Thursday, December 13, 2012

The National League
(Also Know As Who Gives a Crap League!)
NL North
Montreal Otters have had a nice start to the season. They have a bit of a youth movement going on.
  • Pitching: Chris Jackson has front of the rotation potential and he is backed up a fairly strong starting staff. Ramon Martin is one of the top bullpen arms in the NL. The rest of the bullpen is a strong asset of the team.
  • Hitting: There is not a big scare bat in the line-up but they do have enough hitters to score a few runs.
  • Fielding: Defense is another strong point here. Last season they had the fewest errors in the world and had a good +/- ratio. They should finish near the top in fielding again this season.
Wins 89-94
Buffalo Freeze  is a team built for post season success.
  • Pitching: There staff starts with one of the best in the world Russell Reitz. He is backed up by Will Patel, Shane Kraemer, and Darren Hamilton to give the team an outstanding starting staff. The bullpen features the aging but still great Norm Garcia and Daniel Ransom giving them a great bridge from first inning to the ninth.
  • Hitting: Rey Mason,  Damaso Roque, and Yovani Lima gives this team a chance to score.
  • Fielding: Over the last few seasons there have been improvement to the defense here. They are still a bit below average but on the rise.
Wins 89-94


Toledo LittleGREENmen just missed the post season last year and are looking for a way to get that all important one more win.
  • Pitching: Clay Henry, Hank Xavier, Alberto Villalona, John Masato, and Rabbit McClellan gives the team a very nice quality rotation. One down side to this rotation is the lack of stamina to go along with a below average bullpen.
  • Hitting: Nothing is too scary about this line-up though last season they posted the 5th best OPS in the NL.
  • Fielding: The raw ratings of their defense makes this team look below average in the field.
Wins 88-93


New York Midtowners have had a little turn over the last few season but are still an aging squad.
  • Pitching: Angel Cueto is the ace of the staff and is supported by a couple of solid starters behind him. The bullpen has enough arms to pull out wins late in the game.
  • Hitting: Last season they had the second best OPS in the NL despite not have many great hitters. They have a solid 1-8 line-up though.
  • Fielding. The % was good and they had a solid +/- ratio on defense. Also the ratings look solid so they could be a top five fielding team this season.
Wins 78-82
NL East

Washington D.C. Black Bears have had half a decade sub 70 win totals and are about ready to make the turnaround.
  • Pitching: At this time the starters are fairly... Well lets just call them back of the rotation guys. As we reach the 20 game mark though this will change and a brilliant star will be called up. Victor Ayala AAA time is almost near the end. The second he touches the hill in the bigs he will be one of the top three pitchers in the world. Joel Priest may also be called upon to give them a very nice one-two punch. With those promotion the bullpen will be given a bit of a boost with the exiled starters.
  • Hitting: The front of the line-up is in nice shape with Bernie Winn, and Al Matos. Once Again though, AAA Super Stars are just about to be on the conference call. Ryuu Shigetoshi was acquired via a trade with the Mighty Millers of Minnesota for Dario Lee and Roger Jamison. Shigetoshi is going to run circles around the bases. Bo Parnell will also bring in a power bat into the line-up.
  • Fielding: This is a terrible fielding team. Last season they were way upside down in +/- while also having a bottom three %. This season might be a bit better but still very near the bottom.
Wins 93-97

Philadelphia Phillies are a NL traditional power house looking to regain the steam engine this season.
  • Pitching: Clayton Serra leads the rotation and they just received Trevor Wilkins by way of trade. Alex Clyburn still has a bunch of good innings in him as well. The bullpen is in good shape and can be trusted.
  • Hitting: The FA additions of Former MVPs Davey Fick and Victor Pulido make this already strong line-up even better. With Harvey Linton destine for FA or a pay cut you can almost add Jerry Leonard to the line-up next season.
  • Fielding: This is a very good defensive team. One of the best in the NL.
Wins 90-95


Pittsburgh Flying Dutchmen have found themselves in the post season in each of the last three years.
  • Pitching: The Rotation is not the prettiest girl at the dance but it will turn a few heads. The bullpen though is rock solid.
  • Hitting: Mega bat Danny Ramirez is the heart and soul of the line-up.
  • Fielding: Upside down on +/- last season and no improvements made the will find themselves very near the bottom.
Wins 80-85


Scranton Spam are in a bit of a twirl right now with a very large gap from the top players to the bottom guys.
  • Pitching: Deivi Trinidad is the staff ace and has had good success in the Majors so far. Pat Lillibridge is a very nice compliment to Trinidad. The bullpen is good enough but could be better.
  • Hitting: Einar Rodriguez needs to hit better or at least a little closer to his ratings. It does look like this season he is doing just that. Last season the won the rights to Roger Jamison in FA and traded for Julio Torres. Jamison really needs to start earning that huge pay check.
  • Fielding: I don't really see much in the raw ratings to think that the defense is very good. The Numbers though have them at 66+ plays to 33- and a .982%. I will call them below average for now.
Wins 76-81

 
NL South
 
Charleston Ashley Coopers have a chance to make the post season for the first time since S15.
 
