Iowa City Corn-ish Hens -- 75-87 in S7, 84-78 in S8
Going into their fourth season under hshack's rule, Iowa City is looking better and better. Led by former first round pick Davy Matthews and Yamil Dali at the plate and David Miranda and Freddy Kojima on the mound, IC really has their shit together. My only complaint: they didn't do anything during the offseason. Teams that stand still will usually end up getting passed. If the young guys like Bong, Matthews, Ritz and Tabaka can continue to improve, then maybe the team won't need high-priced FA's or big trades.
Offense: C
Defense: B
Pitching: C
MVP: Matthews, duh
Cy Young: Kojima
Prediction -- 81-81, 3rd in the Division
Cincinnati Red Thumpers -- 92-70 in S7, 83-79 in S8
One of The Originals, statman527 has seen his franchise rise from the valley up to the top of the tiny mountain that is the NL North, but the mountains of other divisions have squashed his little mountain when they have gone up against each other in the postseason. Flash Bass has lived up to the hype that comes with a top draft pick, after being given a MLB deal and spending less than 300 games in the minors. This year he has Mac Collins helping him out, after Collins spent a whopping 511 games in the minors, spending significant time at every level. J.C. Stewart and Wesley Howry should lead the pitching. With only three players on the ML roster over the age of 30, youth will certainly lead this team.
Offense: B+
Defense: B
Pitching: B-
MVP: Bass
Cy Young: Howry
Prediction -- 89-73, 2nd in the Division, maybe a WC
Buffalo Wooden Nickle - 98-64 in S7, 79-83 in S8
After claiming the division title in S7, the Nickles took a step backwards in S8, dropping below .500 and into 3rd place. How did BBMogul respond? He went out and traded for nearly an entirely new team. Omar Lopez, Don Boskie, Edge Graves, and James Hornsby all join the team this season. What did I say earlier about standing still?
Offense: B++
Defense: C
Pitching: B-
MVP: Roger Crawford
Cy Young: Dixie Logan (I don't care if he's a closer)
Prediction -- 95-67, 1st in the Division
Helena Homies -- 56-106 in S7, 55-107 in S8
How the mighty have fallen. Remember when pinner30 ran this team to two consecutive playoff appearances and even won the DCS in S2? Was he an alias? Maybe. But the team was good back then! chadtv took over for four seasons, and posted an amazing 243-405 record during that time. What's a new owner to do in this situation? Trade everyone. Eight trades later, the entire franchse has gotten a face-lift. Domingo DeRojas, despite being past his prime, adds immediate talent to the ML roster. He had career lows in nearly every category last season, but Helena is hoping he can rebound. Pitching wise, Eugene Rivers will probably get the most starts this season, with Antonio Neal right behind him. The nice thing about sucking for so long: lots of studs in the minors, waiting to come up.
Offense: B+
Defense: C+
Pitching: C
MVP: Mo Nathan
Cy Young: Rivers
Prediction -- 65-97, 4th in the Division
All the World News that's unfit for print.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
New Season, New Owners, New Hope, blah blah blah
Wasn't the World Series yesterday? There are some "elite" worlds that rollover pretty quickly because they tell everyone that they are elite, so people line up to join. There are some worlds that are far from good, and will take anyone who has $25, so they roll quickly. But there aren't too many worlds that are high quality and don't tell everyone about how great they are, yet still fill up as quickly as this world does. I mean seriously, it seemed like camden had guys lined up to take teams before the WS was even over. We only went maybe one cycle between the world rolling, and camden hitting the big button. Somebody buy that man a hooker, he deserves it.
Coming into the world are a handful of new guys. First we have bluecrew65 who is taking psanders84's old team, which was jubalado's team for seven seasons. I don't remember psanders84 at all. Did he ever post anything in the world chat? Well he's gone now, and bluecrew65 comes to us with 14+ seasons of experience, with one playoff appearance. He takes a team that won the WS way back in Season 1, went to the WS again in S4, and has only finished below .500 one time in their history. Too bad he's jumping into a division with Jackson and Jacksonville, who are really good.
We also get jstnklly, who takes over from Josh33 after two seasons of playing right around .500 baseball. This team has had a lot of turnover with jstnklly being the sixth owner in nine seasons, so hopefully he sticks around for a few, and can give this franchise some stability. Nine seasons under his belt, with one playoff appearance, he's taking over a team that definitely has some talent at all levels.
frankum takes over from themehl, who took a team with four consecutive .500+ seasons, and turned it into poo. He traded away two of the best draft picks that the franchise has had over the years, in Allen and Iorg, and dragged the team to a .400 record and number four pick in this year's draft. The good news is frankum has plenty of salary cap room to work with, and there is still plenty of talent within the franchise. 11 seasons of experience and 4 playoff appearances, he should be able to snap this team back to it's former glory. Or something.
Last, and maybe least, andersaa takes over from chadtv, who posted four consecutive 92+ loss seasons, with three of those being 100 losses or more. The first two seasons for this franchise were excellent, with a wild card in Season 1 and 110 wins with an NLCS appearance in Season 2. Sub .500 records in 3 and 4 led to pinner30's retirement from HBD, at which point chadtv showed up and played reigny-esque ball, picking up three top 10 draft picks during his tenure. One good thing about these first 8 seasons, is nearly every first round draft pick has been a pitcher, and nearly all of them are still with the franchise. Everybody likes pitching. andersaa has 15 seasons of experience, making the playoffs in 8 of those seasons, while winning games at a .542 clip during that time.
Coming into the world are a handful of new guys. First we have bluecrew65 who is taking psanders84's old team, which was jubalado's team for seven seasons. I don't remember psanders84 at all. Did he ever post anything in the world chat? Well he's gone now, and bluecrew65 comes to us with 14+ seasons of experience, with one playoff appearance. He takes a team that won the WS way back in Season 1, went to the WS again in S4, and has only finished below .500 one time in their history. Too bad he's jumping into a division with Jackson and Jacksonville, who are really good.
We also get jstnklly, who takes over from Josh33 after two seasons of playing right around .500 baseball. This team has had a lot of turnover with jstnklly being the sixth owner in nine seasons, so hopefully he sticks around for a few, and can give this franchise some stability. Nine seasons under his belt, with one playoff appearance, he's taking over a team that definitely has some talent at all levels.
frankum takes over from themehl, who took a team with four consecutive .500+ seasons, and turned it into poo. He traded away two of the best draft picks that the franchise has had over the years, in Allen and Iorg, and dragged the team to a .400 record and number four pick in this year's draft. The good news is frankum has plenty of salary cap room to work with, and there is still plenty of talent within the franchise. 11 seasons of experience and 4 playoff appearances, he should be able to snap this team back to it's former glory. Or something.
