The Pastime Baseball League

[EMSoccerCoach]

More coming, just been prepping the incoming draft database. Not hard, but time consuming.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Late-Inning Heroics
Heroes rally from 5 runs down for walkoff win

NEW YORK -- Fielder Jones capped New York's comeback from a 6-1 deficit, slamming a walkoff homer off Brian Wilson to lead off the ninth and send the Heroes to a 7-6 victory.

Jones' 10th homer of the year not only lifted the Heroes to the win, but knocked the Charlotte Cougars to 7 1/2 back after the Cougars fell 6-2 in Louisville.

New York starter Fred Killen allowed 6 runs on 9 hits over 5 2/3 innings, leaving down 6-1 to Philadelphia's Charley Radbourn.

The Heroes scored three in the sixth on an RBI single from Dick Higham, and RBI double from David Wright and an RBI single from Martin Dihigo.

Bill Drake threw a perfect 7th and Josh Fogg a perfect eighth, leading to the bottom of the 8th, which saw Wright bang an RBI double and Dihigo put a triple into the rightfield corner to tie it.

Brian Fuentes was perfect in the top of the 9th, setting the stage for Jones' walkoff blast in the bottom of the inning.

"We always feel we can come back," said Heroes centerfielder Grady Sizemore, who went 2-for-5 with an RBI on the day. "Counting this team out is a mistake."

Not one anyone will be making anytime soon.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Hollywood Ending
Okajima blows comeback by allowing walkoff 3-run shot

LOS ANGELES -- Down by a run in the top of the 9th, the San Antonio Sheriffs did what they have done so often in these last few weeks - they came back.

And then it was gone.

San Antonio closer Hideki Okajima surrendered a 3-run walkoff homer to Los Angeles' George Scales, quickly reversing the fortunes of a 2-run rally in the top of the inning to turn the game into an 8-6 loss.

Sheriffs starter Brandon Webb and Idols starter Billy Rhines slogged their way through 7 innings, neither particularly sharp nor terrible.

Webb had given up a 2-run homer to Benjamin Boyd, his 10th, in the fifth. Through six that was his only real blemish, but he then gave up RBI doubles to Boyd and Scales, bookending an RBI single from Mike Donlin.

The game was 5-4 heading to the top of the ninth. Facing Idols closer Chad Qualls, Hugh Duffy doubled to lead things off. Ryan Spillborghs struck out before Jack O'Brien hit a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the score. O'Brien, however, was thrown out trying to take second on the throw home. But Qualls would walk George Pinkney before allowing Freddy Parent to double into the gap, scoring Pinkney and giving the Sheriffs a 6-5 lead.

In came Okajima, who had allowed a run in only 1 of his last 11 appearances. Joe Crede struck out to start the inning. But Okajima allowed a 1-out double to Mike Donlin and walked Harry Stovey before falling behind Scales 3-0 and grooving a 3-1 fastball that is yet to land.

The loss, combined with Arizona's 8-5 win in Las Vegas narrows San Antonio's division lead to a half-game in what seems to be the PBL only true pennant race.

[EMSoccerCoach]

I will stop following the New York/Charlotte race for now. If Charlotte gets within 5 I'll restart. Otherwise, it's just San Antonio/Arizona.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Trent Rights The Ship
Big righty rebounds from poor start with shutout
Sept. 18. 2009

LOS ANGELES -- Ted Trent pitched badly his last outing. He had pitched into bad luck early on in the season, his 8-13 record going into last night not indicative of the 3.25 ERA he had coming into last night.

Then he made his own luck.

Trent threw a complete game shutout, allowing a double to Benjamin Boyd lead off the game and then only two hits the rest of the way. Trent struck out 7, walking two.

"All my pitches worked today," Trent said afterward. "And in a tight race, I knew the team needed me to deliver."

That race opened back up to a game-and-a-half with the win and Arizona's 6-5 loss in Las Vegas.

San Antonio scored two in the second on back-to-back 2-out doubles by Michael Young and Billy Sullivan. Sullivan added an RBI single in the sixth, and Ryan Spillborghs did the same in the 8th.

