Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Hall of Famer: Horacio Frias 83%

Horacio Frias
Toronto
none
Age: 36B/T: R/R
Born: Haina, DO
Position(s): RF/LF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


As a young man he looked as though he was destined to work in a car battery recycling plant. When the plant closed and his town was left poor and polluted he was forced at the age of 17 to move to Santo Domingo, there he was seen by a scout from the Toronto Toros as he played a game of pick up ball. He signed a minor league contract and at the age of 19 won the High A player of the year when he crushed 54 homeruns in 130 games while batting .377. It took him a few years to get all his skills up to pace for the major league level but at the age of 23 he burst onto the scene and proved to be a winner every year he played. In Addicted Users seasons 1-7 his team averaged over 100 wins and made the playoffs every year. He won two world series over that span batting over .400 with 9 homers, 30 rbi and 7 steals during the playoffs those seasons. After hitting 45 homers in season 5 his skills seemed to drop off the table and he only hit 12 in season 6. He was released at the end of that season but quickly signed with arch rival Minnesota. He batted a solid .305 with 16 homers and helped the Twinkies to a 103 win season. In season 8 he spent the year in the minors as a special assistant and coach. He hung it up for good in season 9 moved back to the Dominican and has set up a wildlife centre close to his home town of Haina.


Stats: 809 runs, 1154 hits, 225 doubles, 63 triples, 275 homers, 852 RBI, 113 steals, .307 AVG
Estimated Career Stats: 1360 runs, 2030 hits, 375 doubles, 100 triples, 500 homers, 1475 RBI, 200 steals, .310 AVG

Awards: 4 X Silver Slugger (1-3,5), 2 X All-Star (2,5)

Records:
Toronto Single Season Records
Runs: (5th) 163
Triples: (4th) 20
HR: (1st) 67
RBI: (1st) 196
OPS: (2nd) 1.194

His 196 RBI also ranks 5th all-time in addicted users
Also holds the Toro record for 7+ plays in RF in one season and has the highest fielding % at .993

Ranks in the top three for Toronto in the following stats: AVG (.307) Hits (998) Runs (717) RBI (780) HR (259)

Season 9 Hall of Fame Results

The results are in and we have our 3rd inductee into the Addicted Users Hall of Fame. Remember 75% is required to make the Hall and 30% is needed to stay on the ballot for next season (maximum 3 times).

Horacio Frias 83%

Players returning for a 2nd Vote:

James Duran 42%
Sam Perry 42%

Players Returning for a 3rd Vote: None

Players who have had 3 seasons of votes or received less then the required 30%

Mo Munro 58%
Cesar James 33%
Benjamin Kirwan 17%
Domingo Franco 8%

So Duran and Perry will return for their 2nd vote next season.
Horacio Frias will be inducted into the hall once it is decided what cap he will wear.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Top 10 Catchers

1. Eric Murphy
Good pitch calling, 30% of base runners thrown out and a consistent 1.000 OPS. Not much more to say.

2. Cesar Amaral
Amaral is the only catcher in the league who is truly above average both offensively and behind the plate. He has thrown out 37% of runners this year to go along with a .344 average.

3. Billy McNamara
A 2 time Gold Glover and 3 time Silver Slugger winner, Mcnamara boasts one of the best batting eyes in baseball to go along with a phenomenal arm behind the plate. The only knock on him is his below average pitch calling abilities.

4. Hector Gonzales
Another huge bat behind the dish, Gonzalez is on pace for another 40 homer season to go along with solid signal calling skills and a passable arm. Despite serious health concerns Hector has yet to miss any significant time in his big league career.

5. Olmedo Rivas
Offensively Rivas is on par with Murphy and Sydney Martin, however the future Hall of Famer’s lack of signal calling skills and average arm make him better suited for DH/1B duties.

6. Sidney Martin
For 75 or so games a season Martin is the best Catcher in baseball. A .310 average, a home run nearly every 10 at bats for his career and stellar defense are only held back by his inability to play more then half a season.

7. Stevie Bonilla
Bonilla is phenomenal with bat in hand and despite an average arm he’s a good pitch caller. Like Martin, Bonilla is held back by durability issues.

8. Clay Charles
Charles has struggled at times at the plate during his career but he seems to be putting it together this year with a .979 OPS. Defensively Clay has a good arm to go along with respectable game calling abilities.

9. Osvaldo Valentin
Valentin is the top defensive catcher in baseball, he has a great arm and outstanding game calling skills. Despite his struggles this year, Valentin has been a solid contributor with the bat in the past.

10. Omar Mercedes
While Mercedes isn’t great defensively, he is passable which is fine considering hes good for a 850+ OPS.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Top 10 Center Fielders

1. Alton Buckley
A former ROY and 5 Time All Star Buckley provides one of the biggest power bats in all of baseball at a premium position. Add in his solid defense and you have the best CF in the game.

2. Willie Johnson
A former 1st Round pick, Willie Johnson is the most complete offensive CF in baseball. Hes combined power, contact, speed and a great eye to post some impressive career numbers at age 27. Defensively, Johnson is below average with the glove and his range is not a great strength.

