Post by A's on Nov 30, 2011 16:02:55 GMT -5
It Begins
(a.k.a., when good things happen to bad teams)
11/30/11 – Set 1 Review
Amid (literally) zero fanfare, League season 20 is finally here, and immediately DMB did not disappoint its biggest critics. Several of the worst teams in league jumped out to 4-1 records. Stalwarts like Josh Johnson, Albert Pujols and Troy Tulowitzki were plain old god-awful, while Mark Ellis reigned as an opening set MVP. And the Cubs roster of Cliff Pennington and Adam Rosales “played within the computer” to suggest it will be business as usual in the world of Weaver.
Let’s get to the action:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates (4-1) – The first recorded quote of the season from their owner summed it up nicely, “What a load of crap”. The upstart Bucs took two of three from the Pads before a two game sweep at the Giants. The stacked Pirates lineup of Ellis, Angel Pagan, Omar Infante, Skipper, Mary Ann and the rest leads league with an .897 team OPS. Roy Oswalt and Shawn “I can’t hit 90 on the gun” Marcum cruised in easy 1-run outings. The lone nice draft pick of Tim Stuffer even paid early dividends (4.1 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA). The Pirates only fell short of perfection thanks to a ninth-inning comeback by the Padres, made possible by one of three Infante errors in the game. Perhaps a hint of the reality to come, because if this continues Rose threatens to quit.
Rockies (3-2) – An impressive new humidor installed at Guerrillaz in da Field meant low-scoring contests, including three 1-run decisions and just 17 runs scored. Excitement from an opening sweep of the Nats behind Ubaldo, King Felix and rookie Clay Buchtholez was doused by dropping the next two to the Padres. The final game went 15 innings, the Rocks could only manage 4 hits and lost 3-2. The Rockies lead the league in pitching but are wallowing last in batting, the lone bright spot being – sigh – Jim “AYKM” Thome.
Giants (3-2) – The Giants also opened their season with a sweep then lost two, but from there any similarity to their nemesis Rockies ends. Runs were cheap as the Giants scored 36 and gave up 33, both league highs. CarGo leads league with a .583 batting average and a 1.699 OPS and would be the big story if not for some wiseguy named Joey Bats. Unearned runs cost the G-men at least one game as they committed 9 errors in the five games.
Padres (3-2) – The Pads looked to continue the momentum of last year’s playoff appearance with a strong +9 run margin in the opening set. However, they benefitted from two 1-run wins, one in the 9th and the other in extra innings. In their third win they cruised 6-2 behind Chad Billingsly. In their two losses they were shut down by the Pirates, 3-1 and 5-1. So the jury is out exactly where this team is heading. The early team strength is the untouchable relief pitching; Neftali and four others have a combined zero ERA in 20.1 total relief IP. Tim Lester leads league with 9 Ks, Clay Hensley is best at 2-0.
Nationals (2-3) – The Nats’ pennant defense withered in front of a Rockies sweep before getting bailed out by two wins over the last place Dbacks. Strong pitching kept the team competitive for the most part, with three quality starts from Brett Anderson, Joel Pineiro and Adam “R.I.P.” Wainwright. Only first-round retread Anibalz Sanchez got crushed (33.75 ERA). They got little offensively except for Josh “Alright” Hamilton and some guy named Chris Johnson I’ve honestly never heard of (he’s on the Astros?).