Jimmy Williams hit his 17th homer in the 9th off Mark Buehrle to complete the scoring.

San Antonio wraps up the series in Los Angeles tonight before heading to Charlotte.

[EMSoccerCoach]

I got impatient and simmed to the end of September, fully expecting to write up more of the race but wanting to see what transpired. San Antonio has opened a 5 1/2 game lead as of October 1.

The others, barring enormous collapse, are over. If this one tightens to 2 I'll pick up the writeups. Otherwise, I want to get to the publishing of the rookie draft list, then to the postseason and onto next year with a bit more structured format. But I'm really eager for the postseason, for which I will do full game-by-game writeups.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Draft database is almost done. Just need to create entries for the five Negro Leaguers in the class, including Willie Wells, Dizzy Dismukes and Rube Foster.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Database isn't working, so need to get that resolved before I can move on.

[EMSoccerCoach]

The league is dead, at least this version. The way I set it up I can't do what I want as far as the draft. So the entire thing is shot.

I love the concept, though, so it will be restarted, in version 10, but I need to create a brand new database for the inaugural season. Starting the setup from scratch...how fun.

[kenyan_cheena]

Sorry to hear that, EM. It's really frustrating when these things happen after all the great work that's been put into it. Hopefully version 10 allows you to fulfill the vision you have of the league. I'll be following along once again when you start chronicling it.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Sorry to hear that, EM. It's really frustrating when these things happen after all the great work that's been put into it. Hopefully version 10 allows you to fulfill the vision you have of the league. I'll be following along once again when you start chronicling it.

Thanks, KC. It's going to require me to basically build my own database for the inaugural part of the league. So instead of building a 90+ person database like I did for this draft class, I now need to build a 560 person database for the inaugural season, then databases for each draft class. It can be done, and should work out well when I set it up as I want, it's just going to take some time.

I do, however, plan on repeating the inaugural draft as it was for this round of the PBL, so your Chicago Hitmen should have the same group when it gets going again.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Database nearly reconstructed for the opening season. Just need to add a few guys, edit the managers and do the draft to reset the teams. I'm going to sim the restart up to September with no updates. It will begin in a new thread when it's set...I'll update the setup process here, though.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Guess what...it's going to continue as is. I've concluded after several import problems that it will be easier for me to just manually edit each draft class than to create a custom database where I'll have to edit all the fielding ratings and such anyway. So the PBL will continue in its current form, though I'm now up to mid-October just before the playoffs. And the one pennant race still remains.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Markus has informed me that what I need him to do to keep this going will be in the next patch. So I'm going to go through the playoffs, edit the draft pool manually this year, and things will be smooth going forward. Up next...we preview the postseason matchups.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

NORTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

New York Heroes (99-63) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)

LEADERS

Roger Connor .336 AVG Robinson Cano .311
Roger Connor 36 HR Oyster Burns 20
Jesse Burkett 128 RBI Robinson Cano 96
Fielder Jones 15 SB George Davis 34

Sam Weaver 2.94 ERA Rube Waddell 2.74
Harry Howell 19 W Rube Waddell 27
Harry Howell 272 SO Rube Waddell 344
Jonathan Papelbon 26 SV Chad Cordero 29

The Wichita Brigade pretty much went wire-to-wire, backed by ace Rube Waddell, who won the pitching Triple Crown and is a certain winner of the Pitcher of the Year award. The road was not quite as easy for the New York Heroes, who played .500 ball for the first two months of the season before picking up the pace and eventually overtaking the Charlotte Cougars for the Eastern Division crown.

Perception, of course, is that Wichita is the dominant team here, and most are projecting a 5 or 6-game win for the Brigade. And Waddell - who has thrown 31 consecutive scoreless innings - is a huge advantage, even over a solid New York pitching staff. But it's not impossible.

New York beat Wichita 7-6 in the season series. Though Wichita's team ERA tops the league, New York is second. Wichita's offense ranks second in runs, while the Heroes rank third. So this is not a blowout scenario by any means.

