[Westheim]

All Star Game

Jose “Dingus” Morales was named MVP of the All Star Game that was played in New York on Tuesday. The Warrior hit two home runs, including a 3-run shot off a certain Jonathan Toner, to plate four in total in the Federal League’s 8-4 win.

Toner, the CL starter soaked the loss. Chris Mathis also allowed a run in his appearance, while Thrasher and Ramirez had scoreless innings. Cookie Carmona went hitless as the centerfield starter and batting leadoff, while Hugo Mendoza started in right and batted fifth, going 1-for-2 with an RBI double.

Alright, that was shabby, onwards to the second half of the season, please!

Raccoons (54-34) vs. Loggers (43-44) – July 12-15, 2018

The Loggers came to town for the back end of the four-and-four that was tradition in the schedule. They were now sixth in runs scored and fifth in runs allowed… not much change there. What had changed however was the edge in the season series. Taking three of four in Milwaukee had put the Raccoons into the lead there, 4-3 over the Loggers as the series began.

Projected matchups:
Hector Santos (7-4, 2.94 ERA) vs. Ian Prevost (4-6, 3.05 ERA)
Damani Knight (4-3, 4.96 ERA) vs. TBD
Jonathan Toner (13-3, 2.59 ERA) vs. TBD
Ricky Mendoza (7-5, 4.41 ERA) vs. TBD

The righty Prevost aside, the Loggers hadn’t made up their mind about the rotation yet. Lefty G.G. Williams (4-5, 3.80 ERA) would pitch on regular rest if going on Friday, and there were also the right-handers Jason McDonald (5-6, 4.81 ERA), Brian Cope (5-4, 3.80 ERA), and Michael Foreman (8-5, 2.20 ERA) in the pool. Foreman had pitched in the All Star Game, but the Loggers would probably not give him four days’ rest, either, just like we did with Jonny Toner.

Knight goes second because he will be on regular rest there, and I like to keep disruptions down, and because I want to send Toner no sooner than Saturday while keeping the two biggest holes in the barrel (Knight, Nielson) apart. Nielson was probably worse right now, but I still didn’t know where to get a replacement from.

Game 1
MIL: 1B Betancourt – SS Burns – LF LeMoine – 3B Velez – C O. Castillo – RF Coleman – CF Cooper – 2B Krueger – P Prevost
POR: RF Carmona – CF Duarte – SS Walter – 1B H. Mendoza – 3B Nunley – 2B Mathews – LF DeWeese – C Denny – P Santos

The Coons got off to a blistering start while Prevost got hardly a strike past anybody in the opening inning. Cookie, Duarte, and Walter all had hits to center to start the game, with Cookie already scoring, and Nunley plated two with his 1-out single after Mendoza grounded out to third base. DeWeese added an RBI single for an early 4-spot in support of Santos, who tried to bounce back from the rough wooing he had received by the Titans the previous weekend. After two clean innings he allowed leadoff singles in the third (Gene Krueger) and fourth (Chris LeMoine), but Krueger was starved on third base and LeMoine never reached second, while the Raccoons had doubles by Nunley in the third and Denny in the fourth and didn’t manage to score on those, either. Nunley hit an RBI single in the fifth for an unearned run; Walter had reached second base on Alberto Velez’ 17th error of the season, a gruesome throw past David Betancourt, who came really close to a leadoff jack in the top 6th, but ended up caught on the track by DeWeese, who opened the bottom of the inning with a single to right off reliever Allen Harris. Denny singled to center, after which Santos was to bunt, but ended up safe at first when Betancourt mishandled the ball and was assessed an error for it. Bases loaded, no outs for Cookie, who lined to center, but Andrew Cooper caught the ball, holding him to a sacrifice fly, 6-0. Duarte grounded to third, where Velez tapped the bag to force Denny, but his throw to first was late. Harris got Walter to ground out, but injured himself in the process.

