Player Card Update Part 2

I've been tinkering, added:

• Position leading stats are now in bold.  So we have All Time League Leaders, Single Season Leaders, and Single Season Leaders at each position
• Actual ATB season Park Factors
• ERA+ and OPS+, both adjusted for league and park

Enjoy!

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/500_Resim_Summary.xlsx

Player Card Update

Really, I love excel and am truly excited with the latest release of the Player Cards file.  In a nutshell, here's what's new:

• Draft Rounded added for each player season
• League Leading stats are now bolded in red
• All Time ATB Leaders are now highlighted in red background with white font
• Season by Season Stats are now used in the RSAA calculation (used to be all time ATB average ERA)
• Diamond Vision charts added for pitchers
• Links to each season capsule added as well.

Here is new pitcher card, with Pedro as the example

Click to Enlarge

Incredibly, and I would have bet against this, Pedro has never led the league in ERA where Maddux has led 4 times and holds the all time mark.  Underrated?

And here is the new Batter Card, with John Olerud as the example.

Click to Enlarge

Olerud is gaining in popularity, moving up in draft position almost every year.

If you could use any additional features let me know, this is my favorite part of the post season.

Single Season Leaders Updated - Pitchers

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATL_Pitt_Single_Season.htm

Multiple Appearances in Top 10

• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 1st in IP
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 1st in QS
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 1st in GS
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 3rd in WHIP
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 3rd in K
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 4th in H/9
• Pedro Martinez (OFB) 10th in CERA
• Greg Maddux (SH) 2nd in QS%
• Greg Maddux (SH) 4th in ERA
• Greg Maddux (SH) 4th in CG
• Greg Maddux (SH) 6th in QS
• Greg Maddux (SH) 7th in CERA
• Bobby Jenks (SH) 1st in Reliever ERA
• Bobby Jenks (SH) 1st in Reliever WHIP
• Bobby Jenks (SH) 2nd in Reliever RCERA
• Eric Gagne (SH) 2nd in Reliever ERA
• Eric Gagne (SH) 9th in Reliever RCERA
• Cy Blanton (TWW) 3rd in QS
• Cy Blanton (TWW) 7th in QS%
• Bill Bernhard (OFB) 3rd in IP
• Bill Bernhard (OFB) 4th in GS
• Porter Charleston (MRE) 1st in Reliever W
• Porter Charleston (MRE) 8th in G
• Juan Marichal (OFB) 4th in IP
• Juan Marichal (OFB) 6th in GS
• Randy Johnson (DB) 5th in K/9
• Randy Johnson (DB) 8th in K

Single Appearance in Top 10

• Ed Walsh (DT) 2nd in L
• Graeme Lloyd (BS) 3rd in Reliever WHIP
• Greg Holland (TWW) 3rd in Reliever RCERA
• Red Ryan (WPM) 3rd in Reliever in W
• Randy Jones (DCC) tied for 4th in W
• Ed Reulbach (NVB) 5th in H/9
• Jeff Gray (MRE) 5th in Reliever WHIP
• Bruce Sutter (BS) 6th in Sv
• Greg Vean (NVB) 6th in Reliever RCERA
• Bucky Walters (PRL) 7th in BB
• Dennis Eckersley (OFB) 7th in Reliever WHIP
• Rob Murphy (DCC) 7th in Reliever W
• Jeff Russell (SM) 8th in Reliever RCERA
• Roy Halladay (PBE) 10th in QS
• Ted Lyons (PBE) 10th in GS
• Jeff Russell (SM) 10th in Reliever WHIP

Single Season Leaders Updated - Batters

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATL_Batt_Single_Season.htm

Changes to the top 10

Players with Multiple Appearances in Top 10

• Charleston (SPB) 4th in OPS
• Charleston (SPB) 5th in SLG
• Charleston (SBP) 5th in RC
• Charleston (SPB) 5th in TB
• Charleston (SPB) 5th in EBH
• Charleston (SPB) 6th in R
• Charleston (SPB) 7th in RC/27
• Stearnes (MRE) 1st in EBH
• Stearnes (MRE) 2nd in 2B
• Stearnes (MRE) 2nd in RBI
• Stearnes (MRE) 4th in TB
• Ruth (CGS) 3rd in EBH
• Ruth (CGS) 6th in SLG
• Ruth (CGS) 6th in HR
• Heavy Johnson (BF) 4th in EBH
• Heavy Johnson (BF) 9th in TB

Players with one Appearance in Top 10

• McGwire (JMF) 1st in HR
• Votto (MRE) 1st in 2B
• Hall (WPM) 1st in 3B
• Delahanty (MRE) 4th in 2B
• Jennings (JMF) 4th in HBP
• Boudreau (HH) 4th in SH
• Barnes (DCC) 5th in 3B
• Tucker (NFB) 6th in HBP
• Chipper Jones (SH) 6th in GDP
• Shaffer (SH) 7th in 2B
• Bagwell (SM) 8th in GDP
• Clarke (OFB) 9th in  HBP

Career Leaderboards Updated

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATL_Batt_Career_Season.htm
http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATL_Pitt_Career_Season.htm

Only one shift for first - Mark McGwire passed Babe Ruth on the all time home run list.

