The battle for the best franchise ever

[jg2977]

I think that Game 7 deserves its own post, as it is such a huge game for both franchises and many players and fans of the teams.

New York Mets	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	5	7	1
Hartford Whalers	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	5	8	6	0

Another miracle for the Hartford Whalers, another devastating defeat for the New York Mets. The Whalers took a big risk in starting Brennan Lane on short rest, and he had good stuff, but not great stuff. He ended up going the full nine innings, striking out nine, and somehow got the win in the end. Lane ended up going 6-1 in the playoffs with a 2.41 ERA. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Whalers loaded the bases when Jose Luna came up and hit a grand slam to win the 2nd World Series for the Whalers. Baseball's most successful player, Mike Wooten, did not have a hit in this game, but earned a walk and made a couple of great defensive plays in the field to help save runs. While in the clubhouse being sprayed with champagne, he said, "I didn't have the best two games at the plate back here in Hartford, but that's not what it's about right now. The other guys on the team did their job, and I'm just so glad to finally win a championship after all of these years. It's the one thing that was missing from my resume."

As for the Mets, it's very frustrating and painful right now, but they are in a great economic situation for years to come and will have many more chances down the road. The Mets will be back.

2116 World Series Champions: Hartford Whalers

[jg2977]

Points after 16 seasons:

Anaheim Angels 50
Arizona Diamondbacks 425
Atlanta Braves 180
Baltimore Orioles 90
Boston Red Sox 450
Chicago Cubs 40
Chicago White Sox 150
Cincinnati Reds 50
Cleveland Indians 695
Colorado Rockies 115
Detroit Tigers 200
Florida Marlins 0
Hartford Whalers 285
Houston Astros 370
Kansas City Royals 160
Las Vegas Aces 220
Los Angeles Dodgers 275
Milwaukee Brewers 150
Minnesota Twins 160
Montreal Expos 0
New Orleans Jazz 0
New York Mets 735
New York Yankees 550
Oakland Athletics 90
Philadelphia Phillies 155
Pittsburgh Pirates 265
Portland Pilots 0
San Antonio Roadrunners 55
San Diego Padres 50
San Francisco Giants 180
Seattle Mariners 320
St. Louis Cardinals 150
Tampa Bay Rays 245
Texas Rangers 150
Toronto Blue Jays 120
Washington Nationals 220

Despite the Mets' frustration in the playoffs, they have overtaken the Cleveland Indians as MLB's #1 franchise, due to my points system. They make the playoffs almost every single year, and that's what it's all about.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tampa Bay Rays 17 6 .739 - 18-5 -1 9-5 8-1 1-2 2-3 139 W1 7-3 Detroit Tigers 16 7 .696 1.0 18-5 -2 9-3 7-4 0-2 2-3 W1 7-3 Hartford Whalers 16 7 .696 1.0 16-7 0 7-2 9-5 2-0 5-2 W1 7-3 Cleveland Indians 13 10 .565 4.0 11-12 2 5-4 8-6 2-0 4-3 W3 7-3 Oakland Athletics 13 10 .565 4.0 13-10 0 7-2 6-8 2-2 5-5 W5 7-3 Portland Pilots 13 10 .565 4.0 11-12 2 8-3 5-7 1-2 4-4 W2 5-5 Baltimore Orioles 12 11 .522 5.0 13-10 -1 4-8 8-3 2-2 2-6 W1 5-5 Minnesota Twins 12 11 .522 5.0 11-12 1 6-5 6-6 3-2 4-4 L1 7-3 San Antonio Roadrunners 12 11 .522 5.0 11-12 1 7-7 5-4 1-1 5-4 L1 4-6

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 16 7 .696 - 18-5 -2 8-6 8-1 0-0 2-2 140 W6 8-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 16 7 .696 - 15-8 1 12-2 4-5 1-0 4-0 140 W1 8-2 Los Angeles Dodgers 15 8 .652 1.0 12-11 3 8-4 7-4 1-2 3-2 W3 7-3 Philadelphia Phillies 15 8 .652 1.0 15-8 0 7-4 8-4 1-0 2-4 L3 6-4 Carolina Storm 14 9 .609 2.0 15-8 -1 6-3 8-6 1-2 2-3 W1 6-4 Cincinnati Reds 13 10 .565 3.0 12-11 1 6-6 7-4 2-0 4-1 W4 7-3 Las Vegas Aces 13 10 .565 3.0 13-10 0 6-6 7-4 1-0 4-5 L1 5-5 Chicago Cubs 12 11 .522 4.0 12-11 0 7-4 5-7 0-1 2-3 L1 5-5 San Diego Padres 12 11 .522 4.0 10-13 2 9-5 3-6 0-3 4-5 W4 6-4

In the AL, the Rays are off to a great start, and the Tigers and Whalers follow close behind. Cleveland, Oakland, and Portland (ME) are tied for the 4th playoff spot. The Yankees are off to a rough 11-12 start. Only time will tell if it's a fluke, or if the Yankees are no longer a contender. The worst team is the second-year Buffalo Wings at 7-16.

