 of his 17 seasons which makes his 315 saves look more impressive. He never won a FOY though which I can't figure out. In season 19 he had the better numbers but the award was given again to Pascual Solano. You could make a case that he was on great teams, which has to be true, but still, he did his job to make sure his team was great.

Yamil Pulido and Albert Johnson - what needs to be said?

Furio Lombard - So I changed my vote from Wagner. 11 All Star appearances is hard to not notice him. The two GG's at 3rd are impressive but he was a lousy SS in my books though can't fault him for that.

Sid Bryant - Well, in the end I conceded the fact he had more going for him than Warden.

Ozuna and Robinson are not chopped liver either btw.

Hall of Fame

2011-12-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

I was looking over the nominations for the Hall this morning. I know, I know, suppose to be looking over the Rule V Draft and checking it twice, except I am not drafting anyone. There are a couple worth drafting for a change, nothing great but worth a long look. Now, back to the nominations.

I looked at the list of pitchers, my eyes got real big fast. The great Yamil is there, enough said right? There are a host of starting pitchers deserving of the vote also, about 20 in fact. I looked at saves for the relievers and Doug Cambridge was there, another great choice. The catch with Cambridge is that he wasn't exactly a closer, he more or less got pushed into the role for a while. You won't find many closers with a 67-71 record and over 300 saves.

Afterwards I looked at the position players. My wondering eyes saw Albert Johnson and a bunch of memories came flooding back. Such nostalgia! Randy Lamb was there of course and his 627 dinger total, about the only reason he would be on the list if you ask me. Then I saw Posiedon Warden on down the list, he looks rather unassuming at first. Some memories came flooding back and the tears also I am afraid to say. There are still a few here that understand, especially jose, even VL. Anyway back to Posiedon, his last year was on the Durham Bulls and the team that stopped erff from getting his 5th straight WS Ring. It was late in the season, Durham was trying to chase down the Corn Dogs led by edam55. Posiedon needed a few hits to reach the 2000 hit barrier and Soxfan needed a roster spot. I had the Cleveland team and a spot opened on the roster because of an injury. Since a trade was out of the question, Posiedon was released so I could pick him up and get him the AB's needed, I of course released him at the end of the season. Posiedon is about 6th on the career Walks list also, the reason his OBP is higher than Albert.

Meet the Season 22 Mets

2011-12-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Mets fans and news wires around the Big Apple are very upbeat on the upcoming season. They were very disappointed last year that management couldn't make a deal for Wilfredo Oliva that may have made them playoff bound. Extolling that the price was too steep had many fans in disbelief although finances was more of the problem. Did management make enough moves to bring home the crown and go into the off season as a champion? The minimum I expect is the division crown.

Team song: I love New York

Position:

C - Rob Webster : One of the best backstops in this world. Unfortunately his durability limits him to about 115 starts.
Bip Phelps is just as capable defensively, just not as good in the pitch calling department.

1B - Leo Rodney proved himself competent last season and management is expecting a great season from him. Domingo Jose will be his backup.

2B - Emil Flores has won 3 GG in RF in Salem. The coaching staff thinks he can do the job here as well as 3B. J-Mac was a bit of a disappointment fielding wise last year.

3B - Chun-Lim Satou had a great season last year. Coaches are hoping that he can step up his game a bit more.

SS - Guy Oquist is penciled in.

RF - John McInerney is going to be moved form 2B to play this spot unless his arm starts to be a problem.

CF - Clarence Valentin gets to roam the wide expanses.

LF - Domingo Jose and Dan Radke will share the duty fro awhile.

Utility - Tomas Trevino and
Carlos Mesa can play many positions well.

Pitching Staff:

Starter:
R.J. Bellhorn is hoping to improve upon last season.
Wesley Ray replaces the FA hole created by Cervantes. Management hopes he gives us his best as they gave up a lot in the trade for him.
Danys Candelaria was signed from the Free Agent Market to be a Long Reliever. However he is a probable candidate in the starting rotation right now.
George Atkins seems fully recovered finally from his injury two seasons ago. The coaching staff hopes he can return to form.
Harry Rodriguez actually pitched great as a starter last season but had a dismal record to show for it. This season we hope luck befalls him.
Anderson Henley may have been a flash in the pan last season. We are very hopeful that it wasn't!

Pen:
Clinton Cedeno gets the nod as Long reliever and sometimes starter.
J.D. Kennedy, Al Limon and Ted Maxwell will get the long setup position.
Wayne Hampton and Don Zhou get the short setup routine.
Dom Tabaka needs 38 more saves to hit the 400 mark for his career.

More FA's Sign

2011-12-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

Fernando Cerda was paid big bucks by the Cubs with a guaranteed 1st year of $14.5M and 3 more at $11.5. Not a prolific long ball hitter but hard to keep him off the base paths and has the speed to steal. His defense at 2B is not great maybe a little sub par actually. Who knows who the Cubs were fighting with for his services.

J.C. Welch was picked up rather cheaply by the Rangers with a 3 year deal for $5M. Did the Rangers make a ploy against Cerda to get Welch on the fly? He can solidify the infield at the hot corner while producing at the plate. Expect his SB efforts to be greatly enhanced also.

Emil Flores was getting a little worried as his agent had him seemingly overpriced but as his demand dropped the Mets became interested. Taking more or less of a big pay cut, he did end up with a tidy $26M 4 year deal however. The question remains whether his hitting will improve in the Big Apple.

Fausto Alomar took it in the shorts as many shied away from the lefty. The Angels saw a bargain as they offered a
3 year deal at $4.9M. Can he sustain his unique ability in another pitchers park?

Galahad Mercedes signed with busy Texas with a 3 year deal for $5.2M. This big guy has pitched well the last few years for a lefty. Hopefully this stint in Texas turns out better than the last.

Joseph Wang, another colorful lefty joined the Old Timers Association in Philly. Signing a 3 year deal for $17.6M sits well the Philly faithful.

Lorenzo Astacio was captured by Arizona in a war with unknown enemies. Agreeing to a 4 year deal for over $25M is a lot of wampum for a short reliever that is not considered a closer.

Luis Cervantes, yes he made my list for a reason, was picked up on the highway by Little Rock with a squeamish sum of $4.3M for two seasons. The Mets were hoping to pick him up dirt cheap once again though he may have turned his nose up at their paltry offer regardless.

Mark Wang and Sidney Garcia were taken by Atlanta, though no one knows it yet.

Who we think is going to sign for big bucks yet?

The left handed power hitting LF in Omar Garrido has yet to be signed. His demands hasn't dropped so a bidding war must be going on.

The no one wants us group?

The underachieving Paul Keeler is getting a bit antsy.

Cy Bruske has a very long face as his services seem to be in the tank.

Abdul Riggs is still waiting by the phone with tears running down his cheeks. Probably one of the best starting utility men in the business, well OF and 2B at least.

Bob Montgomery is wondering what he did to get black listed.

Big Payday

2011-12-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

Cesar Hernandez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays under a structured 4 year deal. His first year entitlements includes a guaranteed $6M signing bonus to go with his $8M salary. Linda Loo was foaming at the mouth amongst other places after hearing the news. Seems like a trip to the Batter Box is in order to see DJ's sister.

In other news, Joey Tracy is worried that he won't get a chance to hit Home Run number 750 as his phone has been dead silent in the off season so so far.

Free Agent Signings

2011-12-21T04:53:00.000-08:00

I had a large list of targets this year so I could write about the top signings. Well it is a pretty bleak market in most aspects.

Wilfredo Oliva: I really thought he would go for more in my estimation.The Cubs got him cheap at 7.9M for 5 years.

Harry Torcato: Scarfed up by Little Rock with a 2 year deal for 5.8M.

Larry Hinske: Grabbed by Boston in a 2 year deal for $5.6M.

Paul Pecina: Snagged by Milwaukee in a 3 year deal for 5.6M.

Danys Candelaria: Yanked the chain of the Mets for a 4 year deal at 5.8M.

Coach Longevity

2011-12-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

dilo - 22
northerngaul - 22
josepaco - 21
dpj0122 - 21
VegasBombers - 21
SLOBS - 21
cmchristians - 19
sjr456 - 19
**firesign34 - 18
***boydndahood - 17
*edham55 - 17
*yoker70 - 16
chase39 - 15
*aireball3 - 15
wholck - 15
thomas36is - 15
jsholmes - 14
davisbrian - 14
dhyatt1080 - 14
sdhizzle - 12
mal247 - 11
dakar - 10
hatton98 - 10
pfontaine - 9
tylermathias - 9
kpmarti - 6
wrecks - 5
robertbaron - 5
***luckystrike - 4
sjpratt - 4
molineknight - 1
claighton3 - 1

* Different organizations and break
** Different organizations
*** Different IDs

Hanging Up the Old Cleats

2011-12-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

Normally we don't mention much about who retires as we know it is forthcoming sooner or later. However this season is just a bit different as several probable future Hall of Famers are in the class. This class includes:

Javier Santayana: 21 seasons (although one was lost to injury) mostly in the majors and only played for Toronto which upon itself is an unheard of feat. Over 2900 hits and 698 stolen bases to his credit.

Yamil Pulido: The Great One has hung them up. 7 Cy Young awards to go with his 4 WS Rings amassing 281 wins. Lets not forget his post season record of 25-8.

Orlando Ozuna: May not have been a household name but was awarded 2 Cy Youngs in the AL along with his 247 wins.

Albert Johnson: What can con say about AJ, 5 MVP's, 0ver 3400 hits with over 2000 runs and RBIs and lifetime batting average of .346. The only thing more popular were his two cousins, DJ and his sister.

Bruce Kinney: Maybe not great but did pitch on the Big Red Machine and has 4 WS Rings to prove it. 185 wins is nothing to smirk about. Staying in the game as a coach starting out for the Toronto RL team

Season 22 Starts

2011-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Low and behold we couldn't get one then two arrive at the same time. Welcome molineknight the new skipper for the St. Louis Hawks and claighton3 at the helm of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both show to be newbies, though we all started somewhere and I started in this world also. One thing to note for newbies is that this game can be very overwhelming to start so don't be afraid to ask questions. Also the ever present HELP tab is available. Also the Help Manual under Admin Office is available.

As wholck said some of my old posts about the beginning of the season are in the May 2008 section of the blog. I looked them over and are still relevant even with all the changes. Matter of fact there are several blogs posts in 2008 that are still very relevant. I haven't really wrote much about playing the game but more of what is going on around our World.

Roll Over

2011-12-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Things the Mets would like to see at rollover. Of course we are only looking at the youngsters.

Leo Rodney: His range increasing would be a boon for sure. Six points would be great in that area but chances are maybe 2 or 3 would be likely. Power would be next on the list, 3 or more would be great. He really doesn't have much growth anywhere other than those two areas that we can see but can improve a point overall. Spring training could only help in glove and maybe a contact point.

Well, he did improve but not like we had hoped. One point in Range, two in Durability and Power, beggars can't be choosey.

John McInerney: The only thing that can help him is a point or two of range also. Under the circumstances it may be needed for him to retain his 2B position.

Nothing, nada, zilch. So unhappy with that news.

Carlos Mesa: His health is weak and no help in that regards that we can see. Durability can go up along with his power, both would be good but not enough to make a big impact. Scouting says he could improve up to 10 points overall yet but I don't see much more than 3 happening.

Big improvements, the best is the single point in Range but six in Durability and four in power. Might be a big push to put him at 2B.

Guy Oquist: Range is a must and be defensively helpful. More in durability will help also. Power increasing is kind of a who cares issue but would help with his overall. Improving his splits during spring training would help more than anything else I think.

A point here and there but nothing to write about really.

Dan Radke: Other than a couple durability points he just doesn't have much to improve upon. Most of his points a relegated to splits and glove.

Was just enough to make a one point overall adjustment.

R.J. Bellhorn: Stamina is about the only thing left and a few points here would help a bit. Everything else that is improvable is in the hands of the pitching coach and that isn't much.

Got a couple points to help his cause.

Anderson Henley: Not much to say about this guy. Has some improvement left but we aren't expecting much. We aren't exactly counting on a repeat performance of last season either.

Nothing here.

Harry Rodriguez: Another youngster that is about maxed out also. We feel that he is a better pitcher than his record indicates BTW.

His increases were a bit odd if you ask me.

Ted Maxwell: Although there isn't much improvement to be had a couple points here and there could really help. The injury to begin the season took its toll and time to really get back. A good spring and just maybe he could be strong enough for the starting rotation.

Still a bit behind the eight ball from his injury.

AAA
Marc Redman: He became a special case calling him up at the end of the season. His defense sure could use the rollover boost for sure. He shows a lot of promise as a lead off hitter but didn't exactly impress us in his short visit.

Something is better than nothing.

Lonny Moreno: Has a ML future but needs a good rollover especially in durability along with fielding help.

Had a decent rollover but not great.

Pirates Do It!

2011-12-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Pirate dream finally comes to fruition with a 4-1 World Series. Their first title with an unbelievable season in their second try. In season 16, if you remember, they were the best team in baseball that year and lost the World Series to Boston in 7. It was almost a surreal repeat match up had Boston beat Las Vegas in the ALCS. Congrats Chase!

Manager of the Year

2011-12-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

It should be that time to vote on Manager of the Year. It could very well be a tough decision. Remember send your votes via TC to SJR!!!

NL - A lot to choose form for sure

dilo - Led the Brewers to their first division title sine season 2.
chase39 - Held the Pirates together and a Wold Series engagement.
boydndahood - Wrestled the division title away from Florida.
sdhizzle - 8 straight playoff appearances.
jsholmes - Winningest team this season.
wholck - 5 straight division titles, 6 straight playoff appearances.

tylermathias - First time team has been above .500 since season 9.
firesign34 - First time team has been above .500 since season 2.
hypnotoad - Took over franchise and almost put them playoff bound.

AL

dakar - Winningest team in AL this season.
SLOBS - Surprising World Series agenda.
wrecks - Led team to first ever division title.
cmchristians - Surprise ending for a playoff spot.
pfontaine - 8 straight playoff appearances.
thomas36is - Kept team in playoffs avoiding a total meltdown.

edham55 - Speaking of surprise endings but ended up short on tie-breakers.

Finally, We Are Here

2011-12-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

The final series of the season has come upon us. What should have come down to a rather uneven bout in the World Series suddenly changed. The Pittsburgh Pirates sudden euthanasism (umm youthanism is more like it) upsetting the seemingly one-siddedness in the NL has brought an unknown aspect into the series.

And what of the Las Vegas Slobs? They tout the oldest player in this years series with Dan Hitchcock. Can he have a Billy Chapel performance to hang onto his youthfulness (umm usefulness) one more time? Of course the Slobs only have 6 players that have 10 or more years experience. The Pirates have 10 if your counting.

Did experience trump youth in the NL? In the AL it would seem rather likely also except for the fact Boston had the more experienced team. While Boston didn't put up much of a fight the Pirates had their backs against the wall down 3-0. Was the youthful Salem team over confident they would win easily, look out next year as they will want to prove a point.

The Pirates could have the advantage overcoming Milwaukee, Houston and Salem in their unexpected playoff run. Las Vegas had to overcome their division nemesis Helena before wrecking Tampa Bay and Boston. The odds in this series is: pickum
For those wanting to know, extra doctors, ambulance crews and healthcare maintenance teams have been summoned to keep players and equipment functioning at peak performance during the series.

Here ya go for this years big vote! What is the best baseball movie of all time? Here is a list of some of the best in my opinion, not in any order though For Love of the Game is my personal favorite. Send vote via TC of firesign34.

1. For Love of the Game
2. Major League
3. Bull Durham
4. Field Of Dreams
5. Eight Men Out
6. Mr Baseball
7. The Rookie
8. The Final Season
9. The Stratton Story
10. Damn Yankees
11. A League of Their Own
12. The Scout
13. The Pride of the Yankees
14. The Pride of St Louis
15. Fever Pitch
16. The Kid From Left Field
17. The Natural

End of Season Tweets

2011-11-23T10:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Milwaukee Brewers - Take one down, pass it around. Nominate me too!
Pittsburgh Pirates - Shumpert, what was I thinking?
Cincinnati Reds - Those turkeys above have another thing coming next year.
Chicago Cubs - Rebuild? More like teach these turkeys how to play.

Seattle Mariners - Where can I buy Fantasy Baseball Insurance?
Minnesota Twins - No bout adoubt it, we are for real!
Toronto Blue Jays - All that money spent and I have to speak to Peggy.
Detroit Tigers - This didn't work, that didn't work, what does work?

