20 Resims: #22, Lancaster Pretty Ladies

This result is one of the biggest surprises of the resims.  Sure, with  only 73 regular season wins the Ladies may have been candidates to score low in the resims, but I would have bet decent money this was an 80 win team.  I liked Cy Seymor, Edgar Wesley, Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, Frank Baker, and Carl Yastrzemski on draft day but they never played well for Lancaster.  The team had above average power (11th in ISO) but their on-base average was simply too low when compared with the successful teams.

Honus Wagner even had a somewhat muted line (.290 / .342 / .448), 14 points off his career average OPS.

Taking a step back to the draft itself, you'll recall Lancaster held off on drafting a pitcher until round 12 and this strategy didn't work for two reasons.  1) If you take 11 consecutive batters you better have a well above average offense, and 2) Ted assumed he could piece together a rotation.  Starters averaged a 4.61 ERA with Red Faber the best of them (4.31 ERA, 1.35 WHIP.

The bullpen was better, holding two above average relievers in Darren Holmes (3.58 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) and Buddy Groom (3.34 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) but unfortunately these two saw the least playing time out of any team.

Finally, like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, we need to mention Lancaster’s Max Win Potential. In resim 12 they scored 750 runs and in resim 4 they allowed just 680.  That[s a very good run differential of +70 and would have likely led to a 91 win team.  From this we can surmise what Ted envisioned with his draft strategy.

800 OPS Batters: 
None

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
None

Best Value Draft Pick
Rd 25 – Mike Donlin (.286 / .333 / .391, 25 2B in 496 AB)

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 3 – Frank Baker (.248 / .287 / .401 with 72 R and 58 RBI)

20 Resim Results

24) 64 wins, Downsouth Brews

23) 66 wins, Colorado Green Sox

22) 

Time Almost Up for the "Mechanics" and Bears

With around 14 games remaining time is running out for the "Mechanics" and Bears.  Both teams are 4.5 games out and do not control their own destiny's.  No matter how well they play, the need the Wild Card leading Fishbiscuits and Wildlings to lose more than they win as well.

In the American League, the "Mechanics" have a legitimate chance at holding up their end of the bargain.  They have 12 games remaining, 9 of which are at home.  The face the Burnt Ends 4 times, the Red Lectroids 3, the Red Eagles 3, and Ball Four 2.  Only the Red Eagles have a winning record.  However, during the season, the "Mechanics" have exactly a .500 record against these squads.

The Bears on the other hand are in a true predicament.  8 of their remaining 13 games are on the road and they face the Miners 6 times, the Pandas 4, and the Pretty Ladies 3.  The Miners are heading to the playoffs and the Pandas are the hottest team in the league.  They've lost 13 of 16 against the Miners, but are well over .500 against the Pandas and Ladies.

Both teams should be considered extreme long shots, with Carlisle having a slightly better chance to catch up.

Standings Summary - Week 11

It's a case of too little too late.  The Puerto Cabellas Pandas were a pre-season favorite for the NL West title but instead of struggled to stay above .500 all season long.  With a 10-3 record this week, Brad has shown just how dangerous his team could have been.  The Pandas batted .301 / .340 / .341 as a team with Phil Caveretta (.380 / .415 / .480) and Tip O'Neill (.373 / .389 / .686) enjoying notable success.

Their bats helped Puerto Cabellas in sweeping both Helena and North Valley, and taking series from DC, Shamokin, and the Pretty Ladies.

Noodles Hahn and Babe Adams anchored the rotation, going undefeated in 5 starts with a combined 2.50 ERA.  The bullpen was key for the entire week however - Steve Reed, Steve Bedrosian, BJ Ryan, Ellis Kinder, and Jonathan Papelbon combined for 30.2 innings of 3-run ball.

It was a ho-hum week in the American League, with no single team catching fire to claim "Team of the Week" status.  Ball Four ended up with the best Run Differential (a quite good +29) so they get the honors.

Justin Duchscherer started two games and gave up just 1 run while a quartet in the pen shone above the rest.  All Grabowski and Kenley Jansen didn't give up a run in 10 innings and Mariano Rivera and Frankie Rodriguez allowed just 2 runs to score in 20 innings.

The offense powered the team on most nights, smacking 21 home runs in 15 games. Jim Edmonds had a 1.232 OPS thanks to 6 homers, scoring 16 in the process.  Heavy Johnson added 5 shots batting .387 / .433 / .629 in the process.  The team batted .294 / .358 / .460.

There were no major changes to the Wild Card race.  Both the Wildlings and Fishbiscuits have a 4.5 game lead with their magic numbers down to 9 games.