Diamondbacks (0-5) – If you’re looking for a positive note, sorry, the opening set was indeed that bad (league-worst minus-16 run margin). But I guess you could infer some bad luck involved in three 1-run losses. And the team batting is in the top half of league thanks to developing rookie Pedro Alvarez’s .722 slugging suggesting better things to come. Still, the pitching is dead-last and the fielding not much better. It’s looking like a long summer of rebuilding in the desert.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cubs (4-1) – Coming off 54 wins last year but a disappointing playoffs exit, the Cubs got back to business, quickly disposing of the Dodgers in a three game sweep. But an unexpected fight from the Orioles resulted in a split and redonkulous craziness that one only finds in Cubs sims. In game 4, the O’s jumped to a 10-1 lead only to watch the Cubs plate seven in the 8th inning against Jonathan Papelbon, including a two-out, bases-loaded infield single to the catcher by Ian Kinsler (surprise squeeze?). Despite the heroics, the Cubs lost 11-8. But they would not be denied in the final game, with the O’s up again 6-1 in the 9th, the Cubs conveniently scored five runs in the ninth off Daniel Bard and K-Rod to tie it before winning in extra. Key hits were a triple by slugging machine Daric “Darice” Barton, a single by noted singles-hitter Tyler Colvin, and the winning run scored by Cliff Pennington after he pinch-hit for Kinsler. Go Weaver! Those outbursts totaling 12 runs helped push the Cubs to #2 in league batting, which is good since the pitching and fielding rank decidedly mediocre. The pitching is stronger than it appears, however; it’s being dragged down by fan-favorite Bud Norris (10.13 ERA). Ian Kennedy threw a 2-hit, 1-run complete game (insert joke here), and Johan Santana has yet to really pitch after being forced out of his debut in 0.2 IP thanks to a minor injury.
Orioles (4-1) – Year three (or is it four?) of rebuilding mode took a temporary detour thanks to the Bautista Show. Joey Ruth smacked 5 HR in 5 games and leads league with 8 runs scored and 10 RBI. The Yankees offered little resistance against the one-man wrecking crew in a three game sweep, with bit-roles played by Brett Myers (complete game) and CJ Wilson (CG, 2 hits, 1 unearned run). The O’s pitching was decent overall, only the Cubs “within the computer” shenanigans skewed the results. El-vez Andrus also quietly contributed to the cause as the Dirtbirds have turned 11 double plays. But the other stat leaders, Yorvit Terrible-bla (.750 avg) and David “Lesser” Murphy (.357), are a stark reminder this is a short-lived fantasy.
White Sox (3-2) – The champs engaged in some genius, or perhaps mockery, by tabbing Jhoulys Chacin their opening day starter, and he responded with a complete game, five-hit gem, allowing just 2 runs. The LoSox responded to the insult fiercely, however, by taking the next two games, 4-2 and 6-5. The unexpected competition didn’t faze the Pale Hose for long as they righted the ship with an easy two wins over the Dodgers to close out the set. Their trademark pitching paved the way yet again; despite some shaky starts no reliever has worse than a 2.45 ERA. Offensively they struggled with Pujols and Evan Longoria batting .200. Thankfully, Youkilis (.526, three triples) and Kelly “Scutaro” Johnson (.476) helped pick up the slack somewhat.
Red Sox (3-2) – With a murderer’s row waiting in the wings for next year, the LoSox made some unlikely noise to start this season knocking off two of three against the defending champs before splitting with the Yankees. Much-maligned first-rounder Travis Wood notched their first win in 8 strong innings, and Dallas “R.I.P.” Braden took a tough luck loss in a complete game. Surprisingly, their famous offense is struggling with Braun, Pence and Rolen all managing just one hit each. Only Robinson Canu (.350) and Big Papi (1.538 OPS) have it going early, along with free agent gem Casey Blake (.429). Indeed, there may be one last run of Scottie Ball as the pitching has been fabulous except for Josh Johnson (19.29 ERA, aisb) and a league-best .995 fielding percent.
Yankees (1-4) – The Yankees were slow out of the gate and quickly dropped three games to the uppity Orioles. In fact, they were one run away from a winless set, barely regrouping for a 2-1 win. It took a complete game gem from Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 4 hits), a.k.a. “the guy they drafted instead of Bautista”. Success was short-lived, however, as they tanked in the finale, 9-4. Overall, there’s little to highlight as they rank near the bottom in team batting, pitching and defense. And Mariano Rivera has a 10.80 ERA.
Dodgers (0-5) – Welcome to the show, kid. The schedule maker had little sympathy for the Dodgers, instantly pitting them 3 games against the team with the best record last year (Cubs) then the defending champ (White Sox). The results were predictable, yet the Dodgers managed to stay competitive, none of the games were blowouts and four games were decided by two runs or less. The Dodgers showed some life at the plate but somehow failed to hit even one lone HR over the set (even though Ryan Howard hit for a .353 average). Another strength is the relief pitching that kept things close. But the starting pitching was overwhelmed and the defense ranks dead last.
