With trades coming upon us, I thought I throw a list of my trash out there (these guys are either on the edge of my 20 man roster or off the ship). If you have any interest in these guys, let me know who your cuts most likely are and we can make a deal.
Thanks,
Rich
Reno Cuts (most likely):
Jeremy Accardo
Robert Andino
Michael Aubrey
Jesse Carlson
Frank Catalanotto
Sammy Gervacio
Sean Green
Aaron Laffey
Fred Lewis
Gil Meche
Justin Miller
Kevin Mulvey
Fernando Nieve
Kelly Shoppach
Taylor Teagarden
Tim Wakefield
Brandon Wood
Greg Zaun
Possibles:
David Hernandez
Paul Janish
Ramon Ramirez
David Robertson
Ryan Perry
Branden Webb
Let me know if you have any interest at sbjediknight@sbcglobal.net. Even if you don't have a guy I'm interested in, we may be able to work something out for draft picks.
Thanks,
Rich (Reno)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Booze Hounds Complete Record Season With TBA Championship Victory
It didn't come quite as easy as they had hoped but in the end the Washington Booze Hounds still stand on top of the TBA.
The Booze Hounds completed an historic season with a 7-3 win over the Vero Beach Bums in Game 6 of the TBA Championship to capture the 2nd annual Hello Kitty Cup four games to two.
Regular Season LHL MVP Troy Tulowitzki completed the MVP sweep by being selected series MVP as well. The 25 year old shortstop hammered five homeruns in the six game series while driving in seven, scoring seven runs and batting .435 (10-23).
"Being able to watch this guy since I got over here; he's just been phenomenal," right-hander Chris Carpenter said. "Certainly no one in baseball is better than Troy right now."
Carpenter himself also deserves praise for his two games against Vero Beach. He went eight innings in both of starts, striking out 13 and only walking three to win both games, including a crucial Game 5.
Washington dominated during the playoffs, just as they had all season long. They scored 5 runs per game while allowing only 2.69 in the post-season; all against the TBAs best. In fact, they let up more runs per game during the regular season at 3.56.
Booze Hounds owner and manager Joe Potts went all out for a championship this year and the hard work payed off.
Potts was modest after Game 6 saying, "It was a fun World Series. It could have easily been over in [Vero Beach's] favor in 5 games."
After receiving the Hello Kitty Cup, Potts joked, "If there's a way to drink beer out of it, I will find it!"
But Potts' hard work is not over. With one championship season in the books, Potts has already begun working towards next year. The quest for a repeat begins...
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Bowling Green: 2010 Summary / 20111 Outlook
The Bowling Green Bowlers improved from 82 – 80 in TBA’s inaugural season to 95 – 67 in 2010, an improvement of 13 games. The credit for the leap in wins has to go (mostly) to the pitching, which posted an Edgar Martinez League-best 3.78 ERA. That was an improvement of over 0.50 points versus last year’s 4.34 ERA.
Better fielding has to also get some of the credit. Last season, 114 errors contributed to 83 unearned runs and an X-play percentage of only .697. This season, only 73 errors were committed (13 by pitcher Scott Feldman, no less!), leading to 37 unearned runs and a much more respectable X-play percentage of .749.
The hitting stayed about the same (.263 AVG and 803 runs in 2009 versus .265 and 802 in 2010), despite a BIG drop-off in homers (220 vs. 164). The loss of Carlos Delgado and Xavier Nady, as well as significant drop-offs in HRs from Jim Thome, Nate McLouth, and Ryan Ludwick all contributed. In 2009, that group of five pounded 160 HRs, while in 2010, they managed only 54.
A pre-season predicted finish of 4th place really got me fired-up to show that this team was noticeably improved over last year…….Although, I don’t think anyone (including myself) thought that winning the division was in the cards! (no pun intended) After taking the division lead on May 4th, BOW never looked back. Although, a late-season surge by Napa did leave the finish in question right down to the wire.
Looking ahead to 2011, most of the core is pretty much intact.
Catcher - Kurt Suzuki will continue to hold-down the catching duties, although his bat did slump a bit last year (.242 / 13 / 71) and his throwing arm is expected to slip from a -1 to a 0.
First Base - There was hopes of 2nd round pick Kyle Blanks’ big bat holding down this position in 2011, but now that will probably have to wait until 2013 while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Jorge Cantu is still an option; although I am seriously looking to cut him loose, as his bat continues to digress (.256 / 11 / 56).
Second Base – Kelly Johnson made a nice resurgence in his move from ATL to ARI (.284 / 26 / 71). His 36 doubles , .369 OBP, and 13 SB are all plusses. His Lamanna-predicted 2b3e10 is passable.
Third Base – Brandon Inge is still willing and able to secure the hot corner. His defense (predicted 3b2e11) is never in-question, but I may be looking for a bigger bat than his .247 / 13 / 70 can provide.
Short Stop – Derek Jeter’s 324-consecutive TBA game “Iron Man” streak may be in-jeopardy with the league, as his .270 / 10 / 67 / 18 SB is a far cry from last year’s EML Silver Slugger-winning performance. Also, I can’t imagine that I’ll be batting him in the 2nd spot versus RHP in 2011. Although he won an MLB Gold Glove in 2010 with his measly 7 errors, most folks figure his reduced range will put him firmly in the “3” range factor, which is tough to take at SS.