ATB XV Season Capsule Added

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/History_ATB_XV.xlsx

Recorded for posterity:

• Standings
• Playoff links
• Leaders
• Batting and Pitching Totals
• Batter and Pitcher Registers

Not sure I mentioned it, but O-Charles gets the clean sweep, winning the batting, on base, and slugging titles.

"Top 10" Seasons Updated

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/All_Time_Leaders.htm

ATB XV was apparently the "Year of the Reliever" as four new members have been added to the Top-10 list:

• #1 - Bobby Jenks (SH)
• #3 - Greg Holland (TWW)
• #5 - Greg Vean (NVB) - I call foul, Greg frickin' Vean?
• #9 - Greame Lloyd (BS)

Elsewhere

• Eric Gagne (SH) had the 5th best closer season ever
• Greg Maddux (SH) had the 6th best starter season
• Oscar Charleston (SPB) comes in 5th for best offensive seasons.  This is still quite a feat, he's the first person to crack the top-10 since ATB 11.

20 Resim Worksheets

Thanks for another great season everyone.  Here are the 20 resim worksheets for your perusal and in the coming weeks/months I'll get around to updating the website will all the ATB 15 data.

http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATBXV_Resim_Team_Player_Data.xlsx
http://www.alltimebaseballsim.net/ATBXV_Resim_Annual_Team_Record_V3.xlsx

20 Resims: #1 - Spanish Harlem Pinata Beaters

It’s a clean sweep for the Pinata Beaters: the won the ATB 15 World Series, the 20 Resims, Opening Day Resims, and the Balanced Resims.  There is no doubt that Justin constructed the best team in the league.  Additionally, his talented squad made the playoffs all 20 times including 18 division titles, and managed an unspeakable 115 win Max Potential.  The last value was driven by 815 runs scored in Sim 14 coupled with 524 runs against in Sim 7.

Center fielder Oscar Charleston was the star of the offense, and the only man listed in the .800 OPS section, but while he is likely the best player in ATB history, he wasn’t a one man show.  Regulars, outside the defense only Ozzie Smith, averaged a .744 OPS, none of which had a mark below .720.  There was little home run power to speak of, but John Olerud and Cupid Childs hit 47 and 42 doubles; seven  other hit at least 15 doubles; and catcher King Kelly went .277 / .262 / .368.

For his part, Oscar Charleston averaged .323 / .416 / .591, with a 1.007 OPS, 51 doubles and 40 home runs.  This was 100 points lower than his regular season OPS but coupled with his excellent glove in center, Oscar has proven he’s worthy of a #1 draft pick.  Interestingly, his best 20 resim year (.343 / .447 / .672) was remarkably close to his ATB 15 slash line (.352 / .458 / .650) making Justin one enviable owner in the regular season.

The Beaters played on a fairly strong pitchers park (6th lowest raw park OPS) but he also drafted pitchers perfectly attuned to the stadium.  Four starters ended with ERA’s below 4.00 and Monty Stratton (see below) was out of this world, finishing with the third best ERA among all starters; Jesse Tannehill redeemed his horrid regular season and finished 9th.

The bullpen was better still.  Five regulars had ERA’s better than 3.00 and the closing combination of Hong Chi Kuo and Jeff Zimmerman could run with any 9th inning man in the game.  Together they averaged 38 saves with a 2.45 ERA, and .99 WHIP across 196 innings.

Frankly, there is nothing wrong with this team.  Only twice did their Run Differential dip below 85 and to put that into perspective, only five 20 resim squads best 85 for their team average.  I am looking forward to a new “All Time Great Team” competition later this summer – perhaps the beaters can dethrone the Gold Country Gossamers.

Congrats Justin on a well deserved title!

800 OPS Batters: 
.997 – Oscar Charleston

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
3.27 – Monty Stratton
3.52 – Jesse Tannehill
3.87 – John Tudor
3.98 – Ed Siever

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.25 – Hong Chi Kuo
2.58 – Jeff Zimmerman
2.60 – Jacob McGee
2.82 – Pat Jarvis
2.90 – Mike Jackson

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 23 – Monty Stratton (10-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 134 IP, 124 H)

Bust Draft Pick
None

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four
5) 90 wins, John McDonald Fanclub
4) 90 wins, Sparta Hoplites
3) 93 wins, Manetheren Red Eagles
2) 94 wins, Brighton Shadows
1) 97 wins, Spanish Harlem Pinata Beaters

20 Resims: #2 - Brighton Shadows

Despite 100 wins the Brighton Shadows got very little respect in the regular season.  Much of it, at least in my opinion, stemmed from Ken Griffey Jr.  He had a season for the ages, one most thought was an aberration, and most thought was the sole reason for the Shadows success.  The thinking went, “once Griffey returns to normal, the Shadows will fall back to earth”.  That never happened in the regular season, and with 94 wins per season in the resim, it didn’t happen here either.  Griffey was never great again, I’ll grant you that, but the rest of the team more than made up for it.

