SIM COMPLETE - 1989 - Regular Season 9

[Ryan]

Not sure if you got the memo but we're trying to keep all the best talent in the Pilsner...so you'll want to trade with either us, Syracuse or Denver.

Oh, of course. Get those offers ready.

[Jim]

- 5 pitchers that had over 10.00 ERA's! We never should have traded away Athey...he was a solid #2...and the guys we got turned into nothing.

I was surprised you traded him. I remember asking about him a while before you traded him & you said you weren't going to trade him. That's ok though...we lit him up in the last sim.

[Jistic]

IL league ERA is up .50 from last year. Last year was .01 away from our all time high. Batting average is also up big league wide.

[BradZ]

IL league ERA is up .50 from last year. Last year was .01 away from our all time high. Batting average is also up big league wide.

I'm proud to say the Philly Freedom are doing everything we can to suppress the league wide batting average. Unfortunately we're having that impact on both sides, on the mound (good) and at the plate (not so good).

[Delandis]

IL league ERA is up .50 from last year. Last year was .01 away from our all time high. Batting average is also up big league wide.

Might have to look into random drug tests . Or we can go the MLB route.

[Lintyfresh85]

I have a feeling that the stats are probably just following real life patterns. I bet if you check whenever our league is set... in real life you'll start seeing an increase just like we are now.

[liquidcrash]

NL ERA

1988: 3.45
1989: 3.49
1990: 3.79

[liquidcrash]

Another good sim for the Tobs as we went 5-2 for the second straight week. Split 2 @ Davenport, won 2 vs Windy City and won 2/3 @ Los Alamos, so we took care of business against our division rivals. I don't think I'll ever be sold on this team as a contender, but we've extended our division lead to 7 games over the Playboys. Eventually it'll come crashing down but for now we're playing good ball.

Hector Solis may not be the complete disaster as a starter I was fearing. After a rough first start against Virginia, he's been pretty solid. This week he threw 13 shutout innings in two wins. He doesn't have the stuff to be a dominant pitcher, but hopefully he can keep us in games when he's on the mound.

Don Alexander seems to be coming around at the plate after a slow start. So far in June he's hitting .375 with a 1.085 OPS. If he starts hitting our lineup could be pretty solid.

I floated Jimmy Joy's name as a potential allstar before the season and he's playing well so far. On the week he hit .346 and is on pace to have the best season of his career. I'm not sure he'll be an all-star with the talent at SS in the IL, but he deserves some recognition.

C Pepe Gonzalez made his debut at #17 on the BA Top 100 Prospect List. Now begins his quick downfall to obscurity. I'd be willing to be he won't be on the list this time next season.

[Pat]

What a bittersweet sim. A 6-1 week, which included a two game sweep of Wilmington, three game sweep of Morgantown and a 1-1 split with Virginia. The great week bumped the Bats from 3rd in the Stout into a tie with the Wildcats. Which is also a tie for best record in the IL.

Now for the bad news:

1. My best prospect (#7 in the BLB) and a guy I was planning on being a key component in the stretch run, SP Ivan Garcia, is out for ten months. That's not even the worst part. After this sim, not only is he off the top 100 (he dropped from Org #1 to Org #17) his ratings took a hit. I know this happens to everyone, but man, when it happens to you, it really sucks.

2. My CF, Larry Fitzsymons, is also out for the rest of the season. Yes, he is a CF, but no, he didn't get hurt in the field. Got hurt sliding into 3rd base.

3. The list of current injured now includes, my best RP (Grant Lewis), my CF (Fitz), my #1 prospect (Garcia), and the guy I traded for in the off-season (Jose Sanchez). Luckily, Nago and Grounds are fully back to health.

[Jake]

I don't know how, but we've somehow avoided the injury bug this year.

[Jim]

I don't know how, but we've somehow avoided the injury bug this year.

You're asking for trouble saying that...

[Delandis]

Baltimore Bulldogs (31-27)

2-0 vs. Batavia
1-1 @ Philadelphia
2-1 vs. California

THE GOOD

-- We hit .320 as a team last week and it showed up as a 5-2 sim against our division foes. Eight batters hit over .300 last week. That does not even include the two pitchers that came in and helped the cause with hits from the plate. This is the exact performance I hoped we could bring to this crucial week of play.

