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electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Interesting Training #0. I had 7 players up for an adjustment and only 2 did anything. Both for a +1. Palacios getting a +1 was pretty much a foregone conclusion, but Nadeau getting +1 was interesting. I predicted Bustamante as among the more likely to lose and he didnt.

That Thomas lost 1 speed at 30 was not great, but Nakajima losing only another speed at 32 and Hodson at 32...losing...nothing...was. I knew Shockley would lose practically everywhere. We will see how long he lasts.
AssumedPseudonym
Joined: 10/26/2016
Posts: 1130

Deerfield Beach Rats
V.7

Broken Bat Baseball
 Before NotGood88 can say anything, I’d just like to welcome Pratville to V.15 for the 2055 campaign. I told you I’d see you here this season… ^.~

 (Well, I did from the Boca Raton account, anyway. <.< >.> ^.^; )

Updated Friday, May 6 2022 @ 5:42:20 pm PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
I was beat indeed! I wish you the best of luck in not getting relegated and I certainly hope I don't get kicked back down either. De Smet, Bähr, and Gibbons all got national team honors and thus De Smet's release will be at least partially delayed as he has national team obligations.

Currently he has 11 NT selections, the next most-experienced pitcher has 4. Wonder how long he'll last, if he does he'll probably just be in an unassigned role except for when a pitcher gets injured, then he'll briefly slot in. Bähr had a bit of an off-season as our closer so I'm not sure if we'll keep him there or do closer by committee. And for Gibbons, I really hope he gets to make a few WC appearances before he retires.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
We made $7M last season. About $300K more than 2053. This was largely because our major/minor league salaries were up about $3.5M. The fans demand a competitive product on the field! lol

Nakajima had a raise of over $1M. I am always a bit puzzled about salaries. I would assume that awards and things increase it as well as usage. 2B Hagen of the Nicols has been used about max time all 3 prior seasons, earned MVP along with about every other possible award yet his pay only increased 900K. Hodsons only making freaking $1.25M. Lamar Waters got a raise of over $1M.

As one would expect Olivera paces all pitchers with $2.9M. With the Mayor close behind with $2.7M, even as he needs to cut the ball more and more to get people out lol. Johansen's 2.5 years (if around 50 appearances is a year) somehow merited a raise to $2.25M. MR2 Lagos is used a bit less but never making that much more than league minimum. Harvey got his salary cut in half, i dont know why. If its a 3 year roll, he tossed 60 IP in 2052, so its not like he wasnt used, just used about 50 IP less than normal.


Updated Saturday, May 7 2022 @ 12:52:26 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Ah, ratings. Your favorite fiery team is picked to finish last in the division. Old friends Round Rock joined the division from last season, along with the Lewisville Sluggers, who I last recall being just as bad as I was when we were both in V in 2050.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
2055 Cup: The Infernos are the scrub team that gets pummeled. I am the #5, by a lot.

My cup group features #2 ranked Detroit, #17 ranked Greensboro, #48 ranked Edmond. Thanks draw.
Jerbeetwo
Joined: 06/30/2019
Posts: 322

Tyler Goldendoodles
IV.3

Broken Bat Baseball
Time for the Inferno to just give the young kids some playing time, not worry about things, and enter the regular season injury free.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
I was 4-16 last year under similar circumastances. Yes, there are some young kids left to play but a lot less than there used to be.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Prattville has fewer young kids, but a sizable amount nonetheless.

Claimed Maya off waivers, doesn’t have a huge amount of C experience but could be better offensively than Tirado. Neither’s super eye-popping so Maya will serve as backup for the time being. Really want to gve Yim some time but when the starting 2B and SS have POTs of 14 and 15, both steal well (thus eliminating the need for a pinch-runner), hit well, and are reigning Gold Glove winners, it’s kinda hard to find time. Very little chance of staying on the team when Murphay comes up, and Dobbs won’t serve him well, either.

Roster’s getting tight, and I have guys in the wings, but I also have established vets in the lineup. Register, North, Flanagan, Santini, Núñez, and Dutton are all proven to be good, so Tirado, Gardener and Wilkins are the only vulnerable ones. Wilkins is falling fast and definitely won’t make it to ‘56 barring some miracle, but he’s only lost 1 POW and 1 HIT, so he’s still very competent (he’s also my longest tenured hitter and most succesful FA signee), so I don’t want to axe him prematurely. Tirado’s at a skill position, as is Gardener, arguably. We’ll see how his season starts, and then I may start throwing in some high range guys, such as Lira, who I really want to get an extended run in the lineup.

God, I miss when I could just claim a player off waivers and plug him in. Sometimes, it sucks to be good.

Updated Wednesday, May 11 2022 @ 10:15:33 am PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
As for cup, we got a really uncompetitive group. 1 VI team, 4 V teams, and a VI team. We have fewer newbies to throw in, so we have a chance, and I mean a chance, of making it out of group stages this time. We’ll see.

Your favorite unlucky felines are projected to finish last, and it’s definitely going to be a trying season. 4th place last year was 82-78, and 5th place was 79-81 with a RD of -5. To make matters worse, our fellow promoters went 106-54 last year, while the demoters went 80-80, so it’s gonna be a tough ride. Expect us to try hard but fail anyways.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
With one lucky stroke, my primary OF (against RHP) got not old, and one of the best ranged outfits in the league.

New CF Páez (20/18/18) - 28 years old
RF Murillo (9/17/12) - 29 years old
LF Arriaga (14/18/7) - 29 years old

Doesnt make the group young of course, but Shockley being 34 and in steep decline allows him to retire without panic. Still going to keep him around a bit to bat against lefties and see if he has anything left. He can still play the field, and I am never really deep on LHP OF's signing mostly guys who will be great hitters and play LF (such as Waters & Glover).

30 year old Thomas is the experienced back-up (12/15/11) With 22 year olds Cuevas (8/19/9) and S DJ Alford (9/16/15) hopefully offering something in time. Each of them 2,1, and 1 claimers.

I noticed a steep decline in ERA vs FIP and I hope this begins to reverse that process.


Updated Wednesday, May 11 2022 @ 12:30:08 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Spring is almost here, and we hit the last major day of waivers in a few hours. But for now,

27 year old Yamasaki gets to show me what he's got. He had his obligatory posting in AAA when I signed him last year and gained 3 SI on the season. He posted respectable numbers in the minor, but has only 73 SI and (theoretically) 14 POT, so 40 SI to gain and only 2 years to do it. Its why I dislike drafting from the Asian Leagues - its never as simple as that they are done with training at 26. He will have a slider and stamina.

Probably not the kind of project to take on, since I am trying to stay afloat in V, but I can never resist shiny stuff on waivers. So he will be leaned into hard this season. I hope he doesnt fall of the rails completely.

Other springers:

Close to finished low-stamina flingers Roque and Benavidez should finish up their development this Spring/Cup.

Upper pitching prospects Coronado and Bustamante will also get some work, now that they are in AAA. At least most of my pitching prospects that need significant development are on the younger side.

Hodson has delayed his decline, losing nothing at age 32. So I am a bit undecided about what league time I give Collins and Goodson. Both will have full springs of course.

Shanks got his automatic age 25 call-up. He will have a full spring and will spend the season at AAA. Still waiting to see if the one-time #1 prospect of the Bloomington Thunder can have a career. He gained a solid 6 SI last year. 551 minor league SB...

It is hoped Alford and Porter can be more solid in AAA than they have been to date with some more Spring SI.

Gomez has been one of the fastest rising above average prospects ever. With the signing of Páez I saw a guy that maintained his POT and ended up halfway between 14 & 15. I hope Gomez can eventually do that as well.

Glover is up for good and can hopefully be a right-handed LF/DH 1-2 punch with Waters. Cuevas is as well, and will provide depth at left OF. Not really a path to clear-cut playing time for him atm, being behind Arriaga. he will get some work in Cup.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Theres usually not too much to say about Spring, just hoping there are no major injuries and the hitters average more than 36 PA's per game...but today was kinda interesting.

3 one-run losses (I usually get blasted by 15 runs) - Yamasaki made his debut, tossed a complete game on 144 pitches with 6K, 2 walks and no homers. Not too surprising since he has 13 Stamina.

More interesting were Benavidez and Roque.

Benavidez is hurling in his second full Spring. While his repertoire is better than it was, he still has stamina of 6. tossing a complete 10 inning game, 123 pitches, 9 hits, with only 1 walk is quite eye-opening with his 11 control...also, giving up just 1 run on a solo homer until single runs in the 9th and 10th inning.

Roque was more typical for a low stamina start (8 stamina) with decent control. 9K, 1BB, 0 HR. He shut them out for 7 innings, before allowing 7 ER in innings 7-9.

So all 3 pitchers hurled complete games and the hitters averaged 39.3 PA.

Ken_Kennilworth
Joined: 11/26/2019
Posts: 399

Charleston Hawks
III.2

Broken Bat Baseball
First series of spring training games finished---mine were all were low scoring with only 1 home run during the entire set.

So of course i am going to start a rumor that Broken Bat, in its continuing effort to emulate MLB, has switched to a ball that has more aerodynamic friction than the ball used last year.

Updated Friday, May 13 2022 @ 4:48:26 pm PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
2-4 to date. Kinda what was expected, since we have a bunch of real low SI pitchers throwing the ball
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
@NotGood 1-5 xD.

I still dont know whether fatigue is a thing or not. Part of the Spring strategy is to get Yamasaki 6 starts this Spring. Met our old friends Waco, who got hot in the last quarter of the 2052 season and took the division. They are back in VI now.

Yamasaki got hit pretty hard, the 4 homers being the worrisome thing. That being said Waco used mostly un-developing players. Yamasaki did walk only one batter in game 3, but the 9 ER were spread all around, indicating they were just hitting him hard and not just as his pitch count rose.

Which makes what Helm did in game 2 that much more impressive. Like Benavidez on day 1, he hurled 10 IP. 3 ER, 7 hits, 2 BB, 2 HR, 12 K's, 136 pitches. We still lose the game if the hitters dont go to single, double, single, double in the bottom 10 lol. With 89 on his SI, he is in that scary area of stunting. I hope he gains more, but he did fine in his short call up last season and I am ready to give him a shot at a role.

Coronado gave up 18 hits in 6 2/3 and 10 runs in 6 2/3. Still slow CoS and movement for him. I hope he both gains and discovers some consistency someday.

Briseno relieved 2 of the games with 3 scoreless innings. He just didnt do well last season as a starter, but he has shown enough in relief appearances to retain him. Whether he continues to gain SI is the big thing, since he is 11 POT/89. Spring/Cup will determine more of that. Since he is 24 I will park him in AAA for now while I decide the future of guys like Valera in my LHP relief corps.

Wiggins coming on both helped him and hurt him. Wiggins did show something as a starter, but Lagos is an entrenched as any reliever I have at MR2, but otherwise I only have 2 other left-handed relief spots, short and long. Benavidez and Valera will compete for the short one. Long relief is among the lowest value spots on my staff but fortunately for Briseno, none of the rookies coming up are left-handed.

The southpaw thing has been a bit puzzling. There have been lots of lefty relievers that didnt work out or I let go for one reason or another (Aponte, B. Rodriguez etc), but if Wiggins can stick as a starter for awhile, that may mean 3 of my 5 starting pitchers are left-handed. I say that loosely since Olivera is my only real right handed starter.

Like the Mayor, Harvey appears a bit overwhelmed in V, and not the very consistent pitcher he was in VI. So I am hoping Helm can show value as a SP3. Though Johansen was used more and did less (108 IP/3.75 ERA), he is going to be RHS and if Helm cant do it in the rotation, will get a try at the top relief position on my staff: MR1.

Yamasaki is the beat the clock developmental prospect, so he will get plenty of starts. Unlike Briseno, he has a lot of competition for the spots he would project at, with Nunez being most likely to compete for a LR/SS type of position. Nunez has not gotten the call as of yet, starting his Age-24 season.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
10 innings is nice, but Whitmore kicked off the spring with 11.2 frames and only 9 hits! 8 Ks and 5 BBS but 3 were intentional. Threw 65.1% strikes which is a noticeable departure from his minor league form (60.3%)
Ken_Kennilworth
Joined: 11/26/2019
Posts: 399

Charleston Hawks
III.2

Broken Bat Baseball
10 innings is nice, but Whitmore kicked off the spring with 11.2 frames and only 9 hits! 8 Ks and 5 BBS but 3 were intentional. Threw 65.1% strikes which is a noticeable departure from his minor league form (60.3%)

extra innings & intentional walks in a spring training game?

BB ought to allow ties in these games and not allow intentionals -- but i know, i know, there is no charge to play
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Got swept by a LL 2 team which was fun. Currently have 6 players injured which is even more fun
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Halfway through Spring and have gotten no injuries to speak of.

Hitting stars of the Spring:

Collins: .383/2/8. As well he should be, since he is being groomed as a pure DH, currently 17/16/12/8. The better part is his FB rate is a bit up and he isnt completely powerless.

Porter: .357/4/13. He had quite a poor year in AAA last season and his hitting attributes are minimal at this point. Nice to see him doing well though

Goodson .339/4/9. Being groomed as Hodson's (eventual) replacement.

Team as a whole is hitting .315 with 39.33 Avg PA per game. 1 HR in every 32.7 AB, which is a lot better than usual and 19/24 SB which is usual (2 of those by Goodson/Collins who should never be running). Too bad its meaningless lol.

Pitchers? Well there have been no injuries and only one guy has a 4 digit ERA lol decent job keeping the ball in the park, which in my opinion is the thing least inflated by overuse.

Things are going pretty much as planned


Updated Tuesday, May 17 2022 @ 4:55:22 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
It is interesting to compare Benavidez and Rogue head to head. They both have a + and a ++ pitch (one has fastball and the other slider). Benavidez has 6 stamina and Roque 8.

Both have logged 4 starts, with 3 CG and both falling just short of 4. Roque has 37 K's in 33 IP and only 6 walks but gets knocked around hit-wise, so 26 ER and a 7.09 ERA. Good work on homers with 4. Benavidez has 11 walks and a bit more than half the K's in 34 2/3 but not as bad on hits, with a 4.93 ERA, 2 homers. I have no issue with Roque, but it seems like the heavy strikeouts are not leading to more value on his outings.

At 85 & 87 SI I hope both of these guys continue to develop strongly, as they are not quite there with their offerings. Benavidez used to be a 13 and Roque was originally an 11.

It feels very odd to be 8-10 this spring. 5-15 would feel more normal haha.

NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
No injuries? Ha! Gotten a lot of minor ones, but Solano got a 20-ish game hit. It isn’t that fun. Not a good start so far, but that was as planned.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
"Complete Game" Benavidez strikes again. Still cant fathom how someone with 6 stamina does that, since I see time and again how the other team will score 10 runs in the 7th or something using up the rest of the pitch count. While he doesnt have a below average control comment, having 11 now and probably 12 control at most when he's done makes it seem that way.

Of course the difference between Spring and league play besides the players playing is a lot more hits and walks would be popping up than are now. 63.2% is still pretty mediocre control. Not that I will be using him this way then. He got a few SI starting late last year when our position in the division was assured.

As sometimes happens with RNG, Yamasaki pitched a complete game, allowing 2 ER, 1 BB and 6K. It was nice to see him keep the ball on the ground a bit better and not give up a homer, which had been a bit of a concern lately.

I am thinking Bustamante is showing some good stuff (cant really say the same about Coronado). He runs into a bit of trouble because of control but is doing a nice job on K's and HR so far this spring. He was that 73 claimer last year.

It has been noised in some quarters that I should place more of my emphasis on blitzing those two guys with innings rather than Yamasaki. Who knows whether my patience helps me stay consistently competitive or hurts my longer term perspective. Neither are currently recommended to League right now.

Speaking of which, it will be my 6th season of team control before the last of the prospects I inherited make it to the majors. And he was not even in Rookie League then...

https://brokenbat.org/player/270494

It is with 0 surprise I report that Collins (with bat control of 16), has a team low 6 strikeouts (84 AB). What is much more surprising is that Marés (bat control 6), is tied for 2nd with 9 (90 AB). While Mares has never struck out as much as his BC says he should, like McCann, he may find the bigs are a different story.

Shanks, with his obligatory turn in AAA, and currently just 11 hitting, is a team low .255, but with 11 steals in 21 games...I am reminded of the fact he once had 93 in a season in the minors...

More of those RNG anomalies: Gomez has no power (current or future), 1.87 GB, yet is tied for the team lead with 5 homers. He, Porter, and Alford are having a swing from the heels and strike out most of time slugfest. Porter has managed to have 4 leave the yard, Alford 0 lol.

Yamasaki and Benavidez each have 5 starts, Roque will get his 5th tomorrow. They are the priority pitchers of Spring. Coronado will get his 3rd tomorrow. Nunez and Helm have logged only a single start. Relief had been all Briseno and Harper.

Some people talk about injuries affecting their spring lineups, but for the most part I dont play people that will be regular parts of the lineup. That may change, for at some point I may run out of AAA/Fringe league players to develop.

It is possible one of the league 5 pitchers I am using this spring could get injured, but it is almost always low stamina relievers. Wiggins hasnt thrown a single pitch from his LR2 position.

21 games in the books. Good luck to everyone in tomorrows draft and update.

Updated Thursday, May 19 2022 @ 5:44:12 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
I am thinking training #1 is when arms/range get adjusted. Great news for Alford, who I am hoping hits well enough to be CF of the future (or at least RF). He gained a range to 17.

