New OOTP6 Dynasty - The Republican League

[gordyhulten]

2010 LINEUPS AND ROTATION

LINEUP vs. RHP
SS Cortines
3B Brown
1B Grimes
LF Miller
2B Hugh
RF Lugo
CF Palomares
C Chavarria

LINEUP vs. LHP
CF Palomares
C Chavarria
3B Eckman
1B Grimes
2B Hugh
SS Cortines
LF Poche
RF Lugo

ROTATION
Law – Endurance of 3 means I have to put him in the rotation – I need starters
Lopez
Zimmerman
Winchester – only 23, jumping straight from AA
Mondor
CLOSER: McDermott

[gordyhulten]

APRIL 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 10-16
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 10-16
CURRENT STANDING: Tied for 5th (last place), 8 games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
MR Carlton Moffett, injured 4/21 with strained elbow ligament, out four weeks (on 15-day DL).

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:
MR John Kee released.

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
Callup of 2B Lucien Kessinger shifted 2B John Hugh to SS, and pushed SS Cortines to the bench as a utility infielder. Kessinger will bat leadoff versus righties, and 7th versus lefties. After trading 3B Eckman to Massachusetts, 3B Jim Brown now plays everyday.

The rotation, after the trade detailed below, now runs Ralph Griffeth (Tal 7/9/5), Joel Sobrino (Tal 10/6/8), Zimmerman, Lopez and Mondor. Law, after one start lasting three innings, has been moved back to closer.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: SS Hugh - .424
HR: 1B Grimes – 5
RBI: SS Hugh – 24
SB: CF Palomares – 6
SP ERA: Zimmerman – 1.93
RP ERA: Ryerson – 1.17
SAVES: Cato – 3
Ks: Zimmerman – 37 (leads league)

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Tuesday 4/2/2010:
Marvin Bastarache has lost some power to the gaps...
Marvin Bastarache has lost some power...
Monday 4/8/2010:
Todd Winchester has increased his lower body strength, his duration raises to 1 ...
Thursday 4/11/2010:
William Law's pitches have more bite now, the movement has improved!
Monday 4/15/2010:
Alberto Posada's control seems to have taken a bump...
Monday 4/22/2010:
Alberto Posada has lost some lower body strength, his duration drops to 1 ...
Alberto Posada has lost some momentum, his range at P drops to 4 ...
Tuesday, 4/30/2010:
Jewell Beus is hitting his spots better, his command improved!

Bastarache was waived when Kessinger came up, but got pulled back when Moffet went on the DL. He’s done. Likewise with Posada.
Winchester is my best SP prospect.
Beus is now a nice 3.5* MR prospect. We’ll keep an eye on him.

AAA NOTES:
25yo 2B Lucien Kessinger started in AAA and went 432/593/738. He was called up, and will be the starting 2B.
23yo SP Todd Winchester is 2.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP in 5 GS. Scouts still say he’s not ready.

AA NOTES:
None

A NOTES:
22yo C Brian Procopio started well, and was promoted to AA despite the protests of the scouts.

TRADES:
After the first game, and seeing William Law only go 3 IP, I needed some starters. I didn’t have anything left to move except prospects and 3B Timothy Eckman. Massachusetts had two high-ceiling 27yo SPs that I could get for Eckman, SP Johnny Stefanski (#16 overall prospect) and 1B Dusty Howland (#17 overall prospect) and $4 million in cash. I’m desperate, and I know I’m getting hosed, but I take the deal.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Charles Menzel (MO)!
He had a record of 2-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 1.42.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Jakob Mandujano (NEB)!
He batted .409 in 93 AB, with 9 homers and 29 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Francis Brown (FLA)!
He had a record of 4-1 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 1.90 and 1 shutouts.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Martin Gholson (TN)!
He batted .418 in 110 AB, with 5 homers and 27 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
Friday 4/5/2010 :
PA: Greg Elders hits for the cycle against Massachusetts!
Wednesday 4/17/2010 :
KY: Chris Fox drives in 9 runs against Florida.
Tuesday 4/30/2010 :
MAS: William Riding hits for the cycle against Kentucky!

[gordyhulten]

MAY 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 10-19
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 20-35
CURRENT STANDING: 6th place, 15 games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
On 5/3. SP Joel Sobrino went down for 8 weeks with a strained elbow ligament. He was DTD (70%), but I put him on the DL. Winchester was called up to take his place in the rotation.
On 5/5, Francis Zimmerman, who had been our most effective SP, pulled a tricep muscle and is also out 8 weeks. He also went to the 15-day DL, and 25yo prospect Derek May (Tal 6/3/9) was called up to fill his spot. The rotation, which was a weakness to begin with, was now decimated. Both pitcher project to return around the first week of July.

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:
None

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
The rotation, after the injuries trade detailed above, now runs Griffeth, Lopez, Winchester, Mondor and May. They have a combined record of 3-14.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: SS Hugh - .387
HR: 1B Grimes – 11
RBI: SS Hugh – 51
SB: CF Palomares – 14
SP ERA: Griffeth – 4.50
RP ERA: Catoe – 3.38
SAVES: Law - 8
Ks: Lopez - 45

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Monday 5/6/2010:
Domingo Lugo has lost some power to the gaps...
Lucien Kessinger seems to have lost some bat speed, resulting in less contact...
Monday 5/13/2010:
Todd Winchester seems to have improved his pure stuff!
Todd Winchester's pitches have more bite now, the movement has improved!
Todd Winchester is hitting his spots better, his command improved!
Wednesday 5/22/2010:
Ralph Griffeth has lost some lower body strength, his duration drops to 1 ...

