The Level Playing Field - An Alternative MLB Universe (2014)

[jaysdailydose]

Welcome!

I've taken a few attempts at this project with the last 2 versions, but due to having a bad hard-drive the first time, and losing the whole CPU the second, I have to give this project a final go-around with my new hardware! I also have it saved as a quickstart, and backed up, if anyone winds up being interested in this project and wants to run one of their own.

Here's what we're doing!

The Level Playing Field - 2014

This is a random debut, historical/fictional MLB universe. What I am doing is taking the Random Debut feature, but all players that enter the league will play under the same conditions. The league starts in 2014, and a homerun will mean the same in 2014 as it does in 2064. With all strategy and historical settings set to the same for each season, we'll be able to truly compare the greats of all of these new eras.

I do not use recalc whatsoever. This is a completely alternate history. While most of the name players will still be solid, maybe even Hall of Famers, they are at the mercy of the OOTP Development engine.

I am starting with the Detroit Tigers, but I am going to be PLAYING the league the entire time. However, I have no guarantees of staying with Detroit. I can be fired, I've got to make my own way in this new history. With a 120 year goal, I plan on switching GM's 4 times for 4 separate GM records, to try to give myself some ideas of how I did in between the eras.

The gameplay goal, other than just to have fun through history, is to eclipse the New York Yankees record total of 27 championships.

To simulate that there were many people of color who did not ever have a fair chance to play major league baseball, I am having the game add 6 Independent League Free Agents to the league every season. This will add a little more than 700 players to the pool, in an attempt to add some variability to what MIGHT have happened had these folks been allowed the same chance as anyone else.

I'm also adding "few" international scouting discoveries per team to make international scouting still relevant, and also to add more of these "outside talents" to further demonstrate what could have happened had minorities been allowed to play baseball in the majors forever.

I am just using one level of minors, AAA -- but I have put together a very solid PCL and IL, so we might see some fun stuff from down there as well.

Random debut does not work with Spritze so I was unable to just have the Negro Leaguers come into the league, and even though it isn't perfect, it will add both some gameplay fun/challenge in scouting and development, but also serve as somewhat of a facsimile of players who never got their fair shot.

I am currently drafting my squad, and will begin updating soon. Gameplay updates will be monthly recaps of my team, along with fun notes from that month's play. I want to be able to balance my own gameplay fun with timely progression through such an immense project, while not missing things that will define this universe's history.

Thanks for reading, and welcome to the final Level Playing Field!

[jaysdailydose]

MLB Inaugural Draft -- Round 1



This is the first round of the inaugural draft. I'll be posting my roster when the draft is complete, but I wanted everyone to see the first round of our inaugural pool!

I wound up with the 6th pick as my Tigers, I honestly was so worried about setting up the budgets that I didn't even look at the pick and it was just a random spin. I actually wanted to pick at either 15 or 30, but there's nothing wrong with having a possible HOF-development guy in Hahn. Let's see if we can do well with him.

[NYY #23]

Glad to see you back at this one.

I'm curious how old Cobb, Aaron, and Gwynn are. I know sometimes random debut can be cruel for some of the inaugural class.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Glad to see you back at this one.

I'm curious how old Cobb, Aaron, and Gwynn are. I know sometimes random debut can be cruel for some of the inaugural class.

It was a bit cruel to Aaron, he comes in at 32. Cobb is 24, and Gwynn is 25. So, it looks like I know who we are watching early.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by jaysdailydose

It was a bit cruel to Aaron, he comes in at 32. Cobb is 24, and Gwynn is 25. So, it looks like I know who we are watching early.

Yeah, I always like to go with pitching first, but it's hard to pass up on a 24 year old Cobb as the top overall pick.

[jaysdailydose]

Initial Detroit Tigers Organization - January 1, 2014



Here is our initial roster to start the league, with the Detroit Tigers. I allow ghost players, at least until Triple-A is full. It is possible that I will add AA later down the line, but definitely not pressing and it wouldn't be for probably 10 years at least.

Johnny Pesky will be starting at third base, with Jerry Adair backing him up. The 3B in this pool were severely lacking.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Yeah, I always like to go with pitching first, but it's hard to pass up on a 24 year old Cobb as the top overall pick.