Yamasaki got every possible arrow with 6. Wiggins continues to tick up somehow, now with 17 velocity. I am reminded of Frank Hicks and his missing SI that suddenly appeared at age 29 after I cut him loose, though Wiggins is 27. Benavidez got two arrows and Roque 3.

Not much exciting happened in the realm of hitters. Gomez continues to gain strongly, and with .290/5/12 this spring, bat strongly as well. He gives every indication that his hitting will reach the highest plateau. He will probably not be good on walks or strikeouts, but as a middle infielder that is not as important.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Yamasaki is starting to get a bit on a roll. Aside from 6 (!) arrows, he pitched a CG win over Novi allowing 2 ER, and today against Denton, another win allowing 2 runs. Because of 6 walks, he was not able to get the CG, and Breezy came in to pitch the 9th. Yamasaki will have some struggles in league upcoming with that 10 control, but I believe he will be a worthwhile member of the staff eventually.

Briseno has 7 2/3 IP this spring, 5 hits, 1.17 ERA and has 1 BB and 66% ST with his "below average control".

So, with Breezy hitting AAA, and slated to hopefully replace Valera at some point, spots on the staff are full. The real question is, what will happen when Coronado, Nunez and Bustamante are ready for League? Even if 2 of the 3 are able to start reasonably effectively, Harvey, Alderman, Wiggins are who they might challenge, and thats a scary thought, knowing how much Harvey and the Mayor contributed to where we are now. That being said, I think higher level competition has adversely affected both of their performances, being fastball deficient and dependent on Cos and average at best movement and control.

Otherwise in Spring play, Roque did his usual thing, all 7 ER allowed in the late innings. He allowed 2 HR and got through 9 IP on 123 pitches, the kind of control I am hoping he takes with him to league. Coronado pitched better in a 4-3 loss. He allowed 2 ER over 8 1/3 IP and only 3 walks and 0 HR.

Bats slowed down a bit, but the youngsters know what kind of players we are looking for: 29/37 SB. Thats Inferno baseball right there.


Updated Friday, May 20 2022 @ 5:28:51 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Considering the II league post about decline, as far as I can tell once speed drops the decline has begun. With that said, Thomas dropped a speed for his Age-30 season so I have been giving some thought to the future of lefty RF.

https://brokenbat.org/player/279871

A minor claim thats a longshot to be anything. Poor performance in the minors and PD thats low even by our standards. He doesnt replace Thomas speed but there are some other youngsters who can run who are close to league. He has been getting starts in Spring because he is not really displacing anyone else and I dont play players in AA or lower anymore if I can avoid it. Since it has been said that all that does is give them a jump on major league experience, it does not actually make them finish minor league training faster. Had a few A ballers over the years hit about .150 in spring too, and the more guys like that, the less PA everyone else gets.

I have also identified some other guys I like on waivers. Not really sold on Cuevas and Alford. They might end up being decent rotation players, but the left-handed group is the money lineup and I need as much talent there as possible. So far Murillo has a pretty solid grip on float OF, turning in .790 & .815 OPS seasons playing a bit more than half the games. As a S who he hits well against can fluctuate, but he also has solid range at 17.

I overstock a bit on the lefty OF types, so the last claim of 2054, 21 year old Galindo will hopefully compete for a spot too. I am fine with 17/11 R/A in RF if someone is otherwise good.

So like pitching in a year or so, I am going to have to decide among players, something I am not fond of doing.

A guy I gave up on ever hitting with power, Mel Donaldson, turned in .819 OPS for Memphis, .266/23/84. I still am at peace with letting him go, but learning from it I think that reaching 18 in anything is a separator, and he has now reached 18 power. Which allows him to either overcome GB hitting or get better FB hitting.

It is possible that Zavala and/or McCann could reach it, and help their otherwise rather anemic or inconsistent batting. Lagos for example, has 18 Vel & 18 Mov, and of all the pitchers, he is closest to performing exactly the same as in VI. It may also be why Helm has been more consistent than one would expect with low CoS and Movement.

It cuts both ways with deviations however. Arriaga and Paez have low BC to go with their high hitting, which makes them more inconsistent.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Lots happened this update. First and foremost, Gibbons got the call to AA, which I definitely wanted to see. The current starter, Gardener, gained 3 SI but lost an ARM and he would really help his case if he showed some offensive improvement. Having a 9.4 K/BB ratio last season doesn’t bode well, however,

Tirado continues to amaze me. Mr. Above Average now has 15 HIT. I’m speechless.

Núñez shows that he isn’t done developing yet as he gained another 2 SI and I expect him to gain another HIT and SLG to finish off at 118. Minor league 3B Wheeler also gained 2 SI as he frantically attempts to learn OF. ST shows some good signs as he has 6 OA so far.

A bunch of others gained a SI or a position, but the highlight was that The 8 POT Who Could added a SI.


As for the pitchers, one of our 2 control freaks added a CON, and Solano, whose ST was cut short after 10 IP, and Wall all saw minor gains. As for the major ones, though

Casillas is very underdeveloped to date so this was an important update for him. Santos is also very low SI for Double A so he also needed this. Scherer has shown that he apparently hasn’t learned all he can in AAA, so he’ll stay down and gain some more SI. Whitmore also dint ready but after this spring, I’d call him up before Scherer without a second thought.

Due to their comparatively high salaries, Rodriguez, De La Cruz, Mendoza, and McGee will all be closely watched this year. However, there’s 2 on the really hot seat, and one who knows he’ll be let go soon.

After losing 5 SI after one of his best seasons, Wilkins has a lot to live up to. With him in decline, and players like Blair, Santoro, and Lira waiting in the wings, Wilkins has to continue performing at a high level, otherwise his 1.85M salary isn’t worth it.

Fresh off an All-Star appearance and a pay hike, 32-year old Solis will need to play like there’s no tomorrow. His 1.8M salary is higher than it’s ever been and he will also have to prove that he’s worth it. If he survives this year, he’s likely done at 33, when regression will kick in.

De Smet, meanwhile, knows his career will be over before the financial update comes in. Nearly 1.5 mil at 37 is crazy and he’s lost a lot anyways. If he get to 100 wins this week, that’d be great, but the chances are quite slim.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
27 games in the books and finally a couple very minor injuries hit. Harper for 4 games, which doesnt matter in the least since he is just an occasional reliever in Spring and the injury is short. Porter got a 2 day one, not a surprise since he is catching.

Benavidez got blasted with so many hits he wasnt close to another CG. Maybe heavy use fatigue finally caught up, as did Bustamante. Roque pitched brilliantly, getting through the game on 125 pitches with no walks, even getting the win on 3 ER and 9 hits, with 15 GB to 3 FB.

Shanks has 15 stolen bases in 27 games, making him one of the most aggressive base runners ever. Not surprising since he once stole 93 bases in the minor leagues, being caught only 8(!) times.

Collins always plays 1B, since for some reason he was never trained there like he should have been. As of now he has 1.4 skill. He's committed a whopping 11 errors in 27 starts.

Yamasaki and Benavidez should get their 7th starts of spring tomorrow, Coronado his 4th. Roque will not. But fear not Cup begins immediately so he will start game 1.

Bustamante and Nunez springs are over, since they remain in AAA, as will position players such as Marés, Gómez, Macias and Alford as soon as spring is concluded. I am leaning against starting Harper in Cup for it is my feeling he is done at 90 SI. That is really disappointing but he is a solid closer.

So probably I will start Yamasaki, Roque, Benavidez and Helm
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
If you thought Shanks was aggressive, just look at Blair. 24/31 so far. Whitmore shined in his last start of Spring, turning in a complete game and his 2nd win. Seems more and more likely that Whitmore makes it up this year. Not bad for a 5th round draft pick who was 20 and had 46 SI.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Aside from AAA, which is all about team needs, I have a very difficult time going against the AI recommendation in cases where a person in not aging out of the minors.

https://brokenbat.org/player/295339

Prieto has completed 2.5 seasons of Rookie. He gained a POT, and while his SI gain is very slow, being so high at his age would predict that slow growth. I have seen too many 24 year olds in Rookie/A Ball. With no hit tool, he has always been a longshot anyway. But I have been training him to primarily be a defensive/injury replacement for MI/CF. I think by Age-19 year prospects should be gaining a relatively normal 3-4 SI a season and Prieto is 20.

I may have to make a decision on this guy soon. He is 19 and should be theoretically further from his cap than Prieto.

https://brokenbat.org/player/301982

The kind of player I rarely take a chance on:

https://brokenbat.org/player/285205/T

With his VG theoretically he may rise as high as 13, which I project using the number 106, which would give him 16/15/17/7/17. I think it is possible he could have a chance to be effective at that point. He he could also stunt/bust. I have seen "Wild" attributes get control as high as 8. Thats what waivers is all about, rolling the dice

Updated Sunday, May 22 2022 @ 7:27:08 am PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
It’s a hectic farm system for me. There’s a bunch of very good players down there, but there’s also a lot of interesting players. Here they are, from Rookie Ball to the Majors

Casillas, Isom, Wall, and Solano all possess intriguing skill sets and amateur stats, but they’re all so, well, raw. Nobody knows what they’ll turn out to be, so for now, we’re gonna have to wait and see how minor league ball goes for them.

Although with slight variations, Murphay, Wolfe and Doyle have the same scouting report. They’ve all shown that they’re good in the low minors, but can they sustain this success as they get promoted? Only time will tell for this confusing corp of players.

The Black Cats appear to have unwittingly stocked up on catchers, so we now have exactly 1 at each level. Tirado proved himself to be meh offensively, but with 15 HIT now, he could improve, and he led the league in CS% last year. Krieg looks to be better offensively and worse defensively, S. Trout has the highest upside but the worst stats, Kelly is in the middle in all regards, and we already talked about Wolfe.

Our 3 10 POT and lower guys, Pfeffer, Pina, and Beam continue to drive me crazy for different reasons.

Both of our AA pitchers, Santos and Meijer are not only tantalizing but confusing, they also shouldn’t be in AA. Oh, well. If the AI says they belong there, do they?
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Spring is in the books. Remarkably 8 of the 9 players tagged for the starting lineup started all 30 games, the only player missing 3 was Porter, who played C. Similarly, no pitcher missed any starts and only Harper, one of the mop-ups at MR missed any possible action.

Stars of the spring:

1B/DH Goodson .378/7/17/OBP .436/OPS 1.050
1B/DH Collins .347/2/14/OBP .389/OPS .838
3B Marés .328/4/19/OBP .375/OPS .847

Porter was very solid for a guy who was AI rushed through the minors and struggled in AAA last season, recently recommended to League. .288/5/17. He was 8/10 on SB. He is learning the C position and only tossed out 27.8% of runners with an 18 arm with 3 passed balls. Good thing he is learning the position only for depth. He will go back to AAA after this next training update. Macias didnt show much of note, except quite a good base stealing ability with only 12 speed (6/8).

Gomez slugging 6 homers with career 1.5 GB and minimal power was a surprise. He struck out once every 4.7 AB which is higher than I usually accept on my team, and is doing poorly at base stealing. Cuevas, whose minor league record shows some offensive promise but hit .149 anemia on 4 updates in the show last season, didnt do much. .276 and only one ball left the park despite .075 GB. The only thing was a pretty good 1K/6.82 AB on a 10 BC.

Alford's hitting kind of comes and goes, but like Shanks, and 11 hitting attribute in my opinion is not going to lead to any sustained success, even in Spring. He struck out even more than Gomez which is alarming. He had a partial season at AAA and I am hopeful he can contribute at some point. Speaking of Shanks, he had a team-worst .243 with 15 SB in 17 tries. He was fine on making contact but he will never bat leadoff with his low PD.

Yamasaki and Benavidez logged 7 starts. Yamasaki got a little better RNG on homers and finished with 7 in 56 IP. His ERA of 5.30 was a bit disappointing because even though he has low attributes, his stamina is 14, which should allow minimal problems completing games. His control was probably the difference there, being only 63.2 ST%. Benavidez began very strongly on H/IP but fell off after awhile. His control was also more in line with where it should be in the second half of Spring. He surrendered 5 HR in 59 IP. The other of the 3 "pitcher priorities" was Roque. He made 6 starts and threw more strikes overall than the other two. He was similarly poor on H/IP and allowed 6 HR in 51 IP. but both he and Benavidez were giving up a lot of them in the late innings as expected.

Top AAA arms Bustamante and Coronado got 4 starts a piece and showed nothing unusual. Nunez floated at SS most of the spring but only tossed 1 game, a very good one as is his usual. Helm also.

Breezy and Harper were the mop-up guys when starters did not complete games and got 10 IP with 0.84 & 1.80 ERA's.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Spring is also in the books for us. Spicy 10.49 ERA, but usually I don’t get as high as a .676 OPS. Only 3 standout performances

Santoro (.316 AVG, 30 H, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 10 BB/10 K, .820 OPS) - He was a valuable pinch hitter down the stretch last year and it seems to not be a fluke, as he replicated his success in the Spring this year.

Wheeler (.290 AVG, 36 H, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 8 SB, .758 OPS, 7 OA) - After Núñez came in and won ROTY, it became apparent that Wheeler was no longer the 3B of the immediate future, so he spent all 30 games in right field, and was one of 5 hitters to not get injured. Despite his 10 SPD, he shows that knack for stealing, maintained his power, and got some good experience in OF.

Whitmore (2-2, 45.2 IP, 2 HR, 3 CG, 3 QS, 1 SHO, 3.23 FIP, .623 ST%) - Whitmore had 4 fine starts and got rocked in one game, which included a tough loss and and 11.2 inning no-decision. In spite of some tough luck, he was our only player to win 2 games, pitching a fine game for the win and masterful 3-hit, 132 pitch shutout.

Other players worth noting

Despite exiting with a 32 game injury, Solano allowed 1 homer in 10 inning of work despite possessing just over 40 SI.

Lira turned in a solid all-around performance (.266 AVG, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 10 BB, 5 SB)

Blair had 27 SBs and Yim had 14, but their OPS was sunk down for different reasons: the former had a .318 SLG and the latter sported a .263 OBP.

Cam Wall managed to go a perfect 0-5, sporting a fancy 12/25 K/BB ratio, 4.500 WHIP, 24.30 ERA, and, somehow, a .537 BAA. On the bright side, his GB/FB was a nice 2.07.

Because of all the injuries, some people had to make special appearances. Among the highlights

Before he got injured as well, Dobbs filled nicely across the infield, posting an .889 OPS in 8 games.

Gibbons made an emergency start at DH, going 2-5 with a double.

In 3 games at catcher, Krieg was 5-8 with 2 doubles, a triple, a walk, a HBP, and a stolen base.

As for pitchers, 5 threw a scoreless relief outing as injuries wrecked us all, while Harley and De La Cruz had 2 scoreless outings each.

Mendoza started once, allowing 2 runs in 8.1 innings for a win and recording a 3-out save.

McGee won the last game of spring to get us going on the right foot.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Wouldnt think I would have anything to write about Cup but here I am. We were leading 1-0 through 8 behind strong pitching by Yamasaki and things fell apart in the 9th. It was tied 1-1 with 2 outs but 5 straight hits gave us a 1-5 deficit with Harper coming in to get the final out...then we scored 4 runs in bottom 9 to tie it, behind McCann's 3 run homer. Though I only have a role for the pitchers expected to participate in the Cup, I did not change pitch counts, because when would it come into play? Come into play it did: Harper kept going and going until breaking in the 13th inning. Technically 4 of the runs were unearned in the 10-5 loss, but just the earned one was enough to beat us. So 60 batters faced and 236 pitches thrown.

I am not sure what type of lineup Edmond was playing but Yamasaki scoreless through 8 was quite impressive. 3 scoreless innings for Harper's 4 stamina was quite a feat also.

Game 2 was exactly what I expected to see. Roque getting his daylights pounded out. Game 3 was tied 5-5 going into the bottom 8 and we actually won game 4 behind Collins, Goodson and Waters going deep, and a decent performance by Breezy and Wiggins.

So we were a couple of breaks away from splitting or even going 3 of 4 haha

The Mayor takes the ball to open the season as is the tradition. Go Infernos!

Updated Monday, May 23 2022 @ 5:43:33 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
2055 begins with the Mayor taking the ball. It began normally and continued oddly. Since I acknowledge that he has a more difficult time with the stronger competition I gave him a hook of 7. He held our predicted pre-season champion to 1 run through 5 innings but unfortunately hit the showers after a 3 run jack in the 6th.

Harvey came in and pitched poorly but didnt have a whole lot of support on the diamond. Collins let one skip through his fingers and 2 of the 4 runs he allowed were unearned. He rarely gives up homers but gave up a 2 run today.

Shanks was hitless in 19 cup AB, and was hitless today - but walked 3 times, stole three bases and scored 4 runs. In all we benefitted from LA coughing up 9 walks, and scoring 5 unearned runs in a 10-8 win. Only 2 walks of our own and Harper came in and cleaned up the 9th. Glover was 4-4 with 2 BB and got first POTG of the season (his 3rd as an Inferno).

I knew there was a possibility to be 0-10 in these games, so any wins between now and Training #2 are very welcome.

Tight matchup (scoreless through 5) in game 2 as ace Olivera took the hill. He gave up a solo HR. Zavala answered with a bases clearing double in the bottom half as Los Angeles tied it with 2 2-out runs in the 7th and 8th. Cuevas solo homer in Top 9 was the deciding run (our first HR of the season). LA stranded 9 runners and had one 3 runs against their 12 hits, so I feel fortunate this was a win. Shanks finally got some hits, going 2-5 with 2 more SB. For which he was rewarded with POTG.

