California Angels 1970

[sharknut]

We are really struggling offensively after the loss of Clark. The trade of an MLB-ready top 80 prospect in Dave Martinez in a package for a top 20 prospect who will not be ready for a few years may cost me the division if I can't get the offense running.

"On the trading block-27 year old Tony Gwynn"

Welp, there is our answer. I traded UFA to be Terry Kennedy for UFA to be Tony Gwynn. While this Gwynn isn't as great as IRL Gwynn, he hasn't hit lower than .310 in his 6 seasons, 5 of those season were between .310 and .315, he's amazingly consistent. He's just not the .360-.370 hitting Gwynn, but he's a helluva lot better than Randy Milligan.

While Gwynn would be a great long-term signing......there is a certain 3-time MVP, 4-time playoff MVP, 13-time All-Star, who I managed in California for 8 years who is also a UFA next year. I have a brinks vault full of money and we can overpay him at age 35. He is on pace to win another MVP for the Angels, and while it may ruin us in non-DH league if he gets hurt, I am going to offer him what he wants

I have been REALLY patient with 22-year old Roberto Kelly at short, but he is just hitting .230 and on pace for 140 strikeouts. When you couple that his negative range, when Clark comes back I will use 23-year Jeff Carter at short. While his defense is even worse than Kelly, he is an on-base machine and on pace for 70 steals. I will go all-in on offense and hope Carter doesn't cost me too much defensively. Only 2 members of my pitching staff are considered ground ball pitchers, so again, fingers crossed.

[sharknut]

Trade deadline arrived and the only move I made was to deal UFA to be Rick Rhoden for UFA to be Silvio Martinez. Rhoden has an ERA of 5.05 and lost his spot in the rotation and Martinez is a more reliable bullpen arm.

[sharknut]

Interesting note on my Bakersfield A ball team:

They started the season 4-21. Absolute dumpster fire. Last in hitting and pitching, just a terrible team. Now, after 108 games, they are 54-54 and tied for 1st. I haven't had any of my teams at any level turn it around so much in half a season.

[sharknut]

Here's an overview with 50 games to go:

We have a 4 1/2 game lead over the Reds after taking 3 out of 4 over them. The last month has sorted things out in the NL East where the Phillies are 9 games up and the Rangers are 6 up on the Angels. In the AL East, the Yankees are 1 up on the Tigers and 5 over the Sox.

My experiment of playing a sub-par fielding shortstop who can change the game offensively is over after a week. I use 20-80 ratings and Jeff Carter is just a 40. Roberto Kelly is a 50 but has been a disappointment at the plate. The fact that we lead the league in HR and are 2nd in runs has made me realize that I need the glove at short.

Poor Carter. He's just a rookie at 23 and is actually a 2b. He's gone .310/.397/.415 6 HR and is 57 out of 67 in steals. But we have Mike Cole at second. He's 26 and played a ton in LF before we traded for Gwynn. He's been an all-star and has gone .271/.396/.338 and is 40 out of 48 in steals. Carter has been better, but Cole has been the man I think I should stick with him. But I am trading him in the offseason and go with Carter long term.

Some highlights around the league, Allen Sigler has 50 HR, but his pace has dropped to 70. Heh. Horner is having a great season for the Reds, leading the leading in hitting and RBI and has 37 HR's as well. Our Andy Araujo leads the league in wins and ERA, 14-5 with a 2.28 ERA. Kevin Houston is right behind him at 14-2 and a 2.59 ERA. After them, our rotation is a bit of a mess.

We signed a free agent as a bullpen arm in the offseason and has been good, so we moved Michael Elliott into the 4th spot. After a very bad 1st start and a meh 2nd start, he only gave up 1 run in 7 innings in his last start. For our 5th spot, we signed released Bill Gullickson in June and after some time in AAA, he was solid from the bullpen and in his 1st start, he only gave up 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. All I need are decent 4th and 5th guys.

In the AL, my off-season UFA target Fred Lynn leads the league in hitting and 23 year old Barry Bonds is leading the league in HR and RBI's again. There are no pitchers having a great year, Tom Hume leads the league in ERA at 3.32.

