#4 – Londonderry Machine
Owner: Brad P
Activity Level: Moderate
Park Factor: About average
With a #4 ranking, the Machine are labeled “the best team to miss the playoffs” in the regular season. Only a handful of teams performed this much below their resim averages and no team lost as much due to bad luck as this one.
The resims proved this was a very good team, making the playoffs 70% of the time and ending as division winners 5 times. While they didn’t have as high a Max Wins or a Max Win Potential as others, neither did they have as low ceiling. Only four times did their win total dip below 80.
The only glaring flaw on this team was the starting pitching. Despite Babe Adams, no starter kept their ERA in the three’s, which maybe more of an indictment on their defense than anything else. The more ATB owners turn to defense, the harder it is not to focus on it. With 3 Av and only 1 Ex defender taking the field, it is very difficult for pitchers to perform up to expectations.
Finally, Ross Barnes was the real thing and will be a legit top 5 pick going forward. In the twenty resims, overall he was
2nd in Batting Average
3rd in Triples
6th in On Base Percentage
6th in Runs Created and RC/27
6th in OPS
Basically, he bats like Tip O’Neill but plays stellar (Ex) defense at one of the weakest positions, 2nd base.
Comparing him directly to his second base brethren, it is clear he is now the best in game:
800 OPS Batters
Rd 1 – Ross Barnes: .893 OPS, .346 / .421 / .472, 29 2B, 23 3B, 101 R, 120 RBI
Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None
Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
Rd 9 – Dennis Eckersley: 5-5, 2.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 79 IP, 65 K, 38 Sv
Bust Draft Pick
Rd 3 – Billy Hamilton. I might be overly harsh because the man had a .378 OBP, but with so many good CF and on a team where only one person reached 20 HR, perhaps this 3rd pick could have been used on someone like Duke Snider (.283 / .349 / 464) or another legit starter a la Cannonball Titcomb or Ben Sanders.
Value Draft Pick
Rd 30 – Joey Votto. It’s only a total of 1400 at bats over 20 seasons, but Votto batted .281 / .351 / .427
Honorable mention to Ross Barnes. A gutsy call for Brad to take this unknown in the 1st round, but it easily was worth it.
Overall Standings
#18, 55 Wins – Texas Gringos
#17, 63 Wins – Nottingham Outlaws
#16, 64 Wins – Downsouth Brews
#15, 78 Wins – Willets Point "Mechanics"
#14, 79 Wins – Island Creek Bivalves
#13, 79 Wins – Planet 10
#12, 82 Wins – Bridgewater Brazen Beanballers
#11, 83 Wins – Otherton Fish Biscuits
#10, 83 Wins – Kakadu Didgeridoos
#9, 83 Wins – Helena Handbasket
#8, 83 Wins – Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
#7, 84 Wins – Hathsin Survivors
#6, 85 Wins – DC Chips
#5, 81 Wins – John McDonald Fanclub
#4, 86 Wins – Londonderry Machine
#4-#15 only separated by 8 wins? Seems like more parity than usual.
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