California Dreamin' - The GUBA's California Crusaders

[mikev]

Kennelly Suffers Major Injury



Luigi Kennelly had it all going for him this season.

He'd made 8 starts, sported a league best 7-0 record, a 1.73 ERA, and was striking out twice as many guys as he walked. As one of California's big three, aside Mario Garcia and Crawford Tetreault, Kennelly was one of the catalysts for California this season, as the Crusaders maintain first place in the MBBA Pacific.

On May 16th, that all changed. In a game against Buffalo, Kennelly was removed from the game after feeling a pop in his elbow after delivering a pitch. The team held its collective breath while awaiting the results of an MRI, and their fears were confirmed. Kenelly had ruptured the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, and would miss a full calendar year due to the injury.

Talk about a cursed franchise.

While not career ending, Kennelly's future is nowhere near as bright as before. Already suffering talent hits in the past, and reportedly the same taking place due to injury, things just don't look very good for the Australian lefty.

"I've got to do my work, my rehab." said Kennelly. "I don't know what will come of it, but I'll pitch again."

All we can do is hope he's right.

[mikev]

Crusaders Still in First Place

A 6-3 sim featuring two of three from Green Bay, a three game sweep of Buffalo, and losing two of three to Washington puts the Crusaders at 27-14, good for a 4 game lead over Valencia(!) in the Pacific.

Miguel Garcia and Kenkichi Sugiyama led the way offensively, each hitting a pair of home runs while the rest of the offense floundered. There really isn't a whole lot to say, when you hit .228 as a team with a .280 OBP, you look at a 6-3 record over 10 games, thank your pitching staff, and look forward to the next few games.

We've already touched on the Kennelly injury, which is just an absolute killer. Gramachoto will move back into the rotation, which I'm not excited about /at all/. Yes, he's only 24, but is it too early to label the guy as AAAA quality? Totally dominant in the minors, totally awful in the bigs (okay, small smaple size).

The more I look at it, the more I'm tempted to give Kramer a shot in the rotation. He's listed as a borderline SP by OOTP anyway, features two plus pitches and a third not so plus pitch, but he's been very good so far in the bullpen. Couldn't hurt, I guess. It could hurt the bullpen though. He's been a big part of it, along with Angel Sandoval, and the disappointing Ismael Enriquez hasn't been very good at all with the Crusaders. Strange to see after being so great in Moscow, but it would appear that he just doesn't enjoy being a Crusader.

There have been no serious trade rumors lately out of California, but several members of the organization have hinted that there is nobody in the minors who can replace Kennelly's roster spot. Might this mean a deal is in the works? We're not sure.

The Next Crusade

5/21 - v. Valencia
5/22 - v. Valencia
5/23 - v. Valencia
5/24 - v. Valencia

5/26 - v. Los Angeles
5/27 - v. Los Angeles
5/28 - v. Los Angeles

5/29 - @ Las Vegas
5/30 - @ Las Vegas

[mikev]

Bradford Acquired From Paris

It was big news, and it was a last second deal.

Jeff Bradford is now a California Crusader.

The 29 year old infielder who has spent all but one of his 9(!) seasons with Paris was dealt for a package of Jorge Vazquez, a first round draft pick in 2022, and Donegal Wise, the 22 year old infielder just drafted by the Crusaders.

In Bradford, the Crusaders fill a void at third base created by the underperforming Jason Pope and the lumped to **** Salvador Bernal. A career .314/.366/.450 hitter, Bradford has gotten off to a slow start, hitting only .253 over his first 50 games. He'll be slotted into the #2 spot in the lineup, where his solid contact, good on base skills, and above average baserunning will be utilized in front of Aucoin and Forest.

The team has reportedly contacted Bradford about a long term extension, and hope to have a deal in place before the end of the season, as Bradford is in the final year of his current contract.

There are also rumors that the team is still looking for another pitcher to replace the injured Luigi Kennelly in the rotation, but nothing substantial has surfaced yet.

[mikev]

Can We Just Have One Good Season Please?

Going 4-5 against LA, Long Beach, and Green Bay sucks. WE dropped 2 games from our lead and are 7 up on Vegas.

Doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, the season is basically finished.

Jeff Bradford will miss the next 2 months after injuring his knee. He's already suffered ratings decreases to contact, avoid strikeouts, and gap power.

