Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Season 6 Hall of Famers

As we ready for the futures stars game later tonight it only seems fitting to spend some time remembering the stars of the past. The official Hall of Fame vote for players retiring in season 6 and previous was held recently and here are the results. Remember 75% is needed for induction and 25% is needed to remain on the ballot, maximum 3 times.

Lefty Appier 50%
Terry Witt 50%
Osvaldo Guerrero 50% **
Rico Ordaz 40%
Art Collins 30%

Stan Bonham 20%
Vin Booker 20%
Hector Cedeno 20%

So no players will enter the hall this season but Terry Witt, Lefty Appier, Rico Ordaz and Art Collins will be on the ballot again next season, with Osvaldo Guerrero making his 3rd and final appearance.

Week 4 Players of the Week

Player of the Week

There hasn't been a better power hitter over the past 2 and a half seasons then Gerry Allen...especially for the league minimum. The 23 year old is once again leading the defending champs with his powerful bat. With 2 multiple homer games and 7 games were he drove in at least 2 runs he was an easy choice for Player of the Week.
Best Game: 12/24 AM Vs Tacoma 4 hits, 2 homers, 5 RBI Final Score: 18-1

Pitcher of the Week


Many, including myself, thought Mr. Price was done several seasons ago. When in fact at the age of 35 he is having a career year. Had he played like this with the Flytraps a few seasons ago, csherwood might have actually completed his goal of rebuilding that franchise.
Best Game 12/23 AM Rustlerz 9 ip, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 bb, 8 k's Final: 1-0

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Halfway Report

We are now just past the halfway point in season 10, so it's time to take another look at who's been playing up to snuff and who's been falling down on the job in the American League.

AL EAST

No one has taken charge in this division. The NY Torrones hold a tenuous 3 game lead, currently being the only team playing above .500 ball at 44-39. They seem to really like home cookin', being 15 games over in the friendly confines as opposed to an awful 10 games under on the road. They are playing below their Exp Pct(.530 actual, .552 Exp). With the offense 2nd in RS and T3 in BA, they have slugged their way to most of their wins, since the pitching has been decidedly mediocre. Last season's division winner, the Norfolk Warheads are the opposite. They are 2nd in ERA and RA, but next to last in RS and 3rd from the bottom in BA. They are disappointing 41-42 and are also playing below expectations(.494-.521). Even though the Dover Demon Dawgs are playing sub .500 ball(39-44), they are actually exceeding their expected pct(.470-.424). The Columbus Clippers are currently bringing up ther rear at 38-45 and that is somewhat below where they should be(.458-.475). Close games have been killing this club(6-17 in 1-run games). Top to bottom there are only 6 games separating all 4 teams, so this division looks to be a dogfight all the way to the end.

AL NORTH

At this point in the season, it looks as though the defending champion Minnesota Twinkies are again the class of the league. They have scored 57 more runs and hit 46 more HRs than any other team. Their pitching staff ranks 3rd in ERA and RA. That's a tough combo to beat and it's showing as they have opened up a 6 game lead in the division. That said, even at 23 games over .500(53-30), they are actually playing quite a bit below expectations(.639 act-.678 exp), but so far it's still plenty good enough. The Toronto Toros are having a very good season(11 games over, 47-36), but are in the wrong division. However they are right on the mark(.566-.566) and are still within shouting distance of the lead. Both Philly(.470-452) and Wichita(.458-449) are playing a bit over their expectations, but it's not nearly good enough with 2 of the leagues elite teams residing in the same division.

AL SOUTH

This division is shaping up as a 2 team race, with the Florida Sailfish and the New Orleans Freebeads currently tied for the lead at 48-35. Both teams have been playing over their heads to date(FL +.035, NO + .020). Florida has been good so far in 1-run games(14-8), but if they falter in this category it could be a telling factor in who comes out on top. Monterrey is just about right on the mark(.434-.430) while Louisville is actually .070 ahead of pace, but both teams look to be too far back to make a run this season.

AL WEST

This division looks to be a down-to-the-wire battle between Boise and the surprising San Jose Giants. Going by expectations SJ(.602A-621E) should be leading this division, but it's the Browncoats(.627A-.597E) who currently hold a 2 game lead. This may be because of Boise's better balance(4th ERA, 1st BA), but they also sport an excellent record in 1-run games(14-6). SJ is 1st in ERA, but 2nd from the bottom in BA and has been outscored by almost 50 runs by Boise. Unless this changes, Boise probably has enough pitching to slug their way to the division title. The Vancouver Villains are still within hailing distance at 7 games back, but are playing below expectations by .042(.542-.584). With their good offense and decent staff they could still be a factor here. The unfortunately named Taliban have the leagues worst record at 30-53, 22 games back and will be looking to spoil someone's playoff hopes the rest of the way.

