The Federal Baseball League: Rebirth of a Franchise

[ifspuds]

Welcome to the start of the season! As the sim schedule is Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday, expect three updates a week or so. We're into the middle of May right now, so I'll post a little more quickly than that until I get caught up to the current sim.

Season Starts With Bang, Rainiers Jump Out To Early Lead

The Rainiers dropped the first game of their FBL tenure, 5-1 to the Dallas Lone Stars, but swept the table after that, putting together a 6-game win streak to pace the FBL with the best record through 7 games.

First Series
Dallas 5, Seattle 1
Dallas 1, Seattle 6
Dallas 3, Seattle 4
Dallas 5, Seattle 6

In front of a raucous opening day crowd, Seattle ace Ryan Carson and Dallas #1 Patrick Cowgill battled through a hard-fought 8 innings, but it was the Lone Stars that blew it open with 3 runs in the top of the 9th off Rainiers reliever Willard Williams. Catcher Randy Davies accounted for the lone Seattle run with a first-inning homer.

In game two, Seattle got into the win column behind three hits (2 doubles) and two steals from Cesar Encarnacion and three RBI from Randy Davies. 25-year old hurler David Wheeler went the distance, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7 in the gem.

A leadoff walk, groundout and Henry Warren's RBI double in the bottom of the 9th chased home Dan Vincent with the winning run. Adam Webber picked up his first win, throwing two perfect innings in relief of Michael Hawks.

The Rainiers made it 3 of 4, putting five runs on the board in the first inning, then holding on for dear life as the Lone Stars tied it in the 7th. Dan Vincent's leadoff walk in the bottom of the 8th proved to be the difference, though. Vincent moved to second on Travis Murphy's sac bunt, then stole third base on an 0-1 pitch. With the winning run 90 feet away, Henry Warren hung tough on an 0-2 pitch, lining a sac fly to deep center that scored Vincent. While all 8 of the Rainiers' hits were singles, they also drew 6 walks and stole three bases, a theme that will likely be repeated often in the 1950 season.

Second Series
Seattle 9, Columbus 3
Seattle 4, Columbus 3
Seattle 8, Columbus 7

Ryan Carson, coming home to face the only other team he'd ever played for, went the distance for his first Seattle win in the opener, striking out 4 and walking none against 9 hits and 3 runs. Randall Adams and Bob Pollock provided the big offensive support, with Adams going 5-6 with two doubles and a steal and Pollock whacking 4 hits. 15 hits, 5 walks and 5 Explorer errors gave Carson all the support he needed.

Adams, Pollock and left fielder Tracy Jones made for an outstanding 2-3-4 in the lineup, combining for 7 hits (with each batter hitting their first home run of the season) ,all four runs and all four RBI in the game 2 nailbiter. David Wheeler went 2-0 and Bob Ford picked up the save.

In game three, Tracy Jones hit a 3-run homer and added a double, but it was another manufactured run that proved the game winner. Cesar Encarnacion got aboard with a 1-out single in the top of the 9th, stole second (his 6th of the season after getting thrown out twice earlier in the game) and moved to third on a groundout before scoring the go-ahead run on Randy Davies' RBI single. Willard Williams finished up 4 fine innings of relief and got his 1st Seattle win.

The final game of the 4-game set will be played in the next sim.

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Sim Record: 6-1
Overall Record: 6-1, 2 games ahead of 3 teams in the FBL West

Top Hitter: Tracy Jones, LF. .360/.448/.720, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B. Jones was an extremely productive hitter for Louisville of the old FBL for 9 seasons before injury struck. It's encouraging to see him start hot. He could be huge for us if the injury doesn't have any long-lasting effects.
Top Pitcher: David Wheeler. 2-0, 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 6 BB, 14 K in 17.1 IP. We're expecting big things out of Wheeler, and the 25-year old has started strong.
Injury News: Starting shortstop Jim Stephens has a bad knee suffered in a collision at second base against Dallas. He should be back in a week or two. He's primarily a glove man, so the drop-off in offense from Stephens to backup Pedro Fonseca is okay for a little while.
Development News: Management's a little down on first baseman Bob Pollock. The 24-year old has hit well at AAA the last three seasons, but there's just something they don't like in his swing despite his .345/.387/.448 start. He'll bear watching.

[ifspuds]

Rainiers Continue to Lead West

A 3-3 record included a series win over the Salt Lake Strikers, the first West Division team the Rainiers have played in the early going, which helped the Rainiers keep their lead in the division. Seattle is the only team in the West currently over .500.

Completion of Columbus Series
Seattle 4, Columbus 5

A third straight one-run game, but this time, the Explorers got the upper hand, snapping Seattle's 6-game win streak. Seattle tied the game in the top of the 9th on Randy Davies' RBI single. Cesar Encarnacion tried to score from second, but was thrown out at home. It would be the pivotal play, as Columbus shortstop Ramon Martinez doubled home the winning run in the bottom half of the inning.