Because we don't have bad enough luck, I guess. It wasn't enough that Luigi Kennelly is out for the year, or that Ricardo Soto is out for 3 more weeks. No, we needed to have the 29 year old superstar we just acquired get hurt for 2 months. Oh, and let's go ahead and take out Inigo for 3 weeks, while we're at it.

Carlos Mora and Aaron Schlueter are the only outfielders on my roster.

So I'm done. Another season is wasted. Sure, maybe I'll hold onto a 7 game lead, but not likely, and I have nothing to trade anymore, and nobody to put on the roster. Hell, even the scrap heap free agent I just signed as a stopgap until Soto comes back lumped before he was even put on the roster.

Whatever.

[mikev]

Still On Top


The 2020 GUBA season has just about reached the half way point, and the Crusaders are quite happy with their position. At 49-29 they lead the MBBA Pacific, 4 games ahead of Las Vegas in what is increasingly becoming a 2 team race. Since starting the season 14-8 in April, the Crusaders have played .600 ball (35-21) in the face of numerous injuries. And the injury bug is slowing down. Robinson Leyva has returned to the lineup, and Alfonso Inigio and Ricardo Soto are set to rejoin the team this week. Jeff Bradford is also set to rejoin the team next month or at the beginning of August, bringing the team to almost full strength. Barring future injuries, only Luigi Kennelly will remain on the DL.

After an amazing start to the season, Crawford Tetreault was roughed up in his last 2 starts, allowing 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 7-1 loss to New York on the 28th after 6 shutout inings against Chicago on the 23rd The game on the 29th likely marked the last game in a Monarchs uniform for a while for Francisco Perez, who alternates between being extremely effective and terrible in his outings, resulting in a 6.80 ERA and 1.99 WHIP in 43 1/3 innings so far in 2020. His spot is likely to be given to Olaf Kuhnt, who is pitching well at AAA Oakland (2.94 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 33 2/3 innings) and who pitched well in a brief call-up last year (2.33 ERA, 1.03 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings).

4 starters on the Monarchs staff now have ERAs below 3.20 . Luigi Kennelly (admittedly only 8 starts) leads at 1.73, then comes Tetreault at 2.42, GARICA at 2.51 and Belchyor Gramachoto at 3.19. Unfortunately, the success of the rotation is not mirrored in the bullpen, where only Angel Sandoval and Lewis Kramer have ERAs below 3.00. Closer Sandoval went through a very rough patch in early June, however he is 1-1 with 30 saves in 2020, with a 2.36 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 42 innings over that span. Despite a 4.71 K/9 and 9 hits/9 on the season, the Mexican has only blown 3 saves in 2020.

Last year, in 339 at bats, Carlos Mora had 6 homeruns and 39 RBI while posting an OPS of .794. So far in 2020, Higashi has 2 homeruns, 24 RBI and an OPS of .823. He hit only .324 in June, however he had 14 XBH, a monthly high for the year. He's been a huge catalyst to the offense so far.

The Monarchs head to the All-Star break with a lot of confidence, and look forward to a strong second half to the season.

[mikev]

Forest Hurt, Garcia Left Off Ballot

5-4 this sim against Vancouver, Vegas, Buffalo, and Baltimore.

However, the team was dealt yet another crushing blow when DH Jakob Forest tore his quad muscle. He'll miss a month, but more importantly suffered ratings drops across the board. At 13/14/13/19/9, he's looking like he's about to seriously decline. I have to hold my breath, since his only actual talent drop was his gap power, but losing TWO ratings points each in contact and power is not a good sign. Finally the beginning of the end for him?

Thankfully, he's just the DH. It's going to be a huge hit to the already below average Crusaders offense, but I don't have to scramble to find position players like I did when 3 of my 4 outfielders were hurt or when Leyva and Bradford were both out (Bradford still is).

I mean, whatever. The pitching is what is carrying this team anyway, but losing a .293/.439/.456 hitter sucks. A lot. Oh well.

Heading into this next sim, we'll get to the all star break. Guys who should make it:


Crawford Tetreault - Nothing short of awesome. 13-3, 2.24, 1.08 WHIP. One of the best pitchers in the league this year, hands down.

Mario GARICA - Not even on the ballot (WTF?), but he's 7-4, 2.81, 1.05 WHIP. In 105 innings, he's only allowed /19/ extra base hits.

Angel Sandoval - 1-1, 2.36, 1.19 WHIP. Sandoval has 31 saves already, leading the GUBA.