Last, and maybe least, andersaa takes over from chadtv, who posted four consecutive 92+ loss seasons, with three of those being 100 losses or more. The first two seasons for this franchise were excellent, with a wild card in Season 1 and 110 wins with an NLCS appearance in Season 2. Sub .500 records in 3 and 4 led to pinner30's retirement from HBD, at which point chadtv showed up and played reigny-esque ball, picking up three top 10 draft picks during his tenure. One good thing about these first 8 seasons, is nearly every first round draft pick has been a pitcher, and nearly all of them are still with the franchise. Everybody likes pitching. andersaa has 15 seasons of experience, making the playoffs in 8 of those seasons, while winning games at a .542 clip during that time.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Season 8 World Series
WOOOOOOO, here we go! The World Series is always entertaining, but when you get two really good teams who belong there, it's even more entertaining. The #1 team in the AL, the New York Yankees, needed six games to defeat the Milwaukee Ueckers in the ALCS, while the #2 team in the NL (but #1 in your hearts), Indianapolis Indians (racist!), needed only five games to knock out the #1 seed Jackson Generals. New York won their second WS last season, and finished this season with a league record 113 wins. Indy is making their second appearance in the WS, and won 92 games during the regular season before having their way with Hartford and Jackson. Interestingly enough, Indy's first WS appearance was in season 3, under prior ownership when they were the Baltimore Stallions, and they lost that WS to the Yanks. So is this going to be pay-back for Indy? Edgar Frias and Jon Drew might be the only guys left over from the first WS, I'm too lazy to click on 25 player profiles and check out their stats. So most of the roster probably watched the S3 WS on the tele and didn't care about the outcome unless they had money on the game. You know, if gambling was legal.
Offensively, Indy was led by three fuckers who destroyed my team whenever we played them this season. Remember that girl in high school who thought she was really cool because she was dating a guy in college? You know, she was a junior or senior, and her boyfriend was a freshman or sophomore in college. And you didn't really think about it at the time, but now you know what he did to her on prom night. Yeah, you know. That's what Gorecki, Sandberg, and Wilkerson did to not just my team, but most other NL teams this season. I still have a little blood in my poo. What's really frustrating, is those assholes aren't even the best guys on the team, the pitching staff is the glue that holds this squad together. Frias, Drew, and the $110M Man combined for 35 wins, and most likely are the three guys who will get the starts during the Series. And if those jerks don't get the job done, Indy has two stud closers in Cammack and O'Halloran (a well known drunk, fyi), who combined for 37 saves in 42 opportunities. Maybe my favorite fact about this team is that pitcher Bret Boyer has a range rating of 1 and a glove rating of 2. The dude is 6ft3 and 193 pounds. How is that possible? Did the guy grow up running in straight lines and never wearing his glove during practice or games? Fascinating.
My guys didn't play the Yankees this season, so I won't call them any bad names. Right. Those fuckers win all of the time, it's getting a little old. I mean come on, five(!!!) World Series appearances in eight seasons? Seriously? There are teams in this world who have never made the playoffs, and some who have never finished a season with an above .500 record. Yet these assholes make WS appearances something of a given. What's really interesting is how the team is built. A lot of guys build their programs from the ground up, focusing on the draft and IFA's and trading veterans for youth. Not the Yankees. Counting supplemental picks, the Yanks have had 17 "first round" picks in 8 seasons, and only 5 of those players are still with the organization. None of those five are on the ML roster. Dick Iorg, the first player ever drafted by the Yankees way back in S1, is actually sitting in the other dugout with Indy. Guess how many IFA's the Yankees have spent more than $1M on. Go ahead and guess. I'll give you a minute. The answer is 'two.' And neither is still in the NY organization. I'm too lazy to click on the second string guys, but all of the noteworthy players on the Yankees ML roster were acquired via trade or FA. Again, I'm too lazy to look at the trade history, but I bet some of those former first round draft picks were part of the trades that got them these players. Just a hunch. And who are "these players?" Well Newsome, Lim, Post, and De la Vega combined for 61 wins during the regular season, and it appears that the four of them will be the starters during the WS. With a 4-man rotation, expect each of them to throw a ton of pitches, and then got a bunch of time off before they have to go back out. Joe Young killed last year's save total by notching 48 saves this season, and he'll close out games. Offensively, the Yanks have Taylor, Diaz, and Cruz leading the charge, with Diaz and Nakano being threats on the bases.
You know I generally don't like picking the favorite. And I like rooting against devon. My brain tells me to go with New York. But my heart wants me to pick Indy. I forgot to mention, the AL leads the WS 4 games to 3. So isn't it the NL's turn? I think so. It would be good for the world if the series stayed even. And if devon won another WS with pitching and defense and speed, I think domi's head might explode. And we know nobody wants that, right? So what the hell, let's go with Indy in six games. If nothing else, I get to spend a few days trying to jinx NY.
Lastly, if you've read this far and don't currently have a * next to your name, go do it. This is arguably my favorite world, and I like the consistency that we have from seasons to season, so even if you're an insufferable prick, you should go get your *. That is all. Thank you, and god speed.
Offensively, Indy was led by three fuckers who destroyed my team whenever we played them this season. Remember that girl in high school who thought she was really cool because she was dating a guy in college? You know, she was a junior or senior, and her boyfriend was a freshman or sophomore in college. And you didn't really think about it at the time, but now you know what he did to her on prom night. Yeah, you know. That's what Gorecki, Sandberg, and Wilkerson did to not just my team, but most other NL teams this season. I still have a little blood in my poo. What's really frustrating, is those assholes aren't even the best guys on the team, the pitching staff is the glue that holds this squad together. Frias, Drew, and the $110M Man combined for 35 wins, and most likely are the three guys who will get the starts during the Series. And if those jerks don't get the job done, Indy has two stud closers in Cammack and O'Halloran (a well known drunk, fyi), who combined for 37 saves in 42 opportunities. Maybe my favorite fact about this team is that pitcher Bret Boyer has a range rating of 1 and a glove rating of 2. The dude is 6ft3 and 193 pounds. How is that possible? Did the guy grow up running in straight lines and never wearing his glove during practice or games? Fascinating.
