Division Series Page Updated

With AL Matchups and Ball Park Factors for all teams

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

Port Hawkesberry Completes September Comeback, defeat Hockeberry 3-2

The heart of the order came through for the Puffins when it mattered, putting 3 runs on the board in the 3rd and 4th innings.  It would hold up behind a very good Orel Hershiser, who defeated the Scholics 3-2.  The Puffins completed a long-shot comeback, down 6.5 games at the start of September to capture the division crown in game 163.  Fred Dunlap had 2 RBI and Sam Thompson drilled a timely triple.

For their part, Hockenberry chose to keep their ace, Jake Arrieta on the bench to save him for the ALDS opener this Sunday.  Still, the defeat is bitter.

Here is th box.

In Round 1, Camorr will face Hockeberry while St Paul goes against Port Hawkesberry.

St Paul Avoid Biggest Collapse in ATB History, Defeats New Amsterdam 4-1

In a tension filled game, the Doppelgangers, behind Teddy Higuera who pitched extremely well, advance to the playoffs.  Offense was scarce and Eddice Cicotte joined Higuera in a tight pitchers duel, both pitching into the 8th inning while yielding lone runs.

St Paul broke the game open in the 8th with some timely pinch hitting.  Chuck Klein, stepping in for Cal Ripken, led off the inning with a rope single into the left field.  Cicotte remained on the mound to pitch to Mike Schmidt, who was brought in instead of Brooks Robinson.  Schmidt doubled to right, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs.

This was enough for manager Connor MacLeoad, and he brought in reliever Pat Jarvis.  The righty did induce a ground ball to the right side out of Rogers Hornsby, but Klein scored.  Paul Goldschmidt followed with 6-4-3 double play, but Schdmidt scored.  To add misery, Jim Thome then belted a solo shot for some icing on the cake.

Dellin Betances and Eric Gagne ensured New Amsterdam would not complete the amazing comeback - they faced the minimum in the last two innings, and Gagne struck out the side to end the game.

Here is the box - Hockenberry vs Port Hawkesberry tonight.

Division Series Page is Up

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

At least for the known matchups in the NL.

Sim 12E Complete, But the Regular Season Rolls On

We need some tiebreaks!

First, congratulations to the Division Winners - Camorr, Jeff City, Martian, and Capetown.  Also, congratulations to one of the best Wild Card teams in our history - Spanish Harlem.

Two, 1-game playoffs are required as well.  First for the NL Central crown, New Amsterdam will face off against St Paul.  New Amsterdam went 20-8 in September coming back from an unheard of 9.5 game deficit.  Remarkable.

It's a little less exciting in the NL West were Hockenberry and Port Hawkesberry will have a 1 game playoff to determine the division winner and wild card team.  Hockenberry spit the bit on this one, resting the staff in the last week only to have it come back and haunt them.  Port Hawkesberry had a great September themselves - 18-10 to erase a 6.5 game deficit.  I don't fully understand why MLB rules state that if this tie had occurred between teams with the two best records in the league, a playoff is not required.  I must be misinterpreting that clause.  Either way, it is clear in this particular situation a playoff is required:

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship and Wild Card:One tiebreak game will be played to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game will be declared a Wild Card

These games will be played tomorrow night and owners may submit lineup

Tie Breaker Rules

We've got some great races to finish out the season.  Lets go over the tie breaker rules, which follow MLB procedures.

• NL Central.  Since no playoff spot is at stake, i.e., both teams have the best records in the NL, the tie breaker is calculated and no playoff game is required.  First tie break is head to head record.  Here we are tied 11-11.  Second tie break is best record within the division.  Spanish Harlem currently has a 2 game advantage for Martian, and with both teams playing games outside the division, Spanish Harlem wins if it ends in a tie.
• Most of the rest of the potential tie breakers will require 1 game playoffs.  In the NL West, Lakeview has an outside shot to catch Capetown; in the AL Central New Amsterdam and St Paul are locked at 86 wins; in the AL Wild Card Seattle and Port Hawkesberry are tied as well.
• The difficult scenario is a three way tie between Hockenberry, Seattle, and Port Hawkesberry.  In this case. Hockenberry and Hawkseberry are tied for the division crown, and both also tied with Seattle for the Wild Card.  WTF, this may break DMB.  Here we would need two playoff games, first for the division crown, and then for the wild card.  These would be played in back to back days immediately following the regular season. 

Home field advantage in playoff games are determined by a) Head to Head record, then b) record within the division, then c) best winning percentage in the last 81 games, then d) keep on adding 1 game back (82 games, 83 games, etc) until there is a answer.

So, home field advantage:

• NL West:  Cape Town (13-8 vs Lakeview w/1 game remaining)
• AL Central: New Amsterdam (H2H tied 11-11, New Amsterdam winning intradivision by 9 games)
• AL Wild Card: Port Hawkesberry (8-4 vs Seattle)
• Crazy Scenario
• Division:  Hockenberry (12-9 vs Pt Hawkesberry w/1 game left)
• Wild Card: Hawkesberry over Seattle (as above); Seattle over Hockenberry (7-5)

Feel free to post any questions here.  I certainly may have this incorrect, and that's ok.  We follow MLB rules for 1 wild card team, regardless of what I said above.  Just saying this in case I do have a flaw in interpretation - the final arbiter would be MLB rulebook.