That's about it. Our offense sucks, we don't have anybody worth sending to the midsummer classic. We REALLY need to acquire another bat, but I don't know who or how I'm gonna do it. I've pretty much got nothing left to trade.

The Next Crusade

7/11 - @ Baltimore
7/12 - @ Baltimore

ALL STAR BREAK

7/17 - v. Greenville
7/18 - v. Greenville
7/19 - v. Greenville

7/20 - @ Des Moines

(WTF? AT Baltimore, Home v Greenville, AT Des Moines? Good job, schedulers.)

[mikev]

10 Game Lead?

3-3 last sim. Split 2 with Baltimore, took 2 of 3 from Greenville, and lost the first of 3 to Des Moines. However, due to Vegas going 1-5, we actually /gained 2 games in the standings, and now sport a 10 game lead with a 57-36 record just after the all star break.

(Waits for everyone to chime in about my team and me whining, etc.)


Seriously, I don't get it. This team is smoke and mirrors right now. The offense sucks. We've got, like, zero power. Sugiyama leads the team with.... 11 homers. ELEVEN. If there were a buyers/sellers feature, I'd probably be in the market as a buyer for a big power bat. Unfortunately I don't have anything left to trade for one, so there's that.

No, the pitching is what keeps this team afloat. Tetreault and GARICA are one of the better 1-2 combinations in the MBBA this year (I said this year), and to my surprise Gramachoto has actually held his own. Salinas and Guzman both suck, though. I really need another arm in the rotation for the second half. I've put out some trade feelers but not gotten many responses.

The bullpen has been pretty good too. Angel Sandoval leads the league in saves (32), has a 2.54 ERA, and is awesome again. Lewis Kramer is another solid relief arm, and I need to get him some more innings as he's only on pace for about 80 or so. He'll be a tough resign, too. I'll have to put some PPT into his loyalty and greed.

So I dunno. Holding pattern for now, though the trade deadline is in a few sims. Soto is back, Forest has a few more weeks, and then the lineup will be a little better. I hope the pitching doesn't fall apart.

The Next Crusade

7/21 - @ Des Moines
7/22 - @ Des Moines

7/23 - @ Valencia
7/24 - @ Valencia
7/25 - @ Valencia
7/26 - @ Valencia

7/28 - @ Long Beach
7/29 - @ Long Beach
7/30 - @ Long Beach

[mikev]

Guthrie, Bruno Acquired For Mora

A bit of a surprising move by the Crusaders, outfielder Carlos Mora has been traded to the Vancouver Mounties along with pitcher Francisco Perez. In exchange, the Crusaders acquired second baseman Byron Guthrie and 1B/DH Alejandro Bruno.

Mora, 27, is in the midst of a solid third year in the GUBA, with a .292/.382/.441 line so far this season, was the main piece sought by Vancouver. After looking over the Mounties roster, Guthrie was the main standout. 24 years old, decent defender, good contact and won't strike out much. Low eye rating and power, but his avoid K and high contact should make up for those, we figure he'll be a guy who's OBP is very batting average dependent, but that's OK. A .300/.340 line from him wouldn't be out of the question, and with Robinson Leyva in a walk year, it made a ton of sense to look for a replacement.

Bruno is more of a wild card. He's bounced around the league, with California being his 4th team since 2016, though until this year he's never appeared in more than 31 games. His contact just dropped from 13 to 12, but his gap, eye, and avoid K ratings are all 13 or higher. We feel like he'll put up decent numbers given consistent playing time.

The issue now is the lack of outfielders in California. Inigo and Soto are the only starting caliber guys left, so we'll need to look for something at the trade deadline. I'd also like to acquire another arm for the rotation. Not that losing Perez is meaningful at all, but with only 2 good starters this team won't be long for the playoffs.

Stay tuned. I'm (hopefully) not quite done yet.

[mikev]

2020 Trade Deadline Stuff

After aquiring Byron Guthrie and Alejandro Bruno to California, at the cost of outfielder Carlos Mora, the Crusaders faced a deadline need of an outfielder. The only starting caliber players on the team were Alfonso Inigo and Ricardo Soto.

Multiple players were placed on the trade block, most notably Tommy Aucoin. He would only be dealt for an impact outfielder, though, and there were (literally) no inquiries about him. Slightly puzzling to me, but whatever.

Trying to be proactive, we sent out a good number of feelers to try and go after guys to fill the void in the outfield. You would think that finding a solid corner OF shouldn't be that big of a deal, but some of the offers we got were laughable at best, some of our offers were essentially ignored until there was no time left to negotiate, and a few times we thought we might have had deals in place after we met the asking price set in a trade block, but refused to include more.