In the NL, the Mets and Pirates are off to hot starts, with the Dodgers and Phillies trailing them by only one game. The early surprise is the third-year Carolina Storm, only one game out of a playoff spot. The worst team is the Florida Marlins at 7-16.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hartford Whalers 40 11 .784 - 39-12 1 17-4 23-7 3-0 9-3 105 W12 10-0 New York Yankees 33 18 .647 7.0 34-17 -1 20-7 13-11 7-3 11-9 W3 6-4 Tampa Bay Rays 33 18 .647 7.0 33-18 0 17-10 16-8 3-3 5-5 L2 6-4 Portland Pilots 32 19 .627 8.0 30-21 2 20-7 12-12 2-2 10-7 W2 8-2 Cleveland Indians 31 20 .608 9.0 27-24 4 12-9 19-11 6-1 13-5 L1 8-2 Baltimore Orioles 30 21 .588 10.0 28-23 2 12-15 18-6 2-3 7-9 W2 6-4 Detroit Tigers 30 21 .588 10.0 33-18 -3 16-11 14-10 1-3 7-6 L1 4-6 Boston Red Sox 27 24 .529 13.0 27-24 0 17-10 10-14 2-6 7-9 W2 7-3 Minnesota Twins 26 25 .510 14.0 24-27 2 16-11 10-14 3-4 10-10 W1 4-6

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 37 14 .725 - 39-12 -2 19-8 18-6 1-1 7-4 111 W3 8-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 36 15 .706 1.0 33-18 3 21-6 15-9 2-0 8-1 L1 7-3 Carolina Storm 30 21 .588 7.0 30-21 0 15-9 15-12 3-3 6-7 W1 4-6 Las Vegas Aces 30 21 .588 7.0 30-21 0 13-11 17-10 2-1 10-8 L2 6-4 Los Angeles Dodgers 30 21 .588 7.0 26-25 4 14-10 16-11 2-3 7-4 L5 4-6 St. Louis Cardinals 29 22 .569 8.0 30-21 -1 17-10 12-12 1-1 11-7 L1 7-3 Cincinnati Reds 28 23 .549 9.0 26-25 2 14-13 14-10 3-0 7-4 W2 5-5 Milwaukee Brewers 28 23 .549 9.0 27-24 1 17-10 11-13 3-1 8-5 L1 4-6 Washington Nationals 26 25 .510 11.0 25-26 1 10-14 16-11 1-3 7-7 W2 7-3

The Hartford Whalers are dominating the American League at 40-11. The New York Yankees have gotten back on track, going 22-6 in the month of May. Tampa is tied with New York, and Portland has a hold on the final playoff spot, with Cleveland one game out. The worst teams are Buffalo and New Orleans at 18-33.

It looks like the class of the National League this year is the Mets and the Pirates. The Carolina Storm are still playing solid baseball at 30-21 and are tied with Las Vegas and Los Angeles for 3rd place. The worst NL teams are Colorado, Florida, and San Diego at 19-32.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hartford Whalers 61 20 .753 - 62-19 -1 31-11 30-9 4-2 12-8 76 L1 8-2 Detroit Tigers 55 26 .679 6.0 54-27 1 28-11 27-15 4-3 19-9 W3 8-2 New York Yankees 54 27 .667 7.0 56-25 -2 30-9 24-18 10-3 14-13 L3 5-5 Baltimore Orioles 50 31 .617 11.0 47-34 3 20-19 30-12 3-3 11-12 W1 6-4 Tampa Bay Rays 47 34 .580 14.0 45-36 2 22-14 25-20 3-4 8-9 W2 6-4 Portland Pilots 46 35 .568 15.0 46-35 0 25-17 21-18 2-7 12-15 W1 6-4 Cleveland Indians 45 36 .556 16.0 44-37 1 20-22 25-14 6-3 16-9 L1 4-6 Minnesota Twins 43 38 .531 18.0 38-43 5 25-17 18-21 6-4 17-12 W1 7-3 Seattle Mariners 41 40 .506 20.0 45-36 -4 20-22 21-18 1-5 9-14 W1 6-4