Boston Red Sox - The good, the bad, the ugly, we are all three.
Dover Dung Beetles - Suburgatory!
Atlanta Braves - I shot an arrow into the air! Oh shit..run!
Washington D.C. Senators - Donkeys and Elephants don't make good mascots.

Philadelphia Phillies - B-day cake anyone, well roasted. AARP Insurance sold here.
New York Mets - Financial lockouts suck!
Cleveland Indians - Turkey, stuffing, noodles, taters, cranberry sauce = off day!
St. Louis Browns - WTF? We were railroaded.

Tampa Bay Rays - No more frustration. No more jinxes.
Texas Rangers - Shhh while we unique up on dem.
Little Rock Heads - What do you mean there were no IFA's?
Kansas City Royals - .276 batting average, for and against.

Houston Astros - VL would have been so simple.
Florida Marlins - We bought IJ's sister a thigh master. He came in 9 sizes even.
Mexico City Diablos Rojos - Shouldn't have ate those turkey tamales.
Charlotte Knights - I think I get it now.

Las Vegas Slobs - I wanted a bye...Waaaaah.
Helena Hot Pockets - Almost blew it again.
San Diego Padres - Oh so close but no cigar.
Anaheim Angels - Thoroughly disgusted.

Salem Super Sequoias - We are the best, lets prove it.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Compassion doesn't work in baseball does it?
Arizona Diamondbacks - Next year we cut down the trees.
San Francisco Giants - Number 1 pick! Oh yeah, Number 1 pick! Proof positive DH's don't work.

AL Finally

2011-11-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

What a dramatic finish for the AL Wild Card. BTW, it took me 25 minutes to figure out the tie-breakers. I have seen a 3 way tie but that is the first 4 way, almost sounds kinky. Anyway this is how it played out against the predictions:

1. Seattle - A correct prognostication.
2. Tampa Bay - We just didn't have them this high and no jinx.
3. Las Vegas - Wow, we had them in the 6th spot.
4. Boston - So they moved down a slot.
5. Minnesota - The surprise entry and what a final push.
6. Helena - Had them winning the division but barely survived another meltdown.

I believe the Manager of the Year for the AL should be between (What ya think SJR?):

dakar - Best team in the AL
wrecks- Finally! Organizations first division title and only second playoff.
cmchristians - Surprising everyone into the playoffs
edham55 - 21-3 to finish the season and come from way back just to fall a tie-breaker short. Hear that noise? No? That was curses from the silent one.

Player Awards

AL MVP - I am leaning toward Raymond Barr just because he had better numbers across the board. 40 HR's, 39 SB's .292 Avg and played a good CF. Shayne Marte and his Avg just turns me off. Will have to think about Jesse Brennaman, may not have the HR production but the rest of the numbers are very good.

AL Cy Young - Tony Lansing, a shame Matthews only has a 14 durability.

AL ROY: Chong is FOY so I am going with Ronny Gant just because he plays a better 1B.

Player Awards

2011-11-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I was gonna write about the AL finals versus the predictions but they just can't decide on a 5th and 6th seed yet. Such a mess that is, could wind up as a 4 way stop. If the Twinkies and Padres win it is simple they are in. A 3 or 4 way tie is too complicated to look up and decipher. According to kp though, the Padres must win it outright for them to go.

What I was originally going to write about before I was sidetracked by the AL mess was the NL player Awards. I thought it was pretty cut and dry until I started looking things over.

NL MVP - Greg Woods is superman this year, there is no denying it. Is top in Home Runs, RBIs, Hits and Average and not by a leetle bit either but a wide margin. He plays a mean 3B also, 8 plus plays and only 10 errors. I know a couple will vote for their own players in the NL, but he should win by a large margin.

NL Cy Young - Ivan the Terrible is at the top of the list. Yup, he had his normal season though I think maybe he might be just a little overworked. I have no qualms about voting for Megias as his stats look pretty good. I don't think Nixon is that great in all reality, just on a great team and reaps the benefits. Knotts stands up to the test by my standards, pitching in Houston with those stats make him really good. Loewer, I thought at first didn't have enough wins until I looked at the stats. On a decent team with a sub 1 WHIP and OAV and only gave up 8 dingers makes it a tough choice. I may wait to hear from the peanut gallery before I decide.

NL ROY - Yes, Henley had a great Rookie season and I will vote for him because he is mine. However, he just may have had the best season he will ever have, who knows, his abilities ain't that grand. Betemit is actually my choice, he looks to be a great all-a-round player for years to come if you ask me.

Near the End

2011-11-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

With a game to go, the race in the NL is over. A few surprises but not much more than expected really.

So how did the early predictions turn out?

NL

1. Salem - Was the early favorite and turned out right on the money.
2. Houston - A bit of a surprise was expected to be the 5th seed.
3. Brewers - Right on target.
4. Philly - Malingered but made it anyway.
5. Florida - We really thought Ivan the Terrible would keep them in the 2 slot but alas, we thought wrong.
6. Pittsburgh - After 7 straight titles it was time for a change even though we thought Arizona would take this spot, they did challenge it.

Biggest surprises:

Dodgers - Hypnotoad did a fantastic job taking over and almost put them in.
Arizona - Not really a surprise to me but above .500 for the first time since season 9.
Mets - Above .500 in a Mets uniform and the first time since season 2.

I believe the Manager of the Year for the NL should be between (What ya think SJR?):

jsholmes - Best team in Season 21.
Hypnotoad - Taking over a good franchise and nearly putting them in the playoffs.
tylermathias - Putting that beleaguered franchise on the map.
firesign34 - Finally giving New York fans hope.

Sweeping Mayhem in the AL

2011-11-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought the AL was sorta set, a sweeping mayhem upsets the balance. The Twinkie sweep of Helena caused the first problem in the AL Wild card race. We definitely did not see that coming. Furthermore we did not expect a Texas sweep of Las Vegas either. Those two sweeps combined with San Diego splitting Atlanta caused an uproar that has a couple owners very disgusted with their teams.

Will the South champs try and rest their stars or try and slow down the peaking Rangers? With 6 to go and only the Rays and Heads in their way of a possible Wild Card and we suddenly mean "WILD". Can they maintain their win streak?

The Twinkies have the Tigs and Jays in their way, so we can't rule them out of a possible trip to the playoffs either.

Helena has the Padres and Slobs while the Padres face the Angels to finish the season. The Helena - San Diego series takes on a whole new meaning. Both will be in a must win situation.

What will happen is very interesting to watch.

In the NL things went like we expected, well almost. The Mets were hoping for a Houston sweep or at least a 3-1 series win against the Phils. That didn't happen, while the Mets split their series with the Cubs in a couple weird and whacky games. Both have the Indians and Browns upcoming. The Phillies are in luck because they have a 1 game lead and thee Mets must finish in first alone.

Arizona split with the Pirates as they needed a sweep to make it. That split didn't help the Dodgers either as they split their series with the Reds. Although the D'Backs and Dodgers are not out math wise, they both must face Salem and Frisco.

Pittsburgh has the Cubs and Brewers left on their schedule. The Brewers have the Reds next in sight. The Brewers are in the cat bird seat in the North needing a win and a Pirate loss at the least.

Boydndahood is shaking in his cleats, worried about impending doom from the Marlins. Houston plays Mexico City while Florida plays Charlotte before the inevitable match up between the two. 10 pounds of sunflower seeds have been delivered trying to calm him down.

The Disgusting 10

2011-11-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

Why Disgusting? There are 10 games left to play and the final push for a playoff spot begins. Who is still in the race and who will be disgusted at the end.

NL North

The Brewers have a 4 game lead over the Pirates. Basically the Brewers need 3 wins to gain a playoff spot. The Pirates could overtake the Brewers but it will be tough.

NL East

Philadelphia has a one game lead over the surprising Mets. New York has their fingers crossed as the schedule does favor them.

NL South

The Houston lead is 4 games over Florida. Both are in the playoffs already. The winner gets a bye with the #2 seed. We don't see this changing btw.

NL West

Salem is the best team in the league this season and have the division and #1 seed all to themselves.

Wild Card

The loser of the South wins the first Wild Card spot. Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Arizona are all fighting for the final spot. Pittsburgh has a 2 game lead and the schedule favors them in all reality. Baring a total Pirate collapse the NL should look like this.

1. Salem
2. Houston
3. Milwaukee
4. Philadelphia/New York
5. Florida
6. Pittsburgh

Not really all that much drama in the AL as the only battles left is for the wild cards.

Seattle has won the North and the #1 seed.

Boston has won the East.

Tampa Bay Has won the South.

Las Vegas needs to win one or two to wrap up the West

Helena needs a combination of 5 wins to wrap up a wild card spot, easier said than done sometimes.

San Diego needs a combination of 7 wins to wrap up the wild card spot, also easier said than done.

Texas and Minnesota would almost need to win out, not impossible but very unlikely. Though we can see Texas doing just that.

Baring something unusual, like a complete collapse from Helena or San Diego or both the AL should look like this:

1. Seattle
2. Las Vegas
3. Tampa bay
4. Boston
5. Helena
5. San Diego

More IFA Money Spent

2011-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

Yorman Reyes became an overnight sensation when he was paid $23.3M by Little Rock for services to be rendered. Well overpaid is more like it, though sources tell me there was high and heavy bidding going on. Should play 2B relatively well and has some speed. Hitting on the other hand could be an interesting entity as he has below average eye, doesn't hit right-handers particularly well but could be a tougher strikeout victim than one thinks. Home run hitting ability is a non-threat also. Best part, it shouldn't take too long in the minors to get up to snuff.

Another IFA Signing

2011-11-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas spends 6M for Tomas Arrojo. Another splash that is just rippling along. Good splits, pitches and control. Has good velo and forces ground balls but those splits might evoke some consternation for coaches.

IFA Signing

2011-11-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Linda Loo reporting live from Angels headquarters were the signing of Al Gil has just been announced. I wasn't really up for another interview as the last few have been wanna be dreamers. Something about those long legs, big arms and boyish face, girls, ya know what I mean.

I wasn't impressed with his hitting style as he struck out with me. He did however rebound quickly hitting several deep ones. Still hear them screaming, lol. He had a thing for the blondes which left me out in the dark, cold and hungry. It is very apparent that he can juggle them and toss with ease.

Overall I think the $13M was well spent. We will give him a flattering SS grade of an A+ (gold glove power SS are hard to come by) but only receives an overall B+ from the judges (something about being blind in one eye and can't see out the other (maybe that is why he goes after blondes).

The Twenty Game Season

2011-11-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

How much of a change was caused in the last 10 games? Another quick look as the season winds to a screeching halt. 9 of the remaining 20 is within the division.

NL North

Brewers didn't help themselves what so ever. Then again the Pirates had to put up with the stingy Mets that didn't help their cause. The Reds did make a bit of a move and are still in contention for a Wild Card.

NL East

This has turned into a horse race whether anyone wanted it or not. Phillies have somewhat of an easier schedule, but....

NL South

Houston seems to have staked their claim to the title but still too close to call. Houston seems to have a bit of a tougher schedule. Florida has a 10 game lead on the Wild Card so they aren't that worried about the post season.

NL West

Salem walked away with the division a few days ago. A 9 game lead for the #1 seed looks very convincing.

NL Wild Card

Florida claims the first spot if they can't over take Houston. That leaves six teams in contention for the final spot and all are within 5 games of Pittsburgh. That should make these last 20 games a furious battle.

AL North

Seattle is close to clenching and also has a 6 game lead on the #1 seed, both are inevitable I do declare.

AL East

Boston has made a move and has a 7 game lead. But things could get ugly before its over but I don't expect it.

AL South

Tampa Bay has a 13 game lead and doesn't look like they are going to throw it away this year.

AL West

Las Vegas moved out to a 9 game lead that looks very imposing.

AL Wild Card

This looks like a three horse race at the moment and you might see a lot of biting and snapping before it is over. 2 of the three leading contenders are in the same division, you know what that means: hatred. The Twinkies also face one of those 2. Fun FUn FUN!!!

A Flushing Miracle

2011-11-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

First and foremost on Mets fans minds is the fact we are in FIRST! That hasn't happened this late in the season since, well, like maybe NEVER. Not in Shea at least, though there is some contention since season 2 they could have been. Since becoming the Mets however, they have never been in first place and have not had a winning season even. As an organization, not since season 1 when they where in Syracuse. Could this season break the curse they seem to have acquired? With 23 to play, we can only hope.

We have already met two goals this season and the third is within striking distance. The first was to win 65 games, should be any teams first goal. Second was to beat last years win total, well we will do that with one more win. The third goal is to be above .500, we have a good chance to do that. Fourth goal is to win the division, we are very optimistic (or pessimistic, hell, just fill the damn glass up and get on with it is my answer) on that one.

Hynotoad brought up an interesting question about Anderson Henley. I really don't understand it either and it may be why Keebo always had problems. George Atkins became the first 15 game winner for the Mets in years during season 19. Injured in season 20, he has never pitched with decent quality since. I wouldn't call him great but a cut above average, in other words I would say he should win about 13 to 15 games a year. Now why is Henley 16-2? The answer seems to lie in history. All the winningest Met pitchers have something in common, their abilities are basically alike and they match Henley's. Other than that I am completely buffaloed for any other answer. That is why I say it is the mystique of Shea.

It is kind of an odd story on how Henley actually ended up on the ML roster in the first place. He was slated to pitch in AA this year and had a good spring. Ted Maxwell was injured in the third game of the season and I needed a replacement and Henley was the only thing remaining that looked like a starting pitcher. He was placed as the B pitcher in the tandem rotation. When we broke out of the tandem I decided to leave him as the starter and the rest is history. Believe it or not, he is already tied for fourth place all time for wins in a single season.

The Dirty Thirty

2011-11-12T13:10:00.001-08:00

Yup, we are down to the last 30 games of the season. Who has a chance and who is a pretender remains to be seen. We will take our best shot however. The NL has only one team getting ready to print their playoff tickets, while a couple others know they are in but not sure where and a couple fights are starting to simmer. The AL on the other hand is still a hotbed of contention for the most part.

NL North

Brewers are in first but not a comfy one. The Pirates are scrambling and hanging tough even though they had an ugly 2-12 stretch. The Reds were hot but not lately and may have slid out of contention.

NL East

The Phillies are mostly cold as of late and barely keeping their heads above water. The Mets are very streaky but are at .500 once again and were tied for first for a while, very few remember the last time that happened this late in the season.

NL South

Houston is in first but only by two. Florida hangs close. This one may not be decided til their last series but both are playoff bound.

NL West

Salem is in coast mode and only need 9 games to wrap up the division. 11 games up for the #1 seed, we don't see that changing either.

Wild Card

Florida or Houston will take the #5 seed as the best guess at the moment. The Pirates, Dodgers and D'Backs are all fighting for the final spot. The Mets and Reds look like pretenders in the Wild Card race.

AL East

Seattle has bulged to a 14 game lead in their division but only aq 5 game lead for the #1 seed. Is that comfy enough? Well, yes and no. Twinkies could make it interesting but that is a pretender thinking.

AL East

Boston is up by 4 games, not so comfy by any margin. Dover could sneak up and take it yet but need to get going. Atlanta still has its chances also. Who will get hot and who could go stone cold could cause an interesting situation here.

AL South

Tampa is up by 13 and looks like a shoo-in.

AL West

Slobs are up by 6 and that is well, intimidating, for this division. Helena is not out and will fight tooth and nail til the end. Padres have mounted a come back before, so we can't rule them out either.

Wild Card

At the moment the Wild Cards are being fought over by the Pockets, Twinkies, and Padres. We will call those ones even favorites at the moment while the pretenders are Dover, Toronto and Anaheim.

And The Fans Scream

2011-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, time for another history type lesson. So I was looking at the Home Run leader, Greg Woods and wondering if he had a chance to be the all time long ball champ. A little dissecting is in order. First he is 30 and makeup is not that powerful and it is possible that his ratings might start declining as early as next year sometime. Even with that, he has a chance to hit close to 200 dingers in that time before serious deterriation begins. That will put him in the neighborhood of over 600 long balls. Maybe we should call in Dr Long John now? Our current Long Ball King is Joey Tracy, who has mounted a career on masterful dingers to the tune of 745. We are expecting this to be his last year btw, 750 is still possible though. Giving Greg at least 425 total after this season and maybe a couple more than that, he would still need about 325 to surpass Joey. Five or six more years, he would need to average 50 a year to come close, not impossible but I think maybe unlikely.