In all, it proved to be an insanely frustrating deadline day. We ended up sending minor league shortstop Kapuaula to the Manhattan Myst, along with a #4 and #7 pick, for pitcher Luis Antonio Estrada and outfielder Craig Crum. While neither are world beaters, Estrada is an upgrade at the #5 starter spot, and Crum is an elite defender who should at least be able to give us a .750 OPS or so.

Then, literally minutes before the deadline, Buffalo offered up Victor Bunch to anybody who would give up a third round pick. Needless to say I jumped on the deal, as I'd actually inquired about Bunch earlier in the day, and he was our new starting right fielder with Crum being moved to a 4th OF spot, which I'm much happier with.

Of course, it's a good thing we aqcuired 2 outfielders. Inigo proceeded to get hurt for 7 weeks, so Crum is back into a starting job for the near future. Sigh.

Overall, I'm not really happy with the way the deadline worked out for California, but oh well. What are you gonna do.

[mikev]

Good News And Bad News

An 8-1 sim. We'll take that, especially when it features 7 straight wins against division rivals LA, Vancouver, and Long Beach.

Overall it was just good hitting and good pitching. Team OPS: .869 Team ERA/WHIP: 3.11/1.00

Jeff Bradford enjoyed his return to the lineup, going 17-for-39 in 9 games with 25 total bases. Currently replacement level player Byron Guthrie also had a 1.000 OPS after going 13-for-31 with a homer and 2 doubles in 8 games played. In a miniscule 17 game sample, Guthrie has hit .364/.382/.530 since being acquired by the Crusaders.

On the mound, Crawford Tetreault continues his ratings-defying season. The lefty made 2 starts, totalled 15 innings with 15 strikeouts, 5 walks, and only 3 earned runs allowed. He probably won't win the Golden Arm award, but damned if he doesn't merit some serious consideration.

Not to be outdone by Tetreault, newcomer Luis Antonio Estrada tossed 16 innings in his 2 starts, giving up 4 earned runs with a 13 strikeout/1 walk ratio. Yes, we'll take that from our 5th starter.

Now, on to the bad news. [url=http://www.theguba.net/news/html/players/player_9806.html]Jeff Bradford[url] (contact), Ismael Enriquez (movement), Jakob Forest (contact), and Alfonso Inigo (gap) all suffered ratings drops.

Inigo's is understandable -- he's hurt. Forest, I suppose you could make an argument for -- he's 38, but he's hitting .292/.426/.439 this season, so if you subscribe to the "ratings changes are based on stats" theory, well, you're wrong. Same with Bradford, who's hitting .291 with a .366 OBP this season.

So, development in the recent versions of OOTP will continue to confuse the hell out of me, and I'll just go on assuming the worst every sim because it's essentially random. Hell, Forest's contact talent dropped from 8 to 7, and yet his contact /rating increased from 13 to 14. EXPLAIN PLZ?

The Next Crusade

8/21 - @ Chicago
8/22 - @ Chicago
8/23 - @ Chicago

8/24 - v. Las Vegas
8/25 - v. Las Vegas
8/26 - v. Las Vegas

8/28 - v. Valencia
8/29 - v. Valencia
8/30 - v. Valencia

[mikev]

2020 MBBA Pacific Champs

With a GM on vacation the final 3 sims of the regular season, the Crusaders wrapped up the MBBA Pacific division for the 3rd time in the team's history, ending the year with a 97 win mark.

Unfortunately, Tommy Aucoin will be lost for the playoffs due to a torn meniscus. That hurts, as the suckfest that is Bruno has to take over DH duties now. Yikes.

Anyway, we can't really go into sim by sim stuff, so I'll just touch on some of the notable stuff for the 2020 Crusaders season.

Jeff Bradford -- Just, wow. Everything we hoped for after picking him up, Bradford hit .322/.390/.451 in 61 games for us, with 22 extra base hits out of the leadoff spot. Unfortunately for us, mister "10 loyalty, 2 greed" has decided that being traded to a winning team has made him worth nearly $17M per season instead of the $10M per season he was apparently asking from his previous squad. Working as intended.

Kenkichi Sugiyama - Finally breaking out, the 26 year old catcher hit .272/.308/.434 in 2020, with 20 homers, 93 RBi, and 26 doubles. He's still got some issues with plate discipline, but the power numbers and the defense are coming along great. He's got a high loyalty, which is nice, but if Bradford is any indication it won't matter come contract time.

