1-Run Games

I am not sure if there is an actual observable answer to the question. There is no report that can help either. What I can tell you is that teams with a better team defense is usually involved in more 1-run games and most generally have a winning record in 1-run games. I say this after looking over my 6 worlds from last year. All my teams are normally in the top six in team defense and normally have 45+ 1-run games a season and usually with a winning record in 1-run games and extra inning games. I wouldn't say this is definitive but prevalent after looking at all the teams records and defensive standings in each world.

Whether you win or lose these games by 1-run gets real complicated. It could be the pen, the starters, the bench or managerial settings. Of course your opponent also for that matter in the same respect.

For an example: In one of my worlds I have a Cy Young pitcher, when he pitches the game usually ends up as a 1-run game. The reason, my team never hits when he pitches and I have no clue as to why, it just happens. I also had a team last year that was 21-6 in 1-run games early in the season, but finished 25-20 at the end of the season. I have my own special theory on that one btw.

So to say anything more about 1-run games is actually a crap shoot. The best thing to do is look at the box scores and see how the 1-run game came about and adjust if necessary or possible.

Rule 5 Draft

Ever wonder what another owner thought of the Rule 5 draft before the draft occurred? Well, here is an inside scoop by position after carefully looking over this years crop.

C: Wesley Garcia and Malachi Gleason

Pro: Both are great defensive PC catchers if one is needed. Garcia is experienced, has a good cheap season left, maybe even hit a bit if given the starting call.
Con: Don't expect much hitting wise from either.

1B: Norberto Martin
Pro: Is a left handed switch hitter . Has a good eye, good contact and aims for the corners.
Con: Defensively marginal. Marginal splits and power.

2B: There are several that are defensive standouts, some with the ability to play CF even. None in the hitting department that catches my eye.

3B: Jeff Figga
Pro: Has good eye and contact which could lead to a decent up the middle slap hitter. Has a year of ML experience and could give 150+ hits!
Con: Can't play 3B on a good day off but RF/LF is not out of the question. Not much power.

SS: There are several that can play defensively at the IF/CF positions in a backup role, but none that stands out at the plate.

LF: Didn't find anything of interest.

RF: Didn't find anything of interest here either

CF: Mariano Costilla
Pro: Experienced and shows that he can hit.
Con: Has a bit of a weak glove and his contract is big.

SP: Forget it as there is nothing at all, even long relief.

RP: Del DeLeon and Juan Reyes
Pro: Good control, decent GB splits especially vsR, and three pitches.
Con: Limited setup A/B types.

Either everybody did a great job protecting players or my scouts have been drinking the alcohol laced bong water again. Will it be a big draft? I wouldn't bet on it if this is all I could find worth drafting. I was wrong on the last one I was in, as 34 were drafted, but the next cycle saw 11 of those hit the WW and a couple more since. My question is why bother wasting money drafting a player you know won't work out?
10:50PM

Your Season 13 Cleveland Indians

Welcome to a new season of Cleveland Indians Baseball for all you WaaHoo Fans. First change of business this season was a change in the team song, it has been changed from "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" to "Please Mr Custer".

The Coaching Staff has been juggled a little with some high expectations this season and are as follows:
Hitting: Yannick Thompson: returns for his 3rd season.
First Base: Don Bell: Was resting in his hammock when the Indians called and quickly accepted the job.
Third Base: Joaquin Arias: Had been stagnate at 1B and with the 3B opening gladly pounced at the position. Indians management was not delighted in the idea at first as they had him pegged for the Bench Coach position but he didn't want any part of it.
Pitching: Brian Inouoe: Returns for his 4th season as the mound teacher.
Bull Pen: Hugh Sosa: Returns to the organization after being unceremoniously snubbed by others and looks forward to straightening out the pen and the probable pitching coach next season.
Bench Coach: Patrick Welch: Became the Bench Coach when last years coach went on a money binge with his lack of advancing talent.
Fielding: Christopher Ardoin: returns for his 5th season.

The Indians offense will look the same as last year as they stayed out of the high stakes bidding drama for premium pitching. They were trolling for certain player types that just wasn't on the market however. Well, there is one, but Indians management decided he isn't worth a Type A pick.

