2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

ALCS Game Four:



Are the Nashville Predators a team of destiny? After easily dispatching the Denver Broncos in the first round, they have the defending champion Dolphins on the ropes after routing them in Game Four. Miami drew first blood, when Jake Foss scored on a wild pitch by Mose Urick in the first inning, but Nashville quickly took control. Carlo Romero led off the second inning with a homerun, and Jerry Hise gave the Predators the lead with an RBI single in the same inning. In the fourth inning, Douglas Vogl hit an RBI single. He was followed by a 2-run homerun from David Rosier, making it 5-1 Nashville. Hise drove in another 2 runs with a single in the fifth inning, and Romero hit a 2-run double in the sixth to make it 9-1. Miami got its second run in the seventh inning when Albert Chichester scored on a Jason Mather wild pitch. Angelo Vazquez completed the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it 10-2.


Nashville leads the series, 3 games to 1.



NLCS Game Four:



It was a wild see-saw battle in Game Four of the NLCS as Pittsburgh tried push San Jose to the brink of elimination and San Jose tried to even the series. In the first inning, Javier Rael and Robert Able hit back to back solo homeruns with two outs to give the Pirates an early 2-0 lead. San Jose pitcher James Myatt tied the game in the second inning with a 2-run double. Matias Santos gave the Pirates the lead again with an RBI single in the sixth inning. But once again, Myatt came through for the Sharks, hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth. Still in the sixth inning, William Natali and Ugo Momoru hit RBI singles, giving San Jose a 5-3 lead. That lead lasted until the eighth inning, when Rael hit an RBI double, Santos hit an RBI single, and Ralph Triado hit an RBI double. That gave Pittsburgh a 6-5 lead. The Pirates added to the lead when James Sequeira hit a pinch-hit, leadoff homerun in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, however, James Lumsden and Victor Zurcher each hit RBI singles, tying the game up at 7. The game remained tied through the tenth and eleventh innings. In the 12th inning, Matias Santos hit a solo homerun to the Pirates on top once more. This time, San Jose was out of magic. The 8-7 lead held up and the Pirates were winners. Momoru had 5 hits and Myatt struck out 10 for San Jose.


Pittsburgh leads the series, 3 games to 1.

[jamus23]

ALCS Game Five:



Facing elimination, Miami turned to ace Christian Hokusai. He and Rene Romero locked horns in yet another pitcher's duel. For five innings, both pitchers put up zeros. Nashville was the first to score, getting a 2 out solo homerun from David Rosier in the bottom of the sixth inning. The lead did not last. In the top of the seventh, Edmond McGurk crushed a 2 out, 3 run homerun to give the Dolphins the lead. The Predators got within a run when Angelo Vazquez hit an RBI single in the eighth inning, but they could get no closer. Miami staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory.

Nashville leads the series, 3 games to 2.





NLCS Game Five:




Like the Game Five in the ALCS, the NLCS' Game Five turned into a pitcher's duel as both teams turned to their aces: Scott Council for a Pirates team trying to bring the series to an end, and Justo Rubino for a Sharks team trying to keep its season going. For six innings, neither team could score. In the seventh inning, San Jose broke open the game. With two outs, Orlando Escobedo hit an RBI single, Robert Clear hit an RBI double, and Victor Zurcher hit an RBI single. Matias Santos got the Pirates on the board with a pinch hit RBI single in the eighth inning. That was as close as they would get, however, in a 3-1 San Jose victory. Council gave up 5 hits and 3 runs in 7 innings of work, while Rubino held Pittsburgh to 4 hits and 1 run in 8 innings with 10 strikeouts.


Pittsburgh leads the series, 3 games to 2.