That's how things stand at the halfway point. All 4 divisions are still up for grabs. We'll come back at about the 120 game mark and see it anyone has been able to take the bull by the horns.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Week 3 Players of the week





When you go 15-6 you stand a good chance at having some stand out performers. That is just what Burlington did this past week as they captured both Player and Pitcher of the week. Patrick Cooper hit .421 with 8 homers and 27 RBI. The 32 year-old shortstop has always been a solid performer if not a star. He did greatly benefit from a series against Durham that saw him get 10 hits in three games including 7 extra base hits. He is presently on a 13 game hit streak were he is 25 for 52 (.481).

Best game: 12/13 PM at Durham 5hits, 8runs, 1homer, 2triples, 4rbi, 3BB

Harry Byrne is the flipside to Cooper. A young pitcher in his rookie season. He was the 62nd pick in season 4 and has quietly made it to the majors with some would say only slightly better then average stuff. He did go 4-0 over the past week and had a dazzling ERA of 0.69. This reporter thinks the star must have aligned perfectly for Byrne to pull this off.
Best game: 12/18 PM2 Vs. Minnesota 6ip, 1hit, 1bb, 5k’s, 0er. Final score:8-0

Thursday, December 18, 2008

EVOLUTION OF A TEAM

With the amateur draft set for tommorow, our hopes are high for that player or players who can be the difference between winning and being an also-ran. As such, I would like to take a look back at the evolution of my team, the New York Torrones, from a pretender to a contender.

SEASONS 1-3

The first 3 seasons the franchise was known as the Boston Red Sox, run by hemichllngr. In season 1, the team finished 88-74, 2nd place and 13 games back, in what can only be described as a hitter's paradise. Boston's .306 team BA was only middle of the pack as the AL high was .324 and the low .284. Salem had a league high team ERA of 16.03, and gave up an average of 17.3 RPG! 3 teams had ERAs over 12!. Draft was a disaster as the top 6 Boston picks were unscouted and never signed. Boston pitchers were lead by 38 year old Hal Jefferson with a 14-8 record. Top hitter was 34 year old SS Tomas Borbon(.322,26,150). A young Marquis Wade is the only player from this squad still on the team.

Season 2 was a step backwards. Boston finished last at 12 games out, 73-89. Team hit a respectable .295, 4th in the league but was 13th in ERA at 5.85. Rookie Juan Cela hit 40 HRs as 4 players topped 100 RBI. Bobby Ray Pierzynski had a career high 69 SBs. No one on the staff managed more than 9 wins, but Angel Lima had 31 saves. Somehow, this team had 6 picks in the top 50 in the draft that yielded current Torrones 2B Johnnie Haselman & P Carl Phelps.

Season 3 was a dismal one for the AL East as no team finished over .500. In hemichllngr's final season at the helm, Boston finshed in 2nd place at 75-87, 3 games out. Average fell to 10th at .277 and ERA was 14th at 5.79. Charles Taylor lead the pitching staff with a 14-12 record. Sammy Bold went .306,30,90 to head up a rather anemic offense.

SEASON 4-BEGINNING OF AN ERA?

hemichllngr took his leave and I stepped in to take over this troubled franchise. We moved the team to NY and renamed it the Torrones, a hallowed name in Italian nougat candies. I must admit that, like most rookies to HBD, I didn't know what I was doing early on(some would say I still don't). I signed a lot of pretty useless Int'l FAs, pretty much anyone my scouts dug up. Playing with an inherited team, we only improved 2 games to 77-85, finishing tied for a distant 2nd, 11 games out. The team had some power(215 HRs), but finished 3rd from the bottom in BA at .270 and runs. Team ERA was 5.36 and 13th in the AL. 4 starters finished with double-digit wins lead by Bart Wohlers and Dean McCurry with 14. Mitch Fontenot had 35 saves. C Julius Young made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove while leading the team with a .309 BA, while Juan Cela(47,124) and Donne Brow(43,121) provided the power. In our 1st draft, the only player of note was current stalwart SP A.J. Freeman, chosen with the 11th pick in the draft. We signed him for a bonus of $3,070K, one of the few things we did right that season.