C: Bart Ross led the team in walks to SO ratio
1B: Albert Tapies and his Gold Glove
2B: Hideki Huang and his team leading 166 hits
3B: Karim Quevedo and his Gold Glove
SS: Sean Smalley and a possible Gold Glove candidate.
RF: Giovanni Jackson and his team leading 47 home runs
LF: Julio Cubillan was newly acquired in a trade and is penciled in as the starter.
CF: Howard Washington and his Gold Glove

Utility: Kimera Adams, Tony Brown, Pedro Gonzales and a player to be named later.

The Pitching Staff is completely familiar and hopefully stays healthy this season as it was riddled with some injuries last season.

Tito Gao has already been penciled is as the opening day starter.
Brant Brede has drawn the second day start.
Johnny Zeile, Matt Brooks, Jose Crespo, Richard Park, Pedro Roque and Grant Simon may all see starts in the rotation.
Posiedon Marte and Quilvio Olivares will be entrenched as middle to late relief.
Daniel Blackwell and Boomer Thomson will be asked to close the door on late inning rallies while the most unlikely closer in Kory Governale will be asked to lock it once again.

Departures: Wayne Stewart who actually led the team in batting average last season. Indians management and his agent didn't see eye-to-eye and is still on the market losing value quickly.
Tomas Camacho who left town quickly hunted by a couple dozen fans that wanted his scalp as management found a willing trade partner.
Dean Hill wanted too much money for a backup role, good luck Dean as you may be missed...probably not!

From the GM's standpoint the Indians will probably finish a disappointing second again and probably another close finish but out of the Wild Card again as we have done nothing much to improve the team and the blue chip prospects in the minors are just not ready. Although we reserve the right to select in the Rule 5, with a 20 something pick, chances are very slim that we will.

Push/Pull

There is no way of obtaining a report the easy way, the only way it can be done (as far as I know) is to plot where a player hits the ball from the box score the best you can, and trust me it is a pain (I did it with 2 players and I won't do it again). I wouldn't exactly say it precludes to more or less hits per say to answer your question but maybe the type of hit. A good example of how the push/pull ratings can work with park factors is to look at the Las Vegas stats home vs away, the home run totals will give the answer.

What I can tell you about the player I made an example of, Hideki Huang had 657 plate appearances and 598 AB's. I showed him with 10 more PA's and 20 less AB's, didn't say I could be accurate. He also got on base 28 times via error, 12 were to SS, 6 were to 2B, 2 to the pitcher and the rest were spread around. He made contact 363 times that I recorded, of those he hit to the corresponding push/pull rating 241 times (a little over 66%). It says he had 41 doubles, I had only 38 all but 5 went to the designated spot but only one of the 4 triples. His 14 homers which seems accidental went everywhere. He had better success in neutral parks (.310 BA) as opposed to plus (.265 BA) or minus parks (.225 BA). As for whether the hits was over the infielders head or out of reach can be debated. Though I can tell you that 47 of his hits went through under rated SS's and 28 went through under rated 2B's and that was almost half his hit total. As for the type of pitcher (power vs movement), it was more or less a draw and he had more success against starters as opposed to relievers and that is due to player rest.

Rollover Beethoven Rollover

It is already time to start thinking about the new season as we are about ready to go already. No time to investigate thoroughly if one didn't have the time already. Evidently Yoker read my post as to when we were going to roll as he was the first to chip into chat soon after rollover. I was going to ask him if he wanted a cookie a few minutes later for his endeavor but a DJ's sister look-a-like intervened with some very passionate plans. ahhh-hem

Anyways, here is the Season 13 Movers and Shakers.

Temblor took over the El Paso franchise in the NL South and moved them 8 hours down I-10 to San Antonio and named them the Stars..ok, it is 8hrs if you drive fast enough and don't stop at the one or two DQ's along the way or a What-A-Burger.

Another NL move sees the Houston Astros in Sante Fe and become the Tard Parks, could a 100 homer season be in store for a couple players? If they can outscore their opponents and win a playoff series is another story. A tribute to Knuck I assume?

