Sunday, June 21, 2009

AL West 1/4 Pole Report

AL WEST


Vancouver Villains- jvburns has his club tied for the West lead with perennial powerhouse Boise. At 25-20, they are over .500 both at home and on the road. Playing slightly below expectations(.568 act-.582 exp). They have scored 45 more runs than they have allowed. A potent offense leads the league in RS(305) and is 2nd in BA(.289) and OPS(.853). The pitching staff K's a lot(3rd, 284), but give up a lot of HRs(15th, 79). Most of the rest of the pitching stats are just a bit below the league avgs. FA signing SP Russell Blake has been disappointing so far(2-6, 6.22 ERA). Former top starter Trevor Roa has pitched well in relief. Up and comer Johnny Richardson has been very good(5-0, .254 OAV, 3.76 ERA). DH Bump Sabel is off to a great start(.361 BA, 11 HR, .611 SLG, 1.057 OPS), as is 1b/DH Vin Bradshaw(.341, .707 SLG, 1.193 OPS). Rookie RF Rob Willis(.324, 13 HR, 50 RBI) looks like a star in the making.


Boise Browncoats- in a current 3 way tie for 1st at 25-20. Evan23 always fields a competitive team and this year is no exception. Also playing over .500 home/road. They have given up more runs than they have scored and are playing well above EXP(.556 act-.496 exp). An 8-2 record in 1-run games has helped. a .276 BA is below league avg, OBP & OPS(15th) and SLG & HR(last) are uninspiring. 225 RS is 3rd from the bottom. So how is this team tied for 1st? Well, the pitching is above average in almost every category, proving once again how important pitching is. Of the few mid-level FA signings, only 3B Steve Cook has made a decent contribution. Traded for SP Miguel Benavente to shore up the staff, but results have been uneven(4-2, .310 OAV, 5.29 ERA).Staff is showing some age(Joey Montgomery-38, Mark Scutaro-37, Stan Rolls-40). Scutaro is still effective and is backed up by Artie Dimaggio(5-2, 3.86) and Bobby Stephenson(4-3, 3.18). Perennial All-Star LF Alfonso Tejera is off to the worst start of his career(.208 BA, 6HR, .385 SLG). 4 time MVP C Olmedo Rivas is also playing well below career norms(.246, 8 HRs, .419 SLG). Unless these guys revert to form, it could be a long cold winter in Boise.

San Jose Giants- also part of the 3-way knot at the top of the West at 25-20. Also above .500 home/road. nzballa has his club playing a touch above expectations(.556 act-.546 exp) despite a 2-5 record in 1-run games. San Jose usually does it with pitching and this year is no exception. 1st in WHIP(1.30), OBP(.315) & Hits(384), 2nd in OAV(.250), SLG(.428), 3rd in RA(221). The offense has been doing its part with a BA, OBP, & SLG all above league averages. No speed, having attempted ony 2 SBs all season. Some mid-level FA signings have not provided much to date. Shane Rolls(4-1, 2.31), Dave Wilkinson(4-2, 3.20), and Johnnie Price(7-1) have anchored as solid staff. LF Rick Costello is have a great season, leading the league in RBI(52) and tied in HR(19) and is batting .352. Luis Guillen is also having a fine season at .323 with a 1.004 OPS. Solid contender.

Tucson Desert Rats- after finishing 33 games out last season, optistrat is hanging tough this year at 22-23, only 3 games back. The Rats are playing a bit above EXP(.489 act-.477 exp) having won 6 straight. A less than stellar home record(8-12) has been offset by an excellent road tally(14-11). Near the top of the league in Runs, SB, BA, OPB and SLG. It's the pitching that has been holding them back. A staff with an ERA of 6.00(14th), WHIP(1.68, 15th), OBP(T-14th), OAV(.290) & RA(last at 297) is the culprit. That won't get it done. Trades for SPs Mike Kelton and Donaldo Rosario have not met expectations. SP Andres Cela has been a bright spot(6-1, 3.83). DH Jumbo Flores has been very good(.348 BA, 1.056 OPS) as has CF Timothy Roberts (.328, .974 OPS). Rising star Harry Alicea has been disappointing so far. Playing in a tough division, the Desert Rats are making progress, but they're not there yet.