In the resims David K made the playoffs all 20 times and captured the division title in 18 of them.  They had the league’s 3rd best pitching staff and 13th best offense.  They never won less than 84 games and their Max Potential was quite high at 110.

Designated Hitter Lou Gehrig was the key to the offense.  He batted .283 / .368 / .586, with a .953 OPS, 48 doubles, 40 home runs, and 111 RBI per season.  Griffey socked 40 out of the park and Alex Rodriguez added 36.   Batting lead-off was the speedster Pete Hill (.352 OBP, 71 SB) while Buck Leonard quietly had good season after good season.

The rest of the offense struggled, hence the 13th rank.  Ben Zobrist, Joe Tinker, Pete Reiser, and Darren Daulton were near the bottom of the rankings for their position and even sluggers Griffey and A-Rod recorded OBP’s below .300.

It hardly mattered. The Shadows topped 90 wins fifteen times thanks to their pitching staff.  Every starter is listed below in the Sub 4.00 ERA section as well as 4 of their 6 regular relievers.  Their park, 1992 Busch Stadium, was basically neutral so these results are a combination of excellent drafting and excellent defense.  It’s quite a remarkable achievement once you realize David drafted batters with the first 5 picks.  7 of his next 8 selections were pitchers and the rest of the league suffered because of it.

Now some of you are getting tired of the “Defense First” strategy and while David was certainly cognizant of it, please also realize he simply drafted quality arms.  In the Starter section below I added the 500 resim ERA’s for each player and they are all in line with the 20 resim results.

Congrats David on a superb team.

800 OPS Batters: 
.935 – Lou Gehrig

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
3.58 – Danny Haren (3.65 with bad defense)
3.62 – Dizzy Dean (3.73)
3.64 – Joe Wood (3.63)
3.76 – Silver King (3.97 with bad defense)
3.80 – Cliff Lee (3.80)

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.20 – Bruce Sutter
2.40 – Rafael Soriano
2.76 – Graeme Lloyd
3.17 – Rod Beck
(Plus Ron Reed had a 3.26)

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 16 – Silver King (12-10, 3.76 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 209 IP, 197 H)

Bust Draft Pick
Nothing terrible, but Griffey at #3 had a .286 OBP

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four
5) 90 wins, John McDonald Fanclub
4) 90 wins, Sparta Hoplites
3) 93 wins, Manetheren Red Eagles
2) 94 wins, Brighton Shadows

20 Resims: #3 - Manetheren Red Eagles

Well, this is bitter sweet.  My first reaction was of disappointment; after leading ATB in regular season wins I really wanted to be in the top spot for the resims.  However, after mulling it over I decided not be an elitist and simply be happy winning a playoff bid 19 times, having the 2nd best offense, 7th best pitching staff, and the 2nd best run differential in the game.

Even my draft strategy was a mixed success.  On one hand I felt I proved doubles can work and we don’t all have to be slaves to on base percentage.  Sure, my team OBP was near the top at .346 but that was mostly because of John McGraw, a.k.a, the best lead-off hitter I ever had.  With a .417 OBP he scored 118 runs per season.  But six other regulars averaged just a .327 on base, making up for the failing by hitting doubles seemingly at will at times.  My Red Eagles hit 396 team doubles in the regular season, obliterating the old record, and it stood up in the resims, where we scored on average 390 per year.  (In Sim 18, 437 doubles were hit thanks to Joey Votto’s 80 and Turkey Stearns’ 74).

Why the mixed success?  Without my trades this team would have won only 88 games per season.   Only securing Russ Ford (15-9, 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) and Charlie Gehringer (.257 / .328 / .367 with 35 doubles at second base) vaulted me into the top 3.

But all this aside, the true question is the validity of Turkey Stearnes, is he a legit first round draft pick?  Resoundingly the answer is yes.  The Vg defending outfielder hit 62 doubles, 12 triples, and 40 home runs per year.  He drove in average of 152 and owned 9 of the top 12 RBI season in the resims, once hitting 181.  But he’s also a liability with a .324 on base average.  Ten times it was below .320 and two of those times, below .295.  That’s too risky for me and I vow never to draft him in the first round again, although, man was it fun to watch him on a hot streak.