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 60 21 .741 - 61-20 -1 30-9 30-12 2-1 9-6 74 W2 5-5 Pittsburgh Pirates 52 29 .642 8.0 50-31 2 28-11 24-18 4-2 11-5 L1 7-3 Las Vegas Aces 50 31 .617 10.0 47-34 3 22-17 28-14 4-3 17-12 W4 7-3 Carolina Storm 49 32 .605 11.0 50-31 -1 26-16 23-16 6-4 10-11 W1 6-4 Milwaukee Brewers 47 34 .580 13.0 45-36 2 29-13 18-21 5-2 15-7 L4 5-5 Los Angeles Dodgers 46 35 .568 14.0 43-38 3 22-17 24-18 5-5 10-9 L1 5-5 Houston Astros 43 38 .531 17.0 44-37 -1 20-19 23-19 4-3 14-7 W4 7-3 Cincinnati Reds 42 39 .519 18.0 40-41 2 20-22 22-17 5-3 12-8 W2 5-5 It looks as if the Whalers and Mets are separating themselves from the rest of the pack, and could meet in the World Series again. In the AL, the playoff spots belong to Hartford, Detroit, New York, and Baltimore. This would result as the same playoff meetings as last year. Tampa Bay, who got off to a hot start in April, is still hanging around, as they are 3 games out of 4th place. The worst team is the Buffalo Wings at 27-54. In the NL, the playoff spots belong to New York, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and Carolina, who is still playing excellent baseball. Milwaukee is only two games behind. The worst team is the San Diego Padres at 29-52.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hartford Whalers 83 25 .769 - 82-26 1 43-14 40-11 5-2 19-9 45 W4 9-1 Detroit Tigers 73 35 .676 10.0 71-37 2 38-13 35-22 7-5 24-12 W1 4-6 New York Yankees 73 35 .676 10.0 72-36 1 40-14 33-21 13-6 22-16 W7 9-1 Baltimore Orioles 66 42 .611 17.0 63-45 3 28-23 38-19 5-6 17-16 L1 6-4 Portland Pilots 60 48 .556 23.0 59-49 1 32-22 28-26 5-10 14-16 W7 8-2 Cleveland Indians 59 49 .546 24.0 59-49 0 28-29 31-20 6-4 18-13 W2 3-7 Tampa Bay Rays 59 49 .546 24.0 59-49 0 29-22 30-27 3-7 10-13 W1 3-7 Seattle Mariners 57 51 .528 26.0 61-47 -4 29-25 28-26 4-7 14-18 L2 5-5 Minnesota Twins 56 52 .519 27.0 53-55 3 32-22 24-30 7-6 17-18 L1 5-5

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 78 30 .722 - 80-28 -2 40-14 38-16 3-1 11-8 46 W2 8-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 69 39 .639 9.0 67-41 2 36-18 33-21 4-4 16-7 W1 6-4 Las Vegas Aces 65 43 .602 13.0 61-47 4 31-20 34-23 6-3 23-14 W1 5-5 Carolina Storm 64 44 .593 14.0 66-42 -2 34-23 30-21 6-5 14-15 L1 6-4 Milwaukee Brewers 63 45 .583 15.0 61-47 2 34-20 29-25 7-2 21-10 W4 8-2 Los Angeles Dodgers 60 48 .556 18.0 57-51 3 28-23 32-25 5-6 16-12 L2 4-6 Houston Astros 55 53 .509 23.0 59-49 -4 24-27 31-26 4-4 14-14 W1 6-4 St. Louis Cardinals 55 53 .509 23.0 58-50 -3 30-24 25-29 8-3 23-19 W1 3-7

The Whalers and Mets are still in first place by comfortable margins.

In the AL, it looks more and more like a repeat of last year's playoffs (Bal vs. Hfd, NYY vs. Det). Portland is 6 games out of a playoff spot, so it will be very difficult for them to catch up, unless the Orioles spiral into some sort of a collapse. The AL's worst team is the Anaheim Angels at 38-70.