Elsewhere, the Red Eagles and Shadows clinched playoff births with the Hoplites on the brink, sporting a magic number of 1.  The Beaters, Fanclub, and Miners all have at least a 6-game lead for the divisional crowns and barring disaster will head to the playoffs as well.

If the playoffs ended today:
- Wildings @ Red Eagles
- Fanclub @ Hoplites

- Fishbiscuits @ Shadows
- Miners @ Beaters

The Good, the Great, and the Ugly

Standings Summary - Week 9

The Divisional races have lacked excitement for some time but there is still great action for the handful of teams fighting for a playoff spot.  This week in the National league, the North Valley Bears, in desperate need of a big week, struggled to stay above .500 yet again and tumbled from the Wild Card lead.  Just a few sims ago TJ's squad  was among the very best in ATB but have gone 16-24 since July 1st and tumbled almost (but not completely) out of the playoff race.

Taking their place for the Wild Card lead are the 12-4 Otherton Fishbiscuits, our Sim Team of the week.   Ernie Banks carried the offense on his shoulders, drilling 7 home runs (half of the Biscuits team total) and driving in 13.  He batted .340 / .426 / .811 and is in the running for Players of the Week honors.  He also had help from first basemen Bill Terry who batted .354 with 5 extra base hits.

Playing in the Bee Hive, Brian B dreamt of weeks like this when devising his draft strategy 10 weeks ago.  As a team, the Biscuits turned in a 2.81 ERA and opponent batters were held to a .635 OPS.  The great Pedro Martinez led the rotation (4 GS, 3-0, 26 IP, 16 H, 25 K) and Dick Hall was the star in the pen (14.2 IP, 1 ER).

Otherton did what they had to against a relatively weak set of opponents in Sim 9. They swept the Bears and  Blackbirds, and took 3 of 5 from the Pretty Ladies and Snowhole.  They did take 2 of 3 from a surging and borderline elite Shamokin Miner team which must have felt good.

It's also worth noting that the DC Chips, a perennial powerhouse that has struggled all season, got hot as well winning 10 of 14.  They are still 6 out of the Wildcard but bear watching.  

In the American League, Rusty Kuntz crumbled losing 9 of 13 and more importantly, losing both the Division and Wild Card leads.  Holding their heads above water John McDonald took a 1.5 game lead in the West, while the Wildlings grabbed the Wild Card lead with a 9-4 sim.

The team of the week however, were the 9-3 Planet 10 Red Lectroids.  Ivar A's team swept Ball Four and the Green Sox, took 3 of 5 from the Red Eagles, and split a two game series with John McDonald.

Mike Scott and Johan Santana were superb, combining to go 6-0, giving up just 13 hits in 42 innings.  The rest of the team helped too (2.26 team ERA) but Theodore Trent was of special note.  Trent made two starts resulting in 2 complete games and a 0.50 ERA.  The bullpen was stellar, tossing 24 IP to the tune of a 1.85 ERA.

Offensively, the Red Lectroids batted .264 / .310 / 424 and were led by Ty Cobb (.310 / .341 / .476) and Joe Gordon (.407 / .448 / .741 in a platoon).

Wild Card Race as of the End of Sim 9

The Good, the Great, and the Ugly - Week 9

Power Alley - Week 8

+8 Carlisle "Mechanics"
+3 Leesburg Snowhole

-3 DC Chips
-5 North Valley Bears
-3 Lancaster Pretty Ladies
-5 Colorado Green Sox

Standings Summary - Week 8

The American League team of the week is once again the Sparta Hoplites.  I tried to make a case for the 11-4 Carlisle "Mechanics" but Sparta simply had a better week, outscoring their opponents by 43 runs (76 RF, 33 RA) wich more than doubled Carlisle's run differential.  

The Hoplites are firing on all cylinders.  Their offense was good in Week 8 (.272 / .352 / .406) but it was their pitching that made them team of the week.  Incredibly, just one pitcher - Jerry Reuss - had an ERA over 2.75 and his was well below the league average anyway.  It's worth a list:

0.00 ERA - Eric Gagne (9 IP)

0.00 ERA - Andrew Bailey (1 IP)

1.59 ERA - Bobby Jenks (5.2 IP, and finally gave up a run!)

1.64 ERA - Greg Maddux (22 IP)

1.80 ERA - Warren Hacker (25 IP)

2.14 ERA - Kevin Brown (21 IP)

2.25 ERA - Kevin Saucier (4 IP)

2.45 ERA - Steve Howe (7.1 IP)

2.74 ERA - Frank Sullivan (23 IP)

3.46 ERA - Jerry Reuss (13 IP)

There were four offensive stars this week as well.  Orator Shaffer hit .390 / .439 / .542, Chipper Jones had a .460 OBP, Rico Petrocelli smacked 5 home runs, and Edgar Martinez continued a quietly great season batting .339 / 397 / .464.