Finally, the pitching was good, with the only frustration coming from Norman “Walk in Runs 3 Consecutive Times in the Playoffs” Yokely.  His 4.41 ERA (and 73 BB in 127 innings) was an eyesore on an otherwise solid staff.


800 OPS Batters: 
.912 – Turkey Stearnes
.823 – Frank Thomas
.808 – Lip Pike

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
3.45 – Garland Braxton
3.93 – David Cone

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.70 – Fernando Rodney
3.15 – Porter Charleston
3.17 – Jeff Gray

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 14 – Joey Votto (.266 / .375 / .400 with 68 doubles, 103 runs)

Bust Draft Pick
None, but I was hoping for a better OBP for my 3rd Rounder, Ed Delahanty (.277 / .333 / .457)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four
5) 90 wins, John McDonald Fanclub
4) 90 wins, Sparta Hoplites
3) 93 wins, Manetheren Red Eagles

20 Resims: #4 - Sparta Hoplites

With 98 wins in the regular season, the Sparta Hoplites were one of the few candidates to claim the top spot in the 20 resims.  Sean S sure got close, but ultimately an average offense prevented them from cracking the Top-3.  Still, this team was very good, averaging 90 wins per season, claiming 16 playoff births including 12 division titles, and capturing the 2nd best Max Win potential of any team.

Their strength was the rotation and bullpen, especially the latter.  As you can see below four different relievers ended with ERA’s well south of 3.00 and when you add the elite Greg Maddux (18-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 260 IP, 217 H) and Kevin Brown (14 W, 3.63 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) the team had chance to win on a nightly basis.  Sparta’s third through fifth starters were also above average for their rotation slots, combining for a 4.12 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.

Drafted in the 7th round, Eric Gagne was supposed to be the stud pitcher out of the pen and while he didn’t disappoint (2.37 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 80 K, 62 IP, 36 Sv), Bobby Jenks was the star.  Jenks was drafted 7 rounds later and posted insane numbers both in the regular season (0.16 ERA!) and here in the resims (2.18 ERA, 1.07 WHIP).

Edgar Martinez (see below) and Orator Shaffer (.300 / .359 / .416 with 50 doubles) were led the way for the Hoplite 14th ranked offense.  Top to bottom, this was a offense focused on base average but didn’t have that one elite batter to carry the lineup on a daily basis.  Richie Ashburn, Chipper Jones, Todd Helton, and Eddie Stanky each got on base between 33% and 35% of the time, a true rarity in ATB.  Fred Carroll remained a good offensive catcher batting .250 / .367 / .719 with a .736 OPS.

While there were no superstars, there was really only one hole in the lineup as well.  Rico Petrocelli batted .221 with a .291 on base average out of the 9 hole, but even he managed 20 home runs and 84 RBI per season.

Overall, the Hoplites were above .500 in 19 out of 20 seasons and cracked 90 wins twelve times.  Not once did they finish with a negative run differential, the first team to do so.

For kicks, I looked up Maddux’s best season:  21-5, 1.85 RCERA, 0.86 WHIP, 264 IP, 187 H, 40 BB, 152 K.  Good stuff.

800 OPS Batters: 
None

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
2.57 – Greg Maddux
3.73 – Kevin Brown

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.18 – Bobby Jenks
2.37 – Eric Gagne
2.49 – Steve Howe
2.72 – Andrew Bailey

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 10 – Edgar Martinez (.272 / .357 / .418 with 48 doubles & 10 home runs in park with a 20 HR Factor)

Bust Draft Pick
None, but I would bet Sean wanted more out of his #3 pick, Chipper Jones (.277 / .356 / .362)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four
5) 90 wins, John McDonald Fanclub
4) 90 wins, Sparta Hoplites

20 Resims: #5 - John McDonald Fanclub

This isn’t my kind of team but perhaps it should be!  Jason B’s Fanclub Franchise averaged 90 wins per season, recorded 17 winning seasons, and claimed 14 AL West Division titles.  Home games were played in the Polo Grounds, a terribly stingy park that reduced singles, doubles, and triples between 30-35% across the board.  Think about that – 30% fewer singles, that is incredibly difficult for an offense to overcome, but Jason constructed a team that did just that and ultimately had a Top-10 offense.

The Polo Grounds of course, is a prolific home run park, and John McDonald’s draft strategy took advantage of the fact.  Rusty Kuntz hit more home runs, but no team could match Fanclub’s raw power in the middle of the lineup.  Barry Bonds hit 54 home runs driving in 120; Mark McGwire hit 60, driving in 124; Albert Belle 41 with 126 RBI; and Eddie Mathews socked 44 out of the park, driving in 95.  Even Free Agent acquisition Frank Howard went 33/80.

