Epic collapse

The Oz · 09-28-2009, 03:23 PM

I don't post here often, though I do lurk quite a bit and like reading about other people's teams and dynasties & I had to share this:

This league is a 16 team (4 division, no wild cards) fictional league in its 19th season, using modern era presets & no DHs at all. I am managing the St. Louis Rivermen. I only play out 10% of regular season games and sim the rest, but I play all playoff games.

The Rivermen had a fantastic season, winning 111 games, including a personal-best 23 game winning streak (I am making new house rules this season, to help the AI). The next best team in league was the Vancouver Lumberjacks at 101 wins.

Both St. Louis and Vancouver easily advanced through the LCS to the World Series 4 games to 1. In the World Series, despite not-so-great hitting, I won the first 3 games due to good pitching, and a couple of timely home runs. I felt very safe, because I had the best team in the league & in this league no team had ever overcome a 3 game deficit to win a playoff series.

Then, things started to fall apart... I lost a close game 4 by a score of 4-3 & then was shut out 5-0 in game 5 on just 3 hits. Game 6 was a heartbreaker, coming back from a 3 run deficit only to lose 6-4 in the 13th inning, and we down very quietly in game 7 4-2, mustering 1 hit with runners on base.

What makes the whole thing worse is the way we went down. Even though we scored a few runs, we really didn't have much of an offense at all. Despite leading the league in batting average, we hit .185 in the WS & .157 in the final 4 games. Only 1 player with at least 5 ABs matched his regular-season BA in the playoffs, but the worst was Robert Lee. Lee was an all-star who was 2nd in the league with a regular-season .339 average. In the WS, he was 0 for 16, getting benched for the last 2 games, and finishing with a .114 playoff batting average & .143 slugging (4 for 35 with 5 total bases). CF Porter Martinez is better known for his glove and speed than his bat, but he was an all-star & he hit .368 in the LCS, he went 1 for 23 in the WS with a single.

The crazy thing is, I matched up with them brilliantly. My lineup consists of 4 lefties (including Lee) and a switch hitter & all 3 of their playoff starters are righties with significant R/L splits. Their lineups also featured 4 lefties and 1 switch hitter & my #1 & #2 starters are lefties.

I was really pissed off that my team could collapse so terribly, (I'm still shopping Lee), but now I think it was interesting to witness such a strange, improbable statistical anomaly and realize that ANYTHING can happen in this game. We'll get em next year.

ShaneCarson · 09-28-2009, 03:30 PM

I love seeing stuff like this, even if you are on the frustrating end of it.

I played out an old solo league and never had this epic of a collapse but had a team that was just notorious playoff choke artists. We'd cruise in the regular season only to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs year after year. Every year I would think "this is the year!" Then I was reminded who my team was after 5 games of the post season.

Afino · 09-28-2009, 05:54 PM

St. Louis Rivermen.....nice. Hockey fan?

Couldn't help but notice.

damientheomen3 · 09-28-2009, 06:15 PM

in one of my forum Dynasties, my player plays for the Phillies, who have been bounced from the playoffs by the Padres in 3 straight seasons (2 in LDS, 1 in LCS). The Phillies were 2-10 against the Padres in those series' (both wins came in LCS).

endgame · 09-28-2009, 06:56 PM

A remarkably refreshing perspective on a team's performance.

Afino · 09-28-2009, 07:03 PM

The closest I've come to this was in the LCS two years ago....

I was up 2-1 in the series against Boston, and then I absolutely CRUSHED them in Boston, something like 18-2. Well, headed back to St. Louis for game 5 (I play 2-2-1-1-1), the series is in the bag, right?

Nope. Lost games 5,6, and 7, all three wins against the best 1-2 SP combo in the league. I felt a little bit better when Boston ended up winning it all, but yeah. It happens.

I came back from a 3-0 series deficit in an OOTP9 dynasty as well.

mrcoach00 · 09-28-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Oz

This league is a 16 team (4 division, no wild cards) fictional league in its 19th season, using modern era presets & no DHs at all. I am managing the St. Louis Rivermen. I only play out 10% of regular season games and sim the rest, but I play all playoff games.

Do you have an interleague schedule? If so, how did you fair against Vancouver in the regular season? Just curious if they have your number!

The Oz · 09-29-2009, 01:02 AM

Yes, I am a hockey fan. When coming up with names for the teams, I based them around logos available in fictional logos packs. When I saw that the Peoria Rivermen logo was in there, I had to use it.

This league doesn't have interleague, so I guess we won't know if they just own me unless we meet again in the WS.

Johnny Canuck · 09-29-2009, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afino

I came back from a 3-0 series deficit in an OOTP9 dynasty as well.

I had the same thing happen to me in an old OOTP5 dynasty. I was down 3-0 in the '38 WS as the Tigers vs. the Cardinals, and down by two runs in the ninth before Frank Reiber hit a bases-loaded triple to win the game. I won the next three, & the Cardinals wouldn't win another WS for almost 40 years. OOTP produces some amazing stuff sometimes.

jtb · 09-29-2009, 09:56 AM

I recently had an collapse of my team as well, but it was more of a situation of 3/4 of the season playing well over 600 baseball, then for the last 1/4 I had several long losing streaks, while the team directly behind me in the standings pulled off some incredible winning stretches.