Third Series
Salt Lake 4, Seattle 10
Salt Lake 13, Seattle 1
Salt Lake 1, Seattle 4
Salt Lake 0, Seattle 3

The first test against a West team, and Seattle came through well, notching another series win. Ryan Carson got the win in the opener, thanks in part to an unlikely offensive explosion. Jim Stephens, injured earlier in the season, came back to start the game, but quickly left when he felt a twinge in his injured knee. His replacement, backup infielder Phil Mueller, promptly went 4-4 with 3 RBI, missing the cycle by only a double. Likewise, backup second baseman Pedro Fonseca knocked in three on a pair of hits and Dan Vincent added 3 RBI of his own.

As lopsided as game 1 of the series was, game 2 was worse, and in the Strikers' favor. David Wheeler gave up 10 runs in 4 and two-thirds, and the Rainiers managed just a single run in the bottom of the 1st, the worst defeat in Seattle's short FBL tenure.

Rainiers fans wondered how the team would respond to the game 2 beating, and they could hardly have been happier with the results: Michael Hawks tossed 8 strong innings, Randy Davies popped his 2nd homer, and young center fielder Henry Warren notched three hits in support on the 4-1 win.

In game 4, Edward Thompson was off to a brilliant start, shutting Salt Lake out through 3 and a third, before he felt pain in his back and had to depart the game. Luckily, the bullpen was up to the task, with three pitchers allowing just 2 hits the remainder of the game for the team's first shutout win. Randall Adams doubled and homered, and Bob Pollock raised his average to .391 in the early going with 2 hits of his own.

Fourth Series (to be continued)
Seattle 5, Louisville 6

The Rainiers travelled to Kentucky to take on the Steamboats in the first of a 4-game set. Despite taking a 5-2 lead to the bottom of the 7th, Seattle let the game slip away and Bob Ford gave up the game winning double to Charles Morrow with 2 down in the bottom of the 10th. The Steamboats rapped out 15 hits to 6 for the Rainiers.

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Sim Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 9-4, 3 games ahead of 3 teams in the FBL West

Top Hitter: Randall Adams, 3B. Season line of .367/.400/.612, 2 HR, 9 RBI. Our most consistent hitter in the early going, which we were hoping for out of our 1st round pick.

Top Pitcher: Ryan Carson. 2-1, 3.18, 1.29 WHIP. David Wheeler, last sim's Top Pitcher, took a brutal beating at the hands of the Salt Lake Strikers, and it'll take a little while for his numbers to recover from that.

Injury News: Edward Thompson has a bad back, and he'll be out 4-5 weeks. He hadn't been pitching particularly well, so maybe it's not a terrible loss. Harris Meyners will go into the rotation in Thompson's #4 slot, and 26-year old Jarno de Ridder will come up to the big club while Thompson's on the mend.

Development News: Nothing of note to report.

[ifspuds]

Rainiers Continue Hot Streak, Win 5th Straight Series

Completion of Louisville Series
Seattle 5, Louisville 3
Seattle 8, Louisville 5
Seattle 17, Louisville 2

After a tough 1-run loss in the opener, Seattle torched Steamboats pitching for 30 runs over the next 3 games to take the series win.

In game 2 of the series, every starter had at least one hit except the otherwise red-hot Randall Adams. Travis Murphy hit his 2nd home run in part-time duty, and Cesar Encarnacion swiped 2 bags for a total of 11 early in the season. David Wheeler got back on the good side of the coin, tossing a complete game 7-hitter, each of the Louisville runs coming off solo homers.

Game 3 saw the Rainiers storm back with 4 late runs, turning a 1-run deficit into a 3-run win. Catcher Randy Davies popped his 3rd homer, shortstop Jim Stephens nabbed 4 hits and the Rainiers drew 6 walks in the win.

The series finale was never in doubt. Seattle took a 5 run lead in the second, then blew it wide open starting in the 4th, scoring in every inning until the 9th. Cesar Encarnacion and Randall Adams each had 5-hit games and they both stole 2 bases. Henry Warren swiped 2 as well and Dan Vincent added a theft of his own. Randall Adams notched his 3rd homer. Harris Meyners was a hit in his rotation debut, tossing 6 fine innings before turning it over to the pen.

Fifth Series
Worcester 0, Seattle 12
Worcester 4, Seattle 5
Worcester 4, Seattle 3
Worcester 1, Seattle 10

Two blowouts bookended an otherwise tight series, and the Rainiers completed another 1-loss week with their 5th straight series win.

Ryan Carson tossed a 6-hit complete game shutout in game one of the series, which was a tight 2-0 contest until a 9-run outburst in the bottom of the 6th. Randy Davies and Bob Pollock each drove in 3 runs, Davies with a singe and bases-loaded double and Pollock on a 3-run homer. Jim Stephens added 3 more hits to raise his average to an astonishing .500.