The rest of the stats were an eye sore, especially on the bench.  No player on the team batted over .265 and four regulars failed to crack the Mendoza line.  The bench batted .201 with a .282 on base average

John McDonald utilized a mostly successful 4-man rotation, but where one starter away from moving up to the elite franchises of ATB 15.  Jimmy Key (18-14, 4.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), Andy Pettitte (4.01, 1.25), and Don Newcombe (4.32, 1.20) where each solid, but Paul Derringer gave up 38 home runs with a 4.70 ERA.  Having him start 25% of the time was a liability.

All major roles in the bullpen were staffed with good to great pitchers.  The best of them were Mike Myers and Gabe White, each ending with ERAs below 2.50.  Ken Sanders (3.34 ERA), Dave Smith (3.39), and Scott Atchison (3.42) were better than average as well.

800 OPS Batters: 
.974 – Barry Bonds
.815 – Mark McGwire

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None – though Jimmy Key and Andy Pettitte narrowly missed

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.35 – Mike Myers
2.45 – Gabe White

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 23 – Andy Pettitte (4.01 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 15 W)

Bust Draft Pick

Rd 8 – Roy Thomas (.226 / .339 / .280) – The OBP is decent enough, but not in Rd 8 with so little of everything else

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four
5) 90 wins, John McDonald Fanclub

20 Resims: #6 - Ball Four

This was certainly an unlucky team.  Mike S’s Ball Four averaged 89 wins in the resim, 89 wins in the Opening Day resim, and 85 wins in the Balanced Resim.  They made the playoffs 16 times out of 20 chances and owned the best offense in the game according to the resims.  In the regular season?  Just 82 wins and they had to watch the playoffs from the grandstands.

Looking down the resim standings, there is a steady, gradual climb from around the 74 win mark until yesterday’s #5 ranked team with 85 wins, Ball Four jumps into another tier of quality with the 6th overall rank.  It’s not only the jump in win total, with a net difference of 105 runs Ball Four also triples the previous best Run Differential.

Due the imbalanced schedule they played in a tough division, suppressing their win total compared to tomorrow’s franchise, therefore one can further argue Ball Four is the 5th best team overall.  They bested this team in Run Differential and Balanced Resim Win Average, but the 20 resims rankings are based purely on the results of the actual league structure used in the regular season and 6th ranking stands.

Mike relied heavily on his lineup which scoring 864 runs per season.  Three times in the resims they cracked 900 and in resim #16 they topped out at a whopping 946 along with a just as potent +241 Run Differential.  Six regulars recorded an OPS over .800, here was the lineup:

.268 / .385 / .426 – Joe Morgan (38 2B, 110 R, 41 SB
.296 / .372 / .383 – Roger Connor (31 2B, 115 R)
.341 / .393 / .662 – Heavy Johnson (64 2B, 44 HR, 129 R, 170 RBI)
.327 / .368 / .532 – Bill Dickey (35 2B, 24 HR, 90 R, 104 RBI)
.245 / .342 / .507 – Jim Edmonds (38 2B, 38 HR, 111 R, 119 RBI)
.309 / .361 / .413 – George Stone (99 R)
.278 / .341 / .517 – Fred Lynn (40 2B, 35 HR, 112 R)
.273 / .349 / .464 – Pedro Guerrero (20 2B, 17 HR in a platoon)
.229 / .341 / .266 – Candy Nelson

Across in the resims, Johnson averaged 52 doubles, 17 triples, and 35 home runs.

The issue with this team, and it is a large one, was the pitching staff.  Home games were played in the Ballpark at Arlington, inflating offense, but it was no excuse for 19th ranked pitching staff.  Ball Four drafted two closers ahead of their first starter and were mildly indifferent to defense (Pedro Geurrero and his Fr range at third comes to mind).  The result was below average.

A new Lefty Grove (5.21 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) was tried but was among the worst starting pitchers on any team with a winning record.  Much of the rest of the rotation struggled too – Kevin Millwood, Joe Horlen, and Justin Duchscherer combined for a 4.70 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.

Ball Four’s pen had some bright spots (see below) but even Craig Kimbrel (3.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) could be said to be a disappointment.  Not that he isn’t very good, but drafted in the 7th round Mike was hoping for elite results.

To leave on a higher note – this is the 6th ranked team out of 24 after all – Ball Four has the 2nd best resim offense of all time.  The only better was the Hathsin Survivors of ATB 13 that squeaked out 7 more runs.