En route to their 11-3 record, the Hoplites swept the Green Sox, took 2 of 3 from the Fanclub, and 4 of 5 from the All Stars.  They also split a 2 game series with the Beau Brummels and had sole victory over the Brews.  Only once did they yield more than 4 runs.

Over in the National League, Spanish Harlem continued the torture on owner Justin P.  A great team despite being prone to extended winning and losing streaks, the Pinata Beaters opened up a 9 game lead on the division thanks to a stellar 12-2 sim.

The opened the week with a 7 game winning streak, sweeping the Bears and Panda's after concluding rubber match with the Biscuits with a victory.  After losing two in a row at the hands of the streaking Miners, they kicked off an in progress 5 game winning streak salvaging the last game against the Miners then taking two each from the Pretty Ladies and the Bears.

It's bad news for the league that the struggling Jesse Tannehill turned his season around this week.  In three starts he went undefeated, completing two games, and gave up just 11 hits in 25 innings.  John Tudor and Harvey Haddix were stellar too, combining to give up just 9 runs in 6 starts.

Oscar Charleston must be battling the flu as the star center fielder batting just .340 / .476 / .500.  Not too worry as the team's infielders filled the roles of superstar.  Cupid Childs batted .426 / .446 / .648, John Olerud led the team in RBI and Wade Boggs had a .932 OPS.

Wild Card Standings

The Great, the Good, and the Ugly - Week 8

All Star Races - Righty Setup

American League

National League

All Star Races - Designated Hitter

DH's can come from any position in the true voting, but here are those without a position that will compete for a DH spot as well.

American League
Neither of these two will likely make the team as a starter with Barry Bonds and Turkey Stearnes behind Ted Williams at left field, but it is a pleasure to see Edgar Martinez (Hoplites) and Reggie Jackson (All Stars) performing well.

National League
Similarly, Mickey Mantle is ahead of these three full time DH but Lou Gehrig (Shadows) could certainly get hot and make a race of it.

All Star Races - Right Field

American League
Move along, no race here.

National League
Similarly, Griffey is easily the best right fielder in the NL.

All Star Races - Shortstop

American League
This is a nice crop of shortstops, each worthy of an all-star selection.  Dobie Moore (Red Lectroids) leads the way batting .333 with an sweet .498 slugging average.  I think he currently has the lead, though cases can be made for Hughie Jennings (Fanclub) and his .397 OBP and Alan Trammell (WIldlings) for his all-around play.

National League
No commentary needed.  Just not sure how Arky Vaughan has 15 home runs already, his career average is... 15.

What a disappointment Willie Wells (Bears) and Honus Wagner (Pretty Lady's) have been.  Fully expecting a strong second half rebound from both.

All Star Races - Third Base

American League
What a fun race in the AL, one that will undoubtedly come down to performance over the next two Sims.  I am not sure who the front runner is - on one hand one has to love John McGraw's (Red Eagles) .467 on base percentage, tops in either league at any position.   On the other hand, Al Rosen ("Mechanics") and Caminiti (All Stars) offer much more power with above average on-base abilities to boot.  On the third hand, McGraw has 21 steals in 24 chances (88% success rate)  which can't be overlooked.

National League
George Brett (Pandas) is handily besting Mike Schmidt (Blackbirds) so far this year.  Schmidt offers incredible power, but little else.  Tip of the cap to Frank Baker (Pretty Lady's, not listed) who has an .814 OPS in 146 plate appearances.