Of course we need to acknowledge a few other of Joeys feats, like eclipsing 2,000 RBI's and 1,600 runs to go with the Home Run King accomplishment. Take a bow Joey, you deserve it!

Things Stolen in the Night

2011-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things happen and I get curious and that is how this story goes. I really like history, so the search goes on. I was checking John McInerney and his stats when I noticed he had 168 stolen bases already. No surprise really but I got to wondering who had the most stolen bases in a Met uniform, of course that escalated in the end.

So the search started, what I did find out was somewhat amazing. I found out that his last stolen base put him fourth all-time for a Met in that department. I looked at the list and went, WOW!, startled the old lady even. Tony Duran is actually the Mets stolen base leader with 863 thefts. Matter of fact he leads the World in that department. I was actually surprised. Is he HOF material? I really think so on that aspect alone, but his resume other than that is pretty bleak. Marshall Hunter is second on the list with 785 thefts. Marshall could have been the all time Theft King but his sudden anemic hitting left him out in the cold in season 20 or maybe it was greed. Louis Hiljus is third on the list with 759. It looks like a trip to the DL and his poor glove work ended his career early as he had a chance to be Number 1 all-time. He does hold the theft percentages as he only got caught 34 times.

So, is there anyone that could actually vie for a shot at all-time Theft King? Not exactly sure but a little research shows that Jeff Kline leads the majors this season and has done superb job the past few seasons. But alas, his age and and not so hot hitting style will probably leave him in the top 10 when his career ends. Second on the list is Stephen Henley. With 608 stolen bases and counting already, very good hitting abilities and only 30 years old, could very possibly be sitting on the throne before his career ends.

For the most part, a lot of stolen bases occurred in Seasons 9-12. It didn't matter what kind of catcher you had, short of a land mine in the sliding pit, anybody with any ability at stolen bases wasn't going to be stopped. That is why these guys aren't considered HOF material. Here ends a history lesson in Thievery 101.

Things Are Heating Up!

2011-11-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

A little less than 40 games to go and things are getting a little heated. In the NL things are a bit tight knit as two races are shaping up to be barn burners. The AL has looked rather strange all year long and anything can still happen.

Seattle has control of the AL North, 10 more wins could easily put them out of reach and with the #1 seed even.

Boston is in the cat-bird seat in the AL East as streaky Dover struggles to get above .500 and remain close. Atlanta is not down and out yet, could they catch fire?

Tampa Bay looks rather comfy in the AL South, of course we said that last year and look what happened. This year is different however and it is called a 14 game deficit.

AL West looks like it did last year, Slobs and Pockets duking it out over first, Padres twiddling their thumbs (well maybe something else also). Will it end with the same drama?

The Wild Card has three contenders above .500 for two slots and a host of pretenders, this could wind up to be a wooly show in the end.

NL North is seeing a lot of action this year. The Brewers have been entrenched all year but just can't seem to pull away. Then came the Pirates lack of enthusiasm all of a sudden. The Reds are on a roll so things seem a little shaky yet.

The NL East appears to be the laughing stock as the Phils are in first and can't win. The Mets are in second get to .500 then quit playing.

Florida and Houston are still lamenting over who should be in first and who will get the wild card in the NL South. Do wish they would make up their minds.

Salem has all but mathematically wrapped up the NL West and the #1 seed.

A four team race for the final wild card spot, looks like some fur will fly for that one.

The Best of AAA?

2011-11-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was temporarily in aah of the best prospects the showed up a couple days ago. Like wow man, I would love to have those guys available for my team. Then I took a look, blah was all I could think of. Most of them don't even have a career in the majors. So I decided to take a look at the AAA leaders to see if there was some outstanding candidates worthy of submission. It wasn't an easy task by any means.

First I looked at home runs, it took awhile in the list but finally found two that have ML written all over them. Del Alvarez plays for KC, though maybe not a great 1B (okay maybe he sucks is more likely), he should succeed as a DH. We think he needs at least another year of development as he is not exactly burning things up at the plate. Manuel Camacho could very well turn out to be a pitchers nightmare. A good rollover and spring could allow him to be on the ML roster next year and at 3B at a minimum also.

Okay, I didn't search all 25 but this was the best of the top 15, so I looked at BA next. Surprise, another Cleveland stand out in Carl Mattingly. Looks like they have been hoping for him to get his fielding habits in perspective but it just hasn't happened. Of course his health has a little to do with it maybe, but he could definitely play RF. How Will Palmer has a .323 average is beyond me (just had to mention that Dilo). Robinzon Aguilera may have a great career in SD where huge power is not a must at 1B. Vic Rios may have a hard time getting a job at the ML level even though he is or could be a very good hitter and play a great 1B and run. What can you do with a guy that can terrorize right-handed pitchers with low power but lefties befuddle him?

I thought pitching would be easy, but there I go thinking once again. Willie Ellis has the most wins and has failed at the ML level already and at the age of 31 might consider retirement. Willie Pascual has potential at least.

Victor Guerrero leads AAA with 39 saves but not sure he is actually closer material. Ramon Nakajima is more likely to be a closer and could join the ML ranks next year. Graham Jensen is a very likely candidate but needs a couple more years to develop.

A Bad Broadway Musical

2011-11-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Mets are back to .500 once again which is probably the best news of the season, well, for us anyway. That and we are only two behind the struggling Phillies. We can still do it, but then again one has to overcome disaster. The disaster occurred after last nights game against the Knights. Domingo Jose had to have knee surgery, what a setback for a team trying to get to the post season for the first time in years. It didn't happen during the game (well it wasn't in the box score), it just happened which seems to me like a first.

I was thinking about a move anyway, though this was not what I had in mind for sure. Carlos Mesa was brought up to take his place with the open roster spot. I had a choice and thought a left-handed bat in the lineup was the best solution. I do worry about Carlos and his anemic health however. He did suffer a playoff ending injury last season and most of this year so maybe the worst is behind him.

I am a bit financially bound to get a player from the Waiver Wire, sorta my fault but there isn't much I can do. Besides, I am not really wanting to give up the precious young talent that I do have. So I am bit cornered with no way out...egads!

Ding Ding Goes the Dinger

2011-11-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Juan Carrasquel hit his 600th home run of his career! That is a great milestone for any player and Juan is a great player. How many would he have had if he played his home games in a plus park I wonder?

How does he stand on the all-time list I am not sure but he is not in the top 5 yet. Joey Tracy is number 1 with 745 long balls and still counting but his days are almost numbered. Can he reach 750 before the end of the season? Can he play first base next year and still be a quality player? We will have to wait and see.

Willie Pizzaro is number 2 on the list and is also still active with 656. He is really upset in his role this year and isn't getting much playing time.

Randy Lamb, the Met great, hit 627 homers and currently ranks number 3 on the list, all of them but 1 in a Mets uniform also. How he accomplished that feat is questionable.

Omar Nixon also hit 627 home runs and is number 4 on the list. His rapid decline at the end of his career signaled a quick end. A steroid monster was always questioned.

Rocky Spencer is 5th on the list but will move up to number 3 with 629+ dingers at the end of the season. It will be his last we suspect as his durability and health just won't sustain much more.

Given Juan's current age and abilities, it is very possible that he could wind up second all time. That is only 57 more and I think he can do it with ease.

What Trivial Dribble

2011-11-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Look! Did you see that? The Mets with a winning record after All-Star break! Is it the end of the world? You would have to go back all the way to season 2 for the trivia answer BTW. Then again they weren't the Mets then but called the Empire, does that count? or maybe the proper answer may be never? Is it a first? Debatable, organization wise it could be season 2. The older owners might remember if they were above .500 during season 3. They accomplished the feat in weird fashion also. First, they hit the long ball which is more than a strange feat. Such a surprise they have hit 13 home runs in the four game win streak. The way things normally go, 13 home runs might happen in 10 games or more, mostly more. More surprising, most of them happened in Shea against Salem. Secondly, they handed Salem its second three game losing streak of the season and the first time they have been swept so far this season. Third, the Mets opened the season with a 8-17 record at home. It has taken a lot of doing, but really have figured out how to win at home as we have gone 16-8 since. I have so many different lineups it is funny, takes a lot longer to set than normal also. All I can say is "WOW"!

With the schedule we have, can we maintain a winning record? is another story. Hopefully we can but it will be a struggle.

Indirect Madness

2011-11-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

AL North

The Mariners have the lead and one of the few teams to have a winning record at home in the AL. The Twinkies are still trying to stay close but the annihilation in Seattle hurt. The Blue Jays got their heads above water and suddenly looked like they were gonna jump back into the fray. Going 2 and 6 at the hands of the Mariners and Twinkies has ruffled their feathers. Detroit may have a tiger by the tail but it is still asleep.

AL East

The East looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Are the Republicans making a move? Any of them get hot and take over. The Red Sox have stinky feet, the Dung Beetles just plainly stink, the Braves have their tomahawks at the ready but can't get out of their own way.

AL South

Don't look now but the Rays have built up a 10 game lead. How? 34-15 on the road is how. Lo and behold, the Rangers are above .500 at home, now that seems really strange when the road record is 22-27. KC and the Heads are fighting a battle to stay out of the cellar. They have a plan though, identical records.

AL West

The Slobs found a novel way to take over the division, beat everyone else. Still a tight bunch and two have winning records at home and they are all above .500! Hot Pockets have an inside track, we might have to wait until the microwave goes "DING" though. We also know what happens when the Padres get hot. The Angels aren't gonna go away either and look out because they have a deal with Victors Secret.

NL North

The Brewers drank too much at All-Star break and have hit skid row. The Pirates, Reds and Cubs have taken advantage to siddle up the board. Yes, the Cubs, but I wouldn't take them serious. The Pirates may raid their wares before the season ends. The Reds struggle at times but remain within striking distance.

AL East

The Phillies were happy until the 3rd game with the Mets. They looked at the schedule and looked scared. The Mets aren't happy with their schedule either...uggggh is the word but their could be joy as it is mostly a home schedule. The Mets did hand Salem their worst loss of the season. Cleveland can't win at home and the latest losing streak have them on edge. The Browns need to win the rest of their games to get to .500, no one sees that happening.

AL South

The Astros are doing everything humanly possible to pull away from the pesky Marlins, it just ain't happening. The Marlins are actually getting a little worried as things are getting a bit complicated in the NL. Mexico City and Charlotte are relaxing, so would I at 20 plus games back. Can we say "Where is the beach?".

AL West

Salem needs about 20 wins for a lock on a playoff spot already, that seems absurd. They were none too happy about their latest loss. The Dodgers have awakened from a deep sleep and are putting a fright to a couple teams. The D'Back have their rattles shaking but are suddenly fangless. The Giants and Browns are in the same company and are fighting it out for next years first pick.

Rant Rant Rant!

2011-11-02T03:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know, just seems like a good title to start with. Well actually it is just how I feel at the moment for some reason. Where to begin is just one of those things also. I guess the first thing is to tell y'all about some minor stuff in the International market.

The big splash, well that is how it was billed. The signing of Pedro Cueto by the Browns. Like, um, wow, to me it wasn't even a good ripple to be noteworthy. Not many seemed interested in the kid and only $7.5M signing bonus to boot. So what that he is the fastest thing on two feet, from the looks of things he has to get on base first. Might have a good eye and contact but he just isn't overpowering at the plate. His fielding isn't going to get him very far either at 2B, very good range but he keeps tying his shoelaces to the webbing of his glove. Maybe that was a joke his teammates pulled on him. Very bad joke as he landed on the DL. Maybe we need forensic evidence as to his real age, they can tell ya know.

J.P. Nieves was singed by the Red Sox for $13.8 M. A middle reliever with some very good abilities and could be a future star. Linda Loo said in a text that he probably isn't 18, more like 23. She hasn't been able to walk or talk for three days since the interview that didn't get aired.

(Insert five minutes worth of commercials so everyone can go to the bathroom and get munchies.) Now for the Rant part.

Have you ever wondered about college sports and where the NCAA gets off? It's all about money of course, plain and simple. Think of it this way, a big Div I school, the average ticket price to a football game is $50. The stadium seats 100,000 that is an easy $5M. Lets say everyone spends $10 on food (and that is low probably with the prices they charge), that is another $1M. Souvenirs also, another 20 maybe, another $2M. Parking, can't let that slide and shuttle service in most instances. Big game, nationally televised...umm..how much is that worth (LSU-Alabama)? Another $5M maybe, more in all probability. Somebody is making some big bucks for a season. Amateur athletes on a scholarship, seems like they are being paid to play to me and for cheap. Seems to me, one game can cover the expenses for an entire season and the scholarship for four years. Why not protect it to squeeze every last cent.

Oh well, enough with the stupid rant.

The Mets are actually having a good year. Well, that depends on who you ask. If you ask me it is another lousy season. Yeah, we will probably do better than last year, that was the goal. If you look at the numbers right now, they tell a different tale. 4th in the NL in pitching, 5th overall. 5th in the NL in fielding, 8th overall. The unfortunate part, we are almost dead last in hitting. Why? I haven't a clue. Yes our splits against right-handed pitchers aren't sublimely great but is that actually the problem? We have power and can't hit home runs, hell, we can't even hit doubles. We have speed and can't steal bases. We are having trouble getting seeing-eye hits even, go figure. All we had to do in Philly was hit the ball in the air to center field, for the most part we couldn't hit the ball in the air. Matter of fact we can't hit the ball in the air against FB pitchers, figure that one out.

I went looking at the stats and found a couple things that shouldn't be if you ask me. George Atkins for instance has a 77 GB/FB rating. He has given up a team leading 15 home runs in the pitching department. Okay, why do his stats indicate that he is a fly ball pitcher? All of my staff is pretty good in the GB arena. R.J. Bellhorn is about the lowest with a 62 GB/FB rating and is relatively on target if you ask me. He is good at getting inning ending DPs. Anibal Bennett on the other hand was listed as a pure FB pitcher even with a 60 rating. Of course with him you could make the case that he was always wild high. I dumped him back to AAA because he kept walking batters.

Leo Rodney is having trouble getting the ball in the air. You could make several cases for him though. One he is not ready for ML pitching, but he has to learn sometime. I am not sure he would have gotten much better left down in the minors. He was kind of a special case in my books. I didn't need another LF and he isn't a very good one at that and doubt he ever will. So why not bring the big bat up and play 1B. Just needs time to adjust I think. Hey, he replaced Pedro Johnson and anything is better than him in the hitting department, just ask the Republicans.

I waived Dale Stevenson to bring up Guy Oquist. Not the greatest hitter but another decent defensive SS was needed. The Dodgers were the recipient of the waiver case, insurance just in case as he went to AAA.

Poor Sun Hasegawa was dumped back to AAA and he was pretty pissed about that. The reason was to make room for Jesus Lee, whom I piked up off waivers. I was hoping he would be a masher at the plate, well that didn't turn out all that well. Then again maybe I was asking too much. Substandard PC which really didn't hurt that much on the bottom line for a change. What has gotten him in the dog house is his arm or lack thereof. You will find him on the waiver wire after the deadline.

The big stretch is coming in the schedule. Salem, Houston, Milwaukee and Florida just to name a few. I didn't do well the last time, will it be any better? I hope so, if I want to contend. Philly can still fall as their schedule isn't much better. I was hoping to gain ground but ended up losing. Such is life in this game as it can be rather contentious.

Interesting Facts

2011-10-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

An interesting thing happened on the way to the Forum.....ummm what is a Forum anyway? Is there such a thing anymore? Well, on the internet there is it seems...lol

So anyway I was looking at my lone All-Star, Dom Tabaka. and thought he had some nice career save numbers. So I went poking around to see how good his numbers were. Other than being the all time career Saves leader for the Mets, I was wondering how he stood against the big names.

Vinny Post has 523 saves to lead the World and is retired. Why isn't Vinny in the HOF?

Pascual Solano is second and currently has 479 saves and is currently on the Toronto Blue Jays. He could possibly become the all time saves leader for a while.

Mitchell Ray had a total of 454 Saves. He also had a 39-43 won-loss record which is impressive for a closer. Also a member of the HOF when he was inducted in Season 20.

Zeus Singleton currently has 426 Saves playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Since Zues is still young at the age of 31, he will probably end up as the leader before his career is through.

Augie Holbert has 362 Saves and Plays for Las Vegas. Amazingly he had 104 Saves while playing in Colorado for three years. Although not in the closer role this season he is still adding a few saves.