Hatton98 took over the New York Yankee franchise and moved them to Syracuse and named them the Sycamores. Can he restore the franchise to the greatness of past seasons? The division just got much tougher with his presence so it is very possible, he is actually in the wrong league to carry on our ongoing rivalry from elsewheres.

Good Luck everyone.

Another Little Tidbit

One of the most obscure ratings of a hitter is his push/pull rating. It is hard to explain all the ins and outs of this rating but you can think of it like this. A rating of 50 means that the player will hit to Dead CF 70% of the time or more during the season. If he has a rating of 0-15 or 85-100 he will pounce on the CIF's and COF's. A rating of about 35-40 is at the SS or 2B. 55 and 45 hits the thin infield gaps while 25 and 75 the deep infield gaps. Knowing where the players hit if you combine that with scouting against your opponents defense can help. Ball park factors also come heavily into play. This why some players do better on some teams than others. Like a -2 ball park factor in doubles does not help a doubles hitter very much. I consider a doubles hitter as any player that has a power of 45-65 if you are wondering.

So where did the Indians go wrong in this aspect? Early in the season, the lineup was not in the right configuration to start with. My two big power hitters were the only players getting home runs and doubles on the road. In all reality, nobody else was getting on base with any regularity. After the lineup was brought into the right alignment, I went 13-7 over the last 20 road games and fatigue hurt me more in those 7 losses than anything else other than poor pitching.

As an example, Hideki Huang has a push/pull of 38 so he hits to the SS in most instances against right handed pitchers (2B vs a lefty) with a 65 power that means many of them go over the SS's head into the outfield gap. If the ball park factor for doubles is at a -2, chances are that it goes for a long single or depending on other ball park factors could go for a home run or triple. However, he was at lead off most of the season because of his speed and that was wrong. Now for more important info, when he hit the ball, at least 60% of the time the ball was on the ground. Knowing this info can be important if you know how good the opponents 2B or SS is. Having a weak range or glove means the ball can get by them or they make an error and his speed can come into play. He ended with a .262 average on the road, up over 25 points from first half play. A big change from lead off to the sixth spot in the order. The biggest change was with Karim Quevedo when he was moved out of the 2 slot to the 5th spot and his push pull of 46. That 46 is important because it is generally out of range for a 2B or SS. Of course that was percipitated when Bart Ross was brought up with his ability to walk.

Ok, I can hear a question brewing, how do I know he hit the ball on the ground 60% of the time. He has a rating of 1.15, 1.00 means 50% in the air. Less than one means more balls are in the air. About .80 a player is most likely to hit it in the air like most of the time, while 1.25 and above is a worm burner. Normally this can be discerned from the power rating but there are anomalies.

Somethings That Came To Mind

Okay, the Playoffs are down to their final series as I write this. I took special notice this time around and shook my head as KC, Houston and Pittsburgh went down in agony in the NL. I am not that tuned in with the AL but I find that Anaheim has better pitching, just not sure it will hold up against the Durham hitting and I have no way of determining if the Reds will beat the Brewers or vice-versa. I had been thinking about starting this sooner but that would have been kibitzing if I accidently posted it and I am not into that. For the most part I tried to help a little but for some reason that really went unheeded or wasn't understood.

IMHO the Reds should have been beaten by the Pirates. So where did the Pirates go wrong? The very first game there was an unforgivable mistake by the Pirates that cost them the game and maybe the series. Theirs had to do with Managers settings. You see, in a playoff game, you cannot make wholesale changes in your lineup and take out your best players unless your up by 5 runs. Not much to say about game 2 as you must hit to win and they didn't do that. Game 3 was another matter, they did things right, they got Yamil out of the game but just couldn't score runs. My question was why wasn't Andy Reagan batting second in the lineup during the series?

Here is some food for thought for everyone. Power hitters love power pitchers. Power pitchers have several things in common. Usually good stamina so they can go deep into games, good splits because they strike batters out, and normally some very good pitches. To beat power pitchers is relatively simple, you must get them out of the game by the 6th inning and get to a hopefully weaker bull pen and be within striking distance. You say that is simpler said than done, I say it isn't. You must use their strengths against them. For one, they have a tendency to give up home runs to the power hitters or walk them. That means you need guys with good eye, power and contact to neutralize them and the preceding hitters must get on base somehow as not to have solo shots or be walked. Everybody has them, so this is not something that can't be done.