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The hits to Lugo and Kessinger are worrisome, but both are in the majors, so we’ll monitor their progress closely. Winchester is now the #1 pitching prospect in baseball, but has been rushed to the majors because of injuries. Griffeth, our #1 SP loses some endurance.

AAA NOTES:
None.

AA NOTES:
C Brian Procopio is demoted to A after struggling, but promoted again after going 332/450/445 at A-ball.

A NOTES:
None.

TRADES:
None.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Ferdy Peña (TX)!
He had a record of 4-1 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 2.56.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Elden Herron (AL)!
He batted .436 in 101 AB, with 3 homers and 22 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Mark Boyett (TN)!
He had a record of 6-1 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 1.63 and 1 shutouts.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Gary Jackson (CT)!
He batted .404 in 89 AB, with 4 homers and 28 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
None.

[gordyhulten]

2010 AMATEUR DRAFT REPORT

DRAFT POSITION: 3

TOP THREE DRAFTEES:
1. CF Paul “Spike” Korn (Tal 7/8/9/8/7): Five stars, LH, 19yo, great defensively at three OF positions, and had the highest upside of anybody in the draft. Starts in A. The choice came down to Korn or a collegiate SS, DeSilva, because of the need to replace John Hugh shortly. I choose the “best player available,” and maybe Hugh will net me a stud SS prospect at the deadline.
2. SP Vernon Salazar (Tal 6/6/8): Three stars, 22, RHP. Extreme groundballer with limited velocity. He will start in AA.
3. MR Burl Hopkins (Tal 8/6/7): 23yo, 3.5 stars, limited endurance, another extreme ground-ball righty soft-tosser.

POST-DRAFT TOP TEN MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEMS
1. Oklahoma
2. Maine
3. Massachusetts
4. Nebraska
5. Iowa
6. Texas
7. Washington
8. Mississippi
9. New Jersey
10. New York

OKLAHOMA TOP 100 PROSEPCTS
C Brian Procopio (3rd)
CF Paul Korn (7th)
SP Rey Sanchez (29th)
SP Vernon Salazar (54th)
SP Kennith Fordham (58th)
3B Jose Machuca (76th)
MR Jewell Beus (96th)

[gordyhulten]

Another modification: given the information presented here about player evaluation modifiers, I wanted to make adjustments throughout the season.

At the beginning of the season, I used 50/5/30/15 in order to put a minimum amount of AI emphasis on guys who got off to unusually hot or cold starts. Supposedly, this limits the flood of guys on the waiver wire, and it seems to have worked.

On June 1, I went to 50/25/20/5. I expect to leave it there until after the postseason. This should provide enough of a bump to guys who have over- or under-performed in 2010, and allow the AI to evaluate them fairly, with keeping plenty of emphasis on scouting and on their track record. Essentiall, the AI evaluation is 1/2 scouting, 1/4 track record, and 1/4 this season.

[rogmax11]

This is pretty interesting, and I'm picking up a lot of tips from your write-ups which are uniformly clear. One question I do have, which may be a misread on my part, concerns the description of post-season play from your opening premise: did I understand you correctly that you have a post-season structure consisting of TWO teams per division? If so, how did you do this, and how did you structure the playoffs? Thanks. rmx

[gordyhulten]

Yes, two teams per division, for a total of eight teams in the playoffs. Three rounds, seven games each. You can do this at the "Basic League Setup" screen, where you can also name the different playoff rounds.

I wish I could do playoffs with two division winners and two wild-cards (next-best records rather than second place) but you can only get wild-card with an odd number of divisions.

[gordyhulten]

OK, couple of housekeeping items.

1. My draft class has player histories that are all FUBARed. Read about it here. I'm searching through all the p###.txt files to find 2010 draftees and edit their histories. What a pain in the ass. If anyone has an easier way to fix this, please let me know.

2. I've used the OOTP Origin Maker mod to customize the player origin so that everybody comes from a city and state instead of just "USA" or "Australia." I think this will add some depth for me. You can read about it here. I got the idea from TigerFan.

3. I wanted faces, but not photographs, so I looked around and fell in love with the the FaceGen photopack created by Shorty and Deft and others. Shorty was kind enough to dig it up and re-post it here, in one of the first posts on the second page. If you can't get it for whatever reason, AIM me (gordyhulten) and I'd be happy to send it your way. It's about 15 MB, most jpgs that need to be converted to bmp.

[gordyhulten]

OK, the website appears to be OK, but I don't think all the player pages uploaded. For some reason, it won't upload all 2500 files at once. Grrrrr.

Pre-season league export at gordy.hulten.home.insightbb.com

[gordyhulten]

JUNE 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 11-15
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 31-50
CURRENT STANDING: 6th place, 22 games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
Sobrino and Zimmerman returned. No major injuries this month.

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:
Monday, July 1, 2010
Stephen Miller was named Player of the Week!
He batted .480 in 25 AB, with 4 HR and 12 RBI.

