Breakout Candidate:Ned Andrews

It is hard to call someone a breakout candidate when they have been in the majors for several seasons and have hit arbitration.  But I am doing that for my own player today in href="http://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2518892" target="_blank">Ned Andrews.

Even though he posted an OPS over .900 each of the past two seasons it has felt like he has underachieved. Looking over his awards page my feeling is confirmed.  No all-star appearances.  He has been streaky and barely cracked 100 RBI playing for a team that has had some serious on base threats at the top of the lineup.

So far this season he has been putting it all together.  The thing he has been unable to do since arriving in the majors is walk with any consistency.  so far this season he has done so.  With an OBP over .400 and an OPs of 1.011 he is making a case for inclusion in the MVP discussion and making his first major league all star team. 

After 46 games he is at 51 RBI and 36 runs.  Most importantly, he has been consistent.

If things keep going the way they are Andrews will be recognized for what he has done and not what he could do.

Draft Analysis Part I

So prospects for the draft were released today.

Step one for me is to check and run my formula.

After doing this I then do a preliminary sort.

Based on my sort this season I anticipate a few teams are going to have great drafts. There are some good top level players but the drop off happens quickly.

DL Summary 8/27/10

Since my last DL post there have been a few guys who were removed from the DL and only 8 remain from the last time.  Of those 9 only 4 are currently eligible to ccome off the DL.

So who is new?

Victor Carreras got hurt, put on the DL, and is ready to come back to play the utility role.

Albert Diaz's injury is similar to Edwards in that it is a leg injury and did not touch the players area of strength.  He tore his hamstring.  Before the injury he had a 0 baserunning skill.  His speed dropped 5 rating points.

Brandon Smith is a nice back up and should be back soon.

Raul Javier utility infielder.


P Hal Rizzuto got hurt in his second major league start.  Minimal impact, back soon.

PSonny Coffman 8 starts in and got hurt.  No impact on long term but he probably could use an extra season of development in the minors.

Ryan Edwards see individual entry

Ryan Edwards injury oddity

Ryan Edwards dodged a bullet today.

It is a rare occasion when a player is hurt for 81 days and has few ill affects but that is what happened to Edwards today.

Edwards tore a muscle in his groin and the only areas of impact were speed, durability, stamina and health.

I know that WIS injuries tend to directly impact areas of injury but I was surprised this did not affect at least velocity. 

Breakout Candidate: Tomas Mateo

Tomas Mateo needs to have corrective eye surgery to address that eye.  I suspect his struggles versus righties is all caused by some visual problem caused by that lazy eye.

His minor league numbers are great.  So far his major league numbers are good and considering his age further improvement is likely. 

The big question is whether he can play full time and maintain those numbers over a season facing the tough right handers in the league.

Team Captains:

Pedro Rios's role on the team has changed a lot over the years.

No longer asked to carry the team he is still around more for leadership than his on field contributions....at least that is how it should be for a 39 year old fading star.

Rios is an amazing story of talent, greed, and redemption.

Reading his transaction log is interesting, he has it all.  Traded, accept option, decline option, left as free agent, placed on the waiver wire, added to 40 man roster.

He broke into the majors long ago, during season 1.  After only 9 minor league starts as a 21 year old he was in the majors.

He has 198 wins spending time playing with 7 different home parks (Burlington has been his home on two separate occasions).


He has had success and failure. Winning as many as 17 games in a season but also losing as many as 16 in a season.

Now, after the long journey he is winding it down in Burlington, mentoring a young staff.
Although wanderlust could kick back in again.  He is a free agent at seasons end.  He won't rule out anything.  He never has.