The powers hitters need to be your 3-6 hitters to start, only two of them need to be overwhelming (3 and 4 slot). It also helps if they have a tendency to walk also. The lead off hitter needs to be your best for average hitter (always helpful if he is a speed guy but not necessary). The second batter in the lineup needs to be the best OBP guy that doesn't fall into the other two categories. The player needs to have a great walk to strike out ratio. The object is to get the first two on base so the power hitters can get him home with either an extra base hit at least. The 5th and 6th hitters need to have enough power to protect the power hitters (light home run production but doubles hitters at least), you have to make him pitch to them. I have never understood about the 7th and 8th hitters for the most part but you can get away with with just about any kind of slap hitter. I guess because if he gets a hit by some miracle, runs will score. It just happens more often against power pitchers for me anyway.

Okay, so you run into a team like KC, power hitting from top to bottom for the most part. How do you neutralize a power team? Simpler than one thinks. Use an off speed pitcher. Most power hitters are Ceranoesque, they can't hit a good curve ball and Joe Boo is not gonna help. A good off speed pitcher will have a high control and some good pitches, especially the first three. GB is always a big plus because if he does hit it, you want it on the ground, let the defense take care of it. Splits are a matter of opinion, the higher the better of course and a lefty needs to have a very good right split. The biggest problem that leaves me scratching my head is the relief pitcher the engine brings in sometimes. Some of it can be controlled, but sometimes it does something off the wall that has no explanation.

You might find this funny, but the object is to stay close during a game if you don't have a lead. Down by three runs actually gives you a better chance of winning during the season. Why? If you can get the starting pitcher out of the game and your only down by three in the late innings, most have their Management settings set to a three run lead, which means lineup changes are coming which can be a boon as they are not always the best in hitting and sometimes fielding. Of course it will help if you have a good pen yourself.

Now for Brewers vs Astros match up. I think the Astros should have won the series IMO. I have no respect for Hithcock and Wagner at all, sorry but even the Indians make mince meat out of them. Those were the last two pitchers I figured would start the first two games or gone at the first sight of trouble at least. Herrera won game three, hmm...off speed pitcher versus power lineup...hmm.. I was hoping and expecting Key, Espinoza, and Herrera as the starters. The lineup was almost brought into the right configuration I was talking about. Would have Juan Santiago in the #2 slot, Sid Bryant in the 5th spot followed by Russell Relaford made a difference?

As for Kansas City. I am not sure what happened to them as it just seemed the engine actually turned against them for some reason or everyone found a reasonable way to beat them. This is evident as they went 15-32 to end the season. It could be a case of an easy schedule to start then a tough one to finish and you have to recognize that to combat it.

The Reds-Brewers match up was a classic as these two total power teams did battle, the Reds were the better team in this instance.

I am not saying this to be condescending or telling anyone that this is the way to do it because there is more than one way to do it. I am not saying to dump the power pitchers either as they have their place, but a better mix could be more advantageous. The best thing to do is what works for you. This is just the way the season seemed to have worked for me and for the most part a common theme throughout the season. You must trust all the stats because that is the only way to win. Besides, we need to get these power pitchers out of the Cy Young races every season.

A few last tidbits:

Something I noticed throughout the season is the stolen base setting in the Management settings. I run average and had 104 stolen bases and only got caught 27 times. I know Houston runs aggressive and had 189 steals but got caught 78 times. Doing the math indicates that was an actual total of 34 more stolen bases over the season. Is 34 actual stolen bases worth it compared to 51 more outs?
(189-104) - (78-27) = 34

One last thing is the sacrifice setting. I run aggressive and I am not sure, but it sure seems like I kind of failed in this aspect. I only had 19. However, the funny thing is that I led the league in sacrifice hits. Figure that one out. So did the sacrifices turn into hits? The only thing I can say is that it did.

