SIM COMPLETE - 1996 - SIM 7

[Ryan]

The Pilsner is the punch line.


Sort of like: "So he says to me, 'I finished in first place!' and I asked, which division? He responds, 'The Pilsner!"

Cue audience laughing.

We have an audience?

[Clay]

We're getting dangerously close to that 10th loss. We need to right this ship.

[Carlos]

We have an audience?

23 other owners watching Clay win all the championships.

[liquidcrash]

We're just over 1/4 of the way through the season, and the IL is currently scoring more runs than the DL. So far IL teams have scored 2439 runs compared to 2388 for the DL. Will it last? It's never happened before.

The 3 highest scoring teams in the league are in the IL- Virginia, Washington and Carolina. Batavia is tied for 4th. Of course, the Colonials are doing most of the work here as they are way out in front.

[Spear]

Predictable 1-5 slide down Christmas mountain.

[Spectre]

5-1 sim with a sweep of Pittsburgh. Team is getting hot now even though we have an absolute black hole at 3B at the moment. Plus, my starters are mediocre. Let's see how long we can keep this thing going

[Pat]

WASHINGTON BATS:
23-21 overall, Leader in Wildcard Race

2-1 @ Baltimore
3-0 vs. California

Very impressive week for the Bats. Mwetts and I were talking the day before the sim and he said, "you could easily go 6-0." Well, you were close Matt. The only game I lost in fact was the final of the Baltimore series, 2-3 in the 11th. Not too shabby. Not the best competition, either.

The Good



-Where have you been the last two seasons Tyrone Abbott? He is on pace for a .995 OPS, 66 doubles, 26 HR and 140 RBI. He's playing catcher, 1B and LF this year. He already has more HRs and RBI than last year, despite 230 less ABs. Unreal.

-This years, "Bat Breakout You've Never Heard Of" probably belongs to SP Pat Daniels. After his rookie debut in 1989, he spent most of his time in Triple-A or would just be a September call-up. This year however, and last years September, he has been amazing. Last year he went 2-1 in five starts, with a 2.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. This year, 3-0, seven starts, 2.29 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He has a "wrecked" injury history, and he is playing well above his ability but I'll take it while it lasts.

-After beating out Mal Wood for the starting 3B spot, Sammy Knowlton is crushing...singles. The defensive wiz is hitting .319, 51 hits, but only 10 XBH, and no HRs. Not your conventional hot corner hitter but if he can hit .300 for the year and play top notch defense, he is really going to help out the squad.

The Bad

-Shawn Burton just got hurt and will be on the DL for the next two weeks. His bat, .859 OPS and 25 RBI will be sorely missed.

-I have a few upset players about their role. Jerry Chase wants to close. Jimmy Joy wants to start at short. Chad Austin wants to start in RF. Chase will get a few closing opportunities but the closing job belongs to Clarence Ortiz. Joy, sorry bud, you haven't been starting quality in years. And who do you suggest I bench for you? Austin actually will get some starts with Burton out, but some of those starts will go to speedster Hector Reyna.

The Ugly

-The Bats bullpen has finished top three in the IL in ERA for at least the past 3-4 years. This season, we rank 8th. A lot of it has to do with the poor rotation this year and my relievers are getting overworked but some guys still need to get their shit together.

The Minors
-Back in 1993, I selected 1B/LF/DH Nari Garin 19th overall. Born in Italy. Drafted out of HS. Debuted at #99 on the top prospect list in 1994. After three straight sub .200 average seasons, Garin is finally, "getting it." This year, through 39 games, was hitting .313 with a .933 OPS. He is now 36th on the top prospect list and made his move to Double-A. He of course struggled, has an ice cub next to his name, and will probably take three seasons at this level to "figure it out."

Up Next

-Three vs. Carolina and four @ Wilmington. The Tobs should be a very good test for my team. The Wilmington games should be good batting practice.