My guys didn't play the Yankees this season, so I won't call them any bad names. Right. Those fuckers win all of the time, it's getting a little old. I mean come on, five(!!!) World Series appearances in eight seasons? Seriously? There are teams in this world who have never made the playoffs, and some who have never finished a season with an above .500 record. Yet these assholes make WS appearances something of a given. What's really interesting is how the team is built. A lot of guys build their programs from the ground up, focusing on the draft and IFA's and trading veterans for youth. Not the Yankees. Counting supplemental picks, the Yanks have had 17 "first round" picks in 8 seasons, and only 5 of those players are still with the organization. None of those five are on the ML roster. Dick Iorg, the first player ever drafted by the Yankees way back in S1, is actually sitting in the other dugout with Indy. Guess how many IFA's the Yankees have spent more than $1M on. Go ahead and guess. I'll give you a minute. The answer is 'two.' And neither is still in the NY organization. I'm too lazy to click on the second string guys, but all of the noteworthy players on the Yankees ML roster were acquired via trade or FA. Again, I'm too lazy to look at the trade history, but I bet some of those former first round draft picks were part of the trades that got them these players. Just a hunch. And who are "these players?" Well Newsome, Lim, Post, and De la Vega combined for 61 wins during the regular season, and it appears that the four of them will be the starters during the WS. With a 4-man rotation, expect each of them to throw a ton of pitches, and then got a bunch of time off before they have to go back out. Joe Young killed last year's save total by notching 48 saves this season, and he'll close out games. Offensively, the Yanks have Taylor, Diaz, and Cruz leading the charge, with Diaz and Nakano being threats on the bases.
You know I generally don't like picking the favorite. And I like rooting against devon. My brain tells me to go with New York. But my heart wants me to pick Indy. I forgot to mention, the AL leads the WS 4 games to 3. So isn't it the NL's turn? I think so. It would be good for the world if the series stayed even. And if devon won another WS with pitching and defense and speed, I think domi's head might explode. And we know nobody wants that, right? So what the hell, let's go with Indy in six games. If nothing else, I get to spend a few days trying to jinx NY.
Lastly, if you've read this far and don't currently have a * next to your name, go do it. This is arguably my favorite world, and I like the consistency that we have from seasons to season, so even if you're an insufferable prick, you should go get your *. That is all. Thank you, and god speed.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Division Wrap-ups, and LCS Predictions
You know that you spend too much time playing HBD when you're sitting at a wedding in Texas, and you're thinking less about the bride's tits (which were exquisite, fyi), and more about how your AA team is doing in the BPF world (they won the World Series, in case you were wondering) and how you hope domi's team blows it (which they did, in case you weren't paying attention). And then before you even unpack your bags after getting home, you focus on getting your minor leagues up to par, since they have been neglected for three or four days. I might need an intervention.
After a slight upset of #4 seed KC, Montreal got beat down in their series with New York, 3 games to 1. It did not start well for NY, as their starting pitcher got knocked out in the first game, as the Yanks lost to open the series. But they eventually got their shit together, winning three in a row, with the final two wins coming via some late-inning heroics. Also in the AL, Milwaukee put a hurting on Syracuse in the first two games, outscoring the ITK's 18-2. Syracuse tried to make it interesting with a bottom-of-the-9th win in game 3, but the Ueckers rattled off another 11 runs in game 4, putting a nail in 'Cuse's coffin.
With #1 playing #2, we should get a good series. New York's pitching and defense versus Milwaukee's high powered offense. Or is it Milwaukee's pitching and defense versus New York's high powered offense? I get that mixed up sometimes, since both squads were quite prolific in every facet of the game this season. Number two and number three in team ERA in the AL, numbers one and two in OPS, numbers one and three in HR's and RBI's, and numbers one and three in team fielding %, it's tough to tell these two teams apart. Maybe Milwaukee is a little bit younger. And this is their first playoff appearance, while New York has won their division 8 years in a row, and has two titles to their name. Wow, did that just sway my prediction? It might have. I was hoping to find out that maybe NY swept their season series against Milwaukee, but no, it was a wash, 5-5. I'll probably regret it, but I'm going to pick the kids. The young Milwaukee Uecker's are going to take the series in 6 games for their first ALCS.
Meanwhile, over in the NL, it appears that Jackson manhandled Jacksonville, winning their series 3-0. But it took a bottom-of-the-10th RBI to win game 1, and a 5-spot in the 9th inning to win game 3. Let's not talk about game 2. But the bookends of the series could have gone the other way. On the other side of the bracket was Indy versus Hartford, which turned into one hell of a series. All three of Indy's wins were in extra innings. Ouch. That's a punch in the gut if I've ever seen one.
So just like the AL, we get #1 versus #2. As noted in a previous blog, the NL was super close this season, and therefore the team stats were a bit more spread out. These two teams can't lay claim to the top spots in every category in the NL like their AL counterparts can, because there were a lot of good teams in the NL this season. So statistically, they don't look like the best of the best in the NL, but goddamn if they're not the top two teams in the league, and are going to put together a hell of a series. This is the third NLCS appearance for both Indy and Jackson. And I'm torn on who to pick. Jackson had a slight edge in the season series. Neither team is exceptionally old. Let's keep it consistent and go with the #2 seed over here also. But in seven games. Sorry to jinx you, Mr Gargle.
After a slight upset of #4 seed KC, Montreal got beat down in their series with New York, 3 games to 1. It did not start well for NY, as their starting pitcher got knocked out in the first game, as the Yanks lost to open the series. But they eventually got their shit together, winning three in a row, with the final two wins coming via some late-inning heroics. Also in the AL, Milwaukee put a hurting on Syracuse in the first two games, outscoring the ITK's 18-2. Syracuse tried to make it interesting with a bottom-of-the-9th win in game 3, but the Ueckers rattled off another 11 runs in game 4, putting a nail in 'Cuse's coffin.
With #1 playing #2, we should get a good series. New York's pitching and defense versus Milwaukee's high powered offense. Or is it Milwaukee's pitching and defense versus New York's high powered offense? I get that mixed up sometimes, since both squads were quite prolific in every facet of the game this season. Number two and number three in team ERA in the AL, numbers one and two in OPS, numbers one and three in HR's and RBI's, and numbers one and three in team fielding %, it's tough to tell these two teams apart. Maybe Milwaukee is a little bit younger. And this is their first playoff appearance, while New York has won their division 8 years in a row, and has two titles to their name. Wow, did that just sway my prediction? It might have. I was hoping to find out that maybe NY swept their season series against Milwaukee, but no, it was a wash, 5-5. I'll probably regret it, but I'm going to pick the kids. The young Milwaukee Uecker's are going to take the series in 6 games for their first ALCS.
Meanwhile, over in the NL, it appears that Jackson manhandled Jacksonville, winning their series 3-0. But it took a bottom-of-the-10th RBI to win game 1, and a 5-spot in the 9th inning to win game 3. Let's not talk about game 2. But the bookends of the series could have gone the other way. On the other side of the bracket was Indy versus Hartford, which turned into one hell of a series. All three of Indy's wins were in extra innings. Ouch. That's a punch in the gut if I've ever seen one.
So just like the AL, we get #1 versus #2. As noted in a previous blog, the NL was super close this season, and therefore the team stats were a bit more spread out. These two teams can't lay claim to the top spots in every category in the NL like their AL counterparts can, because there were a lot of good teams in the NL this season. So statistically, they don't look like the best of the best in the NL, but goddamn if they're not the top two teams in the league, and are going to put together a hell of a series. This is the third NLCS appearance for both Indy and Jackson. And I'm torn on who to pick. Jackson had a slight edge in the season series. Neither team is exceptionally old. Let's keep it consistent and go with the #2 seed over here also. But in seven games. Sorry to jinx you, Mr Gargle.