  • Pitching: Three time CY winner Ted Timlin was brought in this off-season to lead the rotation. Add in the young arms of Hector Prado and Rafael Torres and you have yourself a solid front three. The bullpen is rather unimpressive though.
  • Hitting: The line-up doesn't have much stand-out star power but it also doesn't have many easy outs either.
  • Fielding: Fielding would improve with a move of Gill Cho to SS instead of CF and Rolando Puente into CF from RF. Last season they were a bottom five fielding squad.
Wins 83-87


 
Wichita Waves have been in total rebuild for the last few season. This is still a team for the future rather then this season. Loads of quality prospects here.
  • Pitching: Miguel Nieves is in his twilight but still has good inning to give.
  • Hitting: Ruben Espinoza is talented but right now the rest of the line-up is not that pretty.
  • Fielding: Terrible.
Wins 70-75


 
Houston Grandes have had a great run of nine straight division championships but now heading to reloading.
 
  • Pitching: Nothing too great in the rotation but still a pretty good pen.
  • Hitting: About a middle of the road or just below line-up.
  • Fielding: Since there has been a bunch of movement I just glanced at the ratings and they should hold up in the field just fine.
Wins 72-77


 
Charlotte Shock... GO ARMY!!!!!! With Houston in decline this team has a chance to make the post season.
  • Pitching: The starters are just not very exciting. The bullpen on the other hand is very talented.
  • Hitting: When you have a guy named Johnny Wayne in the middle of the line-up it adds points with me. Also, Max Valentin hits very well.
  • Fielding: Leave it to the marines to completely forget about defense. Pretty terrible right now. With the lack of a strong rotation the combination could be the downfall.
Wins 83-87


 NL West
 
 

Sacramento Renegades have had two World Series titles in the last five season but years with a lack of training budget has finally caught up with them.
 
  • Pitching: They still have an OK rotation but it is far from what it was. The bullpen still has Matt Burns as he make is way to Tony Ontiveros save record.
  • Hitting: The line-up is below average.
  • Fielding: Top five fielding team in the NL.
Wins 75-80
Vancouver Whitecaps are a solid team top to bottom but missing a little star power.
 
  • Pitching: The bullpen is the talk of this staff. Maybe the best bullpen in the NL. The rotation is not that good to look at though. They do give the team a chance I think though.
  • Hitting: The line-up is capable of scoring plenty of runs to help out the starters. Not too many holes up and down.
  • Fielding: Way too many - plays last season. -82 is just too many.
Wins 83-87
Las Vegas Xfinity have not been over .500 in 9 seasons.
  • Pitching: From top to bottom it really isn't that bad of a staff here.
  • Hitting: The line-up on the other hand is not that good.
  • Fielding: The defense here is great. Top three for sure.
Wins 80-85
Salem EliteDucks have been on the runner-up for the last six season.
 
  • Pitching: Big Dick Randall will always be one of me favorite plays in this world and I hope to add him to my roster next season. Overall though this team is lacking quality pitching and getting old.
  • Hitting: Four time MVP Jordan Weiss will continue to build his Hall of Fame resume. The line-up as a whole is above average.
  • Fielding: Top Five or better.
Wins 82-86
 
Post Season
 
  1. Washington D.C. Black Bears
     

Buffalo take the NLCS over Washington in 7. Reitz over Ayala in a great pitching match-up. One for the story books.
 
The World Series Goes to Buffalo in six over The Red Legs.
 
 
Awards
 
AL MVP
Jerry Leonard
 
NL MVP
Victor Pulido
 
AL Cy Young Graham Romero
 
NL Cy Young Russell Reitz
 
AL ROY Tex House

NL ROY Victor Ayala
 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Season 26 Kick-Off Party
AL North
The Seattle Grunge have been the team to beat the last 3 seasons as is the case this season.
  • Pitching: They added ace Jarrod Walker  to their rotation giving them a great one-two with Dave Allen. Bud Cassidy, Candy McCarthy, and Fernando Ramirez put up great numbers last season as well. Fergie Hemingway,  Sam Woodson and Mac Lowe give them a a strong bullpen that will hold down leads after the starters are pulled. Safeco Fields did help them with the overall pitching numbers last season but even when they were on the road they put up top five numbers.
  • Hitting: To me, it was strange to see that they hit better at home then on the road. In fact, they were tied for 5th in the AL in OPS last season. The line-up is stocked with young talent led by ROY winning 2nd basemen Piper James. Jake Jennings had a career year last year on his way to winning the Silver Slugger for Right Fielders in a league that is stacked with great hitting Right Fields. All-Stars Marty MillsAlan LandrumDavid Bolivar andTrenidad Andujar make this line-up tough to work through.
  • Defense: Last season this was a top five fielding team and with little turn over in the off season they should still be right around there. They had 86+ plays to just 18- plays.
Wins 98-102
 