(a.k.a., when good things happen to bad teams)
11/30/11 – Set 1 Review
Amid (literally) zero fanfare, League season 20 is finally here, and immediately DMB did not disappoint its biggest critics. Several of the worst teams in league jumped out to 4-1 records. Stalwarts like Josh Johnson, Albert Pujols and Troy Tulowitzki were plain old god-awful, while Mark Ellis reigned as an opening set MVP. And the Cubs roster of Cliff Pennington and Adam Rosales “played within the computer” to suggest it will be business as usual in the world of Weaver.
Let’s get to the action:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates (4-1) – The first recorded quote of the season from their owner summed it up nicely, “What a load of crap”. The upstart Bucs took two of three from the Pads before a two game sweep at the Giants. The stacked Pirates lineup of Ellis, Angel Pagan, Omar Infante, Skipper, Mary Ann and the rest leads league with an .897 team OPS. Roy Oswalt and Shawn “I can’t hit 90 on the gun” Marcum cruised in easy 1-run outings. The lone nice draft pick of Tim Stuffer even paid early dividends (4.1 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA). The Pirates only fell short of perfection thanks to a ninth-inning comeback by the Padres, made possible by one of three Infante errors in the game. Perhaps a hint of the reality to come, because if this continues Rose threatens to quit.
Rockies (3-2) – An impressive new humidor installed at Guerrillaz in da Field meant low-scoring contests, including three 1-run decisions and just 17 runs scored. Excitement from an opening sweep of the Nats behind Ubaldo, King Felix and rookie Clay Buchtholez was doused by dropping the next two to the Padres. The final game went 15 innings, the Rocks could only manage 4 hits and lost 3-2. The Rockies lead the league in pitching but are wallowing last in batting, the lone bright spot being – sigh – Jim “AYKM” Thome.
Giants (3-2) – The Giants also opened their season with a sweep then lost two, but from there any similarity to their nemesis Rockies ends. Runs were cheap as the Giants scored 36 and gave up 33, both league highs. CarGo leads league with a .583 batting average and a 1.699 OPS and would be the big story if not for some wiseguy named Joey Bats. Unearned runs cost the G-men at least one game as they committed 9 errors in the five games.
Padres (3-2) – The Pads looked to continue the momentum of last year’s playoff appearance with a strong +9 run margin in the opening set. However, they benefitted from two 1-run wins, one in the 9th and the other in extra innings. In their third win they cruised 6-2 behind Chad Billingsly. In their two losses they were shut down by the Pirates, 3-1 and 5-1. So the jury is out exactly where this team is heading. The early team strength is the untouchable relief pitching; Neftali and four others have a combined zero ERA in 20.1 total relief IP. Tim Lester leads league with 9 Ks, Clay Hensley is best at 2-0.
Nationals (2-3) – The Nats’ pennant defense withered in front of a Rockies sweep before getting bailed out by two wins over the last place Dbacks. Strong pitching kept the team competitive for the most part, with three quality starts from Brett Anderson, Joel Pineiro and Adam “R.I.P.” Wainwright. Only first-round retread Anibalz Sanchez got crushed (33.75 ERA). They got little offensively except for Josh “Alright” Hamilton and some guy named Chris Johnson I’ve honestly never heard of (he’s on the Astros?).