In the NL, the only the Mets and Pirates are comfortably in playoff positions. For 3rd and 4th place, it figures to be a close race down the stretch. The Carolina Storm are still playing good ball, but they are only one game up on Milwaukee for the final playoff spot. The NL's worst team is the Colorado Rockies at 37-71.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hartford Whalers 103 33 .757 - 105-31 -2 53-16 50-17 6-2 23-14 17 L1 7-3 New York Yankees 93 43 .684 10.0 92-44 1 51-19 42-24 14-7 24-20 W3 7-3 Detroit Tigers 89 47 .654 14.0 88-48 1 46-20 43-27 7-7 29-15 L1 6-4 Baltimore Orioles 77 59 .566 26.0 76-60 1 35-31 42-28 5-6 19-23 W1 6-4 Portland Pilots 76 60 .559 27.0 75-61 1 41-26 35-34 5-10 15-16 W1 5-5 Tampa Bay Rays 74 62 .544 29.0 72-64 2 36-31 38-31 4-8 15-17 W1 7-3 Cleveland Indians 73 63 .537 30.0 71-65 2 35-34 38-29 6-6 22-14 W4 6-4 Seattle Mariners 73 63 .537 30.0 76-60 -3 38-29 35-34 6-7 19-21 L1 5-5 Minnesota Twins 70 66 .515 33.0 68-68 2 39-28 31-38 9-9 24-23 W1 6-4

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 96 40 .706 - 98-38 -2 50-20 46-20 5-3 15-12 14 L1 6-4 Carolina Storm 83 53 .610 13.0 83-53 0 42-27 41-26 8-6 18-18 L1 6-4 Las Vegas Aces 83 53 .610 13.0 78-58 5 38-28 45-25 6-4 31-17 L2 6-4 Pittsburgh Pirates 81 55 .596 15.0 80-56 1 43-27 38-28 6-4 19-14 L6 4-6 Milwaukee Brewers 77 59 .566 19.0 75-61 2 40-27 37-32 7-2 23-14 L3 4-6 Los Angeles Dodgers 76 60 .559 20.0 74-62 2 38-28 38-32 5-8 20-19 W3 6-4 St. Louis Cardinals 71 65 .522 25.0 73-63 -2 39-28 32-37 9-4 28-23 W1 7-3 Cincinnati Reds 70 66 .515 26.0 68-68 2 33-36 37-30 11-3 22-12 L3 7-3 Arizona Diamondbacks 68 68 .500 28.0 73-63 -5 34-36 34-32 6-7 12-25 L1 7-3

In the AL, the Whalers, Yankees, and Tigers are all guaranteed playoff spots. Last month it looked like the Orioles were too, but after going 11-17 in August, they are up by only one game on Portland. Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Seattle are still in the race. The worst AL team is Anaheim at 51-85.

In the NL, the surprising Carolina Storm surged to a 19-9 record in August, and are six games up on the 5th place Milwaukee Brewers, so they are looking good. One team who did not look good were the Pirates, who were only 12-16 in August, although they are still in 4th place by a comfortable four games. The worst NL team is Colorado at 51-85.

[jg2977]

Exciting race for the final playoff spot in the AL:

09/15/2117

BAL: ----
POR: ----
TB: 1GB
CLE: 4GB
SEA: 5GB

[jg2977]

09/22/2117 - Race for the final playoff spots

AL
POR: ----
TB: 1GB
BAL: 2GB

NL
CAR: ----
MIL: 3GB

[jg2977]

Tampa Bay Rays	2	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	7	8	1
Portland Pilots	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	3	5	1

Portland's bid for their first ever playoff appearance in 17 seasons was squashed by Tampa Bay, who took the lead in the 1st inning and never gave it up. Congratulations to the Rays, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2110, but they will have a tough battle against the defending champion Hartford Whalers in the AL's 1st round.

[jg2977]

American League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hartford Whalers 126 36 .778 - 126-36 0 63-18 63-18 7-3 26-15 Clinched W7 9-1 New York Yankees 112 50 .691 14.0 109-53 3 58-23 54-27 16-7 32-22 L1 6-4 Detroit Tigers 106 56 .654 20.0 104-58 2 55-26 51-30 11-8 37-17 L2 8-2 Tampa Bay Rays 92 71 .564 34.5 88-75 4 47-34 45-37 5-9 21-18 W3 7-3 Portland Pilots 91 72 .558 35.5 90-73 1 48-34 43-38 6-11 19-20 L1 5-5 Baltimore Orioles 89 73 .549 37.0 91-71 -2 43-38 46-35 5-6 21-27 W1 4-6 Cleveland Indians 85 77 .525 41.0 83-79 2 40-41 45-36 7-8 24-18 W3 5-5 Seattle Mariners 82 80 .506 44.0 87-75 -5 43-38 39-42 7-9 20-29 L1 2-8 Minnesota Twins 81 81 .500 45.0 81-81 0 46-35 35-46 10-11 27-31 L2 4-6 Chicago White Sox 78 84 .481 48.0 73-89 5 44-37 34-47 8-3 26-24 L1 4-6 Oakland Athletics 77 85 .475 49.0 76-86 1 46-35 31-50 7-12 28-34 L3 4-6 Boston Red Sox 74 88 .457 52.0 79-83 -5 40-41 34-47 7-8 22-28 W1 5-5 Jacksonville Suns 71 91 .438 55.0 73-89 -2 41-40 30-51 9-7 23-25 W3 5-5 Kansas City Royals 71 91 .438 55.0 67-95 4 32-49 39-42 10-12 27-28 L3 3-7 Toronto Blue Jays 68 94 .420 58.0 64-98 4 35-46 33-48 9-5 20-16 W1 6-4 Texas Rangers 67 95 .414 59.0 60-102 7 36-45 31-50 3-8 31-26 L2 5-5 New Orleans Jazz 65 97 .401 61.0 72-90 -7 31-50 34-47 8-10 22-34 L1 6-4 San Antonio Roadrunners 64 98 .395 62.0 71-91 -7 36-45 28-53 8-5 17-26 L3 4-6 Buffalo Wings 62 100 .383 64.0 56-106 6 30-51 32-49 6-9 30-25 W1 3-7 Anaheim Angels 60 102 .370 66.0 67-95 -7 30-51 30-51 12-10 21-31 W2 5-5

