Some ATB Records Are Falling

We've already seen the home run record fall and faithful readers have combed the record books and discovered some others.

• The "Mechanics" George Hall has 31 triples, besting a mark of 30 which he set himself in ATB 13 with the Hathsin Survivors.
• With 7 games remaining, the Red Eagles Turkey Stearnes needs 10 RBI to tie the all time record set by Reggie Jackson (Pill Poppers) way back in ATB 8.
• Elsewhere on Manetheren, the doubles record may fall not once, not twice, but an incredible three times.  Ed Delahanty (Potato Pickers) holds the current record with 64 doubles, set in ATB 11.  This season Delahanty has 59 and an outside chance at 64.  His teammates Joey Votto and Turkey Stearns have already obliterated the record, slamming 71 and 69 doubles respectively.  
• As an aside, recall that in the offseason we changed the era to increase doubles dramatically.  Well, it's worked.  The previous team record was 290 set by the Michigan Lakers in ATB VIII.  Four teams have bested the mark this year, led by Manetheren at 341.
• Pedro Martinez of ATB VII holds the all time WHIP record at 0.90.  This season, the Fishbiscuits version of Pedro is currently hovering at 0.90 and Red Ryan of Carlisle is at 0.91
• Finally, the all time team record for fewest runs allowed was set by the Black Sox in ATB 9.  They had a team ERA of 3.19 and won 96 games.  This season, the Fishbiscuits gave it a run, but need to allow just 8 runs in their last 7 games to tie the record.  Luckily for us, we have the Sparta Hoplites.  With 7 games remaining as well, Sparta has given up just 519 runs and realistically should set the record.  They are on pace to yield 542 runs but a solid final few games and they could best it handily. 

Special thanks to Brian B and Matt B for sending these in over the past few days!

Reviewing the New Players

As of the end of play today, we've completed approximately 25% of season. It's still too early to make definitive claims on the success of the new players, but at the same time, owners definitely have a feel for their potential return on investment.

For instance, the most intriguing pick on draft day was of course, Ross Barnes. The Londonderry Machine drafted the Ex fielding second basemen in the first round and he has excelled, batting .336 / .407 / .450 with 7 doubles and 5 triples.

Contrast this success story with that of the Bridgewater Brazen Beanballers. They jumped on starting pitching relatively early, relying on two 1800s pitchers Denny Driscoll and Candy Cummings. The two have combined for an awful line: 30 IP, 50 H, 18 BB, 11 K, 9.50 ERA.

Incredibly the Beanballers drafted 13 new players this season and most of them are panning out. 3rd rounder Mike Schmidt now has a .335 OBP and 9 HR and they've received tremendous value from their 12th and 13th round picks, Lipe Pike and George Wright. Pike is batting .353 / .384 / .453 and Wright .336 / .354 / .500. Or how about Henry Gruber, a 21st round selection installed as their 4th starter - he's appeared in 8 games, 4 of them starts, and compiled a great 3.23 ERA.

The Hathsin Survivors have also been very lucky, receiving great return on 5 players:

6th rd - Cal McVey - .333 / .365 / .423

7th rd - George Hall - .391 / .444 / .667

25th rd - Ed Swartwood - .322 / .375 / .475

and

9th Rd - Jim Devlin - 13 IP, 1.38 ERA

10th Rd - Goose Gossage - 29 IP, 3.10 ERA

Elsewhere, there have been a host of stellar pitchers:

0.57 ERA - Luke Gregerson (JMF), Rd 20

0.64 ERA - Mike Myers (GCG), Rd 23

1.08 ERA - Joaqin Benoit (WPM), Rd 13

1.42 ERA - Pud Galvin (DC), Rd 24

2.70 ERA - Henry Boyle (JMF), Rd 26

2.76 ERA - Steve Howe (GCG), Rd 15

Here's the complete list of results for all the new players.

20 Resims Summary - #7, Hathsin Survivors

#8 – Hathsin Survivors
Owner: Lou P
Activity Level: High
Park Factor: Increase 1B, 2B, 3B and suppress HR

This was a fun, if not particularly good, team. Bludgeoning opponents with a solid offense playing in an extreme hitters park, Hathsin scored the most runs of any team in the resims at 871. Their starting offense averaged an .791 OPS with three different people scoring 100 runs. Further, three ‘new to ATB’ players were a success too – catcher Fred Carroll (.407 OBP), George Hall (see below), and Ed Swartwood (see below).

For all that, Lou had a terrible draft picking many of these players up too early at the expense of the pitching staff, ranked 3rd to last in the game. Hall played out of position with a 300 Error Rate and Lou then traded up for Charlie Gehringer of all people then played him out of position too. With this awful defense and the addition of a batters park, even proven greats like Walter Johnson (4.36 ERA) struggled.