[jamus23]

ALCS Game Six:




Once again, Nashville had the chance to reach its first World Series in nearly 40 years. Once again, Miami faced the end of its season. The Predators struck first, when Carlo Romero drove in 2 runs with a two out single in the first inning. The score remained 2-0 through the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. In the sixth inning, the Dolphins' Dennis Fernandez hit a run-scoring double. Albert Chichester drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning, tying the game at two. In the eighth inning, Miami took the lead on an RBI single by Bill Tovar. 3-2 would be the final score as the Dolphins forced a seventh game.

The series is tied at 3 games apiece.



NLCS Game Six:




Like Miami, the San Jose Sharks entered Game Six on the verge of having their season end. Unlike Miami, the Sharks didn't need a late inning rally to keep it alive. San Jose jumped on Pittsburgh, getting a solo homerun from George Ormiston in the first inning. In the second inning, the Sharks got an RBI double from Roy Isenhour and an RBI single from Simon Martinez, making it 3-0. In the fourth, Robert Clear made it 4-0 with a solo homerun, and a 2-run single from Orlando Escobedo in the fifth inning made it 6-0. The Pirates made it 6-1 when Jose Arruza scored on an error by pitcher Roger Salazar. They wouldn't get any closer, however.


The series is tied at 3 games apiece.

[jamus23]

ALCS Game Seven:




With a World Series appearance at stake, Nashville and Miami went to battle for the last time this season. The Dolphins struck quickly. Roy Springs hit an RBI triple in the first inning and Edmond McGurk followed with a single to knock him in. Miami led, 2-0. In the second inning, Nashville got on the board, getting an RBI single from Robert Perkins. An inning later, the Predators grabbed a 3-2 lead when Daniel Lane blasted a 2 out, 2-run homerun. In the fourth, however, Thomas Fuentes, Jr. hit a leadoff homerun, tying the game at 3 apiece. The game remained tied through the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Miami's McGurk crushed a solo homerun to put the Dolphins ahead. 4-3 Miami was the final score of the game, and 4-3 Miami was how the American League Championship Series ended up. The defending champion Dolphins will get a chance to defend their title.

Miami wins the series, 4 games to 3.




NLCS Game Seven:




Pittsburgh grabbed control of Game Seven when Matias Santos hit a 2 out, 2 run double in the third inning. In the fourth inning, Javier Rael drew a bases-loaded walk, and Robert Able delivered a 2-run single to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead. San Jose crept back into the game. Victor Zurcher hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to make it 5-1. In the sixth, Orlando Escobedo belted a three run homerun, cutting Pittsburgh's lead to a single run. The Pirates pulled away, however. Rael hit a two run homer in the bottom of the sixth, and Jose Arruza led off the seventh inning with a solo shot. 8-4, Pirates. The Sharks kept hope alive, getting RBI singles from Simon Martinez and Ugo Momoru in the eighth inning, but they were unable to getting any closer. Pittsburgh prevailed, 8-6, to win the series.

Pittsburgh wins the series, 4 games to 3.

[jamus23]

The Miami Dolphins (104-58)


VS.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (100-62)


History:

The year was 2036. The Pittsburgh Pirates had just won their fourth straight World Series, a five game defeat of the Nashville Predators. It was the final championship of what would soon be dubbed "the second Pittsburgh dynasty." At that point in time, the Pittsburgh Pirates were unquestionably the premiere team in baseball. In the 34 seasons that the league had been in operation, the Pirates had won 15 championships. The next most belonged to Grand Rapids, with a total of 5. Clearly, there were no teams that challenged Pittsburgh's supremacy.

Just a few years before, however, the league had decided to expand. Four cities were granted franchises that would begin play in 2038. One of those cities was Miami. While the Dolphins' first forays were rather embarassing- they would post the worst record by any team in league history in their initial season, a few building blocks were installed: A young catcher by the name of Dennis Gillespie would be picked up in a trade and a starting pitcher by the name of Albert Casey was selected in the third round of the amateur draft. Though Casey was not yet ready to contribute at the big league level, he would be in a few years. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh returned to the World Series after an absence of one year, but the Pirates were handled with ease by the Tucson Diamondbacks.