Bob Pollock's single scored Cesar Encarnacion from second with 2 down in the bottom of the 8th to push Seattle to a 5-4 win in game 2. The Rainiers swiped 5 more bags in 5 tries in the game, including Travis Murphy's 2.

Single runs in the 7th and 8th erased a 1-run deficit for the Whalers in game 3, with Adam Webber (1.17 ERA) giving up the go-ahead run in the 8th. The Rainiers managed just 4 hits to Worcester's 8, one of which was Bob Pollock's 3rd homer of the season. 5 of Worcester's 8 hits went for extra bags.

5 Whaler errors and 16 Rainiers hits were a good combo for the home team, as Seattle rang up a 10-1 victory. Randall Adams pushed his average to .388 with a 4-hit outburst, stealing 3 bases in the process. Cesar Encarnacion also swiped 3, and Henry Warren added a steal as well. All 16 hits were singles, so the stolen bases helped a great deal. Harris Meyners pitched brilliantly once more, allowing just a single unearned run in the complete game 7-hitter.

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Sim Record: 6-1
Overall Record: 15-5

Top Hitter: It continues to be Randall Adams, 3B. Loads of hits, 16 RBI, a .388 average and 10 stolen bases from the #2 spot is perfect, especially with speedster Cesar Encarnacion hitting in front of him. The two continue to set the table brilliantly for Davies and Pollock.

Top Pitcher: Give the nod to Harris Meyners. He won't do this all season, but he went 2-0 with two very fine starts in the sim.

Injury News: Nothing of note. Edward Thompson is progressing in his back injury.

Development News: Nothing of note to report.

[ifspuds]

Seattle Drops First Series, Maintains West Lead

Sixth Series
Seattle 10, Providence 3
Seattle 3, Providence 12
Seattle 2, Providence 6
Seattle 5, Providence 6

A road trip to the east coast began roughly as the Rainiers dropped their first series of the season in Providence.

The opener went well, as Seattle continued to score runs in bunches, blowing open a relatively close game with 4 unearned runs in the top of the 9th. Backup first sacker and long-time Rainier Ramon German drove in all those 9th inning runs on a grand slam, giving him 5 RBI in the game and the season. Dan Vincent supplied lots of firepower elsewhere, hitting his first two homers of the season and walking 3 times, driving in 3 runs of his own. Another fine start from ace Ryan Carson, who went the distance.

The up-and-down David Wheeler was way down in game 2, getting knocked out after 6 uninspiring innings, and Providence raced to a 12-3 win. Dan Vincent stayed hot, with a single and a triple, but it wasn't nearly enough to overcome two big Seattle errors, 11 Reds hits and 8 walks.

2 Seattle errors in the bottom of the 8th allowed the first two runners to reach base, and the gates opened up with 2 down as Providence scored 5 in the frame to notch a 6-2 win in game 3. Only 1 of the 6 runs in the game was earned. Randall Adams moved over the .400 mark with 3 hits, including a triple.

Seeking at least a split of the series, Seattle sent Harris Meyners to the hill in the finale, but the Meyners magic wore off quickly. The Reds plated 4 in the 1st and 2 in the 3rd, and a 3-run 6th inning rally wasn't enough to make up the whole deficit. Cesar Encarnacion walked 4 times from the leadoff spot and stole 3 bases in 4 tries, while the middle of the order (Adams-Davies-Pollock) combined for 7 hits, but the early Providence runs were too much.

Seventh Series (to be continued)

Seattle 4, Jersey City 3
Seattle 9, Jersey City 3

The Rainiers evened their record for the week at 3-3 with 2 wins to open the Jersey City series.

Seattle rode Ryan Carson to another complete-game win, scoring single runs in the 5th, 6th and 7th to erase a 2-run deficit in the opener. Carson allowed 4 hits and struck out 8, the only major blemish a 1st inning 2-run homer from Monty Vickers (6th on the season).

In game 2, Seattle raced to an early 7-1 lead after 3.5 innings and coasted to the 9-3 win. Tracy Jones had a big game, with a 2-run homer as part of his 3-hit, 4 RBI game. Every other position player had at least 1 hit, and Cesar Encarnacion stole bases 24 and 25 on the season. David Wheeler got back on track, throwing a complete game 8-hitter despite getting touched for a 2-run double in the bottom of the 9th.

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Sim Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 18-8, 3 games in front of Salt Lake and San Francisco

Top Hitter: Like you need to ask. Randall Adams still continues to torment pitchers, hitting .396/.457/.594 with 5 doubles, 3 triples and 3 homers, stealing 13 bags in 14 tries. Honorable mention to Dan Vincent, .351/.495/.506, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers and 4 steals in 5 tries.

Overall, the offense is rolling along on nearly all cylinders. 1st in average, 3rd in OBP, 5th in slugging, 3rd in runs scored, and somehow just 2nd in steals. Jersey City has 3 more steals, but they've been caught 15 times, we've only been caught 9.