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
The rotation has returned to some semblance of normalcy: Zimmerman, Sobrino, Griffeth, May and Lopez.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: SS Hugh - .360
HR: 1B Grimes – 16
RBI: SS Hugh – 62
SB: CF Palomares – 17
SP ERA: Zimmerman – 1.76 (in just 46 IP)
RP ERA: McDermott – 4.14
SAVES: Law - 15
Ks: Lopez - 66

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Sunday 6/2/2010:
Burl Hopkins has lost some movement on his pitches...
Saturday 6/15/2010:
Abe Catoe's control seems to have taken a bump...
Saturday 6/22/2010:
Abe Catoe is hitting his spots better, his command improved!
Thursday 6/27/2010:
George Palomares plate discipline seems to have faded...
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I had hoped Hopkins would be a sleeping draft pick, but he lost some movement the day after the draft. Catoe seems to hop up and down every month. Palomares keeps getting older.

AAA NOTES:
Winchester has 1.29 WHIP in 36.1 IP, but only 14 Ks and 21 BBs.

AA NOTES:
C Procopio is still struggling at AA, but he’s too good to go back to A.
21yo SS Ricardo “Mr. Inside” DeSilva, acquired from NY, is at 293/425/348 after one month.

A NOTES:
19yo CF Paul Korn is 263/360/343 in his first month.

TRADES:
When Zimmerman and Sobrino came off the DL, I tried to sent SP Mordor down, but he couldn’t clear waivers. NY, ME, IA, NEB and others kept claiming him. I needed the space on the 40-man and active rosters, so I asked around and sent Mordor, MR Araoz and $1.8 million to NY for [b]Ricardco “Mr. Inside” DeSilva (Tal 7/8/8/5/6). DeSilva was the other player I craved in the most recent draft, was chosen fifth overall by NY, and is a Chicago native, 21yo, switch-hitter with good range and good speed.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Alonzo Barragan (MO)!
He had a record of 5-0 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 1.28 and 1 shutouts.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Carmine Orndorff (ILL)!
He batted .464 in 97 AB, with 8 homers and 19 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Jefferson Piotrowski (PA)!
He had a record of 4-0 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 0.85.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Reggie Corcuera (CT)!
He batted .385 in 104 AB, with 6 homers and 29 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
Sunday 6/16/2010:
NEB: Bubba Porter gets his 2000th career hit!!
Tuesday 6/25/2010:
LA: Gaby Yunque gets his 3000th career hit!!

[gordyhulten]

I stole another idea from TigerFan - his outstanding organizational chart that tracks players by talent level, position and which level of the organization they're currently at.

You can download it below. Here's a glimpse of what mine looks like as of 7/1/2010:

[gordyhulten]

Here's the Excel file:

[gordyhulten]

JULY 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 16-9 (first winning month!!!)
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 47-59
CURRENT STANDING: 5th place, 18 games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
None.

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:
Sunday, July 7, 2010
SS John Hugh will play in the OOTP-Allstar game!

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
SS John Hugh traded at the deadline – SS Cortines takes his place.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: 2B Kessinger - .332
HR: 1B Grimes – 21
RBI: 1B Grimes – 74
SB: CF Palomares – 22
SP ERA: Zimmerman – 3.04
RP ERA: Law – 3.69
SAVES: Law - 19
Ks: Lopez - 82

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Monday 7/22/2010:
Todd Winchester has lost some movement on his pitches...
Monday 7/29/2010:
Lucien Kessinger plate discipline seems to have faded...
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Winchester keeps bouncing up and down a little, but he’s still the #1 overall prospect. Kessinger is 332/431/453 since being called up as the starting 2B. Hopefully this won’t hurt him too much.

AAA NOTES:
Winchester is getting better – 1.14 WHIP, 2.84 ERA in 76 IP, his Ks are finally starting catch up to his walks.
SP Bill Roberts (Tal 8/9/8) is 1.40 / 4.11, but has an encouraging 20K/12BB ratio.
2B Alex Valdez (Tal 8/4/5/8/8) starts here after being a big-league backup in NC.
SS DeSilva is struggling, hitting only .216.

AA NOTES:
C Procopio is slowly improving his numbers.

A NOTES:
19yo CF Paul Korn had a very nice July, and is now 306/399/466 at 19yo. Another solid month and he’ll get promoted no matter what the scouts say.