800 OPS Batters
Rd 1 – Ted Williams: .982 OPS, .349 / .452 / .530, 31 HR, 125 R, 130 RBI
Rd 7 – George Hall: .860 OPS, .329 / .477 / .484, 25 3B, 107 RBI
Rd 14 – Frank Thomas: .835 OPS in a platoon
Rd 25 – Ed Swartwood: .812 OPS, .320 / .377 / .436

Sub 4.00 ERA Starters
None

Sub 3.25 ERA Relievers
None

Bust Draft Pick
Rd 6 – Cal Mcvey: .733 OPS in bandbox playing the deepest position in ATB, center field. He's not a bad player, and actually starter quality, but could have been had 10 rounds later.

Value Draft Pick
Rd 25 – Swartwood

Overall Standings
#18, 55 Wins – Texas Gringos
#17, 63 Wins – Nottingham Outlaws
#16, 64 Wins – Downsouth Brews
#15, 78 Wins – Willets Point "Mechanics"
#14, 79 Wins – Island Creek Bivalves
#13, 79 Wins – Planet 10
#12, 82 Wins – Bridgewater Brazen Beanballers
#11, 83 Wins – Otherton Fish Biscuits
#10, 83 Wins – Kakadu Didgeridoos
#9, 83 Wins – Helena Handbasket
#8, 83 Wins – Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars
#7, 84 Wins – Hathsin Survivors

ATB XIII MVP

Mickey Mantle enhanced his reputation as the best all around player in the game by easily outpacing Barry Bonds and Ross Barnes for the ATB XIII MVP.

Mantle was inexplicably left off two ballots, but garnered enough first place votes that it hardly matter. On the season, the Vg center fielder batted .352 / .451 / .528 with 23 HR and 119 RBI.

Accustomed to contending for the MVP year in and year out was Bonds. The left fielder had a great year belting 41 HR's with a .460 OBP.

However the talk in the off season will likely surround neither of these two. Instead, the Ex defending infielder Barnes will receive extreme attention heading into next ATB IV. Barnes batted .361 / .428 / .490 with 38 2B, 21 3B, and 41 SB.

Results
32 Pts - (5, 8) - Mickey Mantle (NSD)
18 Pts - (0, 6) - Barry Bonds (ICB)
16 Pts - (1, 8) - Ross Barnes (LM)
11 Pts - (1, 3) - Babe Ruth (OFB)
06 Pts - (1, 2) - Lou Gehrig (KD)
05 Pts - (1, 1) - Greg Maddux (WPM)
04 Pts - (0, 2) - Fred Dunlap (RKA)
01 Pt. - (0, 1) - Ted Williams (HS)

League Championship Series Page

Kakadu's Trouce Hathsin to Advance

The Kakadu Didgeridoos got to Johan Santana early and bounced Hathsin from the playoffs 12-2. Led by Lou Gehrig, they belted 5 home runs and banged out 16 hits. Reliever Dick Hall recorded the win, upping his regular season record to and incredible 15-1.

Here's the box score.

League Reports

Players of the Week - Sim 10

Kevin Millwood earned a 0.72 ERA in Sim 10, winning two games hurling 25 innings. In Week 10 the Lady's extended their division lead, thanks in large part, to Millwood

In a relatively week batting Sim, the Survivor's Ed Swartwood batted .413 / .460 / .739 to take home Batter of the Week Honors. Notice the barehanded catch - explains is ATB .917 fielding percentage.


League Reports

Players of the Month - July

I goofed and forgot the July players of the Month. They are:

Ted Williams (HS): .417 / .492 / .718, 1.210 OPS, 9 HR, 25 HR, 32 RBI
Pedro Martinez (GCG): 5-1, 1.39 ERA, 52 IP, 30 H, 13 BB, 46 K

League Reports

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

League Reports

Standings Predictions: Federal Division

Following up on yesterday's post regarding the National League. Kakadu has the advantage for the Wild Card and despite just 13 home games (out of 41 remaining) Big Dan looks to hold on for the division crown.



League Reports

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

League Reports

The Good, the Great, and the Ugly - Week 7

League Reports

Players of the Week - Sim 6

Dropped earlier in the year by the Hathsin Survivors, Bobby Shantz pitched brilliantly in Week 6 earning a third Pitcher of the Week title for the DC Chips. Shantz tossed 27.2 innings giving up just 14 hits and walks. His ERA was 1.30 and RCERA a miniscule 1.09.





Mark McGwire of the Texas Gringos earns his 2nd Batter of the Week award on the season. He had the best week of anyone so far earning an unseemly 1.682 OPS. His slash stats were .465 / .589 / 1.093 while hitting 9 HR and driving in 24.