National League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Mets 117 45 .722 - 119-43 -2 59-22 58-23 6-3 17-13 Clinched W5 8-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 97 65 .599 20.0 94-68 3 51-30 46-35 10-5 24-16 W3 6-4 Las Vegas Aces 96 66 .593 21.0 90-72 6 47-34 49-32 6-5 34-19 L5 3-7 Carolina Storm 95 67 .586 22.0 94-68 1 47-34 48-33 8-6 22-19 W2 6-4 Milwaukee Brewers 90 72 .556 27.0 90-72 0 49-32 41-40 7-2 24-17 L4 4-6 St. Louis Cardinals 87 75 .537 30.0 90-72 -3 47-34 40-41 9-5 29-26 L1 6-4 Los Angeles Dodgers 86 76 .531 31.0 85-77 1 44-37 42-39 5-11 22-25 W1 3-7 Houston Astros 81 81 .500 36.0 88-74 -7 36-45 45-36 6-9 17-23 L2 5-5 Chicago Cubs 80 82 .494 37.0 83-79 -3 45-36 35-46 5-7 20-23 L1 7-3 Utah Grizzlies 80 82 .494 37.0 72-90 8 43-38 37-44 8-5 29-19 L2 2-8 Arizona Diamondbacks 79 83 .488 38.0 86-76 -7 39-42 40-41 6-10 14-31 W2 6-4 Cincinnati Reds 79 83 .488 38.0 78-84 1 38-43 41-40 12-4 24-14 W1 5-5 Washington Nationals 74 88 .457 43.0 78-84 -4 37-44 37-44 3-7 22-28 W1 4-6 San Francisco Giants 73 89 .451 44.0 70-92 3 38-43 35-46 8-4 28-28 W4 7-3 Philadelphia Phillies 72 90 .444 45.0 77-85 -5 32-49 40-41 6-8 19-27 L1 5-5 Atlanta Braves 69 93 .426 48.0 69-93 0 35-46 34-47 8-8 24-20 L1 5-5 Florida Marlins 68 94 .420 49.0 67-95 1 34-47 34-47 5-10 20-27 W1 5-5 Montreal Expos 68 94 .420 49.0 64-98 4 39-42 29-52 4-10 25-24 L1 4-6 San Diego Padres 67 95 .414 50.0 68-94 -1 40-41 27-54 5-12 18-26 L5 3-7 Colorado Rockies 62 100 .383 55.0 60-102 2 33-48 29-52 10-6 20-27 W1 6-4

[jg2977]

Pitcher Brennan Lane of Hartford is out of this world. Here are his career stats:

Career Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League Age G GS W L SV ERA IP HA R ER HR BB K CG SHO WHIP BABIP VORP
2107 Cleveland - MLB 24 34 34 19 4 0 3.34 221.0 186 88 82 30 58 303 0 0 1.10 .310 53.7
2108 Cleveland - MLB 25 31 31 22 4 0 2.12 217.0 149 55 51 12 42 302 2 0 0.88 .297 82.6
2109 Cleveland - MLB 26 34 34 22 4 0 1.73 244.2 149 50 47 10 33 328 2 2 0.74 .265 104.0
2110 Cleveland - MLB 27 34 34 22 3 0 1.67 242.0 165 53 45 8 46 339 2 2 0.87 .301 103.9
2111 Cleveland - MLB 28 34 34 26 6 0 1.68 241.1 162 51 45 13 35 327 2 1 0.82 .285 102.7
2112 Cleveland - MLB 29 35 35 24 8 0 1.39 251.2 154 45 39 10 34 331 5 3 0.75 .273 114.4
2113 Cleveland - MLB 30 34 34 21 8 0 2.13 236.2 172 62 56 12 35 339 1 1 0.87 .311 87.8
2114 Cleveland - MLB 31 34 34 17 7 0 2.31 242.0 172 70 62 18 31 336 0 0 0.84 .293 86.2
2115 Hartford - MLB 32 34 34 26 3 0 1.60 258.1 148 48 46 16 26 373 4 1 0.67 .254 101.1
2116 Hartford - MLB 33 34 34 30 1 0 1.45 255.1 146 44 41 13 26 340 7 4 0.67 .245 107.1
2117 Hartford - MLB 34 35 35 30 1 0 1.48 262.0 158 47 43 12 35 370 8 6 0.74 .270 107.3
Total MLB 373 373 259 49 0 1.88 2672.0 1761 613 557 154 401 3688 33 20 0.81 .282 1050.8

Career Postseason Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League Age G GS W L SV ERA IP HA R ER HR BB K CG SHO WHIP BABIP VORP
2107 Cleveland - MLB 24 3 3 1 1 0 4.67 17.1 23 10 9 4 4 22 0 0 1.56 .422 0.0
2108 Cleveland - MLB 25 4 4 3 0 0 2.55 24.2 22 7 7 2 4 37 0 0 1.05 .364 0.0
2109 Cleveland - MLB 26 6 6 4 1 0 1.85 43.2 33 9 9 1 4 51 1 0 0.85 .323 0.0
2110 Cleveland - MLB 27 6 6 5 1 0 1.17 38.1 30 10 5 1 6 42 0 0 0.94 .299 0.0
2111 Cleveland - MLB 28 4 4 1 1 0 1.84 29.1 14 6 6 2 4 40 0 0 0.61 .211 0.0
2112 Cleveland - MLB 29 2 2 0 2 0 6.10 10.1 11 8 7 2 3 10 0 0 1.35 .310 0.0
2115 Hartford - MLB 32 3 3 1 0 0 2.57 21.0 14 6 6 3 4 27 0 0 0.86 .239 0.0
2116 Hartford - MLB 33 7 7 6 1 0 2.41 52.1 45 14 14 3 9 60 2 1 1.03 .316 0.0
Total MLB 35 35 21 7 0 2.39 237.0 192 70 63 18 38 289 3 1 0.97 .310 0.0

Sorry, wish I knew how to make it come out clearer.

[jg2977]

Thursday, September 30th, 2117: Lane Captures AL Triple Crown
What a season Brennan Lane had this year. The ace of the Hartford Whalers led the American League in all of the major pitching categories. He ranked first in wins, ERA and strikeouts to capture the Pitching Triple Crown.

In his epic season the talented Lane finished with an outstanding 30-1 won-loss record, a 1.48 ERA and 370 strikeouts to top all other pitchers and put himself in line for the prestigious Outstanding Pitcher Award.

"I hadn't thought much about the triple crown," confessed Lane. "I just go out and throw the ball. That's all there is to it. All I want is to help my team win games.

His manager told BNN, "Brennan makes my job easier. I rest easy knowing he is penciled in to start. He just goes out there to dominate the hitters. He doesn't like them. I don't think he ever met a batter he liked. We don't even let him throw batting practice."

[jg2977]

Thursday, September 30th, 2117: MLB News: Playoffs begin
The quest for the Major League Baseball World Series championship gets underway today. The regular season is now over and the so-called "second season" begins. For fan and player alike this is the sweetest part of the season -- the First Round. The baseball experts have made their predictions, but teams will do it or die on the diamond. The best team doesn't always win -- sometimes it's the lucky team that is fated to win the crown -- sometimes it's the team that gets hot late in the season that wins -- and sometimes talent wins out and takes the glory. The winner will be one of these teams:

Tampa Bay Rays versus Hartford Whalers, Detroit Tigers versus New York Yankees, Carolina Storm versus New York Mets and Las Vegas Aces versus Pittsburgh Pirates.

[jg2977]

Thursday, September 30th, 2117: Mike Kirby Claims NL Batting Title
The top hitter in the National League in 2117 was 28-year-old Mike Kirby, the standout Chicago Cubs' first baseman. He copped the league batting crown with a .341 batting average. Kirby also piled up 50 home runs and 131 RBIs and scored 134 runs while playing in 159 games.