Moreno did not pitch well in game 3. I made my first change of the season. If Harvey had struggled in 2 outings in a vacuum, I would not have. But he was mediocre all year in 2054, and the MR1 is the most frequently used reliever in any game. I need outs there. So I put Johansen there and moved Harvey to no man's land (LR). Johansen had some problems of his own there, but he was a 1.25 runs better at his 108 IP against Harvey's 157. Harvey did make some starts last year but that eventually yielded around the same performance as at MR.

Helm got his first start as a potentially regular member of the SP, went 4 2/3, 4 hits, 1 run on a homer. With his low CoS/Mov I expect him to give up his share, but it was very good excepting he did not throw strikes very well with 3 walks. Roque came in and pitched well until the pitch count possibly caught up with him, 3 straight extra base hits including a 2 run homer. Harper saved his 3rd game as we took 3 of 4.

Shanks has decided to be hot: he has drawn 5 walks in 21 PA, and has 7 SB (none caught) in 4 games. Also batting .400. Goodson bunted for a hit (spped 7), because why not? He and Zavala have whiffed 6 times already. Despite playing the "Spring recommended for League" lineup and not expecting any wins I have to say both I am excited to be 3-1 but very concerned about 7 HR surrendered by the pitchers.

Updated Tuesday, May 24 2022 @ 5:55:49 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
The scorching humiliation I expected. What a crappy series against Boise.

It started off with a winnable game started by the Mayor but Harper lost a 7-5 lead in the 9th by surrendering 4 runs, walking 3 of 6 batters and hits to the other two.

Kamasaki made his first league start and we lost 17-1. No he didnt give up all those, for him it was 8 in 4 1/3 IP. Then Johansen surrendered 3, Lagos 2, and Harvey 2. We coughed up 9 walks, with Lagos infamously walking 5 of the 6 batters he faced (retiring none of them). I ask myself, do I have any talent on this team?

Wiggins turned in a poor start (against one of last years best pitchers, Ghidini), 4 ER runs in 4 2/3. For once Harvey pitched a few shutout innings, and Briseno finished up.

Admittedly, this was a series starting a #4 at best SP Alderman, #5 Wiggins and a new pitcher with 80 SI. Olivera was unavailable today because of injury and there have been a few others as well. So that didnt help. But of the 7 games played, only 2 went relatively according to script pitching wise, even if our record is technically 3-4.

Cant be too pleased scoring 1 and 0 runs in two of the games. Only two homers so far on the season. We only had 2 SB this series, one of them by Waters, who shouldnt be running. I like Glovers performance so far, since he will be starting in LHP lineups: Avg .379/OBP .486. Collins being closer to ready to play than Goodson (17/16/13) is better in the early going: Avg .346/OBP .438

I hope tomorrow is better. After the update Friday some minor leaguers go down, regular lineups go into effect and Shockley and Thomas return.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Somehow, some way, we sit at 6-1. Swept Boca Raton, but don’t be fooled: It was all walk-offs, and all but 1 went to extras. Lira has continued his hot start by hitting a walk-off homer last game, and he looks like an increasingly viable starter.

After 4 scoreless appearances, De Smet finally called it quits, just over 20 seasons after he was drafted. Doubt we’ll see that kind of longevity again for a good while.

Currently the staff boasts a 1.41 ERA but 6 of the 16 runs allowed are unearned. Still to early to say anything meaningful about the minor leaguers.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Miserable 3-7 stretch in the first week is over. A bit of an odd training update but one that is more full than usual, as 11 NP and 9 P advanced some. The big thing is Shanks got 3 arrows. 29 year old Arriaga's fielding sharpened to 15. McCann's arm got downgraded to 18. Gomez continues skipping BC and Shanks PD is not good for a guy who is such a threat to steal. Oh well, life in BB.

Yamasaki got 4 arrows this time rather than 5. Was not wild to see Roque get some more fielding and stamina, but I think stamina is more likely when a pitcher is nearing end of development. Nice to see Benavidez and Roque are still going but its what I didnt see that concerns me: Harper and Helm. Sometimes I guess sometimes people stop when they hit where they are supposed to be on an attribute.

After force promoting Prieto after 2.5 seasons of Rookie Ball, he stopped being "overwhelmed" after one training update. Nadeau also got the call to A, something I was getting a bit concerned about as well. Slow SI growth in minors can often mean they are not at the right level even if the AI doesnt say as much. Nunez got the call to league but I wont consider calling him up until Sep.

With the continued development of Benavidez, as well as recent LHP acquisitions Briseno and Wiggins, the Valera era is over. He is a quality pitcher at 29, but struggled last season at V. Doesnt have much if his curve is flat.

Updated Friday, May 27 2022 @ 7:20:37 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
I hope I have gotten a better understanding of my failure over time.

When I joined I got a lot of underdeveloped players age 24-25. While that is ok for position players, many of which can play into their mid-30's I do not think that is true of the majority of pitchers. Plus I acquired way too many pitchers. I realize effectiveness can vary regardless of stats, but too many times I either didnt make a decision, or held onto people way too long.

The other thing is I dont manage my team well and put people in positions to succeed. Some of the guys are gadget pitchers such as Roque, Benavidez or Harper. Do I use them that way? No.

Each of them were good examples of the pitchers I target. Harper (Age 23 - 53 SI). Benavidez (Age 24 - 72 SI). Roque (Age 21 - 56 SI). I knew all along they would take tons of development. I dont have the luxury of letting them sit in the minors until Age 27 and develop them only in Spring. The worst thing is that few of them develop more than expected and most of them less.

How many of my relievers have reached 18 on a pitch? 2. If someone has 3 pitchers major league level or better, shouldnt they get a lot of people out? Apparently not.

My staff has walked 57 batters in 114 IP. I have 4 pitchers with 16 control and none better. I have known all along that better control equals better results.

My starting pitching has always been shaky as hell. Most of my eggs are in a basket of two guys, who have a decent array of pitches but nothing amazing. Moreno stopped developing with everything 14-16. Sure some of the other guys can do ok sometimes. Who do I have in the wings? Coronado and Bustamante, whose control makes them look like more relievers.
Short and long relievers thats who I have.

All-Stars or ROY inherited (includes previous draft choices in minors): Shockley, Hodson, Nakajima, Olivera, McCann, Rodriguez

Drafted and/or developed (acquired when in minors): Moreno, Waters

Acquired when already recommended to League (but never used there previously): Quintero, Cintron, Alderman

Clearly what success I have had is primarily due to who was already here.

So maybe I should have started with a much younger group. 19-21. I thought I could get 25 year old guys and develop them at the cost of some wins.

As far as that goes: I do a lot of it to myself, throwing away games trying to develop players so that there may be more wins in the future. Refusing to look at older veterans. Trying to bring in too many players at once. Being too slow to adjust.
Jerbeetwo
Joined: 06/30/2019
Posts: 322

Tyler Goldendoodles
IV.3

Broken Bat Baseball
I honestly think your last paragraph sums it up well. Acquire and play the best players you can get on your team. This is a game of how many league wins can I get this season and not how many SI points can I get on Friday.

Updated Monday, May 30 2022 @ 2:52:06 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Rough season. 12-21, in the cellar with a -17 RD. 6 of those wins are against 5th place Los Angeles, only a half game ahead of us. Pitching and hitting cant stay on the same page at the same time.

There have been some bright spots. Crown jewel of flip waivers was 38 claim Nicolás Páez. He is hitting .414 and has hit in 16 straight games. When I make some roster adjustments after this next training update, I will re-think hitting him 8th in the lineup lol.

The Mayor is having a bit of a bounceback season thus far, and is back as the #2 starter: 3.59 ERA over 57 2/3, 4 homers allowed and 3 CG. Olivera struggled in his first 4 starts but has been excellent since: 3.17 ERA in 65 1/3 IP, 53K and has gotten his hits at less than 9 per 9 IP. It took Hodson nine games to get above .200 but he has been playing well lately. Moreno has a 6.16 ERA and 8 homers in 49 2/3 IP.

But the hitting has to get a lot better if we are going to have any chance of getting to .500 this season. I dont feel like this team is nearly as bad as our 12-21 record would indicate. When we hit, the pitching falls apart, when we pitch well, we cant score.

Pitching has failed to improve since the 2053 season. Assuming Moreno recovers form, we have 3 guys who we have a chance to win with. Usually its 2 of those 3 and some band aids. While we have failed to add any impact pitching through waivers, a lot of hopes will ride on the development of #1 pick Kennedy. In AA: 2.97 ERA, 63 2/3 IP, 4 homers, 49 K. 2/6 on GS/QS, and since his stamina and attributes are unremarkable at this point thats very good. He has gained stamina these last two updates and I hope to see him in league within a couple seasons.

There will be some staff shakeups. I may give Helm a shot as a specialist reliever, but if his SI has clanked to a halt at 89, that will be a problem. He's got a FB and nothing, and needed at least control and stamina to get higher. He does have 26K in 28 IP, so maybe a 10 pitch a game thing could work.

With the release of Briseno, the left-handed relief corps in bare minimum with Benavidez, Wiggins and Lagos. Only so many right-handed relievers can be in play. Johansen has been struggling as badly as Moreno, but Roque and Harper are in the mix there, and Coronado and Bustamante will be up at some point.


Updated Sunday, June 5 2022 @ 5:46:22 pm PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Oh I need to post here lol
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Moreno had his rare good start, though it did require a 9th inning rally to win. I ran out Olivera and the Mayor on not-full rest to try and get something going. We won 2 of 3, as unfortunately the Mayor didnt have a good start. Though only scoring 2 runs ourselves make it hard to win.

We are 17-26 and in the cellar, tied with LA. We dont have the worst RD in the division, that is Round Rock, who despite having a negative of -49 are 21-22. It will likely be a bloody year.

So, now that action is over for the first 4 training updates, I will make roster adjustments tomorrow.

Shanks, 26G, .228, 14/16 SB. Can't expect much team success if the guy usually batting leadoff has an OBP of .273 lol. But a hit tool of 12 currently doesnt frighten anyone, especially in V. This was always part of the plan to have him gain what SI he could (he's gained 4) playing through Spring, Cup, 4 updates. He will spend the rest of the year in AAA.

Collins, 28G, .259. Interestingly he has the same average as last year when I also did this. Since this is a scenario where sometimes he bats at a disadvantage (.139 against LHP/.316 against RHP) tempers a lot of my disappointment that there is not more production out of a 17/16/13 hitter. .323 OBP and 1K/7.46 AB isnt horrible though. He also goes to AAA. Should just be a few SI short of his caps.

Goodson, 38G, .300/3/20. I have been a bit worried about him because his SI gain has always been a bit slow and hes 25. So I thought about keeping him up irregardless, even if he wasnt playing regularly. Curiously he was better against same-sided pitching (.406-.273). He started 15 games at 1B, but despite a position rating of 3, he has booted 4 balls already. Which is why, along with the fact Hodson is still here, I cant keep both Goodson and Collins on the roster (and actually play them). But for now I will keep him, as he has logged nearly 2 full seasons at AAA.

Nunez 3 2/3 IP 0.00 ERA, 0 BB/0 K. He is getting his first taste of league action. He had only 1 start in Spring to make way for older players, but he was used heavily in Cup. Admittedly, we had an extremely difficult Cup draw, but he didnt shine: 4G, 23 1/3 IP, 8.47 ERA, 11 walks. Just 1 HR surrendered though. His SI is in the mid-80's now and he returns to AAA. Its very possible he is ready by next season, but that will depend on a lot of things.

Other things: Quintero has hit for dirt so far this season, Arriaga has decided to continue hitting LHP, this season as well as last, which he generally hasnt done, and it hitting very well overall. Zavala is against all expectations hitting strongly thus far: .290/5/26, which is good because I have stopped playing Rodriguez at SS. But McCann was once ROY, so I take nothing for granted.

Paez, Glover, Nakajima are having good seasons, Water is not, hitting .246.

Olivera is doing better than even his normal: 88 IP, 3.17 ERA. Alderman, despite todays night cap, is doing fine: 78 IP, 3.92. Moreno has gotten his ERA below 6, but the rest of the staff is up-down.


Updated Thursday, June 9 2022 @ 4:54:16 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Very good update for me. Best of the year. McCann hasnt been able to hit in 2 seasons, .229 in 2054 and .226 this year - yet the AI raised his unscouted hitting attribute to 15. How about some results? lol

5 arrows total for Collins, Shanks and Goodson, who I have been trying very hard to push. Though I suppose Shanks gaining +1 arm doesnt help that much, going from 7 to 8. Zavala gained another point on hitting. I am very pleased at Zavala's overall growth: 7 SI in 2053; 6 in 2054; 2 so far this year (when he barely played in Spring), though the offensive results have been a bit lacking. Mares gained his first SI in 7 updates. He has been a bit puzzling, gaining little SI but not being recommended to League.

After gaining a whopping 12 points in attributes in #1-#3, Yamasaki gains just 1. Of course when he plays in league action I use him normally, so he has a chance to succeed. Though really his only good start this season was his last.

Wiggins is also a big anomaly. He never played above A Ball, but continued gaining SI. When I signed him last fall he gained 4 SI. He has gained 4 so far this year, though I have not used him a lot: only about 21 IP of work. He is POT 13 now. This when the development of many of the pitchers I was counting on, Helm & Harper prominently among them, is DOA.

Roque however has reached the 99 SI I plot out for all my 12 POT players - and gained to 17 on Velocity, Movement, and Control. He was a POT 11 when I signed him in Fall 2051, and is now 12 with a bullet. He is also the only guy on my staff with as much as 17 control, after I parted ways with Valera. Núñez gained 3 arrows and Coronado and Bustamante are gently easing their way up lol.

Some new recommendations to League, Gomez (who for an above average potential has been promoted like a rocket ship, and performed well and gained SI at each level), Coronado, and DJ Alford. Coronado and Alford would be the closest to a call-up, with parts of 2 seasons in AAA, but I will leave them there for now. That being said. Coronado is having a good year but giving up a boatload of walks.


Updated Friday, June 10 2022 @ 6:16:13 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
First set of games since my pitching staff adjustments. Roque appeared in all 4 games, and gave up a run in 3 of the 4 outings. So for the next series, Harper will be first RHS out of the pen.

Moreno has had strong outings in 3 of his last 4 starts, 6 2/3 shutout innings today. Alderman has had 3 poor outings in a row after a very strong start to the season. Olivera continues being Olivera. I went ahead and gave the nod to Yamasaki for game 4. Once again we lost, but he pitched well enough, 4 ER in 6 2/3 IP. He has had RS of only 4 per game.

Noted backbencher McCann, with his small increase of hitting to 15, has modestly put together a .277 stretch, raising his season average to .245. Zavala has been playing as primary SS the last few games and is thus far .279/6/27 fielding .992 in 32 games at SS.

Recently acquired Jimenez got into his first game and drew a walk, since I dont really have a spot for him in LHP lineups with Goodson playing DH there.

Hodson has fallen off according to his standards, he had a 3-23 start to the season, hit in 14 straight games to get to .313, but is now at .277. Arriaga is finally batting in all lineups, since he has finally had some success against LHP these last two seasons and is .328 (.414/.304). It was necessary anyway, because he's needed in CF against lefties.

Due to the development of Shanks, Nakajimas played in only half the games this season but is .353/3/18. Paez is batting .371. Water is eking back up at .255. Quintero is battng .200 but theres not much to be done. His platoon mate Cintron hits very badly against RHP also and I am not confident Porter can do anything with his 9 hitting attribute and poor hitting in AAA, despite his recommendation to league. So Quintero plays. At some point I might go shopping for 3B, but Quintero does have long stretches both hot and cold, so possibly he improves. He hit .285-.292 on 375/463 AB in 2053,2054.

Anyway, we have been 16-15 since that awful 12 game losing streak at the beginning of the season. Without that we would have been in a lot better shape on relegation since no one is exactly crushing it in our division.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
So much to say, so little time. Here goes.

Been some tough cuts recently, as Doyle, who I thought had a lot of upside, Santos and longtime Black Cat Wilkins. Not good enough for the team HOF, but a great career nonetheless.

Cup we finished 9-11. Mendoza went down with a long injury so we're down to 4 for a while. Not only does his HR rate annoy me, this is also the 3rd season (of 5 full seasons) fthat he's going to miss 5+ starts. Lira is getting a go at starting while Wheeler has just promoted.

As of late, we've claimed Whatley (nice OF4) off waivers and that's it, really. The past 3 drafts have been meh: Howard and Smart are still around.

Updated Sunday, June 12 2022 @ 3:03:18 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Well we are starting to play a little bit better. But only a little bit. 25-24 since the 12 game losing streak that dropped us to 3-13.

Waters looks like he is on his way to a mediocre season. He leads the team in AB but is hitting only .248 with an OBP of .288. On the positive side he has 7 homers and 31 RBI. Time will tell if he is done developing but he has gained no SI so far this season. He has developed so evenly that is likely to never reach 18 hitting but has a high floor.

Páez is second on team in K's but is hitting a ridiculous .386. Thomas always seems to be an anomaly, 16/10/10 shouldnt lead to 2 seasons of .294/.301 and .308 so far this far. On the downside, he's 30 now, has lost some speed and is not as good at stealing bases as he once was.

I decided not to demote Goodson after cup season was over. Whats odd is the only place for him in the lineup is against same-sided pitching, and he has responded with .351 average against lefties. He is .297/3/25 on the year.

The other guy, Collins, who I did send down to AAA has gained 8 SI gained these last 2 seasons, but 3 are BC; 2 are PD and single point each on Hit/Pow/Fld. He is a POT 10 with 86 SI. I have to think someone with "good" potential will end up in the 11 range, but I am hoping for a stronger hitting attribute advancing from his current his current 17/17/13. He is not a liability in League (.260 career) but he is a 1B/DH with no ability to field at all and I need more.