I was kind of disappointed drafting at 6, to be honest. When I had done the test I was 15th when I looked, and probably would have took 30. Still, I won't complain about a 22 year old Noodles.

[jaysdailydose]

Well, first thing of note. Satchel Paige imported at 48... so when he retires, I'll import his son, Satchel Paige, Jr. into the league.

He'll be so much like his father it'll be sick.

Honus Wagner (36) will probably have his offspring come through the league, as well.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by jaysdailydose

Well, first thing of note. Satchel Paige imported at 48... so when he retires, I'll import his son, Satchel Paige, Jr. into the league.

He'll be so much luck his father it'll be sick.

Honus Wagner (36) will probably have his offspring come through the league, as well.

That's a good choice. There are always those couple guys who you hate to miss out seeing their career.

Looking over the Tigers it looks pretty encouraging. Hopefully Jim Abbott brings you as much luck as he brought me.

[jaysdailydose]

Our owner, Mr. Bruce Geffre, is known as "Unmerciful" but "Charitable."

Let's hoping I'm not checking out which jobs are available next season. We are predicted to go 83-79, which in our division, projects to 4th place.

Somehow, I don't think that would be good for me.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

That's a good choice. There are always those couple guys who you hate to miss out seeing their career.

Looking over the Tigers it looks pretty encouraging. Hopefully Jim Abbott brings you as much luck as he brought me.

I thought of you when I saw him sitting there around 5th-6th starter time. Was glad to bring in Baerga again, as well.

[jaysdailydose]

Also, news of note -- St. Louis Cardinal owner David Coffey has passed away, and it was announced that his son, David Coffey, Jr. would succeed him, and would take over team operations immediately. He is said to be regarded as an understanding economizer.

Detroit Tiger Kirby Puckett ranks 4th, our first prospect as a GM to make this list.

[jaysdailydose]

April 2014 Notes:

Bill Dinneen and Willie Bloomquist did not want to accept demotions to Toledo, and they were waived and designated for assignment. After clearing waivers, Bloomquist realized there wasn't a market for his services and accepted his assignment to Toledo. Dinneen refused, and we bought out his contract to provide him with his unconditional release.

Bill Husted of the Texas Rangers recorded the first win in MLB history, a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros. 24-year-old Johan Santana was the losing pitcher, and Keith Hernandez of Texas blasted the first home run, a mammoth 444-foot blast to dead-center in the top of the 8th off Astro lefty Jeff Ballard. Hughie Jennings stole the first MLB base, getting that stat started quickly with a steal off Santana in the first inning.

Dennis Eckersley recorded the first win in Detroit Tigers history, and Bill Sayles recorded the first save on April 6th.

Tommy Harper of the New York Mets was the first man to hit three homers in a game, bashing three against Miami on April 9th.



The first Tiger multi-HR game belongs to catcher Rick Wilkins, after his two-homer performance on April 15th against the Oakland Athletics, a 6-5 Detroit win.

I have placed High Pockets Kelly on the trading block. With the acquisition of Cabrera, he's relegated to pinch hitting duty, and he is understandably unhappy about it. He definitely has the skills to start in the majors, he is just now blocked in the Tigers organization, and unfortunately, he can only play first base. His contract is not horrible, making $6M per season with his contract expiring after the 2016 season.

My trading settings in this franchise are Low frequency, Very Hard difficulty, and Favor Prospects, so it is indeed hard for me to work out deals. I did give up a lot of guys that were or are solid major leaguers in the Cabrera trade, and it was super hard to get Martinez to come back in the deal to provide us with a backup catcher – and he isn't even rated well at all. He is a 21/26 on the 20-80 scale for overall and potential, so while he is the #80 prospect in MLB, you have to keep in mind that this is the initial draft pool and we don't have full AAA squads or anywhere close.

Regardless, we'll work out a deal for Kelly when one presents itself.

We learned that lefty setup man Hong-Chih Kuo would miss the next 3-4 months with shoulder inflammation. He shows a ton of talent, but hopefully he doesn't get bitten with this injury bug. His injury history to this point is Normal, so there is reason to be optimistic that he can come back as a talented pitcher and no worse for wear from this injury, but we will be taking it very easy with Mr. Kuo.

