SIM COMPLETE - 2000 - SIM 25

[Clay]

If we are both lucky enough to make the playoffs I full expect our season fortunes to reverse themselves in the playoffs and you earn an easy sweep.

Well, if no one gets hurt... the best thing I have going for me is that a bunch of good pitchers get to move to the bullpen. My bullpen just crushes me every SIM.

[Dave]

Going to be an interesting last week. All things considered, this would probably be the worst NO team to ever make the playoffs if we got there.

[BradZ]

btw, 562 > 561. Congrats Dani Avlarez.

[Carlos]

btw, 562 > 561. Congrats Dani Avlarez.

The doorbell's been rung.


Sent from my mobile device.

[Clay]

Dallas killed Woodbury just so they could have the record setting HR again with Alvarez. Publicity whores.

[Jimmy]

Los Angeles could go 7-0 next week to win 100 games this season.......and then break up the team?

No offense Jimmy, but I still just don't get it. You won 90+ games despite nagging injuries for the entire year. Your offense is top notch. Retool the pitching and you've got the best team in the DL (which you may already have).

It's pretty hard to retool the one thing everyone values the most. I would have to trade for one (with no bullets to fire) or sign one (with not enough money to replace 2 starters). And I'm NOT doing what everyone else does by bankrupting my future for another shot at the playoffs. I turned this organization around in two seasons. I'm confident it wasn't luck.

Plus I have really missed out on drafting over the last 4 seasons. The picking and development of players is a fun aspect of the game too. Of course mine never develop to their full potential but its still fun.

[Clay]

Who has bankrupted their future for "one last run"? To me the top teams mostly got their through a very logical flow and blowing out prime players has not been part of it. Their are teams who have done the trade guys part, but none have gotten back.

[Dave]

It's almost impossible to "bankrupt your future" in this league.

[Jake]

It's almost impossible to "bankrupt your future" in this league.

Carlos should take that as a compliment. He's done the impossible.

[Jistic]

Not that anybody cares...but we had a great development report.

I'll let you get back to your playoff talk now.

[Pat]

Washington Bats (104-51; 1st Place in Stout)


3-0 vs. Baltimore
1-2 @ Wilmington

Sorry Delandis. Trust me, I'd much rather face you in the playoffs than Virginia but I'm not going to mess with the groove my team is in by laying down against the Bulldogs. I'm trying to ride this momentum into the post-season and wanted to give my fans for their last three regular season games something to cheer about. I rested a lot of guys against Wilmington and it showed. Here ya go!



Best Game: A 5-4 win over Baltimore in which the Bats were outhit 11-6 but scrapped together a win behind C Mal "The Crow" Brady's three-run homer in the third with two outs.
Worst Game: In a game where the starters were all resting, Washington gives up a 5-2 lead in the 7th to lose 5-6 in the 10th to Wilmington.

The Good
-If the Bats go 5-2 this week they will tie the franchise record with wins. Already with 104 wins, the only two other times D.C. won this many games, they ended up winning it all. This team has been good all year, but they might be peaking right now. 21-7 in September was by far the best month of the year.

-Rookie OF B.J. Jobe is really coming into his own. There is no question now who the starting LF is for the playoffs. In his two starts against Baltimore he went 5/8 with a double, triple, three runs scored and a stolen base. I'm not sure if he will hit lead-off come post-season, that's a lot to ask of a rookie but he will be in the lineup.

The Bad
-I finish the season on a 10 game road trip, in which I am already 1-2. I'd like to end the season on a roll but with Virginia playing for their playoff lives at home, this could be a tough three games, and then I will be resting many players in the four game Morgantown series. I'd rather not back into the playoffs but with the #1 seed already clinched, I'm going to put health above winning right now.

The Ugly
-If the playoffs started today, I'm really unsure who will be in my rotation. Everyone has pitched very, very well. This is obviously a good problem to have, but beyond SP Troy Hanback and SP Travis DuFour, I'm not 100% certain who fills the other two spots. SP Loren Washington went 18-2 but hasn't pitched too well in his last six starts. SP Nakazo "Chuckwagon" Sasaki is the only lefty and will probably pitch based on team matchups. SP Tom Downs has only started a handful of games and I'm not sure if it's fools gold.

The Injured
RF Miguel Angel Monchez returned from injury this week and of course, struggled. He's rusty. He will get majority of the starts this week to see if he can shake it off. If not, he will be a valuable pinch-hitting, pinch-running and defensive replacement for the post-season.

The Week Ahead
-We have clinched the Stout and #1 seed. But there is still an interest in winning games this week. Three @ Virginia. I will be throwing my best team out there with the intentions of preparing for a potential playoff match-up. Prediction: 1-2. Then I finish with four in Morgantown, who will see a lot of back-ups. Prediction: 2-2. A 3-4 week combined with a loss to Wilmington on the 1st of the month would be the sub .500 month of the year but I want my rotation and regulars well rested for the playoffs. Good luck to Virginia, California and Baltimore in the final week.

[Carlos]

Carlos should take that as a compliment. He's done the impossible.

Funclown says I should blame Rex Morgan.


Sent from my mobile device.

[funclown]

Funclown says I should blame Rex Morgan.


Sent from my mobile device.

Lol, well he did screw you out of the #1 pick!

[Jimmy]

Carlos should take that as a compliment. He's done the impossible.

Thank you. But it's not just Carlos.

When I say bankrupt I mean there is nothing coming up. Flexibility to let the big guy go vs paying him a crapload of money. Not having a dime to spend on FA or even a backup to carry the load in case of injury. Those are all symptoms of bankruptcy. If I had a Virginia/Baltimore budget we wouldn't be having this conversation. If I didn't have to trade a young MR just to get a guy to fill in decently in the BLB I wouldn't be doing this. I put myself in these positions and I'm rectifying it.

We may all be enamored by my teams players, their ratings and potential. I prefer to use performance as my guide. Not just winning games but performing to the level you are capable of. These guys are not doing it together. It has little to do with where I put them, (I've tried everyone everywhere) as a team they are good. Not great.

Interesting fact. My players did not win a SINGLE award outside of Seth Walters rookie of the month.

[Pat]

as a team they are good. Not great.

6th in the DL in homeruns
12th in the DL in homeruns allowed

How you were able to win 90+ games is pretty amazing, actually.