Top Pitcher: Ryan Carson. 5-1, 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP. Just what we expect of an ace. Plus, he's completed 5 of his 7 starts. We need David Wheeler to get his inconsistency worked out, though. The bullpen's been mostly solid, though Bob Ford (0-2, 4.91, 1.64 WHIP) needs to get it figured out as well.

Injury News: Nothing of note. Thompson should be back in two weeks.

Development News: A couple of organizational soldiers took development hits, but nothing much to worry over.

[ifspuds]

Rainiers Continue To Roll

Completion of Jersey City Series
Seattle 6, Jersey City 1
Seattle 7, Jersey City 9

Game 3 clinched another series win, paced by a brilliant outing for Michael Hawks and a 4-4 game for Randall Adams. Dan Vincent added his 3rd homer, Travis Murphy walked 3 times and six different players drove in runs in the win.

Six runs across the 8th and 9th innings just weren't enough to get back into the game in the series finale, as Harris Meyners turned in a poor start and Seattle gave up 3 unearned runs to drop the game 9-7.

Eighth Series
Birmingham 3, Seattle 6
Birmingham 3, Seattle 6
Birmingham 5, Seattle 6
Birmingham 2, Seattle 6

Sixes were wild in the Rainiers' first series sweep of the season, coming on the heels of a challenging road trip.

After falling behind 3-2 in the top of the 7th, the Rainiers posted 3 in the bottom half and cruised from there. Ryan Carson tossed another complete game win, going to 6-1 on the season. All 3 runs in the 7th scored with 2 down, on a Cesar Encarnacion RBI single, a walk to Randall Adams and RBI singles from Randy Davies and Bob Pollock.

Identical score, different path in game 2, as Birmingham scored 2 early, but Seattle got them quickly back plus some. The 1-2 punch at the top of the order was brilliant, with Encarnacion and Adams each notching 3 hits and scoring 4 of the 6 runs. David Wheeler got his 6th win of the season, despite walking 7: he only allowed 3 hits.

Game 3 saw Seattle fall behind 5-0 going to the 6th, but the Rainiers chipped and chipped and finally scored the winning run on three straight one-out singles from Adams, Davies and Tracy Jones. A 4-run rally, thanks in part to Dan Vincent's 2-run homer, in the 8th set the stage for the dramatic win.

The Rainiers polished off the series with a 6-2 win in game 4. Harris Meyners got back on the winning track, tossing a complete game 7-hitter for the win. Tracy Jones knocked a pair of safeties, but hit the outfield wall a little hard on the 3rd out of the 7th and left the game complaining of neck pain.

Ninth Series (to be continued)
Seattle 7, Kansas City 8

The Rainiers travelled to Kansas City to take on the Central-leading Outlaws in an early showdown of division leaders.

Game 1 turned on the failure of the Seattle bullpen to hold the lead for Ryan Carson, with Bob Ford giving up the game-winning runs in the bottom of the 10th. The Rainiers held a 1-run lead going to the bottom of the 9th, but the Outlaws knotted the score on Denny Chambers's 2-out RBI triple. Seattle took the lead with a run in the top of the 10th before the fateful rally.

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May 6, 1950
Sim Record: 5-2
Overall Record: 23-10, 4 games in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: Maybe we should call it the Randall Adams award. Adams still paces the team, but let's give some love to Dan Vincent. The right fielder sports an OBP near .500 (.481) and is tied for the team lead in homers with 4.

Top Pitcher: Ryan Carson. Despite a tough start against Kansas City, he's still easily the team's best starter. Wheeler also has 6 wins, but a 4.50 ERA. In other pitching news, Bob Ford (6.75 ERA, 2.00 WHIP) will be moved out of the closer's role in face of Adam Webber (0.96 ERA, 0.64 WHIP)

Injury News: Jones's injury proved to be just some neck soreness. He's day-to-day for a week.

Development News: Nothing of note.

[ifspuds]

Bump In The Road

Completion of Kansas City Series
Seattle 1, Kansas City 8
Seattle 0, Kansas City 2
Seattle 12, Kansas City 7

If the series against the Central-leading Outlaws is a measuring stick, the Rainiers still have some work to do. After an 8-7 loss in game 1, KC took the next two before the Rainiers salvaged a win.

David Wheeler struggled through 7 ineffective innings in game 2 of the series, while KC's Caleb Roy held the otherwise dependable Seattle offense to 7 hits and just 1 walk. The Outlaws hit 4 home runs, including a 2-out, 2-run shot by the pitcher Roy.

Much more competitive in game 3, the result was still a KC win. The Rainiers outhit KC 8-6, but couldn't string together their usual rallies. Even more surprising, they failed to steal a base, a key component of their slap-hitting, run-like-hell offensive philosophy. Michael Hawks turned in a solid outing (complete game, 6 hits, 5 walks) in a losing effort.