Santos only got one more out before getting struck after three singles in the seventh inning, and Cookie already limited the damage, throwing out Velez trying to go first-to-third on Orlando Castillo’s single, the second of the inning. Ian Coleman’s infield single ended Santos’ day after 97 pitches. Kaiser replaced him, struck out Cooper, then yielded for Chun, who got Krueger to ground out. Chun also dealt with the eighth before Matt Schroeder came in for the ninth in a 6-0 game. Castillo singled, Cooper walked, and Krueger ended his scoreless innings parade to start a career at 21.1 frames when he hit a double into the leftfield corner, plating both runners. Brad Gore’s grounder to Mathews ought to have ended the game, but Mathews threw the ball away, plating a third run for the Loggers. Alex Ramirez replaced him and struck out Betancourt to finally end the game… 6-3 Coons. Nunley 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; DeWeese 2-4, RBI; Denny 2-4, 2B; Santos 6.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K, W (8-4);

Wade Davis came off the DL in time for the Friday contest. Adam Cowen (5.63 ERA) was sent back to St. Pete.

Game 2
MIL: RF Hodgers – SS Burns – CF Gore – LF LeMoine – 3B Velez – C O. Castillo – 1B Betancourt – 2B Krueger – P McDonald
POR: RF Carmona – CF Duarte – SS Walter – 1B H. Mendoza – 3B Nunley – C Denny – LF DeWeese – 2B Hudman – P Knight

After two scoreless, Knight got into serious trouble when Victor Hodgers hit a leadoff single in the third inning and Shane Walter threw away Kyle Burns’ potential double play grounder. When Brad Gore grounded to Hudman, no double play was turned again with only Burns removed at second base, leaving them on the corners for LeMoine, who also grounded to Hudman rather than killing Knight outright, but again the Coons didn’t turn the double play when Gore mowed down Walter to break it up. Hodgers scored, putting the Loggers up 1-0. When a double play was turned eventually, it was on the Coons in the bottom 4th, Nunley getting Walter removed in a 6-4-3 cleaner. The Coons had only two hits through four innings and found themselves 2-0 behind in the fifth inning when Burns hit a solo home run to left. DeWeese would answer that with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the fifth, but that was really all the Raccoons did in support of Knight, two pitched seven totally decent, even borderline good innings. When Mendoza reached on an error to start the bottom 7th, this could have created an opening, but Mendoza never moved his tying-run-carrying butt to second as Nunley (F9), Denny (K), and DeWeese (F9) went down in silence. Mathews’ pinch-hit single in the bottom of the eighth was an isolated occurrence as well. In the top 9th, Chris Mathis issued two walks to Velez and Jimmy Raupp, who were on the corners with one out and Isiah Reed pinch-hitting in the #8 hole. Mathis ran a full count before Reed swung over a high pitch with the runners going hard. Denny shot up and struck down Raupp with a murderous throw at second base, ending the inning and keeping the Coons one tiny run short of tying the game and taking an undeserved loss away from Damani Knight. And they remained that one run short as Walter grounded out against Troy McCaskill, who then struck out Mendoza and Nunley. 2-1 Loggers. Walter 2-4; Mathews (PH) 1-1; Knight 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, L (4-4);

Well, four base hits won’t cut it on most (K)nights…

Game 3
MIL: RF Hodgers – SS Burns – CF Gore – LF LeMoine – 3B Velez – C O. Castillo – 1B Betancourt – 2B Krueger – P Cope
POR: CF Carmona – SS Walter – 3B Nunley – 1B H. Mendoza – RF Jackson – LF DeWeese – C Margolis – 2B Dahlke – P Toner

The Loggers got an early lead again thanks to a first-inning triple by Kyle Burns, who scored on Gore’s grounder to short. Another Velez error put Eddie Jackson on second base to start the bottom 2nd, and DeWeese’s single moved him to third. Margolis struck out, and Tom Dahlke also found himself with two strikes really fast before rallying and hitting a 2-2 pitch to deep center for an RBI double. Toner beat the opposing pitcher with a hard RBI single to left, too hard for Dahlke to score, but DeWeese marched home with the go-ahead run, just before Cookie fouled out on the first pitch and Walter flew out easily to Victor Hodgers. Brad Gore took away doubles from both Mendoza and DeWeese in the next inning, keeping the game tight at 2-1. Toner spooled off strikeouts in the middle innings, reaching ten of those buggers in a 2-hit shutout through six, but the Coons offense was entirely absent and thus when LeMoine homered to start the seventh inning it tied the game at two. It was the 16th shot of the season for LeMoine, who made the minimum, while the Raccoons paid millions and millions and millions to players that weren’t reasonably close…