SEASON 5-WORST EVER

With a season under our belt, the chickens came home to roost. The team stumbled to a 60-102 record, 3rd place, 39 games out. We again hit .270 and actually hit more HRs(223) and scored 40 more runs. Pitching fell off to a 5.45 ERA. FA signee Norm Everhart had a team high 13 wins and Bart Wohlers was 11-9, 3.71 ERA, pretty good on a team that was 42 games south of .500. Juan Cela was a rare offensive bright spot with 48 HR, 107 RBI. Bobby Ray Pierzynski won a Gold Glove in CF. Current star slugger Dan Jones was our #1 pick at 15 and signed for a very reasonable $2,690K. Still no Int'l signings of note, but we did make our 1st trade of note getting current OF Jonathan Hogan from Helena for CF Josh Bradford. A look at their ML numbers would indicate that this was a pretty even trade. Two Rule 5 pickups netted a couple of SS, Alex Fernandez and Eric Martin. Neither developed into anything more than marginal MLers and are now gone. A lot more work would be needed to turn this crew into a contender.

SEASON 6-ANOTHER AWFUL SEASON

Season 6 was another dismal season for the Torrones. I was still on a learn-as-you-go program and the team finished last in the division at 63-99, 28 games out. Offense fell off badly to a .262 BA(15th) and a drop of 64 runs to 773(14th). The staff was 13th with a 5.72 ERA, an increase of .27 RPG. Not good. Staff was lead by FA signee Mitchell McRae at 14-11, kind of amazing for a team that only won 63 games. Johnnie Haselman had an excellent rookie season(.286,34,103). #1 pick SS Davey House(#5 overall) signed on for a $4.5M bonus.We traded with Salem for current 3B Pete Olsen in this season. Int'l FA signings included current SP Hipolito Martin($6.0M) and possible future CF Omar Ramirez($3.2M). Rule 5 draft netted current starting CF Ernie Thompson. Even though this season was a waste at the ML level, some of the pieces needed for future improvement were starting to fall into place.

SEASON 7-LAST, BUT IMPROVING

Well, we finished last again in season 7 with an 80-82 record, 23 games behind. While this was a vast improvement over the previous two seasons, it was very disappointing in that it looked like we would have our first season over .500 until we lost our last 4 games. While we didn't improve much in BA over last season, up to .265, we did score 46 more runs(819,9th). Team ERA improved to 5.04(11th). Staff was lead by rookie A.J. Freeman and Al Berroa with 13 wins. Sammy Bold(30,110), and Donne Brow(45,112) provided the power. Haselman suffered a bit from the sophomore jinx(.251,33,80). Bobby Ray Pierzynski won his 2nd Gold Glove in CF. Amateur draft yielded 2 future hitting stars, 1B Tanner Magnante and C Niefi Espinosa. Int'l FA signings this year featured SS Mariano Tavarez and 2B Kiki Lee, both of whom will be on the big club soon. A trade with Burlington netted current ML catcher Andres Cedeno. Things appeared to be looking up.

SEASON 8-A STEP BACK

Our hopes for continued improvement took a hit in season 8. We dropped to a 79-83 record and again dwelled in the cellar, 22 games behind the Columbus Clippers, winners of their 2nd straight division crown. The offense showed decent improvement(.275 BA-7th, 909 Runs-8th). Staff ERA was 5.01(9th). Season 3 3rd round pick MacBeth Clarke made his rookie debut and hit .305 with 103 SBs, at that time a league record. He was caught only 6 times. Season 5 1st round pick Dan Jones hit 37 HRs and 105 RBI in his rookie season. Johnnie Haselman bounced back to tie for the team lead with 37 Hrs and knocked in 107. We signed FA starter Steve Scarsome and he led the team with 14 wins. A.J Freeman lead the team with a 3.91 ERA and 171 Ks and had 13 wins in his sophomore go-round. Hipolito Martin was called up early in the year and has been in the starting rotation ever since. C Yogi Hammond won a Gold Glove. Season 8's amateur draft appears to have been fruitful. I expect that the first 5 picks may all make the ML, #1 P Abraham Orie(#14), #1* C Joey Taylor(#36,traded), #2 3B Danny Fox(#69), #2* C Valerio Lind((#79), & #3 3B Darron Clifton(#101). Paid big bucks for Int'l FA P Miguel Paz($14.5M). Looking for a closer, we traded starter Marshall Roberts for minor leaguer Ed Sanders, who has not developed as we had hoped as yet. In a move that has paid stellar dividends, we plucked C Michael McDonald from Buffalo in the Rule 5 draft that ranks as one of the best moves we have made to date. In his Rule 5 rookie season, he went .301,21,73(as of this writing, he is leading the AL with a .361 BA). So, even though the record was worse than season 7, there was reason for encouragement.