Power Ranking Week 2

Some movement in the rankings
1 Syracuse (2)
2 Tampa Bay (1)
3 Atlanta (10)
4 Chicago (4)
5 Memphis (3)
6 Huntington (5)
7 San Diego (8)
8 St Louis (13)
9 Ottawa (6)
10 Vancouver (12)
11 Washington (20)
12 Cleveland (16)
13 Colorado (24)
14 Indianapolis (26)
15 San Francisco (27)
16 Charleston (11)
17 Detroit (21)
18 Texas (14)
19 New York Mets (9)
20 Charlotte (17)
21 Philadelphia (23)
22 Little Rock (7)
23 Seattle (15)
24 Honolulu (19)
25 Arizona (18)
26 San Juan (25)
27 New York Crunch (22)
28 Sacramento (30)
29 Durham (29)
30 Burlington (28)
31 Sioux Falls (31)
32 Trenton (32)

International Signing Profile: Felipe Manuel

Felipe Manuel signed with the Syracuse Snowbelt.

So there a few questions I will put forward and address with him

 What is his potential?
I won't give away my projections but I will give my opinion.  For some teams he could be a potential #1.  For Syracuse, who seems to find aces everywhere, he will be a #4 at worst and a #2 at best.  His numbers look good overall and he will be able to pitch a ton of innings.  Garunteed major league pitcher, regardless of who got him.

Is he worth the 21.5 Million?
I have given up asking if players are worth over $20million.  I personally could never spend that much on an INT so I stay out of it all together.  Because we are all dealing with the same budgets the best INTS will always be worth $20+mill.  It is asset allocation and the cash asset was used here.

OK, rephrase that, will be be one of the top INTs?
Better question.  The INT market seems more volatile than the draft to me.  If we have a crappy INT season Manuel could potentially be the best one and his price was kept down by uncertainty.

If he were a draft prospect where would he be projected.?
I would say he would be a first round guy but mid to late.  In a good draft his projections would have him falling, possibly to Syracuse territory.  In a weak draft he would go mid first round.

Having typed that and processed it I would give the move a positive review.  The money invested in the INT market often comes at the expense of the draft.  In this situation the prospect secured is better than any prospect syracuse likely would have had the chance to get.  Well played.

Power Rankings

Results are coming Wednesday.
Too busy today.

Waiver Wire Watch

2 major league caliber SS are currently on the waiver wire.

Shane Forrest has been horrid this season.  Last season in a platoon role he was not half bad.  Decent glove that won't bury you.  OK bat.  Not much chance of loosing on that claim.

In the last year of his contract Felipe Veras has something to prove.  He is getting older and has lost a step but he is still pretty good defensively.  While his bat was Belliard like last season and this season is worse, he was a .300 hitter in season 16.  He also had 15 homers.  Add in some good SB stats and I could see him finding a home in SD.

DL Summary 8/22/10

The following players are on the Major League DL

Vernon Phelps has been Charlotte's starting C.  He has been very good so far and his bat will be missed.

Charley Hunter was a rookie last year and spent half the season in the bigs.  He is developing and has had a rough start to the year.  He will miss about 4 starts.

Yorrick Farrell has been a solid contributor the past few seasons and has been his same consistent self until the injury.

Vic Duran will come off the DL tomorrow after missing 9 games or so.  He is a potential all star and his bat is needed.

Utility infielder Larry Nelson

CF Lance Shumaker has had a breakout start to the season.  Wrong time to get hurt for him.

Nolan Helton has been a major contributor but his stats look better than his ratings.  He has been having a Big Papi-like start to the season.

Rule V draftee Bob Buck has been shelled so far this season.  My guess is he never comes off the DL until the season is over.

Toby Coggin, see Bob Buck

utility infielder Sun Wanatabe is considering filing a grievance.

Same with Jarrod Charlton

Torn groin will keep Jamie Harper out 15 more games after already missing 30.

Game Mechanics: Push Pull

Question raised by KSBeachBums

"Hey, can anyone explain the push/pull number to me? I can't remember how you read it."

Answer from Patrickm885

"A rating of 0 indicates an extreme pull hitter."

Follow up question by Schedule1

"and is 100 extreme opposite field, with 50 being spray? or is 100 spray?"