AL South 1/4 Pole Report

AL SOUTH



Florida Fire Sailfish- currently atop this division by 5 games with a 24-20 record, but on a 7 game losing streak. Playing great on the road(12-4) but not so well at home(12-16). Despite recent problems, the Fish are still playing better than RS/RA would indicate(.545 act-.513 exp). They are very close to the league avg in almost every offensive category. Same with the pitching. Their 4.78 ERA is 6th in the league. OAV, OBP, WHIP, Hits allowed, & OSLG are all very close to league avgs. Their a 6-1 record in 1-run games has helped. DH Lance Kelleher(.333 BA), C Eric Murphy(.329 BA, .665 SLG, 1.067 OPS), & RF Miguel Palacios(.324, .627 SLG, 1.049 OPS) lead the offense. Rookie RP Diego Garza(4-1, 3 Svs, 2.31 ERA), Esteban Lee(5-3) and Victor Colome(6-2, 3.59) anchor the staff. With no player on the ML roster over the age of 28, league commish jmercer has a team that will compete for years, but may not have enough to be a true force this season.



New Orleans Freebeads- after finishing tied for the division title in season 11, joshoakley's squad is off to a very disappointing start this year. They sit at 6 games under .500(19-25), 5 games behind the Sailfish. They are under .500 both at home and on the road. They are playing even worse than expectations(.470 exp-.432 act). A horrendous 6.05 ERA is the worst in the league as is the OSLG(.512). They have given up the most HRs(80) & 5th most runs. Offense is erratic. Has scored 4th most runs(261), but has 4th least hits. Right near league avgs in BA, OBP, SLG, & OPS. Young power-hitting C Hector Gonzales(.305, 13 HR, 40 RBI) leads the 'O'. Veteran SP Julio Cedeno off to a slow start(2-4, 9.59 ERA). 2 elbow surguries may be catching up with him. Pete Gardner(4-1, .242 OAV) can't do it alone, as every other starter is below .500. So far, MIs Mark Jones & Jumbo Neruda have not been justifying their big salaries.



Louisville Sluggers- davidbutler's efforts to improve this team have so far been unrewarded. Currently tied for 3rd with Monterrey at 15-29 and 9 games back. Losing at similar rate both at home and on the road. Slightly below EXP(.341 act-.373 exp). Last in BA(.263), OBP(.326), & Hits. 2nd to last in RS, SLG, & OPS. Also well below league avgs in almost all pitching categories. Signed veteran RF Dennys Clifton to a reasonable 2 year deal and returns have been favorable so far(.319 BA), and LF Cristobal Castillo is putting up some nice numbers(.314, .596 SLG, 14 HR, 32 RBI). Signed aging SP Harry Seneca to a 3 year deal and he has been a disappointment so far(1-5, 5.70 ERA). With no player on the team with an overall rating over 75, this team still has a way to go before it becomes a contender.

Monterrey Cheeseheads- vector21 took over this team in season 10 and has posted identical 61-101 records in his 1st 2 seasons. Off to a slow 15-29 start in season 12. Playing below it's .416 exp at an actual pct of .341. In bottom 3 of many pitching categories. Surprising offense is 5th in BA(.285) & 6th in hits, 5th in SLG & HRs. But the 'O' is still somehow 12th in RS. Signed some mid level FA pitchers that have so far been disappointing(Donatello Poole, Matty Martinez, Buddy Henley, Fritz Starr). CF Juan Santana has posted decent stats(.299, 11 HR, .605 SLG, .941 OPS), as has rising star Ernest Payton(.285, 11 HR, .895 OPS). It has not been enough to lift this team out of its current doldrums, however. With 11 players on the ML roster over 30 years old and no player with an Overall better than 78, this team may be in need of a major overhaul.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

AL East 1/4 Pole Report

AL EAST

Columbus Clippers- currently leading division by 1 game over Norfolk. Got off to a blazing start but have cooled recently, losing 11 of their last 15. Overall playing a bit better than RS/RA would suggest(.558 act-.531 exp). Better than league avg ERA(4.77) and most other pitching categories. Below league avg in most offensive categories, it has mainly been strong relief pitching that has kept them atop the division. Signed FA SP Guillermo Paz, CF Ernie Thompson, and SS Derrek Beltre. Paz has done well, but so far Thompson and Beltre have not provided much offensive punch. Former All Star Dennis Newfield has been the offensive star with 14 HRs. 4 other Clippers have 10 HRs each, but they will need more to have the season grissom expects.

Norfolk Warheads- chrishoiles squad is currently 23-20, 1 game behind Columbus, but has dropped their last 4. They have 25 more RS than RA and should be playing at a .558 clip but are a bit below expectations at .535. Next to last in BA(.269) and below league avg in most other offensive categories. They are doing it with pitching however. 2nd in the league in ERA(4.17). 1st in OSLG & 3rd in OAV. They have given up a league low 190 runs. Ned Little leads the staff with a 5-0 record. May come to regret signing aging 3B Jayson Long to a 4 year contract. Lack of potent offensive threats may put too much strain on the pitching staff to contend all season.