Dom may actually be next on the list with 341 currently and they are all with the Mets (might be the biggest Mets bright spot). A good finish this year could easily put him in a position to overtake fifth next year. With at least 3 seasons left in his career, he could easily see 450 career saves. Not bad for a lefty!

So I went looking at who was leading the Save arena this year and I found a couple surprises. Just look at the numbers on Benji Franco and Harry Beltran. All I can say is wowzers!

Who's Who in Defense

2011-10-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

NL C: Greg Owen: Might get his 1st coveted Gold Glove in the majors. Houston with a PC catcher, who would've thought?

AL C: Juan Espada: Tough to decide but wins out because of his Assists and Caught Stealing ability.\

NL 1B: A tie between Jorge Marmol and Pepe Crespo: Crespo is more of a 1B than the over qualified Marmol. Both have 13 plus plays but Marmol has an error, don't ask how, think someone tied his shoelaces together. Crespo barely makes the list due to lack of playing time.

AL 1B: A tie between Deivi Silva and Cesar Martin: A race between these two for sure but Ronny Gant may wind up being the best in the end.

NL 2B: Bernard Shelley: The front runner at the moment but don't get comfy.

AL 2B: Vernon Leach: A whopping 14 plus plays and only 3 errors.

NL 3B: Peter Alexander: I chose him over a couple others because of his DP stats.

AL 3B: Billy Valentin: His PO's and Assists got him named.

NL SS: Raymond Hartman: More games and no minus plays and it helps being second in assists and DP's.

AL SS: Kane North: All I can say is wow, 13 plus plays and not the leader in that category but only 3 errors.

NL LF: Charlie Stone: Only 6 plus plays (why so few?) and no errors.

AL LF: Jesse Brennaman: A beast in LF but really underqualified anywhere else. 13 plus plays and only 1 error.

NL CF: A tie between Jim Griffin and Arthur Donatello: I just couldn't choose, plus I like Collier in Cincy also.

AL CF: Shayne Marte: Easy call.

NL RF: Karim Quevedo: 6 plus plays and no errors.

AL RF: Esteban Santos: If you ask me a RF has not been easy to come by.

Can't Leave the AL Out

2011-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The AL North has had two contenders from the start so far albeit a surprise. The surprise Twinkies started out of the gate quickly but a persistent Mariners team has finally caught up. The Jays can't win at home as they were the preseason ponderance to possibly overtake the Mariners. The Tigs aren't all that bad but don't think they can mount a comeback.

The AL East had a surprise out of the gate also as Dover got on top and looked to run and hide from the pack. Boston was the favorites for some odd reason and have taken over control temporarily maybe. The Braves were on the move but have cooled off recently. The Senators are still fighting amongst themselves but aren't out the race yet.

The AL South looks like the bitter shambles that resembled last season suddenly. Winning at home isn't their forte for sure. Then again, on the road isn't making for happy times either. The Rays are the best team, but can they be there in the end or crumble like last year? Look out for them Rangers, they will sneak up on anybody. Little Rock keep talking enough to fool anyone then zap, there they are. KC is a mystery, just like the Jays (its Black Bart I tell ya).

The AL West is in their ordinary fight, can't count anybody out until the last pitch is thrown. Helena and Vegas keep swapping spots and can't be focused on each other. History tends to repeat itself here, so the Pads and Angels are by no means out of contention.

IFA's In Retrospect Season 8

2011-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Juan Carrasquel was the top winner in the Season 8 IFA Market with a $19.8M signing bonus. Spending 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, he holds the teams career record and single season record in Home Runs. Now playing with the Angels should eclipse the 600 Home Run mark this season. With a few seasons yet to play he could eclipse the 700 mark, but is declining. With many accolades other than a Wold Series ring should easily become a HOFer.

Cesar Rincon was signed for $17.5M in a signing bonus. Still young at the age of 31, has a few years yet to play. Has put together some good seasons and has a 140-103 record.

Damaso Estrada was signed for $17.3M in signing bonus. Having an ugly glove and hitting that has proved inconsistent, never lived up to his ability or potential.

Pascual Solano was signed for $11.6M. Has enjoyed more success than several other who were paid more money. Four time Fireman of the Year and five All-Star nominations to his credit. Has 473 saves to his credit, could he surpass 500 this year? Seems unlikely but should easily accomplish that feat before his career ends.

Mets Singing New Song?

2011-10-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Interleague play is now over and the Mets had a plan. Not sure if the plan really worked though we did have a 7-5 record. The plan was actually a necessity more than anything else. The durability of the offense is pretty low in most instances and I was running 14 pitchers. That meant I had to get a little more offensive/defensive support so I could rest players. Since I was running tandem pitching and nothing seemed to bother that setup I decided it was time to make the move and drop a sour pitcher and bring up a couple rookies into the lineup. This I think helped the offense but the pitching suffered a bit.

Just as soon as interleague play started the pitching staff became doomed even though they were well rested. Playing a 14 inning game followed by an 11 inning game tends to do that. Recovered from that rather well until lo and behold it happened again. Funny that it was in the same sequence, a 14 inning game followed by an 11 inning game. That caused me to have to pull out of the tandem pitching sequence as the pen took gas. An off day got everybody back and I figured that things would get back to normal. There I go thinking again as we had a 15 inning game followed by a 10 inning game. That is right, 6 extra inning games out of the 12, we won 4 and made me rather ecstatic.

My question is, did I throw simmy into a tizzy not knowing what to do all of a sudden with the change in the consistency of the team? Was the extra inning games a backlash or to force me into another change or both? Well, at least we were 4-2 in those extra inning affairs.

All jokes and wondering aside, 20 games till the All-Star break. It is gonna be a tough 20 game schedule for us with the D'Backs, Astros, Reds, Sequoias and Giants.
Don't take the Giants for granted, they have real good pitching the offense is just shaky.

There is 90 games plus 1 left already. Playoff teams will win 60 percent of their games at a minimum, that is 54 wins or 6-4 out of 10. That means the Mets could have 88+ wins yet. Will that be enough? To be on the safe side compared to previous years, it is close. If we can stay close or gain a little ground on the Phillies then we have a shot at the division title if things go well right after All-Star break. I don't think it will be enough to gain a wild card though. That is why the next 20 games are very important to us.

Basically in the NL the picture looks like this already. Three teams are already out as it would take a miracle for them to get back in at this point.

The NL North is still in a three way fight, though I think the Reds are a bit iffy. The Brewers and Pirates would both need to collapse. The Pirates started out cold but have come on lately, could they go cold again?

The NL East is a bit of a surprise as the Mets are staying close and the Injuns are an up and down team. Do the Phillies have enough to hold on?

The NL South is between the Astros and Marlins again. Chances are both will be playoff bound, so that takes away a wild card spot. The Knights and Diablos are hanging tough and hopeful.

The NL West has Salem walking away the title and the #1 seed already. The rate they are playing they could wrap up a playoff spot before All-Star break. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and D'Backs remain hopeful candidates for a wildcard spot.

IFA Signing

2011-10-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

Either my bosses are not paying attention or the Texas Rangers are so excited about being in the World Series that they forgot to hold a press conference. Well, they could be mad at me for claiming Jesus Lee off waivers. Well, anyway....

The Rangers paid $14.7M for the services of Juan Redondo. They were so happy, they put him on the ML roster. For a catcher, not much to report as he is relatively weak in the defensive area. His stats prove that with 3 errors, 3 passed balls along with allowing 16 stolen bases, picking off only 4. When he picks up the toothpick to hit with (makes Popeye shudder at the size of his arms) though, look out in the bleachers. Given time his hitting will come around I do believe. In 22 games so far, his anemic batting average is surrounded by 5 ding dongs and 4 doubles. We are thinking he needs tested for steroids as he bench presses Beetles and has a very weak constitution!.

Season 21 Draft

2011-10-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

The draft was relatively deep in pitching for the first time in ages and it looks like everyone took advantage. Only four position players were taken in the first 20 picks, that may be a first.

1. The Cincinnati Reds selected first and took pitcher Gary Carew. I thought that was a bit strange with the way their budget was spread. So the second pick must not have been on their board, interesting. His abilities are commensurate with the number 1 selection as the kid has it all. A Cy Young is very possible if he has offense and defense around him.

Grade: A+

2. Jack Root, P - Detroit Tigers: Expectations are great and has the ability to be great. The biggest fault is his health but if he gets close to the projections he will be one tough cookie on the mound. The big thing about Jack is his durability which could allow a smaller rotation. Maybe the Reds were smart in downgrading him if he was on their board, I did.

Grade: A

3. Bengie Cruz ,P - San Francisco Giants: No surprise here as I had him ranked fourth myself. His biggest drawback could be his GB/FB rating which won't hurt him at all in Frisco.

Grade: A+

4. Burke Moss ,P - Cleveland Indians: Another no brainer as the only fault I can find is the somewhat weak fourth pitch.

Grade: A+

5. Ryan Nicholson ,P - Chicago Cubs: All the tools are there to be a great pitcher. A big IF (maybe that should be HUGE) however will be the ability to avoid the DL. Cubs management was drawn to the eye wear and must have decided he couldn't trip over anything at least. A very risky pick if you ask me, maybe that is why the rebuild is taking forever?

Grade: B+

6. Patrick Towers, 2B - Dover Dung Beetles: My scouts said he was a 2B but was drafted as a 3B. I agree with the 3B tag though weak if you ask me. I took a long look as I thought he could be my RF that I have been looking for, but alas he wasn't left-handed. Was the best projected hitter on my board and looks to attain those projections rather easily.

Grade: A+

7. Yuniesky Chavez, P - Texas Rangers: The first player not on my board, how rude of them.

8. Stewart Eveland, P - Washington D.C. Senators: May have been a bit of a reach this early but those abilities look pretty good. The biggest problem is his durability which could cause a little frustration.

Grade: A

9. Stump Timmons, P - Charlotte Knights: A bit of a tough sell to me though I thought he looked better on the board myself. Chances of being a starting pitcher with minimal stamina and low durability will probably not be conducive. Chances look great in the pen however.

Grade: A-

10. Bobby Forbes, P - New York Mets: Believe it or not but I had him rated #1 on my board. To tell the truth I am not sure why, I just knew the other three wasn't going to be there but a lefty no less?. Odd stamina and durability perk, may not pitch deep into games as a starter but will recover fast. Or could pitch several games in a row out of the pen before needing a rest. The first lefty pitcher taken, for some reason they seem to gravitate to the Mets. I still like the choice.

Grade: A

11. Curtis Dunwoody, P - Kansas City Royals: Was the next pitcher on my board even. The pitching just keeps on coming this late in the draft for good starters even. May have a bit of a low durability and a late weak pitch selection but is deemed very viable. Could be costly in the money aspect though.

Grade: A

12. Zeke English, LF - Minnesota Twins: With the way position players were, maybe the second best available. Probably won't play anything but 1B if you ask me. But wowzers, he will be one tough out. Doesn't have great power but should an OBP machine. Could be tough to figure out where to put him in the lineup as he doesn't have blazing speed which could mean 2nd or 3rd at a minimum.

Grade: A+

13. Philip Walsh, P - Atlanta Braves: Another in the long line of pitching prospects. Has high durability again which has been rather uncommon for starters before. The biggest set back for this kid is his pitches. He has a nice hard cut fastball but the rest of his breaking stuff leaves a bit to be desired.

Grade: A-

14. Larry Overbeck, CL - St. Louis Browns: The first actual short pen pitcher selected. Abilities look impressive for a possible closer, pitches could be a little weak from what most like but are admirable.

Grade: A

15. Boots Joyner, 2B - Arizona Diamondbacks: Being a good 2B might be a reach, maybe adequate. Health is a bit low which could cause development problems if he hits the DL. Plate presence isn't great but has a good eye and contact.

Grade: B+

16. Heinie Laffey, P - Tampa Bay Rays: The second lefty starter taken. Abilities look great and hopefully his health doesn't hurt development. If he gets past this year it should go a long way.

Grade: B+

17. Jeff Thomas, P - Little Rock Heads: UNK

18. Sean Baker, C - Anaheim Angels: Maybe not the best catcher available but actually could be better than my present starter, unusual for me. His plate presence should be top notch and a great OBP hitter. Maybe they were looking at a DH and emergency catcher as he would do very nicely in that role.

Grade: A

19. Luis Reynoso, P - Houston Astros: Could be a good lefty in the rotation one day. May only possess two good pitches and some gophers, but looks adequate enough. Health will be the key issue but beggars can't be all that choosy this late in the draft.

Grade: B+

20. Ron Brinkley, P - Los Angeles dodgers: Pitching abilities is not the problem with this kid at all as they could be very good. Big health issue exists however which drove his stock way down and became a high risk proposition.

Grade: B

21. William Takada, CF - Helena Hot Pockets: UNK

22. Walt Rivera, C - Las Vegas Slobs: If I didn't get a pitcher this is the player I would have taken as he was the last of my top 5. He was listed as a DH on my board, why they were hiding his abilities behind the plate is beyond me. Well, maybe because his defensive abilities are not all that great but his pitch calling is which makes a huge difference. Contact may be a little weak but still could one tough out and power goes well with the eye.

Grade: B+

23. Buster Lord, P - Milwaukee Brewers: Could be a starter in a long rotation but the way durability has been going he has a bit of a lack thereof. Pitches are also a bit weak after the first, okay, maybe a lot. Health could be an issue unless he makes it out of this season.

Grade: B-

24. Jimmy Rushford, C - Las Vegas Slobs: Looks like the Sin City management and consulting were bound and determined to get a hitting catcher in the first round. Good thing they got Rivera earlier as this kid doesn't have the ability to be a catcher in my mind. Doesn't have the raw power to be a great DH either for a first round pick. Best quality is plate presence though as the does have some power and may pound lefties and could be an OBP nightmare. Health is weak but shouldn't cause much of a problem really (they don't injure catchers all that much due to availability I think).

Grade: B-

25. Mike Irwin, P - Boston Red Sox: pfontaine probably fainted or at least went thru the roof when he saw his first round selection. Getting such a quality starting pitcher this late in the draft is rare. If his right split gets near projection he will be a force to reckon with on the mound.

Grade: A

26. Elston Morris, P - Milwaukee Brewers: The Brew Crews second attempt to get a quality pitcher in the draft. This one maybe a dark horse to make a ML lineup IMO. Could be decent if future projections are met, but doesn't seem likely. Under 50 splits (my expectations) usually don't get the job done in the long run regardless of the other abilities.

Grade: C+

27. Michel Candelaria, SS - Philadelphia Phillies: Will probably sign, then again maybe the Phillies don't care one way or the other. He would be a poor excuse at SS but 3B is a pretty good idea so that isn't a total loss. Plate presence is just above middle of the road, .265 capable if you ask me.

Grade: B-

28. William Hamels, P - Florida Marlins: Another pitcher that did a sneaky impression of getting by the majority. Has the abilities to be a great pitcher. However, with rather weak health issue, will probably never make much of an impact sorry to say. Though things can change, I have seen them, so not all is lost. Sometimes risk turns into a gold mine but often turns to crap most of the time.

Grade: C+

29. Pedro Soto, RF - Salem Super Sequoias: Over ranged, under gloved with a good enough arm maybe. At the plate, will pop a few over the wall but will be more of a mixed bag and probably not consistent.

Grade: C+

30. Bill Kramer, P - Houston Astros: A decent quality pitcher doesn't slide this far down but looks like an exception this year. Maybe not great but can handle end of rotation duties for sure.

Grade: B

31. Les Gabriel, 2B - Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates are praying for development from this kid. Has the potential to be a good RF, I don't think INF is his cards at all. May have a good power presence at the plate which could go a long way one day. Time will tell and it may take a while.

Grade: B-

32. Buddy Hume, SS - San Francisco Giants: Giants make a second selection and make a so-so find. Could be a very good 3B, and under par for most other key positions. If projections are met at the plate, could be good enough for weak lead off or second in the lineup with his speed. I like the CF in the supplemental they got much better.

Grade: C+

33. Jared Spehr, P - Seattle Mariners: How did this kid slip through the cracks? Maybe not a monster like the early round players but better than some of the late rounders. Projections are obtainable and nothing to stop him from making it to the majors.

Grade: B+

It is that time of the year, Draft Day

2011-10-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, such an interesting season they have put together. I swear someone has tampered with something. Like how many teams can't win at home? Well, most of them. Salem isn't having any problems.