Toner’s spot was up to start the bottom 7th and Mathews hit for him, grounding out to Krueger, but Cookie would hit a 1-out single to center. He was in motion for a hit-and-run with Shane Walter when the makeshift shortstop sent a fly to deep left that wasn’t spoiled by the admittedly awesome defensive outfield the Loggers had, and rammed off the wall for a double. Since Cookie had gotten the early start, he scored handily with the go-ahead run, putting Toner in line for the W again. Lefty Carlos Michel replaced Cope and kept Walter stranded on base against Nunley, who grounded out, and Mendoza, who flew out to left. Chris Mathis was out for the eighth again and again found himself in a homemade mess, walking Brian Almond in the #9 hole before allowing singles to Hodgers and Burns that loaded the bases. Thrasher came out to see after Gore, but the Loggers sent their custom terrible bench piece in Jimmy Raupp to hit for him. Still batting .183 only, Raupp struck out on six pitches, which brought up the main prize in LeMoine – who struck out in five! ****, YEAH, you got THRASHERED!!!

No offense came forth at all in the bottom 8th, so Ramirez had to keep the 5-6-7 batters away with a 3-2 lead. Actually, the #6 hole was occupied by the pitcher, with Andrew Cooper hitting in there once Velez had grounded out. Cooper whiffed, with another lefty, Reed, batting for Betancourt. Reed walked in a full count, pulling up Krueger, who was still not batting his weight, even after sending a double to right. Jackson got to the ball, his throw home was never going to be enough, Dahlke cut it off trying to get Krueger at third, which was also a nope, and Toner’s win had been blown with tremendous precision by the ****head Ramirez, who needed one out from two batters hitting a combined .160 and got none. Once Almond grounded out to end the miserable inning, the Coons loaded the bases with one out against Julio San Pedro due to singles by Duarte and Cookie and a walk drawn by Walter. Nunley came up, and he really had to do it because Mendoza was just… uah! The count on Nunley ran full before he chipped a ball to left and almost fell down in the box. The ball fell in, Duarte came in to score and Nunley had to hurry to pick himself up and hustle to first, but got there well in time. 4-3 Raccoons. Carmona 2-5; Nunley 2-4, BB, RBI; DeWeese 1-2, BB; Duarte 1-1; Toner 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K and 1-1, RBI;

By the way, Alex Duarte didn’t start not for health concerns (always a topic round here…), but for being on a hits diet. He has hit only .083 in July prior to this game…

Game 4
MIL: RF Hodgers – SS Burns – CF Gore – LF LeMoine – 3B Velez – C O. Castillo – 1B Betancourt – 2B Krueger – P G.G. Williams
POR: LF Carmona – CF Duarte – 1B H. Mendoza – RF Jackson – 3B Nunley – 2B Mathews – C Denny – SS Hudman – P R. Mendoza

Hodgers led off with a bloop single to left and reached third base with Brad Gore still in the on-deck circle, swiping second base and advancing to third on Denny’s throwing error. Regardless, the Loggers didn’t score when Burns and Gore fouled out in succession and LeMoine finally struck out, a remarkable development indeed. Mendoza’s stupid luck soon ran out and he loaded the bases in the top 2nd on a single and two walks with nobody out. ****ing Gene Krueger hit a 2-run single to center, and Hodgers eventually did the same, stole third base on Denny sleeping, and scored on Burns’ sac fly for a horrendous 5-spot in the second inning. To add salt to the wounds, outside of Hugo Mendoza getting hit the Coons didn’t make it onto base until Ricky Mendoza singled in the bottom 3rd. Duarte also singled, and then Hugo Mendoza was hit AGAIN by G.G. Williams! That cried for revenge! When Eddie Jackson flew out to LeMoine to end the inning, revenge had to be gotten in different ways. When LeMoine came back up in the fifth inning, Mendoza had pretty clear instructions what to do and smacked him as hard as he could. LeMoine kneed in the box for a while after getting drummed in the upper arm, then trudged to first, glaring at the pitcher. Gore, who had walked, moved to second base, and at the same time, we went to the bullpen, bringing up Schroeder who ended the inning without a run scoring, but not without loading the bases with a 2-out walk to Castillo.