800 OPS Batters: 
.927 – Heavy Johnson
.808 – Bill Dickey

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.84 – Mariano Rivera
3.12 – Al Grabowski

Best Value Draft Pick
No particular standouts, but George Stone is good production (.304 / .352 / .421 with 28 doubles) for Round 10

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 12 – Lefty Grove (5.21 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers

20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends

19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole

18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids

17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels

16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits

15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears

14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds

13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars

12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners

11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

8) 83 wins, DC Chips

7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

6) 89 wins, Ball Four

Just 5 teams remain, here's how the divisions line up.  Who will be #1 between the Sparta Hoplites, Manatheren Red Eagles, John McDonald Fanclub, Brighton Shadows, and the World Champion Spanish Harlem Pinata Beaters

20 Resims: #7 - Wildlings of the Wall

A year ago, Joe V piloted his team to a lackluster 67 win campaign.  A season later, he’s on top of the world with the 7th ranked 85 win team and one of the best pitching staffs in ATB 15.  Averaging 85 wins per season, the Wildlings made the playoffs more times than not and won the AL East 5 times.  Their best season was probably #14 when they won 93 games and recorded a robust +130 Run Differential.

Joe took a lot of heat for some of the trades he made this year, quickly recapping:
1) Trading away Dazzy Vance for Javy Vazquez and dropping him
2) Making a great trade for Manny Ramirez and Charlie Gehringer, but dropping Manny and …
3) Trading away Gehringer for 50 cents on the dollar

I don’t re-hash these to further harangue Joe, rather to point out, I may have been wrong in my assessment.  If the Opening Day Resim average is an accurate indicator – and I believe it is – then the net of the trades had no impact.  With or without them, Joe wins 85.

The Wall’s pitching staff is one where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.  Lacking a truly elite starter, or arguably a top-15 reliever, the Wildlings still managed to give up just 656 runs overall.  Sure, the park played a role, but top to bottom there were no holes anywhere on the staff.  The worst pitcher was long reliever/mop up starter Lefty Gomez and he averaged a 4.33 ERA and gave up less hits than innings pitched.

Their offense is what prevented the Wildlings from approaching the 90 win plateau.  Ted Williams was his usual monster self, batting .297 / .421 / .510 with 29 triples and 32 home runs, and Joe Jackson held his own (.761 OPS, 40 doubles) but the lineup thinned incredibly quickly after that.  Every other batter had an OPS in the low to mid .600s.

800 OPS Batters: 
.932 – Ted Williams

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
3.32 – Cy Blanton
3.86 – Carl Hubbell

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.74 – Billy Wagner
3.00 – Joakim Soria
3.23 – Ted Abernathy
3.24 – Grant Jackson

Best Value Draft Pick
None, but this is a great compliment.  It’s not easy to put together a top-10 team without getting a surprise benefit from an over performing player.

Bust Draft Pick
Non, there were some late teen rounds where batters didn’t pan out, but that’s about what you can expect in the late teens.

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners
11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket
10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"
9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas
8) 83 wins, DC Chips
7) 85 wins, Wildlings of the Wall

20 Resims: #8 - DC Chips

Steve C’s DC Chips are our first team to hold a Top-10 ranking in both Runs For and Runs against. The Run Differential of +30 squarely puts them above ‘net zero’ and in fact, they were only outscored 5 times in the resims.  This led to 12 playoff births, though, almost all through the Wild Card.  DC won the division just once, topping out with 94 wins in sim 20.

Drafting their first batter in Round 12, the Lancaster Pretty Ladies got most of the press during the draft.  The Chips used a similar style, drafting batters in the first 8 rounds, but it went largely unnoticed.  Of these 8 only one ended up questionable.  In order, Ross Barnes, Cristobal Torriente, Pop Lloyd, and Frank Robinson all had success.  So too did Ben Taylor and Sherree Magee at 5th and 6th, but Scott Rolen, even with great defense, isn’t good enough for a 7th round selection.  Their catcher Deacon White was solid in the 8th.

(On a side note, I would like to see what Charley Jones can do with more plate appearances.  Drafted in the 17th, the left fielder scorched the ball batting .264 / .374 / .447 in 177 plate appearances per season.  His .500 resim OPS was solid too, .768, but again was compiled only in part time play.)

Finally, in Round 9, Steve selected Bob Ojeda.  The lefty was a bit of a puzzle, for the past two years he seemingly over performed for DC, averaging a 3.18 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 427 innings.  Steve went to the well one more time this season but Ojeda was awful in 16 starts and was ultimately released outright.

This left a whole in the Chip rotation that haunted them for the rest of ATB 15 and in the 20 resims.  Sorely lacking an ace, DC turned to Randy Jones (4.02 ERA), Atlee Hammacker (4.17), Jim Merritt (4.28), and Dazzy Vance (4.27).  I can’t decide to applaud Steve for getting so much out of so few, or criticize him for passing on an reliable ace.

His bullpen saved the day more often than not, and the Chips received 372 solid innings from their big three – Tug McGraw, Kent Tekulve, and Rob Murphy.