[sharknut]

My 24 year old CF Dave Clark is arbitration eligible and it was going to be north of $1 million or so, and I approached him about a long term deal. He asked for 10 years and $24 million. Frankly, the amount is great, but I only wanted to go 8 years in case he busts.

22 yr-17 hr 66 rbi .279/.350/.430 4 WAR
23 yr-28 hr 83 rbi .258/.360/.483 5 WAR
(pace)24 yr-35 hr 87 rbi .270/.340/.601 4.3 WAR (out for 5 weeks midseason)

So, 8 years and $17 million later and he's locked up until he's 32.

[sharknut]

(a look at my contracts)

31 year old Jack Clark 3 yrs left at $2.9M a year
26 year old Tom Brunansky 5 years left $3M a year
29 year old Kevin Houston 6 years left $3.2M a year
24 year old Dave Clark 8 years left $2.1M a year
32 year old Willie Hernandez 1 year left $1.4M a year
26 year old Candy Maldonado $1.2M arbitration eligible

I need to work an extension for Andy Araujo who is leading the race for Cy Young but is arbitration eligible.

[sharknut]

With a month to go, we hold a 3 1/2 game lead over the Reds, which is the closest division race, unfortunately. The Yankees, Rangers and Phils seem to be on their way to the playoffs.

The Reds suffered a blow when league leading hitter Mike Greenwell did in his hamstring and he is out the rest of the regular season, that's going to be a huge hole to fill as we are 100% healthy.

Sigler is still on a pace for 70 home runs for the Phils, he just crushed 2 of them off Bill Gullickson as we split 4 pretty exciting games between likely playoff opponents.
The draft pool was announced with Jim Edmonds, Reggie Sangers, Delino DeShields and Kenny Lofton looking like the top guys this year.

On a sad note, my guy Bert Blyleven was released by the Angels as his ERA was above 5, they ate 1 year and over $2 million to let him go. I offered him a minor league deal if he can't get anything else. He's 8 wins shy of 250.

[sharknut]

A few odds and ends:

I'm surprised I never mentioned that Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire ended up on the Indians. Mac just had a 5-5 game with 4 HR''s and 9 RBI's. Their teammate is Edgar Martinez who can rake just like IRL. He has a 30-game hit streak going, and then I notice he wasn't playing and wasn't hurt so I checked........and he's benched. They are playing Keith Moreland, 10 years older and very average instead. I don't get it

Sigler is up to 59 HR's with a month to go, he will break the record, just a matter by how much. Bonds is on pace for 60 HR's himself

[sharknut]

Originally Posted by sharknut

With a month to go, we hold a 3 1/2 game lead over the Reds, which is the closest division race, unfortunately. The Yankees, Rangers and Phils seem to be on their way to the playoffs.

After the 1st half of September, things have drastically changed. We now have the LARGEST lead, a 7 1/2 game lead over the Reds. The Yankees lead has gone from 7 games to 4 over the Tigers, the Phillies have gone from 9 games up over the Cardinals to 4 1/2, and the Angels have gone from 8 games behind the Rangers to 4 games.

Sigler broke the HR record, he's up to 62 now. Bonds is up to 53 and 13 others have over 40 HR's. IRL, only 1 batter had 40 HR in 1986, teams are scoring over 200 runs more than they did historically.

[sharknut]

Ended up Rangers-Yankees and Dodgers-Phillies.

The Phillies are an odd club. You would think that with Sigler breaking the all-time home run record with 71 they would be a top scoring team, but in fact they were dead last in runs scored. The reason they won the division is they are 1st in pitching. I may very well walk Sigler every time up, even with nobody on base. Benito Santiago would start for me, but not a single other Philly would start for us. But if they pitch great, they will beat us.

[sharknut]

In game 1, we jumped ahead 2-0 behind a Brunansky HR and Roberto Kelly single. I decided to go with the glove over the bat in the playoffs and Kelly rewarded me with some offense. The Phillies added a run to make it 2-1 and I had my first decision to make when it comes to pitching to Sigler, but it really wasn't a decision. They had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs so we walked him and Dave Henderson flew out to end the threat.