Zavala has slumped, McCann is doing nothing to indicate he is a 15 hitter and 3B/SS/C remain big concerns. I have started Zavala at SS in primary lineups because Rodriguez seems to have lost his ability to hit and is low range. Which means I have to start McCann at C in primary lineups and his ability to hit RHP has fallen off a cliff. Quintero continues to be a problem at 3B.

I have avoided aggressive moves because replacements may soon arrive. Gomez at SS, Porter C/3B. I still need to find something, but I have not had much luck on waivers (besides Páez). A guy I brought in as RH/RF Jimenez is 1-18.

Pitching has improved a bit lately. The Mayor has regressed some but is still mostly solid. Moreno has gotten his ERA below 5. Team ERA is not much different now than last season. Still poor, but I think we have had some bad luck and I hope are headed to some improved RNG.

I am a bit uncertain where to best use Roque, since he has a CoS of 6 and some issues with homers. That being said, 17 Vel/Mov/Con and an outstanding ability to throw strikes (1 BB in 24 IP) so for now he is first RHS up.

Yamasaki is inconsistent but has had some successes. A pair of POTG this past week (along with a couple stinkers). Helm will be the first guy cut, but since I cant get anyone I want off waivers, why cut him? It remains possible he could gain SI but it looks extremely unlikely at this point.

Harper has a FIP of 2.10 but an ERA of 5.50. Despite not being too bad on walks and giving up no homers, he just cant seem to control the ER's. May have something to do with the fielding at SS/3B.

Anyway we are tied for last and 6 games on the wrong side of relegation.

Updated Thursday, June 16 2022 @ 7:17:47 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Training Editions: "Inexplicable, or Fine, be a 20 hitting SS".

Sometimes it seems like a slow developing scouted attribute may mean that the overall growth will be better, as opposed to getting that trait in range and stopping. Zavala continues to grow (now 109 SI). So does Wiggins, who with 17 Vel/17 Cont is the type of guy I wanted of some of the stunters.

Coronado has been a top prospect for years who has trouble getting the ball over the plate: But with his continuing strong SI growth (10 last year, 9 so far this year) allowed him to put together his best season in AAA, after mostly stinkers. 3.38 ERA, less than 1 hit per IP, 7 HR in 85 1/3 IP. Still walking one every 2 IP though.

Yamasaki is six SI away from the Mayor's 2051 record of 29 SI gained in a season. Not to say with his even but mediocre attributes he has been pitching great, but he is not a big liability (inasmuch as most players on a 28-37 team arent liabilities)

Gomez already had stuck BC, and interestingly has gained +1 Hit/+1 FLD twice in the 3 updates he has gained. So he now has 15 hitting, as has been reflected by his minor league/spring performance. That being said, BC of 5 is a problem, but he is a middle infielder. Hopefully he gets a good chunk of future development to raise his current 10 FLD. Despite having an above average POT, I am being encouraged by Páez (and in fact by the stunter I posted about in Help) that that is not an automatic sentence to under-develop. Projected him to 112 SI he overshoots 20 hitting and is 16 FLD, which I would be very happy about. We'll see.

When I drafted him, Gallegos, appeared to already have stuck BC, and his gain of PD seems to confirm that. Though his 18/13 R/A is valuable and performance is fine in A ball, I'd rather not have more of these kind of guys. He is just a good hitter/AA POT to boot. No decision yet.

Waters has gained nothing for 5 training updates. Though I did not use him in Spring, I am thinking he is done, as are many others it seems.


Updated Friday, June 17 2022 @ 6:27:58 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
A flock of players are ready to be promoted starting next season.

https://brokenbat.org/player/254822

Though he has started as Primary SS almost my entire tenure, his Range/Arm have been well below average. His primary value was that he could hit decently in all lineups. Originally I thought he might platoon at 2B with Nakajima and trained him thus, but Nakajima is basically immoveable from lineups and hasnt slowed down at 32. Rodriguez hitting has fallen apart this year, and declining to sign short-term rentals over the past several seasons, I didnt have a lot of options, but finally I do.

Interestingly, all 3 of the guys who might be able to eventually play are left-handed hitters. The question is, does Rodriguez have any value or should be be cut next season?

https://brokenbat.org/player/266887

I like him as a C and backup middle-infielder but for now, he is the starting SS:

(1 of 6):

https://brokenbat.org/player/294901

I am not that comfortable with promoting him in 2056 after just one full season of AAA (after rapid recommendations through the minors) but unless something else happens, I will. I would want minimum 14 fielding to play most days at SS, but he is projected more as a replacement for Nakajima, but who knows when that will be.

Wiggins is a good example of how a mis-managed player might still get to where he was supposed to be, and a properly managed player may not.

(2 of 6):

https://brokenbat.org/player/260150

Aside from the concern his BC has started popping to the detriment of his hitting attribute, his playing DH in right-handed lineups would keep Waters and Glover out. Though those guys development is not what I had hoped thus far, for some reason they do hit RHP, even though they are R. So his spot seems more as a pinch hitter, and that doesnt seem optimal for a DH.

(3 of 6):

https://brokenbat.org/player/266084

He got the automatic recommendation at 25. If his SI gain continues, I do not have an urge to call him up: since like Gomez he is eventually seen as the platoon to replace Nakajima.

(4 of 6): "The hell is wrong with this guy"?

https://brokenbat.org/player/270494

While I have seen tons of players stuck in rookie or a ball until they are old, not sure I have seen a guy who proceeded normally but isnt recommended out of AAA in his 4th season there. Maybe a reverse of the usual AI knee-capping.

(5 of 6):

https://brokenbat.org/player/282768

Despite my concerns about his hitting, if he can in fact hit against RHP, there would be a place, even if he cant hit lefties at all. Quintero is basically stinking this year. Aside from not wanting to make the call-up of a mediocre at best hitter, Quintero's walk/k numbers are better than his attributes say they should be, and I am generally patient with those kind of guys.

(6 of 6): https://brokenbat.org/player/285444

He was my only CF prospect for a time. With the signing of Paez he could easily slide into a platoon, but has some hitting concerns as well.

As far as major leaguers cut to make room. This is Shockleys last year, so he will retire as an Inferno. Rodriguez and Quintero are candidates.

Soon to be 30 year olds Cintron and Thomas. Cintron depends on the situation with Mares/Porter. Hes a fine hitter against lefties, but that is not hard to replace. He does have a nice OBP though. Thomas is losing speed so not as valuable as a base stealer, he is a fine hitter in primary lineups.

Murillo is kept around but he rarely plays. Right-handed Jimenez was kind of brought in to see about replacing him, since they have same R/A and the primary lineups are a bit loaded with Paez and Arriaga manning C/RF. So far he has done nothing at the plate, but he is usually a PH, I am not pushing him into lineups.
hardhat
Joined: 05/26/2013
Posts: 200

Oceanview Woods Grizzlies
Legends

Broken Bat Baseball
I definitely think Rodriguez should be on the chopping block next season. He's just meh and doesn't have the range to make up for mediocre offense. Your in-house options make it easier. Between Zavala and Gomez (you mentioned 3 but I didn't see the 3rd) you should be fine
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
https://brokenbat.org/player/295339

3rd is in A Ball. Not really an option anytime soon,
but none of these guys were around or near majors until 2 seasons ago. So Rodriguez had 4 years of starting by the time his libailities became a major problem. Though technically I have a 4th option, also in A, though Nadeau is a S and not a L. No right-handed SS prospects lol. For this season, a signing is imminent though.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
A small pick me up:

After .500 ball following our awful 12 game losing streak at the beginning pf the season, we faced our old friends from the 2053 VI.18 championship series, Holland and finally won a series with some authority.

Game 1 almost got away as the 6-3 lead Olivera left with evaporated on Johansen getting tagged for a 3 run HR. Fortunately we belted the crap out of our 2052 #2 round draft pick Joey Tucker for 4 runs in Top 9. McCann hit three triples (and earned his first 2055 POTG).

More in keeping with our attempts at bullpen readjustment, Game 2 had 5 pitchers. The Mayor made it through 5 IP and gave up 2 ER. It wasnt pretty but the bullpen did only give up 1 ER in 4 IP and we banged out 11 runs in an 11-4 win.

In a continuation of better RNG fortune, Moreno gave up 3 hits and a 2 run homer in 6 IP. This time the bullpen shut them out and Arriaga hit 2 homers in a 3-2 win.

Yamasaki got creamed in game 4, as usually happens, in a 9-4 loss. In a training update or two I will probably shift him to another role. Joey Tucker got the win in short relief, and Jimenez got his SECOND hit of the season (2-26). Ugh.

So, I tried to give us a better chance to win Game 5 starting Harvey instead of Wiggins. So of course this is what happens: Harvey gives up 3 ER in 3 2/3 IP and Wiggins relieves him and throws 5 1/3 of shutout ball in a 12-3 win and earns a POTG.

I dont have a clue whats wrong with Hodson this year: He had a horrible start, then got hot and raised his average to around .300 and has been cold as ice since: batting .267.

Nor do I understand how Paez can stay so hot. He hitting .399 in 173 AB, playing everyday against RHP. And to do it while striking out once every 4 AB.

I predict by the end of the year, Arriaga may have his best offensive season yet, if his splits hold up. .305/8/29 .396 OBP.

McCann has gotten hot lately, now .263/6/26 with an OPS of nearly .800. He is greatly improved against RHP. Perhaps with his new 15 hitting attribute he is turning a corner. What I cant understand is how poor he is (18 Arm) (along with Zavala 33.3% (20 Arm)) at throwing out base stealers this season: 23.5%. They were great last year.

Murillo has been used very sparingly (only 32 AB this season) but is hitting .156. Unfortunately his potential replacement, Jimenez is stinking really bad.

Waters has raised his average to .262/8/37 but I have been hoping for stardom from him, especially since he may have stopped growing, and if so, he's 2 points short of his hitting comment.

Quintero and Rodriguez have gotten their average into the .230's...but we are trying really hard on waivers to find some other options but so far none have been found.

Before tonights games I said to myself, if we had only been 6-6 on that 12 game losing streak we would have been above relegation. But the truth is I am not sure we are really improving, so not relegating is not necessarily going to help, if some of the players dont start playing better, especially pitchers. Our team average is up to a relatively normal Inferno number of .276.



Updated Sunday, June 19 2022 @ 6:50:12 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Not too surprising we would lay a big fat egg against Egg Harbor, since they are probably the leagues best team, the pain is in the details.

The 9th inning lead off triple against Benavidez was the dagger in game 1. Cant really do much more in a 2-1 loss except acknowledge 1 run on 5 hits is trash. Not much chance at all in games 2 & 3 as Alderman & Wiggins got butchered and Moreno was supported by only 3 runs.

We managed to squeak out 1 win as Yamasaki also didnt pitch that well, but Helm had a rare good outing, 2 2/3 of scoreless ball as scoring 3 single runs in the 7,8,9 turned a 7-5 deficit into an 8-7 win.

Wiggins got chased again and in a reversal of yesterday's result against Holland he was relieved by Harvey who pitched well. Unfortunately we were able to score only once starting the 9th with runners on 2 & 3rd with no outs in a 6-5 loss.

So, after taking 4 of 5 against Holland we lose 4 of 5 against EH. So .500 .500 .500, as I have mentioned many times since we started the season 3-13. Maybe I should pencil in 40-40 for the second half?

Updated Tuesday, June 21 2022 @ 6:45:47 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Mid-Season Review.

Only Olivera gives us a good chance of winning as a starter. The ERA's for everyone else that has been trotted out as a starter is 4.85-6.88.

I attempted to make some adjustments to try and shorten starts and get to the bullpen, but the bullpen hasnt stepped up, with ERA ranging from 4.15-7.41.

Last years reliable closer, Harper, is not able to figure out how to give up less hits than IP. Hits are basically the only reason his ERA is 6.85. Other metrics seem to be about where they were. Some people have advised to not have a closer, and that has not yielded good results thus far. Why would I want to have certain bullpen guys get more work if they cant get people out?

Johansen and Harvey were two of my most reliable arms in VI and theres no reason to think either of them are much better than their 2 seasons in V. Johansen has been better lately, but he is not expected to even match last years regression to 3.72 ERA. What can be said of Harvey is that he doesnt give up homers. But he is now a 5-spot pitcher as his underwhelming repertoire seems to have caught up with him. But he will be back in the starting rotation after next training update when I shift Yamasaki.

Yamasaki is well below average in his starts, not a surprise considering his SI/Tools. Wiggins has at times been good at starting but Harvey is a bit less poor in the rotation than those guys.

The Mayor started out very good, but has struggled with a 4.85 ERA and is second in the league in IP, and is still tied for the league lead with 5 CG. Still he is near where he was last year. I didnt really expect better, though for a minute it appeared he was on his way to an outlier, bounce back year (like Fredrickson's 2052).

So, the pitching has been trash. I havent really been able to find anyone to help the SP, and am considering bringing up Coronado and Nunez if things continue going south. However it may not lead to any big results, Nunez is a right-handed version of the Mayor with a slightly better repertoire. He has however, given up a whopping 35 homers in 1066 2/3 IP, and is 45/69 GS/QS so theres that. Coronado has put up by far his best minor league season: 3.14 ERA, 7 HR in 120 1/3 IP. His control is as awful as it ever was however. I would feel better to be able to find a band-aid for this season and bring them up next season.

McCann and Zavala are doing (somewhat) what is expected of them: Homers. McCann 1/27.2 AB Zavala 1/23.7 AB. McCann is now hitting .259 against RHP for .262 on the year, Zavala .257, .245. Despite our best hitter hitting only .278, the team as a whole is hitting .276. Not enough to make up for the pitching.

I dont know how many rookies are really out there, but if it continues, Goodson has a good shot at ROY: 59G .287/6/33, .738 OPS. It is needed for him to pick up the pace on gaining SI though, his OBP isnt quite what it could be.

First half stars:

Paez .381/2/23
Nakajima .306/9/41
Arriaga .302/9/30
Thomas .295/4/28 12 SB

Unfortunately Thomas speed declined for his age 30 season and he has been caught 8 times. Hodson has 31/41 steals. Waters is putting together an average season, though with some power: .262/8/38. Glover is .288/5/18.

Quintero and Rodriguez are up for replacement consideration every day, but I have not been able to sign an upgrade. We will see if there are any all-stars. Doesnt really feel good to highlight individual performances with the team 35-45 though


Updated Tuesday, June 21 2022 @ 7:28:18 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Nakajima, Paez, Arriaga represented the Infernos. No pitchers this for the first time since 2052.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Finally some roster action:

https://brokenbat.org/player/262129

Signed Grady off the street and for now will plug him into Quintero's spot. Chili Peppers - Infernos. Destiny maybe?

BB Gods also decided the give me only my second claimant of the season of more than 4 claims:

https://brokenbat.org/player/205857

Most of the time, having old guys make starts hasbt worked for me. So we will see.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, as I have often said, we are exactly .500 after starting 3-13.

34 year old Corral has made 2 starts now. The first was fine, the second wasnt as good. However in 12 1/3 IP he has walked 2 and given up 0 homers. ERA 5.84 FIP 1.96 As someone who was once 131 SI he still has better tools than most of my guys and I think until proven otherwise he gives us the best chance to win as a back end starter.

When I started I was advised to prioritize movement. Which I did, with guys like San Nicolas, Regalado, Lujan and Carrizales. All of those guys eventually got the boot and most are relief specialists elsewhere. Carrizales homer numbers have reverted to where he was pre-2052 and has had some success starting for Minneapolis at times.

So then I thought I could have some guys make short starts (such as Alderman or Harvey) and reach a high velocity bullpen later. The guys I tabbed for that have not really worked out either, with many of them clunking on SI or just not being effective, since most guys of that type available on waivers are low movement/CoS guys.

So this season has once again shown me that either bad management or marginal talent is holding the team back. Its not as if I inherited just 1B/DH guys. Nakajima is one of the better 2B out there and Shockley was great too before he aged out. I have just failed to build most positions around them.

Primary 3B is a hole, and I have went back to playing Quintero. Grady strikes out too much to be playable. Not too surprising with his 6 and barely moving BC. Of the 4 relievers I spent several seasons developing Harper and Helm fell short (and are not effective this year). Benavidez is playable and Roque is the only one who has developed to where I thought he would.

So I snagged POT drops hoping they would reach the top end of the lower range, or better yet get back to where they where. Outside of guys that lose and gain at Training #0 adjustments (such as Nunez) that has not been the case at all (except of course O'Neill who I gave up on and was signed by Waterloo). Only risers have outpointed their SI.

I am looking anxiously at McCann. I have no idea whether this years .272 or his ROY is the more likely outcome or last years putrid .229. What I need from him is power, and that means continuing to advance from 15 power to his prolific slugging comment. He is hitting 1 HR/32 AB and I need a bit better there. More like Zavala's 1/25 AB. Zavala's improved to .240 (from his earlier career) and has cut down on K's a bit.

Not relegating is not out of the question if I can ever get something going. The 4th place team is just 45-45.