Byron Guthrie - Acquired to replace the soon to be departed Robinson Leyva, Guthrie hit .306/.323/.443 for the Crusaders after being traded from Vancouver, and played a pretty good second base for us.

Crawford Tetreault - Pitched out of his effing mind this year. 20-7, 2.95, 222 innings, 1.13 WHIP, he was just dominant all season long. He won't win the Golden Arm award, but he should get some votes.

Mario Garcia - GARICA. The 26 year old cranked out another solid season, winning 13 games and putting up a 3.52 ERA. If only Kennelly hadn't lumped to ****, we'd have a great front three next year.

Angel "Dog" Sandoval - YO DOG. The 32 year old continues to put up good numbers out of the closer role, and led the league with 46 saves this season, as well as putting up another sub-3.00 ERA and tossing 84 innings. Along with Kramer and Enriquez, we're going to have a pretty good (and expensive ) bullpen next year.

There's plenty more, but I missed too much to go over it all. Up next? PLAYOFFS VS GREENVILLE. **** you Corosi.

[mikev]

Crusaders Drown Out Shiners

Well, they don't get much more dramatic than this.

Playoffs. Round 1 (of like 14? I dunno, these are gonna take longer than the NHL), Greenville v California. Ryan vs Tetreault in games 1, 4, and potentially 7. Okay, let's see how it'll shake down.

Game 1 -- As advertised. Ryan goes 8 innings and allows 1 run. Tetreault goes 8.1 innings, and allows 3 runs in the 8th inning. Forest hits a bomb in the 9th, but it's not enough. 1-0 Greenville.

Game 2 -- A 12 inning thriller. Greenville scores 2 off GARICA in the first, but we bounce back with 2 of our own and add another in the second. They tied it up in the 3rd, we took the lead in the 6th, they tied it back up in the 7th. 5 innings later, in the bottom of the 12th, Greenville commits a pair of errors to give us 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. After Bruno was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ricardo Soto hits a sac fly to win the game 5-4. Tied, 1-1.

Game 3 -- More bonus baseball here, but only 11 innings this time. Greenville hammered Estrada for 6 runs in 6 innings, but Corosi did his best to keep us in the game, allowing 4 runs himself. Sugiyama hit a game tying double in the top of the 9th, but Martinez would hit a walkoff single in the 11th to give Greenville a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 -- Tetreault/Ryan v2, but this one was a laugher. Ryan only goes 5.1 innings and gets knocked around for 11 hits, 4 ER, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Tetreault is dominant, allowing only 3 hits and 2 walks into the 8th inning, striking out 10 Moonshiners. We'd add on 3 more in the 8th against Chavez and breezed to a 7-0 win to tie the series yet again.

Game 5 -- More Crusaders pitching on display here. GARICA tosses 7.1 innings of 1 run ball, Kramer and Guzman combine to allow 1 run, and our hitters put up 4 runs against Suzuki plus 2 more in the 9th to put the game away, as well as take a 3-2 series lead and look to wrap up the series in 6.

Game 6 -- Estrada was brilliant 8.1 innings, 6 hits, 2 ER, 5 strikeouts and only 1 walk. Corosi was better, allowing only 2 hits in 7.1 innings. We couldn't get to Lenton or Gapuzan either, and were shut out and forced to a deciding 7th game.

Game 7 -- For the 3rd time in the series, Ryan and Tetreault square off, and they delivered. Tetreault goes 6, strikes out 6, and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits. Ryan goes 7.2, and allows 2 runs on 7 hits. What that meant is Greenville held a 3-2 lead going into the ninth and California were to face Greenville closer Rizhean Gapuzan with their season on the line.

Victor Bunch grounded out. 1 down.

Sugiyama decided he wasn't ready to go home, and roped a double into the gap.

The much-maligned Alejandro Bruno then squibbed one to second base, however Greenville infielder Topi Myllyniemi boots it! Sugiyama rounds third and scores, tieing up the game at 3. 46,519 fans were going absolutely bonkers as Bruno stood on third base with Inigo coming to the plate. After two quick strikes, Inigo took a pair of pitches to even the count at 2-2.