3. Archie Aldridge
The recently converted SS does it all. A great contact hitter with speed and knowledge on the bases, Alridge is solid in the field and has one of the best outfield arms in all of baseball.

4. Freddy Franco
The defensive whiz is the benchmark for CFers in the field. At the plate Franco hits for a respectable average and launches his fair share of four baggers while piling up the stolen bases.

5. C.J. Weaver
Another converted SS, Weaver combines one of the most powerful swings among ML CFers with good speed and a solid eye. The 10 year vet has a phenomenal arm and gets the job done in the field despite his diminishing range.

6. Ivan Gonzalez
The prototypical leadoff man is good for a solid average/OBP and a tonne of steals every year. Despite his average arm, defensively Gonzalez is one of best in the game.

7. Henry Green
Green is having a phenomenal offensive season and is the front runner for the NL ROY. Defensively however, it doesn’t look as though his glove will play long term in CF.

8. Aramis Vizquel
A former Gold Glover, Vizquel can still get it done in the field and has averaged nearly 30 homers a year over his career.

9. Clayton Hairston
While hes lost a step… or 5, Hairston, one of the top leadoff men in the game is having a career year despite a recent trip to the DL.

10. Alex Jose
Despite struggling versus righties, Jose is generally good for a .800 OPS to go along with his average defense.

Monday, October 5, 2009

The Bum Clark Award

The Leagues Best Overall Shortstop

1. Sparky Wasdin By far and away the best fielding SS in the game. Made two errors in one game to double his total to 4. Having a career year with the bat on pace for over 25 homers 70 rbi and a career high .281 avg.
2. Julius Serrano Smooth fielder with a loads of range. Hitting a solid .283 with 8 homers but only 23 RBI. The 11 steals are nice but getting caught 14 times is a huge downside.
3. Marshall Ferrell His 17 errors and .958 fielding percentage are the only things keeping him from the #1 spot. 12 homers 46 RBI 15 steals and a .289 avg make him one of the best offensive SS in the game.
4. Yuniesky Franco Almost identical a fielder to Ferrell, 17 errors and a .957 fielding %. His bat is almost the same as well 15 homers, 45 RBI, 13 steals and a .286 AVG. It would be easy to confuse these two players with each other.
5. Jamie Leonard Burst onto the scene last season as one of the more flashy fielders. Has made 11 errors but has good range and a solid .973 %. Is batting a solid .310 but has only 1 homer and 5 steals. Is on pace for over 70 RBi though.
6. Ricky Lawton Very average fielder, 15 errors and a .960%. A skilled bats men is one of the games leading hitters (.356 avg). His carrer high of 31 homers is a long way off as he has only 3 this season to go with 8 steals.
7. Francis Bennett Next to Sparky Wasdin is probably the best fielder in the game. Has 4 errors and an amazing .990 %. Too bad his .259 avg and 2 homers don’t add much else to his resume.
8. Archie Aldridge Middle of the pack fielder 12 errors, .962%. Hitting an incredible .340 with 5 homers and 15 steals.
9. Edgardo Machado Yes he is left handed, and yes he doesn’t get to all the balls he should. Does have a solid .964 % despite his 27 bad plays. Is one of the best overall hitting SS in the game however, 10 homers 43 RBI and 6 steals with a .288 AVG.
10. Lawrence Gwynn His shaky fielding (.958%, 17 errors) are almost offset but his amazing bat. .321 AVG, 14 homers 38 RBI. If he could steal even a little he would be in the top 5.

AL West 1/3 Pole analysis

AL WEST

SAN JOSE GIANTS- as proclaimed by nzballa on the chat, the West has the 3 best records in the league as of this writing. San Jose currently sports the leagues best record at 44-24. Their .647 Act Pct is slightly better than expected(.638), but the difference is insignificant. A big reason for their league best record is an excellent 14-8 showing in one-run games. While a mere 2 games over .500 on the road, they are a scorching 27-9 in the friendly confines. The offense has been decidedly average. The Giants .273 BA and .440 SLG ranks 13th. Hits(676) are 14th and HRs(93) 13th. They are next to last in SBs with 13. All that means is that their pitching, always a strength, is excellent. The ERA(3.73) leads the league by a wide margin. They rank 1st in OAV(.273), OBP(.319), SLG(.407, & WHIP(1.32). SP Dave Wilkinson leads the staff with a 9-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. He's already been named Pitcher of the Week twice this season. Bu a 60 stamina has lead to only about 5 1/2 IP per start, which puts his fate in the hands of the relievers a bit too often. Sean Brown is 9-1 and his .226 OAV is 3rd in the league. Shane Rolls must be pitching in awful luck. His 5-8 record belies his excellence. A .220 OAV and 1.09 WHIP are 2nd in the league along with a 3.34 ERA. Raymond Morton(6-4, .236 OAV) rounds out the starting staff as nz has gone with just 4 SPs so far. Let's see if they have the durability to do that all season. Closer Alberto Aparicio has been sub par, going 15-19 in saves with a .306 OAV. The rest of the relief corps has somewhat high OAVs, so San Jose's success thus far must be attributed to their stellar starting pitching. One concern as the season progresses could be the rather low STA of those SPs. It may put too much strain on the RPs. But, so far so good.