The Good, the Great, and the Ugly - Week 6

League Reports

Power Alley - Week 6

• +2 Newark Slam Dumps
• +2 John McDonald Fanclub
• -2 Hathsin Survivors
• -2 Downsouth Brews
• -4 Planet 10
  

League Reports

Players of the Week - Sim 4

I am not sure that Pete Conway (Hathsin Survivors) was any better than Greg Maddux this week, but I did like the idea of giving the POW Award to a) someone new, and b) a young 21 year old phenom. Conway's line: 2-0 (3 GS), 0.44 ERA, 21 IP, 12 H, 17 BB, 1.15 RCERA.






Alternatively, we do know that Barry Bonds of the Island Creek Bivalves was most definitely the best batter in the game. He led the league in OBP, slugging, and home runs. His line: .326 / .574 / .907, 1.481 OPS, 8 HR, 16 RBI.

The Young Phenoms

Think on this.

A young 21 year old in his first full year in the majors; he's illiterate, fresh out of the South Carolina mills, thrust onto the scene of not just the 1911 pennant race facing Walter Johnson, Smoky Joe Wood, and Big Ed Walsh, but thrust into a bizzaro world facing those historic peers along with future greats such as Pedro Martinez and olde tyme legends like Cy Young.

He's Shoeless Joe Jackson circa 1911, the youngest batter in ATB, is off to a hot start under these formidable circumstances. For the first place Helena Handbasket's he's batting .312 with 16 doubles, and is on pace for a 100 R / 95 RBI season.

Elsewhere, a 22 year old Californian with the weight of the world on his shoulders thanks to a triple crown trophy in the minors and a 145 RBI rookie campaign, is batting third for a first place team. Ted Williams (1941), after a slow start, is batting .294 / .422 / .447 for the high flying Hathsin Survivors.

More impressive is the story of 1875 Pud Galvin. An 18 year old rookie from the pre-light bulb era, recently purchased from a local town team, is mowing down the greatest batters baseball has ever seen. In 26 games, Galvin now has a 1.29 ERA and holding opponents to a .175 batting average for the DC Chips.

It's the league of the young as pitchers aged 18-22 have the best ERA in the game. Along with Galvin, Scott Stratton, Cannonball Titcomb, Pete Conway, Bert Dorr, and Fernando Valenzuela (among others) have dominated the first two months of the season.

On offense,taking into consideration the general late start batters enjoy, the 21-24 year old's are also averaging better stats in general. Jimmie Foxx, Ed Swartwood, Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr, and Fred Carroll are all leaders at their positions.

Overall, here is the breakdown:

Batter OPS
.764: 21-24 year olds
.748: 25-29 year olds
.736: 30-34 year olds

Pitcher ERA
3.81: 18-22 year olds
4.07: 23-26 year olds
4.04: 24-30 year olds
4.16: 31-35 year olds

Reviewing the New Players

(This was lost in the blogger outage)

As of the end of play today, we've completed approximately 25% of season. It's still too early to make definitive claims on the success of the new players, but at the same time, owners definitely have a feel for their potential return on investment.

For instance, the most intriguing pick on draft day was of course, Ross Barnes. The Londonderry Machine drafted the Ex fielding second basemen in the first round and he has excelled, batting .336 / .407 / .450 with 7 doubles and 5 triples.

Contrast this success story with that of the Bridgewater Brazen Beanballers. They jumped on starting pitching relatively early, relying on two 1800s pitchers Denny Driscoll and Candy Cummings. The two have combined for an awful line: 30 IP, 50 H, 18 BB, 11 K, 9.50 ERA.

Incredibly the Beanballers drafted 13 new players this season and most of them are panning out. 3rd rounder Mike Schmidt now has a .335 OBP and 9 HR and they've received tremendous value from their 12th and 13th round picks, Lipe Pike and George Wright. Pike is batting .353 / .384 / .453 and Wright .336 / .354 / .500. Or how about Henry Gruber, a 21st round selection installed as their 4th starter - he's appeared in 8 games, 4 of them starts, and compiled a great 3.23 ERA.

The Hathsin Survivors have also been very lucky, receiving great return on 5 players:

6th rd - Cal McVey - .333 / .365 / .423

7th rd - George Hall - .391 / .444 / .667

25th rd - Ed Swartwood - .322 / .375 / .475

and

9th Rd - Jim Devlin - 13 IP, 1.38 ERA

10th Rd - Goose Gossage - 29 IP, 3.10 ERA

Elsewhere, there have been a host of stellar pitchers:

0.57 ERA - Luke Gregerson (JMF), Rd 20

0.64 ERA - Mike Myers (GCG), Rd 23

1.08 ERA - Joaqin Benoit (WPM), Rd 13

1.42 ERA - Pud Galvin (DC), Rd 24

2.70 ERA - Henry Boyle (JMF), Rd 26

2.76 ERA - Steve Howe (GCG), Rd 15

Here's the complete list of results for all the new players.