Follow up answer by Patrickm885 again


"100 = extreme opposite field"


Toddcommish asked


"So does 50 = extreme centerfield?"


Patrickm885 answered


" It means he hits all over the place"

Weekly Stats Summary

Frank Gentry currently leads the majors with 5 wins.  He also has 3 saves.  Last season he had 5.  He has been lights out so far this season and on a pace to put up career numbers.

Benji Hunt's 0.76 whip leads the league and far and away much better than his career avverage of 1.48.  He also leads the league in ERA and OAV.

Miguel Maduro's 12 saves in 15 chances is pretty impressive.  His 1.66 whip is not.


Dean Medina has given up 12 home runs.  He has a 2.20 Whip and a 10.44 ERA.  His OAV is .421.  His ratings say he should be better.  For arizona's sake I hope he starts producing.  His $5.6 Mill salary should buy more.


William Burks 11 HR are tied for the league lead.  His numbers should be impressive at season's end.


Horacio Lee also has 11 home runs.  His intense stare frightens me.

Three players are tied for the league lead with 28 RBI.  Most surprising of the three is Jolbert Marrero whose peripheral numbers are much lower than the other two players.  He is only batting .253 compared to the other two who have averages of .344 and .400.

Don Tanaka and Lou DiFelice are 1 and 2 in runs scored and play a big role in MArrero's RBI success.

Earle Shelley may want to try to steal less. 

Bo Thomas has been a beast so far this year and doing a lot to legitimize Washington as a contender in the NL East.

William Burks is streaking.

Vladimir Moreno has 9+ plays at 1b.  He is really a good RF so this is no surprise.  What will be a surprise is when he shows up as an MVP candidate. Good but not MVP caliber.


Pedro Manto leads the league with 10 errors.  His numbers are slightly below average for a SS and could be much worse.  I would not be surprised however to see Pascual Franco pass him on the list.  He is playing 3b but with an outfielders glove.

Breakout Candidate: David Bonilla

David Bonilla was Tampa's candidate for breakout performer.  So far I am am struggling to see why.

23 games into the AAA season and he has played in 3 games and only gotten 13 at bats.  He looks like a star in the makings but with no opportunities it may never happen.  Get the man some AB and get him to the show!

Team Captains: Brandon "90210" Walsh

Brandon Walsh has never been to Beverly Hills but it is all people ask him about.  How's Brenda?  Have you seen Dylan recently?

Huntington is worlds away from  Beverly Hills and Brandon is king of the locker room. After making his first All-Star game appearance last season he has started off strong again this season with a 1.044 ops and 7 home runs through 23 games.  The players on the Deer Hunters have come to rely on his presence on the field and the role he plays in the locker room.

"He keeps us loose" says Carl Black with a sly grin.  "Ask him about his karaoke," was all Black would say when pressed.

"I have never seen such a passionate Bon Jovi fan," Todd Adcock says. "Part of the pregame warm up is a performance of 'Wanted Dead or Alive' he totally rocks it out.

Hitting Coach Troy Hudson just shakes his head.  "He has really stepped up his game this season though.  While the singing is a little odd, it keeps the other guys loose and if he can do that and hit the way he is hitting....let him be.  He is putting in the time he needs and he takes direction well."

Bench Coach Jimmy Campbell grinned when asked about him, "You mean MVP?  B-Wall is going to have a great year.  He is out leader.  His approach at the plate is great and the young guys look up to him and see the amount of time he puts in.  He has been rock solid and carrying the team so far."

Walsh may not make his way to Beverly Hills for his Bon Jovi impression but if he keeps up his hitting he will be Living on a Prayer in October.

Plus Play

One of my int. Scouts sent me the following clip of player we are considering

Pitcher of the Week

Hardball Dynasty's

Matthew Burnett

has some strong numbers but he is a reliever and pitched 8 innings.  4 saves and 4 wins is impressive but not award winning.