Reds Win WS in Game 6

Reds win WS Game 6, 7-5 and the series 4-2. A tiered Mariano Borbon held Da Bulls off for 6+ innings as Santiago Mangual and Mitchell Ray quelled Durhams late inning uprisings. Durham players looked tired and disgusted with themselves as they left the field but know they gave everything they had. Ismael Azocar and his game 5 pitching performance gained him the WS MVP honors even though it was his only win in an otherwise dismal post season.

WS Game 5

Durham Bulls vs Cincinnati Reds - The Reds win game 5, 4 to 3. Ismael Azocar put in a herculean effort with a complete game victory throwing 141 pitches while picking up his first win in the post season. He held Da Bulls to 4 hits, although two of them were cheap seats shots, but the Reds coaching staff never considered lifting him for a reliever. This gives the Reds an advantage in game 6 as the taxed pen will be fully rested. Will the Reds go all out in Game 6? Will Da Bulls recover from a taxing game with the off day and have enough left to take the series in 7 games? We shall find out as the teams take the day off and head back to Durham.

WS Game 4

Durham Bulls vs Cincinnati Reds - It was Durham in a 6-2 win as Teddy Bibby became the hero of the game. Yamil Pulido gave up 2 runs in 5 innings of work as the Reds offense was mostly sluggish and the pen couldn't hold down the fort using 5 in relief. The Reds jumped out in front with 2 runs early off of Roy Little who only went 4 innings. Bibby's homer in the 5th off Yamil tied the score. Cy Bruske became the pitcher of record giving 2 shut out innings followed by Owen and Riley. Bibby's run scoring singles in the 7th and 8th produced the go ahead and insurance runs to keep the Reds disheartened.

WS Game 3

Durham Bulls vs Cincinnati Reds - Durham staked Hub Strange to a two run lead and was sailing through the Reds lineup until the third inning. Suddenly and without warning, his Cleveland MO reared its ugly head as he couldn't get anybody out. Was it the League Office warnings with Rocky coming to the plate? Trying to stay away from his ear hole and the bases loaded to boot, he was trying to pitch him outside but hung one that Rocky got all of for a grand salami. Giving up two homers and 5 runs in the inning, Durham coaches had seen enough and in comes John White. Who finally got out of the inning giving up a solo shot, but the damage had already been done. Midre Davis had been occasionally shakey but buckled down after getting a commanding lead, with 2 more insurance runs in the 5th, until the sixth. After striking out AJ and Brooks something didn't look right, Reds coaches noticed the problem but hoped he could get through the inning. However after the third straight solo shot they had seen enough. Bringing in the sometimes unreliable Santiago Mangual may not have been a choice for most Reds fans, but to get out of the inning was a must at least. Santiago surprisingly shut things down until the 9th when the reliable closer Mitchell Ray was brought in to keep things in the Reds win column. With the Reds 8-6 win puts them 2 games to 1.

WS Game 2

Cincinnati Reds vs Durham Bulls - Game 2 saw the offenses get into full swing as the Bulls downed the Reds 9-5. The Reds out hit the Bulls 15-13 but it was the fateful sixth that did them in. Base loaded with no one out, Cy Bruske looked labored, but a visit to the mound got him calmed down and the defense did the rest getting out of the inning without damage. The Reds never threatened after that as Durham added insurance in the 7th and 8th. With the series tied 1-1, we will now have a break in the action as everyone travels to Cincinnati for a best of three.

WS Game 1

Cincinnati Reds vs Durham Bulls - Yamil continued his domination in the post season picking up his 4th win in 5 starts silencing the powerful Bulls lineup. Miguel Rodrigo and Omar Nixon led the offense with a crowd throw back each as the Reds win game 1 5-3. Santiago Mangual looked shakey in relief as the Bulls scored 3 runs as Richard Yamada hitting a crowd pleaser in a late inning heroics that was shut down by the Cambridge and Ray duo.

Quote of The Week

Overheard in the Astros club house between Watkins and Hill- "She is finer than fur covered bucket seats in a monster truck!"..still wondering if it was in regards to DJ's sister.

League News

With the upcoming World Series bout between Durham and Cincinnati, it is rumored that the league commissioners had a sit down chat with a couple players. This reporter expects it is the bad blood that exists between Hub Strange and Rocky Spencer. An unidentified source close to the situation said that if Hub throws at Rocky or Rocky charges the mound dire consequences and suspensions will ensue.