The Might Millers Of Minnesota(Tacoma?) have had a couple of off seasons after a nice run. There is a philosophy change going on here.
  • Pitching: Changing the ballpark is sort of a chicken shit way to improve a pitching staff. I never claimed to be all that brave though. One though Four in the rotation is as good as it gets around here. Former CY winners Bryce McMillon, Lyle Moran, Vladimir Olivares and Dario Lee gives them a chance to win every game. Last season each of them gave over 230 inning. Olivares had a very poor season last season but with the new park things should turn around. Rather then going with a four man rotation this season Pedro Rodriguez will be the fifth starter. With that the starters are going to be given a much larger pitch count so the bullpen doesn't mess up too many games again. The bullpen has been reworked a bit with the additions of Earl Russell, and Endy Simpson. I believe that this bullpen should be good.
  • Hitting:... Crickets. It seems like a long time since this was a good hitting team. Cookie Gandarillas is about the brightest star they have in the line-up. Dennis Yoshii can be helpful but only in a platoon. He did have a very nice HR/AB ratio last season though. Other then that it is a cream puff line-up. We might steal some bases this season though. We also might get caught a bunch too though.
  • Fielding: Last season the team only had 8- plays and 109+ plays. They were already the best fielding team in the world and they added Randy Kane and Kennie Morgan to to the work behind the plate because the CS% was .167! They also added Hong-Jin Feng and Felix Okajima to play some amazing defense.We will either loss 90 or win 90 I just don't know.
Wins 70-75

Pawtucket Juggernauts always seems to have a tough team to beat.
  • Pitching: Geraldo Belliard is one of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball and he is the anchor of strong bullpen. The rotation features Trevor Wilkins and Anthony Rivera at the front. After that it is a few place holder for few prospects to get ML ready.
  • Hitting: The line-up is fairly solid up and down like just about every year. Otis Richard can still hit very well and produce a ton of runs. Willis Richardson has a career OPS above .850 and also makes things happen with his bat. Nicholas Spruill and Yamid Bennett bring in nice depth.
  • Fielding: There is not much of a standout in the field here. Last season they were a bottom five defensive squad and I think that is about where they will be this season.
Wins 69-74
The Detroit Miracles might need just that to compete this season. The budget is a bit of a mess but tons of cash is coming off the books in the couple of season.
  • Pitching: The rotation is stocked up with 3-4 starters. Santiago Tarasco is young and has a good upside to work with. Benjamin Allen is a talented bullpen arm.
  • Hitting: The line-up is below average this season and should find themselves in the bottom five of hitting.
  • Fielding: Last season they were almost even in +/- and below the league average in % which will lead to a bottom five team.
Wins 55-60
AL East

Baltimore Baybirds brings this world together. Love them or hate them they are and have been for a long time the team to beat.
  • Pitching: The best in baseball. One through Five aces starting rotation. Armando Ramirez, Andy Markakis, Jonathan Knott, Ron Garcia, and Timothy Cather are the starting five. Hipolito Iglesias is the bullpen ace. They do have Piper McBride with a 50 overall rating! I don't ever remember them having a guy rated that low.
  • Hitting: No team hits better. Just a stacked line-up with plenty of MVPs and Silver Sluggers.
  • Fielding: One of the best fielding % in baseball last season to go along with nice +/- ratio made them a top three fielding team. Should be around there this season too.
Wins 110-115


Cincinnati Red Legs pushed their way into the post season last year losing to Baltimore in the ALCS. and only will get better this season.
  • Pitching: Graham Romero, Onan Takada, Willie Martin, Vic Colome, and Dave Barnes makes this one of the finest rotation in the league. The bullpen has a few solid arms and should hold the lead most of the time. They have two of the best Bullpen prospect in baseball with Hank Sears and Melvin Hasegawa so if things don't go well they have a couple of internal options to work with.
  • Hitting: Adding Harley Nunnally this off season gives them a mega bat in the middle of the line-up. As a team last season they posted a nice OPS of .760 so they are fairly solid up and down.
  • Fielding: Rigo Soto is one of the best shortstop in the league but has issues hitting right handed pitchers. Overall they are middle of the pack.
Wins 94-99


New York Knights are an upstart team with post season dreams this season.
Wins 88-92


Indianapolis Devils are in face lift mode.
  • Pitching: A very nice bullpen but not much up front. Tanner Meusel has a nice upside though.
  • Hitting: The Line-up a bit below average.
  • Fielding: Middle of the road
Wins 60-65



AL South
(Preview is going to get a little cheaper from here on out)

Little Rock Rollers have a new owner but should still be pushing for bye in the post season. They had some roster turnover but still have a very strong club.
Wins 98-102