In 2039, Miami continued to add pieces. Gillespie was moved to third base to make room for Axel Perez, who leaped straight into the big leagues after being taken with number one overall pick in the amateur draft. A pair of offseason trades netted Miami an established right-fielder, Genaro Aybar, plus a young left-fielder, William Harrold, who was ready to make his mark in the big leagues, and a first base prospect by the name of Joshua Farr. Miami continued to struggle, however, and lost over 100 games again. The Pirates, on the other hand, rolled to a World Series victory, dismantling Kansas City in four games.

2040 saw the acquisition of another puzzle piece for Miami, when the Dolphins signed a 26 year old starting pitcher named Robert Padgett as a free agent. It also saw a sudden upturn in Miami's fortunes. The Dolphins improved their record by 30 games, and finished in second place in the Southeast with a surprising 91 victories. Pittsburgh was overpowered by the eventual champions, Sacramento, in the NLCS.

There was a strange shift in the balance of power in the American League in 2041. All five Southeast teams, including Miami, produced winning records, with two, Knoxville and Washington, topping 100 victories. At the same time, all five Central Division teams finished under .500, with two, Memphis and Denver, producing 100 defeats. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the optimism caused by the previous season was tempered, as they finished in last place despite their 83 wins. Pittsburgh, powered by a season for the ages from John Rockwood, reached the World Series and stomped Knoxville in four games.

Entering the 2042 season, then, the Pittsburgh Pirates had won 17 championships. No other team had won more than 5. The American League that year returned to a more competitive state. No team won 100. No team lost 100. Only one team even reached 90 wins, while only one team lost as many as 90 games. The team that reached 90 wins was the Miami Dolphins, who captured the Southeast Division title with a 93-69 record. The Dolphins whipped Kansas City in the ALCS to reach the World Series. They would not be facing Pittsburgh, however. Instead, they would face the Hector Soriano-led Portland Trailblazers. In a tight series, the Dolphins prevailed, winning in six games. It would be the first championship in Miami's quest to unseat Pittsburgh as baseball's king.

In '43, Miami and Portland engaged in a rematch, with Portland emerging victorious. In '44, Portland reached its third straight World Series, but the Trailblazers lost to Nashville. Miami had lost the division by the 3 games to Nashville.

Pittsburgh and Miami would go head to head for the first time in 2045. The Dolphins won. Thus began a series of battles that would rage constantly for about the next 15 years. Though both would sometimes reach the series in years when the other did not, and sometimes neither would reach the series, the multiple clashes between them captured the imagination of a generation of baseball fans.

They met for a second time in 2048. The Dolphins won again. In 2051, both teams swept aside their opponents in the League Championship Series and dueled for a third time. For a third time, the Dolphins were victors. In 2053, Miami made it four for four over the Pirates. It was not until 2054 that Pittsburgh managed to beat Miami in the World Series. Then, in the three year run of championships from 2057 to 2059 that became known as "the third Pittsburgh dynasty", the Pirates picked up two more wins against Miami, in '57 and '59. That run was brought to a halt in 2060 by none other than the Dolphins. In 2063, Miami crushed Pittsburgh in a four game sweep. For awhile, that brought the epic clashes to an end. It would be 11 years before Pittsburgh reached another World Series, while Miami had its own difficulties in reaching the World Series. The Dolphins won the '65 series, but didn't reach again until 2073, when they lost to San Diego.

In 2074, however, both Pittsburgh and Miami returned to the World Series. The Pirates won. They met up again in 2081, and again, the Pirates won.


