SIM COMPLETE - 1988 - Regular Season 1

[Clay]

Virginia Colonials (4-2)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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This Week: 4-2<o:p></o:p>
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3-0 vs <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Batavia</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p>
1-2 @ <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p>
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Game 1: <st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State> 1 - <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Batavia</st1:place></st1:City> 0-- Nate Magness opens the season with an 8 inning gem. He throws 102 pitches surrendering 3 hits, walking 2 and punching out 5. Mel Woodbury goes 3 for 3 in his Colonial debut coming a HR short of the cycle.<o:p></o:p>
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Game 2: Virginia 6 - <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Batavia</st1:place></st1:City> 2 -- Danny Nelson and Artie Rhodes hit back-to-back 7th inning HRs to break a 2-2 tie in route to the Colonial win. Woodbury hit his <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:State> long ball earlier in the game. Pancho 'Ironfist' Herrera worked 7.1 strong, striking out 11 and issuing no free passes.<o:p></o:p>
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Game 3: <st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State> 8 - <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Batavia</st1:place></st1:City> 3 -- The Colonials complete the sweep with a brilliant outing from Jerry Morgan. The 21 year old worked 7.1 giving up just one earned with 10 K's (0 walks). Dale O'Hegarty took Player of the Game honors with a 3 for 5, 4 RBI game.<o:p></o:p>
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Game 4: <st1:City w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:City> 8 - <st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State> 6 -- Clay Jolley got off to the first rocky start of the season as he got hammered by <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:City></st1:place>'s boppers who chased him in just 1.2 innings and 7 earned. The Colonials rallied late, but the 7 run spot was too much to overcome. Joshua Poling homered in his 2nd straight game and Mel Woodbury added one of his own.<o:p></o:p>
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Game 5: <st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State> 9 - <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place></st1:City> 5 -- In what can only be described as a bizarre debut, Rookie Jerry Collins got his first BLB started and the early jitters showed. After Mel Woodbury continued his hot hitting in B'More with a 1st inning HR, Collins had two men on in a blink without giving up a hit. Pat Washington punished his early mistakes and hit a three run bomb making his early line 3 runs on 1 hit. He'd buckle down and surrender just one more hit in the second before pitching a masterful and efficient 5.2. After a string of relievers, they started the 9th inning down 5-2. After the first two batters were put away, the Colonials went on an impressive string of hitters. O'Hegarty walks. Rookie Rod Phillips gets a pinch hit infield single on full-count. 'Doorbell' walks on 4 pitches. A passed ball scores one before Poling draws another walk. Cristian Martinez, getting his last start for the suspended Vincent Nino then clears the bases with a triple. New pitcher goes single, BB, BB to the next three before back-up 1B Pepe Gonzalez laces a single to left that scores Hernando, but catches Toselli trying to score from 2nd. Final innings line - 11 batters - 7 runs - 4 hits - 5 walks - Colonial win.<o:p></o:p>
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Game 6: Baltimore 4 - <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:State> 3 (13) -- Vincent Nino makes his 1988 debut, but it was Vernon Simmonds that would make the headlines. After Nate Magness turns in his 2nd supreme pitching performance, IL Player of the Week Mel Woodbury homers in his third straight game to tie and Nino scores on an Alberto Hernando two-out double to put <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Virginia</st1:place></st1:State> up 3-2. Simmonds comes on for the save, but grooves a 2-2 fastball at the first hitter, Joe Santiago, who puts it over the baby porch (312 feet). Simmonds, who was visibly distraught over the blown save, refuse to be pulled from the game and worked a flawless 10th, 11th and 12th. 42 pitches into his night and losing steam, his first pitch in the bottom of the 13th was promptly deposited into the bleachers by former Colonial Larry Headington.

Bottomline<o:p></o:p>
We'll take 4-2 and injury free every sim please and thank you. I feel like we got 5 out 6 good-to-great performances from our Starters with Jolley being the only dud. Woodbury was everything we could have hoped for, but the team as a whole I feel started slowly offensively. Having Nino back in the everyday lineup should be big going forward. When push comes to shove, we swept a team we should beat 75% of the time and lost a series to a team I think we are a little better than.

[Lintyfresh85]

California Kodiaks (6-0)

This Week: 6-0

3-0 vs Carolina
3-0 vs Davenport

Game 1: <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State> 4 - Carolina 3-- Conan Wilkerson got the ball to start the year for the defending BLB Champions and he did not disappoint. Finishing the game with 10 K's Wilkerson cruised into the eight inning before running into trouble; he would leave with two men on base and watch in horror as Joe Negron not only let Wilkerson's two runs in, but a run of his own to put the Kodiaks down 3-2. Thankfully the offense came alive in the eight capped off by a Fracois Dupuis two run double that would be the difference. Roman Magueu came on in the ninth and shut the door for the first win of the season 4-3.
Game 2: California 7 - Carolina 0 -- Joe Toapanta was dominant in his first start of the year as he picked up a complete game shutout. Toapanta had a no hitter going into the top of the eight but that was spoiled by an Aydan Peckham single. On the day, Toapanta gave up two hits, walked two batters and struck out 11. On offense, the Kodiaks got to starter Shawn Gates early and often putting up six runs on the boards before chasing him in the second inning. Jarred Good went 3-4 on offense and Tony Rajanna filling in for the injured Robby Shannon picked up two RBI's.