Trying to salvage their pride, Seattle scored 5 in the first in the series finale, only to see the Outlaws tie it in the 4th. But the Rainiers added 5 more on in the 5th and cruised from there. Surprisingly, Seattle hit 4 homers, including Dan Vincent's grand slam in the 5th. Even more surprisingly, the 12 Rainiers runs scored on just 6 hits (all of them for extra bases, including 2 doubles)... the nine walks issued by Kansas City pitchers helped an awful lot.

Tenth Series (to be continued)
Portland 10, Seattle 5
Portland 6, Seattle 7
Portland 7, Seattle 5

Coming home to face the last-place Portland Timbers sounded like a great idea, especially with Ryan Carson on the hill in game 1. Three games later, the Rainiers will need a win in the finale to salvage a split against their Pacific Northwest rivals.

Ryan Carson suffered his worst outing of the season in game 1, lasting just 5.1 innings and giving up 11 hits and 8 runs. The Rainiers nabbed 10 hits and 6 walks and stole 8 bases as a team, usually a recipe for success, but they left twelve men on base.

David Wheeler picked up a complete game win in game 2, but barely so: the Timbers scored 6 runs across the 7th and 8th to come within one bare run of tying it. Jim Stephens earns offensive player of the game honors for his bases loaded triple in the 1st, part of a 2-4, 3 RBI game.

A 3 run 8th inning for Portland proved to be the difference in game 3, breaking a 4-4 tie. In the bottom of the 9th, Seattle had the bases loaded with 1 out and the heart of the order due up, but could only score a single run on Randall Adams's sac fly.

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May 13, 1950
Sim Record: 2-4
Overall Record: 25-14, 2 games in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: Catcher Randy Davies had a hot week, hitting .400/.500/.850 with 2 homers and 6 RBI. He's supposed to be our big power source, so seeing him get his slugging up to .492 for the season is encouraging. His .869 OPS would be his lowest season mark of the last 4 years, though in line with much of his career.

Top Pitcher: Yech. Can I give it to no one? David Wheeler probably gets the nod by default, for winning his start despite allowing 4 earned runs. You see what happens when Ryan Carson struggles. We might need another reliable starter.

Injury News: Edward Thompson is ready to come off the DL. With Harris Meyners really up and down, Thompson will get another shot in the rotation. He's had 3 starts this season, posting a 5.14 ERA with a 1.79 WHIP. He can do a lot better.

Development News: Nothing of note.

[ifspuds]

Back on Track

Completion of Portland Series
Portland 5, Seattle 6

Edward Thompson returned to the mound and, handed a 6-2 lead, managed to hold on long enough to pick up his first win. While Thompson only allowed 1 earned run, he was not terribly sharp: 5 hits and 7 walks allowed in 7 innings while striking out no one. Randall Adams and Jim Stephens hit home runs, and the Rainiers drew 10 walks off Timbers pitching.

Eleventh Series
Seattle 11, Los Angeles 6
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 2
Seattle 10, Los Angeles 2
Seattle 13, Los Angeles 9

After a rough week, the Rainiers traveled to Los Angeles to face the last-place Quakes hoping to improve their fortunes. Especially with Salt Lake City hard on their heels and playing better every week.

Game 1 turned on a 5-run 7th inning rally highlighted by a 2-run single off the bat of pinch hitter Carl Walker. Ryan Carson was not sharp in this one (6 IP, 9 H, 4 R) but he did pick up his 7th win of the season. Henry Warren went 4-5 from the #8 spot.

Game 2 was decided late, with a Dan Vincent RBI double and a Jim Stephens RBI single bringing home to go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th. Tracy Jones had doubled right before the run-scoring hits, but Bob Pollock was thrown out at home. Turned out not to matter, as Adam Webber finished off his 2nd shutout inning in relief of David Wheeler.

Another blowout in game 3, as Bob Pollock and Tracy Jones each knocked 3 hits, with Pollock scoring 4 times. Twelve Rainiers hits and 8 walks was plenty to support a fine outing from Michael Hawks, who tossed 8 innings of 2-run ball.

The Rainiers had to hold on to their 11-4 lead as the Quakes scored 5 runs in the final two innings. Every starter except Henry Warren contributed to the 13-hit attack, with Tracy Jones providing a 3-run homer. Cesar Encarnacion scored three times and 4 different players scored twice. Edward Thompson picked up his 2nd win with 7 effective innings.

Twelfth Series (to be continued)
Richmond 2, Seattle 6
Richmond 4, Seattle 1

Ryan Carson was back to his old ways in game 1, throwing 8 innings of 3-hit ball, and the balanced offensive attack gave him plenty of run support. Seven different players had at least 1 hit, including another 2-run homer from Tracy Jones.

Four early runs, only one earned, off David Wheeler (who walked 9 in 8 innings) sent Seattle to the loss and ended a 6-game Rainiers winning streak. 4 Rainiers errors -- a growing Achilles heel for the team -- didn't help out any either. Dan Vincent went 4-4 with two doubles for Seattle.