Jackson Rollin Rebels had 95 wins last season and even traded away one of the best hitters in the game.
  • Pitching: Nothing stand-out. But finish towards the top last season.
  •  Hitting: Last season they had an OPS of .760 and should hover around there again.
  • Fielding:They are always near the top in fielding.
Wins 90-95
Durham Spitoons have been in hover mode below the .500 mark for many season in a row now.
  • Pitching: Erubiel Colome is the ace of the staff. After that is a few 3-5 guys. The pen is in pretty good shape though.
  • Hitting: Cristobal Mercado and J.B. Justice are pretty nice hitters. Pete Stein also brings a little offense in the line-up.
  • Fielding: Top Three
Wins 75-80
Memphis Packers are almost complete with their rebuild and could make a push this season for a post season spot.
  • Pitching: Right now, Starting pitching is a weak spot. There is some younger arms that will improve though and AAA has a couple of starters that are about ready. The bullpen is well armed and should hold teams from scoring.
  • Hitting: The line-up is well put together with guys that can work the count and get the starters out of the game early.
  • Fielding: Middle of the pack or just below.
Wins 78-82

AL West
 
 
Tucson Vendetta Ride are for sure ready to contend this season. The minors are stacked too.
 
  • Pitching: The rotation in solid and has young guys with a nice upside. They also have some of their best arms still in AAA waiting to get their chance to shine.
  • Hitting: This line-up might be as powerful as Baltimore's by mid-season. Robinson Lanier, Luis Contreras, and Vic Posada are just the tip right now. In AAA Tex House and Rickey Torres are waiting for their call.
  • Fielding: Yuck! But with those hitters I guess you have to get them in there.
Wins 96-100
Scottsdale Slam are in a bit of decline right now.
 
  • Pitching: They should be in the middle this season.
  • Hitting: Above average
  • Fielding: just above average.
Wins 79-84
Fresno Grizzlies should continue to improve this season but not at a post season level yet.
  • Pitching: They should be about middle of the pack or just below.
  • Hitting: Some real big time bats here and some nice complementary hitters as well.
  • Fielding: About average.
Wins 61-66
Los Angeles Scandals need some fine tuning.
  • Pitching: The rotation has a few 4-5 guys but the bullpen is in ok shape.
  • Hitting: After Rafael Alarcon there is not much here to scare pitchers.
  • Fielding: Terrible!
Wins 55-60
 
Post Season
 
  1. Baltimore
  2. Seattle
  3. Little Rock
  4. Tucson
  5. Cincinnati
  6. New York
Cincinnati take the ALCS in 6 over Tucson.
 
 


Monday, October 29, 2012

NL Post season

#764Playoffs  
 
 
Q.What happens when teams tie for a playoff spot?
A tiebreaker system is used if two or more teams tie for a playoff berth. Head-to-head record is used first, then division record, then run differential, then last season's record and finally a coin flip


That is how HBD decides Tiebreakers. So Salem holds the tiebreaker over both Buffalo and Toledo. Buffalo has the tiebreaker over Toledo and the Game advantage. So with that said Buffalo is in. Toledo needs Salem to lose to move on to the post season. If they both win or both lose Salem will move on... I think. It was just a quick glance.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Let the Off Season begin.

What I think by looking over the War Chest numbers.

First the easy one. Jarrod Walton looks to be heading to The New York Midtowners with a contract offer of 58 million over five years. It looks like The Mighty Millers are second. I know that the Millers have hit their top and going to withdraw their offer. That means (HINT HINT HINT) that The Midtowners could drop their offer big time and save a bunch of money. The only other teams that New York would have to worry about are Salem and the 30 million they have out and The Knight also have a smaller offer out that I can't pin point. I also don't know if Salem is in on him.
****Salem no longer has a contact offer out******


Now the big show down as three teams are in a bidding war for the services of Roger Jamison. Charleston Ashley Coopers have a known 84.5 million in free agent spending out right now. Scranton Spam have 86 million out over five years and Toledo LittleGREENmen have 85 million out over five years. these offers are so close that it depends on bonuses that are being given for who is in front. Both Toledo and Charleston have enough cap space to give out a max bonus while Scranton is about 216,500 short. Adjust your offer gents, I'll be watching.
****8-23-UPDATE***
Roger Jamison update
Ashley Coopers have upped there offer to 93 Million and they still have room in this seasons budget to add a max bonus. It looks like the  LittleGREENmen have dropped out of the bidding and have moved onto other plans. The Spam have upped their offer to 96.2 and also have room in the budget for a max bonus.

Jarrod Walton  Update

The Midtowners still seems to be the only team in there unless mrbill99 decided to make a late offer. He does have contract offer(s) out for 10 million over three years and has budget room.



We are finding wonderful world again a bit short on high end free agents.


Top Hitter


There is Keith Haad (28)in the prime of his career. I would think he will be very near the max contract though. With a career OPS of .891 and solid enough fielding to hold down a corner OF spot or a risky 2nd basemen, he could be worth every penny. He won't put too many over the fence but in the right line-up he could score 120 runs score, 120 RBI and have 190 hits. As far as his ratings go, he does have a lower makeup rating so expect some decline towards the end of the contract but after breaking the bank for five years he should be willing to re-sign at a more modest price due to his patience rating. His health rating might turn some owners away as well. With all that said, to have the best results for him the owners team would need to run a 20/20 training and medical budgets to keep him on the field and to keep his ratings up.
Contract prediction: 20 million over 5 years with a 5 million bonus for a total of 105 million
Philadelphia Phillies signed him for 20x5 with a player option. I was so close on this one.