The next pitch is a deep flyball, and former Crusader Ruben Velez is in centerfield for Greenville trying to track it down. Bruno, running on contact, rounds second and is heading toward third base as Velez extends himself completely, dives.... and misses it! The ball rolls to the wall as Bruno crosses the plate, the stadium explodes, and the Crusaders flood the field in celebration as they move onto the second round of the 2020 MBBA Playoffs!

A fantastic series, IMO better than advertised, but I've gotta be thankful that Greenville was without Soriano and Aguilar. I'm not sure we'd beat them if they were full strength.

The Next Crusade

Playoffs, Round 2. We're facing the high powered Louisville Sluggers. Hold onto your hats.

[mikev]

Crusaders Slip Past Sluggers Into MBBA Championship Series

Another exciting 7 game series in the MBBA playoffs, and the California Crusaders got by the Louisville Sluggers and advanced to the MBBA Championship for the first time in team history.

Game 1 -- The Crusaders, down 3-1 after four innings, tally 7 runs in the second half of the game and take a 1-0 lead.

Game 2 -- The Sluggers potent offense shows its stuff, scoring 4 runs in the fourth inning and another 2 in the fifth. THat would be all they would need as Martinez was masterful, and the Crusaders only managed a single run in the 9th inning. Series tied at 1.

Game 3 -- Crusaders ace Crawford Tetreault is a bit shaky, giving up 4 runs in the third inning. Luckily, the Crusaders scored 4 of their own in the second, as well as single tallies in the first and the sixth inning to give California a 6-4 win and a series lead.

Game 4 -- This game was a hit parade, California banging out 13 hits and Louisville with 12. Louisville's 5 runs was enough to hold off the Crusaders though, Sluggers closer Rocky Gonzalez shutting down California in the ninth inning after they had scored 2 in the eighth to pull within 5-4. Louisville takes game 4 to tie the series back up again.

Game 5 -- The Crusaders got out to an early lead, scoring single runs in the first and second innings. The Sluggers respond in the fifth with 3 runs, and the Crusaders tied it back up in the bottom half. The game remained tied until Andy Brennan gave up 3 runs, and Louisville takes a 3-2 lead in the series.

Game 6 -- Facing elimination, Crawford Tetreault takes the mound again but his services aren't particularly needed. The Crusaders get out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never look back, scoring 2 more in the fifth, and then 5 in the last three innings. 9 runs and 18 hits see California walk away with the win and force a deciding seventh game in the series.

Game 7 -- In the deciding game, Louisville scored the first run, in the bottom of the first against GARICA. The Crusaders respond with 3 in the top of the second, 2 in the fourth, fifth, and one in the sixth. The Sluggers only manage one more run as Garcia shuts down the high powered offense, and California's 8-2 victory is the second consecutive 7 game series win for the Crusaders.

The Next Crusade

It's not going to get any easier, either. In the MBBA Championship we're facing the Des Moines Kernels, who won 101 games on the shoulders of Goto and a solid offense featuring Ishihara and Brunet

[mikev]

CRUSADERS WIN THE PENNANT! CRUSADERS WIN THE PENNANT!

2020 MBBA Champions.

I like the way that sounds.

The Crusaders beat the Des Moines Kernels in 6 games to win their first ever MBBA Championship, and now move onto the GUBA Championship, facing the Taipei Tigers.

In Game 1, California sent Luis Antonio Estrada to the mound, a bit of a risk but at the same time saving their two aces for games in which Des Moines superstar Yoriyoshi Goto would not be pitching. In the end, it wouldn't matter as Goto was injured in the second inning. Estrada pitched brilliantly for seven innings, allowing only a run in the first, then fell apart allowing 3 in the eighth. The Crusaders offense was not able to get to the Des Moines bullpen, and the Kernels took a 4-2 victory.

Game two saw the Crusaders ace Crawford Tetreault square off against Paco Martinez. The lefty turned in another fantastic performance, allowing 7 hits in 7 innings but managing to keep the potent Des Moines offense to only 3 runs. A Byron Guthrie 2-run double gave the Crusaders the lead in the first inning, and a 4 run third inning was all the scoring we needed the rest of the way.

GARICA took the mound in Game 3, looking to give the Crusaders a 2-1 lead as the series moved to California. After giving up a 2-run double in the top of the first inning, Garcia settled down nicely and held the Kernels to 3 runs over 7.1 innings. Victor Bunch gave California the lead with a grand slam in the first inning, and tacked on an RBI single in the eighth to cap off a 5 RBI night and a 6-3 Crusader victory.

