SIM COMPLETE - 1987 - Regular Season 2

[Andrew]

- Josh Poling jumps onto the OSA Top Players list this week at #18

I think trading Poling and two high draft picks for Terry Drewitt is easily the worst move I've made as a GM. Especially since I forgot to protect Drewitt in the expansion draft. Although he did end up turning into a scrub.

[Carlos]

I think trading Poling and two high draft picks for Terry Drewitt is easily the worst move I've made as a GM. Especially since I forgot to protect Drewitt in the expansion draft. Although he did end up turning into a scrub.

You want to feel better?

I traded Clay Joe Arredondo a few years ago for super utility man Antonio Neil and a 10th round pick.

Who knew that Arredondo would turn into a movement and control beast? Frick.

[Clay]

I think trading Poling and two high draft picks for Terry Drewitt is easily the worst move I've made as a GM. Especially since I forgot to protect Drewitt in the expansion draft. Although he did end up turning into a scrub.

You want to feel better?

I traded Clay Joe Arredondo a few years ago for super utility man Antonio Neil and a 10th round pick.

Who knew that Arredondo would turn into a movement and control beast? Frick.

What's the common denominator to both of these stories?????

Clay RULES!!!

And if it makes you feel better, Andrew, I got Poling and O'Hegarty for Joe Sargentini and Cash... so your trade wasn't even the worst move involving Poling.

And who knew Arrendondo was going to turn into a legit SP???? THIS GUY!!

[Lintyfresh85]

Chubby, take a look at your A ball team. Gotta add some more hitters man, you're going to get your pitchers hurt playing the field like that.

[Pat]

Washington Bats - Week 2

3-0 vs. Batavia
1-2 @ Baltimore

The Good
-R.A. Grounds' injury replacement, Bob Burleson, has played outstanding. In his previous two seasons in the BLB he hit .220. So far this season he is hitting .308. I don't expect that to continue all season, but I only need him to play well for the next five weeks until Grounds returns.
-Russ McEvoy pitched another gem. Shutout, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 ks. So far this season he has pitched 17 innings and given up 2 ER, striking out 15 and walking 4.

The Bad
-In 1985, SS Pete Summers won the IL Refreshing New Brew award. Since then, he just has not been the same player. Hit .248 last year. Hitting .150 this season.
-Two weeks in and my manager has yet to play setup man Zoilo Lambarria. Last year he pitched in 45 games and had a 3.19 ERA. Maybe he has lost something?

The Ugly
-1st in the IL in starters ERA. 1st in the IL in team ERA. Nasty.

Transaction News
-Claimed SP Cy Kirkpatrick from Carolina. He is still recovering from a year long elbow problem and will be sent to the 15-day DL. But when he comes back, he will fill the mopup/spot start role in Washington. The ratings are no longer there (4-5-3) and it appears Carolina had just given up on him, but I still think he might have some life left in that arm. This kid used to be absolutely filthy. Only 21 years old.

Local News
-Hungover. Can't drink like you used to Pat. You're not in college. Work is going to be a constant battle.

[Clay]

Where do you note that you lost a series after making it clear that you would not lose one all year?

[BradleyB]

[B][COLOR=purple]
Local News
-Hungover. Can't drink like you used to Pat. You're not in college. Work is going to be a constant battle.

oh no. you're not gonna start talking in the third person all the time are you?

Jimmy's got some new moves!!

[Pat]

Where do you note that you lost a series after making it clear that you would not lose one all year?

That was home series. See:

3 vs. Windy City
Home opener against the defending champs. Not a bad way to see what your team is made of. I expect to win every home series, no matter who the opponent.

[Pat]

oh no. you're not gonna start talking in the third person all the time are you?

Jimmy's got some new moves!!

That is how I talk when I am on the court...

"Ooohhh!!!!! JIMMY'S DOWN."

[Clay]

That was home series. See:

Ahhhh... well... we'll see what we can do....

BTW - Robbins v Poling (+2.5) in HRs... still feeling good? I know it's 12 games... but... I would think the line would probably have drifted to nearly pick 'em by now. Maybe Poling (+0.5).

[Pat]

Ahhhh... well... we'll see what we can do....

BTW - Robbins v Poling (+2.5) in HRs... still feeling good? I know it's 12 games... but... I would think the line would probably have drifted to nearly pick 'em by now. Maybe Poling (+0.5).

Yeah...I'd still take the bet....but it could come down to the wire. Robbins is hitting OK so far. Dude is going to get a lot of walks hitting #3 for me.