Roger Jamison  (31) has strong makeup to justify a 5 year contract. The five time All Star has always had an OPS over .800 and a career OPS of .861 despite spending eight season in pitching friendly Washington. he has hit 30 or more home runs in eight of his ten major league season. He is also a guy that could really boost his numbers in the right line-up. As far as fielding goes he can play a corner OF spot or 1st. He has played some 2nd but his ratings are just not there for me to play him there. His health and Durability can keep him on the field for 150 plus games a year. Also as stated above his strong makeup should help keep his ratings strong. At his age re-signing him is really not that important.
Contract prediction: 14 million over 5 years and a 10 million bonus for a total of 80 million.

Damaso Roque (33) Rounds out the top end free agent hitters. His lower makeup rating means that the signing owner will need to have a 20 million in their training budgets to help he hold his ratings at all. Either way he will be in ratings free fall soon. his durability and health are very strong though so he should give the owner 150+ games for sure as long as he is hitting well enough to justify a spot in the line-up. He will field just a corner spot or 1st. His career OPS is .825 and he could put up around 20-25 home runs. Despite his big time speed, he is not a base stealing threat as sometimes he just looks lost on the base path. I would only give him a max of a three year contract.
Contract prediction: 12 million over 4 years 0 bonus for a total of 48 million.
Buffalo Freeze Signed him for 3.5x3 with a 10 million bonus for a total of 20.5... Truly a great signing! Way off, I was worried the world would over value him.

The Rest Of the Pack

Donovan Willis (32) is only a Type "B" and has a high makeup rating. He is also from the Great State of Minnesota so that means The Dude Abides!
Contract prediction: 8.5x3 0 bonus for a total of 25.5 million.
Walter Wilson (34) might be a scrap pick up because of age and Type "A" status.
Contract prediction: 3.8x2 Zero bonus for a total of 7.6 million
Toledo LittleGREENmen signed him for 5millionx4
Pablo Rijo (29) might get what he is asking for and 15 million total.
Charlotte Shock signed him 5 million over 3 years.
That is about it for quality in Free Agency. Some fine roster filler and place holders though.

Top Pitchers
There are not any staff aces but a few nice arms to pick from

Sandy Lowe (36) With an outstanding career line, she is the best of the pack but age is the key issue. she did pitch from the bullpen the last few season but her ratings play fine as a starter. Her high make-up ratings can help her hold of the age for a little bit longer but you will need to keep up a high training budget to also help. Her splits have held up great over time as has her control. Her pitches have as well.. Her velocity has been on a steady slip though for a few season now.
Contract prediction: 9 million over 4 years 5 million bonus for a total of 41 million.
Charleston Ashley Coopers Signed HER for 39.6 million over 3 season with a 4 million dollar bonus for a total of 43.6 Oh so close... I mean my offer was 42.5!!!!
Jarrod Walton (33) He has had an up and down career but has an above average pitching line. The only thing that has started to slip in his ratings is his velocity. With a lower velocity and average control you could see his numbers rise a bit but he should still play well as a number 2. He has a nice make-up rating so he should hold his ratings well.
Contract prediction: 12 million over 5 years Zero bonus for 60 million total.

Ramiro Cabrera (34) A five time All Star and former Cy Young winner. He has seen some ratings decline but with the stamina/durability mix he should have no problem giving the signing owner 230 innings and 35 starts if they choose to send him out that much. His pin point control and high rating 1st pitch have given him a great BB/Ks ratio over his career. he has been know to let up a bunch of home runs though. In a pitchers park with a strong ranged outfield he could really thrive though.
Contract prediction: 8.5 million over 5 years 3 million bonus for a total of 45.8 million.
Pittsburgh Flying Dutchmen Signed him for 35 million over 4 years with a mutual option the last season.
The Rest of the Pack

Rabbit McClellan (32) Nice pitching ratings poor results. Contract prediction: 5.8x4 zero bonus 23.2 total
Toledo LittleGREENmen signed him for 6.8x3 for a total of 20.4.
Billy Neill (35) Very poor VsR split ok pitches and good velocity and control. I think he will get what he ask for and just a one year 5.6 million deal.

Other Free Agent Signings Of Note


Colby Richard signed with Scottsdale for 27 over 5 years with a Mutual Option.
Antonio Katou signed with Scottsdale for 29 over 5 years.
Luis Montana signed with Pittsburgh  for 9.2 million over 2 years.
Vitas Sutton signed with Buffalo for 1.4 over 2 season with a 10 million bonus for a total of 12.8 million
Jair Mijares signed with Detroit for 20 million over five years with a Mutual Option. I love this move.
Tony Kojima signed with Pittsburgh for 23 million over 3 years with a Mutual Option.