World Series Match Up

Cincinnati Reds vs Durham Bulls - This will boil down to the Reds pitching vs the Bulls offense. Don't expect a sweep this year. The Reds offense will score runs but the catch is will it be enough. If Durham hits like they did in the last two games expect the scoring to be high. The Odds-Makers like the Reds pitching staff but they also like the Durham offense and have placed the odds at 5-4 in favor of the Reds.

Game 7

Anaheim Angels vs Durham Bulls: The Bulls continued their offensive presence with a 13-6 win to take the series and join the Reds in the World series.

Game 6

Anaheim Angels vs Durham Bulls: Game 6 saw the Bulls unleash their pent up fury with 22 runs with 5 crowd pleasers. The Anaheim pitching staff just couldn't keep the ball down is the strike zone however the offense did hit 3 long balls themselves but with little effect as the score was 22-5. The final game of the series will determine who will meet the Reds for the World Series title.

Game 5

Durham Bulls vs Anaheim Angels: Dick Reed continued his mastery in the playoffs recording his third win as the Angels downed the Bulls 4-3 to take a 3-2 series lead. The series now shifts back to Durham for the final two games.

Game 4

Cincinnati Reds squeezes by Milwaukee Brewers for NL Crown in a sweep. They now await the AL winner.

Durham Bulls vs Anaheim Angels: Anaheim outduels Durham in this epic battle with a 5-2 win and knots the series at 2-2. Today the Angel pen held as an error in the 8th erased a 2-1 lead and a 4 run uprising. AJ got the scoring started early with a solo shot in the first but Knucks favorite potato answered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot. Durham took the lead in the fifth with a couple hits before the fateful 8th.

The Minors is IN

AAA: St. Louis Barracudas downs Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 to add to their playoff woes.
AA: Trenton Ball Hogs downs Monterrey Corn Dogs 4-2.
HiA: Cleveland Indians sweep aside Las Vegas 51s stunning even me.
Low A: Oklahoma City Kevin Durants sweeps by Las Vegas 51s leaving them teary eyed twice.
Rookie: Oklahoma City Kevin Durants downs Durham Bulls 4-1.

Game 3

Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers: It was thought the Brewers could handle the Reds at home. Apparently not, as the Brewers went down to defeat a third consecutive time. Is a sweep eminent? It very well could be as the Milwaukee stepchildren need to get their act together. They like to live on the edge, but this one is sharp.

Durham Bulls vs Anaheim Angels: Durham wins game three 6-2. No mistake about it as they sent their best starter to the mound and he responded with 6 solid innings of work. The pen made sure of the win as Jorge Owen pitched three flawless innings of relief to preserve the win. As the Angel offense virtually disappeared, the pen didn't keep it close as they failed again.

Game 2

Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds - Once again the Brewers did things right but came up empty handed. The Reds opened the scoring with a run in the first but were almost denied on some very good defensive plays. Donald Satou looked a little rocky giving up 9 hits in 6 innings but the defense did their job holding the Reds to 2 runs. The Brewers holding a 5-2 lead in the 8th looked assured of a victory as the pen was called upon, but the Reds scored 2 in the 8th and then a 2 out solo shot off reliable closer Cooper Benes in the 9th sent the game to extra innings. Winston Ulrich, in his first AB after relieving Omar Nixon in the 10th, hit a two run two out blast in the 11th that sealed Milwaukee's doom. The series will continue in Milwaukee after a break in the action with the Reds holding a 2-0 advantage.

Anaheim Angels vs Durham Bulls - Dick Reed stuns Durham with a complete game 7-2 victory. Allowing only 5 hits while walking only 1, two of the hits went for solo shots in the 8th and 9th inning. He got plenty of offensive support as Angel batters connected for 4 home runs. 3 of them off Durham starter Cam Anderson who went 8 innings in the losing effort. The series is tied 1-1 and now moves to LA which is a much more difficult park to hit in.

Game 1

Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds - The Brewers did everything right, Yamil was pitched out after 6 innings, the score was close. Was Elcano left in too long? Only to second guess now. The Brewers scored, but alas the rally was cut short as the Reds pen won out 5-4.