Game 4 saw Estrada get shelled, giving up 9 hits and 5 runs in six innings, walking 4 and not striking a batter out. Couple that with a CGSO from Wilton (really? Wow.) and the Kernels evened up the series and sent a pretty serious message to the league that they were for real, walking to a 6-0 win.

Not to be outdone, Crawford Tetreault decided that complete game shutouts were cool, and tossed one of his own in Game 5. He allowed only 5 hits, struck out 5, and issued no free passes. Victor Bunch hit another homer, and Kenkichi Sugiyama continued his postseason breakout with a dinger of his own, and the Crusaders returned the 6-0 shutout favor as well as put the Kernels' backs against the wall, facing an elimination game against GARICA.

Trying to wrap up the series at home, the Crusaders were going to have a very tough road since Goto was pushed back and starting Game 6 to try and extend the season one more game for DM.

In the first inning, Jeff Bradford led off with a single, advanced on a wild pitch, and then took third on a Nick Woods base hit. The next two batters, Forest and Bunch were retired. With two out, Sugiyama singled to drive in Bradford. Then Bruno hit a 2-run double. Then Inigo drove in Bruno with a double of his own. Then Guthrie singled and drove in Bruno, and Des Moines had no choice but to pull their 23 year old ace. Soto grounded out to end the inning, but the Crusaders had taken a 5 run lead before Des Moines had even gotten a chance to bat.

Garcia was not as dominant as he's been, but he managed to pitch into the 7th inning and allow only 3 runs on 9 hits, and struck out 6 batters without walking any. California would add another run in the seventh, Des Moines only managed single tallies in the third and seventh. The Crusaders walked out with a 6-3 victory and the first pennant in team history.

It's a... strange feeling. This team isn't nearly as good as previous teams I've put together, but I'm not going to complain. Playoffs/crapshoot/etc, we're hot at the right time and that's fine by me.

The Next Crusade

The GUBA championship against Taipei. They've got a legit ace in Sasaki, a 40 homer hitter Torres, and a TEAM ops of .804. I'll need my pitching to stay hot to have a chance.

[mikev]

We Are The Champions!



We did it. The California Crusaders are the 2020 GUBA World Series Champions

You could very well say that we were the underdog in every postseason series we played in this year.

Looking at previews, PJ thought we'd beat Greenville, nobody previewed the Louisville series but I'm not sure anybody (myself included, quite honestly) thought we'd beat the Sluggers. That offense is pretty amazing and had they not lost Soto they'd likely have eliminated us as well. Tedesco predicted we'd be swept by Des Moines in the MBBA championship, and then predicted Taipei would beat us in 6 in the World Series.

I can't say I disagree with any of the previews, either, but that doesn't mean I'm going to complain about the result.

Mostly, I'm happy that I got a title before Jakob Forest hangs it up. The 38 year old has played every season of his career in California and is locked up for 2 more if he doesn't retire. He's not the monster he was before, mostly because his power dropped of quite a bit, but still had a .417 OBP, good for second highest in the MBBA. That he can add "World Series Champion" to his already HOF resume is that much sweeter.

Like Forest, reliever Angel Sandoval has spent his entire career in California. Also like Forest, he's not quite the dominant closer he's been in previous years, but he did league the league with 46 saves.

I'm not even sure what else to say, really. I can honestly say I did not expect this to happen this year, with the injuries and the rough development the team has suffered. I've talked with a few other guys and they've all agreed, this is nowhere near the best Crusader team I've put together, but there's something to be said for getting hot at the right time.

Now the real work starts though. I've got some serious decisions to make, most notably regarding Jeff Bradford and Luis Antonio Estrada, my two deadline acquisitions. Bradford was rumored to want a $10M per year extension, but is asking me for a tick over $16M per. I just don't know that I can offer that much to him. He's worth it, but my financial situation may keep me from being able to do it. (incidentally, 10 loyalty, 3 greed, just won the world series. 16M demands? really? Okay.)

The Next Crusade

Wading through the offseason

[mikev]

Bradford Traded Days After World Series?

Rumors leaked out of the clubhouse post World Series celebration are reporting that the World Champion Crusaders have traded infielder Jeff Bradford to the Moscow Enforcers.

When contacted for a comment, Crusaders GM Mike Voelker confirmed the report.

"Man, you guys work fast these days," said Voelker. "Used to be that it would be a week or so of downtime, but now with all this instant access through the web, you guys know about deals before I do half the time."