Monday, February 22, 2010
First Round Predictions
AL #4 Kansas City vs AL #5 Montreal -- Montreal spent a little more than $21M in payroll this year, while KC spent over $111M, which I believe is more than the entire city of KC is worth. With their age and salaries, KC is the Diane Lane of BPF, while Montreal is Megan Fox. And I'm just now realizing what a horrible analogy this is, because while you want Fox for the long-term, Lane could perform well in a short series. Whatever, I'm taking the hot, young chick. The Montreal Foxes in 4 games.
AL #3 Vancouver vs AL #6 Syracuse -- 103 wins and $62M in payroll got Vancouver the number three seed. That's rough. Vancouver is way too strong for Syracuse, and the series probably won't be that close. But I really hope it goes to a fifth game, where it's tied in the bottom of the 9th, and Vancouver scores the winning run when Spahn commits his 8th error of the series on a routine grounder to short. In reality, I think Vancouver sweeps. And then we get to look forward to domi's annual "I'm not coming back, but I might come back, but it depends...."
NL #4 Iowa City vs NL #5 Jacksonville -- We have a team in Iowa City? Get the fuck out of here. Division winner with a couple of 100+ RBI studs and two or three SP's who could be the difference makers in this short series, don't sleep on Iowa City. Wait. Crap. They're playing Jacksonville, who has been to the NLCS each of the last three seasons, with a WS win in Season 6. And they have some really good pitching. And their hitting ain't bad. Ever heard of Julius Neal? What about the ageless Rick Halama? Sorry Iowa, you're fucked. Jacksonville wins in 4.
NL #3 Oakland vs NL #6 Hartford -- On January 6th, tomhighway said "nobody has enough on their team to get all 5 of my SP's regardless of how crappy they are doing right at this time :) I'll just stick it out.. I will win the division." At the time, he was near the bottom of the division, and I was reeeeeally hoping he would miss out on the playoffs, so I could post that quote in the world chat and rub his face in it. Instead, I'm posting it on the blog to show that he managed to pull it out. In the final ten games of the season, Oakland went 5-5 while Colorado only managed a 3-7 record, giving Oak a one game lead. One of the closest division races BPF has had in a while. Meanwhile, Colorado missed out on a wild card spot to Hartford, as the Insurance Men got the final spot on a tie-breaker. Talk about a hectic final week in the NL, as every division was decided by fewer than five games. For Hartford, I like Lee and Aguilera and Arias. For Oakland, I like Hall and Hornby and Ramirez and Greenberg and Wayne and....how did these guys only win 90 games with their $120M payroll and talent? Gotta take Oakland here, but if one series goes to five games, it might be this one.
AL #3 Vancouver vs AL #6 Syracuse -- 103 wins and $62M in payroll got Vancouver the number three seed. That's rough. Vancouver is way too strong for Syracuse, and the series probably won't be that close. But I really hope it goes to a fifth game, where it's tied in the bottom of the 9th, and Vancouver scores the winning run when Spahn commits his 8th error of the series on a routine grounder to short. In reality, I think Vancouver sweeps. And then we get to look forward to domi's annual "I'm not coming back, but I might come back, but it depends...."
NL #4 Iowa City vs NL #5 Jacksonville -- We have a team in Iowa City? Get the fuck out of here. Division winner with a couple of 100+ RBI studs and two or three SP's who could be the difference makers in this short series, don't sleep on Iowa City. Wait. Crap. They're playing Jacksonville, who has been to the NLCS each of the last three seasons, with a WS win in Season 6. And they have some really good pitching. And their hitting ain't bad. Ever heard of Julius Neal? What about the ageless Rick Halama? Sorry Iowa, you're fucked. Jacksonville wins in 4.
NL #3 Oakland vs NL #6 Hartford -- On January 6th, tomhighway said "nobody has enough on their team to get all 5 of my SP's regardless of how crappy they are doing right at this time :) I'll just stick it out.. I will win the division." At the time, he was near the bottom of the division, and I was reeeeeally hoping he would miss out on the playoffs, so I could post that quote in the world chat and rub his face in it. Instead, I'm posting it on the blog to show that he managed to pull it out. In the final ten games of the season, Oakland went 5-5 while Colorado only managed a 3-7 record, giving Oak a one game lead. One of the closest division races BPF has had in a while. Meanwhile, Colorado missed out on a wild card spot to Hartford, as the Insurance Men got the final spot on a tie-breaker. Talk about a hectic final week in the NL, as every division was decided by fewer than five games. For Hartford, I like Lee and Aguilera and Arias. For Oakland, I like Hall and Hornby and Ramirez and Greenberg and Wayne and....how did these guys only win 90 games with their $120M payroll and talent? Gotta take Oakland here, but if one series goes to five games, it might be this one.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Season 8 Playoff Picture
20 games left in the regular season, and it's pretty obvious who is out of the playoff hunt, but not so obvious who is definitely in it. In the highly superior NL, Buffalo, Minnesota, Durham, Louisville, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque are all pretty much out of it. At the other end of the spectrum, three out of the four divisions are still exceptionally close.
In the North, Cincy has a two game lead on Iowa City, with both teams playing well right now, and the "loser" of the division having a good shot at a Wild Card slot.
In the East, Hartford is only two games behind Indianapolis, and again, both teams have a good shot at making the playoffs. With their monstrous budget, I think Indy is hoping for more than just a WC slot.
Down in the dirty South, Jacksonville needs a minor miracle to overcome Jackson's seven game lead. They have made up four games recently, but pulling out another seven is going to be rough. Whoever wins the division will get a bye and probably the number one seed.
In the NL West, Colorado is holding a slim two game lead over Oakland. If the playoffs started today, Colorado would be the number three seed, and Oakland would be out of the playoffs, one game behind the second WC. Yeah. It's tight in the NL.
The AL is a bit of a different story, as a number of teams have punted, with only a handful still looking at the playoffs. Burlington, Detroit, Trenton, Chicago, Austin, Scottsdale, and San Francisco are basically out of it, and starting to make vacation plans for the fall.
In the North, despite nearly a dozen trades this season, some of which were criticized, Milwaukee has a 12 game lead and is in the hunt for the number two seed and first round bye. Montreal is hoping for a WC slot, and currently has one in their sights.
In the East, New York has been beating down the rest of the division with a 17-4 record right now. Unless they play a bunch of AA/AAA scrubs to finish the season, they should have the number one seed wrapped up. Syracuse has their eyes on a WC spot, and is currently three games behind Montreal, but tied with Honolulu.
