OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The W.P. Kinsella League random update thread

BirdWatcher · 04-17-2022, 12:24 PM

Here is the final All-Star voting total for the Shoeless Joe League:

Name: Screenshot 2022-04-17 102214.jpg
Views: 1404
Size: 64.0 KB

Name: Screenshot 2022-04-17 102232.jpg
Views: 1332
Size: 55.6 KB

Name: Screenshot 2022-04-17 102246.png
Views: 1367
Size: 406.0 KB

And here is the roster:

Name: Screenshot 2022-04-17 102304.jpg
Views: 1372
Size: 100.2 KB

Name: Screenshot 2022-04-17 102323.png
Views: 1358
Size: 352.3 KB

Going through team-by-team, in order of most All-Star representatives per team:

---the Houston Cavaliers (5):
Closer Matt Harris gets named to his 3rd All-Star game. Harris was the 1984 Reliever of the Year and has been in the Houston bullpen since 1979, most of that time as their primary closer. He is a sidearming, hard working, groundball specialist.
Houston's 23-year old catcher, Jun-hun Youn, out of South Korea, is a first-time All-Star. He has a good balance of defensive skills and offensive abilities.
Atsushi Matsuda is one of a large crop of gifted power-hitting rookie batters in the WPK and a strong Rookie of the Year candidate.
Second baseman Wilfredo Garcia is a bat first second baseman headed to his second straight All-Star squad.
Left fielder Alex Raymos hasn't quite reached his expected MVP-level potential but he is only 25 still and is on pace for a 6 WAR season this year. He combines strong defense with a nearly flawless hit tool. This is his third All-Star selection.

---the Jacksonville Wolf Pack (4):
Manny Bell, David Parker, and Casey van Fossen- three members of the Jacksonville starting rotation and now three All-Stars (for Parker it is his second time). For anyone looking to figure how the Wolf Pack has been in contention all season long thus far, this gives you a pretty good idea. The rotation is young and boy is it talented. Bell is the old guy here at 24- both of the other two are 23. Last season this reporter often referred to the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings rotation as the best in the game, but this year the Wolf Pack seem to have taken over that title. And after these three great youngsters the rotation also includes two grizzled veterans who are also still pretty good in Jose Mendoza and Mike Hiatt.
Tim Evans, the often overlooked 28-year old right fielder for the Wolf Pack, heads to his second All-Star game. He has a career slash line of .318/.370/.510. On the other hand, he isn't much of a fielder and likely is destined to be a full-time DH before long.

---the Chicago Fire (3):
They are the best team in the SJL, and while they only have three All-Stars, two of them were the top vote-getters at their position and the other is pretty fantastic too.
Starting pitcher Bill Johnson, at the tender age of 22, after two seasons in the Fire bullpen (quite good seasons) is now a full-time starting pitcher and is one of the best.
Reliever Tyler Criss quietly got a start late last season with the Fire, pitching in 20 games with a 2.05 ERA, but this year he is the primary closer and his 23 saves leads the league. He is only 23 years old, he is durable, and he's very bright and hard-working. This guy should have a bright future ahead of him.
Speaking of bright futures, 25-year old Pat Thompson is the pretty clear heir to the title formerly held by the future Hall of Fame great Bud Lindsay- best overall shortstop in the game!

---the Columbus Whalers (3):
From the best team in the SJL to the worst.
But what the Columbus Whalers do have is two future Hall of Famers still near the top of their games in left-handed starting pitcher Luis Ramirez (34, Iron Man) and third baseman Chris Tobin (turns 40 in early September, on pace for a 5.7 WAR season). It is Ramirez' 11th All-Star game and Tobin's 14th!
They also have an exciting rookie center fielder in John Hassey.

---the Milwaukee Cadets (3):
The Milwaukee Cadets have three All-Stars. Why, is anybody's guess.
Reliever Matt Collins is 30-years old, a good teammate who likes to golf, and durable. He has had a pretty good start to the season. Is he an All-Star? Well, technically he is now, for the first time. Good for him.
Left fielder J.D. Hill would reportedly give the shirt off his back to a friend in need. Hopefully not in the middle of a bitter Milwaukee winter though. Okay, to be fair, Hill is on pace for 4.7 WAR, which would be his best season thus far at age 30.
Second baseman Mark Schleicher is an All-Star for the second time. Because, well, sometimes it helps when you play on a really bad team. And yeah, he is also on pace for his best season yet at age 30 (he turned 30 yesterday- Happy Birthday Mark!). But overall, these are not the most exciting All-Stars a team could hope for.