Diamondbacks (0-5) – If you’re looking for a positive note, sorry, the opening set was indeed that bad (league-worst minus-16 run margin). But I guess you could infer some bad luck involved in three 1-run losses. And the team batting is in the top half of league thanks to developing rookie Pedro Alvarez’s .722 slugging suggesting better things to come. Still, the pitching is dead-last and the fielding not much better. It’s looking like a long summer of rebuilding in the desert.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cubs (4-1) – Coming off 54 wins last year but a disappointing playoffs exit, the Cubs got back to business, quickly disposing of the Dodgers in a three game sweep. But an unexpected fight from the Orioles resulted in a split and redonkulous craziness that one only finds in Cubs sims. In game 4, the O’s jumped to a 10-1 lead only to watch the Cubs plate seven in the 8th inning against Jonathan Papelbon, including a two-out, bases-loaded infield single to the catcher by Ian Kinsler (surprise squeeze?). Despite the heroics, the Cubs lost 11-8. But they would not be denied in the final game, with the O’s up again 6-1 in the 9th, the Cubs conveniently scored five runs in the ninth off Daniel Bard and K-Rod to tie it before winning in extra. Key hits were a triple by slugging machine Daric “Darice” Barton, a single by noted singles-hitter Tyler Colvin, and the winning run scored by Cliff Pennington after he pinch-hit for Kinsler. Go Weaver! Those outbursts totaling 12 runs helped push the Cubs to #2 in league batting, which is good since the pitching and fielding rank decidedly mediocre. The pitching is stronger than it appears, however; it’s being dragged down by fan-favorite Bud Norris (10.13 ERA). Ian Kennedy threw a 2-hit, 1-run complete game (insert joke here), and Johan Santana has yet to really pitch after being forced out of his debut in 0.2 IP thanks to a minor injury.
Orioles (4-1) – Year three (or is it four?) of rebuilding mode took a temporary detour thanks to the Bautista Show. Joey Ruth smacked 5 HR in 5 games and leads league with 8 runs scored and 10 RBI. The Yankees offered little resistance against the one-man wrecking crew in a three game sweep, with bit-roles played by Brett Myers (complete game) and CJ Wilson (CG, 2 hits, 1 unearned run). The O’s pitching was decent overall, only the Cubs “within the computer” shenanigans skewed the results. El-vez Andrus also quietly contributed to the cause as the Dirtbirds have turned 11 double plays. But the other stat leaders, Yorvit Terrible-bla (.750 avg) and David “Lesser” Murphy (.357), are a stark reminder this is a short-lived fantasy.
White Sox (3-2) – The champs engaged in some genius, or perhaps mockery, by tabbing Jhoulys Chacin their opening day starter, and he responded with a complete game, five-hit gem, allowing just 2 runs. The LoSox responded to the insult fiercely, however, by taking the next two games, 4-2 and 6-5. The unexpected competition didn’t faze the Pale Hose for long as they righted the ship with an easy two wins over the Dodgers to close out the set. Their trademark pitching paved the way yet again; despite some shaky starts no reliever has worse than a 2.45 ERA. Offensively they struggled with Pujols and Evan Longoria batting .200. Thankfully, Youkilis (.526, three triples) and Kelly “Scutaro” Johnson (.476) helped pick up the slack somewhat.
Red Sox (3-2) – With a murderer’s row waiting in the wings for next year, the LoSox made some unlikely noise to start this season knocking off two of three against the defending champs before splitting with the Yankees. Much-maligned first-rounder Travis Wood notched their first win in 8 strong innings, and Dallas “R.I.P.” Braden took a tough luck loss in a complete game. Surprisingly, their famous offense is struggling with Braun, Pence and Rolen all managing just one hit each. Only Robinson Canu (.350) and Big Papi (1.538 OPS) have it going early, along with free agent gem Casey Blake (.429). Indeed, there may be one last run of Scottie Ball as the pitching has been fabulous except for Josh Johnson (19.29 ERA, aisb) and a league-best .995 fielding percent.
Yankees (1-4) – The Yankees were slow out of the gate and quickly dropped three games to the uppity Orioles. In fact, they were one run away from a winless set, barely regrouping for a 2-1 win. It took a complete game gem from Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 4 hits), a.k.a. “the guy they drafted instead of Bautista”. Success was short-lived, however, as they tanked in the finale, 9-4. Overall, there’s little to highlight as they rank near the bottom in team batting, pitching and defense. And Mariano Rivera has a 10.80 ERA.
Dodgers (0-5) – Welcome to the show, kid. The schedule maker had little sympathy for the Dodgers, instantly pitting them 3 games against the team with the best record last year (Cubs) then the defending champ (White Sox). The results were predictable, yet the Dodgers managed to stay competitive, none of the games were blowouts and four games were decided by two runs or less. The Dodgers showed some life at the plate but somehow failed to hit even one lone HR over the set (even though Ryan Howard hit for a .353 average). Another strength is the relief pitching that kept things close. But the starting pitching was overwhelmed and the defense ranks dead last.