The South is the only division that hasn't been decided, as KC has a two game lead over Memphis, and seven games over Richmond. Austin is only nine games out, but that's probably too much at this point in the season. Who comes out of this division is anyone's guess. KC is 7-14 against the division this season, while Memphis and Richmond are both 12-9. If I had to guess.....eh, I'm not going to guess.
Out in the West, Vancouver has things very much in control, currently sitting 13 games ahead of the aforementioned Honolulu, and eyeballing that number two seed. Honolulu is tied with Syracuse for the second WC slot.
In the North, Cincy has a two game lead on Iowa City, with both teams playing well right now, and the "loser" of the division having a good shot at a Wild Card slot.
In the East, Hartford is only two games behind Indianapolis, and again, both teams have a good shot at making the playoffs. With their monstrous budget, I think Indy is hoping for more than just a WC slot.
Down in the dirty South, Jacksonville needs a minor miracle to overcome Jackson's seven game lead. They have made up four games recently, but pulling out another seven is going to be rough. Whoever wins the division will get a bye and probably the number one seed.
In the NL West, Colorado is holding a slim two game lead over Oakland. If the playoffs started today, Colorado would be the number three seed, and Oakland would be out of the playoffs, one game behind the second WC. Yeah. It's tight in the NL.
The AL is a bit of a different story, as a number of teams have punted, with only a handful still looking at the playoffs. Burlington, Detroit, Trenton, Chicago, Austin, Scottsdale, and San Francisco are basically out of it, and starting to make vacation plans for the fall.
In the North, despite nearly a dozen trades this season, some of which were criticized, Milwaukee has a 12 game lead and is in the hunt for the number two seed and first round bye. Montreal is hoping for a WC slot, and currently has one in their sights.
In the East, New York has been beating down the rest of the division with a 17-4 record right now. Unless they play a bunch of AA/AAA scrubs to finish the season, they should have the number one seed wrapped up. Syracuse has their eyes on a WC spot, and is currently three games behind Montreal, but tied with Honolulu.
The South is the only division that hasn't been decided, as KC has a two game lead over Memphis, and seven games over Richmond. Austin is only nine games out, but that's probably too much at this point in the season. Who comes out of this division is anyone's guess. KC is 7-14 against the division this season, while Memphis and Richmond are both 12-9. If I had to guess.....eh, I'm not going to guess.
Out in the West, Vancouver has things very much in control, currently sitting 13 games ahead of the aforementioned Honolulu, and eyeballing that number two seed. Honolulu is tied with Syracuse for the second WC slot.
Monday, February 1, 2010
I Have A Dream
When I first started playing HBD, I joined the Continental League, not a public world. I knew nothing about HBD, and I don't recall whether I was given the password to join that world, or if the world hadn't re-upped its privacy, and was public for a period of time. Either way, there were a number of experienced owners in the world, and it had a couple of seasons under its belt. Today, I wouldn't join that world even if someone gave me a GC (yes domi, that is meant to offend you), but at the time I felt like I was hot shit for joining that world, and I thought it was a big deal. Does anyone feel like that when they join a world anymore? Most worlds are dying to get you to join. You only have five seasons of experience and have never finished a season above a .500 record? Come on in!! You can count on one hand how many worlds are "elite" in the sense that they make a list of owners, and have such low turnover that there really is a waiting list to get in. Wouldn't it be great if every world was like that?
I have a dream, where HBD does not have so many worlds with such high turnover. An HBD where we only have maybe 75 private worlds, with a half dozen public worlds. An HBD where even a "crappy" private world has a list of owners waiting to get in, because the demand is greater than the supply. An HBD where you must spend time cutting your teeth in a public world before anyone will let you join their precious private world. An HBD where nobody with more than 10 seasons is allowed to play in a public world. I have a dream. An HBD where a world's rollover time is based entirely on how long the current members want to spend critiquing the potential new owners. An HBD where worlds can look at an owner's history and say "you've never been in a world for more than two seasons, we don't want you, we have better options." An HBD that forces owners to stay in for the long-haul, or worry about their reputations being tarnished. I have a dream.
I just don't have a way to pull it off.
I have a dream, where HBD does not have so many worlds with such high turnover. An HBD where we only have maybe 75 private worlds, with a half dozen public worlds. An HBD where even a "crappy" private world has a list of owners waiting to get in, because the demand is greater than the supply. An HBD where you must spend time cutting your teeth in a public world before anyone will let you join their precious private world. An HBD where nobody with more than 10 seasons is allowed to play in a public world. I have a dream. An HBD where a world's rollover time is based entirely on how long the current members want to spend critiquing the potential new owners. An HBD where worlds can look at an owner's history and say "you've never been in a world for more than two seasons, we don't want you, we have better options." An HBD that forces owners to stay in for the long-haul, or worry about their reputations being tarnished. I have a dream.
I just don't have a way to pull it off.
Saving Worlds
I'm not sure if it was MikeT23 who came up with the idea of "saving worlds," but I'm sure he would take credit for it no matter whose idea it was originally. And on the surface, the idea is a decent one, where quality owners go into a world that has issues, and try to bring it back to being even. Whether the world has had problems with multiple one-and-done owners, or veteran owners who trade rape new owners, or alias problems, etc etc. The veteran owners who come into the world think that if they spend a couple of seasons in the world, it will be a better place. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, but my question is: who cares?
I currently care about six worlds. The other 100+ worlds? Fuck 'em. When I see a thread in the forums with a title like "New Guys world is corrupt," or "The Death of World Foxx," I so don't care. Why should I care about public worlds that are extremely lopsided, and that have had unfair play for multiple seasons, but are only now getting reported? How does that impact me? The big story in the Foxx world is that one owner has been acquiring the top draft picks from previous seasons, while sending very little back to the other team. If this was happening in S10, why is it only now being reported at the start of S15? And if this guy really has something like 50 of the top 100 prospects in the world.....what are a dozen veteran owners going to do to fix the world? It will take ten seasons to swing the pedulum back to the middle. All so you can "save" a public world? Wouldn't it be easier if they just blew up the world and started from scratch? And with all of the talk about how there are too many worlds to begin with, wouldn't we be better off with some bad worlds either going away or being merged with others?
A quick look at the classifieds section in the forums, and the first ten private worlds that have a clear number of openings in them, I count about 30 slots. 30!! That's an entire world! Wouldn't HBD be better off imploding the Foxx world, or New Guys, and having all of those owners take up teams in the various private worlds that are looking for owners? Yes yes yes, I know WIS has said they won't blow up public worlds. So if that's not going to happen, why don't those dozen veteran owners join quality private worlds, instead of trying to "save" a world like Foxx? Don't you think Happy Jack or Alexander or Robert E McCabe would love to have some of those experienced owners join them?
It's just baffling to me how there can be so much talk about a recession, and nobody has money to spend on this game, and there are quality worlds that take two or three weeks to fill....and then one person says "let's save this world," and a dozen guys raise their hands.