---the El Paso Dawgs (3):
Veteran reliever Rich Davis was the Reliever of the Year in 1982 and is a 2-time All-Star. On the other hand, he is kind of a jerk and this year his 21 saves come in a package with a 4.46 ERA and 1.76 WHIP.
Nobody will ever accuse Jose Gutierrez of being a jerk. The veteran (34) left fielder is respected around the league and has been one of the best leaders (Captain) in the game since he was a young pup over a decade ago. This is his 8th All-Star selection and he has a decent chance of eventual WPK Hall of Fame enshrinement, especially as he has had a resurgence in his 30's after a few down (and injury plagued) seasons in his mid-20's.
B.J. Dyer got off to a crazy hot start in this, his rookie season, and while he is still hitting .312/.337/.508 his early power production has disappeared. Which isn't a surprise as he was always considered more of a contact-first batter with below-average over-the-fence power and a poor eye. He is a decent fielder and will probably always hit for a good average with some nice extra base power and speed but not likely a perennial All-Star.

---the San Antonio Keys (3):
The recently mighty Keys are headed in the wrong direction in the standings these days.
But in Sal Montella they have probably the best catcher, at least in the SJL if not in all of the WPK. Montella is a fan favorite, one of the best pure hitters at his position, and a well above average defensive backstop as well. And now he is also a 3-time All-Star.
And they have future Hall of Fame middle infielder John Mussaw, now a 7-time All-Star and a 2-time SJL MVP.
It is hard to believe that this is 29-year old left fielder Danny Belmontes first All-Star selection, but I guess the quietly productive outfielder's exploits have often been overshadowed by those of his more famous teammates. It is about time he got an All-Star bid.

---the Washington Night Train (3):
The class of the SJL East for several seasons now (again, this was also true in the early days of the WPK), the Night Train send speedster Kenny Brown to the game as the top DH vote-getter in the SJL. Brown is now a 2-time All-Star and at age 28 looks to be having his best season yet. He is a fan favorite, has maybe the most elite speed tool in the game, and is a great contact hitter who will rarely strike out.
Washington will also be represented by last year's SJL MVP, Donovan Hickson, who got off to a slow start in 1986 but remains one of the most feared power hitters in the game and is on pace to not only hit 40 homers but also steal 25 bases.
And the exciting and super smart 27-year old right fielder Myon-ki Choi is headed to his 4th All-Star game. Choi is a gold glove winning fielder, an elite runner, and a great contact hitter who also generally gets into double digits in home runs. If he keep going like this he might be an eventual Hall of Fame candidate.

---the Philadelphia Mud Hens (2):
The Mud Hens got off to a strong start this season but have since been falling down the standings.
That certainly can't be blamed on veteran closer Vinny Arreola, who has 22 saves and an 0.54 ERA and is tied for 2nd in the SJL in WAR among pitchers. Arreola was the MGL Reliever of the Year in 1982 as a member of the Charlotte Sting and is now in his first year in the SJL with Philly after one season in Brooklyn. Today is his 30th birthday! Other than profiling as being injury-prone, Arreola is one of the best relievers in the game and a 7-time All-Star.
Philly's other All-Star is underrated veteran center fielder Mike Florack, headed to his 3rd mid-season classic.

---the Pittsburgh Roadrunners (2):
It isn't the best of times for the big league baseball clubs in the keystone state.
Pittsburgh has the top vote-getter among not only SJL right fielders but among all SJL outfielders in likely future Hall of Famer Matt Van der Heyden. Unfortunately, Van der Heyden has been out of action since June 19th and the team just got news that his recovery is not going well and he will miss at least another 3 weeks.
Catcher Aaron Reitz will be available to play in the game this week in Los Angeles' Avalon Park and it is his first All-Star game in his second season as a big leaguer (he was the backup catcher last season). Reitz is very good defensively and a decent hitter and at age 26 just getting his big league career going.