New York Torrones- A pre-season favorite to contend for the division crown, torrone's club is off to a horrendous start. While playing a bit better of late, having won 4 straight, they are still a game below .500 at 21-22 and 3 games behind Columbus. Their .488 act pct is well below the .549 exp. To look at the stats, you would think this team was in 1st place. The pitching staff has the 4th lowest ERA, 2nd lowest HR allowed, 3rd lowest OAV, 4th lowest OBP, 2nd lowest OSLG, & 4th lowest WHIP. Offensively they are 4th in BA, 3rd in OBP & Hits. But this has not translated into enough runs(241 is only slightly above league avg). Loss of SP Monte Brown has been somewhat offset by the trade for Glendon Green(4-1, 3.86 ERA) and the re-signing of Jamie Adkins(4-2, 4.17). But ace A.J. Freeman and Hipolito Martin have been disappointing so far. The offense has been led by former MVP 1B Tanner Magnante(.350 BA, 1.054 OPS), & C Andres Cedeno(.419 BA). Currently injured CF Macbeth Clarke (R)still leads the league in SB with 29. So, what's wrong. Only thing I can think of is that it must be the manager!

Boston Greenwell Gators- Tied with the Torrones in 3rd at 21-22. Signed some FA veterans to big dollar, multi-year contracts(Vin Austin, Kiki Beltran) to try to reverse last season's 4th place finish. Currently playing below expectations(.488 act/.517 exp). Leads league in BA(.298) & OBP, 2nd in SLG & RS, 3rd in HRs. Offense led by former ROY F.P. Koskie(.370 BA), Stevie Bonilla(.363), and powerful Parker Bennett(12 HR, 40 RBI). Problem is the pitching. 5.89 ERA(4th worst), Last in OBP, WHIP, & Hits. 4th worst in SLG & RA tells the story. SP Fergie Chouinard is 4-0 & Fernando Pena has been good at closer, but the rest of the staff has been sub-par. Doesn't matter how much they hit if the pitching does not improve.

AL North1/4 Pole Report

Well, it's just past the 1/4 mark of season 12, so it's time to see who is playing over their heads and who has not lived up to expectations.

AL NORTH

Toronto Toros- Goldenboy69 has put together a squad tha he feel can go all the way this season, and so far they have done nothing to disprove that notion. They are off to a hot start at 27-16 and currently hold a 3 game lead in their division. They are playing just slightly above expectations(.628-.610). They made a nice FA signing of Monte Brown when he refused a mutual option with the NY Torrones. He has paid early dividends with a 4-1 record despite a 5.12 ERA. Currently leading the league in ERA(4.12), OAV(.250), WHIP(1.33). With 4 players already in double digits in HRs, that's enough 'O' to support a top notch pitching staff. One soft spot may be the age of some members of that starting staff and their ability to make it through the whole season healthy. If that happens, watch out! Legitimate contender.

Wichita Waffle House Posse- sccrplyr16 has his club off to a surprising start at 24-19, 3 games back of Toronto. Their .558 pct is a little better than their .514 EXP. Signed 4 FA pitchers topped by SP Placido Hernandez. So far that has resulted in a staff ERA below the league avg. Offense is 2nd in BA(.290) with 4 regulars batting over .300, led by Norm Nady's .362. FA SPs Hernandez & Brandon Saarloos have combined for 9 wins. Improved over last season. Let's see if they can keep it up.

Minnesota Twinkies- brentnet's perennial powerhouse is off to a somewhat slow start at 22-21. Their .512 pct is surprising(.428 EXP) considering they have given up 36 more runs than they have scored. The ERA is well above league avg and they have given up almost 90 more hits than IP. An OAV of .299 and a OSLG of .500 will not result in many wins. Their always powerful offense is what is keeping them afloat to date. They lead in HRs & SLG, but are below the league avg in RS. Signed slugger Brad Yashian, but traded one of their best SPs, Donaldo Rosario, for middling prospects.

Milwaukee alcoholics- jeff2106 took over season 11's cellar dwellers this year. Off to a slow start at 16-27, this is a reclamation project. So far playing below expectations(.372 act-.412 exp).
Last in the league in runs & hits and near the bottom in most other offensive categories. Below league avg in most pitching categories also. Young hurler Dennis Boggs has been a bright spot(5-2, 3.51). Signed some aging FAs, but most have not worked out, Joshua Walker being the exception. Has some good young players on the ML roster in Boggs, Pablo Chavez(injured), Abraham Fonda & Javy Iglesias. Saddled thru year 14 with SP Freddie Forrest's big contract by previous owner. Team may take some time to turn around.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Fresh Meat: Season 3 Amateur Draft

The third ever Addicted Users Draft was a huge success. Of the first 32 picks only 3 never signed and of the remaining 29, 26 call the major leagues their home now. Here is a look at the top 10 picks and some of the more notable and surprise picks of the draft.