I would nominate Victor Nieves.  He is 4-0 in 5 starts and has 33 K's in 35 IP.  His whip is a little higher at 1.21 but he is above average and winning.

Player of the week

Hardball Dynasty's

Bo Thomas

was named player of the week for week one. 
He is a fine choice but not the player I would have chosen.  My vote goes to Javier Park who is batting .418 and has a 19 game hitting streak.

Not any easy choice regardless.

Power rankings ballot

I ask that you copy the list I post to the blog and juggle the order around as needed.
Once done send it to me as a SM. Any private comments submitted via SM will be included in the team description. I would recommend using whatever resources you want but the expanded setting are most helpful.
I also encourage you to use the comments section to advocate for certain teams or talk trash. Thanks

Please submit your ballot by 8 pm on Monday

Team Rank high low
1. Tampa Bay Fighting Hamsters (9-8)
2. Syracuse Snow Belt(12-5)
3. Memphis Free Marketeers (11-7)
4. Chicago Speakeasies(11-6)
5. Huntington Deer Hunters (11-7)
6. Ottawa Braves (9-9)
7. Little Rock Originals (8-10)
8. San Diego Chargers (10-8)
9. New York Mets (7-10)
10. Atlanta Gay Pirates (14-3)
11. Charleston Charge (9-9)
12. Vancouver Anti Tankers (10-7)
13. St Louis Armstrongs (10-8)
14. Texas Southfork Ranchers(8-9)
15. Seattle Mariners (7-10)
16. Cleveland Armpits (10-8)
17. Charlotte Clippers(9-8)
18. Arizona Sons of Pitches (7-10)
19. Honolulu Warriors (8-9)
20. Washington Assassins (11-7)
21. Detroit Dynasty (11-6)
22. New York Crunch II (6-11)
23. Philadelphia Phanatics (9-9)
24. Colorado Fighting Bell Peppers (10-8)
25. San Juan Wizards (6-11)
26. Indianapolis Inconceivables (11-7)
27. San Francisco Flaxseeds (10-8)
28. Burlington Blaze (6-12)
29. Durham Bulls (8-9)
30. Sacramento Sun (6-12)
31. Sioux Falls Totem Poles (2-15)
32. Trenton Reznors (4-14)

Free agent Market: SP

So I had a different criteria eliminate non-starters
Stamina better than 50 was the only sort criteria. So who is out there?

Ruben Diaz could be a back end starter. He has never really been given a chance as a starter, but he could probably do it.

Alex Chavez made my sort but really would have a hard time making it out of the 5th. Possible Tandem B

Alan Perry has some juice left in the tank and would make a good number 4

Willie Pizzaro could help a team as well.

Glenn Kirwan could potentially do ok but he is likely to be pounded.

There are others I would add but getting past these guys is really scrabbing the bottom of the barrell. There are multiple guys out there who have been successfull at the major league level.

Free Agent Market: RP

To define an RP I will use two sorts to limit the field.
Durability greater than 50, control greater than 50.

I am not saying you cannot find candidates who would work but don't meet the criteria but the players with Dur under 50 won't be able to pitch often and the ones with control under 50 are going to walk too many people for a relief role and waste too many pitches on balls.

So who is it?
Carlos Espinosa has a stamina too low to be more than a spot guy. His ratings are good, except for that 39 third pitch.

Jimmie Batista has been successful historically and has decent pitches. His availability may be limited but he should be solid.

Garrett Day has had a Bret Saberhagen like career. This should be the good season.

Type A performer Alex Richard will get signed eventually. He is good and still has years in him. At this point he is cheap too.

I almost left off Artie Bush because his stamina of 6 will limit his IP. He looks useable but not reliably.

Free Agent Market: RF

Curtis Hampton made me laugh. Good V.R, awful VL. Decent range. Awful Glove. He would make a good PR.

Miguel Palacios has been unsigned for over a season. His numbers don't seem to match his ratings. I hate players like that. He appears like he could be decent, past history says otherwise.