The War Chests (in millions rounded)
Baybirds                   5.4 No movement

Freeze                      9.6 No current offers out

Ashley Coopers        23 with offers of 84.5 over 5 years out.

Shock                       10 million no current offers

Red Legs                    29 No movement

Miracles                    8 Million No current offers

Spitoons                      11 No Movement

Silverbacks                   1 No Movement

Troy                            25 No Movement

Hoplites                       6 Has a about 3 million in Free Agent Contracts out for this season only

Grandes                     6.5 No Movement

Devils                       23 No Current offers out.

Rollin Rebels              6 No current offers out

Blue Demons              8.5 No current Offers

Scandals                    2.5 No Movement

Packers                    6.5 No Offers out

Otters                      16.5 no Movement

Knights                     46 and has about 6-7 million out in contracts this season and next.

Midtowners               11 Million Has a 5 year contract offer out worth about 58 million or a few smaller ones

Juggernauts               1.2 No Offers out

Phillies                       0 What do you think... Good luck Commish with only $2600 bucks left!

Flying Dutchmen        2 No offers

Renegades                  3 No Offers

EliteDucks                  21 still but has about a 10x3 contract out. or a couple smaller ones at least

Slam                        14 and no more current offers

Spam                         28 Has about 86 million in offers out over five years.

Grunge                       6.5 No current offers

LittleGREENmen         32 Million And has About 85 Million In offers over 5 season.

Whitecaps                     3 and a small offer out

Black Bears                44.9 No Movement

Waves                        50.2 no Movement

Millers                        15 Eat me!!!!!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Play-Off Pictures and More fun with Cash

The AL post season is almost complete. The spots are Baltimore #1 and El Paso at #2 for first round passes. Seattle will be #3 and Honolulu makes their return to the post season with the #4 spot. The only thing left to decide is the wild card spots. With three teams fighting for two spots and all with in three games it could come down to the final game. The Mightest Of Millers currently sit on the out side but they do hold the tie breaks over the two teams in front of them. Jackson has the #5 spot right now and also have the lighter schedule then Chicago. Chi-Town has games three against Honolulu and Baltimore plus a four game set against El Paso. If they get by those teams and are still in the mix it will be well earned. (Side note the Millers have just take four of six from Baltimore and Seattle in the last few days)

The Only race in the NL is in the NL East and who ever is runner up still will make the post season. Placement goes Sacramento Renegades #1, New York Midtowners #2, Houston Grandes #3, Columbus Chocolate Homunculi #4, Salem EliteDucks #5 and Atlanta Braves at #6.

In the Off-Season I posted about signing either Gus West or Trevor Wilkins. As the season comes to a close we can look at the numbers. Minnesota has a much better defense compared to Sacramento but play in the AL. I am then going to just call it a wash and look at each players numbers. West pulled in a max deal and made 30 million this season while Wilkins cost 8.6. Neither is really very cheap.

West:
GS   W      Inn     K/BB   WHIP  ERA
 32     16  208.2    3.46      1.14   3.58

Wilkins:
GS    W     Inn      K/BB   WHIP ERA

33     12     185.2   1.81     1.22   2.91

Both pitcher have had nice seasons this season and have been just about as productive.


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Post Break Updated

The Baltimore Baybirds are doing what they do every season, and that is win at a clip of north of .700%. Former CY winner, Vladimir Olivares getting injured might sting a bit, but they have enough pitching to still so keep up their winning ways. As always, they are the best hitting team in the world.

The El Paso Silverbacks have been right with the Baybirds this season and even better numbers in pitching. Amp Bevil has been lights out and Pedro Lopez has been great as a number two.

Those two teams are the best of the AL and will not be easy to beat come post season time.

The Sacramento Renegades are tied with the Triple Bs for the best record. They have had every single Pitcher of the Week so far this season and have been amazing on the mound. Matt Burns has moved up to 4th all time in saves this season. The 1-5 pitching staff has been giving them a chance to win every time play. Davey Fick, so far, has not played very well this season. If he balnace out his poor first half with a strong second half this team could really take off.

New York Midtowners have been the second best team in the NL. They are another team that has pitched very well this season. Del Vallarta is having career season and finally living up to his price tag. Branch Mitchell has been great this season as well. The heart of the line-up is still very strong and holds up with the other top teams in the world.