-- Ivan Garcia has hit a bit of a groove this week going 10/21 with 3 doubles, 6 RBI and 2 SB. I think the fire is on his ass because he knows Zi-Chen Jin will be back in less than a month and his playing time will be cut a bit if he doesn't show he can hit the ball as well as draw walks.

-- Joe Coutts has been a solid 5th infielder. Last week he gave everyone in the infield a rest and hit .375 including a crucial 3-run blast in a game against Batavia. We've got a bit of chemistry here and I'm a bit hesitant to bring Jin in because that would mean Coutts would have to head back to AAA.



THE BAD

-- I'm starting to question if Juan Jose Garcia is ready for the big leagues. He had another questionable start and with the return of Tommy Lang from the disabled list next week, he may finish the year in AAA. Len Hayes and Cesaro Pena have been nothing short of amazing in relief this year so we can stand to have Garcia seasoned for another 1/2 a season in AAA.

-- Joe Soto had a good outing last week against Philadelphia, and it was his first good showing in nearly a month. He's in a contract year, but if he doesn't pick it up to the point where we can depend on him in the Baby Porch TM, this may be his final year in Baltimore.


ON-DECK

-- Next week is the first round of inter-league play and we rolled the dice to get Hartford, and all-powerful, Maine. There may be a chink in the armor since Don McGuire is hurt, but I doubt it. We do have a little help with the fact that we are playing with IL rules, but playing in Baltimore, that really doesn't matter. Also, Tommy Lang is scheduled to make his return during the final game against Maine.

[Lintyfresh85]

California Kodiaks (31-27)
1-1 @ Philadelphia
2-0 vs. Batavia
1-2 @ Baltimore

THE GOOD

-- A double shot of Joe - Joe Ovando, who the hell are you? After turning in a great week last week, he best himself this week by turning in a .309/.333/.609/.942 week that included two home runs and one double. Loving the production I'm getting out of this guy! When does the clock strike midnight though?

-- Hip! Hip! Jose! - Jose Compres had a big week for the Kodiaks going .522/.522/.696/1.217 with a home run and eight RBI's. Always nice to see the life long California product have a solid week at the dish.

-- Nick Duncan, the forgotten man - Once upon a time, Nick Duncan was the #2 pick in the 1980 first year player draft. Its been a long road for Nick, who has made 11 appearances (4 starts) in 4 cups of coffee with the Kodiaks. Having spent most of the last seven years in AAA, Duncan got a spot start this week after bad bullpen management made Joe Toapanta the scheduled starter have his turn skipped. Duncan responded with a modest effort going 7 IP and only giving up 2 ER at Philadelphia. While he took the loss, Duncan more than earned an extended look in the bullpen during the coming weeks.

THE BAD

-- Bullpen still in flux - No matter how I mix and match things, I just can't seem to come up with the right bullpen combination. After another week of shellacking, I'm going to throw Curt Goodwin into the late inning mix. After acquiring the young hurler from Pittsburgh in a trade for two AA prospects, I'm hoping his high stuff rating will do him well in short appearances.

THE UGLY

-- Injury Bug - Having avoided major injuries for much of the season, I was finally dealt two this past sim as I lost starting SS Lucio Mendez for five weeks with a torn thumb ligament and then suffered an even bigger blow when I lost set up man Joe Jaureguy for the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff.

ON-DECK

Time for some Interleague play! First we entertain Pawtucket for a quick three game set and then we welcome Z and his Pittsburgh Millers to In-N-Out Park to close out the weekend.

[Carlos]

Didn't know A and AA ball players were selected to the All-Star Game.

Also found out that one of my minor league pitchers threw the second no-hitter in Denver's minor league system in 1989. Pete Wentzel completed the feat on June 9. Maybe there is a future for that one.

[Pat]

I had three Double-A All-Stars:
-SP Don Woods
-CL Hector Gonzalez
-OF Don Meadows

And one Single-A All-Star:
-OF Hector Gomez