Around The League

Spent some time with the trilogy program tonight, here's what I found

• In a 3-2 win over the Mechanics on April 11, the All Stars Hanley Ramirez went 0-4 with 3 caught steals
• On April 10 Albert Pujols of the Red Lectroids recorded 13 total bases; on May 3 Ken Griffey Jr (Shadows) repeated the feat
• Only 9 players have score 4 runs in a game so far, Spanish Harlem's Oscar Charleston's done it twice.
• The season record for total chances in a game is 26.  It was set on May 2, twice, in the same game, by opposing first basemen George Sisler and Todd Helton (Beau Brummels and Hoplites).
• Workhorse of the year (so far) goes to Hal Newhouser (Rochester).  He threw 150 pitches on April 9 an it was only 7.1 innings..
• Mike Schmidt (Bears) homered in 5 consecutive games April 29-May 4
• Ken Griffey Jr (Shadows) score runs in 11 consecutive (May 7-May 18)
• Oddball stat of the day - the Wildlings are 16-1 when Joe Jackson gets a hit, and 9-23 when he doesn't.
• It's mostly a meaningless stat, but Turkey Stearnes (Red Eagles) leads the league in Game Winning RBI's at 10.
• In 22 games, batters are cumulatively hitting just .216 in the Bee Hive (Otherton).
• In 20 games, batters have mashed 76 HR's in the Baker Bowl (Rusty Kuntz)
• On May 10, Handbasket came from 10 runs back to beat the Lancaster 13-12.  They scored 9 runs in the 8th thanks to 3 homers, capped by a Willie McCovey grand slam.
• The Red Eagles have scored 37 first inning runs, the "Mechanics" just 12
• The Blackbirds have allowed 41 first inning runs, the Wildlings just 10
• The Shadows and Red Eagles are the only teams yet to be shut-out

12 Questions - National League

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?

Grading the Negro Leaguer's

With just two sim's complete it's too early to tell if these grades will stick, but it's interesting nonetheless to see how are newest eligible players are fairing.

Batters

Grade A

Four Negro Leaguer's of these have gotten off to tremendous starts.  First rounder's Turkey Stearnes and Oscar Charleston were expected to be great, but Ed Rile and Dobie Moore have been pleasant surprises for Snowhole and the Red Lectroids.  Moore gets the nod for the best of the bunch to date - .373 OBA with a .509 SLG out of a Ex fielding shortstop is as good as it gets.

Grade B

Both Heavy Johnson and Edgar Wesley have enjoyed success early on, but each are short in playing time to get an A grade.  In the case of Johnson, an untimely 15 day injury forced him to miss the middle of April, while Wesley is stuck behind Jack Clark in a first base platoon.  With Clark batting just .167 with no power it may just be a matter of time before Wesley is the full time first basemen.

Grade C

Perhaps I am being to hard on Pop Lloyd and Biz Mackey, but Bullet Joe Rogan and George Carr are plainly struggling, though showing plus power.  Pete Hill is holding his own despite a .226 batting average, his 16 walks bring him up to about a league average OBP.

Grade D

The Bears are 19-9 despite a poor start by Willie Wells, a Top-10 overall pick. The shortstop has shown flashes of power but has 30 strikeouts against just 6 walks.  He'll need to bring is average up at least 70 points or more to be worthy of a 1st round pick.

Grade F

It's no wonder DC is struggling right now, both Cristobal Torriente and Ben Taylor were pegged to be vital cogs in the Chips lineup.  Instead, both are terrible liabilities at the moment.  The Blackbirds Judy Johnson may be the worst everyday third basemen in the game right now.  That .472 OPS is staggering.

No Grade - Not Enough Playing Time

Pitchers

Grade A

These four are a combined 18-1 and have their owners looking like geniuses.  Juan Padron did not do particularly well in the 500 resims so he is our best graded pitcher so far.  Drafted in 19th round he looks like the steal of the draft, at least so far.

Grade B

Norman Yokely had 5 good starts and one poor one, but it was bad enough to almost drive him to a C grade.  As it stands he is on the cusp of a downgrade, 20 walks against 15 K's is just not sustainable.

Grade C

The 3.49 ERA is nice for Henderson, but a 1.57 WHIP not so much.  One will have to give sooner than later.  Trent is the exact definition of a league average starter.

Grade F

What a disappointment Satchel Paige turned out be.  15 walks vs 40 strikeouts sounds pretty good, but if you add in 9 HR in 36 innings it spells disaster.  Hilton Smith and Bill McCall are not particular good pitchers, but then they weren't expected to be either.

No Grade - Not Enough Playing Time

Comish's Predictions - NL West

1st - Puerto Cabellas Pandas
2nd - Lancaster Pretty Ladies
3rd - North Valley Bears
4th - Shamokin Miners

And finally the NL West. Despite the poor start I continue to like the Panda's here.  All through the draft I thought Brad's team was one of the best and I still feel it's top 5 and a threat to win it all.  The lineup versus right handed pitching is quite good and I think Buster Posey will work out in the end, a top-10 type of catcher.  The heart of the order is Tip O'Neill, George Brett, and Babe Herman.  O'neill the best of the bunch, even though he lost 20 points in batting average with the new era.  Sam Thompson is a heck of a player in the 6th spot and getting back to the top Cal McVey and Phil Cavaretta can work at the top of lineup.  I am a bit worried about McVey against righties, Brad will have to monitor it.  He chose to employ a 4-man rotation to start the season with the great Babe Adams leading the way.  Bill Swift (1935) is a questionable #2 starter (500 resim trap?) but Jason Schmidt and Spud Chandler are above average at 3/4.  The bullpen may be the best in the game - Cla Meredith, BJ Ryan, Steve Reed along with the new Aroldis Chapman.  Nice team.