Kuo was placed on the 60-day DL, retroactive to April 13th. 26-year-old reliever Cecilio Guante was called up from our AAA affiliate in Toledo to take his spot on the active roster.

We are now definitely on the lookout for not only a trade (hopefully for a solid catcher) for High Pockets Kelly, but we also need to acquire another lefty relief man. I worked very hard to get a mix of pitchers of both hands, but I only was able to acquire two bullpen lefties in Kuo and 19-year-old Lefty Herring. Herring has pitched well in limited work so far, but his pitches have not fully developed yet at his young age, and he is essentially relying on movement at this point. I need a high-leverage lefty, and soon.



We also optioned reliever Jeff Samardzija back to Toledo, calling up 19-year-old LF Merito Acosta. We gave up a lot of players in our two trades, but we got a lot of good young talent in return. Quality, not quantity. We are also back under budget and have money to spend if we need to pick something up.

04/17/14 - Hal Newhouser of the Milwaukee Brewers became the first man in MLB history to toss a no-hitter, striking out 11 and walking only 2 in a 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

04/20/14 – Our game against the Mariners brought the first 20-hit performance for the Tigers, as 6 Tiger starters had 3 hits in the ballgame, in an 11-6 victory.

04/25/14 - Just eight days after the first MLB no-hitter, Jim Devlin of the Tampa Bay Rays became the first man to pitch a perfect game in MLB history, striking out 10 in route to an 11-0 victory over the New York Yankees!

04/27/14 – The Tigers organization has learned that Toledo reliever Jeff Samardzija will miss the next six months at least, after being diagnosed today with a torn labrum.

04/29/14 – We learn today that 24-year-old CF Clyde Milan of the Miami Marlins will be forced to retire after fracturing his skull. Milan had 2100 hits and 495 stolen bases from 1907-22 in real life, but here in this universe, he'll have retired after a catastrophic injury with 27 career hits and 12 stolen bases in 13 opportunities. He was drafted 20th overall in the Inaugural Draft. What a shame.

Also, Kirby Puckett had his 18-game hitting streak snapped today, but the Tigers still swept the Royals!

04/30/14 – The Detroit Tigers have signed 20-year-old reliever John Strike and assigned him to AAA Toledo. Terms of the deal were for 1-year at $640,000.

We finish April with a winning record at 12-11, but trail the Twins and White Sox by three games for the AL Central lead.

[jaysdailydose]

I'll be using this post to keep track of real-life Hall of Fame players, marking them as active as soon as I notice their entry, and then doing a stat comparison at the end of their "Level Playing Field" career.

Please note that I have removed all Negro League HOFers, along with executive and umpires, so we will only be focused on what players that can actually enter into this league will do. This post will be edited as often as possible, and hopefully it will be a welcome addition to this dynasty long-term.

Hall Of Famers (Real Life vs. LPF!)