It is time for the draft however. I have the 10th pick, yahoo! With that pick I should get one out of my top 5. I am hoping anyway as I have what looks like 4 pretty good pitchers lined up that I am praying for. If not I am taking a pseudo DH, okay, he listed as a DH but is actually a decent power catcher. I originally was looking for a left handed power bat, there just wasn't one good enough, period. So if the top 5 are not available, I am selecting Amber Barrick of the Cleveland Crush (Just waiting for a uniform malfunction...mmmm)!

Only 5 games back in the East, the Mets could make a run. When was the last time the Mets scored more runs than they gave up? I kinda broke the prospect bank trying to make that run a possibility. If the pitching holds up (no more injuries), we have a chance. Facing the tough AL North in interleague play and the best two teams are coming to Shea. That isn't a good sign at all, but I have laid a surprising trap, guess we will find out soon enough. Either it will be good or have egg on my face once again. With my home woes, hope the eggs aren't rotten.

Well, time once again to get back to the ball game, I was hoping the Cards would lose btw.

IFA's In Retrospect Season 7

2011-10-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Junior Bocachica became the highest paid at $16.7M. He was actually underqualified to play 1B but his skills at the plate should have made an awesome player. Even playing in hitters parks he has only amassed 2,100 hits and 473 home runs. Underachiever comes to mind.

Ramon Ishida was signed for $12.2M. He fancied himself as a weak 2B and really should have only played COF as his GG for LF indicate. Having great plate skills and speed for the lead off spot that were hampered greatly by his lack of durability has cost him in stats. Has always landed on playoff teams however.

Alex Matos was signed for the cheap price of $11.2M. Having spent his entire career with one organization is hard to believe in some aspects. 6 All-Star appearances and a WS ring is not hard to believe along with his 182-91 record. Even with Ivan in the pen, I would say he has a very nice resume' for a HOF nomination in his future.

IFA's In Retrospect Season 6

2011-10-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Willie Espinosa became the highest paid IFA in season 6 with a bonus of $18M. Possessing decent pitching skills has made a lot money that has never really paid off for any team he played for as is displayed by his 173-159 record.

Tomas Camacho was another pitcher that came out with a bonus of $17M. Like Espinosa, was never really all that exceptional as his 142-136 indicates.

Max Lima was signed for $15M. His catching skills was never great but at the plate he should have been a fore to reckon with. Although decent stats over the years was never spectacular.

Felipe Cabrera was signed by the Mets for $2.8M. Lacking skills at any level in all reality has become something of a minor league icon for the Mets. In his 14 seasons has amassed over 2,000 hits and 700 home runs.

IFA's In Retrospect Season 5

2011-10-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Fernando Tavarez was the highest paid International with a $12.4M signing bonus. Winning the Cy Young with the Corndogs in season 12 has been the highlight of his career with a 5-4 and 1 save recorded in 26 post-season appearances. Should have 200 wins to his credit sometime this year.

Luis Guerrero was signed by The NY Mets for $9.8M. Living in Shea just didn't help his stats as they were well below what could have been.

Wascar Sanchez was signed by the Yankees for $7M. Was never a fan favorite even when he batted .351 for KC. Passing the 2,000 hit mark this season with Texas could be his last.

Andres Coronado was signed for $6.9M as many passed on a future closer. Not much on awards but has compiled 336 saves in 376 opportunities and still counting in his career with Pittsburgh. Very possible future HOFer.

David Guardado was signed to the cheap price of $6.1M. Pitchers learned that he struggled making contact for unknown reasons and often became a strike out victim. Has become a mainstay in the Mariners organization the last 3 seasons.

Early Season Tweets

2011-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Brewers: I hate my team! We should be 47-0!
Pittsburgh Pirates: Where have the good times gone?
Cincinnati Reds: $16M to keep Peter Alexander and we get molested?
Chicago Cubs: At least we are not wasting money on wins.
Philadelphia Phillies: No old timers game in Philly, we can't play ourselves.
Cleveland Indians: Much nicer than Baltimore, can I have Atlanta back?
New York Mets: Touting Rookie of the Year players but home field is stumping us.
St. Louis Browns: We are not a football team..grrr..
Houston Astros: We need more home run power.
Florida Marlins: Ivan The Terrible is great!
Mexico City Diablos Rojos: la cucaracha que mea
Charlotte Knights: Cameron Diaz bobble heads?
Salem Super Sequoias: Being blamed for 90% pregnancy rate in Salem is NOT our fault.
Arizona Diamondbacks: House of Slithern rocks...TTTHHHHHHsssssssssss
Los Angeles dodgers: Under new Management...theme for real life LA lately.
San Francisco Giants: We have been quaked, that's our excuse and we are sticking by it.

Minnesota Twins: No One knows us, let's leave it that way.
Seattle Mariners: Don't worry we will pilot our way to the front.
Toronto Blue Jays: Who pulled out tail feathers?
Detroit Tigers: The AI can lose just as easy.
Dover Dung Beetles: Suddenly suicidal.
Boston Red Sox: Early season collapse avoids end of season woes.
Atlanta Braves: $12M for some armorall, really?
Washington D.C. Senators: Jobs, who needs jobs?
Tampa Bay Rays: Big fish, little pond.
Texas Rangers: Their is a new sheriff in town!
Little Rock Heads: We talk our fool heads off but mostly give.
Kansas City Royals: 5-18 at home..give us a break.
Las Vegas Slobs: Sin City never looked better.
Helena Hot Pockets: Hungry Man may be the way to go.
San Diego Padres: We may have shaved heads but we are not....
Anaheim Angels: We are determined to make sure no one has a winning record at home.

IFA Big Splashes

2011-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Linda Loo reporting on some money spending ways for Internationals. Polin Ordaz made big waves with a signing bonus of $21M. Mexico City was hoping for a future SS but even with his buff throwing arm my thinking is a Gold Glove 3B. Those strong arms provides a very nice embrace to go with that oh so nice muscular chest (pant) his eye sight is a little off as he mistook the camera man for me. At the plate he may not see well but has the penchant to get on base often and is really fast once he rounds the curves which can leave a pretty girl high, wet and rather unsatisfied. One not to give up which is a big plus.

Not to be outdone, Chicago stepped up to the plate with the signing of Pat Suzuki for a whopping $26M. Ladies, this is one guy you need to steer clear of. This is a small package with big potential. A Gold Glove 2B is a distinct possibility as his hands were deftly everywhere from the onset. Jackhammer speed and strength was unbelievable and would make the energizer bunny proud. Hitting my base paths with ease soaring over the walls consistently with no problems. The biggest concern is why an 18 year needs viagra already?

IFA's In Retrospect Season 4

2011-10-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Luis Cruz became the highest paid International in season 4 with a $14.7M signing bonus. Never really lived up to the hype early in his career until he settled in at Pittsburgh where he became their weak armed 3B. Garnering a Gold Glove in season 5, he really wasn't cut out for the position. In Pittsburgh, he became the Most Valuable Player in season 12 and a constant All-Star and Silver Slugger at 3B. This very well could be his last season.

Julio Lopez was second in the money making that year with a $10.9M bonus. However he never lived up to expectations as his 100-135 record indicates in 315 starts.

Willie Pizzaro garnered a $9.3M signing bonus. Willie has few accolades throughout his career mainly playing 1B and DH. In Philadelphia he was quite the fan favorite as he hit 244 Home Runs from season 10 thru season 13. Winding up in Boston for 7 seasons, his power just didn't materialize as in Philly but enjoyed relatively productive seasons. Having 654 Home Runs and over 2,000 hits he should be a candidate for the Hall of Fame after he finishes his farewell season with Philly.

Pascual Berroa was another big player with a bonus of $9.2M and deserves recognition. Everyone that he played for hoped he would be that #2 hitter in their lineup and play a multitude of positions. Having over 2,000 hits in his career seemed like a good possibility. However, from experience, was one of the streakiest hitters I have ever seen. He could bat .400 one week and .200 the next and never really possessed the aptitude to play the infield all that well.

IFA Signing

2011-10-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Lina Loo reporting live from the Queen City where a splashy Red announcement took place, well might be an expensive ripple. The Reds decided to spend $16.5M and a prayer for Calvin Jung to be their future SS. He is just a little thing so ladies don't get your hopes up but sometimes big things come in small packages. Well, this time lets just say less than adequate and needs lots of experience . He could be a decent enough SS if things go well, but his health is kinda scarey according to leaked sources. His plate activities is just average at the moment and should improve to well above average for a SS. This might be because of the sushi, who knows. He does have some speed so that is a plus.

IFA's in Retrospect, Season 3

2011-10-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Donald Satou was the highest paid International with a $12.5M signing bonus shelled out by dilo no less. A 9 time All Star and two time Cy Young award winner are just icing to his stellar career and future HOFer. Being at the end of his career and still seeking that World Series ring he has come home to where it all began in Milwaukee. With a 3-0 start to this season, the dream could finally come true.

Louie Moraga was signed for $8.3M by the old Florida franchise which is now in Mexico City. Like Satou made the jump directly to the majors and enjoyed great success early in his career. Injuries started taking their toll however and just didn't pitch all that well after the elbow injury in Season 9. Finishing his career with a 179-121 record is nothing to be ashamed of.

Mariano Borbon was the only high profile International player signed by the great Erf for $8M. Matter of fact was the last International player signed by Erf. He wasn't an outstanding pitcher but played for a great team that garnered him 4 World Series rings. On the Houston roster this year in a long relief role which very well could be his last.

IFA's in Retrospect, Season 2

2011-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Julian Martin was paid the most in bonus money in Season 2 with the paltry sum of $6M. A big contact hitter with speed should have made him a big hit or so owners thought. Things never panned out all that well as his base running ability was not as hoped. Stealing only 118 bases in his 10 year career was far less than expected plus getting caught 86 times didn't help. Not having lead off abilities didn't help his cause either. Although his consistent numbers did help most clubs he played for with a lifetime BA of .285 and OBP of .337.

Francisco Rivera was second on the list with a $4.6M signing bonus. A big arm that induced mostly ground balls made him a need in short relief. Not possessing great skill but normally found a way to get the job done. Enjoyed the game in his 15 year and really had a couple exceptional seasons.

IFA's in Retrospect, Season 1

2011-10-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Pasqual Martinez was the highest paid player in Season 1 and was targeted by the Chicago White Sox organization, now Boston Red Sox. Now 38 and still hoping a team in pitching need comes calling. Had a relatively stellar career, maybe not HOF worthy though, with a 183-129 record as a starter. A two time All Star and garnered a Season 16 World Series ring while in Boston. Recording double digit wins as a starter from season 10 through 19 while compiling a lifetime ERA of 4.08. His productivity made his $8.5M signing bonus look small comparatively.

Tony Torrealba was brought up as a 2B in his early years. Luckily in those early years defense was not a big concern of the game as he wouldn't have passed mustard. As a key component of the Big Red Machine during the steroid years produced somewhat big numbers. Was a ROY, 5 time All Star and two World Series rings are just a few of his accomplishments. Having over 2,000 hits, 400 homers and a lifetime BA of .298 made him worthy of the $6M signing bonus he was paid. Don't think Tony ever used steroids if you ask me.

IFA Market Update

2011-10-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Linda Loo reporting from Melbourne Australia. First gentleman, we have to announce the upset win of the Geelong Cats over the Collinwood Magpies in the AFL Grande Finale. Great game and congrats Cats.

Hockey fans everywhere are rejoicing over the NBA lockout, maybe ESPN will show more hockey games without the interference of those silly round ballers. If I were the players, I wouldn't sign a contract without Sterns resignation, my heartfelt opinion.

Meanwhile back to our wonderful sport and the IFA market update. So far the market hasn't swooned in dollar signs as scouts haven't found much adoration abroad. The Anaheim Angels did see fit to offer Esteban Cubillan a $4.5M contract. Don't expect this off-speed kid to be a closer. Has some great skills in control and some good pitches but will just leave ya hanging before completing the task at hand, if ya know what I mean.

Benny Gonzalez was snagged by the Charlotte Knights for $3.7M. He may have a big stick, oooh la la, but he fumbles around getting to/at first base.

Robert Simpson may be the steal of the market so far. The Washington D.C. Senators were all smiles as they scooped up a prize. Not an easy out when he is up to bat, can handle pitchers and go like the energizer bunny.

Opening Day Part Deaux

2011-09-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

The home-standing Cubs takes a 5-4 win over the visiting Brewers. Willie Izquierdo kept the Brewers guessing until tiring in the 8th as the Cubs broke out with 4 runs to tie the game. The venerable Joey Tracy pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth ended the game.

St Louis scored early and held on for a 4-3 win over Cleveland as miscues almost cost them the game.

Houston invaded Charlotte and used their usual long ball to their advantage in a 5-3 win.

Salem downs Frisco 4-1 in 11 innings. After a near disasterous first inning by Salem, pitchers settled down on both sides as the fans fell sleep before games end.

Toronto invaded Tiger stadium and came from behind to win a 3-2 decision. Detroit scored 2 in the first but just couldn't get anything going after. Toronto eked out single runs in the sixth on a strange inside the park homer, in the seventh on a wild pitch and a close call at home in the ninth (even replay analysts aren't sure as too much dust was kicked up to tell).

Atlanta filibustered Washington 10-6, as each side belted 13 hits but the Senators just couldn't get things done when needed. Sounds oh so familiar.

In the revenge game in Little Rock, Tampa Bay erased a 3-2 deficit for a 5-3 win in the top of the ninth. Little Rock had a chance for the win in the bottom of the inning but a little lame pop up ended a Head come back as usual.

The ancient Slob, Dan Hitchcock, was the story in San Diego as the Padres were out foxed for 6 innings but held a 1-0 lead. Denny Matheson's 2-run blast in the top of the seventh was the deciding factor in the Slobs 2-1 win.

Opening Day

2011-09-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

The words "Play Ball" has finally echoed the start of the season as half the world began play. Two upsets, well maybe not but they were shutouts, highlight the opening day festivities.

In New York, the Mets recorded an unusual feat of shutting down the Phillies with a 3-0 shutout win. The star of the game, Chun-Lim Satou, went 3 for 4 but didn't garner an RBI or a run scored, go figure.

In Dover, Boston went down to defeat in grand fashion with a 8-0 shellacking. Star of the game, Cesar Rincon, went 8 innings for the win trying to atone for last years utterly disappointing season.

In Arizona, the Dodgers took the lead in the top of the 11th but the bull pen failed as Arizona tied it in the bottom half before star of the game, Darren Cambridge's 3-run blast sealed the deal.

In Pittsburgh, the Pirates pitching staff shut down the Reds offense in a 5-2 victory. Bill Riley became the star of the game going 3 for 4 knocking in 2, who would have thought that.

In Helena, the Hot Pockets pitching staff had a habit of serving up gopher balls. The Angels had 17 hits, 4 dingers and 3 doubles among them in the 9-6 win.

In Mexico City, the Marlins escaped with a 4-3 win in extra innings. The play that tied the game in the top of the ninth leaves me wondering though. I am sure there could have been a play at the plate instead of trying for a double play that didn't happen either. Then again IJ's sister may have played an important role somewhere.

Seattle took batting practice in Minnesota with their 12-1 demoralization of the Twinkies. Winston Maxwell went 8 innings for the win on his quest for a third straight 20 win season. Ariel Serra was the star of the game with a 2 for 2 performance, both were homers, 2 walks with 5 RBI's and 3 runs scored.

In Arlington, Kansas City had several big innings drubbing the Rangers 11-4. Star of the game, Neil Rigdon had two homers one of which was a grand slam that accounted for 4 of his 7 RBI's. Black Bart got the scoring started early with a quick 2-run blast in the first.

Stay tuned in as the second half of opening day will be forthcoming.

The Predictions

2011-09-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

It is time to start another wonderful season! Do you have what it takes to be a winner? Let us see what the crystal ball indicates.

NL North

The North looks to be about the same as last year. However I do see the Brew Crew as the team to beat. The ball sees it this way, the Brewers have the better lineup and pen while the Pirates have the better rotation and defense. It very well could end up in a tie. The Reds and Cubs still look a little weak comparatively and will fight it out for third.

NL East

The crystal ball doesn't think the East is gonna change at all. The Phillies are still the team to beat. The Browns, Mets and New Look Indians will be formidable and all three possibly vying for second place once again. Well, that is a bit of a change in a way.

NL South

This one could be a surprise but don't get all that excited. The Astros and Marlins will be fighting it out all season once again. The Red Devils and Knights will put up a struggle but the crystal ball doesn't see enough oomph down the stretch.