I currently care about six worlds. The other 100+ worlds? Fuck 'em. When I see a thread in the forums with a title like "New Guys world is corrupt," or "The Death of World Foxx," I so don't care. Why should I care about public worlds that are extremely lopsided, and that have had unfair play for multiple seasons, but are only now getting reported? How does that impact me? The big story in the Foxx world is that one owner has been acquiring the top draft picks from previous seasons, while sending very little back to the other team. If this was happening in S10, why is it only now being reported at the start of S15? And if this guy really has something like 50 of the top 100 prospects in the world.....what are a dozen veteran owners going to do to fix the world? It will take ten seasons to swing the pedulum back to the middle. All so you can "save" a public world? Wouldn't it be easier if they just blew up the world and started from scratch? And with all of the talk about how there are too many worlds to begin with, wouldn't we be better off with some bad worlds either going away or being merged with others?
A quick look at the classifieds section in the forums, and the first ten private worlds that have a clear number of openings in them, I count about 30 slots. 30!! That's an entire world! Wouldn't HBD be better off imploding the Foxx world, or New Guys, and having all of those owners take up teams in the various private worlds that are looking for owners? Yes yes yes, I know WIS has said they won't blow up public worlds. So if that's not going to happen, why don't those dozen veteran owners join quality private worlds, instead of trying to "save" a world like Foxx? Don't you think Happy Jack or Alexander or Robert E McCabe would love to have some of those experienced owners join them?
It's just baffling to me how there can be so much talk about a recession, and nobody has money to spend on this game, and there are quality worlds that take two or three weeks to fill....and then one person says "let's save this world," and a dozen guys raise their hands.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Rest o' the Draft
Alright fucktards, here's the rest of the first round. If you don't want to read it all, yes, your pick sucked, and I give you an F.
#11 - Brian King (Hartford, SS): I went to college with a guy named Brian King. But he wasn't a black guy from New Mexico. King is going to be a good little short-stop. He's an everyday guy, he'll stay healthy, and he's not going to kill them at the plate. Without too many solid short-stops in the farm system, this was a pretty good pick.
#12 - Peter Bennett (Iowa City, SP): Not great, but not bad. Control will be an issue. Every other rating category could be excellent. But he might not even sign, so screw him.
#13 - Jorge Crespo (Trenton, SP): A decent pick, but not great for this spot in the draft. His splits and health are a bit of a worry. I can see him playing for the Big League team in a few seasons, but I think Trenton could have done better here.
#14 - Napoleon Wilson (Chicago, 3B): He's listed as a 3B, but I think he's more of a corner outfielder. A good bat, good health, and good makeup, he's already beating the crap out of the ball in the rookie league.
#15 - Steve Melton (Honolulu, 2B/CF): With that range and glove, I'd love to put him in CF, but I don't think he quite has the arm for that, so maybe 2B will work better for him. A good hitter with moderate speed, my only concern with him is his health and whether or not he can play 162 games.
#16 - Brady Carlson (Lou-Ville, 2B): Stud. How the fuck did this guy fall to #16? Yes, he's very raw right now and has a long way to go before he reaches his projections. But if he can get near those projections, he's going to be an all-star every year.
#17 - Benny Lewis (Albuquerque, 3B): He'll be a gold glove candidate at 3B, and he has a decent bat. Health is a moderate concern, and his speed makes him worthless on the basepath.
#18 - Yeico Arias (Syracuse, RP): Control will be great, he'll be available to close out games more often than not, and he should stay fairly healthy. Splits aren't great, but he has three really good pitches. Not too shabby, we'll see how he does.
#19 - Johnny Blair (Trenton, RP): Back-to-back closers, eh? A slightly inferior version of Arias, Blair has good control and a cannon for an arm. But his splits are less than exciting, and he only has one really solid pitch.
#20 - Bill Borbon (Montreal, 2B): I like Bill. He's decent on defense, he has some great wheels, and he's not horrible at the plate. But his health could be an issue. And he currently wants to play in the NFL. I'm assuming he's a WR. Good luck with that Bill.
#21 - Vic Rodriguez (San Fran, SP): He's from VA, so he must be good. Decent control and vR split, plus a couple of good pitches. I like Vic, especially this far in the first round.
#22 - Billy Adpenis (Colorado, CF): Good defensively, he'll play everyday, he won't get hurt much, and he's got some speed. But wow, this guy has a short temper. After Buster Olney predicted a top 10 selection for Little Willy, he grew more and more agitated as the top 10 turned into the top 15, and then the top 20, and eventually his 22nd spot. It's reported that he punched out a female MLB intern when he asked if Trenton had selected him at 13, and she told him that a pitcher from Grand Rapids Community College had been taken there.
#23 - Fergie Cambridge (Cincy, SP): Fergie? Seriously? Poor bastard. Fortunately, he's a decent pitcher, and didn't punch out any interns while waiting to be picked. Good control, decent splits, decent pitches, he's.....decent.
#24 - Patrick Miller (Iowa City, SP): Iowa City is just striking out left and right here, forgive the pun. Nobody wants to play in Iowa apparently. Can't imagine why not. But this guy has some decent control, he throws super duper hard, and he has some decent pitches. So he'll be good if he signs. If he signs.
#25 - Roy McKinley (Austin, 1B): The first 1B taken in the draft, he's also a really good pure hitter for this deep in the first round. Good hitting numbers across the board, I'm willing to look past the potential health issues and his ability to play 162 games. With the new sim engine, this guy will be quite valuable.
#26 - Kennie Schrenk (Cincy, RP): What an unfortunate name. But he's a very fortunate pickup for Cincinnati at this point in the draft. Good control, above average splits, and some good pitches, he might be the best closer so far.
#27 - Woodie Bernero (Jackson, SP): The goddamn Generals find another late gem, snagging this guy here. The vL and health are a slight concern, but otherwise the guy is great for this late in the first round. Outstanding control, and a rocket for an arm, I hope he hurts himself. Not really. Maybe a little bit.
#28 - Yovani Rojas (Jacksonville, SP): Who comes up with these fucking names? Yovani? What first struck me is that I see his projected stamina and vL as the same number, while his control and vR are the same number. Weeeiiirrrrd. He has a knuckleball that he throws about as hard as a 9-year-old girl, but he throws it really well. He's a good pitcher. Especially this late in the round. I hope he gets hurt too.
#29 - Aaron Quinlan (Colorado, 1B): Could play LF too, maybe even RF in a pinch. He's not an amazing hitter, especially as a 1B, whose primary job is hitting the ball. I'm not impressed. I hope he does not get injured.
#30 - Chris Lincoln (Kansas City, RP): Four closers in the first round? Or did I miss one somewhere? Good control, good splits, average pitches, he'll be pretty good.
#31 - Gus Monstrous Wang (Buffalo, SS): A good defender. Good health. Average speed. Average bat. Huge cock.