-Note: Dennis Gillespie, Axel Perez, Joshua Farr, and Robert Padgett were all future Hall of Famers. Albert Casey is possibly a borderline HoF'er. He won 215 games, had a 3.63 ERA, went to 4 All Star games, won 2 Cy Young Awards, threw a perfect game and another no-hitter, and won 3 World Series while with Miami . Genaro Aybar was a solid regular for a few years, with an .863 career OPS, one All Star appearance, 5 20-HR seasons, and won 2 World Series while with Miami. William Harrold was a 3-time All Star, had an .846 career OPS, hit .303 with 331 career homeruns, and won 2 World Series while with Miami.

Fun Facts:

-In the 41 years since Pittsburgh won its 17th championship in 2041, the Pirates have won 9 World Series. The Dolphins have won 12. San Jose has the third most in that time period, with 5.

-In the 38 years since Pittsburgh and Miami first met each other in the World Series, the two have faced each other 11 times. Miami has won 6, Pittsburgh has won 5.

-In those 11 meetings, there has been only one sweep(Miami, 2063) and only one seven game series(Miami, 2051).

-The World Series winners from 2079 to the present have been Miami, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Miami. This year will obviously not change that trend, regardless of who wins.

-Veteran Miami starting pitcher Jim Miller was a 22 year old for the Dolphins' single A minor league team when the Dolphins last beat Pittsburgh in the World Series(2063).

-18 Pirates remain from the 2081 World Series meeting with Miami, while 17 Dolphins remain.

Postseason Stats:

Pittsburgh:

Strong performers at the plate this postseason include: Reserve outfielder Matias Santos(1.060 OPS in 19 at bats, with 7 RBI), left-fielder Jerry Harmer, Jr.(.842 OPS, 10 runs scored), 1B Jose Arruza(.903 OPS, 2 HR), second-baseman Robert Able(.879 OPS, 3 HR), and catcher Aaron Quijada(.884 OPS, 3 HR). On the mound, Scott Council is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA and 29 K's in 29 innings pitcher, and Andreas Fajardo is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA.

So-so performers include: third-baseman Javier Rael(.190 AVG and .707 OPS, but 5 HR and 11 RBI) and right-fielder James Sequeira(.668 OPS, but 2 HR). On the mound, Jay Marrone is 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in 2 starts.

Poor performers include: short-stop Dean White(.516 OPS) and center-fielder Tony Francois(.427 OPS). On the mound, Douglas Malone is 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA.


Miami:

Those performing well at the plate this postseason include: first-baseman Aaron Shorts(.919 OPS and 10 doubles), catcher Jake Foss(.808 OPS and 4 extra base hits), second-baseman Francisco Alvarez(.814 OPS and 2 HR), and left-fielder Dennis Fernandez(.922 OPS, 5 doubles, and 3 HR). On the mound, Christian Hokusai is 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA, Ramon Baston is 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA, and Jose Caceres is 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA.

So-so performers include: short-stop Bill Tovar(.306 average but only 1 extra base hit and only a .627 OPS), designated hitter Edmond McGurk(3 HR but only a .229 AVG and .726 OPS).

Poor performers include: third-baseman Thomas Fuentes, Jr.(.615 OPS), center-fielder Roy Springs(.526 OPS), and right-fielder Albert Chichester(.456 OPS). On the mound, Mark Prior is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA


Thoughts:


This is a pretty balanced matchup. Both teams can score runs, both teams have good pitching. Miami's rotation is a little bit deeper, while Pittsburgh has the superior bullpen. Pittsburgh's offense is driven heavily by its ability to draw walks and wear down opposing pitchers, while the Dolphins are little bit more balanced between hitting homeruns and drawing walks.

The first item to consider is the designated hitter. Miami will lose one of its hitters when they come to Pittsburgh. Who will it be? Generally, Edmond McGurk has been used as the DH, though he usually replaces the left-handed hitting Jake Foss at catcher when Miami faces a southpaw. Despite his postseason struggles, McGurk is not a guy you want to take out of the lineup, which means the Dolphins may have to stick him at first base, left field, or right field. Either way, Miami will lose a key contributor from the starting lineup, while probably getting worse defensively.