It was still 2-1 in the 5th when I had my next Sigler decision; runner on 1st and 2 outs so I decided to "pitch around" and he promptly doubled to the gap to tie it up. I hate when that happens. We re-gained the lead on a Mike Stanley single in the 6th and when his replacement in a double-switch Bob Johnson hit a solo home run in the 9th, we looked well on our way. But with 1 out, Steve Howe surrendered a solo home run to Benito Santiago and it was 4-3 with Sigler coming up.

No WAY was I going to pitch to him, he was walked and then Dave Henderson hit into a double play and we won 4-3 to go up 1-0. Great game

[sharknut]

In game 2 we had our ace going, Andy Araujo and after Jack Clark hit a 2 run home run in the top of the 1st, I thought we would be on our way. But Araujo did not have it at all. Mike Bordick tied it up in the 1st with a 2-run HR of his own and in the 2nd, rookie Alex Cole gave the Phillies a 3-2 with a single and then Benito Santiago made in 6-2 with a 3-run HR and that was pretty much that. We added a few, they added a few and they won game 2 9-4

Cole is a pain in the ass. He's a 22-year old rookie and unlike IRL, I think he will be able to hit for average and be a very effective lead off man. He hit .290 in 300 ab for the Phillies while stealing 65 bases.

[sharknut]

I really dislike Alex Cole.

Little f%!^!%% went 4-5 with a HR, 3 runs, 2 RBI, and 2 steals as the Phillies raced out to a 5-0 lead after 2 innings and hung on for a 7-6 win. Jack Clark hit a 2-run HR to make it 5-3, but he struck out with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th to end it.

We had scored 3 in the 9th thanks to their closer, Bob Sykes, losing home plate and walking in 2 runs. With 1 out and the bases loaded, all Tony Gwynn had to do was put the ball in play, but he popped up and then Clark struck out and now we are down 2-1 .

[sharknut]

Game 4.....one pitch away from the brink.....until...

Michael Elliott and Chuck Hensley pitched great games. Hensley allows 1 run in 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking none and striking out 7. Elliott was just as good for 7 innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 unearned run while striking out 5, but with 2 outs in the top of the 8th, pinch hitter 39 year old Carlos May, who announced this was his last season, took Elliott deep and it was 2-1 Phillies. They scratched another run across in the top on the 9th to take a 3-1 lead into the 9th.

Sykes retired the side in order in the 8th and got the first 2 batter out in the bottom of the 9th when Dave Clark drew a walk. Tom Brunansky fell behind 1-2, but then crushed a 460 foot home run to left-center to tie it. The outfielders never moved.

In the 11, that man Brunansky came through again, this time with a 2-out single and we tied the series up at 2.

[sharknut]

In game 5, Tanana and Houston faced each other in a re-match of game 1 and they both had much better outings. They matched zeros through 4 innings when the Phils scratched across a run to go up 1-0, and that is how it stayed until the bottom of the eighth when the Dodgers, for the 2nd game in a row, came up with 2 out magic.

With just 4 outs to go, Mike Stanley hit his 2nd HR of the series off Tanana to tie things up at 1, but we were not done. Roberto Kelly and Jeff Carter followed with singles but they kept with Tanana to face the lefty Tony Gwynn despite his clear signs of faltering. That was a mistake as Gwynn yanked one right down the line in right and the Dodgers took game 5 4-1 as the series goes back to Philadelphia

In the ALCS, the 2 highest scoring teams in the AL have had 3 shutouts in 5 games. In game 1, 22-year old Scott Bankhead, who was 18-9, but with a 5.32 ERA, shut out the Rangers on 4 hits to open the series. In game 2, Bert Bradley, who was 15-12, but with a 4.90 ERA, shut the Yankees out right back at em, throwing a 6 hit-no walk gem. Oddly, after exchanging 4-0 games, they exchanged 9-4 games and the series was tied as 2 and they both had scored 17 runs and allowed 17 runs.

In game 5, Bankhead threw 9 more shutout innings, giving him a line of 18 innings 7 hits 0 runs 4 walks 14 strikeouts in the series.