Derek Farnsworth would be a pretty good platoon v.l but not for what he is asking.

Alvin Reynolds has an awful eye but may be the best available all around RF. He could even be a third string catcher. Age makes him attractive as well.

Free Agent Market: CF

Most CF are left handed 2b and good ones are hard to find so this market reflects that.

Brett Gload is a platoon player v.R but really does not have the glove for CF.

Hugh Campbell was a reliable CF for St. Louis 2 seasons ago. Can't figure out how he went unsigned all season. There are certainly teams that need a player like him.

Charlie Zaun is the best glove available but his bat makes him a difficult play, unless you do not have other options. I would rather use Campbell every day instead.

That's it. No use even looking at the scraps as they are about as pretty as liver and onions.

Free Agent Market: LF

LF are like 1b. They really have little versatility so you have to weigh the advantages of a better than average glove with a slightly lesser bat to a the better hitting LF. Either way, there is very little left of use for LF.

Julio Gutierrez is a type B FA and a platoon player at best.

Derek Sodowsky has better power than Gutierrez and could be a decent ph.

Fernando Zapata is all around average.

Pat Pong is another platoon guy but is really a 1b hiding in the OF.

Vinny Martin, Alex Tavarez, and Alex Tavarez are all similar options, v.L platoon players with little other value.

An interesting option may be Brandon Farley who is better defensively, can be a pr, and hit lefties.

Free Agent Market: SS

Let me start this off with the disclaimer that there is not a player in the SS search I would feel comfortable with defensively at SS. All of them will have bad fielding percentages and make a few - plays so defense will be hit. The best defender of the group, Junior Franco, was signed recently by Trenton. There are also no type A or B's left available.

Reid Tracy might be the best option but his bat is mediocre and so is his glove and range.

Justin Page may be a slight upgrade offensively and defensively over Tracy but probably not much different.

Nicholas Bennett, Del Moya, and Karim Bennett might be the best alternatives outside Tracy and Page.

If you need a SS then I hope it is more for a short term injury fill in and not a season long solution. The trade market might yield better results.

Free Agent Market: 3b

Third base is a tough one to gauge. The search brings up a nice list of available players. I do however question whether they are all really 3b.

The headliner of the group is type A free agent Jeremi Kelly. In some offseasons the guy would command a 9+million per multi-year offer. Here he is playing the Pedro Martinez role.
Wiki Sanchez has never played in the majors and is cheap. Conversely he plays third base like a chump and has a suspect bat.
Jim Nielsen gets good ratings and was good last season. He is old however and can't make the throw.
Lariel Feliz had his best season last season and does a decent job at 3b. He is a type B but also 29.
Ismael Samuel presents an interesting bat but is 35, has a fading glove and his bat will surely follow.
Gary Milton would be a good bat versus lefties but his glove is suspect.

Motley crew for sure, but they are better than the 1b lot and Kelly needs a job.

Free Agent Market: 2b

A few interesting options at 2b

Jesus Gardel is a type A and probably driving people away.
Bobby King is a type A and a poor man's Jesus Gardel, only asking 3x the money.
Brian Woo is another player whose last season was below par for him. He is a type B.
The most interesting option may be Juan Lopez who is dirt cheap, coming off a very down season but appears to have the core skills to be successful.
Doug Mitchell is good for a platoon versus lefties but he is type B.

Second base has a few other options and not surprisingly is the deepest position left.

Free agent Market: 1b

First base is tough, or possibly I am giving away too much of my theory on roster building. There is no 1b left on the market who I would consider a difference maker. I suspect each organization has 3 or 4 players comparable to what is left of the first basemen.

So the notables include: Lonnie Wilkinson Tomas Espinosa and Jimmie Castillo

Mostly aging vets looking for one last shot

Free Agents Catchers left on the market

At this stage of the season teams start to have injuries and one of thew quiclkest and cheapest ways to fill the role is through free agency.