SEASON 9-ALMOST

This was both our best and most disappointing season yet. For much of the season it looked as though we might make a run at the division title. However Norfolk proved too tough and ran away with the division title by 12 games as we finished tied for 2nd with Columbus at 88-74, our best record yet. Most disappointing was that we had a real shot at the wild card to make the playoffs for the first time, but we choked badly down the stretch. A.J. Freeman bore much of the blame as he lost 6 straight starts down the stretch when we needed him the most. There were many encouraging signs in this turn-around season, however. The pitching improved to 4th in the league with a 4.70 ERA. The hitting fell off to .273 and 883 RS. Dan Jones slugged 44 HRs & 124 RBI, while steady Johnnie Haselman contributed 38 HR,120 RBI. C Andres Cedeno hit .315 in his rookie campaign. Rookie 1B Tanner Magnante(.308,29,94) was a serious ROY contender. Season 8 Rule 5 addition C Michael McDonald improved to .312,27,97 in his 2nd season. Season 6 #1 pick Davey House also made his somewhat disappointing rookie debut. One of the biggest additions of the year came in a trade with the Florida Sailfish. We added a badly needed top starter in Monte Brown and a reliable reliever in Felix Gang in exchange for top Int'l FA Miguel Paz, C Joey Taylor and OF Felipe Eusebio. Monte won 9 games for us after coming over in the trade(16-7 overall) and made the All-Star team, as did closer Timothy Van Poppel. Freeman, despite his late collapse, lead the team with 14 wins(but 13 losses), and Hipolito Martin improved to 13-6 and lead the team with a 3.52 ERA in his 2nd campaign. #1 pick B.C. Garland(#13 overall) looks like he might just be the dominant closer we have been looking for. Mateo Carresquel was taken in the Rule 5 draft and should turn out to be a creditable ML starter or long reliever. Pitchers Diego Garza and Orlando Calderone were signed on the Int'l FA market and look to have bright futures.

SEASON 10

At about 1/3 of the way through season 10, the New York Torrones hold a tenuous 2 game lead in the AL East division as of this writing. The offense has held its own, but the pitching has been very disappointing, though somewhat better of late. Unless that improves, we will not be able to hang with the big boys like Minnesota and Boise, let alone my own division. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Week 2 Players of the Week

Player of the Week #2



The Coat Factories have fought their way back into the top teams in the National League mostly on the back of Erik Mintz. They are 12-9 over the past week while he has been hitting up a storm, .357 avg, 15 homers and 36 RBI. In just under 170 at bats he has almost surpassed his rookie numbers from last season. He is cementing himself as one of the best 1st basemen in the game.
Best Game: 12/9 AM @Durham 6AB 4 Hits, 4 homers, 11 RBI 1 BB FS=24-5

Pitcher of the Week #2



Browns 1st season with New York as been a huge success so far. The Torrones are in 1st place in the hotly disputed AL East and Monte has 5 of their 23 wins. 4 in the past week. He has pitched into the 7th inning in all 5 starts this week and lost only once. He has two years remaining on his contract and will most likely get a big raise when the time comes.
Best Game: 12/8 Pm2 Com. Game Shutout 5 k’s, 6 hits, 2 bb’s. FS=1-0

Thursday, December 11, 2008

AL Over & Under Achievers at the 1/4 pole

Well, we have reached just over the 40 game mark in season 10. GB69 has posted and made a lot of owners eat their words. Are they tasty, guys? So, let's take a look at who is playing over their heads and who is performing like dawgs. This analysis is based on the actual winning pct as opposed to the expected pct based on Runs scored for vs against as shown in the advanced standings.

AL NORTH
Everyone in the AL North is playing right about at a level that the RS/RA would suggest except for Wichita. While they are currently bringing up the rear in the division, the Posse is playing over .50(.425 to .373 pct) better than expected. The defending champion Twinkies have been the cream of the crop so far, scoring well over 100 runs more than they've given up(287-172). That's huge!

AL EAST
Well, after all the pre-season boasting, the AL East has been playing like the AL Least so far. Torrones and Dawgs are playing exactly as their Exp Pct suggests(mediocre and badly, respectively). Last seasons division winner Norfolk is under performing by .35 pct, but so far the biggest loser has been the Clippers, who are playing at .73 pct worse than they should. Is the Columbus mgr on the hot seat?

AL SOUTH
This division a currently a mess, with every team under .500. The really sad part is that 3 of the 4 teams are actually EXCEEDING their exp pct! Only New Orleans is playing slightly worse than expectations. Florida, Monterrey, & Louisville are all playing better than their RS/RA would suggest but all are still on the "south" side of .500. I'm really surprised by this since I expected Fla & NO to be powerhouses. Still plenty of time.

