NL East
Q1 - The Brighton Shadows are riding a 5 game winning streak and at 22-7 with a league leading +58 run differential, they appear to be the early favorites for at least the division title. Their offense is performing about as well as can be expected while their pitching has been better than owner Dave K could have imagined. Joe Wood, Dizzy Dean, Dan Haren, and Silver King are a combined 15-2 with a combined ERA around 2.60. How far will the Shadows W-L record regress when these four return to their normal level of play?
Q2 - It's been a ho-hum start for Helena, not too good, not too bad. One bright spot specifically has been Roberto Clemente. Historically about an average ATB outfielder, Clemente is off to a great start batting .319 with 8 home runs. Has the new ATB era made Clemente into a star?
Q3 - The DC Chips headed into the season as one of the favorites for a playoff birth. They've started slowly but have recently won 3 of 4. Their success will be tied to the success of their Negro Leaguer's, and so far Cristobal Torriente and Ben Taylor have been outright failing. Will they turn it around, and in doing so, turn around the Chips season?
Q4 - At 7-21 the Detroit Tigers are in trouble, and if they hope to get to .500 by the end of the season they would have to play .552 ball (74-60), a tall order. There are several questions here, but the one I find most interesting surrounds the new Rogers Hornsby year. He currently has a .361 OPB and .520 SLG, will this be the de facto year for the second basemen going forward?
NL Central
Q5 - The Beaters look great at the moment. After a slow start they've won 3 in a row and 9 of their last 10, and sit a top the NL Central with an 18-14 record. Oscar Charleston is living up to his draft slot but fellow Negro Leaguer Arthur Henderson has not. He is currently 1-3 with a 5.94 RCERA, how long does he last in the rotation?
Q6 - 282 innings pitched, 235 hits. Yep, the Biscuits as a team are giving up just 7.5 hits per nine innings. Their pitching in the Bee Hive has been top notch, but is it worth the cost? They have a .310 team OBP despite great seasons from Jose Canseco and Hack Wilson, what happens when these two outfielders regress to the mean?
Q7 - Riding a 7 game losing streak, Leesburg is in a tailspin and coughed up their precarious division lead in Sim 2. Negro Leaguer Ed Rile has been the lone bright spot in struggling lineup, but my question is on Addie Joss. He is struggling too (2-3, 5.18 ERA) and when (not if) he turns it around is it enough to make this team challenge for the Wild Card?
Q8 - Led by Nap Lajoie (.941 OPS) and Josh Gibson (.970 OPS) the Blackbird offense has been more than adequate (.278 / .323 / .442) to win with. Their rotation on the other hand has been quite bad, and their bullpen not much better. Two questions here - can Free Agent pickup Hideo Nomo (6 hits, 2 runs in his first start) make a difference and how long do they stick with Arnie Stone in the pen (22 IP, 28 H, 14 BB)? Fun fact for the week: Starter Nels Potter is on pace to give up 62 home runs this year.
NL West
Q9 - The North Valley Bears are tied with the Red Eagles for "luckiest" team in the league, each enjoying 3 more wins than expected based upon their Pythagorean win percentages. Mike Schmidt is single handedly carrying the offense with 14 home runs, how good can this team be once Willie Wells (.246 AVG, .295 OBP) starts to live up to his 500 resim reputation?
Q10 - With the unbalanced schedule a hot start by one team can spell disaster for the rest of the division. The Bears, Shadows, and Red Eagles are all off to great starts and as a result, the rest of the teams in their division by default are struggling to make .500. In the NL West the Miners are in second place, but are 7 games out and only 15-16. Top of the rotation starter Noodles Hahn (2-4, 7.12) was recently demoted to the bullpen, but is a critical piece to the Miners puzzle. Can he turn it around in relief and earn a spot back in the rotation?
Q11 - After a hot start the Pretty Ladies have come crashing back down to earth and currently sit two games under .500 with a -13 run differential. They didn't draft a pitcher until the 11th round and their team ERA of 4.41 proves it. Unfortunately, its the offense that hasn't lived up to expectations (.244 / .297 / .409) but their are reasons to hold faith. When will Honus Wagner (.553 OPS), Eddie Collins (.627 OPS), and Yaz (.563 OPS) break out of their season long slumps?
Q12 - The most disappointing team of the year so far has easily been the Pandas. A pre-season favorite for the division title, the Pandas are in last place, 5 games below .500 and 9 games out of first. They've lost 4 of 5 and have won more than 2 consecutive just once all season. 3rd in the league in scoring, their offense has been been fine despite awful starts from Cal McVey (.501 OPS) and Buster Posey (.291 SLG). The main problem is one man - 1935 Bill Swift: 30 IP, 48 H, 10 BB. With a .952 OPS against, he basically turns all opponents into Joe DiMaggio. How long does Brad stick with him?
