The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

Our first serious injury for the campaign sees Matty out until midseason at the earliest.




Garry Kolb gets the call-up to fill in while he is out - he can also offer some backup at a couple IF spots as well. IRL he played for us in '68-'69.




EDIT Gary has the sort of MLB debut they all dream about.

[luckymann]

A second no-hitter in the past three seasons for The Left Arm of God as he blanks the Mets in a 3-0 win. He is just a hit batter in the 8th away from a perfecto. He becomes just the third player after Dutch Leonard and Jack Powell to achieve the feat more than once. The Dodgers have begun the season in sizzling fashion.

[luckymann]

Add another to that list as Harvey Haddix - what is it with the X thematic here? - records his second career no-hitter (his first was in 1956) pitching for the Phils. Once again, it could well have been a perfect game - only 2 errors and a HBP. Once again, the poor old Mets find themselves on the short end of it.

[luckymann]

For those that might have missed it, I had a bit of a dilemma in the offseason with Legacy Players. Joe Morgan, Jim Wynn and Pete Rose, specifically.

Joe could have gone to HOU, but that would have bumped the Toy Soldier and I felt Jim was more closely aligned with the Stros than Joe was. So I sent Joe to CIN instead and HOU got Jim. That, unfortunately, meant Pete got bumped. It was an unwinnable situation and in the end I went with my preferred choice.

It looked as if Rose would end up at the Cubs, who had the first free pick, but they didn't pick him and neither did the Sens. So he ended up an A, which with their vibrant new unis and oddball vibe once they head to OAK kinda seems appropriate and their quirky personalities also align. Not sure he'll still be there in a decade or so, but if he is I look forward to his meeting with the Big Red Machine.

He's not wasted any time getting amongst it, old Pete, as you would expect.

[luckymann]

A big month for Lawrence Peter Berra, as he racks up both his 2000th hit and 300th home run within a week or so of each other.

That 3-year extension he signed with the Yanks a couple seasons back takes him thru 1964, into his age-39 season, and IRL that was it with the Bombers for him. A brief cameo across town for the Mets in '65 and he was done as a player.

I wonder if something similar happens here, or if the 3-year recalc just allows him to squeeze a couple extra years out of the game. We shall see.

[luckymann]

The sim is following the IRL fairly closely of late for Mickey Mantle, with the injury at the tail end of last season and this far more serious one that all but puts paid to his 1963 campaign.

[luckymann]

Hard to properly express either my surprise at or admiration for how well this group has done in the opening stanza of this season. Early injuries to Dick Groat - just back with the group today - and Matty Alou - still a couple months off - make it even more extraordinary that this ragtag (said with all the love and respect in the world) bunch on the league's 4th-lowest payroll can be sitting at an MLB best 32-16 as we enter June.




We've done this with guys like Jose Pagan and Dick Schofield - decidedly bench pieces - assuming everyday roles and making themselves right at home.

Gonna have to play devil's advocate here, however. Look at both the team and individual metrics and it's fairly obvious we are playing well beyond our means and that they are highly unlikely to be sustainable over a full season. That's OK, this first bit has been worth the entry price alone.




Once again, this group's effectiveness, while limited, is rooted in its collectiveness. Not one of them below replacement value, each one of them contributing. Roberto and Maz are again leading the way, but check out that line for Jose Pagan in Dick Groat's absence.




Off the scale, here, that's for sure. 2.30 overall ERA, with the BP at a sparkling 1.74. Just 132 runs conceded in 48 games - less than 3 RPG. SP1 thru 4 at 140 ERA+ or better, with only notorious slow starter Pizarro struggling. The schedule means his SP5 role hasn't seen much action, which is why we put him there given his problems in these early weeks, but we'll eventually swap him and Purkey.

Once again, Joe Gibbon has been the tall timber in the pen, but we are having some strife renegotiating his deal and it is looking more and more likely we won't be able to retain him past team control. On the other hand, Bob Miller ends up tempering his demands and we've now got him with us thru 1965 at least.




We'll know a heck of a lot more about who is in this year's fight in the next recap than we do now, with very few clear patterns having emerged to this point.


Monthly Award Winners

April

American League

• Batter – Harmon Killebrew (Twins): 275 / 7 HR / 14 RBI
• Pitcher Orlando Pena (Athletics): 4-0 / 1.71 / 26 K / 31.2 IP
• Rookie – Mickey Lolich (Tigers): 3-1 / 2.89 / 28 K / 37.1 IP

National League

• Batter – Ron Santo (Cubs): 382 / 5 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Sandy Koufax (Dodgers): 3-1 / 1.67 / 42 K / 43 IP
• Rookie – Sammy Ellis (Dodgers): 2-0 / 1.80 / 20 K / 30 IP

May

American League

• Batter – Roger Maris (Red Sox): 386 / 11 HR / 25 RBI
• Pitcher Orlando Pena (Athletics): 5-1 / 1.51 / 23 K / 42 IP
• Rookie – Mickey Lolich (Tigers): 4-0 / 1.71 / 44 K / 47.1 IP

National League

• Batter – Billy Williams (Cubs): 362 / 7 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Jim O’Toole (Dodgers): 6-1 / 2.35 / 46 K / 57.1 IP
• Rookie – Jim Dickson (Reds): 2-2 / 3.48 / 7 SV / 9 K / 20.2 IP

News and Leaders






Milestones and Observations of Note

• 250 Wins: Warren Spahn
• 300 HR: Ernie Banks
• The World Champs will have to defend their title without pitcher John Buzhardt, knocked out for the year by a labrum tear.
• A fractured hand puts Tigers 1B Norm Cash on ice for about a month, while Red Sox 3B Tommie Davis suffers a setback with his ankle injury and has his return date pushed back by roughly the same amount.