TRADES:
34yo SS John Hugh wanted a 4-year extension at $5.5 million, and wouldn’t consider fewer years. Despite the huge hole it will create in my lineup, I trade him, LF Alvin Bergman, and $5 million at the deadline to NC for two prospects, SP Bill Roberts and 2B Alex Valdez. I’ve shipped $15.1 million in cash out in trades in 2010, but I will still bump up against the $50 million cash limit this winter anyway. My payroll is roughtly $31 million, and I expect revenues of roughly $60 million, for a profit of about $20 million. My current cash reserves are almost $30 million.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Edward Grand (OH)!
He had a record of 4-1 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 2.30 and 1 shutouts.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Victor Suarez (LA)!
He batted .466 in 103 AB, with 5 homers and 27 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Keith Marino (MAS)!
He had a record of 3-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 1.19.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Anthony Caskey (FLA)!
He batted .388 in 98 AB, with 6 homers and 24 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
Tuesday 7/9/2010
These players were selected for the FL OOTP-Allstar Team:
P Steve Domingues from Louisiana
P Ferdy Peña from Texas
P Gregg Watson from Missouri
P Robby Patton from Ohio
P Cedric Meneses from Mississippi
P Rafael Villarreal from Colorado
P Charles Menzel from Missouri
P Arden Adams from Illinois
P Nick Lopez from Louisiana
P Gordon Havel from Ohio
C Abraham Bastian from Illinois
C Alfonso Duda from Missouri
1B Jakob Mandujano from Nebraska
2B Andrew Clouser from Texas
3B Davy Neeley from Nebraska
SS Elden Herron from Alabama
LF Carmine Orndorff from Illinois
CF Brian Mazur from Missouri
RF Victor Suarez from Louisiana
1B Hilton Fewell from Mississippi
RF Marcos Egea from Missouri
LF Benjamin Manrique from Colorado
LF Rob Ames from Louisiana
SS John Hugh from Oklahoma
3B Lawrence Towler from Iowa
These players were selected for the ML OOTP-Allstar Team:
P Mark Boyett from Tennessee
P Egan Orr from Kentucky
P Mat Voelker from New Jersey
P Jim Applin from Connecticut
P Rob Malik from Pennsylvania
P Mike Rook from New York
P Francis Brown from Florida
P Dan Levis from Washington
P Jeffery Jack from Connecticut
P Erasmo Bustos from Maine
C Wilson Carnahan from Georgia
C Patrick Asberry from New York
1B Martin Gholson from Tennessee
2B William Riding from Massachusetts
3B Gary Jackson from Connecticut
SS Augustine Cuevas from Pennsylvania
LF Greg Elders from Pennsylvania
CF Myles Matsumura from North Carolina
RF Antonio Romriell from Massachusetts
1B Ka-ru Keita from Massachusetts
RF Tomas Pedraza from Kentucky
RF Florentino Faura from New York
RF Alfonso Almeida from Tennessee
3B Jeremy Jones from New Jersey
2B Roger Cross from Florida

Friday 7/26/2010
GEO: Jorge Miranda gets his 2000th career hit!!

SIGNIFICANT DEADLINE TRADES
Mississippi get 25yo, 3.5* [b]2B David Ishee (Tal 5/7/7/8/4) from North Carolina in exchange for 19yo 2.5* LH SP Steve Berger (Tal 5/7/8) and 29yo 2.5* SP Lonnie Lin (Tal 6/8/6). North Carolina looks like their dumping prospects like crazy.

Ohio acquires 25yo 1* C Kenneth Severin (Tal 2/4/9/10/3) from Louisiana, and gets 26yo 3* MR Karl Joyce (Tal 5/7/8) and 22yo 4* CL Ely Fleischer (Tal 10/5/6). This trade makes no sense to me, but Louisiana, one of the better teams in the league, get some bullpen prospects in exchange for garbage.

New Jersey sends former 34yo 3* former Oklahoma SP Arturo Colella (Tal 3/9/9) to Florida for 29yo 2.5* CF Eliot Horne (Tal 8/6/9/7/8). Collela’s contract makes this an awful trade for New Jersey. Florida is fighting for a playoff spot and already has a good pitching staff, so Colella is expendable. Horne’s talent makes it seem like he’s never reached his potential.

Massachusetts sends 32yo, two-time All-Star, 3.5* C Maurice Withrow (Tal 8/6/3/10/6) to Tennessee in exchange for 36yo, 3* SP Efren Castano (Tal 8/4/5), who is signed through 2012 at $10.8 million per season. Tennessee is the States Division leader, and Massachusetts is fighting for second in the Union.

Alabama gets 29yo 3* 2B Roger Steele (Tal 8/5/8/5/6) from New Jersey for 36yo, 3.5* SP Christopher Cavitt (Tal 3/8/7). Cavitt is no longer effective, but it’s amusing to see the AI trade for “proven veterans” for the stretch run. An obvious win for Alabama.

A classic deadline trade between second-place Florida and last-place Maine. The Cyclones get needed bullpen help in the form of 27yo 4* LH MR Gabriel Castellanos (Tal 7/6/9), and Maine gets a prospect, 20yo 3* SS Danny Randolph (Tal 6/5/8/3/6).

Florida continues to shed big contracts and SPs by moving 32yo 3.5* SP Shoukichirou Kensaku (Tal 6/9/7) to Iowa for another OF, 29yo 3.5* two-time All-Star CF Anthony “Bootleg” Caskey (Tal 8/7/8/7/6). Caskey has a 950 OPS and might be the biggest star moved at the deadline. Kensaku is a journeyman. Big heist for the very-active Cyclones.

[gordyhulten]

AUGUST 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 16-12 (second winning month in a row – 32-21 in July & August)
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 63-71
CURRENT STANDING: 6th place, 20½ games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
SP Francis Zimmerman went down again on 8/19, this time he’s out for the season with a torn back muscle. He finished 5-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 17 GS and 100 IP.

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
After Zimmerman’s injury, I called up Winchester to take his spot. Winchester got absolutely shelled, so I dropped him back to AAA and gave the rotation spot to 21yo Bill Roberts instead.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: LF Miller - .326
HR: 1B Grimes – 28
RBI: 1B Grimes – 93
SB: CF Palomares – 25
SP ERA: Sobrino – 2.79
RP ERA: Law – 3.81
SAVES: Law - 25
Ks: Sobrino - 109

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Sunday 8/18/2010:
Burl Hopkins seems to have lost some of his feel for his stuff...
Monday 8/19/2010:
Francis Zimmerman has lost some movement on his pitches...
Francis Zimmerman's control seems to have taken a bump...
Francis Zimmerman has lost some lower body strength, his duration drops to 1 ...
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Hopkins is now down to 2*. Zimmerman injury caused his bumps – hopefully he’ll recover in time for 2011.