1st Overall, The franchise that is now Cleveland was in the middle of a long downward spiral when they got this pick. And while Lofton is no superstar he did help this team back to respectability as he has twice won double digits in games. Not the worst selection ever but certainly not the best.

2nd: Bret Henry Smooth fielding power hitting Shortstop. Now plays for Cleveland and will go down in history as one of the greatest rule 5 selections ever.

3rd: Vince Livingstone Top line SP that has 87 career wins and should make a run at 200 in his career, solid and steady he was a smart selection at #3.

4th: Jeff Nixon has great stuff but arm problems have plagued his career and prevented him from reaching stardom. His lack of durability and stamina are about his only weakness.

5th: Lawrence Gwynn Was drafted but never signed. Was snagged the next season as a free agent and is now a very solid .300 hitting SS for the defending World Series Champs.

6th: Josh Bradford A rookie of the year and a two time gold glover hits for decent power but little else. Was a 25/25 man with 101 RBI as a rookie, since then has slowly gone downhill. Overall not a bad selection.

7th: Victor Leary Looks like he should be a solid COF but for whatever reason has never cracked a major league roster. 320 minor league homers and a .319 avg. Looks like he could hit 25-30 a year in the bigs with a .280 avg. So far a wasted career.

8th: Parker Bennett Drafted as a hard hitting 2nd baseman, he has moved his big bat to RF. Was a big part of the team formally known as the Flytraps and their quick rebuild. Is now one of the more feared power hitters for Boston.

9th: Clay Coles Is probably the most consistent pitcher drafted from season 2. has won 14 games 5 times and is a pretty solid bet to log 200+ innings every season. Sweet pick

10th: Ramiro Guevara Maybe the most celebrated slugger in Addicted. Rookie of the Year, 2 X MVP, 5 X All-Star, 5 Silver Slugger, and last years All-Star MVP. Over 400 career homers and a 300+ avg. He is the pick of the draft at this point.

13th: Alan Lowell a two time all-star that has already racked up 77 wins at the age of 28. Season best of 17 came in season 9 with Florida.

15th: Gene Oquist A very solid gold glove type 1st baseman that has a career .311 avg and is usually good for around 20 homers and 100 rbi per season.

16th: Eric Reed spunky 2nd baseman that makes up with hustle what his lacks in talent. 157 homers-300 steals and a solid 275 avg. Is onto his 3rd major league team.

18th: Rocky Snyder This beastly RF has averaged 40 homers over the past 4 seasons and about 140 k’s.

21st: Carlos Ibarra Sometimes explosive DH that at his best can swat 40 homers and bat .300.

28th: Sidney Martin This part time catcher has 151 homers in just 1600 at bats. Has never had more then 300 ab’s in a season but never hit less then 17 homers or .279

29th: Mel HaywoodSmooth swinging 1st baseman has already swatted 196 homers at the age of 27 along with a .309 avg.

30th: Manny Carter Gold Glove SS that is average at best with the bat.

32nd: Ahmed Ramirez Gold glover and a silver slugger at 1st base. In 5 seasons has averaged 35 homers and a 316 avg.

241st: Vin Bradshaw A powerful batsman who has a chronic fatigue disorder that prevents him from playing everyday. Still has managed to hit 100+homers in just over 1800 at bats and maintain a .318 average.

386th and 416th Francis Kaufman Bobby Butler two catchers taken late, 12th and 13th rounds respectively. Butler won the Gold Glove last season and is a solid .290 hitter with decent pop. Kaufman is also very sharp defensive player that has the ability to hit above 300.

Players of the Week #1

Player of the Week 1

Season 10 MVP and one of the young superstars in baseball lived up to expectations this past month by posting some huge numbers. He is driving in almost 1 run a game with 26 in 30 games and is batting .378 with an OBP that is just shy of .500 at .496. As of now though it hasn’t translated into wins for the team as the Torrones are sitting 2 games under 500.


Making good quickly on his new multi-million dollar contract. His 6 wins are only one shy of last seasons total and 4 off his career high of 10. Has pitched at least 7 innings every start and never given up more then 2 earned runs. If he keeps pitching this well the Wings will be a front runner for this years World Series.