Pedro Gabriel is available. While he can hit fairly well he is a liability behind the plate. His market is limited.

Terry Wilson would be a decent platoon C to face righties and his D is good enough to not hurt. He should have some interest if teams need a C.

Placido Eusebio is worth mentioning because he is has a defensive presence. He can call a game and keep runners honest. Sadly his dedication to defense caused him to skip some BP, and it shows.

Team Captains: Ed "The Streak" Tyson

Ed Tyson is pretty tough. In his 1004 game Major League career he has started the last 1000 games consecutively, without a break.

Streaks are one of those tough things to track, Wis does not have it coded to be a tracked stat so any tracking has to be done by hand and eyeball. Tyson is a case in point, there are no questions he started ever game season 12-17 as he clearly played in every game from each of those seasons. Part of the 1000 game stretch goes back to season 11, when he came up for the last 30 games or so.

So what really does this mean? It puts ripken's streak in perspective. Tyson is not even half there. It certainly helps Detroit as Tyson is a 3 time all star who has hit 198 homers and has a career OPS of .812. He has also earned a Gold Glove for his play in left field.

Does he have times to step of some? I am surprised the 92 health has not caused him to get a 1 day injury along the way. I am curious how long he keeps it going.

Day One Stats Update

So far a few stats of note:
Offense
Cecil Watson and Don Tanaka have scored 7 runs in 4 games.
Danys Delgado leads the league with 11 hits in 17 AB for a batting average of .647, he has no walks.
Alfredo Lee has 4 doubles in 13 AB.
Frank Dong has 2 triples and 2 HR, a slugging percentage of 1.200 anda slugging percentage of 1.671
Heath Key has 8 RBI in 4 games.
Don Tanaka has walked 6 times.

Pitching
Brutus Chambers, Jesus Gonzalez, Bill Darwin, and Antonio Zheng have appeared in all four games.
Mark Lui allowed 6 hits in 5 innings, sadly 5 of the hits were HR.

Fielding
Alex Amaro has 4 errors in 4 games.

Team stats
Syracuse Snow Belt has allowed only 1 run and is 4-0.
San Juan Wizards has allowed 27 walks in 36 IP.
Trenton Reznors has struck out 37 in 36 IP.
Texas Southfork Ranchers has hit 10 HR.
San Diego Chargers has already stolen 15 bases, and only been caught once.

HOF Class of Season 19: Discussion: Marvin Aurilia

Marvin Aurilia none none Age: 40 B/T: L/L Born: Austin, TX Position(s): 1B/COF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Short of Donnie Brown there are few players who have been as Marvin Aurilia

Clicking on his awards tab says it all.
Rookie of the year season 1
11 time Silver Slugger
1 Gold Glove in LF
10 time All-Star
1 time Home Run Derby Champ
7 time MVP, Including a six season run from season 5-10
2 World Series Rings

His 809 Career Home Runs is going to be tough for anyone to catch, he had 9 seasons with 50+ HR. But he was more than just a home run hitter. During season 3 he joined the 40-40 club, and did it a second time during season 8. Over his career he stole 347 bases.

He holds several league records and ranks fairly high in other categories.
Most games played with 2630 (although he will be passed this season by Roger Weston)
Second on the list of career hits with 3063, behind only Roger Weston.
His career OPS 1.061 ranks fourth all time. His season 2 mark of 1.318 is the second best single season performance.
He drew 1340 walks over his career, third best.
Possibly his most impressive and unbreakable record is his 199 triples, best by 37 over the recently inducted Sammy Manzanillo.


His 893 2-Out RBI is most all time buy 88. The closest active player is John Yamaguchi with 739, good for third all-time.
With 2348 career RBI is almost 400 more than the next closest player, Trevor Donovan.
2649.67 career runs created is the most in league history. It translates to 9.95 rc/27 outs. That is third best in league history.
79 Sac flies is the league record.
.509 secondary average is second highest all-time.
His isolated power of .347 is 2nd all time. He also holds the best two single season performances during season 1 and 2.
He scored 2320 runs in his career, most all time by almost 400.
His .877 slugging percentage during season 2 is best all time and incredible.