AL WEST
Strongest overall division so far. Championship contenders Boise and Vancouver, and vastly improved San Jose are all well above .500. Boise is overachieving by .52 pct. The Villains, at -.58 pct, are actually under performing, despite being 12 games over .500. The Giants are just about on the money, but the Taliban are -.61 and sporting the worst record in the AL at the moment. They have only given up 195 runs which is 6th in the league, but they can't plate any runs, having scored a league low 143 to date.

We'll come back at the halfway point and see how things have changed, or not, as the case may be.

You said what???

As we hit the 40 game mark it is time to look back and see who should be eating their words and who should be acting like the second coming of Nostradamus.


Toronto Toros : Watch out Twinkies I am loading both barrels and ****ing the hammer.
(The barrels are loaded but the Toros haven’t fired both of them yet)

Yup the Al east is very chatting considering they havent won a WS collectively since Season 1. The North has rather quietly taken 5 in 9 seasons. Keep talking boys...talk is cheap :)
(Talk is cheap, wins are hard to come by as the EAST is collectively well below .500)
Grissom considering you have been here for 1 year. ..won less games then me AND did it all with a franchise that had won over 100 games two straight seasons before your arrival...congrats on taking them to the next level...that is the level below the one the were at before.
(The trend continues as the Clippers are 5 games below .500)

Minnesota Twinkies : Goldenboy - you've made a few trades that have made me mutter cuss words to myself. I'm not planning on sitting here and doing nothing, though!
(The Twinkies need not worry yet as they hold the best record in all of baseball)

Norfolk Warheads : whoever wins the battle for the AL this year had better not rest too comfortably on their laurdes because the Warheads intend to drop the hammer in season 12.
(maybe even sooner as they are tied for the lead in the AL East)

San Jose Giants : I think this team could double their wins from last season. In season 11 though, the dynasty will begin. (84 wins?)
(The Giants are actually on pace for closer to 90 wins, and a possible playoff appearance)

New York Torrones
:
I expect it to be a tough fight for the division this season. I don't think we have any weak teams.
(While it is a real dog fight, there seems to be 2 average teams and two struggling ones)
Prediction-this year we make the playoffs!
(maybe)
Clipper overconfidence. Gotta love it!
(True)
gb69, you guys have had your fun. Every dynasty ends. The East is gonna be your worst nightmare this year! Come visit.
(Toronto is currently 6-4 vs. the East including a 3 game sweep of New York)
Personally, my(admittedly biased) opinion is that the East is the toughest division,
(they did win the league wide vote, but the numbers say they are actually thirs in the AL)

Dover Demon Dawgs: It's ok Torrone.. I haven't forgot about you.. however I do plan on winning more games then this team has in the past 2 seasons. (87 wins is the mark to beat and they are actually on pace for about 60…ouch)

after 40 my guys will prove how much the team has become better.( 14-25…maybe 40 more games?)

I feel the AL East will have 3 Playoff teams this season.. And probably will crown the champ out of that division too..
(Right now they should be thankful that they will get one)

Columbus Clipper
s: Yes, but I'll take the division torrone (3 games out so far)

Sorry guys, last years fatigue and payroll issues have been fixed. I'm sure the wildcard spots will be available so good luck. (The WC might be out of reach for anyone in the East)
My hitting should be strong all year. Good luck torrone but I hope you'll be looking up at us in the standings real soon. (Middle of the road hitting and they currently looking up)
I'll check the schedule to see when I get to carve up your boys into some steaks, gb. I'd bet even tom's puppies could walk away with the North division title, while he'll be no more than a 4th place team in our division.(Tom is in 4th, and is the 2nd worst team in the AL)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Where are they now?

We take a moment to look back at some of the notable International Free Agent Signings from Season 1. This is in the days before funds could be transferred so the maximum that could be spent was 20 million. No one came close to that level but about half a dozen players signed deals that gave them bonuses of above 5 million. Here are some that left a mark on our league.

Ariel Seneca , the richest International in season 1. At age 19 he signed a deal that gave him 10 million upfront. He started two game sin AAA before getting the call up. Over seasons 3-4-5 he won an average of 14 games. It has been downhill since then though. Winning only 28 games the past 4 seasons. More time in the minors would have been helpful in developing his game.

Jolbert Cordero , a year younger then Seneca, Cordero grabbed a 8.8 million dollar bonus and didn’t reach the majors until season 3. Since then he has been an All-Star twice and won 85 games in 6+ seasons with a 3.84 ERA Andover 1000 k’s.