NL West

Salem looks to be the best team in the NL. Can they do it is the unanswered question. Arizona and Frisco are going to put up a valid fight to the end which could see the Trees being cut down. The Dodgers entering the fray doesn't seem likely.

1. Salem - Just because they look to be the team to beat.
2. Florida - Everything is in IJ's arm and his sisters lap. Woohoo!
3. Milwaukee - Someone new in the top four is inevitable.
4. Philadelphia - Not a given but the division isn't all that strong.
5. Houston - Just because they can and no one else is gonna.
6. Arizona - The surprise team this year if Pittsburgh struggles.

AL North

The North will see the Toronto offense versus the veteran Seattle bunch once again. Which will it be? The crystal ball sees the Mariner pitching staff doing its job once again. The Twinkies will vie for a spot also. Detroit is a tough unknown entity that looks good but may not live up to the task.

AL East

Boston has the upper hand once again as Washington, Dover and Atlanta looks to struggle in keeping up.

AL South

Don't look for a surprise finish from Little Rock this year. Tampa Bay looks much better on paper, then again didn't I say that last year. Texas has a good chance but I really am not sure the pitching staff is up to the task. Kansas City could be one of those streaky teams.

AL West

Always a fight by all four teams and this year will be another round of the same. The crystal ball likes the Las Vegas pitching staff by a large margin this year. Will Helena falter down the stretch again while San Diego picks up steam? Will Anaheim make a move? Oooh it is up for grabs.

1. Seattle - Still like this veteran playoff team.
2. Helena - Just like surprise upsets.
3. Boston - Green Monster dents.
4. Tampa Bay - Will jinx them once again.
5. Toronto - Why not.
6. Las Vegas - Had to choose between one of the five that could wind up here.

First IFA Of The Season Signs

2011-09-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Einar Gimenez was honored as the first International player signed this season. A right-handed starting pitcher that has a decent chance to one day make a ML roster. The St Louis Browns gained the rights with a bid of $3.3M and a date with Whitney in her nurses uniform.

A New Season, New Rich Kids

2011-09-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the off-season comes in the form of the Free Agents seeking absurd amounts of money for their services. So who achieved Nirvana in the weak market?

Jesse Brennaman was paid $12.1M for a four year deal by Toronto. Seems like a can't miss deal but then for some reason Toronto always ends up on the bad end of the terms for some reason.

Howie Drabek was nabbed by Florida in a relatively cheap contract, about $5M in a five year deal. However the $10M upfront cash makes this an unusual mating.

Clark Key garnered a five year deal for $8M by Mexico City, who you would think won the lottery. I think so anyway as I figured he would go over 10M a year.

Bernie Castillo was paid nicely for his bull pen services by Tampa Bay.

Santiago Mangual felt he hit the lottery as he garnered a three year deal for more than $6M a year for his aging services in the Boston bull pen.

Those that didn't serve an A in Free Agency but still reaped the benefits?

Vernon Leach was paid $5M for a four year deal by Minnesota. Maybe not a prolific player but his speed and multi-position capability will help a team in need.

Danys Candelaria got a cheap one year deal in Boston. This may have been the steal in the market.

Seaatle Wins!

2011-09-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

For three seasons in a row now Seattle was the best team in the AL but met with terminal stymied cataclysm in the previous two. Third time is a charm they say and so it was that Seattle overcame their fears and delivered unlike the misfortune of the Buffalo Bills. As predicted it was a hard fought series: Two 1-run games, four two-run games, two extra inning games, and three in a row ending at 6-4. I actually expected fewer runs scored, but the theme of four seemed to resonate with a loud bang. As predicted the better offense proved to be the dimensional upshot.

How tough was it? The AL Cy Young winner, Winston Maxwell, started two games and never finished 5 innings in either start but only allowed two runs. Ivan Johnson didn't fare all that well either as he had four appearances giving up six earned runs with three long balls.

Congrats Seattle!!!

Post Season Awards

2011-09-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Murray Ramsey won the NL MVP award almost unanimously and I believe deservedly so. Might not be so hot at stealing bases and his fielding was a bit undeservingly sub-par but the best choice.

The AL MVP award went to Raul Izquierdo in a hectic voting frenzy. I am a little miffed also as he is a one dimensional player. Hard to vote for a DH in my books. Especially one who only led the league OPS and doubles. In my thinking, the multitalented Pepe Feliz was a much better choice though his average wasn't up to snuff for a MVP.

The NL Cy Young was not won by Ivan Johnson who had an under-performing season. Rumor is he kept having a recurring crotch cricket problem which caused some severe on and off field problems. According to a leaked source from the league office, they were looking into possible infractions in Mexico City where IJ's younger sister who accompanied him on a trip got into a drunken orgy with several Red Devils at a local (ummm) cantina. The problem surfaced a few days later the first time. However it was learned that she was a shave-tail and led to a rather hairless end. After several recurrences of the problem, the wife, sister and hotels have all been ruled out. DNA evidence seems to have proven criminal activity however.

Reagan Mathews did win the coveted award however. Omar Elcano had the resume' to win the award again also but the votes went to Reagan. Which was actually better? The cagey veteran or the youngster. I chose the youngster because he put up some real good numbers on a team that wasn't great.

Winston Maxwell won the AL CY Young award hands down. IMO he wins the award because of the stadium and team. Truth be told Shaggy Stratton had a better season if you consider team and stadium also.

The Rookie of the Year voting was a bit mystical as it was shared in both leagues. I had a very hard deciding also. The AL had two pitchers, one a starter the other was used in long relief. Both were good so maybe they both deserved to share. Hmm, call in IJ's sister to break the deadlock maybe. In the NL, well we just had to vote on who we thought was the best. It wasn't an easy choice as none were what you would call outstanding.

Mets Delima

2011-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the season I was pondering a move to a different park in New York since it is available. However a couple melodic problems ensue. For one the upcoming season in Shea will be its last, well suppose to be its last. The move into Citi Field is on the horizon. How will the effects of the new stadium change is a guess at the moment. Will it remain pitcher friendly or will it change to a more friendly hitters park. The only thing we do know, it will happen. My actual thoughts from what I have seen is that it won't change dramatically other than the name change. Well, maybe doubles might change to neutral.

I thought about moving to Yankee Stadium and keeping the team as the Mets for the upcoming season. I won my first ever division title in Yankee Stadium so I know what to do there. I pondered it during All-Star break and looked the team over and shook my head. There is no way this team could play there. Besides, the current Yankee Stadium we use will fall by the wayside at the same time also. I expect the new Yankee Stadium to have effects like Minute Maid. Dover might ponder that move. In the end, the Mets will stay put and enjoy their up coming season in another cellar dwelling quest.

All Eyes On The Big Series!

2011-08-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Before we get to the Big Series, lets look at the preseason predictions.

AL North - It was pretty much a given that Seattle would be the team to beat. On paper they were the better team and they performed like it. I liked Toronto also and they didn't disappoint either until the playoffs.

AL East - Had this division pretty much pegged as Boston delivered on my promise.

AL South - This division was up for grabs pretty much the entire season as expected. My choice was Tampa Bay, it was theirs to lose and in the final days they did. Congrats to Little Rock for being the surprise darlings of the AL, sneaking past Toronto in the first round and playing their hearts out against Seattle.

AL West - Undeniably the toughest division to extract the best team at the beginning of the season and they all fought hard all season long. I liked Helena but they faded at the end, then Vegas came into the picture. Lo and behold, the Padres came from kinda way back to take it. The Slobs may have blown the division crown at the end but exacted revenge in the playoffs but just didn't have the mojo to overturn Seattle.

NL North - The biggest surprise here was the dismal showing of the Reds who will wind up picking first in the draft. The Pirates was the choice and they proved their point once again. The Brewers did hold on for sixth seed as expected and surprised Salem in the first round.

NL East - The Phillies were odds on favorite to win the division and finished a good furlong or two ahead of the pack.

NL South - The Marlins were the favorites although the Astros kept it relatively close all season. Mexico City was probably the surprise team of the NL making a run for a Wild Card spot that fell short.

NL West - The Super Trees was the favorite and there they were at the end but their uncharacteristic play-off run came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Brewers. The Dodgers came up short in their run to gain a play-off spot. A bow to the D'Backs as they had their best season in 11 years.

For the pundits, I was 6 for 6 in the NL and 3 for 6 in the AL.

Now for the big Series. I have looked over and not overlooked the rosters, stats and ball parks. It will not be a one-sided affair by a long shot. The only thing that stands out is the Inglorious Bastard who will be very at home in either park. It is my belief that Seattle has the best offensive capability. How many 2-1 or 3-1 games will we be able to endure? I think it will go 7 games and the winner will be the team that wins four of them. Oh wait, that is a poor prediction isn't it. This series could actually boil down to the best managerial skills. Okay we are talking about the SIM that does some very awkward things at times whether the manager has any input or not. So in reality do I pick the best pitcher over the best offense? By admission the best pitcher has had an underachieving season, can he redeem himself? Do I pick the team with the most experience? For some reason I like the offense so I will side with Seattle.

Little Rock looks aHEADS

2011-08-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

F. Scott Fitzgerald once remarked to Ernest Hemingway that “The rich are different than you and I”.

Hemingway responded,”Yeah, they have more money.”

I thought of this exchange as I was scouting the next opponent in the Head’s improbable journey, The Seattle Mariners.

Now, I know that OAV is a broad measuring stick that implies a value that may or may not be attained, and sometimes is a bald face liar. I am sure that if this year’s real-life David Ortiz had an OAV, it might be around 68, and he’s a great hitter who has made a huge contribution to his team.

But still, OAV is a unit of measure which expresses a player’s potential value in shorthand. And it could be reasonably assumed that a roster that has better than the league average in OAV has a better chance of winning.

I should add about 27 caveats to the above, but for those of you still reading; you know what I mean.

Seattle has 15 players with an OAV at 74 or above.

Little Rock has 2.

The Mariners finished the season at 113-49; the Heads managed a record of 79-83.

That’s right: The Mariners lost thirty less games than the Heads won.

Whoa.

In short, this is the biggest mismatch in my life since I told my (then) 13 year old daughter that she was banned from the mall for a year.

I have no chance.

But, I did notice something else about the Mariners.

In season 17, they also had a record of 79-83, the exact same record we have this season.

And then their kids started to arrive; just like ours will.

Now, not one player yet drafted by the Heads has reached the ML level, but they are coming.

The Mariner’s journey tells me that the Heads should not be fooled by our unlikely success this season; and that we should remain focused on our pipeline and player development, while still fighting to win every game.

Okay; decision made. We are not going to look in the mirror and see anything but our record, and the Mariner’s season 17; and their success this year.

So, we will trust the process.

But, man o man, are we enjoying the ride…………….

The Mets End of Season Musings

2011-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Mets and their fans are rather joyous and celebrating their Season 20 play. Big par-tay in Queens tonight. You might find that funny but there are several reasons for the party. For one, our record harbingers a hopeful beginning for a drive to a pennant. Not since season 7 have the Mets won more games. Not since seasons 7 and 8 have they not finished last in the division two years in a row. Okay, so last year was a tie for third and the tie-breaker made us third.

Most of the offensive categories improved but the biggest let down was final production. We had a lot of stranded runners. Pitching seemed to be be the biggest downfall however. We were 50-50 on 1-run games, at best you need to be positive in that category to have a .500 season. We led the league in extra inning games which means we fought hard but an 8-13 record just won't get the job done in that area either.

There will be lots to do in the off-season and to ponder also. A break down by position and possible solutions.

C: Gary Stanley is a FA at the end of season. He will 35 next season and will retire afterwards. He isn't wanting much in the way of a contract but rollover might just zap him so we will have to patient. We have two capable youngsters and a vet under contract in the minors so it might actually be a moot point. Rob Webster is our primary catcher but a good backup is a concern due to fatigue issues.

1B: Tomas Guerrero had a decent defensive year but his offensive production was down a bit. It looks like his production is cyclic at the plate in average but walk-to-SO tendency was normal. It also could be caused by where he was slotted in the lineup. He is a tough one to place.

2B: John McInerney has emerged as a young superstar in the making. He didn't improve his ratings at all during the season but we think he might improve during the off-season. He is arb eligible for the second time and will want a big contract, we have no choice to give his asking price.

3B: Chun-Lim Satou had a respectful season in our minds, however we know it could be better and might be due to finding the right place in the batting order.

SS: Pedro Johnson played the tough position after we found out his bat was better in the lineup. It is a hot topic on whether to resign him next year. For one he will be a first time arb eligible and his production was actually a smoke screen. His defense was actually substandard in our minds and chances are slim there will be any improvement. Tomas Trevino was signed to a moderate contract to play the position at the beginning of the season but was used as a platoon player instead as he can't hit a punching bag. We have a prospect we think can do an overall better job at the position.

LF: Dan Radke did a much better job defensively this year. Offensively however was a disappointment.

CF: Abdul Riggs started last year as the outfield anchor. This year we came across Clarence Valentin who looked like he could handle a bat much better. We had to wait to sign him as money was tight and we were hoping no one else would grab him until his price fell into our range. What we found out in the end, we needed to play both of them to give us a three headed base stealing approach. Valentin can play several positions which is great until you had to leave someone out of the lineup.

RF: Domingo Jose played the position as well as could be expected and would make a much better LF. His bat disappointed.

Daiki Xaio was used as an everywhere platoon player but doesn't have a job next year as he won't be affordable as a second year arb.

We have 7 potential position prospects we are looking at heavily for the majors next season. However most will stay in the minors for another year and that may be the wise thing to do. We think we will go with a rookie SS for most of the season next year however.

One thing we may try to do in the off-season is find a left-handed bat. That is one glaring hole in the offense that might help us.

Pitching was a let down and an area to improve on the most. Injuries hurt the most as George Atkins didn't recover well and may be demoted to long relief next season.

Charlie Hicks was another that lost a lot to the injury bug. He is at the end of his contract and will probably be a FA casualty.

Several pitchers may find themselves hoping they can cash in with the FA market as we are not too keen on resigning many.

Harry Rodriguez was called up for a tryout at roster expansion and may have secured a job. Pitching well against the D'Backs and Browns was not much of an impossible task but showed he could do the job. His thrashing at home against the Marlins may have been a little overwhelming to any rookie pitcher.

Ted Maxwell was also called up and as long as he keeps throwing strikes has secured a pen job as well.

Al Limon will be offered a contract also.

Wayne Hampton didn't have a spectacular season but I think we had him in the wrong role.

The biggest problem was in the starting staff, they just couldn't get to the 6th inning and that hurt. When they did pitch well, the pen would find a way to blow it or the offense gave little support. Finding quality pitching next year is a must or we will be just the same so-so team.

Last Game of the Season

2011-08-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

It is time for the final out of the the regular season. All but one playoff spot has been wrapped up at this point.

To the AL where:

1. Seattle Mariners has the best record of Season 20. Odds on favorite to win it all this year.

2. Boston Red Sox wins the East.

3. San Diego Padres came from a big hole to at least share the division crown or win it outright with a final win but has taken the #3 seed with the head-to-head first tie breaker.

4. An all or nothing game tonight between the Tampa Bay Rays and Little Rock Heads will settle the South crown and the #4 seed.

5. Toronto Blue Jays has landed here even if they lose and Las Vegas wins due to the second tie breaker.

6. Las Vegas Slobs fell from the #3 to the #6 seed in the final three games, such disappointment.

To the NL:

1. Florida Marlins claims the top spot as expected.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates grabs the #2 spot and the bye.

3. Salem Super Sequoias slides there way in.

4. Philadelphia Phillies canters into the 4 slot.

5. Houston Astros though the Texans could be a better name for them homers into the the #5 spot.

6. Milwaukee Brewers slosh their way into the playoffs though we think a PEDS pipeline outage may have been the culprit to their near demise.

13 Games To Go

2011-08-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

The season is winding down and with a few games to go there is still some excitement left.

The NL hasn't changed all that much as the Florida Marlins still hold the #1 seed thanks to the Inglorious Bastard known as Ivan Johnson.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hold the #2 seed with a solid team led by hitting star Bernard Shelley and another solid season by the aged Ken Shumpert.

The Salem Super Sequoias could still make a run at the #2 seed as the Homer Duo of Greg Woods and Jim Griffin can scare the daylights out of any opposing pitcher, couple that with a pen that has a tendency to save games like no other.