Sim 12D Complete

2 game to go!

Playoff Picture

AL Central

0.0 - Highlanders

0.0 - Doppelgangers

AL West

0.0 - Scholics

2.0 - Puffins

AL Wild Card

0.0 - Pufffins

0.0 - Pilots

NL Central

0.0 - Manhunters (Won 6 in a row)

0.5 - Pinata Beaters

NL West

0.0 - Apostles

2.0 - Zeros

Sim 12C Complete

Playoff Picture

AL West

0.0 - Scholics

3.0 - Puffins

AL Wild Card

0.0 - Pufffins

1.0 - Pilots

NL Central

0.0 - Pinata Beaters

1.5 - Manhunters

NL West

0.0 - Apostles

1.0 - Zeros

Sim 12B Complete

Playoff Picture

AL West

0.0 - Scholics

3.5 - Puffins

AL Wild Card

0.0 - Pufffins

0.0 - Pilots

NL Central

0.0 - Pinata Beaters (Win 7 in a row)

2.0 - Manhunters

NL West

0.0 - Apostles

2.0 - Zeros

Sim 12A Complete

Playoff Picture

AL West

0.0 - Scholics

4.5 - Puffins

AL Wild Card

0.0 - Pufffins

2.0 - Pilots

NL Central

0.0 - Manhunters

0.0 - Pinata Beaters

NL West

0.0 - Zeros

1.0 - Apostles (Lost 5 in a row)

Week 12 Transactions

Lakeview picks up 2009 Kevin Youkilis, drops Don Mattingly

Sim 11E Complete

Playoff Picture

AL West

0.0 - Scholics

4.5 - Puffins

AL Wild Card

0.0 - Pufffins

2.0 - Pilots

NL Central

0.0 - Manhunters

1.0 - Pinata Beaters

NL West

0.0 - Apostles

1.0 - Zeros

Playoff Picture

American League
While not technically over, the divisional races in the American League are all but sewn up.  Both Camorr and St Paul have commanding leads with about 15 games remaining on the docket and are in fine tuning mode.  They both have the best Run Differentials in the AL and appear to be the two teams to beat.  Hockenberry also has a safe lead of 5 1/2 games, but are making things interesting for Port Hawkeseberry with a late season mini slump.

The Wild Card race is a doozy, with Port Hawkesberry just 1 game up on Seattle.  New Amsterdam and South Boston are on the outside looking in, 5.5 back and technically alive but a long shot to advance.

Hawksesberry has a daunting schedule remaining, having to face division leaders 10 times in their last 16 games.  Interestingly enough, they do still face Hockenberry an incredible 8 times - maybe that division title isn't entirely secure for the Scholics.

Seattle schedule is easier, but by no means easy.  They face above .500 teams 13 times in their remaining 16 games, including 8 times against division leaders.  This race is entirely up for grabs.

National League
In the National League, three teams have all but secured a playoff spot - Jeff City, Spanish Harlem, and Martian.  Jeff City will win the East (although technically can still fall to Chattanooga) while the two Central teams battle it out for their division crown and the wild card.  This is somewhat anticlimactic as Martian, currently in 2nd place, have an 8.5 game lead on the WC.  Still, the division title has perhaps extra meaning this season as the winner will face off against Jeff City, who have struggled at times all year long, and currently sport a negative run differential.

All is on the line in the West however, as Cape Town cling to a 2 game lead over Lakeview.  The Zeros have been the hottest team in National League since around mid-August, winning 19 of 26.  They've hardly been able to gain ground, however, as Cape Town has been the second hottest team in the NL, winning 17 of 26.

The schedule will be the difference maker.  Lakeview plays 8 of the 9 next games against sub.500 teams and then start a 5 game series with Cape Town, and finally close the season with a lone game against long time rival, Grumman (a Brian B vs David K rivalry that crosses several years in several leagues).

Cape Town in turn faces Spanish Harlem three times, but also some lesser quality teams 7 times.  Regardless, one would think the 5 game head to head series will be the deciding factor.  Cape Town have won 10 of 16 on the season.

Good luck playoff hopefuls!

Sim 11D Complete

Last Period to Pick Up FA's

Is the end of this week - this Friday, 5 AM.

Sim 11c Complete

Sim 11B Complete

Records Since the All Star Break

Sim 11A Complete

Sim 10E Complete

Sim 10D Complete

Sim 10C Complete

Sim 10B Complete

Sim 10A Complete

Week 10 Transactions

• Jeff City picks up Carlos Gonzalez 2010, releases Max Scherzer
• Lakeview picks up Jimmy Barrett 1903, Don Mattingly 1985, and Art Devlin 1906; drops Ralph Kiner, Ferdie Schupp, and Terry Pendleston
• Shamokin drops Scott Stratton.