Hall of Famers List

Aaron, Henry L. (Hank) -- Active 2014
Alexander, Grover C. (Pete)
Alomar, Roberto -- Active 2014
Anson, Adrian C. (Cap)
Aparicio Montiel, Luis E. -- Active 2014
Appling, Lucius B. (Luke)
Ashburn, Don Richard (Richie)
Averill, Howard Earl
Baker, John Franklin (Home Run)
Bancroft, David J. (Beauty)
Banks, Ernest -- Active 2014
Beckley, Jacob P.
Bench, Johnny L.
Bender, Charles A. (Chief) -- Active 2014
Berra, Lawrence P. (Yogi) -- Active 2014
Blyleven, Bert
Boggs, Wade
Bottomley, James L.
Boudreau, Louis
Bresnahan, Roger P.
Brett, George H.
Brock, Louis C.
Brouthers, Dennis (Dan) -- Active 2014
Brown, Mordecai
Brown, Raymond
Brown, Willard
Bunning, James
Burkett, Jesse C. -- Active 2014
Campanella, Roy
Carew, Rodney C. -- Active 2014
Carey, Max, G.
Carlton, Steven N.
Carter, Gary E.
Cepeda, Orlando M. -- Active 2014
Chance, Frank L.
Chandler, Albert B. (Happy)
Chesbro, John D. (Jack)
Clarke, Fred C.
Clarkson, John G.
Clemente Walker, Roberto
Cobb, Tyrus R. (Ty) -- Active 2014
Cochrane, Gordon S. (Mickey)
Collins, Edward T.
Collins, James J.
Combs, Earle B.
Connor, Roger -- Active 2014
Coveleski, Stanley
Crawford, Samuel E.
Cronin, Joseph E. -- Active 2014
Cummings, William A. (Candy)
Cuyler, Hazen S. (Kiki)
Davis, George S.
Dawson, Andre N.
Dean, Jay H. (Dizzy)
Delahanty, Edward J.
Dickey, William M.
DiMaggio, Joseph P.
Doby, Lawrence E. (Larry)
Doerr, Robert P.
Drysdale, Donald S.
Duffy, Hugh
Eckersley, Dennis L. -- Active 2014 (Detroit LPF)
Evers, John J.
Ewing, William (Buck)
Faber, Urban C. (Red) -- Active 2014
Feller, Robert W.A.
Ferrell, Richard B.
Fingers, Roland G. (Rollie)
Fisk, Carlton E.
Flick, Elmer H.
Ford, Edward C. (Whitey) -- Active 2014
Fox, Jacob N. (Nellie)
Foxx, James E.
Frisch, Frank F.
Galvin, James F. (Pud) -- Active 2014
Gehrig, Henry Louis (Lou)
Gehringer, Charles L.
Gibson, Robert
Glavine, Tom
Gomez, Vernon L. (Lefty)
Gordon, Joseph L.
Goslin, Leon A. (Goose)
Gossage, Richard (Goose)
Greenberg, Henry B. (Hank)
Grimes, Burleigh A.
Grove, Robert M. (Lefty)
Gwynn, Anthony K. (Tony) -- Active 2014
Hafey, Charles J. (Chick)
Haines, Jesse J. -- Active 2014
Hamilton, William R.
Hanlon, Edward H. (Ned)
Hartnett, Charles L. (Gabby)
Heilmann, Harry E.
Henderson, Rickey N.H.
Herman, William J. -- Active 2014
Hooper, Harry B.
Hornsby, Rogers
Hoyt, Waite C.
Hubbell, Carl O.
Huggins, Miller J.
Hunter, James A. (Catfish)
Irvin, Monford (Monte)
Jackson, Reginald M.
Jackson, Travis C.
Jenkins, Ferguson A. (Fergie)
Jennings, Hugh A. -- Active 2014
Johnson, Walter P.
Joss, Adrian (Addie)