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May 20, 1950
Sim Record: 6-1
Overall Record: 31-15, 2 games in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: Dan Vincent had a brilliant week, hitting .556/.630/.889 without the benefit of a home run. Four doubles, a triple and 7 walks helped a lot as well. Tracy Jones (.350/.480/.750, 2 HR) earns honorable mention.

Top Pitcher: Michael Hawks gets the nod this week, winning his only start. David Wheeler had a lower ERA, thanks to 3 runs allowed being unearned, but he allowed nearly 1.5 baserunners an inning.

Injury News: Nothing of note.

Development News: Starting pitcher Mike Jones, selected in the 24th round of the redraft, is struggling mightily at AAA and has developed some bad habits. He'll head down to AA and see if he can regain his form.

[fhomess]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Bump In The Road

Tenth Series (to be continued)
Portland 10, Seattle 5
Portland 6, Seattle 7
Portland 7, Seattle 5

Coming home to face the last-place Portland Timbers sounded like a great idea, especially with Ryan Carson on the hill in game 1. Three games later, the Rainiers will need a win in the finale to salvage a split against their Pacific Northwest rivals.

I dare say that even after getting the split, this series has to be a big disappointment for our brethren to the north. We're not really looking to compete this season, and if you guys are hoping to win the division, I think the first order of business has to be putting away the likes of us.

Of course, we've also proven that we were better than we looked at the time by moving up in the standings a bit.

[ifspuds]

Yeah, that series was a serious disappointment. We'd been playing so well, and then started stumbling around. Like someone on the FBL boards said, though, having a live manager helped the Timbers a lot.

[ifspuds]

Getting Tighter

A .500 week for the Rainiers saw the race for the West division tighten to within one game, as Salt Lake City continues to play well. The first trade of the merged FBL also took place, as Seattle sent infield prospect Tony Herrera to Portland for some much-needed power in the form of veteran slugging outfielder Stephen Kent, himself a former Rainier from the PBPL days. Seattle also got some much-needed cash in the form of $25,000. It's not immediately apparent where Kent -- who doesn't play center field -- will fit into the lineup, with Tracy Jones and Dan Vincent both hitting well. It's likely the Rainiers will use Kent as a super sub in the outfield and as the primary pinch hitter.

Completion of Richmond Series
Richmond 2, Seattle 8
Richmond 4, Seattle 3

Despite spotting the Grays 2 runs in the first, Michael Hawks turned up his game after that and notched his 5th win. Tracy Jones went 2-2 with a 3-run homer and 2 walks, and Dan Vincent popped his 6th longball to close out the scoring in the 7th. Randall Adams also had 3 hits.

Despite outhitting the Grays 13-8 and taking a 1-run lead to the 9th, Seattle dropped a tough game in the series finale, as the otherwise reliable Adam Webber walked 3 in the 9th and gave up a pair of hits leading to two runs. Randy Davies, Bob Pollock and Tracy Jones each had 3 hits for Seattle.

Thirteenth Series
Seattle 9, Akron 1
Seattle 3, Akron 1
Seattle 0, Akron 6
Seattle 4, Akron 5

Another test against one of the top teams in the FBL, and it went a little better than the last one against Kansas City. Recurring bullpen issues doomed the Rainiers' chances at a series win, however, and Seattle settled for the split.

Ryan Carson was up to his old tricks in game 1, shutting Akron out until the bottom of the 9th, picking up his 9th win of the season in the process. A 5-run 6th blew the game wide open, and every position player except Dan Vincent had at least 1 hit.

Dan Vincent's 2-run homer (#7 on the season) in the 4th inning proved to be the game-winner, and Seattle got another great pitching performance, this one from David Wheeler (8th win of the season). Adam Webber shook off his tough loss in the Richmond series to earn the save.

The Rainiers ran up against a buzzsaw named Mike Lowry in game 3, as the Black Knights' 23-year old ace shut the Rainiers out on 4 hits. Michael Hawks had only one bad inning, but it was a miserable one: a 6-run 6th. Lowry was even the offensive star: his 3-run double in the 6th broke up the 0-0 tie.

An early 4-0 lead for the Rainiers melted away to just a lone run after the 6th, but it was another Bob Ford implosion that blew the game for Seattle. Ford loaded the bases with no outs in the 8th and was lucky to get away with just the tying run scoring on a sac fly. Akron's Juan Reyes clobbered an 0-1 pitch leading off the bottom of the 9th into the right-center alley, and Travis Murphy's dive came up short, allowing Reyes to race all the way around the bases for that rarest of plays: the walk-off inside-the-park home run.

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May 27, 1950
Sim Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 34-18, 1 game in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: 1B Bob Pollock is red hot: .529/.556/.824 with a triple and a homer. His season numbers are up to .339/.396/.448 with 4 HR. Seattle would like to see some more power out of their first baseman, but he's still just 24 and growing into his body.