His career performance is remarkable in both individual performances as well as a compiler. He was an amazing player and a true All-Star, MVP and Hall of Famer

HOF Class of Season 19: Discussion: Willis Little

Willis Little none none Age: 42 B/T: S/R Born: Silver City, NM Position(s): P (ClA) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

I am confused as to what is preventing Willis Little from getting into the Ruth Hall of Fame. He is second on the all time saves list with 397. More impressively, his career WHIP is 1.17. As a full time closer the most blown saves he had in one season was 6. His career save percentage was .892. The next closest was Kevin Perez at .885. The next player drops to .875. He was the best a doing his job that we have had yet. He was a 5 time fireman of the year, a nine time all star and won a world series.

So what is the argument against him? I suppose it is possible to argue he only pitched 730 innings. His numbers don't really compare to Lee Smith, who is not in the real life Hall of Fame but if there is one statistic that is harder to accumulate in HBD, compared to real life, it is saves.

Over his career I feel Little is the benchamrk of what great closers are compared to. For that reason I say he deserves inlusion in the Ruth League Hall of Fame.

HOF Class of Season 19: Discussion: Anthony

Anthony Aurilia none none Age: 41 B/T: S/R Born: Pleasant Hill, MO Position(s): 1B/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Anthony Aurilia

While he may not be the best Aurillia statistically (arguable by some) he is one of the finest players this league has ever seen. Over his career he had a RC/27outs of 11.78.
He was a 2 time MVP and won a world series ring in his first season in the league (year 1).

Just a quick review shows numbers that are comparible if not slightly beter the Sammy Manzanillo. My gut says get him in on the first ballot.

Sammy Manzanillo

Sammy Manzanillowas born in a poor city of Pueblo Viejo, DO. When he entered the league in season one he was already in his prime and felt he was ready to go. In an effort to not rush him, as well as extend team control over Sammy, he was kept in the minors most of the season running up a OPS of 1.293 over 73 games between AA and AAA.
Upon his arrival in the show he was adequate during his debut season nothing special but some flashes of his brilliance.
Season 2 is when he put it all together and had his best season. Slugging 54 HR, driving in 165 batters while scoring 156 is an amazing line, matched by few players. The season did earn him his only career MVP.
The next few years were good but Sammy could never replicate the success of season 2. The fans turned on him at times, despite team successes like a season 3 World series championship.
While he never made the exclusive 3000 hit level, he did exit the league on his terms.
Cue the Sinatra please and break out the suds. Welcome to e-Cooperstown Sammy.

World Series Champ

Prediction World Series winner

Tampa Bay Fighting Hamsters nominated six times.
Huntington Deer Huntersnominated twice.
Syracuse Snow Belt nominated two times
Memphis Free Marketeers nominated one time
San Diego Chargers Nominated one time
Ottawa Braves Nominated one time

Predition NL Division Champ Season 18

Two team race in the AL, motivates me for sure.

Chicago Speakeasies slips into the discussion with one nomination.
Huntington Deer Hunters is well respected with 3 nominations.
land slide winner is Tampa Bay Fighting Hamsters and their 7 nominations.

Prediction: Season 18 AL Division Champ

Talk about wide open
Memphis Free Marketeers was nominated 4 time.

Syracuse Snow Belt was nominated 3 time.

Ottawa Braves was nominated 2 time.

Cleveland Armpits was nominated 1 time.

San Diego Chargers was nominated 1 time.

Vancouver Anti Tankers was nominated 1 time.

Prediction: Season 18 NL Cy Young

One candidate was a winner by one vote.
Grover Christensen received three nominations.
Will Johnson received two nominations.
Rico Pascual received two nominations.
Greg Hume received two nominations.