Updated Saturday, June 25 2022 @ 6:58:55 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
In these days in between Cup matches I think things might be improving a bit. (Still in last place lol). Since there is only one team in the division with a worse record playing better means doing well against teams better than us. 6-4 against Essex and Knoxville. As always, a lot depends on Olivera: He is now 11-6 with a 3.24 ERA. Part of it is being competitive in each game, and a couple heartbreaking 1 run losses aside, that we took the series with wins in starts by Harvey and Corral means a lot. In any case, Harvey is done with being MR1. He will live and die in the starting rotation, even if its 4-5 inning starts. Hopefully he can keep the ERA under 5. I think the difference between this year and last boils down to one thing: the inconsistency and struggles of Moreno. He is capable of so much more than to be 6-9 with a 5.30 ERA.

Though we will continue making roster changes: dropped Grady and added Robledo (as insurance for the improving Quintero), dropped Helm and added Lopez (who had a rocky outing in Game 3), the basic formula is unlikely to change: I dont see us getting an above-average starting rotation soon, and the pitchers in AAA are projected to be relievers. Nunez continues to improve: control, homers, etc as his SI improves, but he did not really show promise in Cup action, aside from homer numbers. For Coronado, its that 7 control holding him back, though he is putting together his best season in the minors in AAA.

Top pitching prospect Kennedy continues doing a fine job keeping the ball on the ground and in the park but I dont see him reaching League for at least 2 seasons.

I have no real hope of Porter doing anything with the bat, but his Hit tool is really low for AAA and if he gains no SI for the 5th straight update Friday I will assume he is done with minor league training and call him up. He will have the chance to suck at league level before I am willing to give up on him.

Its so ironic that I spent so much time since I started trying to build a pitching staff and generally we are among the worst staffs in V while having a top BA outfit. Boosted in no small part by Paez ridiculous year: 63G .384/6/34.

The 2052 draft is in the books, with the release of Prieto. While he is an amazing base stealer and I took some time developing him at SS/2B/SS for a potential defensive backup/PR I feel like Nadeau has shown enough to potentially fill a similar role. Both have no hitting comment, but Nadeau has shown decent power potential and flyball hitting, and he rose to POT 15 as well. The main thing is would he find his way out of Rookie ball as so many busts dont? He did lol without having to be force promoted. Prieto, by the way, DID have to be force promoted, though like the other times I have done it, it got concurrence from the AI the following update.

Updated Sunday, June 26 2022 @ 9:13:13 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Well once again the back half of the rotation helped avert disaster. Game 1 was lost in the crappiest way imaginable: Olivera and Benavidez pitched 9 2/3 IP of 1 run ball. We squeaked out an unearned run in the top of the 9th, loaded the bases with 0 outs but couldnt score more and lost in 11. Scored 2 and 1 runs in games 2 & 3 and of course lost. Then gave up 0 ER in game 4 and 1 ER in game 5 and won 11-3 and 11-1.

Corral giving up 3 hits and a solo homer was the good thing because we really need him to do well to try and salvage this season. He has struck out 20 in 26 1/3 IP, 21 hits, 2 homers. His walks have been a tad high with 10.

I brought in Leonardo Longoria and he was in his first action: 3 scoreless IP. He has low velocity, so I will be watching his BB, HR. But he has lost no SI so I am hoping he can be good.

Expensive stretch run: $9.05M for Corral, Longoria, Grooms.

I dont expect too much from Grooms except to improve defensive play at SS and keep the bat out of Zavalas hands against lefties. Hes 1-7 so far but has 3 walks.

One very positive thing is we have improved our RD to -8. 100 games are in the books. 60 to go.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Huh. Well, despite Olivera getting clobbered in Game 1, we managed to take 4 of 5 against our old rivals in VI. 18 Holland, which we also did in July. These are the only two series I recall where won 4 games (never won 5), so...for the first time this season, we are not in the relegation group: Albeit tied for 4th and winning RD by 10. Ironically, this puts Holland in the same position in the other division: Tied for 4th and ahead in RD.

One difference may be when facing Holland that they have 4 left handed starters. My right-handed hitting is pretty strong I think. Though stealing never seems to work against Vlahos.

Finally doing a bit better than .500 lately, 12-8 in our last 20 games. The back part of the rotation has been competitive in a lot more games since I signed Corral, moved Harvey back in and moved Yamasaki elsewhere among other rotation changes.

I dropped Lopez after a short time and Longoria has not been doing too well among recent acquisitions.

Who has been doing well is Benavidez, who has moved into Valera's old spot LHS. Building on some tendencies he showed in Spring he has less hits than IP, with 1 HR in 18 innings and a 2.89 ERA.

Harper is in the doghouse right now, hard to see why he is doing so much worse than last season. I have given up on Moreno turning it around this season 6-10 5.56 ERA, with walks way up and HR% not good.

The bullpen as a whole gave a big assist. Olivera pitched only 5 IP, and none of Harvey, Moreno, Corral pitched more than 4 in their starts. (The Mayor pitched 8 2/3 scoreless), so 5 2/3 scoreless from the BP in game 3, 5 IP, 2 ER in game 4, 5 scoreless innings in Game 5.

New SS Grooms was 7-18 with 2 BB and 3 RBI in the series.

Pleased to see we are now only -3 RD and Team ERA is down to 4.86

Updated Wednesday, June 29 2022 @ 6:54:52 pm PDT
lmartins6746
Joined: 06/01/2021
Posts: 60

Asheville Aces
V.10

Broken Bat Baseball
looks like we helped each other out this last series
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Indeed. You have smashed the bot! Waves to Dylan Berry

Updated Wednesday, June 29 2022 @ 8:25:10 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
I am so ready for inter-league to be over and its finally over. I didnt really expect to do well against Egg Harbor, since their pitching generally kills me, but we did manage to take 2 of 5 which is a win as far as I am concerned. It was close to being worse, as a 2 out pinch hit single by Grooms drove in the tying run in the 9th, and Paez and Goodson finished them off in the 10th in G3.

Longoria had been doing poorly in relief and so I gave him a start, since his track record was a lot better in starts, but since we are in the last 1/3 of the season...lasting 2 2/3 IP, 7 hits and 5 ER...well ive seen enough and released him. He had given up 2 hits an inning and 5 walks in 7 2/3 IP

Instead of looking in the free agent veteran pitcher dumpster any longer this season, I will use what I have, though as always I will continue to look at waivers.

Corral had his best start so far in the crucial game 5 that allowed us to finish the series 2-3: 8 1/3 shutout IP, 2 hits. He would easily have had a CG but I have him on a 100 pitch count. 34 year old Corral, through 6 starts, is as strong or stronger as any other starter in every metric besides Olivera.

Yamasaki had his first action of this entire training period: 3 2/3 IP, 3H, 0 BB, 1 ER. Since he is slotted to be a reliever, his SI is high enough now that results do matter.

I did some experimentation with Arriaga leading off and sitting Hodson and same with Robledo/Quintero. Hodson continues to be well below his standards and went 1-10 in the series. Arriaga is doing some slumping of his own lately. He has interestingly not committed a single error this season. Due to McCann missing a couple games, Robledo played in every game and was 6-16. He is 9-21 overall. Quintero was 3-8 and his OPS is nearing .700 now. He seems to always do this, play horribly and then get really hot.

Goodson is now in double digit homers, 1/35.7 AB. His power of 11 pairing with a .97 GB rate. He just continues steadily along.

Cintron is playing his way off the team. I expect better since he almost always plays against opposite-side pitching. He has no power either. Mares will be called up no later than next season, and since Right-handed hitting 3B is not a primary position, there is no reason not to give him all the AB there next season, with S Quintero to back up as needed. Plus Porter will have the chance to compete for a slot, as long shot as he is with his inability to hit in AAA.

Thomas, the same. He had 2 facets to his game, speed and BA. His BS% declined a bit last season and more this season: Now 15/23. In 205 AB he is now batting .268 and he will be 31 next season. I am going to give Murillo some AB to give him a chance to show he has something left, because although he has done nothing this year he has only 34 AB and is a good defensive right-fielder and also S. Just a 7 games away from waivers closing.

Ending the day the same as we started (Tied for 4th and not relegating based on RD) is great. Hope we can make some noise in divisional play. I dont want to jinx, but we have played LA really well this season so I am looking forward to Saturdays series

Updated Thursday, June 30 2022 @ 6:53:11 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
No surprise that arrows get sparser as many of my players are finished developing. But there seem to be some continuing surprises.

Roque now has a solidly exceptional slider: 18. He started his career as an 11 and at 102 SI he is very close to 13. Zavala was always a 13 POT, but with his fielding now reaching 15 he is at 111.

Now that Goodson has made his League debut and is up to stay, I am reminded that he is the oldest claim in my tenure: Aug'9'2050. It is hard to know why bots do what they do, but things are not always as they seem. I see lots of players dropped after a poor season or two in the minors, and Goodson was dropped by Rio Ranche after getting promoted to A Ball in 2050 and hitting .211. He didnt do much better after I signed him, hitting .245. He has always been a slow but steady developer, usually taking some time to acclimate to higher levels. He was the first signing I made of a player with "stoppers". Few SI on F/R/A, Speed, so that what he gained would go primarily to hitting. He also started his career as an 11, and with a nice round of attributes gained this year I think he will continue to gain strongly. We will see.

Bustamante has gained Vel 2 of his last 3 updates, so I am thinking he will start making more rapid progress toward his strikeout pitcher attribute. He is striking out 6.61K/9 this season, so if that silly thing I posted on forum means anything, he will probably get to his projected velocity: 17.

Shanks got the automatic recommendation at 25, so it is nice that once Spring/Cup/4 training updates were over, that he continues to gain in AAA. Now 8 SI on the season. His minor league numbers also continue to support that one day he will be good with a bat.

#1-#2 picks Holden and top pitching prospect Kennedy promote, and well Mares DOESNT. Cant figure out what thats all about. Lots of times the AI rapidly recommends players or banishes them to Rookie-A forever, but Mares in his 4th season at AAA is odd. He really hasnt gained much SI these last couple of seasons, 3 & 2, but he hasnt gained 0, so I will wait until 2056 and his automatic callup.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Haven't talked here in a while so this could be long.

Well, training happened, as expected. Tirado gained another SI as he has been relegated to the bench. He's turning out to be OK at offense, but his defense is inconsistent and Krieg has gotten off to an unrealistically fast start. He most definitely appears to have a problem with passed balls, but that's why Tirado's the defensive replacement.

Fellow backup Whatley also got an upgrade, and continues to exhibit stellar play off the bench. Reynoso, Howard, Smart, Holt (a recent claim off to a hot start), Meijer (whose 1 HR in 88 IP has surprised everyone) and Wall (who's also having a stellar season) all got minor upgrades.

The big rage these days, however, is all the young people. Childs[/iurl] was an All-Star but appears to have stunted at 100 SI, meanwhile, Harley is now very competent but has stopped at 92 SI. Both will get time in Spring Training. Meanwhile, Wheeler and Lira look to be competent but are having a hard time getting into the lineup, and a disappointing sophomore campaign from Núñez is rubbing many the wrong way. And then Gaffney's performance looks good, but also seems rather flukey and makes it hard to believe that he will be starting any time soon.

However, the biggest scrutiny falls on Dobbs, Abel, Scherer, and Whitmore. Whitmore has had a solid minors season and has pitched will in the majors, however, he's appeared twice since June 25 and will spend this week chilling in the minors, and he has a ways to go in development. Dobbs got the call, but still has 20+ SI to gain and was very incompetent in the majors, thus he's down. Scherer was disastrous as a starter in ST, but he did well enough in the minors and is doing well at RHS, however, many fans look skeptically at him. And then lastly there's Abel, who is having another solid season, now in AAA, however, he is by far the longest tenured minors player in the system, now in his 7th season down there, and given what happened in AA, it's not unreasonable to say that he needs another season, which gives us more time to think about him. His BBs and Ks look good for the minors, as does his average (however, average doesn't always carry over), but his power is inconsistent. His 2054 season appears to be the most average of them all, but in general he just bounces all over the place in terms of power.

And then there's still more! S. Trout[/ur], De Angelis, Casas, and Beam got promoted, while Pina sorta learned 1B, and that doesn't even count promotions from previous weeks.

Prattville's up 5 heading into the final 50 games, with Cumberland in 2nd and Boca Raton 6 GB in 3rd. Boca Raton was first in the first set of divisional play (30-20) while Cumberland trailed us (26-24 to our 27-23) so it will be interesting to see what happens. The East definitely won interleague play, as 2nd in the West now ties you for last in the East. It remains to be seen whether 2 West teams can finish over .500 (a surprise winner from there was Carlsbad, who was 18-32 heading in and went a shocking 32-28). We had a personal best 4 All-Stars, with surprise superstar Santini joining Bähr, who, along with Childs became the 4th person on the team to be an All-Star by 25, and McGee, who never got an All-Star appearance before turning 30 but is 3/3 since, even though his the last game, he had thrown a 69 mph curve halfway through the first. Quite the enigma, he is.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Just some thoughts on the inexplicable:

McCann never had a hitting comment but gashed minor league pitching so it was always going to be interesting whether he was going to bust at league level or follow his performance to some degree.

Well I think it is both: This season and 2 seasons ago he hit .289 in keeping with very under-scouted hitting attribute of 15. Last season he hit .229 as someone with no hitting comment probably should. I was very hopeful when he smashed homers 1/14.3 AB in AAA that he would rapidly rise in power and at least hit some homers.

He has hit a reasonable amount of homers considering his ground ball rate is about the same as it was. 1/40 AB. The problem is his development seems to have stopped with his Power attribute at 15. The 15 Hitting may not be anything more than a sharpening, and the other thing to happen this year is he got -1 Arm: and since he has to be at his cap on hitting, there may be no further growth. So, he has very average power now and I have to hope he can keep hitting for average and steal some bases.

What I dont understand at all is his horrible rate of throwing out base stealers this season.

Which bring me to the next thing: Mares. Setting aside why he has never been recommended for callup
he has 1 HR/18.78 AB in AAA and 1/13.7 this season. So, whats he going to do in the majors? Like McCann he has raked. He does have a VG hitting comment, where he has over-achieved is 1K/5.48 AB with a 6 BC. His walks havent been horrible but are about in line with 8 PD. But he hits twice the fly balls McCann does.

Cant wait to see what happens

Updated Friday, July 1 2022 @ 11:52:31 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Rather embarassing to open divisional play against bottom feeding bot LA and dropping 2 games started by Olivera and The Mayor.

Yea, you cant win many when you get shutout on 4 hits and allow 5 unearned runs. You can just go looking for headbags.

The Mayor was rocked, 2 innings, 37 pitches and gave up 5 more unearned runs along with 2 HR. You would stay we would still have a chance but not really, we were down 11-1 going into bottom 8 and scored 6 of our 7 runs then and left 13 on base.

Fortunately we were able to re-assert ourselves and earn a split. Moreno may be having a crappy season but he can pitch well in spots: 7 IP, 2 Hits, 1 ER. He has had a real problem throwing strikes this year: 3 BB and 54 strikes against 47 balls.

Corral smacked the opposition down again. 7 shutout innings, 4 hits and a walk. McCann has gotten scorching hot lately but Hodson is not being the leadoff hitter he usually has been. Might try McCann at leadoff but both have been getting caught on the basepaths more than usual this year. I got Murillo AB this series to see if I want to go younger and he went 2-12 with a walk.

The tie has been broken and we are alone in 4th, and improved our RD to the first positive number since the first series at +1.



electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
So, as we near the cut-off some long time players have played their last games as Infernos. T. Rodriguez is gone, and now Murillo. So this is the goodbye:

Rodriguez was drafted #1 in 2049, the season before I arrived. Unfortunately his already below average for a SS R/A of 14/13 was downgraded. I started training him at 2B but there was no one to play SS so thats where he played. Despite just a 15 Hitting attribute, he was a right-hander who could play in all lineups, serving up 4 seasons of .708-.767 OPS (including this one). With the tougher competition and cratering pitcher FIP I just couldnt run him out there at SS anymore, and Nakajima is one of the teams top players and plays 2B in all lineups. I may not be overly concerned about salary, but seemed silly to pay someone 2M a year to be an occasional injury backup. Maybe someone can get some use out his at 2B, he is only 27 and a sure-handed fielder who has never had double-digit errors and has won a Gold Glove.

Murillo was abandoned by Schenectady in Mid-2050 and released by a couple teams in the Spring of 51. I signed him in May and he is the only player I know of that has hit for the cycle during my tenure. He is a switch-hitter with nice SI growth of 103, along with out-pointing his VG hitting to 18. His best seasons were 2053 and 2054 where he helped us win L6 and stay in L5 with OPS of .790, .815. Unfortunately he has never used his 16 speed, his OBP has never reached .350, and is a ground ball hitter. He has been a reliable reserve player for me. Very small sample size for 2055: .174 on 46 AB, but that obviously didnt help me decide not to go younger. He will be 30 next season but I feel like he could be good for a team if theres a spot for him to play regularly.

I released 31 year old Mesa earlier this season. He was similar: signed him near the beginning of my tenure and he was a decent player for several seasons. Considering how bad Quintero was playing for awhile I think I could have used him at 3B haha. Anyway he was picked up by Ft Lauderdale in May and is playing decently.

You guys helped me to a 2053 VI. 18 Championship, my first. You wont be forgotten!
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
The Gods of Broken Bat gave a gift: playing the two lowest teams in my division when divisional play re-started. While a split against LA was kind of bad, we swept Boise today for our first series sweep of the season. Dropped the first 2 games and won the last 5 against the two.

We had lost the last 4 games Olivera started. he didnt pitch badly in most of them, just some poor run support or bad luck. Today he had no trouble in a 6-2 Win. Moreno has pitched well in his last two starts and decently in 3, today only 3 hits and no ER in 6 2/3 IP. He continues to walk people.