The Philadelphia Phillies are just cantering along taking it easy with no real threat and not much to gain as the #seed
.
The Houston Astros are 8 back and the #5 seed, chances of moving up is rather unrealistic but are not giving up it seems.

The Milwaukee Brewers as the #6 seed had better stop pouring the lagers on their Corn Flakes as the Los Angeles Dodgers are gaining ground quickly and may turn it into a race.

As it stands now in the NL, the only change to last years playoff bracket could be the #6 seed. If the Duck Dodgers do sneak in as the #6 seed then it will be a complete repeat. Don't expect the same results however.

The AL on the other hand is completely out of control. The Seattle Mariners have the #1 seed and the best record of any team. Now to win in the playoffs which I think they will.

The Boston Red Sox are sitting pretty in the #2 seed but are keeping a stressful eye on the West.

The Las Vegas Slobs hold the teetering #3 seed. Helena Hot Pockets have fallen off the pace as the microwave blew a condensing coil and the pastry chefs are on strike. The streaking San Diego Padres have prayed their way into the picture. The Anaheim Angels were even making a showing but couldn't sustain the halogram after the power outage.

The Tampa Bay Rays are in the #4 seed slot and have a vicarious 5 game lead which should be enough to hang on.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the the #5 seed and like Boston are keeping a stressful eye on the tumultuous West.

The #6 seed will be the loser of the crown in the West which may not be decided until the last out is called.

The Heads Stop Making Sense.................

2011-08-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

As season 20 began, the parsimonious Heads signed SS Lorenzo Rosado the cornerstone of our franchise, to our first long term contract.

He had the qualities we believe you build a team around: OBP and excellent defense in the middle of the field.

He was a slick fielding SS, and was leading the World in range factor, before he tore up his knee, early this season. He has not, and will not regain his range. Now, he’s a $4.6M platoon infielder; for the next four years.

As our front office was digesting this horrible news, we were hit with another bombshell. We chose Ray Winder field in Little Rock as our home park, because it was the most neutral park in the entire World. It was only after we had occupied this field for two years that we learned the horrible truth.

Ray Winder Field no longer exists. Once, one of the gems of the minor league circuit, the park is now gone. Some people wanted to turn it into a great community diamond for local teams, or an Asian elephant exhibit (I am NOT making this up); but in the end, Ray Winder Field was destroyed to make way for a parking lot.

When we further learned that the field that Jackie Robinson once graced was built by prison-labor (read that as slave labor)-, this made perfect sense to us…………..and explains to me why we really, really need fake fantasy.

Back to baseball. Before season 20, we sifted through the budgetary process like a reality TV hoarder, holding on to our dollars like grim death. And we doubled-down on our prospect dollars by over-paying for the best scouting money could buy.

We wuz robbed. Somewhere in fake heaven, Bernie Maddof is a scout.

What I don’t get about this game, is if I’m paying $18M for this scout or that scout, why is every kid they piss on in Tijuana, a “future superstar”? Shouldn’t the cover letter that accompanies their scouting report be in synch?

This is like someone sending you a JPEG of their privates, with the email header, “My Uncle John at a picnic”.

Anyway, our scouts didn’t deliver-and while we landed some talent; our ROI re: prospects, which were our number one mission, our prime reason for being; was really disappointing.

So, let me summarize so far:

-We committed to a long term-term contract to a player who can no longer tie his cleats.

-Our entire planning process was nullified by alcoholic scouts, who sold Enron stock at exactly the right time.

-Ray Winder Field was built by criminals and then criminally neglected.

In terms of new talent, we did add future closer Max Mercado. I don’t know about your park, but in Little Rock, +80 in control and GB/FB plays big time. Consider the strange case of local cult hero, Horacio Diaz;. His OAV may be 51, but with his control and GB/FB numbers, he has held opponents to a batting avg. of .205 in over 50 games. The dude really is a RH specialist. Screw this split crap. The best pitch in baseball is still “strike one”.

We also added Lloyd Bass and Harry Blanco so pitching help is coming to Little Rock; but maybe not soon enough……

I am not sure why any team pays big bucks for closers. Our current closer, Jerome Bourn has been excellent, saving 28/31 games. Now, I know that like every owner reading this has forgotten more than I know, but I can’t understand why big bucks are thrown at closers. We have no problem paying 360K for a 90% save percentage. And when he’s asks for big bucks, we have like 6 relievers on the farm that promise to be equally effective. We think.

Speaking of the farm, we were getting all excited, because Kendry Armas was leading Hia in runs created. We thought this was a big deal, what with his .332 avg, 40 SB, .966 OPS and 76 extra base hits. Kendry has an OAV of 79, and he could be in the majors next season, but he did not finish first in Runs Created, because someone named http://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=3674515" target="_blank">Gene Burgess&lt did.

Please take a look at Mr. Burgess's ratings and tell me how this guy could hit 47 HR, and drive in 166 runs.

Every time we think we might unglue the sticky secrets of this game, out pops a Gene Burgess…….

So, it was not a great year. We are getting impatient. It might be time to raise payroll and push the kids.

And if you see Lorenzo Rosado, ask him for his autograph. No one has asked him for that in quite a while………………………….

GM of the Season

2011-08-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

NL:
Pittsburgh Pirates - Chase39
NL North Champs (11 game lead)

Philadelphia Phillies - Wholck
NL East Champs (huge lead)

Florida Marlins - Sdhizzle
NL South Champs (huge lead)

Salem Super Sequoias - Jsholmes
NL West Champs (13 game lead)

Milwaukee Brewers
Projected Wild Card

Mexico City Diablos Rojos - Sjpratt
8 games back in the Wild Card but over .500

Houston Astros - Boydndahood
Projected Wild Card

AL:
Seattle Mariners - Dakar
AL North Champs (huge lead)

Boston Red Sox - Pfontaine
AL East Champs (huge lead)

Toronto Blue Jays - Northerngaul
Projected Wild Card

Helena Hot Pockets - Thomas36is
1 game lead in the AL West

Las Vegas Slobs - Slobs
1 game back of Helena in the AL West

30 Games to Go

2011-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

With 30 games to go things look rather settled in the NL, the AL not so much. Being almost a given that each team should win 10 games makes the predictions pretty easy baring a sudden unaccountable win streak that does happen.

Pittsburgh Pirates has the NL North in hand with an 11 game lead. It is doubtful that the Milwaukee Brewers has a chance at catching them but may need to fight to hold on to a wild card spot.

Seattle Mariners don't even need to win 10 games to wrap up the AL North. With a 15 game lead it is just a matter of time. The Toronto Blue Jays can't stay complacent to hold on to a wild card spot.

Philadelphia Phillies are pretty comfy and 10 wins or 10 losses by the distant pack will sew it up in the NL East.

The Boston Red Sox ran away from the pack in the early second half and are setting pretty comfy in the AL East with a 16 game lead.

Florida Marlins has the NL South under control by 15 games and a likely #1 seed. The Houston Astros are struggling to maintain the wild card lead.

Tampa Bay Rays are in front in the AL South, but it is a very tentative lead as the rest of the pack can't be ruled out especially the Heads and the Rangers who have a good shot at the crown yet. The resume' of the division champ isn't going to regale anybody for sure.

Salem Super Sequoias have thing well in hand once again in the NL West as their 14 game lead looks pretty solid.

Helena Hot Pockets and Las Vegas Slobs have been duking it out all season and neither can get very far ahead of the other. This looks to be a struggle down to the wire and don't count the San Diego Padres out .----0either as they have closed the gap a bit.

The Wild Card race in the NL looks solid at the moment with the Astros and Brewers, but the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and Los Angeles Dodgers still have hope.

The Wild Card race in the AL looks a little more tentative with the Blue Jays leading the pack with the last spot going to the second place finisher in the West at a minimum. If the Jays hit a skid though, then it could open the door for another West hopeful.

As for my favorite team, the Mets, well (thats a hole in the ground with water at the bottom where they belong) not much I can say. I was really hoping for a better season. A 70 win season is not out of the question yet however and that might make me feel a bit better.

Offensively it is a bit of a let down at this point. We have surpassed last years stolen base total already and will likely have three players with more than 30 thefts. We need three more dingers to surpass last years home run total. We have a long way to go to even get close to the doubles output along with total hits which I find terminally surprising.

Pitching hasn't been what I had hoped for at all. With last years star pitcher, George Atkins, going down with an injury for much of the season didn't help. His recovery doesn't look all that impressive either but will be back in the rotation when expansion happens. There is some help in this regard on the horizon but it looks like the Mets will look for help in the off-season to shore up this area of terminally unrelenting trouble.

Here is an oddity of sorts: The NL East minors, (excluding the instructional Rookie League I don't consider the minors), other than the AAA Phillies will have a .500 record or better. Not sure I have ever seen that though I haven't paid much attention to minor league records much in the past.

Mid-Season Happenings

2011-07-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Things have been rather quiet in the market as of late. Only two signings of real importance, both by the Cincinnati Reds.

Guillermo Gutierrez signed for $13.2M. A starter of dubious quality in the control area, but does have decent splits and two nice pitches.

Rating: B

Cesar Cerveza was signed for $11.4M. His health and glove could be an inconvenience to stardom at 1B. His plate action however could be a boon but not in the consistent home run department.

Rating: B+

As for the early season predictions.

NL
So far the predictions are pretty accurate.

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Florida and Salem lead their respective divisions to no surprise.

Milwaukee and Houston hold the Wild Card spots.

Mexico City and Los Angeles are the only teams close enough to upset the balance at the momment.

AL
Things in the AL are much tighter and changes could occur on a daily basis.

Seattle is the only team with a somewhat comfortable lead at this time.
Second place Toronto is fighting to hold a Wild Card spot if they can't rally.

Boston holds a 5 to 7 game lead over two potent adversaries that could surprise everyone.

Tampa Bay has a very tentative 1 to 5 game lead over all their division rivals which could lead to an exciting finish.

Las Vegas and Helena are tied in the West. Don't look now but the other division rivals are in their hip pockets so nothing is remotely settled here either.

As for the Mets, I haven't a clue. One of the best defenses in the league. Hitting has been a mixed bag of inconsistency. Will definitely surpass last seasons antics in several hitting categories but still doesn't produce runs. Pitching has been pathetic to say the least and I expected better. John McInerney did develop as expected and was rewarded with an All-Star nod.

Season 20 Draft

2011-07-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

1. Marc Redman, 2B, New York Mets: The Mets took the best non-iffy player available on their board. His makeup has a shortcoming which is the worst thing one can say about him. Playing 2B could fall a bit short of stardom and may find another position in his future. Could very well become that true lead-off hitter a team needs.

Rating: B+

2. Austin Rain, SP, Baltimore Orioles: If he was on the Mets board he would have went #1. To me he has it all, well some would rather see a high velo.

Rating: A+

3. Dean Kapler, SS, Mexico City Diablos Rojos: The jury is still out as to whether he will be able to assume SS duties but would be very capable of 3B. Has power and speed which are big pluses.

Rating: A+

4. Vladimir Brown, SP, Chicago Cubs: A high velo pitcher with a good resume'. Control may end up a tad light but should be acceptable. Will having only 3 pitches hurt as a starter?

Rating: A-

5. Miguel Montanez, CL, Texas Rangers: The jury is still out whether or not he can be a shutdown closer, depends on how he develops.

Rating: B+

6. Apollo Metzger, SS, Tampa Bay Rays: Has a lot of development to consider. Range could fall well short of SS status but with the strong glove and arm anything is possible. Has the hitting power and a little speed but will the rest come around? Could wind up a disappointing project player.

Rating: B

7. Sean Carter, SP, St. Louis Browns: A fly-ball lefty with a possible good split against righties. Control may end up short of expectations but good pitches will cover that accordingly.

Rating: B+

8. Lloyd Bass, SP, Little Rock Heads: I debated a long time at taking him #1, the reason was overall. With very makeable projections it seemed low when compared to his counterparts which was a cause for concern for me. Was scouting that wrong? After seeing his abilities with my regular scouting the problem is with his pitches but I think they are better than I am seeing and with luck that 5th pitch could go by the wayside.

Rating: B+

9. Jordy Griffiths, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks: Will have to develop well in order to play SS and I don't see it happening. 2B, 3B or a weak gloved CF is possible for high profile though. Hitting could be a let down also if things don't develop. Could be a long project.

Rating: B

10. Rusty Nathan, SP, Cincinnati Reds: If health doesn't get him, could develop into a very good lefty though he may need a good catcher to keep him control.

Rating: A-

11. Mitchell Cogan, SS, Minnesota Twins: Could very well make it as a good hitting SS. His biggest problem looks to be health.

Rating: A-

12. Graham Jensen, MR, San Francisco Giants: If his pitches are better than I see, he should develop well into a good middle relief pitcher in any ones pen.

Rating: B+

13. Trot Klingenbeck, LF, Washington D.C. Senators: LF might be a bit too much and wind up at 1B. Probablt won't have the big home run production one would like at that position but should be capable of extra base hits and walks.

Rating: B+

14. Neifi Ramirez, RF, Detroit Tigers: Speaking of project players, eeeeek. I can't see him playing above 1B. Has power and contact in the making but everything will have to click for his hitting abilities to be realized. Will call him the "Red-Herring" of the draft so far.

Rating: C+

15. Marty Gibbons, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: Should develop into a very solid starter. May not go deep into games but would be very tough to get a hit off of.

Rating: A-

16. Will Potvin, SS, Milwaukee Brewers: Should develop into a gold-glover at SS. His hitting style is controversial to say the least.

Rating: A-

17. Bud Latham, 2B, Detroit Tigers: 2B looks uncomfortable, RF is a maybe as his arm isn't great. Hitting could develop as his speed will help.

Rating: B-

18. Alvin Ball, SP, Las Vegas Slobs: If his splits develop, a rare find in a starter this late in the draft.

Rating: B

19. Bill Hawkins, SP, Atlanta Braves: I passed on him with the first pick. Mainly because he is a lefty. His right split probably won't develop past mediocre. However his control and pitches could cover that fact if development occurs.

Rating: B

20. Jeff O'Toole, 3B, Dover Dung Beetles: Has great plate presence and will be a very tough out or maybe out of the park. However I don't see him progressing past playing 1B.

Rating: B

21. Mario Mench, CL, Las Vegas Slobs: Could very well develop into a shutdown closer.

Rating: A-

22. Ken Darr,SS, Helena Hot Pockets: My scouts don't see him as a SS and will likely end up at 3B. Could have a very nice eye and enough contact to be a viable hitter in the lineup.

Rating: B

23. Pat Hill, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies: His range might overcome the weak glove. Gonna be one tough out at the plate though he might get caught fishing with wiley pitchers.

Rating: B+

24. Herb Bowen, SP, Boston Red Sox: The best pitcher and player in the draft and on my board and probably a few others. Most couldn't take the more than likely chance that he won't sign. If he does, what will be the cost? Red Sox are playing Abba tunes.

Rating: A+

25. Paul Chiba, 2B, Kansas City Royals: Possibly projected the most powerful hitting player in the draft. Chances are great that he will wind up at corner outfield however.

Rating: B+

26. Hughie Reynolds, LR, San Diego Padres: There is a lot of talk in my scouting department that this kid could be a bust, in San Diego however he could make it. Great splits with mediocre accessories I can see why. His name says it all.

Rating: C+

27. Henry Benjamin, SU, Minnesota Twins: I don't think he is good enough to be a lefty closer but could be a very valuable setup man in the pen.

Rating: B+

28. Bo Ventura, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates: Ok, how did this kid slip so far down the draft? Was it his health? Maybe his pitches wasn't up to snuff? I can see all that happening.

Rating B-

29. Ralph Taylor, C, Houston Astros: The Astros like power hitting and this kid has all the tools to do that. Pitchers beware as I have a stone glove and over grown arms that doesn't throw well and the coach will have to call the pitches. Our 'Roid' star of the draft.

Rating: B

30. Andrew Clay, SP, Salem Super Sequoias: I am a pitcher that is smart enough to develop into a ML star but I can't do that from the DL.

Rating: C+

31. Osvaldo Azocar, SP, Florida Marlins: Was everyone else as cautious as me? Another on my board that has a slim chance at signing. The Marlins are listening to the same tunes as the Red Sox.

Rating: A+

32. Bubbles Edwards, 2B, Atlanta Braves: I failed at Flamingo dancing at the Tropicana so I thought I would give baseball a try. Would make a better 3B or RF if you ask me. Hitting is pretty good. Did he fall this far down because of his name?