Bradford is headed to Moscow in exchange for infielder Alfredo Meran and minor leaguer Jayden Pendle. Meran hit .289 for the Enforcers in 2020, and the 38 year old hasn't really shown any signs of slowing down. Signed through the 2021 season, it's unclear whether the team views him as simply a stopgap for the year while they pursue another option for the long term.

Various media outlets have suggested that the move is simply a dump, and that Bradford's extension demands were more than the team was willing to (or possibly able to) offer the infielder, who was one of the team's best hitters (.322/.390/.451) after being picked up from Paris last year. They say the trade is nothing more than getting "something" for a guy who would walk after the season anyway, and at best be more than a compensation draft pick.

"I like the guys we picked up." Voelker commented. "Meran's a proven talent, as is Jeff. Sure, there were salary issues we looked at, and Jeff was great about it. I tried to find somewhere that fit for him as well, and I think the Pendle kid has a good shot at being a solid big league arm."

Pendle, 20, features a fastball that can touch 94, a very good curveball, and a change up that needs some work. In Double A Leningrad, he appeared in 58 games, with a 7-2 record and 20 saves in 69 innings, and 2.35 ERA/1.26 WHIP. He walked too many guys, but his control is a ways away still as he's only 20. If he gets that situated, he could find himself pitching in the big leagues as soon as next season.

For Bradford, a short but very sweet era as a California Crusader is now at an end. Will the same be said for Meran?

[EMSoccerCoach]

I've got a lot of respect for you and those like you who can stick with the fictional leagues and do them in this detail. I just can't get a feel for the players and teams. I've tried it and just don't get as into it. But I think you've got a great dynasty going here and enjoy popping in to see how the Crusaders are doing!

[Picky]

Congratulations on winning a title; with the logjam you had in your division it must be nice to finally get over the hump despite not having your best team assembled.

[mikev]

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

I've got a lot of respect for you and those like you who can stick with the fictional leagues and do them in this detail. I just can't get a feel for the players and teams. I've tried it and just don't get as into it. But I think you've got a great dynasty going here and enjoy popping in to see how the Crusaders are doing!

Thanks.

Fictional leagues are, IMO, the way to go. Well, that and historical, but that ends up being the same as real MLB leagues, eventually they become fictional leagues anyway if you play them long enough.

It probably took me 2 or 3 in-game seasons to really get into some of my players, but I definitely feel that the Crusaders are my team now.

Although I will say that the GUBA is kinda different -- it's by far the best online league I've ever been a part of, but there's just as much off topic stuff as there is OOTP related stuff, and that makes it really easy to stay interested.

Originally Posted by Picky

Congratulations on winning a title; with the logjam you had in your division it must be nice to finally get over the hump despite not having your best team assembled.

Thanks! It's hard to explain, it's great to win it all, but it's really weird because I don't think this is nearly the best team I've ever put together, and in fact I didn't think this team was even going to be playoff caliber after the injuries, but I'm not going to complain.

[mikev]

Sugiyama Inked To Extension

You may look at Kenkichi Sugiyama and his fairly pedestrian .272/.308./434 campaign last year, and think "sure, he's a decent hitter."

The OBP wasn't quite there, but he hit 20 homers and 26 doubles, drove in 93 runs, and at a position where offense is usually considered secondary, he was good enough to have a 28.3 VORP.

However, the 26 year old was absolutely dominant in the postseason. In 26(!) games, all he did was bat .327 with 7 homers, 9 doubles, and a 1.013 OPS. He was the catalyst for the offense, especially with Aucoin out for most of the playoffs, and he really stepped up his game when it was needed.

It was no secret that the Crusaders wanted to lock up the young slugger long term, and it was recently announced that the team and player had agreed on terms of an extension. The 5 year deal will pay Sugiyama $25.8 Million through the 2026 season, a $5.2m per season salary.

The contract is favorable for both sides. Sugiyama gets a substantial raise over his league minimum deal, and the team saves some long term cash in the form of arbitration years bought out, as well as one free agent season when Sugiyama will be 31.

"Obviously we're excited about the deal," said Crusaders GM Voelker. "A guy like Kenny, you can see he's ready to break out, and I think that showed in the playoffs. We both have peace of mind now, and I think moving forward that's a good thing for everybody involved."

Rumors that the Crusaders were interested in infielder Jorge Mora were proven incorrect when the Taipei Tigers announced that Mora had signed a 3 year, 23 million dollar deal to play for the FIBB Champions.