AAA NOTES:
Winchester is progressing slowly, and will get another cup of coffee.
Bill Roberts pitched well enough to get a rotation spot in the bigs after Zimmerman went down. He may never return to AAA.
Alex Valdez did well, and learned how to play an adequate 3B in the process. He might be our starting 3B next season, and is called up when rosters expand.
DeSilva might get a starting spot next spring too, his lack of power in AAA is a cause for concern. He’ll get a look in September.

AA NOTES:
C Procopio hasn’t figured out AA yet.
CF Paul Korn, only 19yo, hit 326/425/515 in A, and I promoted him in mid-August. In AA, at only 19yo, he is at 292/378/431. He looks like a future HOFer.

A NOTES:
None.

TRADES:
None.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Alva Goodwin (COL)!
He had a record of 2-0 in 4 games started, with an ERA of 0.38.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Roger Steele (AL)!
He batted .398 in 103 AB, with 28 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Bryant Mondor (NY)!
He had a record of 4-0 in 4 games started, with an ERA of 0.99.
Yes, the Bryant Mondor I traded to them at the deadline. Grrrrr.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Martin Gholson (TN)!
He batted .481 in 104 AB, with 5 homers and 25 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
Sunday 8/18/2010
DC: Travis Haston pitches a NO-HITTER against Connecticut!!
Wednesday 8/21/2010
Ziolo Gonzales gets his 2000th career hit!!

[gordyhulten]

SEPTEMBER 2010

THIS MONTH’S RECORD: 8-20
OVERALL RECORD AT MONTH-END: 71-91
CURRENT STANDING: 6th place, 25 games off the lead

MAJOR INJURIES:
None

TEAM NEWS OF NOTE THIS MONTH:
Wednesday 9/4/2010:
Jim Brown's hitting streak was snapped at 20 games!
Tuesday 9/24/2010:
Jim Brown sets a new season Team-Record for At-Bats with 628!

COMMENTS/LINEUP OR ROTATION CHANGES:
The 2010 Oklahoma Wranglers ended the season with an eight game losing streak. Rookies Lugo, Kessinger, Winchester, Roberts, DeSilva, Valdez all enjoyed extended September tryouts, with Lugo and Kessinger keeping their starting spots heading into the offseason. DeSilva might be the starting SS in 2011, and Winchester and Roberts both might end up in the starting rotation next spring. With such a young and talented team, a few key additions and continued improvement might equal a winning season next year.

SEASON-TO-DATE TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS:
AVG: LF Miller - .310
HR: 1B Grimes – 32
RBI: 1B Grimes – 106
SB: CF Palomares – 31
SP ERA: Sobrino – 3.01
RP ERA: Law – 3.73
SAVES: Law - 30
Ks: Sobrino - 142

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
Thursday 9/26/2010
Stephen Miller seems to have lost some bat speed, resulting in less contact…
OVERALL THOUGHTS:Nothing too troubling here.

AAA NOTES:
None.

AA NOTES:
None.

A NOTES:
None.

TRADES:
None.

MONTHLY AWARDS:
Frontier League-Pitcher of the Month:
Graeme Ruggeri (IA)!
He had a record of 6-0 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 1.88 and 2 shutouts.
Frontier League-Batter of the Month:
Jim Saucedo (TX)!
He batted .442 in 95 AB, with 2 homers and 17 RBI.
Metropolitan League-Pitcher of the Month:
Higinio Calvo (NY)!
He had a record of 4-1 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.48.
Metropolitan League-Batter of the Month:
Landon Freda (GEO)!
He batted .418 in 98 AB, with 6 homers and 25 RBI.

OTHER IMPORTANT LEAGUE NEWS:
Saturday 9/7/2010
NC: Myles Matsumura gets his 2000th career hit!!
Sunday 9/8/2010:
ILL: Ellis Taylor sets a new season Illinois -Record for Hits with 205!
LA: Victor Suarez sets a new season Louisiana-Record for Hits with 204!
CT: Raymond Culbertson sets a new season Connecticut-Record for Bases on Balls with 124!
Monday 9/9/2010:
PA: Amaury Santiago gets his 2000th career hit!!
Tuesday 9/10/2010:
OH: Ronald Wright sets a new single game FL-Record for Runs with 5!
OH: Tony Arledge drives in 8 runs against Alabama.
TN: Martin Gholson sets a new season Tennessee-Record for Runs with 129!
Wednesday 9/11/2010:
NEB: Bubba Porter sets a new season Nebraska-Record for Homeruns with 34!
Thursday 9/12/2010:
TX: Lee Whittenburg sets a new season Texas-Record for Stolen Bases with 64!
NEB: Bubba Porter sets a new season Nebraska-Record for RBI with 118!
Sunday 9/15/2010:
MS: Hilton Fewell sets a new season Mississippi-Record for Runs with 132!
NY: Victor Najera gets his 2000th career hit!!
Friday 9/20/2010:
MAS: Efren Castaño pitches a NO-HITTER against Connecticut!!
Saturday 9/21/2010:
TX: Lee Whittenburg sets a new season Texas-Record for Runs with 129!
Sunday 9/22/2010:
TN: Martin Gholson sets a new season Tennessee-Record for Hits with 213!
Tuesday 9/24/2010:
TX: Jim Saucedo sets a new season Texas-Record for Triples with 10!
Wednesday 9/25/2010:
NEB: Davy Neeley sets a new season Nebraska-Record for Hits with 209!
Thursday 9/26/2010:
LA: Victor Suarez sets a new season Louisiana-Record for Runs with 126!
Friday 9/27/2010:
AL: James Henry sets a new season Alabama-Record for Saves with 37!
Saturday 9/28/2010:
ILL: Ellis Taylor sets a new season FL-Record for Hits with 233!
CT: Frank Lemus sets a new season Connecticut-Record for Strikeouts with 250!
Sunday 9/29/2010:
MAS: William Riding sets a new season Massachusetts-Record for Doubles with 46!