Top Pitcher: All the starters, save Michael Hawks, pitched well and even Hawks didn't do badly, just the 6-run inning in his 2nd start of the week. I don't know what we're going to do about Bob Ford. He threw very well for San Francisco in 1949 at age 21, a 2.34 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 65 innings, but he's been a disaster this year: 0-4, 9.00 ERA, 2.22 WHIP in 9 IP. He might need to head back to AAA to get his head on straight.

Injury News: Nothing of note.

Development News: Nothing of note.

[ifspuds]

Winning Ugly

A 4-game sweep of San Diego highlighted a week that opened up a bit more breathing room in the West. The Rainiers continue to live and die by the late innings, with multiple games this week ending in the last at-bat.

Fourteenth Series
San Diego 7, Seattle 8
San Diego 4, Seattle 5
San Diego 3, Seattle 10
San Diego 5, Seattle 6

A quick 5-1 lead for the Rainiers after 1 inning should have been plenty for Ryan Carson, but the Suns refused to go away, taking a 7-6 lead in the top of the 5th. Seattle tied it in the 6th and set the stage for walkoff heroics by shortstop Jim Stephens. Tracy Jones led the inning off with a walk, but was caught stealing one out later, leaving Stephens at the plate with 2 down and no one on. On a 2-1 pitch, Stephens turned on a pitch and deposited it neatly down the right field line for the win. Stephens drove in 4 runs total in the game. Cesar Encarnacion had three hits and a walk and stole 4 bases in 4 tries.

A second straight dramatic win, this one coming in the bottom of the 12th. Tracy Jones led off with a double and Dan Vincent was intentionally walked. A sac bunt later, Ramon German drew the walk, setting up Henry Warren to be the day's hero. It turned out that he only took the bat off his shoulders once, taking a 3-1 ball for the game-winning... walk. Warren drove in 3 of the 5 Rainiers runs.

Game 3 was only close early, as a 3-run 4th and 2 more in the 5th blew the game wide open. Henry Warren picked up 2 more hits and Cesar Encarnacion and Randall Adams each drove in a pair. Michael Hawks got the win with 7 innings of 3-hit ball, all 3 runs coming on Dorian Carlson's 3-run homer in the 2nd.

Another late-inning comeback, this one overcoming a 5-3 deficit with a run in the 7th and 2 more in the 8th. Pinch hitter Travis Murphy tied the game in the 8th with a run-scoring double, and Murphy scored the go-ahead run one batter later on pinch-hitter Ramon German's single.

Fifteenth Series (to be continued)
Seattle 6, Buffalo 5
Seattle 1, Buffalo 7
Seattle 7, Buffalo 2

A series against the East Division's second-place squad in Buffalo began with a bang, with Seattle having to hold off a furious 8th inning rally by the Dogs. Ahead 6-1 going to the bottom of the 8th, Ryan Carson was touched for 4 runs, only two of them earned thanks to a Jim Stephens error. With runners on first and third and just one out in the 8th, Carson got Kenny Smith to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Dogs hit David Wheeler hard and early in this one, breaking out to a 5-0 lead after 2. Buffalo's Julio Torres tossed 7 innings of 6-hit ball, limiting the walk-happy Rainiers to just 1 free pass as well. The highlight of this game was a 5th inning TRIPLE PLAY turned in by Seattle. With the bases loaded, Julio Torres lined to third on a 2-0 pitch. Third baseman Pedro Fonseca flipped to Encarnacion at 2nd, who threw on to Bob Pollock to catch the runners napping.

In a turnaround of game two, Seattle broke the game open with 5 runs across the 6th, 7th and 8th. The 1-4 hitters combined to go 9-18 with 4 runs, 3 RBI, 2 walks and 4 steals (3 by Encarnacion and 1 by Adams). Travis Murphy hit a 2-run homer to close out Seattle's scoring.

-----

June 3, 1950
Sim Record: 6-1
Overall Record: 40-19, 3 games in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: Henry Warren is this week's darling. .323/.429/.611 with 6 RBI and 3 steals in 3 tries from your #8 hitter is nothing to sneeze at. Warren's still just 21.

Top Pitcher: Michael Hawks won both his starts this week with a 3.21 ERA, striking out 14 in 14 innings pitched. The bullpen tandem of Willard Williams and Adam Webber is looking sharp, as neither allowed a run in a total of 8.1 IP.

Injury News: Jim Stephens has a sore neck after a collision at the second base bag early in the week. He's day-to-day.

Development News: Nothing of note.

I'll try, near the beginning of every month, to post league standings and some league-wide news. This month, though, all you get is standings.