It became almost humorous. I could not win, and they could not lose. I actually ended up in 3rd place and missed the playoffs--- when I thought I would coast.

Looking back I think a lot of my players were playing over their heads and we just came back to earth. Awesome game!

matches malone · 09-29-2009, 11:31 AM

Heh. In my first full season my Braves won over 120 games and cruised to a 2-0 series lead over the Yankees in the WS. A-Rod sustained a major injury in Game 2 of the series and was out for the remainder.

Yankees win in 7.

I blame A-Rod.

JackRules1 · 09-29-2009, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matches malone

I blame A-Rod.

Don't we all.

09-28-2009, 03:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
The Oz Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: St. Louis, Mo Posts: 71 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2x in 1 post	Epic collapse I don't post here often, though I do lurk quite a bit and like reading about other people's teams and dynasties & I had to share this: This league is a 16 team (4 division, no wild cards) fictional league in its 19th season, using modern era presets & no DHs at all. I am managing the St. Louis Rivermen. I only play out 10% of regular season games and sim the rest, but I play all playoff games. The Rivermen had a fantastic season, winning 111 games, including a personal-best 23 game winning streak (I am making new house rules this season, to help the AI). The next best team in league was the Vancouver Lumberjacks at 101 wins. Both St. Louis and Vancouver easily advanced through the LCS to the World Series 4 games to 1. In the World Series, despite not-so-great hitting, I won the first 3 games due to good pitching, and a couple of timely home runs. I felt very safe, because I had the best team in the league & in this league no team had ever overcome a 3 game deficit to win a playoff series. Then, things started to fall apart... I lost a close game 4 by a score of 4-3 & then was shut out 5-0 in game 5 on just 3 hits. Game 6 was a heartbreaker, coming back from a 3 run deficit only to lose 6-4 in the 13th inning, and we down very quietly in game 7 4-2, mustering 1 hit with runners on base. What makes the whole thing worse is the way we went down. Even though we scored a few runs, we really didn't have much of an offense at all. Despite leading the league in batting average, we hit .185 in the WS & .157 in the final 4 games. Only 1 player with at least 5 ABs matched his regular-season BA in the playoffs, but the worst was Robert Lee. Lee was an all-star who was 2nd in the league with a regular-season .339 average. In the WS, he was 0 for 16, getting benched for the last 2 games, and finishing with a .114 playoff batting average & .143 slugging (4 for 35 with 5 total bases). CF Porter Martinez is better known for his glove and speed than his bat, but he was an all-star & he hit .368 in the LCS, he went 1 for 23 in the WS with a single. The crazy thing is, I matched up with them brilliantly. My lineup consists of 4 lefties (including Lee) and a switch hitter & all 3 of their playoff starters are righties with significant R/L splits. Their lineups also featured 4 lefties and 1 switch hitter & my #1 & #2 starters are lefties. I was really pissed off that my team could collapse so terribly, (I'm still shopping Lee), but now I think it was interesting to witness such a strange, improbable statistical anomaly and realize that ANYTHING can happen in this game. We'll get em next year. Last edited by The Oz; 09-28-2009 at 03:36 PM.

09-28-2009, 06:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
endgame Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 10,771 Thanks: 894 Thanked 756x in 429 posts	A remarkably refreshing perspective on a team's performance. __________________ "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." -- Samuel Beckett _____________________________________________

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09-28-2009, 03:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
ShaneCarson Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446 Thanks: 36 Thanked 67x in 36 posts	I love seeing stuff like this, even if you are on the frustrating end of it. I played out an old solo league and never had this epic of a collapse but had a team that was just notorious playoff choke artists. We'd cruise in the regular season only to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs year after year. Every year I would think "this is the year!" Then I was reminded who my team was after 5 games of the post season.

09-29-2009, 01:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
The Oz Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: St. Louis, Mo Posts: 71 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2x in 1 post	Yes, I am a hockey fan. When coming up with names for the teams, I based them around logos available in fictional logos packs. When I saw that the Peoria Rivermen logo was in there, I had to use it. This league doesn't have interleague, so I guess we won't know if they just own me unless we meet again in the WS.

09-29-2009, 09:56 AM	#10 (permalink)
jtb All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 553 Thanks: 89 Thanked 16x in 14 posts	I recently had an collapse of my team as well, but it was more of a situation of 3/4 of the season playing well over 600 baseball, then for the last 1/4 I had several long losing streaks, while the team directly behind me in the standings pulled off some incredible winning stretches. It became almost humorous. I could not win, and they could not lose. I actually ended up in 3rd place and missed the playoffs--- when I thought I would coast. Looking back I think a lot of my players were playing over their heads and we just came back to earth. Awesome game!

09-29-2009, 11:31 AM	#11 (permalink)
matches malone Bat Boy Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: tobacco road Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Heh. In my first full season my Braves won over 120 games and cruised to a 2-0 series lead over the Yankees in the WS. A-Rod sustained a major injury in Game 2 of the series and was out for the remainder. Yankees win in 7. I blame A-Rod.