[gordyhulten]

2010 POST-SEASON REPORT

POTENTIAL OKLAHOMA FREE AGENTS
Name (POS): Salary – MLB Years: Comments
Flavio Cortines (SS): $2,442,857 – 6 years: Cortines won’t re-sign, and we don’t want him back anyway. DeSilva is our starter in 2011.
George Palomares (CF): $2,080,000 – 8 years: Palomares is 37 and won’t be re-signed.
Alberto Posada (MR): $200,000 – 3 years: Posada won’t be offered arbitration, and will become a FA.
Thomas McDermott (MR): $1,778,571 – 4 years: Extension signed for 4 years at $2 million per season.

STANDINGS/LEAGUE EXPORT
gordy.hulten.home.insightbb.com

AWARDS
Frontier League Rookie of the Year:
Domingo Lugo (OK)!
He batted .290 in 517 AB, with 10 homers and 80 RBI.
Metropolitan League Rookie of the Year:
Desmond Quiroz (ME)!
He had a record of 9-15 with an ERA of 5.49.
In 33 games started, he pitched 195 innings, fanning 86 and walking 98 batters.
Frontier League Most Outstanding Pitcher:
Juan Rios (TX)!
He had a record of 16-2 with an ERA of 2.92.
In 30 games started, he pitched 185 innings, fanning 126 and walking 30 batters.
Frontier League Most Valuable Player:
Victor Suarez (LA)!
He batted .371 in 622 AB, with 34 homers and 134 RBI.
Metropolitan League Most Outstanding Pitcher:
Mark Boyett (TN)!
He had a record of 20-5 with an ERA of 2.45 and 3 shutouts.
In 33 games started, he pitched 234.2 innings, fanning 186 and walking 77 batters.
Metropolitan League Most Valuable Player:
William Riding (MAS)!
He batted .342 in 612 AB, with 30 homers and 145 RBI.
Frontier League Gold Glove Winners:
Pitcher: Manuel Hernandez (MN)
Catcher: Chad Federico (LA)
First Base: Andreas Gonzalez (AL)
Second Base: Gerald White (LA)
Third Base: Tadahisa Toshiki (ILL)
Shortstop: Cecil Goris (ILL)
Leftfield: Daniel Gee (OH)
Centerfield: Ronald Wright (OH)
Rightfield: Mark Timmons (IA)
Metropolitan League Gold Glove Winners:
Pitcher: Jacob Kirschner (NJ)
Catcher: Kirk Skelley (KY)
First Base: Jacob Gurrola (FLA)
Second Base: Alberto Deles (DC)
Third Base: Robby McElvain (ME)
Shortstop: Xavier Moise (FLA)
Leftfield: Chris Fox (KY)
Centerfield: Luis Tedesco (MAS)
Rightfield: Lorenzo Winchell (KY)

PLAYOFF RESULTS
The Tennessee Smokies won the National Series over Alabama Aqua Sox in five games.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Our outstanding record in July and August may have raised my expectations, but I think, if we stay healthy and can add a key player or two in free agency, that we could be in the hunt for a postseason berth next season. Injuries to our two best SPs, Joel Sobrino and Francis Zimmerman forced us to push two youngsters, Derek May and Todd Winchester, into the rotation before their time.

[gordyhulten]

2011 OKLAHOMA WRANGLERS PRE-FREE AGENCY
POSITION REPORT: Catchers
Genaro Chavarria (Talent: 6 contact / 6 gap / 3 home run / 6 eye / 7 avoid strikeouts) failed to progress in 2010, hitting only 236/314/326. He’d be a good backup to someone who can hit. Rocky Fitzgerald (Tal 4/6/5/4/4) is now 36yo and should now strictly be a defensive sub. His sub-600 OPS in 2010 might earn him a release if a start is available in FA. Brian Procopio (Tal 7/7/5/10/7) finally escaped from A-ball last season, but struggled terribly in AA. The Henderson, NV native is now 23, and needs to get to AAA this season if he’s going to reach his potential. He’s hopefully going to be the long-term solution behind the plate.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Procopio’s lack of progress makes me think he’s not going to be ready until 2012 or later, if ever. That makes it an easy decision to try to find an upgrade in FA.

POSITION REPORT: First Basemen
Steven “Mr. Outside” Grimes (Tal 9/7/10/5/6) is a bust no longer. Last season he hit .300 with 32 HRs, 106 RBI and 106 R. He was our most consistent hitter, and signed through 2012 for only $900k.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I have lots of replacement level backups, but everybody else is quite a drop from Grimes.