[Lintyfresh85]

California Kodiaks - Week 2

1-2 @ Windy City
2-1 vs. Los Alamos

The Good
-Conan Wilkerson picked up the first win of his career going 6 1/3, giving up one run and striking out six. As long as he doesn't get hurt, I think he'll be just fine.
-Robby Shannon continues to show plus power with five home runs in two sims. His batting average is a bit low for his standards, but I'm sure it will rise as the season goes on.
-Joe Toapanta returns this week to a six man rotation. The righty fireballer will be a welcome addition to a staff that finished last in the league in strikeouts last year.

The Bad
-Joe Lopez hasn't shown nearly as much as he did last season. He's looking more and more like the waiver wire claim he was last season.
-Too many errors behind the plate for Lavadie. He can hit, but he's not a great defensive guy.

The Ugly
-Alberto Grandon - 4/39, .103/.146/.231, his contact is the lowest rated 4 on the team, and about 55 million left on his deal. He was great the first two years... Looks like the game passed him by now. Too bad as the guy was an all-star just last year.

[Riverman]

[B][U][COLOR=blue]
The Ugly
-Alberto Grandon - 4/39, .103/.146/.231, his contact is the lowest rated 4 on the team, and about 55 million left on his deal. He was great the first two years... Looks like the game passed him by now. Too bad as the guy was an all-star just last year.

I wish they would fix that.

IMO it is one of the biggest weaknesses in the game the way guys suddenly lose it to the extent that they do. If the declines were subtler the game would be more interesting.

[Lintyfresh85]

I wish they would fix that.

IMO it is one of the biggest weaknesses in the game the way guys suddenly lose it to the extent that they do. If the declines were subtler the game would be more interesting.

Yeah that does suck. I'll just have to hope his power, eye and avoid K is good enough to at least keep him from being a complete train wreck.

I noticed the slide after the all-star break last year. Guy just stopped hitting.

It's not even like he's striking out a ton, he's just getting out on nearly every ball he puts in play.

[Riverman]

Phew, somehow I managed to slip Alsina through waivers while you guys weren't looking. I thought there might be a chance that he would get lost in the shuffle with all the players on waivers last sim and thankfully that happened. Unfortunately, he refused to be demoted so it didn't do me any good.

According to my scout Alsina has taken a further ratings hit and is now a 3-4-5, though in his comment about Alsina, the scout states that he is an above average offensive player and a line of .200/.290/.320 was well within the realm of possibility.

Anyway, Arellano went down for a couple of weeks at the end of the last sim so Ton Shellevis will get one more chance to prove he can contribute at the BLB level as he will start both ways in Arellano's absence with Alsina sliding into the 4th OF spot. Shellevis took a circuitous route on his way back to the majors after failing miserably as a resrve OF last season; he was waived by me, claimed by Batavia who soon released him, then signed to a major league deal by Washington, waived by Washington and then reclaimed by me as by then I had room on my roster for him. At least he had a nice spring training and I am hopeful he will perform a little better this season.

I am starting to think that there is something to Brad's theory that some players get bored at their current level and need to be promoted even though there stats don't justify that. Arrellano spent a lot of time in AAA and never played well enough to deserve a promotion hitting just .253/.314/.416 last season, in AAA, for instance. He may just be a flash in the pan but so far so good as he's at .333/.393/.647 in his first two weeks in the BLB.

Then there seem to be players who are exactly the opposite, who just kill minor league pitching at all levels but can't get it done in the BLB. Buddy Craig has hit something like .360 from 1985 to 1987 in 326 AAA at bats but just .232 in about the same number of BLB ABs over the same period. He'll likely get one more chance at a reserve OF role at some point this season as with his great speed and defense he'd be useful if he could transfer the .360 BA in AAA to, say, .280 in the BLB.

Virginia absolutely exhausted by pen in my sim-ending series with them as my relievers picthed 21 innings in the three game set. The first game lasted 13 innings and there was a rain delay that knocked out both starter in the 4th. The next game I had scheduled Pateshall to start but had miscalculated by a game and he was not yet recovered from an injury he had suffered the previous sim. Instead of selecting the fully rested endurance 6 pitcher whom I had in the spot starter slot for the game 2 start, my manager opted to go with one of my relievers who had pitched 2 innings the day before. The starting reliever only lasted 3 batters before being replaced.

I wonder what the BLB record is for games won by a team without any pitcher notching a second win. I must be at least close as I've got 10 wins and no pitcher has two. Pateshall will be starting the first game of the next series with a chance to make it 11.