Those are your NL top Two

This seasons pitching has been great all around so far. Back in season 21, I posted about the historic significants of finishing the season with a sub 4 ERA. In season 21 only 19 teams had ever finished with a sub 4 ERA. Since then (including season 21 because that was a mid-season report) 12 more teams have finished the season under a 4 ERA.  AL teams are currently under that mark this season. So the AL went from averaging less than one a year to 4 a year. Those same three seasons, have also seen the flip side of that show up in the hitting. Are the days of AL OPS north of .800 over? Have owners decided to not put the money into hitting and focusing more on fielding? I believe so. Looking over the +/- plays season average, you can see a huge trend shift starting in season 14. Season 1 and 2 were both upside down in +/- but season one had 44+ plays and 2 had 39+ plays. We did not see a + play average above 22 till season 14, and were upside down for all but one season in the first 13. Season 14 gave us the first truly positive number in +/- plays and since that season we have also seen a decline in OPS. The Juiced Ball Era is over and we may never see another 70 homerun season, but have owners traded in sexy hitters for slick gloved fielding? That is what the numbers show to me.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Get to Know them: Eeyore1959 Edition




Who are you?

Just a 53 year old government drone.

Who are your favorite all-time players in real baseball?

Jim Northrup (Detroit Tigers), Tim Burke (Montreal Expos), John Smoltz

Do you have a favorite Kaline Player?

My favorite player was Martin Wang. He gave me many seasons of 250+ innings, where I could hide some other deficiencies of my pitching staff.

What is your favorite Kaline moment(other then when I started of course)?

My first division title. I rebuilt, felt I was one or two seasons away from contending, and a couple of moves, including claiming a Rule 5 third baseman to fill a left field opening, brought it all together.

In Hardball Dynasty, what is your strategy for allocating your budget?

Try to keep payroll under 90 million, keep the best coaches available, and allocate to areas which improve prospects.

How do you approach off-season events with players such as arbitration and free agency?

I am looking at who I need to win now, and who can I let go because I have homegrown the replacement.

What is your basic strategy for setting your starting lineups and pitching rotation?

I use a somewhat traditional lineup, and I try to keep lesser stamina pitchers from starting consecutively.

What do you believe are the most important individual player ratings for performance?

For hitters, contact and splits. For pitchers, control and pitch rating.

How do you approach in-season player events like the draft, international prospects and promotions/demotions?

I lean more on the draft, and try to get one top pitcher and one top player each season. The competition for international prospects makes it harder to get a gem at a good price. I try to be patient, not making any moves until after 40 games. I try to have a plan B or C in case a player is underperforming.

If you were to give one piece of advice to a new user, what would it be?

Watch what works with top teams, and stay true to your team plan

What is your favorite aspect of Hardball Dynasty?

Opening Day- that is when you find out if all the work is worthwhile.

Least?

Coach hiring. Too many times you think you have the spot settled, and at the eleventh hour, you have to scramble.

: If you were a sim player, what position would you play, and what would you be rated?

I would be a first baseman with a 70 glove who could catch due to a 60PC, above average power, almost zero contact, and splits which would never let me get in the show, like Phil Dykhoff on my team, only with about 15-20 less in each hitting category.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Get to Know Them: Twostepper Edition

Who are you?

Michael , 30 year-old from outside Chicago. Manager for Walgreens. Married with a kid that is about to turn 1.




Who are your favorite all-time players in real baseball?

Craig Biggio, Ty Cobb, Jeff Bagwell and Kirby Puckett.



Do you have a favorite Kaline Player?

Was Flash Clemens and now is Russel Reitz



What is your favorite Kaline moment(other then when I started of course)?

Flash Clemens getting into the hall



In Hardball Dynasty, what is your strategy for allocating your budget?

Do my best to keep training and medical high. I try to offset contracts with large bonuses. So I usually stay in the middle of the pack for payroll.



How do you approach off-season events with players such as arbitration and free agency?

Write out my goal for a lineup and rotation. See what holes I need filled. I try to not arbitrate if I know I'm going to want the player for 3+ years. I just don't have the balls to give somebody a max deal. Never feels worth it. I try to give huge bonuses so that the later years of a players contract are super low.



What is your basic strategy for setting your starting lineups and pitching rotation?

I usually ignore power and just want obp and avg guys near the top. Pitching I go for vs. L and vs. R along with having 3+ pitched for starters.



What do you believe are the most important individual player ratings for performance?

Contact, Eye, VS for hitters. Control, VS and velocity for pitchers



How do you approach in-season player events like the draft, international prospects and promotions/demotions?

I rank the top 50 or so from the draft pool. I use a ratings threshold of zero. I don't do international. I try not to promote to the majors midseason unless need be.



If you were to give one piece of advice to a new user, what would it be?

Not trade with Cloud. Haha. I would tell them to build the team into the mold they like. Small ball, heavy hitters, pitching dominated...etc.



What is your favorite aspect of Hardball Dynasty?

I love stats!



Least?

23 seasons in and my team has no playoff success. Very frustrating when it seems like I'm doing the best I can.



 If you were a sim player, what position would you play, and what would you be rated?

Second Base

Range/80 Glove/85 Arm/60 Accuracy/65

Speed/85 Durability/85 Health/85 Patience/55 Make Up/99

Contact/60 Power/0 Left/80 Right/50 Eye/50

Baserunning/99 Bunt/99 Push/Pull 50

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Who Cares NL Preview

With a grand total of five championship in the world history, the NL has been the abortion that got away. With that said, here is your NL preview.