---the Seattle Alligators (1):
Well, if you are only going to have a single All-Star representative you at least want it to be someone worthy of the honor. And although he is on pace to lose 19 games this year (blame that on the lousy team around him), 25-year old starting pitcher John Stone is AS worthy. The durable young right-handed hurler is a control specialist with excellent breaking pitchers (curveball, slider) who induces groundballs at high rates. This is his first All-Star game but likely won't be his last.

04-17-2022, 12:24 PM	#272
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,263	SJL All-Star final voting and roster Here is the final All-Star voting total for the Shoeless Joe League: And here is the roster: Going through team-by-team, in order of most All-Star representatives per team: ---the Houston Cavaliers (5): Closer Matt Harris gets named to his 3rd All-Star game. Harris was the 1984 Reliever of the Year and has been in the Houston bullpen since 1979, most of that time as their primary closer. He is a sidearming, hard working, groundball specialist. Houston's 23-year old catcher, Jun-hun Youn, out of South Korea, is a first-time All-Star. He has a good balance of defensive skills and offensive abilities. Atsushi Matsuda is one of a large crop of gifted power-hitting rookie batters in the WPK and a strong Rookie of the Year candidate. Second baseman Wilfredo Garcia is a bat first second baseman headed to his second straight All-Star squad. Left fielder Alex Raymos hasn't quite reached his expected MVP-level potential but he is only 25 still and is on pace for a 6 WAR season this year. He combines strong defense with a nearly flawless hit tool. This is his third All-Star selection. ---the Jacksonville Wolf Pack (4): Manny Bell, David Parker, and Casey van Fossen- three members of the Jacksonville starting rotation and now three All-Stars (for Parker it is his second time). For anyone looking to figure how the Wolf Pack has been in contention all season long thus far, this gives you a pretty good idea. The rotation is young and boy is it talented. Bell is the old guy here at 24- both of the other two are 23. Last season this reporter often referred to the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings rotation as the best in the game, but this year the Wolf Pack seem to have taken over that title. And after these three great youngsters the rotation also includes two grizzled veterans who are also still pretty good in Jose Mendoza and Mike Hiatt. Tim Evans, the often overlooked 28-year old right fielder for the Wolf Pack, heads to his second All-Star game. He has a career slash line of .318/.370/.510. On the other hand, he isn't much of a fielder and likely is destined to be a full-time DH before long. ---the Chicago Fire (3): They are the best team in the SJL, and while they only have three All-Stars, two of them were the top vote-getters at their position and the other is pretty fantastic too. Starting pitcher Bill Johnson, at the tender age of 22, after two seasons in the Fire bullpen (quite good seasons) is now a full-time starting pitcher and is one of the best. Reliever Tyler Criss quietly got a start late last season with the Fire, pitching in 20 games with a 2.05 ERA, but this year he is the primary closer and his 23 saves leads the league. He is only 23 years old, he is durable, and he's very bright and hard-working. This guy should have a bright future ahead of him. Speaking of bright futures, 25-year old Pat Thompson is the pretty clear heir to the title formerly held by the future Hall of Fame great Bud Lindsay- best overall shortstop in the game! ---the Columbus Whalers (3): From the best team in the SJL to the worst. But what the Columbus Whalers do have is two future Hall of Famers still near the top of their games in left-handed starting pitcher Luis Ramirez (34, Iron Man) and third baseman Chris Tobin (turns 40 in early September, on pace for a 5.7 WAR season). It is Ramirez' 11th All-Star game and Tobin's 14th! They also have an exciting rookie center fielder in John Hassey. ---the Milwaukee Cadets (3): The Milwaukee Cadets have three All-Stars. Why, is anybody's guess. Reliever Matt Collins is 30-years old, a good teammate who likes to golf, and durable. He has had a pretty good start to the season. Is he an All-Star? Well, technically he is now, for the first time. Good for him. Left fielder J.D. Hill would reportedly give the shirt off his back to a friend in need. Hopefully not in the middle of a bitter Milwaukee winter though. Okay, to be fair, Hill is on pace for 4.7 WAR, which would be his best season thus far at age 30. Second baseman Mark Schleicher is an All-Star for the second time. Because, well, sometimes it helps when you play on a really bad team. And yeah, he is also on pace for his best season yet at age 30 (he turned 30 yesterday- Happy Birthday Mark!). But overall, these are not the most exciting All-Stars a team could hope for. ---the El Paso Dawgs (3): Veteran reliever Rich Davis was the Reliever of the Year in 1982 and is a 2-time All-Star. On the other hand, he is kind of a jerk and this year his 21 saves come in a package with a 4.46 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Nobody will ever accuse Jose Gutierrez of being a jerk. The veteran (34) left fielder is respected around the league and has been one of the best leaders (Captain) in the game since he was a young pup over a decade ago. This is his 8th All-Star selection and he has a decent chance of eventual WPK Hall of Fame enshrinement, especially as he has had a resurgence in his 30's after a few down (and injury plagued) seasons in his mid-20's. B.J. Dyer got off to a crazy hot start in this, his rookie season, and while he is still hitting .312/.337/.508 his early power production has disappeared. Which isn't a surprise as he was always considered more of a contact-first batter with below-average over-the-fence power and a poor eye. He is a decent fielder and will probably always hit for a good average with some nice extra base power and speed but not likely a perennial All-Star. ---the San Antonio Keys (3): The recently mighty Keys are headed in the wrong direction in the standings these days. But in Sal Montella they have probably the best catcher, at least in the SJL if not in all of the WPK. Montella is a fan favorite, one of the best pure hitters at his position, and a well above average defensive backstop as well. And now he is also a 3-time All-Star. And they have future Hall of Fame middle infielder John Mussaw, now a 7-time All-Star and a 2-time SJL MVP. It is hard to believe that this is 29-year old left fielder Danny Belmontes first All-Star selection, but I guess the quietly productive outfielder's exploits have often been overshadowed by those of his more famous teammates. It is about time he got an All-Star bid. ---the Washington Night Train (3): The class of the SJL East for several seasons now (again, this was also true in the early days of the WPK), the Night Train send speedster Kenny Brown to the game as the top DH vote-getter in the SJL. Brown is now a 2-time All-Star and at age 28 looks to be having his best season yet. He is a fan favorite, has maybe the most elite speed tool in the game, and is a great contact hitter who will rarely strike out. Washington will also be represented by last year's SJL MVP, Donovan Hickson, who got off to a slow start in 1986 but remains one of the most feared power hitters in the game and is on pace to not only hit 40 homers but also steal 25 bases. And the exciting and super smart 27-year old right fielder Myon-ki Choi is headed to his 4th All-Star game. Choi is a gold glove winning fielder, an elite runner, and a great contact hitter who also generally gets into double digits in home runs. If he keep going like this he might be an eventual Hall of Fame candidate. ---the Philadelphia Mud Hens (2): The Mud Hens got off to a strong start this season but have since been falling down the standings. That certainly can't be blamed on veteran closer Vinny Arreola, who has 22 saves and an 0.54 ERA and is tied for 2nd in the SJL in WAR among pitchers. Arreola was the MGL Reliever of the Year in 1982 as a member of the Charlotte Sting and is now in his first year in the SJL with Philly after one season in Brooklyn. Today is his 30th birthday! Other than profiling as being injury-prone, Arreola is one of the best relievers in the game and a 7-time All-Star. Philly's other All-Star is underrated veteran center fielder Mike Florack, headed to his 3rd mid-season classic. ---the Pittsburgh Roadrunners (2): It isn't the best of times for the big league baseball clubs in the keystone state. Pittsburgh has the top vote-getter among not only SJL right fielders but among all SJL outfielders in likely future Hall of Famer Matt Van der Heyden. Unfortunately, Van der Heyden has been out of action since June 19th and the team just got news that his recovery is not going well and he will miss at least another 3 weeks. Catcher Aaron Reitz will be available to play in the game this week in Los Angeles' Avalon Park and it is his first All-Star game in his second season as a big leaguer (he was the backup catcher last season). Reitz is very good defensively and a decent hitter and at age 26 just getting his big league career going. ---the Seattle Alligators (1): Well, if you are only going to have a single All-Star representative you at least want it to be someone worthy of the honor. And although he is on pace to lose 19 games this year (blame that on the lousy team around him), 25-year old starting pitcher John Stone is AS worthy. The durable young right-handed hurler is a control specialist with excellent breaking pitchers (curveball, slider) who induces groundballs at high rates. This is his first All-Star game but likely won't be his last. __________________ The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 Last edited by BirdWatcher; 04-19-2022 at 12:45 AM.