Kaline, Albert W.
Keefe, Timothy J.
Keeler, Willie H. (Wee Willie)
Kell, George C.
Kelley, Joseph J.
Kelly, George L.
Kelly, Michael J. (King)
Killebrew, Harmon C. -- Active 2014
Kiner, Ralph M.
Klein, Charles H.
Koufax, Sanford (Sandy)
Lajoie, Napoleon (Nap)
Larkin, Barry
Lazzeri, Anthony M.
Lemon, Robert G.
Lindstrom, Frederick C.
Lombardi, Ernest N.
Lyons, Theodore A.
Maddux, Greg
Mantle, Mickey C.
Manush, Henry E. (Heinie)
Maranville, Walter J. (Rabbit)
Marichal Sánchez, Juan A.
Marquard, Richard W. (Rube)
Mathews, Edwin L.
Mathewson, Christopher (Christy)
Mays, Willie H.
Mazeroski, Williams S.
McCarthy, Thomas F.
McCovey, Willie L.
McGinnity, Joseph J.
McGraw, John J. -- Active 2014
McPhee, John A. (Bid)
Medwick, Joseph M.
Mize, John R.
Molitor, Paul L. -- Active 2014
Morgan, Joe L.
Murray, Eddie C.
Musial, Stanley F.
Newhouser, Harold (Hal) -- Active 2014
Nichols, Charles A. (Kid)
Niekro, Philip H.
O’Rourke, James H. -- Active 2014
Ott, Melvin T. (Mel) -- Active 2014
Paige, Leroy R. (Satchel) --Active 2014
Palmer, James A.
Pennock, Herbert J.
Pérez Rigal, Atanasio (Tony)
Perry, Gaylord J.
Plank, Edward S.
Puckett, Kirby -- Active 2014 (Detroit LPF)
Radbourn, Charles G. (Old Hoss)
Reese, Harold H. (Pee Wee)
Rice, Edgar C. (Sam)
Rice, James E.
Ripken Jr., Calvin E. (Cal)
Rixey, Eppa
Rizzuto, Phillip F.
Roberts, Robin E.
Robinson, Brooks C.
Robinson, Frank
Robinson, Jack R.
Roush, Edd J.
Ruffing, Charles H. (Red)
Rusie, Amos W.
Ruth, George H. (Babe)
Ryan, Lynn Nolan
Sandberg, Ryne
Santo, Ron
Schalk, Raymond W.
Schmidt, Michael J.
Schoendienst, Albert F. (Red) -- Active 2014
Seaver, George T. (Tom)
Sewell, Joseph W. -- Active 2014
Simmons, Aloysius H. (Al)
Sisler, George H.
Slaughter, Enos B. (Country)
Smith, Osborne Earl (Ozzie)
Snider, Edwin D. (Duke)
Spahn, Warren E.
Speaker, Tristram E. (Tris)
Stargell, Wilver D. (Willie)
Sutter, Bruce
Sutton, Donald H.
Terry, William H.
Thomas, Frank
Thompson, Samuel L.
Tinker, Joseph B. -- Active 2014
Torre, Joe
Traynor, Harold J. (Pie)
Vance, Arthur C. (Dazzy)
Vaughan, Joseph F. (Arky)
Waddell, George E. (Rube)
Wagner, John P. (Honus) -- Active 2014
Wallace, Roderick J. (Bobby)
Walsh, Edward A.
Waner, Lloyd J. -- Active 2014
Waner, Paul G.
Ward, John Montgomery
Welch, Michael F. (Mickey)
Wheat, Zachariah D.
White, Deacon -- Active 2014
Wilhelm, James Hoyt
Williams, Billy L.
Williams, Theodore S.
Willis, Victor G.
Wilson, Lewis R. (Hack)
Winfield, David M.
Wynn, Early
Yastrzemski, Carl M.
Young, Denton T. (Cy)
Youngs, Royce M. (Ross)
Yount, Robin R. -- Active 2014