Vic Blanco , the largest bonus for a position player was 7.3 million for this middle infielder. His entire career has been spent with Minnesota and has seen him be an All-Star, a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glover…plus two world series rings. At age 27 he has 278 homeruns and 686 rbi while playing stellar defense at 2nd.

Luis Nieves , the first of our major busts. 7 million dollars + 15 wins + 298 innings + 4.50 ERA = Not worth the money.

Pedro Cordero , 6.9 million dollars. Not an amazing player but a solid performer that has stolen 123 bases and bats consistently around .290

Tomas Javier , talk about bang for your buck. 6.5 million and he has swatted 308 homers and over 1000 hits. Should make a run at 2500 hits and 600 homers.

Sammy Armas , never really gotten a shot at the bigs until a few seasons ago. Sports a 21-5 record out of the pen and a solid 4.10 ERA. Not worth 6.5 million but a solid citizen.

Al Lucano , unsigned free agent since season 8. 32 career wins for 5.1 million.

Juan Villa , solid player his whole career with San Juan. 83 homers, 114 steals and a .287 avg in 5 + seasons. 5 million bonus.

Bartolo Nunez , 5 million and has never seen the majors.

Victor Nunez , same as above.

Kevin Martin , cough cough.

Those are the 5 Million plus men, below are players that gave some serious bang for the buck.

Alberto Aparicio , has converted 90% of save opportunities while having a sub 2.75 ERA. Good production for 3.3 million.

Dennis Yang , 3 million doesn’t buy much these days. But in season one it could get you a Shortstop that will win a silver slugger and make the all-star team.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Players of the Week: Number 1

WEEK ONE Player of the Week


Back in season one Buffalo spent 5.5 million dollars on the rights to Japanese 1st baseman. Up until this past week that has been money unwisely spent. In 8 major league seasons he had 59 homeruns, 275 RBI and an avg around .280. Not numbers you would want from a 1st baseman. Last week though Nakamura helped Charlotte off to a nice 11-8 start by swatting 8 homers and driving in 26 runs while batting close to .400. Will he be able to keep up the pace? For 7.5 million dollars he better.

BEST GAME: 11/29 PM2 5 AB 3 HITS 2 HR’s 3 RBI

WEEK ONE Pitcher of the Week

The LuauDawgs are off to a nice start due in large part to the right arm of Tony Blair. In 5 starts he is 4-1 with 1.09 WHIP and 2.57 ERA while striking out 28 in 35 innings. He is off to a great start if he is looking to add his 2nd CY Young award this season.

BEST START: 12/3 PM2 7 IP 0 ER 2 HITS 6 K’s 2 BB

Big Battle in the AL East

As the season approaches the 20 game mark the league board has been taken over by the AL East. The talk has been heated at times as each owner argues their team’s ability to take the division crown. The hostilities have not yet reached a point where these proud owners are throwing punches yet it would not be much of a stretch. It is also their believe that they have the strongest division and the this year's World Series Champion.

Here’s a preview of the teams:

Norfolk Warheads – Last season’s division champ came within one game of going to the World Series. The Warheads were not satisfied with the way their season ended and made several moves to strengthen there team for another attempt at the trophy they are determined to bring home. Dwayne Nixon (1B), Santiago Morales (RP), Philip Riley (RP) & Carlos Morales (RP) are the key additions to the ML roster and appear to bolster areas of concern. Norfolk will again be tough and it will be up to the rest of the division to find a way to catch them

Columbus Clippers – The team’s previous ownership neglected the team as they waited to transfer control. This led to cap & fatigue issues that contributed to the team’s inability to continue its run of 100 win seasons. The hope is that last years player misuse will not run over into this season and that the additions of Brett Podsednik (3B), Mike Nady (CF), Reagan Mathews (RP), Raymond Smith (RP) will enable the already strong nucleus to regain its lofty win total.

New York Torrones – Staggering down the stretch cost NY a playoff spot but management has decided to allow the team another year to see if they can improve on last years record. This is a big gamble with an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league, while the team's pitching and fielding finished in the middle of the league rankings. However with only 5 players over 30 on the ML squad this team may still have room to improve and be able to capture that elusive playoff spot.

Dover Demon Dawgs – This team took a step backwards last year and needs to improve quite a bit to make a playoff appearance. Management wasn’t afraid to make changes to try to accomplish just that. Justin Winston (C), FP Koskie (1B), Steve Bonilla (DH), Alan Lowell (SP) & Tomas Gandarilla (SP) were all brought in via trades and appear to be able to contribute right away. Last years sub .500 record was disappointing for a team that finished in 2nd the two previous season but it looks like the new owner has a plan and will not hesitate to implement it.