Anaheim Angels vs Durham Bulls - The Bulls didn't believe my picking of the Angels. They would have been down a game quickly, but as folly jumps into the midst with a mop up pitcher in the playoffs? Even with a 6 run lead, therefore the Angels fall 10-9.

The LCS for Season 12

Anaheim Angels vs Durham Bulls: The season series was won by Durham 6-4 but the last three games was a sweep by Anaheim at Durham. That makes the Odds-Makers rather happy making the the odds at 3-2 in favor of Durham. However they are expecting an Anaheim win, as to why will make you laugh.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds: The season series belonged to the Reds at 6-4. The Brewers also swept the Reds in their final meeting at home. The Odds-Makers don't like this match up at all and call the odds even with no line.

GM of the Season Candidates

NL:

yoker70 - Kansas City Royals

• 3rd consecutive division title
• 4th playoff appearance

chase39 - Pittsburgh Pirates

• 13 game improvement
• 1st division title in franchise history
• 5th playoff appearance
  

wholck - Trenton Ball Hogs

• 7 game improvement
• 2nd division title in franchise history
• 2nd playoff appearance

kingjogndevi - Houston Lastros

• 3rd consecutive division title
• 2rd playoff appearance
  

dilo - Milwaukee Brewers

• 4 game improvement
• 8th playoff appearance

erffdogg - Cincinnati Reds

• didnt win the division for the 2nd season in a row
  
• contracted VD from DJ's sister
• 9 game improvement
  

AL:

soxfan121 - Durham Bulls

• 20 game improvement
• 2nd division title (last one season 1)
• 5th playoff appearance
  

dhyatt1080 - Dover Dung Beetles

• 2nd consecutive division title
• 2nd playoff appearance
  

edham55 - Monterrey Corn Dogs

• 2 game improvement
• 7th consecutive playoff appearance

northerngaul - Toronto Blue Jays

• 6th division title in franchise history
• 7th playoff appearance
  

mal247 - Anaheim Angels

• 2nd division title in franchise history
• 5th playoff appearance
  

slobs - Las Vegas 51s

• 11th consecutive playoff appearance

Season 12 Playoffs

Monterrey Corn Dogs vs Durham Bulls: Division foes and bitter enemies, what more can you ask for in the playoffs! Monterrey defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, who just wouldn't give up, to get here. Durham owned the season series 7-3. The Odds-Makers find themselves in a precarious situation having to favor Durham 3-1.

Las Vegas 51s vs Anaheim Angels: The upstart 51s upset a good Dover club to get here, can they continue their winning ways? Another division foe rivalry in the AL. The Angels owned the season series 7-3. The Odds-Makers find themselves backed into a corner still having to favor Anaheim 3-1.

Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates: The Reds got by a scrappy Trenton team that didn't know the meaning of quit. This is the third installment of division foes and bitter enemies to the end. Pittsburgh owned the season series 8-2. The Odds-Makers find themselves cowering in the corner now, having to favor Pittsburgh 3-1.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Houston Astros: Milwaukee whitewashed the Kansas City Royals to get here. These two should be in the same division as they are bitter enemies. Milwaukee owns the season series 6-4. The Odds-Makers call this one even but are getting the biggest of bites from the gambling sector. As the odds rise and they blame it on history, favor Milwaukee 7-6.

A Question Answered With A Question

KJD asked a question and the only answer I can give is with a question. The Indians had a great season going 87-75 for the second straight year. They had their problems at the beginning of the year and most of it had to deal with the lineup. Losing three of the best pitchers on staff for most of the season didn't help. However I got it all straightened out about the Transaction Deadline and went 38-17 from that point on and maybe should have won a couple more. But regardless of that, there were other factors at play also. Of the playoff teams, the Indians had a winning record against the Brewers, Pirates and Reds, Cubs and Beans also if you want to throw them in. I split with the Czars. The teams I lost to were the Royals, Ball Hogs and Astros and for the most part badly. So the question is: What is it about the Indians that allows them to beat up the deadly North and have trouble elsewhere? If you can answer that question, then you might be able to beat the Brewers.