Thursday, September 30th, 2117: AL Batting Title Goes to Anaheim's O'Rorke
"I had so much fun, I was sorry to see the season come to an end." So said Anaheim's Stan O'Rorke as he accepted the award for winning the 2117 American League batting title. The 30-year-old right fielder earned the award by hitting .355. For the season, O'Rorke played in 155 games and had 205 hits, 15 home runs, scored 105 runs and collected 84 RBIs.

[jg2977]

Another stellar season for Hartford's Mike Wooten

Even at the age of 39, sure Hall-of-Fame 1st baseman Mike Wooten shows no signs of slowing down. He dominated major league pitchers once again by batting .327 with 48 home runs and 142 RBI's. He scored 119 runs, doubled 29 times, and tripled 6 times. He also had a great eye, drawing 132 walks. He had an OBP of .451, .657 SLG, and 1.108 OPS.

For his career he has an astonishing 886 home runs, 629 doubles, 3612 hits, and a career batting average of .346.

He hopes earn a second World Series ring in this year's playoffs. He finally got his first one last year with the Whalers.

[jg2977]

This year's MLB playoffs figure to be as exciting as ever. Here's a brief preview of each series:

Detroit Tigers (106-56) vs. New York Yankees (112-50)
Detroit Tigers: This is the Tigers' fifth trip to the postseason in their history. However, they are still looking for their first World Series trip. This seems to be a team built on pitching and situational hitting, because they do not have a lot of power. They only have two players with more than 30 home runs; nobody else has more than 16. The Tigers only hit 152 home runs this season. Here are their best two hitters:

RF Luis Cortéz: .309/.394/.617/1.011, 43 HR, 140 RBI
SS Antonio López: .268/.398/.489/.887, 30 HR, 107 RBI

The Tigers' pitching staff is very good from #1 to #4. The combined record of those pitchers is 68-26. Their #1 starter is Calvin Ellis, who went 19-7 with a 2.71 ERA and 171 K's.

New York Yankees: This is the Yankees' eight consecutive trip to the postseason, and they are trying to add a sixth World Championship to their resume after winning five in a row from 2111-2115. They have a few players who are capable of hitting the ball out of the park at any time, as they hit 194 HR's this year. Here are their three best hitters:

RF Wilson García: .301/.441/.650/1.092, 52 HR, 133 RBI
1B Eduardo Valéncia: .265/.380/.556/.936, 33 HR, 99 RBI
2B Eddie MacAndeoir: .315/.464/.523/.987, 27 HR, 109 RBI

The Yankees have a solid pitching staff from #1 to #5. Their #1 starter is Guillermo Jiménez, who went 17-6 with a 2.97 ERA with 269 K. The thing about the Yankees is that everybody had similar stats to Jiménez, so the Yankees put out a capable starter every game.


The Tigers and Yankees have met twice before in the playoffs, with the Yankees winning in 2114, and the Tigers winning in 2116 to end the Yankees' streak of 5 championships.

Prediction: These seem to be two very evenly matched teams in a series that could go either way. But the Yankees have a little more offensive firepower and a little more pitching depth, so I'll take the Yankees in 7.

[jg2977]

Tampa Bay Rays (92-71) vs. Hartford Whalers (126-36)
Tampa Bay Rays: This is the Rays' fifth time in the postseason, and their first since 2110. They won the World Series in 2107. The Rays have 6 guys in the lineup who are home run boppers, as they hit 216 as a team. 6 players had at least 20 home runs. They are led by CF Carlos Serrano, who had a .970 OPS with a .301/41/113 line.

The Rays don't have a very deep pitching staff, but are led by Sean Hoffman, who went 22-8 with a 2.99 ERA and 172 K's


Hartford Whalers: What can you say about the Whalers? They are the defending World Series Champions, and they are stacked both offensively and pitching-wise. This is the Whalers' fifth trip to the postseason in their history, and they have won two World Series (2103 and 2116). They hit 273 home runs as a team, and had 9 players in double digits. Here are their top players:

1B Mike Wooten: .327/.451/.657/1.108, 48 HR, 142 RBI
2B Jack Montgomery: .293/.335/.584/.919, 43 HR, 142 RBI
3B Javier Muñóz: .306/.358/.643/1.001, 38 HR, 113 RBI
CF Sergio García: .307/.452/.537/.989, 36 HR, 117 RBI
C David Duncan: .334/.418/.571/.990, 25 HR, 105 RBI

Pitching: They are dominant here too.