#32 - Glen Roosevelt (Oakland, 2B): Great defender with great intangibles, he's not a horrible bat either. But apparently he wants to play basketball. Dumbass.
#33 - Earl Hodges (Vancouver, C): There were better players to be selected, but maybe the Coastals really needed a catcher here. I dunno. Good health. Decent bat. Not an everyday guy, but not too many catchers are.
I'm not going to do all of the comp picks. Way too much time, and they all suck. Fuck you guys.
#11 - Brian King (Hartford, SS): I went to college with a guy named Brian King. But he wasn't a black guy from New Mexico. King is going to be a good little short-stop. He's an everyday guy, he'll stay healthy, and he's not going to kill them at the plate. Without too many solid short-stops in the farm system, this was a pretty good pick.
#12 - Peter Bennett (Iowa City, SP): Not great, but not bad. Control will be an issue. Every other rating category could be excellent. But he might not even sign, so screw him.
#13 - Jorge Crespo (Trenton, SP): A decent pick, but not great for this spot in the draft. His splits and health are a bit of a worry. I can see him playing for the Big League team in a few seasons, but I think Trenton could have done better here.
#14 - Napoleon Wilson (Chicago, 3B): He's listed as a 3B, but I think he's more of a corner outfielder. A good bat, good health, and good makeup, he's already beating the crap out of the ball in the rookie league.
#15 - Steve Melton (Honolulu, 2B/CF): With that range and glove, I'd love to put him in CF, but I don't think he quite has the arm for that, so maybe 2B will work better for him. A good hitter with moderate speed, my only concern with him is his health and whether or not he can play 162 games.
#16 - Brady Carlson (Lou-Ville, 2B): Stud. How the fuck did this guy fall to #16? Yes, he's very raw right now and has a long way to go before he reaches his projections. But if he can get near those projections, he's going to be an all-star every year.
#17 - Benny Lewis (Albuquerque, 3B): He'll be a gold glove candidate at 3B, and he has a decent bat. Health is a moderate concern, and his speed makes him worthless on the basepath.
#18 - Yeico Arias (Syracuse, RP): Control will be great, he'll be available to close out games more often than not, and he should stay fairly healthy. Splits aren't great, but he has three really good pitches. Not too shabby, we'll see how he does.
#19 - Johnny Blair (Trenton, RP): Back-to-back closers, eh? A slightly inferior version of Arias, Blair has good control and a cannon for an arm. But his splits are less than exciting, and he only has one really solid pitch.
#20 - Bill Borbon (Montreal, 2B): I like Bill. He's decent on defense, he has some great wheels, and he's not horrible at the plate. But his health could be an issue. And he currently wants to play in the NFL. I'm assuming he's a WR. Good luck with that Bill.
#21 - Vic Rodriguez (San Fran, SP): He's from VA, so he must be good. Decent control and vR split, plus a couple of good pitches. I like Vic, especially this far in the first round.
#22 - Billy Adpenis (Colorado, CF): Good defensively, he'll play everyday, he won't get hurt much, and he's got some speed. But wow, this guy has a short temper. After Buster Olney predicted a top 10 selection for Little Willy, he grew more and more agitated as the top 10 turned into the top 15, and then the top 20, and eventually his 22nd spot. It's reported that he punched out a female MLB intern when he asked if Trenton had selected him at 13, and she told him that a pitcher from Grand Rapids Community College had been taken there.
#23 - Fergie Cambridge (Cincy, SP): Fergie? Seriously? Poor bastard. Fortunately, he's a decent pitcher, and didn't punch out any interns while waiting to be picked. Good control, decent splits, decent pitches, he's.....decent.
#24 - Patrick Miller (Iowa City, SP): Iowa City is just striking out left and right here, forgive the pun. Nobody wants to play in Iowa apparently. Can't imagine why not. But this guy has some decent control, he throws super duper hard, and he has some decent pitches. So he'll be good if he signs. If he signs.
#25 - Roy McKinley (Austin, 1B): The first 1B taken in the draft, he's also a really good pure hitter for this deep in the first round. Good hitting numbers across the board, I'm willing to look past the potential health issues and his ability to play 162 games. With the new sim engine, this guy will be quite valuable.
#26 - Kennie Schrenk (Cincy, RP): What an unfortunate name. But he's a very fortunate pickup for Cincinnati at this point in the draft. Good control, above average splits, and some good pitches, he might be the best closer so far.
#27 - Woodie Bernero (Jackson, SP): The goddamn Generals find another late gem, snagging this guy here. The vL and health are a slight concern, but otherwise the guy is great for this late in the first round. Outstanding control, and a rocket for an arm, I hope he hurts himself. Not really. Maybe a little bit.
#28 - Yovani Rojas (Jacksonville, SP): Who comes up with these fucking names? Yovani? What first struck me is that I see his projected stamina and vL as the same number, while his control and vR are the same number. Weeeiiirrrrd. He has a knuckleball that he throws about as hard as a 9-year-old girl, but he throws it really well. He's a good pitcher. Especially this late in the round. I hope he gets hurt too.
#29 - Aaron Quinlan (Colorado, 1B): Could play LF too, maybe even RF in a pinch. He's not an amazing hitter, especially as a 1B, whose primary job is hitting the ball. I'm not impressed. I hope he does not get injured.
#30 - Chris Lincoln (Kansas City, RP): Four closers in the first round? Or did I miss one somewhere? Good control, good splits, average pitches, he'll be pretty good.
#31 - Gus Monstrous Wang (Buffalo, SS): A good defender. Good health. Average speed. Average bat. Huge cock.
#32 - Glen Roosevelt (Oakland, 2B): Great defender with great intangibles, he's not a horrible bat either. But apparently he wants to play basketball. Dumbass.
#33 - Earl Hodges (Vancouver, C): There were better players to be selected, but maybe the Coastals really needed a catcher here. I dunno. Good health. Decent bat. Not an everyday guy, but not too many catchers are.
I'm not going to do all of the comp picks. Way too much time, and they all suck. Fuck you guys.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Draft -- Season 8 (First 10 picks)
Another season, another draft. And like every other season, there were winners and losers. I'm going to attempt to break down the first round, spending a fair amount of time with the top 10, and a bit less time with the other 23 picks. I have $20M in both high school and college scouting, so the projections I see for unsigned guys should be fairly accurate. If not, blow me.
1 -- Bud Perez (Durham, RF): Bud has a long ways to go before he hits his projections, being 40 points off of his overall rating. But he's only 18, and has plenty of time to get there, so if he's handled with kid gloves and isn't rushed, he has the potential to be a real superstar at the plate. 90+ in power, vR, and batting eye, with 80 in vL, his only downside is his contact rating, which is a hair below 60. And with durability and health both projecting to 90+, he's going to be a healthy, everyday type guy. What's not to like?