One huge advantage for Wichita is speed, where the Brigade stole 240 bases on the season. The Heroes stole 67.

Wichita also is dealing with no significant injuries, while New York has lost Jim McCormick (15-10, 3.15) and CF Grady Sizemore (.256-11-42) in the last month, in addition to having lost SS Ed McKean (.323 avg) at the end of June.

Prediction: Wichita does everything just a little better than New York. The Brigade won't cruise, but they will win. Brigade in 6.

[gogosox21]

glad you got this going again, i really like the idea as well as the way you write. I noticed that you were discouraged with the amount of views you had and i was also suprised because this is a great dynasty.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by gogosox21

glad you got this going again, i really like the idea as well as the way you write. I noticed that you were discouraged with the amount of views you had and i was also suprised because this is a great dynasty.

Hey, thanks. The lack of views thing confused me more than bothered me. I just thought this was an idea that would get a lot of people on board. But it's not anybody's fault, certainly. If they don't like it, they don't like it.

I also took way too long to get this first season done, which I think contributed to that, too. The next season will be done much more quickly: Season preview, Mid-Season report and then game-by-game if there are pennant races. I structured this as though I had more time than I really do. So I understand some people not wanting to wait that long for the season to wrap, new players to come in, etc.

The database thing also has held me up. But now that I know Markus will have it taken care of with the next patch, I'll finish this season and handle the draft for next season as I've already begun the prep for it. But it will make each subsequent season much easier to move on to.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Memphis Strummers (106-56) vs Arizona Sandmen (89-73)

LEADERS

Oscar Charleston .353 AVG Nap Lajoie .313
Cap Anson 25 HR Nap Lajoie 27
Oscar Charleston 131 RBI Nap Lajoie 113
Oscar Charleston 28 SB Nap Lajoie 23

Jesse Tannehill 2.55 ERA Ben Sanders 2.79
Jesse Tannehill 23 W Clark Griffith 19
Tim Lincecum 274 SO Clark Griffith 180
Dick McBride 25 SV Jose Valverde 30

They scored the most runs in baseball. They allowed the fewest. They have the league's best player since the All-Star Break in Oscar Charleston, and not only have a 23-game winner, but have three other starters who 19. They are the Memphis Strummers, and if you're a fan of the Arizona Sandmen, it becomes very tough to make a case.

But here's an attempt, and it starts and ends with one stat: 16-2. That is what an Arizona club that once led by 6 games, played below .400 ball for two months to blow that division lead, and trailed by 4 1/2 games on Oct. 1 did to earn their place in the postseason.

"They will not be intimidated" one rival manager said of the Sandmen. "They could have mailed it in once they blew their lead, and instead they surged. If Memphis underestimates them they'll lose."

Charleston's been great, there's no question. But look at what Nap Lajoie did in October to carry Arizona: .386 average and a .771 slugging percentage, banging out 10 doubles and five homers while driving in 22 runs. In his last 10 games he's had five in which he drove in 3 runs, and another in which he drove in 2.

Prediction: How much of a factor is Arizona's stretch run compared with Memphis putting it on cruise control after dispatching the semi-threat of New Orleans? Not enough. Memphis has too much in every aspect of the game for the Sandmen to contend with. What Arizona did is to be admired, but it ends here. Strummers in 5.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

Northern League Championship Series Review

New York Heroes (99-63) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)