Q1 - The Brighton Shadows are riding a 5 game winning streak and at 22-7 with a league leading +58 run differential, they appear to be the early favorites for at least the division title. Their offense is performing about as well as can be expected while their pitching has been better than owner Dave K could have imagined. Joe Wood, Dizzy Dean, Dan Haren, and Silver King are a combined 15-2 with a combined ERA around 2.60. How far will the Shadows W-L record regress when these four return to their normal level of play?
Q2 - It's been a ho-hum start for Helena, not too good, not too bad. One bright spot specifically has been Roberto Clemente. Historically about an average ATB outfielder, Clemente is off to a great start batting .319 with 8 home runs. Has the new ATB era made Clemente into a star?
Q3 - The DC Chips headed into the season as one of the favorites for a playoff birth. They've started slowly but have recently won 3 of 4. Their success will be tied to the success of their Negro Leaguer's, and so far Cristobal Torriente and Ben Taylor have been outright failing. Will they turn it around, and in doing so, turn around the Chips season?
Q4 - At 7-21 the Detroit Tigers are in trouble, and if they hope to get to .500 by the end of the season they would have to play .552 ball (74-60), a tall order. There are several questions here, but the one I find most interesting surrounds the new Rogers Hornsby year. He currently has a .361 OPB and .520 SLG, will this be the de facto year for the second basemen going forward?
NL Central
Q5 - The Beaters look great at the moment. After a slow start they've won 3 in a row and 9 of their last 10, and sit a top the NL Central with an 18-14 record. Oscar Charleston is living up to his draft slot but fellow Negro Leaguer Arthur Henderson has not. He is currently 1-3 with a 5.94 RCERA, how long does he last in the rotation?
Q6 - 282 innings pitched, 235 hits. Yep, the Biscuits as a team are giving up just 7.5 hits per nine innings. Their pitching in the Bee Hive has been top notch, but is it worth the cost? They have a .310 team OBP despite great seasons from Jose Canseco and Hack Wilson, what happens when these two outfielders regress to the mean?
Q7 - Riding a 7 game losing streak, Leesburg is in a tailspin and coughed up their precarious division lead in Sim 2. Negro Leaguer Ed Rile has been the lone bright spot in struggling lineup, but my question is on Addie Joss. He is struggling too (2-3, 5.18 ERA) and when (not if) he turns it around is it enough to make this team challenge for the Wild Card?
Q8 - Led by Nap Lajoie (.941 OPS) and Josh Gibson (.970 OPS) the Blackbird offense has been more than adequate (.278 / .323 / .442) to win with. Their rotation on the other hand has been quite bad, and their bullpen not much better. Two questions here - can Free Agent pickup Hideo Nomo (6 hits, 2 runs in his first start) make a difference and how long do they stick with Arnie Stone in the pen (22 IP, 28 H, 14 BB)? Fun fact for the week: Starter Nels Potter is on pace to give up 62 home runs this year.
NL West
Q9 - The North Valley Bears are tied with the Red Eagles for "luckiest" team in the league, each enjoying 3 more wins than expected based upon their Pythagorean win percentages. Mike Schmidt is single handedly carrying the offense with 14 home runs, how good can this team be once Willie Wells (.246 AVG, .295 OBP) starts to live up to his 500 resim reputation?
Q10 - With the unbalanced schedule a hot start by one team can spell disaster for the rest of the division. The Bears, Shadows, and Red Eagles are all off to great starts and as a result, the rest of the teams in their division by default are struggling to make .500. In the NL West the Miners are in second place, but are 7 games out and only 15-16. Top of the rotation starter Noodles Hahn (2-4, 7.12) was recently demoted to the bullpen, but is a critical piece to the Miners puzzle. Can he turn it around in relief and earn a spot back in the rotation?
Q11 - After a hot start the Pretty Ladies have come crashing back down to earth and currently sit two games under .500 with a -13 run differential. They didn't draft a pitcher until the 11th round and their team ERA of 4.41 proves it. Unfortunately, its the offense that hasn't lived up to expectations (.244 / .297 / .409) but their are reasons to hold faith. When will Honus Wagner (.553 OPS), Eddie Collins (.627 OPS), and Yaz (.563 OPS) break out of their season long slumps?
Q12 - The most disappointing team of the year so far has easily been the Pandas. A pre-season favorite for the division title, the Pandas are in last place, 5 games below .500 and 9 games out of first. They've lost 4 of 5 and have won more than 2 consecutive just once all season. 3rd in the league in scoring, their offense has been been fine despite awful starts from Cal McVey (.501 OPS) and Buster Posey (.291 SLG). The main problem is one man - 1935 Bill Swift: 30 IP, 48 H, 10 BB. With a .952 OPS against, he basically turns all opponents into Joe DiMaggio. How long does Brad stick with him?
He is relegated to 5th Spot Starter and Mop Up. UGH.
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