---

There is a total of 36 real-life Hall of Famers active in the Level Playing Field, and 36 Hall of Famers have played in the Level Playing Field as of May 1, 2014 in "LPF Time."

Hall of Famers who do not get a real shot because of their age will be re-imported as their "son" so that all real stars get a fair shake at a career!

[No Pepper]

I'll say that at least half of Paige's career was after the age of 48

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by No Pepper

I'll say that at least half of Paige's career was after the age of 48

Makes you wonder if I'll have to spawn his "son", doesn't it?

I just hope you can edit posts in perpetuity, if you can, that Hall post will get pretty awesome someday.

[jaysdailydose]

In the interests of more frequent, and less huge updates, I am going to go to my weekly updating style similar to my "United States Baseball" updates. I play the same way in both dynasty reports, and I'm in no particular rush to get through seasons.

I actually think updating weekly will actually be more engaging. Feeling like I have to wait to get through a month makes an update feel like a more daunting task.

I'm up-to-date on United States Baseball, and looking to where I can jump back and forth and get ahead of both stories to where I can make more consistent daily to every-other-day updates on both stories!

I'll have the next LPF update here within an hour or two, and as always, thanks for following my reports!

[jaysdailydose]

Week 5 Notes: 1 vs. Atlanta (0-1), 3 vs. Minnesota (2-1)

· 05/01: ATL 11, DET 4 – Bob Cerv (ATL) 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, BB – Miguel Cabrera 1-4, GS (4), 4 RBI (21)
· Dupee Shaw had an absolutely horrible outing, giving up seven earned with Cerv's 3-run-shot ending his day without getting out of the 4th inning.
· 05/02: DET 2, MIN 0 – Jim Abbott CG, 0 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K, first career shutout – Rick Wilkins 1-3, 2B, R
· 05/03: MIN 2, DET 1 – Andy Coakley (MIN) 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K – Noodles Hahn 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K, L (2-2, 2.30)
· 05/04: DET 5, MIN 2 – Dennis Eckersley, 7.0 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K, W (4-2, 2.88) – Gerardo Parra 2-4, 2B, RBI
· Next Week: 4 at Houston, 2 at Washington.

This is an abbreviated update, just to get us on a normal weekly schedule. We are now at 14-13, and 2.5 games out of the AL Central Lead.

[jaysdailydose]

2014 Week 6 Notes: 4 at Houston (1-3), 2 at Washington (0-2)

· 05/05: HOU 7, DET 3 – Bill Hill (HOU) 8.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K, W (3-2, 3.50) – Miguel Cabrera 1-4, HR (5), 2 RBI
· Tiger P Milt Wilcox lost his fourth consecutive game, and in the last 3 he has not made it into the fifth inning. Wilcox has given up at least six earned runs in each of his last 3 starts.
· 05/06: HOU 4, DET 3 (12) – Mike Felder (HOU) 1-4, BB, SB (home) – Miguel Cabrera 3-5, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
· Cabrera has had the flame of goodness for the last few games, and its really showing. Both of his outs were on balls hit to the track as well.
· We wound up losing the game on a 2-out wild pitch by Phil Coke, who had really done well in relief up to that point.
· 05/07: HOU 5, DET 4 – Miguel Cabrera 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB – Wilbur Good (HOU) 3-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R
· Wilbur Good's day was even better when you know that he threw the go-ahead run out at the plate from right field, and made an amazing diving play to rob another run.
· Our bullpen is not only raising their own earned-run averages, but also our starters! I'm leaving them in too long in some cases because our bullpen just doesn't get the job done.
· 05/08: DET 7, HOU 0 – Noodles Hahn CG, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (3-2, 1.93) – Julio Franco 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 3 R
· This shutout was Noodles Hahn's first in his career, and his 4th complete game thus far early in this season.
· Hahn gave us a huge boost with this win to break out of our 3-game slump and take at least one from the Astros.
· Miguel Cabrera also kept up his stellar play, and retained his flames, with two more hits in the win over Houston. He went 8-17 in the 4-game set, with 6 RBI and 5 runs scored.
· 05/10: WAS 13, DET 5 – Ichiro Suzuki (WAS) 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R – Dennis Eckersley 0.2 IP, 8 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 0 K, L (4-3, 4.57)
· I was trying to get out of the first inning without having to go to our long reliever, Doc Landis, and the rest of the pen, but Ichiro hit a 3-run jack to complete 8 on the board in the 1st.
· I don't have really anyone outside of the core players for the future that would even be available in trade for another starter. Eckersley is great, but has bad outings sometimes.
· The Atlanta Braves talented 24-year-old hurler, Clayton Kershaw, will miss approximately three months with a strained pitching elbow. Here's hoping he recovers fully.
· 05/11: WAS 5, DET 1 – Milo Lockwood (WAS) 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W (3-2, 3.80) – Rick Wilkins 2-3, HR, RBI
· The team is just disappointing right now. Our pitchers can't seem to stop extra base hits, and our hitters are under performing. We need to shake things up somehow.
· Next Week: 3 vs. Cleveland, 3 vs. Houston

At this point, I'm not sure what we can do to spark the team. After holding right around .500 for April, we are now 3-7 on the month of May, losing 5 of the last 6. We do get to go home to Comerica Park for the next 6 games, and they are crucial for our team. We are already 5.5 games back in the divisional race, trailing the Chicago White Sox who are at 21-13, while we sit at 15-18.

Our starting pitching has to improve. Eckersley couldn't even get out of the first inning in his last start, and Milt Wilcox's last start was his first in his last four that he was even able to get into the fifth inning. Dupee Shaw hasn't been great, but at least Jim Abbott has been reliable. Noodles Hahn has pitched great this season, but he's been let down three times already by our offense.