A Good Bench

During a phone conversation earlier today, an owner mentioned that the bench for his team was have a stellar a season. He thought, and I agreed, that this might be a good idea for a small article.

His squad, the Newark Slam Dumps, do in fact have a great bench this season. (For the purposes of this article, I am considering a bench player someone who has started in 15 games or less this year, roughly 40%). Consider Sherre Magee and his .391 OBP in 54 at bats or backup catcher Johnny Bassler and his .405 OBP in 30 at bats. Even better, Will Clark has started just 4 games but still has 33 at bats and a sweet line of .333 / .421 / .394. As a team, the "bench players" on the Slam Dumps are batting .312 / .407 / .348.

Two other squads are in a similar situation. The Kakadu Didgeridoos are batting .312 / .407 / .348 thanks to Jack Clark (.968 OPS) and Zack Wheat (.943 OPS); while Big Dan and the Lady's have compiled a "bench" line of .291 / .381 / .393. The Lady's may get an asterisk as their three main contributers are clear platoon players - Frank Fennely (.420 OBP), Joe Gordon (.952 OPS), and Charley Jones (.883 OPS)

Leaving all three of this teams in the dust however is the Rusty Kuntz Travelling All-Stars. This team has compiled a league leading "bench" line of .339 / .420 / .441. Their backup catcher Jorge Posada is batting .340 / .403 / .472 while Chicken Wolf has a .385 OBP and Elmer Flick a 1.050 OPS.

In order of OPS here are the team by team results, with slash stats listed second.

RKA - 0.861 OPS - 0.339 / 0.420 / 0.441

BDL - 0.774 OPS - 0.291 / 0.381 / 0.393

K D - 0.757 OPS - 0.291 / 0.358 / 0.399

NSD - 0.755 OPS - 0.312 / 0.407 / 0.348

WPM - 0.749 OPS - 0.269 / 0.344 / 0.405

D C - 0.715 OPS - 0.269 / 0.354 / 0.361

P10 - 0.704 OPS - 0.275 / 0.350 / 0.355

H H - 0.675 OPS - 0.240 / 0.275 / 0.400

OFB - 0.674 OPS - 0.251 / 0.295 / 0.379

L M - 0.660 OPS - 0.256 / 0.307 / 0.352

ICB - 0.657 OPS - 0.203 / 0.272 / 0.385

BBB - 0.655 OPS - 0.243 / 0.333 / 0.322

H S - 0.652 OPS - 0.250 / 0.296 / 0.356

JMF - 0.641 OPS - 0.221 / 0.305 / 0.336

T G - 0.601 OPS - 0.212 / 0.279 / 0.322

GCG - 0.599 OPS - 0.250 / 0.310 / 0.289

N O - 0.594 OPS - 0.245 / 0.315 / 0.279

D B - 0.553 OPS - 0.227 / 0.270 / 0.283

In a similar vein, here are the league leading pinch hitters (min 15 PA's):

1.172 OPS - Frank Thomas (HS)

1.167 OPS - Eddie Murray (DB)

1.167 OPS - Boog Powell (TG)

1.111 OPS - Elmer Flick (RKA)

1.079 OPS - Cap Anson (NO)

And team OPS on pinch hitting plays only:

1.088 OPS - 10

1.042 OPS - Gringos

1.032 OPS - Slam Dumps

0.918 OPS - Brews

0.875 OPS - Didgeridoos

0.775 OPS - Handbasket

0.768 OPS - Traveling All S

0.765 OPS - "Mechanics"

0.763 OPS - Survivors

0.745 OPS - Machine

0.669 OPS - Fanclub

0.654 OPS - Gossamers

0.654 OPS - Bivalves

0.650 OPS - Chips

0.634 OPS - Brazen Beanball

0.621 OPS - Outlaws

0.591 OPS - and the Lady's

0.527 OPS - Fish Biscuits

Why Some of Us have Learned to Draft (Good) Catchers Early

The backstops for Helena Handbasket have done a tremendous job of stopping the running game cold this season. They have thrown out more than half of all would be base stealers, nabbing 22 of 43 total (48.8%). 1979 Darrell Porter gets most of the credit, though 1947 Walker Cooper has had significant action behind the plate as well.

Contrast this feat with that of the Hathsin Sur

vivors. Their catchers of gunned down, and this is a very loose term, only 5 of 43 (!) base runners. That is a 88.4% success rate against them. 1889 Fred Carroll is mostly at fault, though Hathsin owner will have a difficult time sitting a catcher that's hitting .306 / .415 / .414.

Perhaps worse are the Willets Point "Mechanics". Even though opponents have been less successful (86.3%) they have managed a league leading 63 stolen bases against them, almost twice as many as Hathsin. In this case 1997 Mike Piazza is to blame.

Here is the summary data for every team in the league:

The Good, the Great, and the Ugly - Week 2

(A little late!)

League Reports