Hugo Mendoza left the game after five innings with a sore thumb – one of Williams’ pitches had struck him in the hand – and was replaced by Petracek, but it didn’t really matter. The Raccoons hadn’t been expected to hit against the left-hander, and for the very most part didn’t. Mike Denny drove in a run at some point, and no one really noticed. The Raccoons never got the scruffy Williams out of the game, and he just kept pitching a complete game on seven scattered hits, striking out three and surviving on contact a six-year-old girl would find embarrassing. 5-1 Loggers. H. Mendoza 1-1; Schroeder 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K; Davis 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

BUT…! Williams came to the plate four times and flailed for a golden sombrero! Hah! We kinda, maybe, beat him in that regard.

No we didn’t, shut up and go cry behind the couch.

In other news

July 9 – The Blue Sox trade CL Logan Sloan (0-3, 2.67 ERA, 16 SV) to the Scorpions for two prospects.
July 10 – Two prospects also land the Bayhawks the services of SAC SP Graham Wasserman (2-2, 3.57 ERA).
July 12 – The Knights trade 2B Josh Downing (.239, 7 HR, 31 RBI) to the Capitals for the services of SS Edwin Patino (.246, 0 HR, 16 RBI) and a low-caliber prospect.
July 12 – Shoulder tendinitis puts NAS SS Andrew Showalter (.311, 15 HR, 53 RBI) on the shelf for the next six weeks.
July 13 – The Indians take on C/3B Hideaki “Quasimodo” Suda (.297, 2 HR, 11 RBI) from the Knights in exchange for 1B/2B Marcos Garza (.236, 1 HR, 4 RBI). Both players are in the dusk of their careers, with Suda already 41 years old.
July 13 – NAS INF John Muller (.326, 4 HR, 35 RBI) plates the only run in the Blue Sox’ 1-0 win over the Cylcones with a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning.
July 14 – The Crusaders send 3B Miguel Salinas (.318, 12 HR, 46 RBI) to the Stars in a trade for SP Brian Benjamin (7-11, 3.72 ERA).
July 14 – The Condors rout the Falcons in Charlotte, beating them up to a 16-4 tune. Josh Rawlings, Craig Dasher, Matt Pruitt, and Matt Jamieson all have four hits apiece. Dasher (.262, 4 HR, 36 RBI) and Jamieson (.370, 0 HR, 9 RBI) also drive in five runners each.
July 15 – The Sioux Falls and Los Angeles teams both score routs on the road, and both hit four home runs in their games. The Warriors romp the Scorpions, 16-5, with Gil Gross (.256, 12 HR, 42 RBI) going deep twice, while the Pacifics brush aside the Wolves, 18-8, with Jim Webb (.274, 7 HR, 27 RBI) throwing a grand slam into the pool.

Complaints and stuff

**** Alex Ramirez. **** him a thousand times. That’s how the ****er gets all his ****ing wins, by blowing other people’s hard earned and deserved wins. He has a blown save for every ****ing win of his. **** Alex Ramirez, just **** that ***hole.

Next year in the draft, we will take the best closer there is. We took Grant West in the 1979 draft, and never looked back. Well, okay, for 15 years.

Hugo Mendoza was diagnosed with a thumb contusion that will keep him out of the Crusaders series that is coming up, but it’s okay, he wasn’t hitting anything anyway.

Ricky Moya got through waivers and was assigned to the Alley Cats again. Nobody likes an almost 28-year old career .120 batter. We also removed Brandon Johnson from the 40-man roster without dire consequences.

A few more minor leaguers were released this week, including LF Wes McPoland (2012, 2nd Rd.), 2B Francisco Diaz (2015, 5th Rd.), RF/LF Devin Anderson (2015, 12th Rd.).

If anybody has bought / is playing Ultimate General: Civil War, which is very playable despite being in 0.79 alpha – I had no crashes in 38 hours of play – and you’re not tired of my endless, distorted sabbling yet, I have just started an AAR over on that games’ Steam forums about a Union campaign run. Yes, this might eat a bit into the Raccoons’ time allotment. No, I can’t do anything about that, I was burning to do the Civil War thing.