Game 1: The Heroes face an uphill climb against the league's best pitcher, 27-game winner Rube Waddell. But Sam Weaver was fourth in ERA at 2.94, and is determined to match Waddell. Fielder Jones triples to lead off the top of the 3rd, and scores on a John Cassidy groundout to give the Heroes a 1-0 lead. But Ollie beard draws a 1-out walk in the bottom half of the inning, steals second and moves to third on Waddell's sacrifice before scoring on Sammy Strang's single to left to knot it up. Things remain tied at 1 until Waddell leads off the sixth with a double and scores on Strang's triple into the gap in right center, putting the Heroes behind. David Wright works out a 9-pitch walk to start the 7th and Martin Dihigo singles before Aaron Miles - who hit .187 with 1 homer in 387 at bats after being pressed into the starting job following Ed McKean's injury - belts a 3-run homer to give New York a 4-2 lead. Wichita bounces back, though. George Davis singles to lead off the inning, is moved over on Spotswood Poles' sacrifice, then scores on Doggie Miller's double to cut the deficit to 4-3. Sammy Strang leads off the bottom of the 8th with a homer to center for Wichita, but Weaver stays in and retires the next two. But Jimmy Sheckard walks, George Davis singles and Spotswood Poles doubles to score Sheckard, though Davis is thrown out on the relay. However, Wichita takes a 5-4 lead that is left to closer Chad Cordero. After retiring the first two batters, Cordero gives up back-to-back singles to to Fielder Jones and John Cassidy, leaving it up to Roger Connor (.337-37-104). Connor swings at a first pitch slider and lofts it to left for the final out. Wichita 5, New York 4.

Game 2: Trying to rebound from a devastating Game 1 loss, New York looks to get out quickly against Wichita's Al Orth (16-5, 2.75). Fielder Jones and John Cassidy start the game with back-to-back doubles to give the Heroes a 1-0 lead. Sammy Strang would boot a Dick Higham grounder to allow Cassidy to score, putting New York up 2-0 before Red Ehret (16-9, 3.18) ever takes the mound. Strang walked and Robinson Cano singled to start things off for Wichita before Strang moved to third on an Oyster Burns groundout. Jimmy Sheckard would hit a sac fly to make it 2-1. Ehret would then throw a wild pitch, to be followed three pitches later by a passed ball, allowing Burns to score and tying the game at 2. The Heroes would score again in the third, as Roger Connor hits a one-out double, scores on a Dick Higham RBI single and a David Wright shot down the line brings home Higham to make it 4-2. A Martin Dihigo error would lead to a 2-run homer from Jimmy Sheckard to tie it in the bottom of the third. That's how it would stay until the bottom of the 7th when Strang would walk, Cano would double and an Oyster Burns sac fly would give Wichita a 5-4 lead. Roger Connor would slam a leadoff double in the top of the 8th, but be thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. But Dick Higham would later single and be driven in on a double by David Wright, who would then score himself on a Martin Dihigo double to make it a 6-5 New York lead. Wright would give the lead back just as quickly though, booting an inning-ending double-play grounder in the bottom of the 8th, scoring Cherokee Davis, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Jack Powell would throw a scoreless top of the 9th for Wichita. Jonathan Papelbon would come in for New York in the bottom of the 9th. After getting Oyster Burns to fly out, Jimmy Sheckard singled and went to third when George Davis singled as well. Sheckard would score the winning run on a Hideki Matsui sac fly to put Wichita up 2-0 in the series despite New York having led both games late. Wichita 7, New York 6 (Wichita leads series 2-0).

Game 3: Seemingly carrying his prior night's error with him, New York third baseman David Wright had a brutal night, going 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts, leaving an eye-popping 10 men on base. Jack Taylor (9-7, 3.04) takes the hill for New York, and is touched quickly in the first when Robinson Cano reaches on an infield hit and scores on Jimmy Sheckard's triple. Jay Hughes (18-11, 2.95) starts for Wichita, and he, too, is touched early. John Cassidy stroked a 1-out single, stole second and went to third on the errant throw. Roger Connor walked and Jesse Burkett doubled to score Cassidy. Dick Higham then singled to score Burkett and give New York a 2-1 lead. Spotswood Poles would double to lead off the second, move to third on Doggie Miller's single and score on Ollie Beard's groundout to tie it up at 2. But Wichita would take a 3-2 lead when Robinson Cano absolutely crushes a solo homer to center in the third. That's how things would stay until the 7th, Hughes in and out of trouble while Taylor allowed an Oyster Burns double immediately after Cano's homer and then retired 14 straight. Roger Connor would back Taylor's effort with a 2-run single in the 7th, giving the Heroes a 4-3 lead. Another late New York lead, and another late demise. This time, a passed ball allows Hub Collins to score from third in the 8th, tying the game at 4. This time would different, though. Against Wichita reliever Jonas Gaines, who retired the last batter in the 8th, Jesse Burkett would draw a 1-out walk and move to second when Gaines misplays a Dick Higham bunt. Dick Johnston would run for Burkett. David Wright struck out for the second out, but Martin Dihigo would single to score Johnston and get the Heroes back in the series. New York 5, Wichita 4 (Wichita leads series 2-1).