The second item is the difference in ballparks. Miami plays in a very good pitcher's park, while Pittsburgh plays in a neutral/slightly favorable hitter's park. Miami's park is especially difficult to left-handed hitters, which is bad news for guys like James Sequeira and Tony Francois on Pittsburgh's side. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's park is a nice place to hit if you are a lefty. That's good news for Jake Foss, and maybe bench guys like Daniel Armas and Troy Alder on the Dolphins.

A third consideration is how well Miami's Jose Caceres matches up against the Pirates. To be honest, he is not a good matchup. The Pirates are the best team in baseball at drawing walks, and if Caceres has any weakness, it is his lack of control.


There is one other thing to think about. I have referred to the "first Pittsburgh dynasty," the "second Pittsburgh dynasty," and the "third Pittsburgh dynasty." If Pittsburgh wins this World Series, it would be their third in the last four seasons, and fifth in the last ten seasons. Are we in the midst of the "fourth Pittsburgh dynasty"?

Prediction:

As I said, the two teams are pretty even. If Pittsburgh's propensity for working counts can get Miami's starters out of the games early, the Pirates should be able to work over the Dolphins' bullpen pretty well. Losing the DH also will hurt Miami quite a bit, I think. Still, the Dolphins rotation looks a lot better than Pittsburgh's.

I'll go with Miami in seven games.

[jamus23]

World Series Game One:





Those expecting a pitcher's duel between aces Christian Hokusai and Scott Council in Game One were disappointed. The Dolphins got to Council early with three first inning runs. Albert Chichester hit a 2 out, 2-run double and Thomas Fuentes, Jr. followed with an RBI single. Pittsburgh responded in the bottom of the second inning, getting a 2 out, 2-run homerun from Tony Francois. In the third inning, however, Edmond McGurk and Chichester hit back to back homeruns- McGurk's was a two run blast- to give the Dolphins a 6-2 lead. In the bottom of the third, Aaron Quijada got a run back by hitting a 2 out solo homerun. The Pirates wouldn't get any closer. In the fifth inning, McGurk completed the scoring with a 2-run double. Miami cruised to an 8-3 victory. McGurk drove in 4 runs and Chichester drove in 3.



Miami leads, 1 game to none.

[jamus23]

World Series Game Two



Having emerged victorious from Game One, the Miami Dolphins looked to take control of the series with a Game Two win. An error in the second inning by Pittsburgh short-stop Dean White allowed Edmond McGurk to score a run. Bill Tovar and starting pitcher Jose Caceres followed with RBI singles, giving Miami a 3-0 lead. Thomas Fuentes, Jr. made it 4-0 with a solo homerun in the fourth inning.

Pittsburgh got on the board in the sixth inning. Aaron Quijada hit a 2-run double, and a couple of batters later, James Sequeira hit an RBI single, cutting Miami's lead to one run. With one out in the eighth inning, Jose Arruza drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. One out later, Matias Santos also drew a bases-loaded walk, giving the Pirates a 5-4 lead. In the top of the ninth, Miami loaded the bases with one out, but came away with nothing, allowing Pittsburgh to win.


The series is tied at one game apiece.

[jamus23]

Mounts remains busy, Asbel Fuentez signs extension
October 31, 2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer



Eleven days after agreeing to a contract extension with catcher Lee Chappel, Denver general manager John Mounts announced that the Broncos and right-fielder Asbel Fuentez have come to terms on a new contract. The speedy 35-year old has signed a 2 year deal that will pay him $6 million per year. Fuentez ranked 3rd in OPS among all right-fielders this season, posting a .921 mark. He also led the American League with 54 stolen bases. For his career, Fuentez has hit .318/.388/.473/.860. He is a three time All-Star with 2,417 career hits, 571 doubles, 142 homeruns, 1,377 runs scored, and 708 stolen bases. The stolen bases rank seventh in league history.