POSITION REPORT: Second Basemen
Lucien Kessinger (Tal 5/6/7/8/5) was a very pleasant surprise as a rookie last year, batting mostly leadoff and hitting 310/406/396. His defense is barely adequate, and he bats lefty, so he might be an ideal platoon candidate with a slick-fielding righty.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Another position with no depth.

POSITION REPORT: Third Basemen
Jim Brown (Tal 8/7/7/10/7) is another great platoon candidate. He has amazing talent, but took a step backward and only hit 280/326/325 last season. Alex Valdez (Tal8/4/5/8/8) is another lefty, but can also play 2B. He arrived in the John Hugh trade at the deadline, and will start the season in AAA. Jose Machuca (Tal 5/8/4/6/5) is 24yo 2.5* who can’t escape A-ball. Raplh Leday (Tal 4/5/5/4/4) is 21yo, 2*, and hit .151 in A-ball.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: 3B is another position that could use a platoon upgrade.

POSITION REPORT: Shortstops
Ricardo “Bad Company” DeSilva (Tal 7/8/8/7/6) was acquired from NY last season, and has really progressed nicely. He’s a 21yo switching-hitter who had an 803 OPS at AAA last season. He plays good defense, and will open 2011 as the starter and probable leadoff hitter.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Given the lack of depth here and across the infield, finding a backup 2B/SS and 1B/3B is probably a necessity this offseason.

POSITION REPORT: Outfielders
Stephen Miller (Tal 6/7/7/6/4) had his second-best season last year at 33, hitting .320 with 16 HRs and an 831 OPS. He can’t hit lefties, but that’s an epidemic on this team. He can also play CF. Domingo “Bubba” Lugo (Tal 7/7/9/8/6) won the Frontier League Rookie of the Year last season, after earning the starting RF slot and hitting 290/358/397. He’s still only 24yo, and still LH (surprise, surprise), and it would be nice if he could add 100 points of SLG in 2011. He plays RF and CF equally well, but has a weak arm, so may get moved to CF. Paul “Spike” Korn (Tal 6/9/8/5/7) was my first-round pick last year, and as a 19yo zoomed through A-ball and hit nicely in AA for a few weeks. He lost some defensive ability over the winter, but can still play all three OF positions nicely. He also bats LH, and will start 2011 in AA. Brice Yowell (Tal 5/5/6/3/6) would be a nice defensive sub in RF, but because he bats RH, he’s a rarity on this team. He had a 539 OPS in 2010.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I’m thinking of platooning Miller in LF, playing Lugo fulltime in CF, and finding a nice RH starter in RF, and using Yowell as a 25th man/defensive replacement. The defensive versatility I’ve got is nice, but I’ve still got too many LH bats.

POSITION REPORT: Starting Pitchers
We might have an up-and-coming ace in 28yo, 4* RH Joel Sobrino (Talent 10 stuff / 8 movement / 6 control). Although the flame-throwing Tennessee native is injury prone and missed about eight weeks last year, he was 10-7 with a 3.01 ERA, 142 Ks in 146 IP, and 1.26 WHIP. The #2 starter’s job is a toss up. RH Francis Zimmerman (Tal 8/1/6) is just 27yo, wild and also throws hard. The other #2 is 28yo RH Ralph Griffeth (Tal 7/5/9). Griffeth arrived with Sobrino from the Massachutsetts Emeralds, and became the Wranglers hard-luck starter last season, getting just 4.1 runs per start in support. Unlike Zimmerman and Sobrino, Griffeth is a soft-tosser, and has improved his control. 25yo RH Derek May (Tal 6/3/9) was thrown to the wolves last season, and barely held his own, going 8-9 with more BBs than Ks. Another season at AAA wouldn’t hurt. Claver Lopez (Tal 8/1/6) is another RH junkballer who is just turning 30, but walked 111 in 179.1 IP last year. Lopez will likely be traded this winter to make room for Winchester, if he’s ready.

Young RH Bill Roberts (Tal 7/7/6) was the prime piece of the Hugh trade last summer, but has been disappointing. He got shellacked in a September callup, and has reportedly not looked sharp this winter. He’s still just 22, and will start in AAA. Todd Winchester (Tal 10/10/7) is the top-rated prospect in all baseball, and might earn a spot in the rotation after Spring Training. Just 24yo, the big RH from Arizona thows with authority to his spots. He was pressed into big-league action last season due to injuries, and occasionally flashed brilliance, but still got roughed up pretty badly. Rey Sanchez (Tal 7/6/8) is a 21yo crafty LH who has struggled at A-ball since being drafted in 2008. Vernon Salazar (Tal 6/6/8) is a marginal prospect. The 23yo groundball artist from Virginia got rocked in AA last year, and will repeat the level this season.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: The starters are much improved, but replacements for May and Lopez will really solidify a staff that just walks too many hitters. If Winchester’s ready, he’ll be in the rotation, but there is still a need to sign a legitimate ace.

POSITION REPORT: Relief Pitchers
The bullpen features 26 yo RH Abe Catoe (Tal 10/6/8) who has great talent but hasn’t produced yet. Another youngster, 24yo RH Carlton Moffet (Tal 10/7/8 throws very hard but lacks control. Veteran RH Thomas McDermott (Tal 10/2/5) also throws hard and lacks control, but is the master of inducing ground balls, and is a former All-Star. William Law (Tal 10/9/5) was a huge disappointment in 2010, blowing almost half his Save opportunities and losing 11 games.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: The bullpen was atrocious last year, but there is a lot of talent here. Two lefties are needed in FA.