800 OPS Batters:
.873 – Ross Barnes

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None, though Randy Jones was darn close

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.98 – Tug McGraw
3.08 – Kent Tekulve
3.19 – Rob Murphy

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 16 – Randy Jones (4.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 269 IP, 256 H)

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 7 – Scot Rolen (.215 / .286 / .371)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners
11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket
10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"
9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas
8) 83 wins, DC Chips

20 Resims: #9 - Puerto Cabellas Pandas

The best of the NL West are Brad P’s Puerto Cabellas Pandas.  Brad had an intriguing approach to the season, focusing on a strong relief corps both on draft day and through trades.  Four relievers (listed below) were each well above average and the 5th and 6th regulars (Ellis Kinder and Aroldis Chapman) combined for a 3.65 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.  This was one of the best bullpens in the game.

They needed it too.  Playing home games in Fenway Park, lefty batters typically had a field day with the Panda’s rotation.  Only Babe Adams was close to average (4.27 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) with the balance of them struggling daily.  Noodles Hahn was their number 2 and he sported an ERA of 4.66; the rotation gradually declined from there until 5th starter Jared Weaver and his 5.56 ERA and 1.60 WHIP.

Given their 10 division titles and Playoff Odds of 60%, they were doing many other things right.  The offense, led by Tip O’Neill and George Brett, was top 10 quality.  Secondary players such as Sam Thompson (35 doubles, 23 triples, 13 home runs), Babe Herman (40 doubles, 21 home runs), and Phil Cavarretta (see below) all contributed to a balanced lineup with a team slash line of .277 / .322 / .424.

What I find most interesting however, has nothing to do with the team in particular.  In the balanced resims the Pandas jumped to 85 wins and scanning the results, the NL had a clear advantage.  Each league averaged 81 wins in the normal 20 resims (of course), but in the balanced resims, the NL averaged 83 wins and the AL just 79.

How about the best division?  Here are the win averages by division in the balanced resims

84.0 – NL East (up from 79.8 in the normal resims)
83.5 – NL Central (up from 81.3)
82.5 – NL West (up from 82.0)
81.5 – AL Central (down from 83.8)
78.8 – AL East (down from 82.3)
75.8 – AL West (down from 77.0)

A clean sweep for the NL.  They were the better league.

800 OPS Batters: 
.854 – Tip O’Neill
.801 – George Brett

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.88 – Jonathan Papelbon
3.00 – Cla Meredith
3.12 – Steve Reed
3.24 – BJ Ryan

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 17 – Phil Cavaretta (.280 / .340 / .389, with 40 doubles)

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 8 – Noodles Hahn (4.66 ERA, 1.38 WHIP for their #2 starter)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners
11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket
10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"
9) 82 wins, Puerto Cabellas Pandas

20 Resims: #10 - Carlisle "Mechanics"

We have several items of interest to discuss with Matt B’s Carlisle “Mechanics”.

1) Tris Speaker rode the pine in the resims.  I am not sure if it was my error, Matt’s error, or some combination of both; regardless, Tris Speaker went to the plate just 107 times each season.  Replacing him was Elmer Flick and his slash line of .230 / .277 / .336, a far cry from Speaker’s .313 / .392 / .398.
2) I re-ran some test resims to see the impact of Speaker.  Not surprisingly, this was a markedly improved team with their star center fielder in the lineup 162 times.  With the change, the “Mechanics” averaged 86 wins per season which would equate to a 20 Resim ranking of 7th, three slots better.
3) Red Ryan!  Love this guy.  The Negro League reliever led the team in Innings Pitched, ERA, WHIP, Wins, Games, and was second in saves.  His final line – all in relief – 211 IP, 159 H, 28 K, 74 BB, 2.35 ERA, 0.89 WHIP.
4) Dutch Leonard (see below), interested to see how he fares next year

Overall, the pitching staff averaged a 3.65 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, yielding the 5th best Runs Against mark in ATB.  It was definitively good enough to win.

The lineup becomes fairly deep with Speaker’s presence.  Jimmy Foxx roped 39 home runs per season; second on the team was third basemen Al Rosen who slammed 31.  George Hall can arguably be considered better the Foxx, the DH hit .284 / .342 / .459 with 20 doubles, 25 triples, and 14 home runs per season.

Carlisle made the playoffs about 1/3 of the time without Speaker, and we can probably assume a mark closer to 50% with him.  This was a good effort from owner Matt B that comfortably puts the squad in the “Tier 2” teams, behind some of the 90 win juggernauts that are to come.

800 OPS Batters: 
.800 – Jimmie Foxx
.800 – George Hall

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
3.98 – Rube Waddell
3.54 – Dutch Leonard

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.35 – Red Ryan
2.86 – Joaquin Benoit
3.18 – Dale Murray
3.18 – Darren O’Day

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 12 – Dutch Leonard (150 IP, 129 H, 3.54 ERA, 1.22 WHIP).  Impressive.  In the 500 resims Leonard went 4.10 and 1.27 with an average defense behind him.  He is a legit starter.