Could a surprise candidate step forward?

Prediction: Season 18 NL MVP

This division is wide open in this category. No one dominant team and very good players spread amongst every team make this hard to predict.

Brandon "Peach Pit" Walsh had two nominations.
Ned Andrews had two nominations.
Julio Iglesias had two nominations.
Marc Christman had two nominations.
Ed Tysonhad one nomination
Brad Terrell had one nomination

So what are vegas odds on these guys and the field?

Predictions: AL Cy Young Season 18

This race was a blowout.
Gail Latham earned eight nominations.
Ryan Edwards earned one nomination.
Pascual De La Vega earned one nomination.
Mikey Clontz also got one vote.

A lot of high expectations for Latham

Predictions: AL MVP Season 18

The predictions for AL MVP:
Oswaldo Franco got four nominations.
Kenneth Pierre got three nominations.
Josias Cortezgot two nominations.
Javier Arroyo got one nomination.

Power Rankings 8/10/10

Below are our initial Ruth Preseason Power Rankings

Team Rank high low
1. Tampa Bay Fighting Hamsters 2.3 1 6
2. Syracuse Snow Belt 4.8 1 20
3. Memphis Free Marketeers 5.3 1 14
4. Chicago Speakeasies 6 3 8
5. Huntington Deer Hunters 7.3 1 16
6. Ottawa Braves 8 2 11
7. Little Rock Originals 9.3 7 14
8. San Diego Chargers 9.3 3 20
9. New York Mets 10.3 5 17
10. Atlanta Gay Pirates 11.5 7 17
11. Charleston Charge 12.2 5 18
12. Vancouver Anti Tankers 12.5 8 19
13. St Louis Armstrongs 13.3 6 24
14. Texas Southfork Ranchers 13.3 7 19
15. Seattle Mariners 14.8 9 21
16. Cleveland Armpits 16.3 8 22
17. Charlotte Clippers 16.8 4 24
18. Arizona Sons of Pitches 17 3 25
19. Honolulu Warriors 17.6 11 22
20. Washinton Assassins 17.8 11 27
21. Detroit Dynasty 18.5 10 26
22. New York Crunch II 19.3 6 27
23. Philadelphia Phanatics 20.3 12 26
24. Colorado Fighting Bell Peppers 23 18 26
25. San Juan Wizards 23.2 24 29
26. Indianapolis Inconceivables 25.5 20 28
27. San Francisco Flaxseeds 26.6 23 29
28. Burlington Blaze 26.8 19 31
29. Durham Bulls 27.2 19 31
30. Sacramento Sun 27.3 16 32
31. Sioux Falls Totem Poles 30 25 32
32. Trenton Reznors 30.5 26 32

Alex Mendez 2394

Alex Mendez is my favorite HBD player of all time. He has 2394minor league hits.

Through 17 seasons he has known one franchise, the St. Louis Armstrongs. At the end of season 11 I figured he was set to retire. 30 years old, no major league at bats, not on the 40 man roster. I gave him a cup of coffee, and he did ok. Really he did not hit but he got on base just fine.
Looking over his ratings I often wonder why he never came up before that. Clearly he was not an all star caliber player but he was a quality platoon type and a decent pinch hitter to have on the bench to face lefties. His path to the majors was blocked by Marvin, originally, and eventually Frank and Ned.

So he is loyal to a fault and will always have a job in my organization and is free to stay on my team as long as he likes.

So how extreme is my fandom? I know he has 5 kids...that his wife knows about. I have visited his house on google maps found here
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He owns a sizable baseball academy and has a career lined up when he decides to walk away. I am willing to give him full time playing time for 4 more seasons for the sole purpose of seeing him get to 3000 minor league hits.

I know he wears #28 in honor of his Great Grandfather

He is the reason I would love to see WIS track minor league stats. I doubt there is another player in Ruth with as many minor league hits or as many seasons with one franchise and so few major league hits.