Rating: B

33. Brandon Garcia, C, Seattle Mariners: Are all catchers "Roid" stars in this draft? Well, at least he can use his glove. The best asset is his bat. could lead the league in Homers and Strikeouts in the same season.

Rating: B-

34. Bart Warden, LR, Florida Marlins: I swear I am a pitcher. Has a tendency to walk batters but does have decent abilities.

Rating: C+

The First Pick in the Draft

2011-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

With the first pick of the Season 20 Draft, the New York Mets select .....? Well, I figured it was going to be simple. The highest rated players decided to be a fallout in their background. They would have to be really good for me to take one of those and I don't really see the potential awesomeness I was looking for. I was really looking for a right handed number 1 for sure starter. Most of you know how I rate first round picks, if the current to projected is more than 25 points there is a screw loose. I have narrowed it down to four suspects however and haven't really decided as of yet.

Kris Sisler - I think he could be a good starter but I question his ability to project to his control and his splits could wind up short. His pitches look pretty decent. His durability is a plus. But still my thoughts regale him to bottom of the rotation to a long reliever and spot starter.

Lloyd Bass - Projects into a decent enough starter. I am not thrilled with his GB/FB. His 5th pitch could possibly be dropped which is a plus. I think he could be a very nice #3.

Miguel Montanez - Looks to be the prime closer of my draft board. Everything looks great though his splits might be light.

Marc Redman - Has doubles hitting power or light home run power..whichever. Great eye, splits and contact. His projecteds in hitting should be relatively easy to make. 2B is quite possible though he projects to a weak ranged CF which I think is very unrealistic. Big downfall is makeup and by his picture it wouldn't hurt to wear some.

Having the first pick and needing the best player available, I will have to take Marc Redman. I guess I have made up my mind. Now Baltimore can make up their minds.

The IFA Market

2011-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

There has been a couple high priced deals made all of a sudden. So here is a quick rundown.

Del Alvarez was paid $19.7M by the Kansas City Royals. For a 1B has awful questionable abilities and probably will never play the position. Watch him light up the scoreboard as a DH however.

Rating: A

Asdrubal Olivares was hired by the St. Louis Browns for $9.3M. A relative price for a very good pen pitcher. Most owners prefer a smoker as a closer however and Olivares lacks that ability, though in my estimation the only thing he lacks. So his life story will be written by Willie Makeit and Illustrated by Betty Dont.

Rating: A

Alexi Martinez was taken from the market by the Boston Red Sox for $7.2M. 2B is probably out of the equation but RF looks legit. Most of the wide eyes by the Sox however is in his bat which may or may not pan out.

Rating: B to B+

Philip Hoover became another Dover Dung Beetle acquisition for $5.4M. Defensively he could be that much sought after CF. His plate ability might bring mixed results however.

Rating: B-

Mets at 30

2011-07-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well Mets fans, the season has reached the 30 game milestone. We believe! Although we are quite kornfused of late. We were ready to make it to .500 when disaster struck. Bewildered is more like it. Winning 8 of 10 and going to Charlotte for a 3-game seemed more than probable. Suddenly the offense died for no apparent reason. Scoring 1 run in the 3-game set left us aghast especially having to go home and face the Pirates. That series looked a lot better in the papers as we let one of those get away.

A look at the offense:

Chun-Lim Satou went into a slump with the rest of the team which saw his batting average drop 40 points. His play at 3B has been good.

John McInerney has been an inspiration this season. Batting .391 and is always ready to play his best in the field like I thought he could if he made his milestones. Hopefully he may even get better. He also leads the team in home runs at this point in the season.

Dan Radke has played well in the field but his plate activities is highly sub-par this season so far.

Tomas Guerrero plays an okay 1B but where is team leading hitting from last year? If it wasn't for his ability to walk he would be riding the bench.

Domingo Jose was brought in the be the hole hitter and really hasn't disappointed. Leads the team in RBI's.

Clarence Valentin was signed late in FA and hasn't disappointed. Second in batting average and tied for second in home runs does have us very excitedly baffled. We really brought him in to be a backup for several positions but decided to play him full time mostly in CF instead.

Pedro Johnson wasn't out choice for the starting SS position but his bat changed our minds.

The catching duo of Rob Webster and Gary Stanley has worked surprisingly well so far.

The bench has been good in the field but at the plate they call for seconds and sit down.

We knew we might have problems with the pitching staff but they haven't really been all that bad. Though some room for improvement as a couple may not see a roster spot by the end of the season if things don't change.

George Atkins who won 15 games last season is off to an 0-4 start. He lost his confidence in his first game I think as he lost a 1-0 decision. The offense just hasn't given him much help when he is on the mound.

J.D. Kennedy was our choice in the FA market. His preseason pitching was horrible and was demoted to the pen at the beginning of the season. That didn't last long as he was horrible there also. When the original #5 starter had a less than stellar first start he was put into the rotation and has gone 4-0 in 5 starts.

Don Zhou was suppose to help us late in the game but never lived up to the billing and literally sucked. After a bit of a change in thinking he has calmed down and has started pitching as we had hoped.

IFA Signs

2011-07-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Orioles announced the signing of Alving Parra with a whopping $19.5M signing bonus. Alving finds himself in a fanciful role as a power hitting SS. Well, SS might be a little iffy but has a decent chance to play the position. His hitting style had the Orioles eyes beaming however as he should be a wonderous addition in the lineup.

Rating: B+

The International Market

2011-06-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

My Scouting at the International level is not so hot as I decided not to partake this season. So far there hasn't been much to crow about so it appears. so this should be rather short.

Enrique Iglesias has been paid the most so far by the Charlotte Knights at $6.1M. Fancies himself as a 2B but a very weak one if you ask me, might be better suited in RF. Has the speed and contact if he can get on base which could be a trifle tricky.

Rating: C

Lariel Melendez was nabbed by the Dover Dung Beetles for $3.8M. Has the arm for the 3B position if things work out but the range and glove just may not be there. Could wind up being a decent hitter however. Many were scared off by his lack of health.

Rating: C+

Kevin Woo was overtly wooed by the chirping of the Dung Beetles also at $3.4M. Could be decent at the SS position but his hitting style might not be ML material in the end.

Rating: C

Max Galvez was picked up rather cheaply by the Texas Rangers for $2.1M. The range for 1B might be a bit below standards. Hitting could be a power positive however. Many were scared off by the lack of durability.

Rating: C+

AL Preview

2011-06-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

AL North

Has things flipped in this division again? This should prove to be an interesting division as Toronto, Minnesota and Seattle could all be first place at the end of the season. Oh, lets no leave out Detroit either. Don't let the early season antics fool anyone, Seattle has the better team on paper.

Then again paper teams don't always win and I like Toronto's chances. Followed closely by Seattle and the Twinkies.

AL East

Last season I made a wild prediction in this division, not this year. Boston all the way. I do believe Washington will wind up second along with Atlanta. Dover just doesn't have the oomph in my belief.

AL South

Little Rock zoomed out to an early lead but has settled down to earth already. I have always liked Tampa Bay in this division but have always been disappointed. Will this season be any different?

I still like Tampa Bay (glutton for punishment on this prediction) to win the division with everyone else a close second. Watch out for those Texans however, can never rule out a team under this management guru.

AL West

Oh umm..I hate this division, anyone can win even with 10 games to go. This division will be as interesting as the rest of the AL. All four teams are equal one way or another and to give one a slight edge would be tough. I like Helena personally but the Slobs are candidates also, not to slight the other two.

Odds on favorites to win their divisions

1. Helena Hot Pockets
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Tampa Bay Rays

Wild Cards hopefuls (not in any particular order)

5. San Diego Padres
6. Anaheim Angels
7. Toronto Blue Jays
8. Las Vegas Slobs
9. Minnesota Twins
10. Texas Rangers

NL Preview

2011-06-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

NL North

The Pirates have dominated for quite a few seasons now and have jumped out to an early 4 game lead. I believe the Brewers have a better team overall but their starting pitching rotation is lacking. The Reds will fight and play their hearts out but will probably end up third. The Cubs are still rebuilding and looks to have another dismal year in the cellar.

Can the Brewers overcome a slow start to breath down the necks of the Pirates is the big question.

NL East

The Browns jumped out to the early lead just like last year, but here comes the Phillies closing the gap before the first turn again. The Mets fixed their offensive woes in the off-season but the pitching staff has been luckless so far. The Orioles made an opening series statement but has been very lackluster since.

If the Phillies win, it will be because of the starting pitching staff. Expect the Browns and Orioles to fade away once again. That leaves the Mets to challenge if they can get things in sync.

As a side note, this could be the last season in old Shea Stadium as the lure of the Bronx is overwhelming as the new stadiums loom but will still be called the Mets.

NL South

The Marlins have dominated for some time because of one player in all reality. The Red Devils are making a showing this season so far while the Astros and Knights have lingering effects.

Don't be fooled by the early season goings on in this division. Look for the Marlins to win but the Astros will wake up and challenge while the Red Devils will remain formidable. The Knights are under a learning experience curve and will get better.

NL West

The Dodgers have jumped out to an early lead and don't expect them to give it up so easily. The Super Sequoias are still a force to be reckoned with. The D'Backs aren't shabby along with the Giants.

This division should be the one to watch as they all have a shot. When it is all said and done however Salem should be on top with with the other three a close second.

Odds on favorites to win their divisions

1. Salem Super Sequoias
2. Florida Marlins
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Philadelphia Phillies

Wild Cards hopefuls (not in any particular order)

5. Houston Astros
6. Milwaukee Brewers
7. Mexico City Diablos Rojos
8. Arizona Diamondbacks
9. New York Mets
10. Los Angeles Dodgers

More FA News

2011-06-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

It was the normal FA frenzy this season as 21 Type B and 9 Type A players changed franchises. Owners were careful as only 4 first round picks were given up.

Johnny Collier was a sought after prize that was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Encarnacion gave up his services to further help the Charlotte pitching staff.

Edgard Espinosa was signed by Texas hoping to improve their beleaguered pitching staff.

Maverick Duran was often criticized in Dover but Toronto thinks he can be a winner.

Gene Podsednik was over looked by many because of his fielding abilities, but it seems the Dodgers wanted an OBP type player, now where to play him?

Rob Holzemer was cheaply acquired by Boston to strengthen the rotation.

Barney Byrne dealt with Texas as they needed a defensive center-post in the outfield.

Omar Garrido was the best power hitting non-1B available but it seems no one was willing to start a bidding war. Pittsburgh decided to give a huge bonus up front and a peanut contract to hit home runs for the kiddies making up for their huge loss.

Shaggy Stratton was highly prized by many teams as Tampa Bay won the bidding war for his pitching services at a staggering price.

Juan Carrasquel was coveted by most teams and the war ensued. Anaheim shelled out the biggest contract of the season.

Doug Cambridge and his old arm was given a breath of fresh air, err smelly air, as he joined the Dover Dung Beetles

Don Gong was given a chance to prove his worth in Arizona.

Elrod Daley moved his somewhat gregarious catching abilities to Anaheim in the hopes of besting left handed pitchers.

Harry Sanchez moved his newly acquired World Series ring to Atlanta who was looking for a lead-off batter and could play the hot corner.

Groucho Rogers was an unlikely candidate for middle relief duties at Florida but was tagged to fill out the pitching roster.

Clarence Valentin was the latest signing by the New York Mets. Overlooked by everyone it seems, the two time Gold Glove winner at 3B brings his services to the Big Apple who needed an every day infielder/outfielder.

Hall of Fame Voting

2011-06-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

A look at who I think deserves voting consideration.

Jesus Cruz has a very nice resume if you ask me and yes I voted for him.

Juan Castro had 522 Home Runs (85 in season 5) and 345 stolen bases and was rarely caught and really deserves to be in the Hall even with his somewhat low average.

Posiedon Warden was a constant threat to be on the pads during his hey day. In his last season it was decided he would be put on every team, does that ever bring back memories. Yes, he deserves to be in the Hall.

James Kim seemed to always get on base. Other than his batting average however leaves him kind of in the cold.

Ramon Dong was like Kim, always on the base pads. Everyone needs a big Dong on their team, DJ's sister lusted after him.

Charles Kinney wasn't great but made teams he played for great as he could get them to the 6th or 7th inning and be in contention. 142-56 is not a laughing stat. Yes I voted for him.

Frank Gates was one of the best hitting catchers I have ever seen with over 3300 hits. What a resume and Yes I voted for him.

Andrew Spencer does deserve consideration but too many others that were better.

Chad Sanders deserves to be there also, a Cy Young and 5 World Series rings proves it.

Billy Ulrich was an all around good catcher, but Gates was better.

Bryan McDowell was a great closer, the 6 fireman awards in a row proves that.

Mel Wagner deserves heavy consideration, 226 wins proves it. Yes I voted for him.

Mitchell Ray like McDowell was one of the best closers and went head to head a few times. 5 fireman awards! I voted for him because of the 454 saves.

Randy Lamb was a bit over the top but still had 627 Home Runs and for the most part on a bad team.

Player Fatigue

2011-06-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Fatigue is a common issue that happens to players in this game just like the real world. They need to be rested from time to time. The biggest complaints takes place in the minors with pitchers. The objective is to have them play at 100%. Minor rosters have 25 active players just like the majors but can have 10 or more on the inactive roster. Two or three extra pitchers is always helpful regardless of how ugly they are. This allows you to swap players out if needed for a rest. Position players also get tired so it isn't just the pitchers. Fatigue on players run a higher risk of injury and his playing abilities diminishes.

For a pitcher, Stamina is the driving factor as to how many pitches can be thrown in an outing but differs between the different types of pitchers. Durability is used as the rate of recovery. The lower the Durability the slower the recovery. Most of your time will entail going through each pitching roster and resting pen pitchers after each game. Tweaking the TPC and MPC usually eliminates the need for extra days for starters. For a newbie it is tough until you get the hang of it. But be warned, if a pitching staff gets to 0%, recovery is very tough.

Fatigue on position players is different. It is based on the number of AB's. The formula: 730 x Durability% gives the number of AB's a player can roughly have in a season without fatigue being an issue. Basically they use a formula that projects a players number of AB's with his batting slot and when the number is exceeded fatigue sets in. Roughly, a player with a 70 durability needs about 15 to 20 games off throughout the season where an 80 durability needs about 12 to 15 games off. Usually you don't have to worry that much about position players with a durability above 85. Also remember that players in the first 4 slots in the batting order will get more AB's in a season.

It was noticed last season in both of my worlds that certain young players at the ML level never fatigued, not sure why.

Time for Spring Training

2011-06-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Helpful things to do before Spring Training starts.

1. Add minor league players to the Spring Training Squad

2. Set the Manager Settings for Spring Training. I try different things here but have replacement and rest settings so more players get into the action as early as possible, like the 6th inning.

3. Set the Player Rest, Defensive Replacements and Pinch Hitting. I normally save the Show Recs, too hard with 25 to 30 players to do individually.

4. Edit Player Settings to limit pitch counts. Get more pitchers into the game to evaluate and you don't want starters pitching 6 or 7 innings a start in Spring Training. I usually set it to Show Recs then manually change the pitch counts, time consuming. Normally 45/50 for starters and long relievers and 15/20 for setups.

5. Set the lineups. I normally use my opening day lineup for the first 5 games or so then get the backups some starts before letting the invitees into the game. Of course you might want to see that special not ready for prime time rookie earlier.

6. Limits AB's to about 22 to 25 for the opening day players, catchers 18 to 20. I save a few AB's for the starters near the end and use them as Pinch Hitters. If you have a rookie you want to take a long look at, I usually go to 30 AB's.

7 Limit starting pitchers to about 10 innings and pen pitchers 5 to 8. I usually use a 6 man rotation (or Tandem) in Spring Training and flip flop pitchers around and work them from the pen also. A helpful hint for the last game of Spring Training, rest your ML pitchers as there are no off-days between Spring Training and the start of the season for rest.

Note: If you select a Rule 5 player, the roster will unfreeze after the draft so you can get them on the roster before the first game but you will have to redo steps 3 or 4 or both depending. An advantage to the West Coasters as midnight might be too late for us Easterners.

Don't Forget: After Spring Training you have a little over a day to set all these settings again to your liking before the ML season starts. About two days for the minor league clubs, yes don't forget about them.

Someone always asks about the rookie call up to squeeze an extra year, it is 23 ML games if I remember right, 25 to be on the safe side. Personally I wait until after the first advancement boost that occurs around 30 minor league games.