NL North

The NL North is stacked with top end starting pitching. Also for the first time in 10 season, they are bringing in a new owner.

New York Midtowners are going for their third straight North title. The team is aging some and it is starting to show on the ratings. Last season they were a top five hitting team and they should be around there again this season. With just a little better OBP% they could add a bunch of runs. The pitching last season was top three in the NL. The rotation is headed by five time All Star Angel Cueto. The fielding was just awful last season. Poor fielding % and upside down on the +/-. If Alex Aguilar gets everyday work at SS that should help out a ton.

Key Players

Wins 89-93

Montreal Otters just missed the post season last year and are on the cusp to break into it this season. This squad is also getting old quick and the window with the current group is getting tight. The pitching is not as good as the others in the North but holds its own NL wide sitting around average. Fielding is good to go and in the top five. Hitting was in the top three.

Key Player

Wins 86-90

Buffalo Freeze has one of the best starting rotations in baseball headed by the best current pitcher, "Rowdy" Russell Reitz. The line-up is solid but last season didn't show it. The fielding is below average.

Key players

Wins 78-82

Toledo LittleGREENmen were not firing well last season. Pitching was not were it has been the last few seasons finishing in the bottom half of the NL. Defense is below average. Hitting was about middle of the pack. They do lack a pop in the line up.

Key Players

Wins 75-79

NL East

Columbus Chocolate Homunculi has a nice mix of hitting, pitching and fielding. Last seasons hitting numbers were above average but I think that will be right about there again this season. Pitching numbers showed up in the top five. Fielding plays well enough.

Key Players

Wins 89-93

Atlanta Braves were last seasons sacrifice to the AL. Offense was good enough last season and pushed runs across the plate. Pitching was outstanding and placing in the top three with out any high end studs thanks to the great defense.

Key players

Wins 89-93

Philadelphia Phillies have had issues because of the weakness of the free agency market. The good news is Hector Merced is back. Fielding was best in the NL last season.Pitching was also very strong last year. Hitting was below average to bad. They are really fighting age here.

Key Players

Wins 87-91

Washington D.C. Black Bears are still a season or two away from pushing for the post season. This is a team with some outstanding prospects but lacking ML talent. Bottom three in both hitting and pitching but fielded very well.

Key players

Wins 68-72

NL South

With two of the top 3 picks in the upcoming draft the south has some work to do.

Houston Grandes will go for their 8th straight South title. A terrible fielding team. They were in the top half in pitching and were the best hitting and run score team. Floyd "The Hit Man" Mullen is sucking up a large chunk of payroll but comes off the books at season end.

Key players

Wins 99-103

Charleston Ashley Coopers are your average team. Middle of the pack in both pitching and hitting. Fielding  though is in the bottom tier. Not a whole lot going on this off season for our world traveler. Some interesting guy in AAA could see ml action at some point this season.

Key Players

Wins 80-84

Charlotte Shock have been restocking the minors for the last few season and might still be a season or two away from really pushing for more wins. Last season was brutal in the field. Not any better in the mound. Hitting was also below average. Tim Herndon was brought in to help on the mound.

Key player

Wins 65-69

Wichita Waves is in an all out rebuilding mode. Billhowell75 is taking his 274+ season of experience to work on the overhaul. Right now though, I have them pegged for the top pick in next years draft.

Key players

Wins 58-62

NL West

Sacramento Renegades are the cream of the NL. They hoovered around the middle of the pack in hitting. They were top five in both pitching and fielding though. Busy in free agent spending this off season adding Gus West to the rotation.

Key Players
Davey Fick
Luther Hutton
Matt Burns

Wins 100-104

Salem EliteDucks will be right on the heels of the Renegades this season.Passable with the gloves but nothing special. Pitching was pretty good and hitting was top five. High end players make this team go but the gap between the top guys and bottom guys is rather large.

Key Players
Big Dick Randall
Jordan Weiss
Andy Hunter

Wins 97-101

Vancouver Whitecaps are back on the up swing but still maybe a season away from making too much noise. They were in the bottom five in pitching and hitting but both should come closer to the middle of the pack this season. Field was middle of the pack.

Key Players
Patrick Bundy
Marcus Washington
Lorenzo Sierra

Wins 78-81

FINALLLY

Las Vegas Blue Demons field really well second best in the NL. Hitting was dead last and pitching was just about middle of the pack.

Key players
Jordy "The Juicer" Hobbs
Matty Guerrero
Juan Gomez

Wins 70-74



Post Season Spots
  1. Sacramento Renegades
  2. Houston Grandes
  3. Columbus Chocolate Homunculi
  4. New York Midtowners
  5. Salem EliteDucks
  6. Florida Phantoms
The top two teams show well in the post season and do battle with another Cloud vs Bernie World Series Match up.

Awards
The Alex Silva(NL MVP): Davey Fick
The Hector Merced(NL Cy Young): Big Dick Randall
Enrique Olivares (ROY): Max Valentin
Fireman Matt Burns