FBL Standings - June 3rd

FBL East
Team                      W   L   PCT   GB
Baltimore Lords          39  20  .661   --
Buffalo Dogs             35  24  .593    4
Jersey City Industrials  31  28  .525    8
Birmingham Nationals     28  31  .475   11
Providence Reds          28  31  .475   11
Richmond Grays           23  36  .390   16
Worcester Whalers        14  45  .237   25

FBL Central
Team                      W   L   PCT   GB
Kansas City Outlaws      42  17  .712   --
Akron Black Knights      41  18  .695    1
Dallas Lone Stars        36  23  .610    6
Louisville Steamboats    27  32  .458   15
Indianapolis Arrows      25  34  .424   17
New Orleans Mudbugs      24  35  .407   18
Columbus Explorers       21  38  .356   21

FBL West
Team                      W   L   PCT   GB
Seattle Rainiers         40  19  .678   --
Salt Lake Strikers       37  22  .627    3
San Francisco Missions   29  30  .492   11
Portland Timbers         26  33  .441   14
Los Angeles Quake        23  36  .390   17
San Diego Suns           21  38  .356   19

[Loompa17]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Bump In The Road

Completion of Kansas City Series
Seattle 1, Kansas City 8
Seattle 0, Kansas City 2
Seattle 12, Kansas City 7

If the series against the Central-leading Outlaws is a measuring stick, the Rainiers still have some work to do.

I look forward to the future matchups with the Rainiers. I have a feeling we may see each other for much bigger stakes down the line.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Loompa17

I look forward to the future matchups with the Rainiers. I have a feeling we may see each other for much bigger stakes down the line.

I hope you're right. I'm nervous about our inconsistent pitching, and I keep waiting for guys like Stephens and Pollock to hit the wall, but we're still chugging along.

Whenever we do meet again, I hope it goes better for us.

[ifspuds]

A loss to the Buffalo Dogs ended a series split, and the Rainiers came home for an 8-game homestand that kicked off with the East division-leading Baltimore Lords.

Completion of Buffalo Series
Seattle 1, Buffalo 7

Between an error that led to 3 unearned runs and ineffective pitching, Edward Thompson didn't have a game to write home about. The Rainiers offense didn't help out much, managing only 6 hits and a single run. Cesar Encarnacion stole his 49th and 50th base and Randall Adams and Randy Davies both hit triples.

Sixteenth Series
Baltimore 13, Seattle 1
Baltimore 6, Seattle 5
Baltimore 3, Seattle 8
Baltimore 1, Seattle 6

The East leaders took the cross-country trip to face the Rainiers, and brought their A-game. The sputtering offense continued into game 1 before things started turning around.

After signing a 3-year contract extension with the Rainiers, Ryan Carson has not been his usual self. Baltimore hit him hard and hit him early, with 9 hits (2 homers) and 8 runs in just 3 innings of work. The bullpen wasn't much better, as the Lords amassed 19 hits, including 4 home runs total. Jim Stephens went 4-4, representing over half of Seattle's 7 hits in the game. Leonard Tolbert was brilliant for Baltimore, throwing 7 innings of 6-hit ball, walking 1 and striking out an amazing 12.

Game 2 looked like another blowout early, with Baltimore jumping to a quick 5-0 lead after 2. But Seattle notched 4 in the bottom of the 3rd and moved to within 1 at 6-5 after six complete. But that would be the last of the scoring, as the bottom of the Rainiers order failed to finish rallies. Encarnacion, Davies and Pollock all had multi-hit games, but the bottom 5 only combined for a pair of singles.

Michael Hawks was brilliant in game 3, locking down the Baltimore offense until the 8th. Hawks allowed just 2 hits in his complete game, surrendering 3 runs (2 earned), walking 2 and striking out 7. The usually low-power Seattle offense hit three home runs, all of them at least 2-run shots.

The Rainiers salvaged a split with some 8th-inning heroics, snapping a 1-1 tie with a 5-spot. 3 straight singles to open the frame snapped the tie, and a pair of 2-out singles later in the inning sealed the deal. Edward Thompson had his best start, allowing 5 hits and 1 run in 8 solid innings.

Seventeenth Series (to be continued)
San Francisco 7, Seattle 6

This one started as a pitcher's duel and ended as a barnburner. The Missions took a 2-0 lead into the 7th, where Ryan Carson started struggling again. By the time it got to the bottom of the 8th, Seattle was down 7-1 and Carson was hearing scattered boos as he left the field. Things turned around for the home faithful in the bottom half, though, as a 2-out rally netted 5 runs and put the tying run at 2nd for pinch-hitter Stephen Kent. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Kent smoked a liner up the middle, but a diving snag by San Francisco shortstop Pat James ended the inning.

-----

June 10, 1950
Sim Record: 2-4
Overall Record: 42-23, 2 games in front of Salt Lake.

Top Hitter: Bob Pollock continues to defy the scouts who say he's lost his edge at the plate. The 24-year old first sacker hit .316/.409/.579 and drove in 6 last week.

Top Pitcher: Michael Hawks earns the honor for his outstanding outing against Baltimore.

Injury News: Nothing of note.

Development News: Nothing of note.

[Loompa17]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

I hope you're right. I'm nervous about our inconsistent pitching, and I keep waiting for guys like Stephens and Pollock to hit the wall, but we're still chugging along.

Whenever we do meet again, I hope it goes better for us.