We're going to explore the trade market for some way to shake up the ballclub, but I'm also not going to do anything rash to possibly hurt the future of this team. Even if it were to cost me my job, I'm not one to try to get a quick-fix just to save my ass and ruin our future. Hopefully, we can just start playing with a little more determination, hustle, and grit – and start getting the job done.

Thanks as always for following, and we hope to see you after a better week in the next update!

[jaysdailydose]

2014 Week 7 Notes: 3 vs. Cleveland (2-1), 3 vs. Houston (2-1)

· 05/13: DET 8, CLE 7 – Carlos Baerga 2-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R – Ryan Ludwick 3-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI (walk-off RBI single in 9th inning!)
· Ludwick only raised his average to .228 with his performance today, but he also had a clutch outfield assist and is one of the best defensive right fielders in the league with an elite arm.
· 05/14: CLE 6, DET 5 – Tony Gwynn (CLE) 3-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R – Jerry Adair 4-5, 2B, 3 R
· Pretty solid performance by Jim Abbott and the bullpen, but Sayles blew the game in the ninth. His first blown save in seven chances, and he took his first loss on the season as well.
· Ryan Braun of the Giants and Raleigh Aitchison of the Braves were both suspended three games today for their roles in an on-field altercation.
· Someone doesn't like Ryan Braun. Color me shocked.
· Blue Jays starter Jim Bullinger found out today that he will miss the next seven months with a stretched elbow ligament.
· 05/15: DET 7, CLE 5 – Gerardo Parra 1-4, HR (3), 3 RBI – Miguel Cabrera 3-5, 2B, RBI, R
· Cabrera doesn't still have his flames attached (he passed them to Rick Wilkins!) but you wouldn't know it from how he's handling the lumber. Crucial series win.
· Noodles Hahn had far from his best stuff, but he did enough to record his fourth victory.
· 05/16: DET 5, HOU 4 – Dick Bartell (HOU) 1-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R – Kirby Puckett 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI
· Puckett's 2-RBI triple tied the game at 4, and allowed Julio Franco's solo jack to lead off the bottom of the eighth to push us ahead. Bill Sayles locked it down for save #7.
· 05/17: HOU 8, DET 5 – Wilbur Good (HOU) 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R – Carlos Baerga 3-4, 3B, 2 R
· The bullpen and the defense let us down today, as Phil Coke gave up 4 runs (2 earned), on 4 hits and 2 walks in two-thirds of an inning to give this one up.
· Cecil Travis had a hitting streak of eleven games snapped in this contest. He is now hitting .278 on the campaign.
· 05/18: DET 7, HOU 2 – Rick Wilkins 3-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI – Dupee Shaw 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 7 K, W (3-1, 6.80)
· Wilkins is making great use of those flames he got from Cabrera, what a studly day for him.
· Next Week: 4 at Texas, 2 at Cleveland

A 4-2 week is definitely great news for our ballclub right now. We are sitting at 19-20, only one game under .500, and only 4.5 games back of the first-place of the division leading Chicago White Sox. Milt Wilcox had a much better start in a no-decision, as did Dennis Eckersley and Jim Abbott.

Our bullpen (and really, our entire pitching staff) is a big concern at this point. Our offense has definitely come around a good bit. Jerry Adair sent us a note telling us he wanted to be in the starting lineup, and he is playing in pretty much a dead platoon with Carlos Baerga right now, playing against lefties.

We saw a lot of those lefties this week, and Adair responded by going 9-14 in his last four games. He is 29 years old, so I don't know if I'll be able to move him for anything of value, but I am definitely going to shop him around while he is hot. I could definitely cover for his loss if he could get us someone solid for the bullpen or a power hitter.

Anyway, glad to be talking to you from a bounce-back week. Our owner, Bruce Geffre, the Unmerciful man that he is, is still upset with me – but at least I have you guys to talk to, right? While I have my job, at least. Might want up being a BNN analyst for the rest of the season if the lads don't keep it up. Hopefully we'll be chatting with you next week after another solid week for the Detroit Tigers!