Ted K drafted 11 straight batters and it may have worked.  I have them a step behind the Ladies but they can make a run.  It may be the names (as opposed to the quality) but I like this team and find myself rooting for them.  Eddie Collins, Hous Wagner, and Yaz lead off.  How great is that for classic ballplayers.  Elsewhere there are Home Run Baker, Rocky Colavito, Cy Seymour and Lance Berkman (ok Berkman doesn't fit in).  And in a nod to Ted's love, there's quality Negro Leaguer's Edgar Wesley and Biz Mackey.  Of course when you avoid drafting pitchers it will show in the rotation.  Ted could have done a lot worse than Bobby Shantz, Reb Russell, Vern Law and Red Faber, but it's still a liability.  And he'll have to get creative with the pen - some good names in Darren Holmes, Mark Eichhorn, and Buddy Groom but things get thin quickly.

I have TJ's Bears are roughly equal to the Pretty Ladies.  I don't understand Roger Clemens at #1 (resim trap) but Harry Brecheen is a quality arm at 2.  Whit Wyatt, CC Sabathia, and Ed Reuelbach will likely struggle however and I think Vean Gregg will be in the rotation come June.  Keith Foulke and Jim Brewer are above average closers and Huston Street is solid against righties in the setup role.  The offense is headlined by Negro Leaguer Willie Wells, who some think (including me) is the best shortstop in the game.  He bats third in front of Pete Browning and Ken Williams, a solid top of the order.  Ryan Howard and Mike Schmidt will hit for power at 5 & 6, but each may have a sub .300 OBP which is problematic.  The last three of Red Schoendienst, Vlad, and Napoli are run of the mill. If the rotation proves to be reliable TJ can certainly make the playoffs.

This was a tough division to call.  The Miners have quality players as well and realistically have a good shot at the playoffs too.  Arky Vaughan, Jeff Bagwell, and Jim Thome are quality bats while Reggie Smith, Dick Allen, and Willie Mays have each had good years in the past.  It's a shame Yogi Berra doesn't fair better in DMB.  The pen has some above average arms in Damaso Marte and Troy Percival, but they are 2nd tier setup men in a great pen.  They have to play above average to really help the Miners go far.  Joe Sambito is solid too.  I fear Fergie Jenkins is miscast as an ace but Noodles Hahn is a fine #2.  It will be interesting to see how Catfish and Jack Chesbro handle themselves in a 4-man rotation.  I think they'll have to do much better than I anticipate for Shamokin to advance.  Frankly, they have the best logo in the game anyway, everything else is gravy.

My NL Playoff Picture
- Shadows in the East
- Beaters in the Central with best record in the NL
- Pandas in the west
- Wild Card goes to the Ladies in an upset; DC gets shut out.

Keep the predictathon entries coming in.  I will only post on Sunday, not fair to show others entries at this point.

Dixon Announces Pretty Ladies Lineups and Rotations

Ted K was on hand this morning to introduce Rap Dixon, the new manager for the Lancaster Pretty Ladies.  Dixon, a superstar in the Negro League's, was excited to manage a lineup with both MLB greats like Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, Frank Baker, and Carl Yastrzemski along with a few Negro League stars such as Edgar Wesley and Biz Mackey.

He did voice some concerns about his defense on the right side as Rocky Colavito and Wesley aren't exactly fleet of foot, but thought Mackey would be one of the best throwing catchers in the league.

As for the rotation, Dixon reminded everyone that it was Ted, and not he, that chose 11 batters to start the draft, but was also thrilled that he landed Bobby Shantz, who may be the best #5 starter in the league.

Here's the Pretty Ladies:

Lineup
2B - Eddie Collins
SS - Honus Wagner
LF - Carl Yastrzemski
CF - Cy Seymour
1B - Edgar Wesley
3B - Frank Baker
DH - Lance Berkman
RF - Rocky Colavito
.C - Biz Mackey

Rotation
SP 1 - Red Faber
SP 2 - Vern Law
SP 3 - Jack Taylor
SP 4 - Reb Russell
SP 5 - Bobby Shantz

CL - Darren Holmes and Buddy Groom
SU - Mark Eichhorn and Eric O'Flaherty