Brennan Lane: 30-1, 1.48 ERA, 370 K's, 107.3 VORP. Only 35 BB.
Jon Fleming: 24-5, 2.42 ERA, 278 K's, 73.3 VORP
Yoshihiro Goto: 19-7, 3.50 ERA, 178 K's, 37.5 VORP
Fernando Pérez: 18-8, 3.66 ERA, 181 K's, 36.8 VORP


Prediction: This appears to be a big mismatch. Hartford Whalers in 5 games.

[jg2977]

Las Vegas Aces (96-66) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (97-65)
Las Vegas Aces: It's the fifth postseason appearance for Las Vegas, who lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 2108 World Series in the only time that they won the NL Pennant. The Aces are coming into the playoffs losing five games in a row. That can't be good. Although, their last three games of the regular season were against the powerhouse Mets. Las Vegas is one of the best hitting teams in the league, although their pitching rankings rated around the middle of baseball.

Their key offensive players: RF Enrico Martinez, who blasted 46 home runs this year. 2B Dennis Ware, who got on base at a .418 clip. CF Edward Fisher, who belted 38 home runs and drove in 127. LF Jacob Howell, who hit 34 home runs and stole 35 bases.

The "ace" on the pitching staff, if you can call it that, is Michael Pennyroyal, who went 13-9 with a 3.01 ERA and 262 K's. Nobody is truly dominant, although nobody on the staff is bad either.


Pittsburgh Pirates: This is the Pirates' 6th playoff appearance in their history. They made the World Series in 2103, but blew a 3-1 series lead to the Hartford Whalers. Last year the Pirates lost to the Mets in the NLCS in seven games. The Pirates' offense is good, but not great. They don't have a single regular player who batted above .284. Their starting rotation also seems to be good, nothing spectacular, but they have a great bullpen, so they don't blow too many late leads.

Their key offensive players are: CF Matt Anderson, who hit 38 HRs and drove in 113. 1B Larry Leveque, who had an .856 OPS. LF Felix Guzman, who had an .853 OPS.

The ace of their pitching staff is Sadao Shimizu, who went 21-7 with a 2.09 ERA and struck out 308. OK, he's very good, but honestly, the rest of the staff ranks from good to mediocre. Their closer, Gabriel King, saved 37 out of 40 attempts.


Prediction: Both Las Vegas and Pittsburgh look pretty equal on paper. But due to Las Vegas' end of the season cold streak, I'll go with Pittsburgh in 6.

[jg2977]

Carolina Storm (95-67) vs. New York Mets (117-45)
Carolina Storm: In only their third season, Carolina has suprised the rest of MLB and qualified for the playoffs. They have a nice balanced offense with no truly dominant players; everybody contributes almost equally. So there are no easy outs in the lineup. The #8 spot can be almost as dangerous as the #3 or #4 spots. Their pitching is very good: They allowed the 3rd fewest runs out of the 20 NL clubs.

Carolina's best offensive players are: 1B Jose Dominguez, who hit 35 HR and had 115 RBI. CF Jorge Santos, who had a .965 OPS. LF Sixto Lopez, who stole 61 bases.

The Storm's ace pitcher is Brandon Bailey, 18-9 with a 2.86 ERA and 223 K. But as I said before, their whole pitching staff is excellent.


New York Mets: This is the 13th postseason appearance for the Mets, the most out of any team in baseball. But they have no World Series titles to show for it, despite getting to the Fall Classic four times. They are also two-time defending NL champions. And they suffered a horrific loss last year, only three outs away from winning their first title, but allowing a grand slam to lose to the Whalers. To make matters worse, they have lost in the World Series twice to the cross-town Yankees, and once to the nearby city of Hartford. So that makes the Mets and their fans very hungry to succeed this year.

The Mets are clearly the powerhouse team of the NL. In the past four years, they are averaging 114 wins per season. Both their offense and pitching easily rank #1 in the NL.

Here are the Mets' best offensive weapons: SS Tommy Flory hit 50 HR with 166 RBI. LF Juan Valdez hit 40 HR with 116 RBI. C Garry Hunt hit 37 HR with 117 RBI. CF Donald Jackson stole 54 bases. CF Mike Keller stole a whopping 117 bases. They hit 238 home runs as a team.

The Mets' best pitchers: Jose Uribes went 26-3, 1.92 ERA and 212 K. Jorge Bustamante went 19-5, 2.75 ERA and 221 K. Yoshiyuki Ota went 18-5, 3.25 ERA and 191 K. Their closer, Fred Holcomb had 45 saves in 47 attempts.


Prediction: I think that Carolina's pitching could give the Mets some problems scoring, but the Mets will prevail in 6 games.