2 -- Joel Matthews (Minnesota, SP): The first of four consecutive pitchers selected, Joel is the rumored cousin of Chris Matthews. Three solid pitches, a cannon for an arm, and outstanding ratings in the control and vR categories, the younger Matthews has the potential to live up to the standards set by his older cousin. Yes, I just changed it from a rumor to a fact. Joel's stamina and durability won't get him to the 9th inning very often, but I will bet that he hands a lead to the bullpen more often than not. A very solid pick.
3 -- Chuck Whitfield (New Orleans, SP): Outstanding stamina, control and velocity, this guy is going to rack up a ton of innings and strikeouts. His win total might be up for debate though, unless New Orleans can right the ship. His splits aren't the greatest, and they might be his downfall, but for now he looks like a great pick in that number three slot.
4 -- Randy Matthews (Detroit, RP): NOT the cousin of Christ Matthews, Randy is the next great closer in BPF. Well, maybe. If he doesn't go back for his senior year in college, and if he can hit his projections (he's already 21). Can he get the innings that he needs in order to hit those projections? Maybe. If he gets there, he'll be great, but for now he's something of a question mark.
5 -- Alex Vazquez (Richmond, SP): Above average, but not great, Vazquez has good ratings just about everywhere. And that makes him very boring to write about. His only potential flaws are his lack of quality pitches and his sub-par health. Overall, he's a solid pick. He'll strikeout a ton of guys, he'll win a bunch of games, and he might end up being the best pitcher from this first group.
6 -- Daryl Hawksworth (Scottsdale, IF): I had to list him as "infielder," because I don't know where he'll end up playing. His range makes it tough to play him anywhere up the middle, so I would probably play him at 3B, but that's me, and I'm borderline retarded. As it is, I don't know how this guy slipped to the 6th spot. Great defensive ratings, speed, a huge bat, and he'll be an everyday guy. Did the 60-ish health and batting eye and contact scare everyone away? I love him. I want to have his baby.
7 -- Josh Little (Las Vegas, SP): This is the first pick that really baffled me. Vegas had a ton of money in scouting, and a great slot to pick from, yet they picked an average pitcher, whose demands start around $6.75M, and he's undecided anyway. Did Vegas see something we didn't with this guy? Or are they hoping to just get a pick next year after this guy doesn't sign? Who knows? What I do know is that Little has two amazing pitches, but then everything else is just average. I'll be curious to see how this plays out.
8 -- Sal Rigdon (Milwaukee, 2B): I love this pick for the Ueckers. The team doesn't have a stud 2B anywhere in the system, and Rigdon is the answer. A great defensive player, he will put a ton of balls in play, and already has a bunch of speed. He's gonna be good.
9 -- Randy Capps (Hartford, CF/IF): Listed as a SS, but will probably end up at CF or 3B or 2B. Very good defensively, and has a ton of speed. Durability is a bit of a concern, as is his ability at the plate. But with the way this game is turning into one where defense and speed rules, Capps could end up being very useful.
10 -- Kory Lombard (Burlington, SP): Outstanding stamina and control, Lombard will eat up a ton of innings for Burlington. Above average splits and a couple of solid pitches, Lombard ain't bad for the 10th pick.
The rest will hopefully come later.
1 -- Bud Perez (Durham, RF): Bud has a long ways to go before he hits his projections, being 40 points off of his overall rating. But he's only 18, and has plenty of time to get there, so if he's handled with kid gloves and isn't rushed, he has the potential to be a real superstar at the plate. 90+ in power, vR, and batting eye, with 80 in vL, his only downside is his contact rating, which is a hair below 60. And with durability and health both projecting to 90+, he's going to be a healthy, everyday type guy. What's not to like?
2 -- Joel Matthews (Minnesota, SP): The first of four consecutive pitchers selected, Joel is the rumored cousin of Chris Matthews. Three solid pitches, a cannon for an arm, and outstanding ratings in the control and vR categories, the younger Matthews has the potential to live up to the standards set by his older cousin. Yes, I just changed it from a rumor to a fact. Joel's stamina and durability won't get him to the 9th inning very often, but I will bet that he hands a lead to the bullpen more often than not. A very solid pick.
3 -- Chuck Whitfield (New Orleans, SP): Outstanding stamina, control and velocity, this guy is going to rack up a ton of innings and strikeouts. His win total might be up for debate though, unless New Orleans can right the ship. His splits aren't the greatest, and they might be his downfall, but for now he looks like a great pick in that number three slot.
4 -- Randy Matthews (Detroit, RP): NOT the cousin of Christ Matthews, Randy is the next great closer in BPF. Well, maybe. If he doesn't go back for his senior year in college, and if he can hit his projections (he's already 21). Can he get the innings that he needs in order to hit those projections? Maybe. If he gets there, he'll be great, but for now he's something of a question mark.
5 -- Alex Vazquez (Richmond, SP): Above average, but not great, Vazquez has good ratings just about everywhere. And that makes him very boring to write about. His only potential flaws are his lack of quality pitches and his sub-par health. Overall, he's a solid pick. He'll strikeout a ton of guys, he'll win a bunch of games, and he might end up being the best pitcher from this first group.
6 -- Daryl Hawksworth (Scottsdale, IF): I had to list him as "infielder," because I don't know where he'll end up playing. His range makes it tough to play him anywhere up the middle, so I would probably play him at 3B, but that's me, and I'm borderline retarded. As it is, I don't know how this guy slipped to the 6th spot. Great defensive ratings, speed, a huge bat, and he'll be an everyday guy. Did the 60-ish health and batting eye and contact scare everyone away? I love him. I want to have his baby.
7 -- Josh Little (Las Vegas, SP): This is the first pick that really baffled me. Vegas had a ton of money in scouting, and a great slot to pick from, yet they picked an average pitcher, whose demands start around $6.75M, and he's undecided anyway. Did Vegas see something we didn't with this guy? Or are they hoping to just get a pick next year after this guy doesn't sign? Who knows? What I do know is that Little has two amazing pitches, but then everything else is just average. I'll be curious to see how this plays out.
8 -- Sal Rigdon (Milwaukee, 2B): I love this pick for the Ueckers. The team doesn't have a stud 2B anywhere in the system, and Rigdon is the answer. A great defensive player, he will put a ton of balls in play, and already has a bunch of speed. He's gonna be good.
9 -- Randy Capps (Hartford, CF/IF): Listed as a SS, but will probably end up at CF or 3B or 2B. Very good defensively, and has a ton of speed. Durability is a bit of a concern, as is his ability at the plate. But with the way this game is turning into one where defense and speed rules, Capps could end up being very useful.
10 -- Kory Lombard (Burlington, SP): Outstanding stamina and control, Lombard will eat up a ton of innings for Burlington. Above average splits and a couple of solid pitches, Lombard ain't bad for the 10th pick.
The rest will hopefully come later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)