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Biggest Delta between OBP and AVG (Minimum 100 PAs)

[luckymann]

The BoSox are one of a bunch of clubs who look right in the AL race this year and if guys like Gordy Coleman can keep this sort of form up they'll give it a great shake.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

Just two of our guys going around in this year's Midsummer Classic.





Sadly some technical issues mean no HR Derby is held this year, while the NL wins the big game 5-4 with Yankee star Clete Boyer adjudged MVP.

[luckymann]

Some fairly astonishing pitching performances in progress this season, including by some of our lads, but none compare with what Sandy Koufax is doing this year. It is like nothing I've seen since the very early days from the mighty Rube Waddell.

This is where he sits thru 90 games and projects thru 162:




Rube currently has the four best seasons in history by pWAR. This one, should it maintain its current trajectory, would put Sandy second of all-time.

[luckymann]

In a season featuring such unbelievably good pitching, it feels right to have this playing out the way it is, as LA's Ray Washburn makes this the first season since 1930 with three no-nos thrown in it.

IRL, Ray threw the 167th no-hitter in MLB history - against the Jints while playing for the Cards in 1968.

[luckymann]

I'm not traditionally an overly superstitious type. Still, to avoid any sort of self-recrimination should my speaking prematurely bring down a reign of havoc over the stretch run, I am going to play it safe here and add no commentary about our performance. The numbers will tell you all you need to know. PS It's not just us I don't want to jeopardise, but any number of special seasons currently playing out around the league.




These are our overall stats - they tell you how we have gone as a team. Now, here are our batting stats.




They show you the individual performances of our hitters so far. Now for the pitching stats.




They show you the individual performances of our pitchers so far. There we go, no fate-tempting whatsoever. I feel much better now.




Still plenty of live tickets in this lottery.


News, Leaders and Top 20s








Monthly Award Winners

June

American League

• Batter – Boog Powell (Orioles): 262 / 10 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Whitey Ford (Red Sox): 6-1 / 2.72 / 38 K / 53 IP
• Rookie – Jim Bouton (Yankees): 4-1 / 0.64 / 23 K / 42.1 IP

National League

• Batter – Henry Aaron (Braves): 434 / 10 HR / 27 RBI
• Pitcher – Sandy Koufax (Dodgers): 6-0 / 0.68 / 58 K / 53 IP
• Rookie – Jim Dickson (Reds): 3-1 / 1.21 / 4 SV / 9 K / 22.1 IP

July

American League

• Batter – Bob Allison (Twins): 364 / 10 HR / 31 RBI
• Pitcher – Tommy John (White Sox): 4-1 / 1.16 / 27 K / 46.2 IP
• Rookie – Tommy John

National League

• Batter – Henry Aaron (Braves): 340 / 7 HR / 20 RBI
• Pitcher – Camilo Pascual (Pirates): 5-1 / 0.56 / 38 K / 48 IP
• Rookie – Gaylord Perry (Giants): 4-0 / 2.79 / 30 K / 42 IP

Milestones and Observations of Note

• A couple big names are lost for the remainder as veteran Yankees catcher Smoky Burgess (torn PCL) and Mets OF Wally Post (broken hand) get bitten by the injury bug.
• Yaz also goes down for the count, set to miss 6 weeks after suffering a triceps strain.
• The Colt .45s will be without reliever Frank Kreutzer for the rest of the season thanks to some shoulder inflammation, then also lose Ted Bowsfield to the same affliction.
• Detroit re-ups with veteran 3B Harvey Kuenn on a 4/464 deal.
• The Yanks try to set themselves up for a sustained stretch run with a deadline trade that sees P Jim Bouton and 2B Dick Kenworthy shipped to the Mets for P Hank Aguirre and 1B Ed Kranepool.
• Henry Aaron has a 28-game hit streak and is well-positioned in all three TC stat cats.

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Highest % of Hits as HRs (Minimum 200 Hits)

[Brad K]

The constant Pirates offensive struggle, not enough walks. (And sometimes not enough HRs.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Brad K

The constant Pirates offensive struggle, not enough walks. (And sometimes not enough HRs.

Yeah, and don't forget - no Dr Strangeglove in this group either, there's 30 less dingers a year...

[luckymann]

A straightforward win and third AAA title for the Alpine Cowboys as they sweep Syracuse, with the poor man's Joe Morgan named series MVP.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by luckymann

Yeah, and don't forget - no Dr Strangeglove in this group either, there's 30 less dingers a year...

Tell Alou Harry Walker is a crank and to start swinging for the fences!