I planned to pitch Corral in Game 3, since I feel like he is Top-3 SP, but he was too fatigued, so I started the Mayor instead. He pitched fine: 3 ER in 8 1/3 IP. However there was not much hitting on our side and a 2 out, 2 run double in the 8th was needed by Paez to tie it, and Paez delivered again in the 10th for a 4-3 Win.

The relievers were flawless this series, as Benavidez, Roque and Johansen shut them out in more than an inning of work each.

Now 3 games ahead of relegation. +11 RD and 50-100 points ahead of Boise/LA in RD.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
We had an emarassing sweep to kick off divisional play but we took 2/3 against Boca Raton. We remain 4 games ahead, but a big test is coming up as we take on 2nd place Cumberland. A sweep will not be the dagger for Cumberland, but if we get swept, it's likely the beginning of the end for us.

Also, a fun side note: Our last-place team now sits at 58-59, while the West's 2nd place squad is at 55-62. Lovely.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
2055 Team Roster Review:

Just 3 draftees made it to this point, 2 pitchers and 1 catcher.

Kennedy I am hoping can be a top of the rotation guy. He surrendered 13 homers in 200 IP in AA and is now in AAA where in a small sample size he has allowed none. His control so far shows to be solid but not spectacular. Homers and walks is why highly-touted Pitcher Moreno had a heartbreaking year, so that is what my eye is on.

Holden has exactly the same comments as last years #1 Nevarez (with 1 less POT)...he promoted to AA after a solid year in A: .827 HR/9 and 2.94BB/9.

I assume most people would cut Nevarez (my last remaining pick of 2054): 6.15 ERA, 36 HR in 186 IP but I havent so far.

Gentile I am hoping is the Right-handed C of the future. He has about everything you could ask for but power. .294/7/52, .357 OBP, .765 OPS in AA.

Nicolás Páez [38 claims] was the big fish. He is having a ridiculous season too: .357/9/49, OBP .398, OPS .961, 9 OA, 1 Error in 84G. I think he has over-achieved quite a bit: he strikes out a lot and he's had some hot and cold years.

Dwayne Knudsen [3 claims] Another guy with that shrinking POT. He started at 14 and is now down to 12. I signed him to have a better fielding 1B to eventually platoon, though I am training him at 3B as well. He would be below average there but maybe an ok injury replacement. He has a nice FB rate. though his power needs some developing: 1 HR/38 AB.

Ryan Buck [2 claims]. A longshot. His SI is quite low to "may have learned all he can in AAA" for an NP. He is the right-handed DH version of a platoon. If Goodson develops a few more points and is a good enough hitter to hit in all lineups (A la Hodson) I wont need him. Also there is Shane Collins. if Buck develops his power, that is a needed facet of the lineup. He's still usually near the top of the cut-list though.

Yasmany Corral [16 claims]. The second significant claim of this season: Despite being 34, the 3 time Cy Young Winner still has massive SI and seems to have plenty in the tank: 46 IP, 34 hits, 4 HR, 3.33 ERA. He does walk some guys, but slots into my Top 3.

Salvador Robledo [1 claims] Basically Quintero insurance. batting .370 in limited work.

Scott Grooms - Free Agent Signee. Not quite as enthused about him. While he has nice defensive range and arm for a SS, one thing he does less well than Rodriguez in errors. 2 in 12 starts. He is a no power GB hitter who is hitting .278. Certainly ok as a stop-gap, but he costs 3.4M and is 34.

Manuel Cañizles [1 claims] I have a bit of a weakness for VG POT guys. His control is just 3, but 2 pitches and stamina to be a starter told me he was worth a shot. There is something hinky about the recommendations: He was drafted this season, assigned to Rookie Ball, but is now recommended to AA even though he never appeared in A ball for his drafting team, nor is he at the age (22) where he would have an automatic recommendation out of RB. So being the stodgy cuss I am, I assigned him to A Ball. I will put him in AA starting next season.

Mauricio Macias [1 claims]. More back of the roster fodder. 2 pitches but lacking control, but ERA in the minors and for L3 LaGrange (with only 65 SI) was ok, as were his homers.

Cody Cota [4 claims]. Another one of the GH, DS guys with good FB rates. He is also a S who hits better against RHP. That being said hes barely useable in OF with 13 range, poor PD with mediocre offensive numbers in AAA in 2054-55 with a 14 hit tool. 1 HR/35 AB. Another "well thats why he was on waivers".

Jose Luis Olivares - Free Agent Signee
Matt Nelson - Free Agent Signee

Closed the Waivers period signing these two guys from the 18/21 year old pool and leaving one spot open as usual. Olivares is pretty meh, but unhittable fastball, stamina makes him worth a look. His homers are slightly high but he has better control at this point than a lot of guys. Nelson is an even longer shot but like Olivares is predicted to rise to meet his comments. He is a long way away, but all of his attributes are rising pretty evenly. Lottery ticket.

Signed and dropped or previous prospects let go:

Chan Ho Ji; Julián Macias; Rene Carbone; Frank Beaty; Jaime Valdes; Daichi Mizu; Alejandro Palacios; Francisco Jimenez; Carmelo Gallegos; Jessie Grady; Jintao Baek; Leonardo Longoria; Alfredo Lopez.

Macias, Beaty, Valdes, Jiminez, Grady, Lopez latched on with other teams.

Played their last games as Infernos. All have found new teams except Helm, or were released too late to claim.

Marcos Valera
Enrique Briseno
Andrés Cuevas
Russell Helm
Pedro Prieto
Tony Rodriguez
José Murillo
Omar Cintron


Updated Tuesday, July 5 2022 @ 11:00:46 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
...that old RNG has me in it's spell...that old RNG that you weave so well....

Since things are so tenuous I was apprehensive about playing first place New Orleans (2-4 against them earlier in the season). Well, we swept them in 3 games, on the heels of sweeping Boise for our 8th win in a row, so we have gotten a little bit hot lately.

Finally won one of those tricky 2-1 games where we only have a few hits (this time 5) behind another strong start by Olivera. Moreno now has a stretch of 3 good starts, this time going 7 1/3 IP with no homers allowed in a 5-2 win. Corral followed that up with not a fabulous start but a decent one: 4 ER in 7 1/3. Second straight series the BP pitched flawlessly, this time Johansen with 2 outings and a win and a save.

Waters is now having a solid year, Quintero an acceptable one, Goodson and McCann having very good ones.

With Cup over and shorter series, no more pitching my best pitchers everyday. The Mayor is up tomorrow and Harvey will probably get his first work in a while.

Moved to 59-61, into 3rd place, 4 games ahead of relegation.

Updated Tuesday, July 5 2022 @ 4:39:33 pm PDT
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Took 2/3 last night, which was a really important series win for us, but it doesn't mean we're safe. Only a 5 game lead and this is a tricky division, where even last place Apopka is 60-60.

But yeah, chaos reigns supreme in the lower half of the division, where Apopka is now 1.5 games out from 4th. Wacky.
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 And you’ve got two teams jockeying for position in the rear-view who are just waiting for you to miss a step. No pressure… ^.~

 More seriously though, I’m a lot more surprised with my position in the standings than yours or Cumberland’s. Shaping up to be an interesting race to wrap up the season. (Which, you know, not the first time you and I have done that.)
shmyles
Joined: 10/10/2018
Posts: 39

Apopka Rockets
V.15

Broken Bat Baseball
virtually every season my record is good enough for 1st or 2nd in the west, but good for little more than a battle against relegation in my own division.

it's our own fault for being in relegation territory in the first place, but still. still.

Updated Wednesday, July 6 2022 @ 5:27:24 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
@NotGood88, Alyksandur, shmyles, Nice to see such competitiveness in V.15. Cant wait to see what happens.

Unbelievable. Now we have rolled up 11 wins in a row. We started the season 3-1 and then lost a horrific 12 games in a row, mainly due to my poor management (I was extending spring training for some of my developing players), and then .500 ball stretched for most of the season and I thought for sure unless something changed it would sink my season.

The Mayor took the ball tonight against Lewisville and gave up 2 ER and the BP took over from there in a 6-3 win. Olivera gave up 0 ER and Zavala who hasnt been playing much lately to give Grooms work to earn his salary hit a pinch hit home run in a 7-2 game. Moreno pitched decently in Game 3 in a 5-4 win.

For the 3rd straight series the BP was flawless (this time all Johansen but 2/3 IP for Benavidez). So many times this season games would be given up in the late innings and I would ask myself if they had any major league abilities at all.

Johansen put in the most lock-down season of all in 2053 to help us advance. His ERA rose to 3.75 last season. It didnt drop below 6 from Apr'1 until Jun'2. Since Aug'17 against Egg Harbor when his ERA was 4.70 he has been completely torrid: 16 IP, 0 ER, 4W, 2 SV and now a 3.72 ERA.

There are lots of times I continue playing guys even as they are playing horribly, and I am very slow to cut people I think are having a bad stretch and will improve. Probably a lot of time its a mistake, but sometimes they snap out of it.

Benavidez earned his 6th save. The struggles that have beset everyone else has largely passed him by: 4.32 was his high this season. For the year, he is 2.39 ERA, 26 1/3 IP, 24 Hits, 1 HR. His control isnt the best but he is effective. Like Harper, he finished developing significantly short of where I had hoped, and like Harper, I hope this season isnt a fluke. Harper has made 3 appearance since July and sports a 6.14 ERA. With his very low stamina and the emergence of others such as Roque, he doesnt get out to the mound much. The ever growing Roque has 61 2/3 IP, 3.79 ERA, 53 H, 8 HR. He does give up homers, but I was hoping hits and few walks (1.74BB/9) would help minimize the impact.

Paez has cooled down some as had to happen, .262 over his last 42 AB. McCann has gotten blisteringly hot, going 17-46 with 2 homers during this 11 game win streak, batting .306 on the season now.

Now 62-61 with a RD of +25, 6.5 games ahead of relegation. Our old friends Round Rock up next. Hoping for better results than when we played them earlier in the season


Updated Wednesday, July 6 2022 @ 8:40:25 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Winning streak reaches 14 games.

Corral had another strong start and Johansen again had no problem protecting the lead in a one-run game.

Olivera started game 2 and for the first time in a bit we used 4 pitchers as his control was a bit off and he only completed 5 1/3 IP. Roque and Yamasaki didnt have good outings, combined 3 ER in 3 IP. Benavidez helped blow a 5-3 lead in Top 9 by coming in with the bases loaded and throwing a WP, giving up an RBI single and sac fly. However the fans went wild at the Volcano as McCann led off the Bottom of the inning with a double and stole 3rd and after Hodson scored him with a fly ball, a walk, an error and a 3 run homer by Nakajima finished them.

Moreno is among the players who are trying to turn their season around. He had his 5th at least decent start in a row and found the plate a bit better this time with 2 walks in 7 IP. 6 hits and 1 run allowed. Goodson blasted 2 homers, Nakajima was 4-5, and Arriaga was 2-2 with 2 walks, a homer and 3 runs scored in a 10-1 rout.

As we have been or close to all season, our .278 team BA leads the league. Our pitching has dramatically improved so we are now middle of the pack in ERA. It seems very fluky we are #2 in Walks, though we are second in ST% at 64.4. I really had no idea how much other teams dont value control, since I have only four pitchers with 16 or better, and am usually fairly upset about it lol. Middle of the pack in homers allowed. In another one of those fluky things, we are tied for 2nd with fewest double plays, even though we are tied for 8th in ground ball rate. We are always near the bottom in homers, this year 9th.

Crazy times! Now in a second place tie with Round Rock, 7 1/2 games back of 1st. I'd say we have no chance, but who the hell knows at this point??


Updated Friday, July 8 2022 @ 12:44:08 am PDT
hardhat
Joined: 05/26/2013
Posts: 200

Oceanview Woods Grizzlies
Legends

Broken Bat Baseball
Awesome streak! 😮
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
@hardhat Thanks.

I for one, like surprises on Updates. While I knew it was technically possible for Zavala to reach 14 since it didnt seem like he would ever stop growing, adding 1 to Range was definitely a nice surprise.

McCann adding 3 arrows was great. Since he was originally a 13 and became a 14 at his Age 19 Adjustment, I was happy to see him get to 14 range SI. But he hadnt done much this season, development wise, and he just reached 15 on his unscouted hitting, so I thought he was all but done. Most importantly, his Power ticked up to 16.

Shanks got the recommendation for automatic call-up at the beginning of the season, since he is now 25. Like several players, I kept him on the roster until Cup was over for us and sent him down. He has now gained 9 SI on the season.

Interestingly, no major league pitchers gained any arrows. Yamasaki has been used very sparingly this training period and of the rest, they are relievers or are finished.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
The streak continued...

Game 1 and on the mound was Corral. Moreno had an 8 day injury yesterday so he was out of the mix. They got to him in the Bottom 7 and he left with a 4-3 lead and a runner on. Johansen had his first blood in awhile and a pinch hitter tagged him for a 2 run homer. McCann and Shockley had RBI's in the 9th to pull out the game 6-5.

The Mayor presided over a 13-1 rout as he gave up a measly 3 hits in 7 2/3. Yamasaki finished it retiring all 4 batters he faced. McCann and Waters accounted for 8 RBI being 5-7 with 2 homers.

Finally the streak was over as Olivera did not bring his A game, and 8 runs (2 earned) came across and he was chased after 2 1/3 IP. Lagos was in rare form and had 4 2/3 IP with 0 ER and 0 BB. Yamasaki had another 1-2-3 inning. Not much happened offensively in the 3-8 loss, except Glover was 3-3 with a HR and a walk.

Moreno will get skipped again as he cant pitch in Game 1, and 2-3 will be Corral and Olivera and I continue to shuffle around my rotation so the best guys go once they're rested. So, for the first time in a couple weeks, Yamasaki will start.

We are now 5 games over .500 and dropped back a half-game to 8 back in second.

Updated Friday, July 8 2022 @ 8:28:16 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Big series with New Orleans as we tried to continue our longshot rise, starting the day 9 games back...well it did not go as planned. Moreno and Corral delivered victories, but the Mayor and Olivera werent able to. Its funny how we've won 20 of 24 games but Olivera is 0-2 in his last 4 starts with 2 no-decisions.

I called up Nunez and Coronado, and after Moreno blanked them for 7 1/3 IP, Coronado got his first major league action: 1 2/3 scoreless IP. Paez launched 2 homers. The Mayor was only able to complete 4 1/3 as New Orleans hit 2 HR but Johansen had 3 2/3 shutout IP but the bats couldnt do any lifting as we lost 4-2.

Corral gave up a measly 4 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings, with Johansen tossing a scoreless frame. Waters hit his 10th homer and is now one point off last years BA. Its taken him all year, with most of the work since Aug...May 1: .226, June 1 .246, July 1, .255, Aug 1, .260, Sep 1, .283.

Olivera was chased after 4 innings and 4 ER. Benavidez came in and gave up 2 HR, only his second and third of the season, and Johansen continues being ridiculously hot: he has pitched 18 2/3 IP since his last update, with 2 HR being the only damage and his ERA is now 3.26. Finally resembling the pitcher who has so shut-down in 2053.

So that should put the final nail in our great run as far as going from worst to first. We are still 9 games back, 24 to go. We did cement ourselves in 2nd place with a second-best RD league-wide at +65.

Time to play the kids.

I called up Porter already, as he has gained just 1 SI in AAA this season, all the way back in #2, and RNG has been quite fluky for him, since he has just 9 hitting: He was sent down Apr'6 with a League BA of .211, he is 10-29 in this stretch for .262 on the year.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Weird stretch. After we were not able to push back on New Orleans and to play the kids, we had three 2-3 losses in 4 games. Olivera is 0-3 in his last 5 starts.

Game 2 was something else. Nunez got the start and didnt pitch well, 7 runs (4 ER) in 7 1/3. We were down 7-3 going into the 9th, a 2 run homer, a double, a triple and a sac fly tied it. Then in the 10th we scored 4 runs again with a 3 run homer by Zavala to ice an 11-7 win. Glover had 2 HR. Porter had a rare 5-5 game, all singles with no RBI, and 2 SB. Johansen followed Nunez and picked up his 8th win.

We pounded them 13-1 in Game 3, as the rarely used Lloyd Wiggins put in his 2nd terrific start in a row. 1 ER, 4 hits, 7 2/3 IP. He had 4 rather crappy starts in late June, early July and only the fact that he may still gain a point of two of SI put him in the rotation. He had strong strong work at SP late last season as well. Taking his season as a whole, his H/IP is good, 61 IP, 4.28 ERA, 7 HR, 2.21BB/9, 6.05K/9. Pretty good for a Lefty. Coronado finished with 1 1/3 scoreless IP. Goodson followed Glover's lead in the previous game and had his THIRD multiple homer game this season. Grooms had 4 hits, Arriaga and Porter with 3 (along with Goodson). Chasing Ibanez felt good. He is getting older and having a below average season, but he stuck a dagger in our eye many times in VI. 18.

Yamasaki had a great start for the first time in awhile. 1 ER in 7 1/3 IP. Coronado finally got his "Welcome to the Bigs" moment and got whalloped. He faced 17 batters in 1 2/3 IP, threw 68 pitches, surrendered 8 ER and yet we still won the game 10-9 even though Round Rock scored 9 over the last 2 frames.

Porter is now hitting .326 through 95 AB. He is not lifting the ball at all, only 5 of his 31 hits have went for extra bases. He is 7/10 on SB. With 3 errors in 24 starts, we might as well have Quintero out there lol. But if his game otherwise works out he has many more points to gain in fielding.