With the talent each of these teams has accumulated it looks like it may very well be possible for everyone to finish above .500 this season. It may also be possible for three of these teams to make the playoffs. The real question is what kind of shape will these franchises be in after the dogfight that will probably take all season to decide. Will anyone have anything left in their tank to make any noise in the playoffs? It should be fun to watch so stay tuned.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Fresh Meat: Season 1 Amateur Draft Recap

Long ago before you could rank players drafting was a big guessing game. Here are the first ten guesses ever and some other notable picks from the Amateur Draft in season 1.Reagan was the first player taken in draft season 1. Upside great stamina, solid splits and 3 fairly good pitches. Downside…has problems hitting the broadside of a barn. A career winning percentage of .341 and 6.22 walks per 9 innings. Not a very strong pick by gator993.

2. Vin Austin , came up as a SS but has spent time in CF as well. Austin is a 2 time All-star that posts a solid .289 avg, 151 homeruns and 113 steals in 7+ seasons. While not a star he is a solid player that should be around for several more productive years.

3. Tony Blair not the former British Prime Minister, but would get my vote for best pick of the draft. 2 time all-star and winner of the CY Young in season 8. In 6 plus seasons has averaged 15 wins, 170 k’s and a very low ERA of 3.32. Has pitched 200 + innings 5 times and posted a sub 3.00 ERA 3 times. Future Hall of Famer?

4. Bud Ojeda the third biggest signing in the 1st ever amateur draft. Ojeda has been hit or miss for the most part. At his best he was 12-9 with a sub 4 ERA. At his worst 10-6 with a 5.50 ERA. Not worthy of the 4th pick overall or a 4 million dollar bonus.

Picks 5-8 did not sign.

9. Willie Soto has bounced around the league a little but has always been a solid citizen. 1000 career hits and 129 steals at age 28. Has made the All-star team once. A fairly solid pick at number 9.

10. Pedro Marrero is one of those players with some great skills ( 25 homers, 17 steals on average the past 3 seasons) and some huge holes in his game ( .265 avg, 130k’s, 11 outfield errors over the same period). Hey at least he made the majors and makes plays one way or the other.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS

11. Bey Morris might turn out to be the best player taken. Still only 27 he has twice hit over 40 homers in a season. Averaging over 30 homers a season and a solid .280 avg. Could well end up hitting over 400 career homers.

15. Jack Minor The most expensive player taken in the draft at almost 6 million dollars. He has been a huge bust thus far. 30 years old and only 825 career at bats he doesn’t look like he will ever come close to paying off that huge investment.

16. Ewell Hansell The 2nd most expensive player in the draft (5.1 million). He is another huge bust…251 career avg, bad fielding and 61 homers in 1700 at bats. Spend your money on scouting kids.

17. Harry Velazquez , this is what good scouting gets you! 194 homers in just 6 seasons….from a fairly solid fielding Shortstop. Only a one time all-star, often doesn’t get the respect he truly deserves.

29. Albert Pulido , one of the best pure power hitters in baseball. Three times he has hit over 50 homers and has over 260 in his career. Lacks some of the finer skills but is an explosive player that would be a welcome addition to any team.

33. Doug Clark , another solid pick that has blossomed into a fine player. Still only 27 he has slugged 198 homers in his career while playing a solid right field.

37. Cookie Candelaria 25-90-12 .290 avg, not bad for a sandwich pick.

310. Geoff Sullivan The last player taken that has made it to the majors. A rule 5 selection in season 5 saw him make it to the majors before he was ready. Did win 5 games out of the pen and had a solid 3.04 ERA in 44 innings. Not bad for 9th round pick in the first ever draft.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Smash Mouth Baseball?

The early goings of season 10 in Addicted Users have been spunky to say the least. With much of the chat coming out of the AL East and a bit from the North. We thought it would be good to take note of some of the hilights, low lights and rather large predictions that have been thrown around. We will check back later in the season to see who is eating their words.

Toronto Toros
: Watch out Twinkies I am loading both barrels and ****ing the hammer.

Yup the Al east is very chatting considering they havent won a WS collectively since Season 1. The North has rather quietly taken 5 in 9 seasons. Keep talking boys...talk is cheap :)

yawn...you boys are like the little Lion cubs bouncing around the big lion....then swat he puts you on your ass. then eats your face...

Grissom if you think 9 straight playoff appearances is not having done much lately...fine. Considering you have been here for 1 year. ..won less games then me AND did it all with a franchise that had won over 100 games two straight seasons before your arrival...congrats on taking them to the next level...that is the level below the one the were at before.