[gordyhulten]

HIRING COACHES & SCOUTS

Nobody retires from any of my coaching or front office positions, and I don’t want to replace anybody, so I Finish All Days and go right to Free Agency.

[gordyhulten]

2010 FREE AGENCY PERIOD REPORT

FINANCIAL/FRONT OFFICE SITUATION
Fan Interest: 45
Team Market: Tiny
Fan Loyalty: Very Good
Cash on Hand: $47,519,657
Total Payroll: $25,168,572 (24th in league)
Last Year Income: $55,465,544
Available Money: $

This year I think the Wranglers are poised to take a big step forward, and the market looks a little deeper than last year. We’re going to have to spend to get the guys we want, but we’re going to get them.

DESIRES
Starting Catcher and CF.
An innings-eating ace.
Right-handed middle infielder, 3B, and LF.
Left-handed setup guy.
LOOGY.

SIGNINGS
SS Gerald Vallo (Tal 4/4/1/4/4) for one year for $1.25 million. Gerald is the right-handed backup middle infielder, and can platoon at 3B with Jim Brown.
C Braulio Maya (Tal 6/6/3/10/5) is 30yo, bats LH, and will start at catcher, adding another lefty bat to an already left-heavy lineup. Maya inked for $3.5 million for four years, and hopefully won’t be a starter for all four years if Procopio realizes his potential. This signing makes Chavarria or Fitzgerald expendable.
MR German Torres (Tal 6/9/10) is our new LH setup man. He signed for four years at $4 million per year.

I also tried to sign SP Egan Orr (Tal10/10/5), 29yo righty ace. I offered $13 million for five years, and he signed at the last minute with Iowa for the same amount. I then tried to jump in on SP Frank Lemus (Tal 10/3/7), a 32yo southpaw who set a league record for Ks in 2010. I offered $9 million for three years, and had the best offer until he suddenly signed at the last minute with the North Carolina Aeros for slightly more. My quest for an ace was denied by my frugality. I should have blown everyone away for Orr, as a $15 million contract wouldn’t have hurt me.

CF Gary Fulton (Tal 8/6/5/5/3) is a similar story. I was again the leager with a $14 million, 4 year offer, but he jumped at the last minute to Iowa for a tad more money. As a RH CF was my biggest priority this offseason, I started exploring trades.

TRADES
SP Claver Lopez, a huge disappointment, and C Genaro Chavarria are shipped with a whopping $7.4 million in cash to the Massachusetts Emeralds for 27yo RH Gold Glove CF Luis Tedesco (Tal 7/4/8/10/6), who plays excellent defense, can steal 50 bases, and is just reaching his potential. He’ll likely bat second for us.

POST FREE-AGENCY THOUGHTS
Again, free agency was difficult. The market was deeper than last winter, but my two primary targets, Orr and Fulton, both slipped away at the last minute. I’m curious if guys will be less likely to spurn me at the last minute if I have a winning organization. I did secure upgrades at C and in the bullpen, and CF through a trade. A winning record this year might still be within reach. At $33 million, I still have, by far, the lowest payroll in the league.

RULE V DRAFT
Nobody selected, nobody lost.

[gordyhulten]

2011 SPRING TRAINING

2 SPRING TRAINING NEWS:
Paul Korn showed good strike zone judgement!
Brian Procopio has good batting practice sessions!
Brian Procopio showed good strike zone judgement!
Ricardo Desilva displays more power in batting practice!
Ricardo Desilva showed good strike zone judgement!
Richard Dawson has good pitching sessions!
Richard Dawson has increased his throwing velocity!
Todd Winchester has improved his control!
Arthur Cole displays more power in batting practice!
Arthur Cole showed good strike zone judgement!
Richard Villa showed good strike zone judgement!
Jim Brown showed good strike zone judgement!
Jose Machuca showed good strike zone judgement!
Dusty Howland has good batting practice sessions!
Dusty Howland displays more power in batting practice!
Morgan Pfaff has good batting practice sessions!
Morgan Pfaff displays more power in batting practice!
Morgan Pfaff showed good strike zone judgement!
Justin Trost displays more power in batting practice!
Justin Trost showed good strike zone judgement!
Luis Perras showed good strike zone judgement!
Alex Valdez has good batting practice sessions!
Alex Valdez showed good strike zone judgement!
Josias Aguiar has good batting practice sessions!
Josias Aguiar showed good strike zone judgement!
Ralph Leday displays more power in batting practice!
Rey Sanchez has improved his control!
Eddie Marzano displays more power in batting practice!
Eddie Marzano showed good strike zone judgement!
John Shadle displays more power in batting practice!
John Shadle showed good strike zone judgement!
Jewell Beus has good pitching sessions!
John Birdsong showed good strike zone judgement!
Bill Elliot displays more power in batting practice!
Bill Elliot showed good strike zone judgement!
Axel Peña has good batting practice sessions!
Alan Swarthout has good pitching sessions!
Dave Cobb has good pitching sessions!
Dave Cobb has increased his throwing velocity!

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Korn, Procopio, Winchester, DeSilva, Valdez, Pfaff and Howland all had good springs. Let’s see if it translates into regular season success.