VANCOUVER VILLANS- jvburns boys are right on SJs heels with the 2nd best record in the league(43-25). Even with that, they are playing worse(.632) than EXP(.679). They are playing well both at home(24-12) and on the road(19-13). One reason their ACT is worse than the EXP might be their 9-9 record in 1-run games. The Villains score a lot of runs(454, 2nd). Tied for the league lead in BA with NY(.292), 1st in OBP(.368), and 4th in SLG(.488). They have 50 SBs to only 13 CS, an excellent ratio. The pitching has been very good too. The 4.19 ERA is 2nd as is the RA(312). The OBP(.327), OSLG(.429), & WHIP(1.36) are all 3rd in the league and the OAV(.270) is 4th. That's very good balance. The offense is lead by young RF Rob Willis(.366, 21 HR, 68 RBI, .692 SLG) who was named week 2 Player of the Week. His 1.132 OPS is 2nd in the league. He is ably supported by DH Bump Sabel(.341, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 1.004 OPS), CF Alton Buckley(18 HRs), and speedy 3B Al Canseco(20 SBs). SP Harry Seneca has a stellar .213 OAV to go with a 7-3 record. The starting staff spreads the wealth with Shane Coffman(8 wins), Johnny Richardson(7), FA Willie Ordonez(5), and Damion Sweeney(5) all winning consistently. Formerly a stalwart of Vancouver's starting staff, aging Trevor Roa has stepped in to the closer role and is doing a good job with 13 saves in 15 tries. jv burns has put together a very good club with few weaknesses and must be considered a solid choice to go all the way this season.

BOISE BROWNCOATS- Evan43 always fields a good team and this year is no exception. While adequate at home(17-12), they are playing great on the road(25-14). They currently sport a league best 17-6 in 1-run games. their 42-26 record is the leagues 3rd best. But scoring only 22 more runs than they have given up(392RS-370RA) may be a cause for concern. They are playing .618 ball as opposed to a .529 EXP. Boise leads the league in SBs(86) but is last in HRs(76). The OBP(.347) & OPS(.777) are near the bottom of the league rankings, but most other offensive categories are at or slightly above average. Most of the pitching stats rank near the middle of the pack also, but they have given up a league low 77 HRs and the OSLG ranks 4th(.434). CF Clayton Hairston is hitting .362 with 17 SBs. RF Jose Marquez has 22 SBs. 5 time All Star LF Alfonso Tejera has 13 HRs. 4 time MVP C Olmedo Rivas is 32 and may be showing signs of wear. His BA(.299), SLG(.502), and OPS(.898) are all below his lifetime standards. 4 time All Star SP Bobby Stephenson(8-1) has been great so far. His 2.12 ERA, .212 OAV, .268 OBP, 1.04 WHIP, & .315 OSLG all lead the league and may lead to his 2nd Cy Young award. But Joey Montgomery(4-5, 6.21 ERA) is ancient and may be near the end of a fantastic career, and Artie Dimaggio(3-5, 6.42 ERA) has been sub par thus far. An injury to FA Tony Perez has hurt. MR Darren Trujillo(9-2) and Closer Felipe Cairo(21/23 Saves) have been very good. They may need more offensive production to contend all year in this tough division.

SCOTTSDALE SUNNY- mdtiger took over this club after last year's owner quit in the frustration of being in the league's toughest division. It's going to take some time to become a contender here. So far the results are not too encouraging. The .382 ACT PCT is well below the .450 EXP PCT. The .269 BA ranks 14th, SLG(.448) is 12th. But many of the other offensive rankings are not too far below the league average. Almost all pitching rankings are in the bottom third of the league. On the up side, the contracts he inherited don't look awful. Former ROY & 3 time MVP RF Ramiro Guevara's ratings may have slipped a bit, but not his production(.307, 26 HR, 61 RBI, 1.000 OPS). He may be the kind of player mdtiger could land a boatload of prospects for. An All Star last season, DH Jumbo Flores(.351, 12 HR, 1.080 OPS) is only 26. 23 year old 3B Zach Tatum(20 HRs) has plenty of power, but may never hit for much of a BA. SP Jesus Benitez leads the staff with 6 wins and, at 24, looks like a guy you could build a staff around. Another keeper is Gorkys Fernandez(2-8, .271 OAV) who, at 23, could develop into a solid mid-rotation SP. Carson Hoffman has done OK in the closer role(9-11). Mike Kelton, Grover O'Brien, Luther Rupe & Fritz Starr might be of some value to a contender down the stretch and could bring some prospects in a trade. While there are some bright spots, this is a team that needs a significant overhaul to become a contender in this division.