Minnesota Twinkies : Goldenboy - you've made a few trades that have made me mutter cuss words to myself. I'm not planning on sitting here and doing nothing, though!

Norfolk Warheads :
whoever wins the battle for the AL this year had better not rest too comfortably on their laurdes because the Warheads intend to drop the hammer in season 12.

Torrone- we are definitely not mailing it in for this season. On the contrary, we just solidified our bullpen, and I feel pretty damn good about our chances. Some minor retooling has insured that we will stay young and strong for a long time.

San Jose Giants :
I think this team could double their wins from last season. In season 11 though, the dynasty will begin. (84 wins?)

New York Torrones :
Everyone seems to be ignoring my Torrones. Do so at your peril!

I expect it to be a tough fight for the division this season. I don't think we have any weak teams.

Prediction-this year we make the playoffs!

Clipper overconfidence. Gotta love it!

gb69, you guys have had your fun. Every dynasty ends. The East is gonna be your worst nightmare this year! Come visit.

Personally, my(admittedly biased) opinion is that the East is the toughest division,

Dover Demon Dawgs:
It's ok Torrone.. I haven't forgot about you.. however I do plan on winning more games then this team has in the past 2 seasons. (87 wins is the mark to beat)

after 40 my guys will prove how much the team has become better.( we will have to check in then)

I feel the AL East will have 3 Playoff teams this season.. And probably will crown the champ out of that division too..

Columbus Clippers:
Yes, but I'll take the division torrone (Bold Statement!)

Sorry guys, last years fatigue and payroll issues have been fixed. I'm sure the wildcard spots will be available so good luck.

My hitting should be strong all year. Good luck torrone but I hope you'll be looking up at us in the standings real soon.

No problem tom, bring on those cute little puppies of yours. We'll try not to spank you too bad but I'm not sure if your team is paper trained yet.

I'll check the schedule to see when I get to carve up your boys into some steaks, gb. I'd bet even tom's puppies could walk away with the North division title, while he'll be no more than a 4th place team in our division.

gb, looks like you're banging the drum for others in your division. I don't see where you've done much lately. Looks like your dynasty is on the down side, unless your happy with wildcard finishes and first round playoff exits.







Hall of Fame Vote Season 6

Players who retired after the completion of Season Six will be up for vote into the Addicted Users Hall of Fame. Voting will take place until All-Star Weekend. Owners who are allowed to vote have been in the league since at least Season 6.

Vince Adcock

Lefty Appier

Daryl Becker

Stan Bonham

Vin Booker

Patrick Carpenter

Hector Cedeno

Art Collins

Francis Dunn

Dick French

Stewart Garcia

Orlando Gonzalez

Rich Hatcher

Willie Herrera

Sean Hinchliffe

Trevor Miller

Charles Moore

Rico Ordaz

Pinky Ramirez

Louis Robertson

Frank Saitou

Rob Scheffer

Greg Schourek

Norm Standridge

Junior Thomas

Juan Vega

Richard Workman

Terry Witt

Osvaldo Guerrero **

The two ** denote that Osvaldo Guerrero is on the ballot for the 2nd time.

Season 1-5 Hall Of Fame Vote

At the conclusion of the 9th season a vote was held for players that had retired during seasons 1 through 5. While many players were on the ballot only a few received votes. With 75% being the amount of votes that would get a player into the hall. No player received that amount of votes and only 1 player received about 25% (the amount needed to be kept on the ballot a 2nd time). After 3 times on the ballot a player will no longer be considered.

Osvaldo Guerrero 36%
Javier Elcano 21%
Antonio Cho 14%
Willie Eusebio 14%
Bill McCarthy 14%
Bud Beirne 7%
Juan Bravo 7%
Carlton Bryant 7%
Bob Cora 7%
Walt Crosby 7%
Jocko Holtz 7%
Tom Piper 7%
Dan Ramirez 7%
Earl Ryan 7%
Jose Santiago 7%
Joe Witt 7%

Introduction to the Addicted Users Blog

So here is the first post, I will try and outline what I hope to do with it.

1. Keeping track of our Hall of Fame.
2. Recaps of past seasons including, Draft Re-Caps, International Signings Re-Cap, Rule 5 Draft Re-cap, Trade Histories.
3. Mid-Season Awards, End of Season Award Previews and Reviews, Major Trade Break downs, Player and Pitcher of the Week Stories, Game of the Week Summary.
4. Anything else that pops into my mind from time to time.


If anyone else is interested in adding to this please let me know.