Nunez has been pitching reasonably well for 89 SI. 17 IP, 21 hits, 4 BB, 3.18 ERA. Since he is just a right-handed Mayor, he has only 3 K's.

We drop a 1/2 game and are 9 1/2 out of first, but solidly second as we beat back Round Rock and lead them by 5. The difference between this years and last years late season pitching grind is last year I tried to get short relievers some SI. This year Yamasaki, Coronado, Wiggins, Nunez all have legit SP stamina so we should probably finish better than last season and end up with a winning record.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Well since the split with New Orleans I have been pitching the kids. All have pitch counts relatively in line with their stamina.

Yamasaki: 3 GS, 21 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 1 HR.

Not projecting him as a starter at all, but I do want to see improvement as his SI rises and whether he can pitch a few innings in a row without running into trouble.

Macias: 2 GS, 7 IP, 9 ER, 2 HR.

Not sure this guy even makes it to Spring Training. Picked him up just before deadline. Got him because its possible he will end up with nice velocity/CoS/Movement. But there is not a clear spot for him on the team

Nunez: 4 GS, 28 2/3 IP, 9 ER, 0 HR.

I have high hopes for the "Right-Handed Mayor". He has been a bit lucky, as he has surrendered 5 unearned runs. That being said, having given up less than 1 H/IP with his moderate skill set is outstanding, along with only 6 walks and 0 homers. The homers are not a big surprise, since he gave up 40 in 1155 IP in the minors. He was whipped pretty bad in Cup earlier in the season, but those were 150 pitch outings. These have a better chance of success.

Wiggins: 4 GS, 32 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 0 HR.

He also had some poor-mediocre starts early in the season. Yamasaki and Nunez are close to finesse pitchers, and Wiggins has a bit more heat with 22K in this stretch. The difference between he and Helm (besides being left-handed) is that he continued gaining SI and thus far in 155 1/3 League IP he has given up just 15 homers. There are stretches where he really shows some juice as a SP.

May give Coronado a start or two. Settings arent really set up for him to get in there, as there are no hooks for these development starts.

Zavala continues to show great power. He leads the team in homers with 18 (big whoop I know) and is the best slugger on the team with 1 HR/21.1 AB.

This year barring a disaster in the last 10 games is much much more satisfying than last year. Aside from finishing with a better record, several stars were average at best:

Hodson 110G, 400AB .273/3/52. 41/59 SB. The only area where he was normal was SB and OBP .353.

Nakajima 118G 455AB .279/16/85. While the average is relatively normal, the power is way off. Last 3 seasons together he had 1 HR/18.4 AB. This year its 1/28.44 AB.

Former All-League performers:

Moreno 11-10 4.62 ERA. His ERA on Aug 13 was 5.56. He has gotten very hot since or this number would be worse. This year his homer rate is 1.07/9 IP and 3.80BB/9. His career homer rate in his previous 3 seasons was 1.01/9 IP. Walk rate 2.91BB/9. These other seasons he had 86,98,109 SI.

Quintero 82G .252/4/34 OBP .309. His career prior (over 1000 AB) he batted .285. So maybe just an off year. Still he is a ground ball hitter, who is not a very good 3B. So his roster spot is pretty tenuous

Heroes that grew:

Arriaga: 132G .300/15/80 OBP .393. He has been around my whole tenure. What he did this time was bat decently against LHP (.271).

Goodson: 128G .303/17/75 OBP .351. I have spent no time looking at any rookies, but he is MY rookie of the year anyway.

McCann: 116G .317/13/70. OBP .367 35/45 SB. Coming off a 2054 that was hot garbage (.229/11/62), he was batting .241 on Jun 1/.263 on Jul 1/.270 Aug 1/.289 Sep 1/.313 Oct 1. So yea, no idea what to make of him.

Out of nowhere:

Paez: 113G .339/11/59 OBP .384, 2 errors, 11 OA. I could easily have been among the 37 teams that missed out on him. He bats exclusively against RHP, and obviously is killing them.

Grooms: 39G .324/0/11. OBP .395. Thrice released this season, but seems like he has enough left to possibly be around next season. He is expensive and does boot some balls: 7 errors, but he may be able to help transition to the Gomez era.


Updated Thursday, July 14 2022 @ 7:42:38 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
One of the best updates of the year.

Glover's development has been a bit strange. A single point in #2 aside, he has had 2 updates with 3 arrows and nothing else.

I called up Porter in part because he gained nothing in half a dozen updates in the minors, so I put him in all lineups and his first update after, 4 arrows. Plus he has actually hit fine in league play.

Deadline signing Matt Nelson gained +1 range. Shanks gained his 10th SI of the year, and I was actually going to call him up next season, but his gain of SI has been very strong in AAA at 25, so he is a year ahead of gaining SI into 14 range by Age-28 and could do my normal due diligence of waiting 5 empty trainings in AAA to try and cut down on stunting. He will be added to the League Roster for Spring/first 10 game though as normal.

Gomez has gained nothing in 4 updates. Possibly his ridiculously rapid rise from A-AAA is near completion and he actually is ready for the bigs. Wont be finding out though this season lol.

Since he is back in the rotation, Yamasaki went back to gaining. I was kind of hoping he would skip Stamina, because he was already at 18 and if that hits 20 its over. Alas, now 19 there, with his commented slider only 12. He has now officially broke the Mayor's record (29 SI gained in one season) with 32.

No surprise that Nunez control and velocity ticked up. His control has always been outstanding, and while his velocity is still only 8, he hasnt been bad in the minors whiffing people.

Another fringe roster guy besides Macias (gained Vel) is DH-y Ryan Buck. I got him in time to play him in a few cup games as his SI was really low to already be recommended to League - 61. I got him because of growth curves on hitting and power. Despite being in AAA since our Cup concluded, he has gained 8 SI so far this season (5 for me). Everyone wants those young, high SI guys, but the growth rate is quite eye-opening. Statistically hes been nothing much so I will keep and eye on that too. At 89 SI he would a 16H,18PD,16P guy. At 95 17,20,17. (Which is probably why he didnt rise to 12 POT this season at Age-22 - no room). His fielding would be 12, and I have been putting a little more time into finding 1B types that dont make quite so many errors but still have low range/arm.

2055 #3, Catcher of the future (hopefully) Gentile got the call to AAA, after a strong posting in AA: .296/9/59. Omi did also, but as he is only 20 I will wait until after the flip. Mares neither gains SI normally (2 in #4), nor has any call to League after 4 seasons in AAA. Looks very much like the flipside of force promoting Rookie/A Ballers after awhile. But he will be 25 next season, so I will promote him then. Early Aug pickup Cañizles was drafted this year, posted in Rookie ball, and when I picked him up the AI wanted him in AA. So he has been posted to A since I got him. Undecided how long I should leave him there. We will see what update #0 does for him, if anything.

Anyway, my team is coming along nicely. If Nunez and some of the other youngsters can be even better next year, I think our strong hitting will make the team very competitive.

As I said in previous post: All-time stars Hodson, Nakajima havent done much lifting this year, Shockley will be retiring - he has been used a bit to try and reach a milestone, and Tony Rodriguez has moved on to another team. Those were all 4 of the NP that made the 2052 ASG, our first competitive season 84-76.


Updated Friday, July 15 2022 @ 6:52:32 am PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
With the sweep of division leading New Orleans in front of sold out crowds at the Volcano, we have now won 7 straight, as our fans pray for a miracle. Which is about what it would take for us to overtake New Orleans. We are now 5 games back with 7 to play. Not having a tie breaker I think they would have to go 1-6 or worse and we'd have to win every game lol

Its with a lot of pride I see my hard-charging teams and the young arms that continue improving. Its not every day starting Coronado, Yamasaki and Nunez can hold a team that has won 87 games to 5 runs for a series.

Since adding Coronado to get him some work, because current settings dont allow the MR to come in very much, it was an unusual game. He has always had control problems, so 86 pitches only got him 4 innings. But strong ones with 0 runs, 3 hits and 1 walk.

Because I have shuffled the rotation around, Olivera came on in relief for the first time ever. He allowed an inherited runner to score, but in doing so earned his 15th win, finally, in his 6th attempt, as we scored 2 in the bottom of the 8th in a 1-1 game. Porter's HR broke the tie, and Goodsons RBI single added an insurance run. For his timely blow, Porter earned his 1st POTG.

Yamasaki has made 5 starts in the late-going: he is starting to get his H/IP under control: 34 IP, 38 hits. For the year he has 42 more than IP. 4 straight starts going at least 6 1/3 with 3 ER or less each time, his ERA falling from 6.75 to 5.81. His GB rate of .99 and HR rate of 1.18/9 is a bit high, but it should be mentioned again that his SI has risen from 73 to 105. He has a stretch of 13 starts where he surrendered a HR in 11 of them.

Nunez whipped them good in his start: 8 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 2BB, 5K. He has surrendered 5 hits in his last 17 2/3 IP (2 starts). Its starting to look like more than good fortune. He has 5 GS/4 QS this season, no homers allowed in 41 innings and a 2.20 ERA.

I want to again thank TPS for releasing this guy 3 seasons ago. In other news, Collins came up as his minor league play is concluded. He was 2-10 in the series. We are now 82-71.

So, whats the takeaway? Without the partly self-caused 12 game losing streak at the beginning of the season, or as Jerbeetwo puts it, "trying to win the update", its possible that developing some players cost me a shot at promotion. Yamasaki springs to mind. She also told me Yamasaki wasnt worth the effort - which may well be true: his slider may fall short, and while he may end up solid, I wouldnt say he will be a high value pitcher. He started 27 games and we were 13-14 in those games. That being said, there is some value in a pitcher who can actually start, even if he doesnt do so regularly, and his 4 straight QS are good news.

That being said, with Moreno's below average season, The Mayor and Harvey being who they are (below average but consistent SP), the pitching needed a lot of help/development this season. It was Olivera and 3 days of rain at times.

There were some things that happen outside of development that led to this hot stretch: Moreno returning to form, somewhat, the signing of Corral, who's been terrific, Wiggins who had a stretch of strong starts last season, but didnt do much there earlier in the season, but when added to the rotation lately, 4 QS in a row and good metrics. Johansen returned to form, and Benavidez and Roque found their footing this season. Now Nunez is here and holding his own. If Coronado can build on his great AAA season thats even better. Plus the hitting making up for the absence of Shockley and down years for Hodson/Nakajima.

So, amazingly next season, pitching might actually be a strength. As always on my teams, theres not going to be too many old guys. I hope I can another good season out of 35-to-be Grooms and Corral. Sure things wax and wane. I dont think I can ever expect Paez and McCann to have the ridiculous years they are having this year. Got several guys in AAA who are ready to go or will be soon, including top prospects P Kennedy, SS Gomez, 3B Mares, 2B Shanks and depth guys such as OF Alford 3B Knudsen. Lots of talent there.

I have been giving Shockley some starts. He will be retiring at Age 35, and he is trying to get a milestone: 450 SB. 7/10 this season. He is hitting a respectable .277 but its clear he's about done.

I totally expect to compete for a division title next season. I dont know who will replace New Orleans/relegators, but New Orleans was the only one I really had a problem with this year, because of their outstanding pitching. Bold talk I know.

Updated Friday, July 15 2022 @ 5:16:11 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Mixed feelings....it feels awful to lose 3-1,2-1,3-2...yet how can I be mad that the "Inspurnos" are kicking ass?

Coronado was called up and had two good short relief outings, and then the stint for hell: 1 2/3 IP, 11 hits, 8 ER. Then these two starts: 4 1/3 and 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER. Batters must be swinging at a whole lot of 3-0 pitches: his ST% is less than 60% but he has only 4 walks in 14 1/3 IP. With 8 K's and 0 homers his ERA is 6.28 but FIP is 2.82. If it werent for that one outing...

Yamasaki and Wiggins tossed 8 inning complete games with 2 and 3 ER allowed, 13 K's against 3 walks but what am I supposed to do when the team scores 1 and 3 runs? Great outings though...

Finally won one in Game 4. Nunez wasnt quite as sharp as usual: 4 ER in 6 1/3 IP. He uncharacteristically issued 5 walks and gave up his first homer of the season (47 IP). Benavidez cleaned up and we won 5-4. We had only 28 hits in the whole series, 7 a game. Trying really hard to give Shockley an opportunity to reach his milestone. He stole 1 of 2 bases this series.

Almost there. 3 games to go.
Jerbeetwo
Joined: 06/30/2019
Posts: 322

Tyler Goldendoodles
IV.3

Broken Bat Baseball
She?
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Prattville is trying its best to give its fans heart attacks, as we dropped 3/4 against Eau Claire, so the magic number is at 2 heading into the final series, which somehow has implications for everyone in the East. We'll go game-by-game.

PRV vs. APO - If we win 1/3 and Boca Raton loses 1, we win the division (or if we win 2/3). If APO wins 2/3, they stay up if CUM wins only 1/4 (or wins 2/4 and APO takes it on +/-) or if ECL gets swept.

CUM vs. CAR - CAR needs to win at least 3/4 to guarantee a spot in V.15 next year, if they get anything less than that, APO controls its own destiny. Meanwhile, CAR needs a sweep to stay up, and they do have a sizable advantage in +/-, however, if APO wins 2/3, they are doomed anyways.

BR vs. ECL - BR can win 2/3 and have PRV get swept, or a sweep by BR and 1/3 from PRV to get into the tiebreakers (BR has PRV by 2 runs at the moment), but BR wins outright if PRV gets swept and BR sweeps. Meanwhile, ECL only needs to win 1/3 to stay up, and a sweep could very well doom them. They have no incentive to win more than 1/3.

So as you can see, it's very confusing, and nobody's actually locked into any position after 157 games. The West, meanwhile, has a boring and likely decided fight for who gets in 4th and 5th. Yawn.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
@Jerbeetwo Typo, sorry.
Jerbeetwo
Joined: 06/30/2019
Posts: 322

Tyler Goldendoodles
IV.3

Broken Bat Baseball
NP lol. But I must admit that I am shocked that you were able to get a 32 SI bump in a 27 year old this season so that alone proved me wrong to a degree. But in his final configuration is he even a #5 starter next year?
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
SI gain for pitchers is primarily based on batters faced. So, if a pitcher is one of those "throw all day" guys you can rocket their SI up by giving them lots of innings.

Nope. He gained a lot of SI, but his curveball failed to develop very well so he is going to do long relief. He will join Wiggins there. Both guys are a nice hedge against injuries though.

If Corral falls off a cliff in his Age-35 season, Harvey will be the first man up. I now have an abundance of SP (albeit many below average SP 4.50-4.75 ERA guys).

In any case, I hope Corral can keep the seat warm for

https://brokenbat.org/player/295655

I feel better about my SP for next season than I ever have.

Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 I don’t even care how the last game of the season goes, for me or for Prattville. If I win and he loses, the Gryphons promote on run differential; anything else and the Black Cats are in IV.8 next season. This has been a pennant race for the ages, the sort of thing baseball fans dream of. Harrowing for Prattville, certainly, since they’ve watched a fairly substantial lead dwindle to a mere game; thrilling for Boca Raton, who have fought long odds to not just contend but have a genuine chance at winning it all on the last day of the season.

 My dude. I just want to say this has been an awesome season. We won’t see each other next season, but if we don’t play each other again in ’57, I’ll eat my hat. I hope to get to VI.8 first, naturally, but I see no shame in losing that opportunity to you.

 Good luck.

 Play ball.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
A hearty congratulations to Prattville!!! Well Done well done!!!
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. You earned it. Give ’em hell up there in IV.8, and I’ll do my damnedest to see you in ’57. ^.^
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
We finished on a 3 game winning streak, pummeling our old friends Round Rock. We started 2-8 against them but won 9 of 10 to win the season series against them 11-9. In their first season in V.9 they finished 79-81, the same as us in OUR first season. 5 of the last 6 were one-run games.

We finish 86-74. Amazing since we were 51-61 and went 35-13 over our last 48 games.

I have never really looked at Coronado as a starter, because he has low control but he gives me pause: 3 GS, 14 1/3 IP, 12 Hits, 2 ER, 0 HR.

Wiggins has pitched 47 2/3 IP since Sep 25. About 1 whole training period. So if he doesnt gain any SI on #10, hes maxed. What I didnt expect was for him to be so lights out: 4-2, all QS, dropped his ERA from 4.73 to 3.80. 1 single homer surrendered. A big deal when your CoS is 9 and Move 8.

Yamasaki wasnt brilliant today, but he has pitched at least ok in 6 straight starts. Mission accomplished. I pitched the guys that needed the work, and was 15-9 in those games. Most of the wins and a few of the losses even, were well-pitched.

Looking good for next season.
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Yeah, what a crazy year. I might try to recap it tomorrow but I'm shocked that I managed to do that. Can't wait to let Prattville see LL 4 for the first time since 2039 but for now, let's just try to win our first playoff series since 2020 :)
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Infernos season in review:

We picked up Derrick as our hitting coach this season necause of his offensive ratings and PD. Didnt really use the PD much as the League level, since many of our players are fully developed or close to it. We improved a full 10 points from hitting .271 in 2054 to a league-leading .281 this year. We hit the same number of homers in both years, but 2054 was anchored by Nakajima's 41. He hit only 16 in 2055, so much more of a team effort. While Zavala led the team with a mere 19, 7 players had at least 13.

I shifted Burgess from Manager to Pitching Coach. Despite the struggle of some guys (Moreno), below average SP (The Mayor) and poor ones (Yamasaki), the team as a whole lowered ERA from 4.83 in 2054 to 4.22 (5th in the League). Johansen put in a much better overall year (3.75-3.13) mainly by reducing hits, pitching 4 more innings (112-108). The "Inspurnos" group of young pitchers did very well towards the end of the season, and Burgess will be counted on to help them find their form. We were 7th in the league in GB with 1.15. With Harper's struggles, most of the time I didnt have a closer, so we were 34/46 on save opportunities with 4 players having at least 5.

