SIM COMPLETE - 1997 - SIM 7

[Ryan]

4-2 for our first winning sim of the season. Beware the sneak attack!

[mwetts]

One win sim.

Top 20 hitter Shawn Burton out a month, joining Hector Reyna and Marv Bowers, my entire starting OF.

This team sucks.

Lost last years first rounder to a season ender as well.

and bowers had a set back.

[Clay]

and bowers had a set back.

Wrong login, Diesel.

[funclown]

I really don't see much changing at all. Business as usual from the limited negotiations I've had so far this season.

Agreed. Usually just takes one big trade to start the ball rolling.

[Delandis]

Agreed. Usually just takes one big trade to start the ball rolling.

I don think I'll be rocking the boat too much this year.

[Carlos]

Nice to get two months into the season without anyone down-shifting into full blown "blow it up" mode. Fun season so far.

Denver doesn't have any high priced contracts to get out of this year. We are simply young and bad.

Any blowing it up will come from demotions. We're doing that now.


Sent from my mobile device.

[Jim]

Yuck. Still leading the division, but that week sucked.

Ditto x2.

[liquidcrash]

Carolina is on absolute fire. What a great multi-week run. Very Colonial-esque. ;)

Ehh. We went 3-3 last sim, though 6-0 here is nice. At 16-6, we've been good in May so far. I guess we started 3-6 after you swept us, so we're 27-8 since then. Not too bad. It's still just May, but we've got an 11 game division lead. We're 20-3 at home.

Hamilton and Deleon had really good weeks for us this sim. They've been kind of quiet so far, but I think they'll be ok. Hamilton hit .400, Deleon .500 with a couple HRs and 10 RBI. Jose Guzman continued his really good start.

Guzman's got an option for next season. We'll see how he plays the rest of the way to determine if I'm going to pick that up. That could also depend on Jerry Brown.

From our pitching staff, Val Aparicio rebounded from a rough start to throw 7 shutout innings against the Bats, and we only gave up 13 runs all week. Mendez's injury is a worry, since I have no clue how long it is in order to put him on the DL or call up Iturriaga to make a start. I've said we have depth, but he's been our best so far.

[Gyrodork]

3 - 3 against two good teams. My bullpen has been off, along with our attendance. But a couple of guys are finally starting to show signs of life. We might make a run at this thing yet.

[Delandis]

SIM 5 - Baltimore Bulldogs (30-14)

2-1 vs VIR
3-0 vs DAV

Pleasantly surprised that we were able to get five wins last week. We are 9-3 since the Shitty injury and an IL leading 17-5 in May, so I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

THE GOOD

Rex Knight Has Awoken: After a poor start to the season, Rex has started to settle into a groove during the month of May. He leads the BLB in home runs (7), walks (28), fewest strikeouts (3), OBP (.545) and OPS (1.315) for the month. You know a batter is truly on fire when he can power an opposite fielder dinger against Pancho.

Rookie of the Year: I'd be lying if I said that I knew Kazayoshi Maekawa was going to be this good of hitter when we selected him from the Rule V draft. All I was looking for was a switch hitter to help our infield defensively, maybe slap a few hits here or there. However, it looks like I may have lucked up on the greatest 10th round draft pick in the feeder league era.

Zander the Conqueror: Outside of maybe Wenceslas Hautbourg of Batavia, Zander Walters has been the best pitcher in the IL in the month of May. With a .95 WHIP, Zander has given up just 3 earned runs in the last 27 IP. Unfortunately, the offense has struggled at times when he has been on the mound and he only has one win over that stretch.

THE BAD

Ernie Bornstein went just 2/17 last week and did not look comfortable at all. His only bright moment came from a 3-run walkoff home run to steal the third game in the series against Virginia.

INJURIES

There were no injuries this week, outside of the flu that Antonio Trujillo had going into the week. This upcoming week, we get to bring utility infielder, Brad Antell off of the DL and Dantel Castaneda will be sent back to Annapolis.

ON THE FARM

Orlando Zarco, was back in action in Orlando (A) after missing 4 weeks due to broken ribs. The kid did not miss a beat hitting .364 in his return to the lineup.

NEXT UP:

We finish out the month of May traveling to Chicago and then back home for a four game home stand against the Phillies.