(to be continued)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

Northern League Championship Series Review (cont.)

New York Heroes (99-63) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)

Game 4: New York sets out to even the series after a Game 3 win following a pair of gut-wrenching losses in games 1 and 2. Harry Howell (19-10, 3.03) goes for the Heroes against Elton Chamberlain (13-4, 2.81). New York is well aware that Rube Waddell is slated to start Game 5, and they don't want that to be an elimination game. Howell retires the side in order in the first, and Chamberlain retires the first two Heroes to face him. But he then walks Roger Connor, Jesse Burkett and Dick Higham in succession. Shockingly after the three walks, David Wright swings at the first pitch, but it pays off as he ropes a 2-run single to left to put the Heroes up 2-0 before Martin Dihigo flies out to end the inning. Wichita answers back though as George Davis hits a 1-out triple in the top of the second and later scores on Ollie Beard single to left to make it 2-1. That's how it stays until Beard reaches to leadoff the 5th with an infield single. Chamberlain sacrifices him to second and two batters later Robinson Cano hits an RBI single to tie it. In the Bottom of the 7th, though, Aaron Miles would single to lead off, be sacrificed to second by Howell and score on Fielder Jones' triple to the gap. John Cassidy would bring Jones in with a sacrifice fly before Roger Connor slammed a solo homer to make it 5-2. Howell would escape a bases loaded jam in the 8th, getting Doggie Miller to ground out in a situation similar to that which burned the Heroes in the first two games of the series. And this time, Jonathan Papelbon would pitch a scoreless ninth to close it out and even the series at 2 games apiece. New York 5, Wichita 2 (series tied 2-2).

Game 5: The Heroes got to Rube Waddell eventually in Game 1, only to lose a heartbreaker. New York sends Sam Weaver to duel Waddell again. Before Waddell even takes the hill, the Brigade have given him a 2-0 lead, courtesy of Jimmy Sheckard's 2-run homer, his second of the series. Waddell would allow singles in each of the first four innings, a one-out walk to Roger Connor in the 6th, and nothing else. Wichita would tack on a run in the 6th when Spotswood Poles hit a two-out single to score Oyster Burns. Waddell struck out 8 in the complete game shutout effort, putting Wichita one game away from the PBL Championship Series. Wichita 3, New York 0 (Wichita leads series 3-2).

Game 6: When Wichita's Al Orth and New York's Red Ehret locked up in Game 2, both teams scored twice in the opening inning. The order is reversed here in Game 6, but the result is the same. Roger Connor belted a 2-run homer in the first for New York, a shot answered by George Davis' 2-run double in the bottom of the inning. Martin Dihigo and Aaron Miles would hit back-to-back doubles in the 4th to put New York up 3-2. But Wichita would answer again, as a Doggie Miller sac fly would score Davis to tie it up. Connort would hit his second homer of the game - and third of the series - in the 5th, a solo shot to put New York up 4-3. Wichita, however, would respond yet again in the bottom of the inning, as Robinson Cano would double, Oyster Burns would single to score him, steal second, then score on a Jimmy Sheckard single to make it 5-4 Wichita. From there, New York looked spent, the next 6 batters going down. Roger Connor would double to lead off the 8th, only to be thrown out at third trying to stretch the double for the second time in the series. Bill Drake had relieved Ehret to throw a scoreless 7th, but the 8th would not be as kind. A Jimmy Sheckard leadoff double would be followed by RBI singles from Davis and Miller before Orth himself would add an RBI double, making it 8-4 as the Heroes came to bat in the 9th. Orth stayed in and retired the side in order for the complete game victory that sends Wichita to the PBL Championship Series. Wichita 8, New York 4. (Wichita wins series 4-2.)