[sharknut]

In game 6, Araujo bounced back from his poor start in game 2 and behind 2 solo home runs by Candy Maldonado and 1 by Jack Clark, we advanced to the World Series with a 5-1 win. We only scored 27 runs in the 6 games, and I say only because we hit 13 home runs; 4 for series MVP Jack Clark, 2 each for Brunansky, Maldonado and Stanley, 1 for Gwynn and pinch hit homers by Bob Johnson and Franklin Stubbs.

The Rangers took the ALCS to 7 games as they beat the Yankees 4-2 and then in game 7, Gary Carter knocked in 4 and Cory Snyder homered to lead the Yankees back to the World Series as they won game 7 10-5.

The Yankees gave up a LOT of runs, they allowed 832 runs while we allowed just 680 while they only scored 20 runs more than we did. I have a feeling we are going to hit our share of home runs.

[sharknut]

As advertised, the Yankees and Dodgers brought their hitting shoes to game 1. Between them, they slugged 12 doubles, 3 triples and a home run as we went to New York and took game 1 12-8. Gary Clark knocked in 3 and Stanley and Cole each knocked in 2. Kevin Houston won his 3rd post season start giving up 4 runs in 6 innings.

We were down 4-3 going into the 7th when both teams took advantage of the bullpens. We scored 8 runs off theirs and they scored 4 off of ours, but 4 of our 6 doubles came in the 7th when we put up 7 runs.

There were only 4 walks in the game, so all the damage was done by swinging the bat, there were only 12 men LOB total despite 20 runs being scored

[sharknut]

My prediction of home run after home run has not come to fruition, but we own the gap. 6 more doubles and 2 more triples led the Dodgers to a 9-7 win in game 2 and we lead 2-0. Gwynn went 3-5 with 3RBI, Stanley was 3-4 with 2RBI and Brunansky was 2-5 with 2RBI as everyone in our lineup has contributed so far.

Going back to Cali...Cali...Cali for game 3 up 2-0, I really don't see how we lose this.

Famous last words

[sharknut]

In game 3, I choked on my words as the Yankees only got on base 12 times, but 9 times they came across the plate as we wasted many opportunities leaving 15 men on base in a 9-4 New York win. Kal Daniels and Dave Meier hit home runs and Glenn Braggs knocked in 3 as they took apart our bullpen again giving up 3 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th.

In game 5, Jack Clark and Brunansky knocked in runs in the 1st and Stanley added a 2-run HR to give us a 6-1 lead going into the 9th. I tried to give Willie Hernandez a complete game, but after a walk and an error, Kal Daniels hit a 3-run HR and we had to bring in closer Steve Howe to get the last 2 outs in a 6-4 win and we were 1 game away.

In game 6, Mel Hall homered off Kevin Houston in the 1st to put the Yankees up 1-0, but we scratched across a run to tie it right back up and Houston didn't give up another run through 8 and we put together singles and steals and we closed it out with a rather simple 4-2 win.

This is my 5th World Series win and 1st with the Dodgers. With 5 more seasons before I want to run the Marlins in 1993, I would love to win a few more.

[sharknut]

Our offense was so good this year, this lineup did real damage

Jeff Carter .293/.375/.402 7 HR 102 runs in 122 starts 79 steals
Gwynn .335/.371/.476 11 HR 42 doubles 77 RBI 22 steals
Jack Clark .275/.373/.566 48 HR 135 RBI 105 runs
Dave Clark .280/.352/.599 38 HR 91 RBI in 110 games
Brunansky .247/.315/.472 36 HR 114 RBI 22 steals
Maldonado .277/.335/.528 34 HR 40 doubles 95 RBI 104 runs
Stanley .264/.332/.402 21 HR 74 RBI
Kelly .254/.307/.373 9 HR 54 RBI 20 steals

Our pitching was good, but we really only had 2 good starters and 3 who started more than 22 games

Andy Araujo 21-6 2.37 ERA 1.17 WHIP 4.9 WAR
Kevin Houston 16-6 2.96 ERA 1.31 WHIP 5.0 WAR 190 strikeouts
Willie Hernandez 13-10 4.54 ERA 1.4 ERA 1.42 WHIP 2.5 WAR
Steve Howe 8-4 16 saves 2.76 ERA 1.15 WHIP