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 6 – Cal Ripken.  Not awful “for a shortstop” but still too early for resulting slash line of .227 / .279 / .374.

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners
11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket
10) 83 wins, Carlisle "Mechanics"

20 Resims: #11 - Helena Handbasket

1976 Fulton County Stadium was one of the  most extreme hitters parks in ATB 15.  It’s raw park OPS of .806 was ranked 3rd best, but remember, it’s an experimental stat and should not be considered definitive.  Handbasket played home games in this environment:

117/116 – Singles
125/125 – Doubles
145/143 – Home Runs

Triples were suppressed but it hardly matters.  The singles alone theoretically count for 40 points in on batting average.  With this as the backdrop, it is still impressive to see this lineup in action, and it is the first one we’ve encountered that offered a balanced attack.  The team had a slash line of .269 / .326 / .412, a significant step away from the some of the one dimensional (all power) line-ups we've talked about.

Overshadowed by Oscar Charleston, Helena’s own centerfielder Mickey Mantle was his typical great self regardless of the lack of media attention.  He batted .318 / .421 / .547 with a .968 OPS, 37 2B, 31 HR, 119 R, and 108 RBI.  At the corners, teammates Willie McCovey and Adrian Beltre added 72 home runs and 242 RBI per season.  McCovey in particular was a consistent game wrecker – in 18 of the 20 resims he recorded RBI totals between 120 and 154.  In his two ‘off years’ he still drove in 109 and 114.

As we have seen with so many teams, Joe T’s Handbaskets didn't have the starting rotation to competed on a season by season basis.  Helena advanced to the playoffs 8 times and had winning records half the seasons, but in a strong National League it wasn't enough.  Fulton County Stadium did not play well for the rotation – no starter was above the league average  ERA of 4.15.  Hang Aguirre was the best, 13-12 with a 4.22 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.

Their relievers suffered much of the same fate. In 40 innings pitched, Chris Hammond was very good (2.92 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) but remove him from the equation and the bullpen had a combined ERA of 3.83

800 OPS Batters: 
.968 – Mickey Mantle
.808 – Willie McCovey

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
2.92 – Chris Hammond

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 12 – Larry Doby (.265 / .332 / .396 with 27 2B and 17 HR)

Bust Draft Pick
None, but drafted in the 6th round, Beltre had a .290 OBP

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners
11) 81 wins, Helena Handbasket

20 Resims: #12 - Shamokin Miners

A whirlwind 20 resims for brothers Greg M and Mike M.  Earlier we saw that Greg’s Blackbirds were the surprise of the league, turning their paltry 63 wins into an 80 win team in the resims.  Mike’s Miners are the exact opposite, turning a 91 win team in the regular season into an 80 win team in the resims.

First and foremost, Mike was one of the most active owners in the league, submitting detailed lineups on a weekly basis, often changing player tendencies from week to week as well.  This type of micro management must have helped in the regular season and just can’t be duplicated in the resims.  Full marks to Mike for being a good owner – it undoubtedly helped.

It also must be noted that Shamokin was very lucky in the regular season.  Their 755 runs scored was matched just 3 times in the resims, and their 665 runs against was matched just twice.  Their actual 91 wins were incredibly close to the max win potential of 96.

Who exactly did they get the most of?  The first numbers is the regular season OPS, the second is the resim OPS:

.851 vs .721 – Tommy Holmes
.816 vs .699 – Brady Anderson
.820 vs .743 – Arky Vaughan
.684 vs .610 – Roberto Alomar
.740 vs .718 – Team as a whole

Similarly for their pitching staff (ERAs):

3.55 vs 4.71 – Scott Stratton
3.44 vs 4.11 – Jack Chesbro
3.87 vs 4.60 – Preacher Roe
3.70 vs 4.19 – Fergie Jenkins

Bullpen

2.82 vs 3.52 – Lindy McDaniel
2.04 vs 3.48 – Jeff Russell
3.13 vs 4.25 – Billy Pierce

Overall this was still a good team, one that challenged for a playoff spot in 14 of the 20 resims.  New owners cannot ask for much more than that – nice work.

800 OPS Batters: 
.812 – Jeff Bagwell

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
3.22 – Troy Percival

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 17 – Fergie Jenkins (4.19 ERA, 1.33 WHIP)

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 7 – Roberto Alomar (.232 / .304 / .306 with 3 HR)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 72 wins, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

21) 69 wins, Detroit Tigers
20) 74 wins, Platte County Burnt Ends
19) 75 wins, Leesburg Snowhole
18) 77 wins, Planet 10 Red Lectroids
17) 78 wins, Rochester Beau Brummels
16) 79 wins, Otherton Fishbiscuits
15) 79 wins, North Valley Bears
14) 81 wins, Niagara Frontier Blackbirds
13) 81 wins, Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
12) 80 wins, Shamokin Miners