Game 3: <st1:State w:st="on">California 6</st1:State>- Carolina 3 -- Oswaldo Escarcaga picked up a win as the Kodiaks were able to pull off the sweep against the Tobs. Going six innings, Escarcaga was able to keep the Tobs off balance enough to pick up his first win of the year. On offense, Jarred Good had another good day going 2-3 with an RBI. This game was a bit of a gift as Shawn Gates got his second start in two days and only lasted an inning before being pulled for Leland Rupp who promptly came in and gave up five runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Game 4: <st1:City w:st="on">California 5</st1:City> - Davenport 1 -- Joe Lopez came out with a vengance going eight strong innings and only giving up one run. Good was big for the Kodiaks once again as he went 3-5 with two RBI's that proved to be the difference.

Game 5: <st1:State w:st="on">California 8</st1:State> - Davenport 6 -- Robby Sears made his pro debut for the Kodiaks and blew me away. The 25 year old struck out 11 men over 7 1/3 innings to pick up his first win on the season. Sears was touched up for two long balls and gave up some hits in the eight inning that led to two more runs, but outside of that he was flawless. Magueu came on in the ninth to pick up his third save of the year. Jared Austin my rookie backstop picked up the first Home Run of the season for the Kodiaks with a blast off of starter Jared Fields in the sixth inning.

Game 6: California 1- Davenport 0 -- What can be said about Conan Wilkerson that already hasn't been said? Wilkerson was dominant agains the tough Davenport line up that was missing Vern Branch due to suspension the game prior. On the evening, Wilkerson went 7 2/3 giving up three hits and striking out nine. Wilkerson was also the offensive star picking up a double and driving in the only run either team would see. Joe Negron came in and shut the door in the eight and Roman Magueu closed out the game with a scoreless ninth to pick up his league leading fourth save of the year.

Bottomline<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Solid start for the Kodiaks. Everyone knows I'm built on pitching and this sim didn't do anything to chance that perception. Obviously I don't expect such successful sims each week, but I'll gladly take them when I can get them. Next week we head to Windy City for our first road action of the year and then return home to face Los Alamos, two teams I always seem to struggle with.

(Thanks to Clay for the template)

[Clay]

You could at least change the color.

[Lintyfresh85]

I thanked you. Plus our team colors are similar.

[Clay]

Your blue is way gayer than mine.

[Lintyfresh85]

Yeah but my team makes up for it by being way better than yours.

[Clay]

Guess we'll see in a couple weeks.

[Lintyfresh85]

[Delandis]

Yeah but my team makes up for it by being way better than yours.

He loses to teams he's a "little better than." You should have no problem.

[Clay]

He loses to teams he's a "little better than." You should have no problem.

Stupid whiffle ball park killed me. 317 to the gap should be a flyball, not a HR. I'll return the favor when you come into a real stadium.

[Delandis]

Stupid whiffle ball park killed me. 317 to the gap should be a flyball, not a HR. I'll return the favor when you come into a real stadium.

If you're going to bad mouth our park do it right. It was 312 feet.

[Clay]

The warning track starts at the infield dirt.

[Delandis]

The warning track starts at the infield dirt.

If you can win in VA, you should win in Baltimore. No excuses.
Oh and by the way, if you bean us twice in a game again expect retaliation.

[Clay]

"The ball slipped out of my hand!! He was crowding the plate! Why don't you blow me, Ump!" -- Ricky Vaughn

Yeah... Jerry Collins beans two while ahead on the count. That's the way we teach it here in Virginia.

[Clay]

<TABLE class=lposhadow cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=8 width=934><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px" vAlign=top width=110></TD><TD class=sl vAlign=top width=500>Star SS Signs Pact with Colonials
Saturday, April 9th, 1988: Dale O'Hegarty might be greedy, but there's no disputing his talent. The hotshot shortstop will pocket $36,000,000 after re-signing with the Colonials earlier today, and will hang around another 3 years.

Some more financially prudent fans worried that the signing would burden the club down the road and might prevent it from being competitive, though many others were simply thankful that O'Hegarty didn't bolt.

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We literally went back and forth every single sim of the off-season trying to get a deal done. In the end, I ended up just locking him up for what he would take. He's a great player who still hasn't hit his prime (in my opinion). Just become the #20 on the BLB Top Players list. Lot to look forward to.