Feels nice that Holland and Round Rock stayed in League, so we will have some more battles with old VI.18 rivals.

Things that havent changed: We lead the league in SB these last 3 seasons. We were a tad less successful this season (72%) as Shockley and Thomas were aging. It was a team effort as Hodson led with 41.

Pitchers (Mainstays):

Olivera (15-12) 3.19 ERA. He has won at least 15 games 4 years straight. He improved on his H/IP and HR/K/BB stayed pretty steady.

Stalwart LHS Valera was released in the early going, replaced by Benavidez whose Dev finished around the beginning of regular season play.

Benavidez (42 IP, 2.79 ERA, 4 HR,5.36K/9, 2.79BB/9). I expect a regression in the walks, since his control is just 12. But he has been excellent thus far at other things.

Lagos (62 2/3 IP, 3.59 ERA, 6 HR, 5.66K/9, 5.23BB/9)
He, along with Olivera are among the "knownest" guys I have. Though its disappointing that his control never developed and he stunted for whatever reason, with his 18 Vel/Mov he has been relatively the same no matter what league. Since being fully developed and manning LR2 these last 4 seasons, his homer numbers have been pretty decent, and he lives off limiting hits, because he walks a ton of batters.

Johansen (112 IP, 3.13 ERA, 10HR, 6.99K/9, 3.13BB/9)
Quite a bounceback year. His homers are slightly up, but his H/IP were exceptional, harkening back to his outstanding 2053.

Roque (73 IP, 3.70 ERA, 9 HR, 6.66K/9, 1.78BB/9). Though he was a bit up and down at times (he will give up homers), he dramatically over-developed against expectations. He has the best control on the team, and is also fine on H/IP. He lowered his ERA from 4.71 on Aug 6 to 3.70.

Moreno (185 IP, 4.62 ERA, 22 HR, 4.48K/9, 3.79BB/9). He has always been average at best, and frequently below average, on homers, this year his walk rate rose dramatically from 2.60 last season. I think both numbers are above and below what I can expect from 14 control.

Alderman (193 IP, 4.57 ERA, 20 HR, 2.80K/9, 2.28BB/9). The Mayor's effectiveness has always been based on whether he walks people. He floated as high as SP2 (when everyone but Olivera was struggling) to a more normal SP4. He's a bit better this year on hits and consistency than last year. His GB rate was the best of his career.

Pitchers ("The Inspurnos"):

Núñez - Spring: (1 GS, 9 IP, 2.00 ERA, 0 HR, 7K, 6 BB) Cup: (4 GS, 23 1/3 IP, 8.49 ERA, 1 HR, 4K, 11BB). League: (8G, 6GS, 47 1/3 IP, 2.66 ERA, 1 HR, 19 K, 13 BB)

While he struggled mightily in Cup, but those starts were 150 pitch affairs, and any struggles with control can lead to a shellacking. and may have been fairly lucky on RNG in League, he has always show great performance in the minors, his SI rose 12 this year and his homer numbers are great. He will get a shot at starting, but will have value whatever role he takes.

Yamasaki - Spring: (7 GS, 56 IP, 5.30 ERA, 7 HR, 41K, 22 BB) Cup: (5 GS, 39 1/3 IP, 6.86 ERA, 2 HR, 20K, 17BB). League: (29G, 21GS, 136 1/3 IP, 5.68 ERA, 17 HR, 70 K, 53 BB). So after juicing his SI, the later part of the season was to see if he could actually pitch, which was not at all resolved by his performance the first part of the season. But 6 Good/OK starts in a row to conclude the season, and lowering his ERA from 7.02 to 5.68 give some hope he can stick going forward.

Wiggins - (16G, 11GS, 92 1/3 IP, 3.80 ERA, 8 HR, 65 K, 22 BB). Since he started the year at 100 SI, he was not used in Spring and sparingly in Cup. Part of the reason I let Briseno go is there are not that many left-handed relief positions available. I gave him 4 starts early in the year but he didnt do well. Later when I changed my rotation he started 6 games and all were good/excellent. He did gain some SI this year, so 17 Vel/Con to go with career .847HR/9 (with single-digit CoS/Mov) make it a bit of a decision what to do with him. I have tons of left-handed SP, but at the very least he can be a top LR2.

Coronado - Spring: (4 GS, 31 IP, 4.35 ERA, 3 HR, 25K, 9 BB). League: (6G, 3GS, 19 1/3 IP, 4.66 ERA, 0 HR, 12 K, 6 BB). He has been recommended to League most of the year, so I thought I would make him a Sept callup since he had an outstanding year in AAA. He had just one RNG-From-Hell outing (1 2/3 IP, 11 hits, 8 ER). Otherwise 17 2/3 IP, 2 ER and 3 of them starts. Like Nunez, he has always been excellent on homers. Only problem he has is walks.

Pitchers (Declining/Fringe):

35-to-be Corral (15G, 12 GS, 84 2/3 IP, 3.72 ERA, 9 HR, 45K, 23 BB). Signing him may have turned around our season. If he can be good for another year, that would be awesome.

Harvey (16G, 7 GS, 56 2/3 IP, 4.45 ERA, 5 HR, 31K, 19 BB). Though he is also a known quantity, with his fairly moderate pitching skills he has not shown he can lock-down his old role of SP1, and while he is a consistent below-average SP I may have an abundance of those guys going forward. How long he is retained depends a lot on how the rotation goes next season.

Harper (32G, 29 2/3 IP, 6.07 ERA, 2 HR, 28K, 13 BB). His development painted him into some corners. His Stamina of 4 makes him suitable only to close, since RHS/SET roles are the more highly skilled Johansen/Roques to lose. 16-13-15 V/CoS/Mov is fine on the face of it, but his control of 15 doesnt do him any favors. That said he was much better last year, so he remains replaceable but not a guy I am ready to dump.

Minor League Outlook:

With at least partial promotions for Coronado/Nunez, what remains in AAA is Bustamante, Olivares, Kennedy.

Bustamante - Spring: (4 GS, 27 1/3 IP, 10.21 ERA, 3 HR, 23K, 13 BB). AAA: (80G, 19GS, 234 1/3 IP, 3.61 ERA, 23 HR, 177 K, 87 BB). To some degree I always compare him to Coronado. His walks are a little better (but nothing special) and his homer rate is relatively high. He was recommended recently but is likely to spend all of 2056 in AAA.

Olivares - AAA: (34G, 3GS, 76 2/3 IP, 3.99 ERA, 10 HR, 65 K, 25 BB). Drafted by Normal this year, picked up right before deadline. A lottery ticket/depth signing.

Kennedy - AA: (47G, 23GS, 200 IP, 4.23 ERA, 13 HR, 169 K, 77 BB). AAA: (10G, 3GS, 29 IP, 4.03 ERA, 2 HR, 24 K, 9 BB). The prize of the 2055 Draft, he has gained 12 SI so far. The homers/K/GB numbers have been particularly strong thus far. This guy seems likely to anchor my staff for many years to come.

Hitters: (30+)

Nakajima (33-to-be) did not have the best year (.278/16/88) nor did he have a fantastic season in the field (.971) but I cant complain about .355 OBP/.842 OPS. He has lost speed each of the last 2 seasons. I fully expect him to be Primary 2B next season.

Shockley (35-to-be). Still on roster trying to get to the 450 SB milestone (1 short). He made it into 33G/110 AB and was .291/1/13, 8/12 SB. Part of the reason I kept him is so he can retire and go directly to the HOF. Though he still has some value, I dont have infinite roster spots lol.

Hodson (33-to-be). Though he has not lost a shred of SI, he had an off year (.270/3/53) 41/59 SB. For many years a star player, he needs to hit for average to succeed, especially playing a Hit-first position like 1B. I need more than .354 OBP/.736 OPS.

Grooms (35-to-be). (.328/1/13). Signed to be upgrade Range/Arm at SS (and allow the release of T. Rodriguez), he hit much better than expected. If he can do something next season, this may allow him to platoon with Zavala or another season of development for Gomez. We will see.

Arriaga (30-to-be). (.304/15/86). He had the best season in his career (more than 450 AB). He has spent most of it being a Primary but not full-time player because of struggles against LHP. Early this season he showed he could hit them (.282), so was soon an everyday player (142G). He turned in .397 OBS and .901 OPS. However, his power was a bit low this year.

Robledo (30-to-be): 11G/36 AB/.361. Strictly a depth 3B picked up in late July.

Farewell:

Thomas (31-to-be). (.259/5/36) 20/28 SB. I will always appreciate what the 2053 2-claimer brought to the team. With modest hitting attributes he helped us win VI.18 in 2053 (.294/8/82). (39/56 SB). In a more reserve role he hit (.301/4/33). (25/35 SB). Left-handed hitting "Even Stevens" managed to hit .272 against both RHP and LHP for his career. He's a guy that should have value to someone, but his relatively low OBP, losing 1 speed at his age 30 season, the signing of Paez and some primary OF prospects coming up make him expendable. I wish him good luck in the rest of his career.

Hitters (Primary):

Páez (.332/13/62). Lucky 38 claim pickup had by far the best season of his career as the Primary CF. 2 Errors/11 OA. He had less than .200 for his career batting against same-sided pitching, so I never used him that way (120G) .379 OBP/.893 OPS

McCann (.317/14/73) (38/50 SB). Massively over-achieved offensively with his skills. His arm was downgraded to 18 this year so his 31.4% CS was unremarkable in 118G at C. .363 OBP/.906 OPS.

Waters (.290/13/76). He was a bit down in most aspects from 2054. He hit .267 against RHP. He needs better hitting and more power to stay in primary lineups. .348 OBP/.812 OPS

Goodson - Spring: (30 GS, .378/7/17), Cup: (20G .341/2/12). League: (138G, .301/17/80). He is now the longest tenured guy that wasnt in my system when I started. An all batting skills guy, he hit .339 against same-sided pitching. .349 OBP/.792 OPS. He is still developing and hopefully he improves a bit on driving the ball. He was to go back down to AAA after training update #4, but was playing too well. He may be my 3rd straight ROY.

Zavala - (.244/19/72). St. Smash led the team in homers (in only 410 AB). His range ticked up to 15 this year as he, like Roque, developed way beyond expectations. With his rocket arm and devloping fielding, he turned in a FP of .977 and single-digit errors. When he arrived, he was hitting so poorly (but good FB/Power) I was thinking his spot in the lineup would be C, but his increasing range gives him other options.

Hitters (Secondary):

Glover (.278/8/39). While his development is encouraging (7 SI mostly in 2 chunks), he hasnt quite put it together yet. He batted only .257 against LHP, and as a Right-Handed LF type, he needs to bat. On the positive side, his PD rose to 17 and he has an OBP 100 points higher than BA. With decent power, he had an OPS of .807

Collins (.253/3/18). Another DH with no other real use, his spot is a bit tenuous. He doesnt bring the power Goodson does (though he fields slightly better) and his Hitting attribute gain has slowed down. At 17/17/13 he has nice offensive abilities if he continues to gain SI. He was called up because he had 5 blank training periods.

Porter (.253/1/14). Also tenuous, he was called up for the same reason as Collins. He has the ability to be a superior-fielding 3B, something I dont have at all (the 3B room is variable in their fielding ineptitude). Hes a S but hit only .238 against RHP. So he is basically useless but could possibly be something with strong SI growth.

The Farewell:

Quintero (.252/4/34). I got before waivers closed in 2050, he rose from POT 11 under my watch and ended up with decent 98 SI. His 6 League seasons are all with us. Before this year he was always a decent hitter, with better results against RHP. But with modest hitting skills similar to Thomas, no speed/power to use and marginal at fielding 3B I decided that though he in only 26 I need to keep my eyes open to improve the position and for now, give Porter his AB. I hope he returns to his ASG run in 2054 for another team. His contribution to our 2053 VI. 18 League winner is appreciated.

Hitters (Comers):

Marés - Spring: (30 GS, .328/4/19) AAA: (.314/27/70). After 4 seasons in AAA, he will get automatic callup next season. He has always had tremendous power potential and I will platoon him with Porter for now. Hopefully he can eventually translate his performance into playing full time

Shanks - Spring: (30 GS, .243/2/11) (15/17 SB), Cup: (20G .158) (5/7 SB). AAA: (.329/7/38) (29/33 SB) League: (26G, .228/4/8). (14/16 SB). Aside from ridiculous base running skills, he hasnt shown much at all in League play. That being said, he has gained 10 SI this season, and it is hoped his strong minor league hitting starts to show in League.

Alford - Spring: (30 GS, .266/0/15) AAA: (.276/9/49) . The switch-hitting 1 claimer was (before the arrival of Paez) thought to be in the mix to take over CF upon the retirement of Shockley.

Gómez - Spring: (30 GS, .282/6/16) AAA: (.279/12/60). The ridiculously rapidly-rising Gomez (with his Above Average POT) has always been an interesting ability to hit for power despite average GB hitting and little in the way of attribute.

Gentile - AAA: (.296/9/59). The other exciting pick from this years draft, he has a great Catchers build. Threw out 53.7% of runners this season.

Cota - AAA: (.263/14/46 (KBT). Deadline pickup. Positionally limited but a fairly nice hitting prospect. Signable because his minors performance leaves something to be desired.

Galindo - AAA: (.225/1/12). While it was not a big sample, after doing fine in AA this year he struggled in AAA.

Knudsen - AAA: (.289/5/20). The one-time 14 POT Knudsen is one of those fairly pointless signings to have a better fielding right-handed 1B, who is still a good hitter/power hitter. 6 SI gain this year, so coming along.

Buck - AAA: (.262/2/10). Very fringy guy who the AI thinks belongs in League with 66 SI. Plus is he gained 5 SI this year without doing more than playing in 8 cup games. I signed him because despite 66 SI, he is double digits in Hitting, PD, Power already.

Looking forward to next season and I hope to compete for the League Title.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Training #0 predictives: 7 players who will be Age-22, no 18 year olds.

Luis "Cebolla" Coronado (13 - no change)
Jose Luis Olivares (11 - rise to 12)
Ronald Gentile (12 - no change)
Andres Galindo (13 - no change)
Alejandro "Never Say" Nevarez (13 - drop to 12)
Laurence Bock (11 - no change)
Matt Nelson (12 - rise to 13)
Manuel Cañizles (11 - rise to 12)

Bock (the first #8 pick I didnt immediately release) - because of significant gains in his Hitting attribute without a comment, Nevarez (2054 #1) - 41 HR surrendered in 192 2/3 IP in AA this season, have a lot riding on this update.

As always, I tend to collect VG POT guys and avoid above-average POT guys. I dont think that has as much effect on Maintains and Rises as I originally thought. But the importance of those adjustments is a lot clearer to me. There will always be outliers, but excluding random sharpenings that happen later:

Harper 12-11 (Final SI 90)
Benavidez 13-12 (Final SI 93)
Moreno 15-14 (Final SI 112)
Wallace 12-11 (Final SI 91)
Pinto 15-14 (Final SI 110)
Arriaga 15-14 (Final SI 112)

Knudsen (14-12), Buck (12-11), Shanks (15-14) Omi (13-12) Final SI TBD

Makes these things more significant:

I was sure Waters would rise to 13 at his Age-22 season (after gaining 12 SI in the minors and being VG POT)...he did not. He did rise to 13 but finished at only 106 SI, short of Great Hitting. Sometimes there are guys like O'Neill (12-11 - grew back into 12, Final SI 100). Obviously more likely if someone is 11-12.

The success for the #0 risers seems much more significant.

Roque 11-12 (Final SI 102)
McCann 13-14 (Current SI 116)
Bonner 11-12 (Final SI 98)
Paez 13-14 (Final SI 117)

Coronado (12-13), Goodson (11-12), Nadeau (14-15), Bustamante (12-13) Macias (10-11), Cota (11-12) may provide further data when fully developed. And perhaps players such as Nunez who were drafted younger than 19 and had 1 decrease and 1 increase at Training #0.


Updated Friday, July 22 2022 @ 1:38:31 pm PDT
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Olivera: no ASG, no All-League, 25 votes for Cy Young. He did lead the league in IP, but was 8th in ERA (15-12) 3.19. McCann earned All-League at C (again no ASG appearance) and 8 votes for MVP.

Goodson earns our 3rd straight ROY, as expected. Apparently errors really, really matter in CF. OJ Armstrong of Egg Harbor had 1, with 15 OA. Paez has 2, with 11 OA. I am reminded how Shockley only won it twice. Paez, fielding of 20 and never won.
electriceel883
Joined: 05/26/2021
Posts: 1494

Irvine Infernos
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Training #0 - can always get an early look by looking at draft pages or the players...results:

Coronado 13 (remains)
Jose Luis Olivares 11 (rises to 12)
Gentile 12 (remains)
Galindo 13 (drops to 12)
Nevarez 13 (remains)
Bock 11 (remains)
Nelson 12 (rises to 13)
Cañizles 11 (rises to 13)

So I was 6-2. Wrong that Nevarez would drop and that Galindo would remain. The former dodged an immediate bullet (though he is far from safe) and Galindo is looking more like an average RF prospect and is also not safe. Its what happens when you get drafted by the "Butte Buccaneers"

Nelson, Olivares were the traditional end of free agency signings and both helped themselves.

Updated Friday, July 22 2022 @ 1:50:23 pm PDT


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