Utility Infielder – Jamey Carroll did an excellent job holding-down most of the duties at 2B last season. But with K. Johnson back in-form, Jamey will be reduced to a back-up role, despite his .381 OBP. A finally healthy, switch-hitting Jed Lowrie showed some power in his late-season action with the Red Sox (.287 / 9 / 24 in 171 AB)….and he can play all four infield positions.
Outfield – Unless I can draft a decent CF, Scott Podsednik (.297 / 6 / 51 / 35 SB) and Ryan Ludwick (.251 / 17 / 69) will probably be covering that position while Nate McLouth (.190 / 6 / 24) attempts to bounce-back from a horrible 2010 campaign. Nate will be semi-usable vs. RHP, but his “4” glove will be shuffled over to LF. Melky Cabrera is also an option (.255 / 4 / 42), but he showed no power in his move to ATL, lost what little speed he had, and digressed in the field….probably not a keeper.
DH – Despite limited action with MIN, Jim Thome made the most of his playing time. Although he got only 276 ABs, he clubbed 25 HRs and had an OPS of 1.038. He’ll be holding-down the clean-up spot vs. RHP as much as possible. A declining Jorge Posada (.248 / 18 / 57) will again probably serve as back-up catcher and platoon with Thome at DH.
Starting Pitching – If you take the 2010 MLB records of CC Sabathia (21 – 7), Bronson Arroyo (17 – 10), Brian Duensing (10 – 3), Tommy Hunter (13 – 4) and Phil Hughes (18 – 8), you would end-up with an amazing 79 – 32 record and a .712 winning percentage! OK, I intentionally left-out Gavin Floyd (10 – 13). Adding his record to the mix would drop the PCT to .664, still impressive. Does this translate to what will happen in TBA Strat?…..not bloody likely, but I thought it was interesting. Bottom-line, I think my rotation is set for 2011, with the possibility of Hughes and Duensing using some of their IPs in the bullpen. Scott Feldman’s 5.48 ERA and 1.60 WHIP with TEX will probably get him released.
Bullpen – This is where it gets ugly. Trevor Hoffman, LaTroy Hawkins, Chad Qualls, and Fu-Ti Ni all had horrible seasons in 2010. Regarding “keeper” status: Hoffman and Hawkins are too old to risk a spot, Qualls is questionable to bounce back, and Ni has little-to-no history. That leaves 1st round pick Neftali Feliz to step into the closer role….no complaints there. A strong 2010 finish with CLE may allow lefty Tony Sipp to stay with the staff. A decent season by starter-reliever Nelson Figueroa (93 IP / 3.29 ERA / 1.27 WHIP) could make him trade-bait for a contender.
Prognosis: This is what they call a “rebuilding” year for Bowling Green. There are needs at 1B, possibly 3B, and in one OF position, as well as the bullpen. A future SS selection might be wise too. Unless I make some significant trades or major draft pick-ups, BOW will be probably looking to return to a .500 season.
Available for the asking:
C Kottaras / 1B – 3B Cantu / IF J. Nix / OF Mel. Cabrera , R. Willits, M. Stairs (no card = Carp)
Pitchers - S. Feldman / N. Figueroa / T. Hoffman / C. Qualls / B. Donnelly / P. Misch / G. Mota (no card = Ni / Hawkins)
Better fielding has to also get some of the credit. Last season, 114 errors contributed to 83 unearned runs and an X-play percentage of only .697. This season, only 73 errors were committed (13 by pitcher Scott Feldman, no less!), leading to 37 unearned runs and a much more respectable X-play percentage of .749.
The hitting stayed about the same (.263 AVG and 803 runs in 2009 versus .265 and 802 in 2010), despite a BIG drop-off in homers (220 vs. 164). The loss of Carlos Delgado and Xavier Nady, as well as significant drop-offs in HRs from Jim Thome, Nate McLouth, and Ryan Ludwick all contributed. In 2009, that group of five pounded 160 HRs, while in 2010, they managed only 54.
A pre-season predicted finish of 4th place really got me fired-up to show that this team was noticeably improved over last year…….Although, I don’t think anyone (including myself) thought that winning the division was in the cards! (no pun intended) After taking the division lead on May 4th, BOW never looked back. Although, a late-season surge by Napa did leave the finish in question right down to the wire.
Looking ahead to 2011, most of the core is pretty much intact.
Catcher - Kurt Suzuki will continue to hold-down the catching duties, although his bat did slump a bit last year (.242 / 13 / 71) and his throwing arm is expected to slip from a -1 to a 0.
First Base - There was hopes of 2nd round pick Kyle Blanks’ big bat holding down this position in 2011, but now that will probably have to wait until 2013 while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Jorge Cantu is still an option; although I am seriously looking to cut him loose, as his bat continues to digress (.256 / 11 / 56).
Second Base – Kelly Johnson made a nice resurgence in his move from ATL to ARI (.284 / 26 / 71). His 36 doubles , .369 OBP, and 13 SB are all plusses. His Lamanna-predicted 2b3e10 is passable.
Third Base – Brandon Inge is still willing and able to secure the hot corner. His defense (predicted 3b2e11) is never in-question, but I may be looking for a bigger bat than his .247 / 13 / 70 can provide.
Short Stop – Derek Jeter’s 324-consecutive TBA game “Iron Man” streak may be in-jeopardy with the league, as his .270 / 10 / 67 / 18 SB is a far cry from last year’s EML Silver Slugger-winning performance. Also, I can’t imagine that I’ll be batting him in the 2nd spot versus RHP in 2011. Although he won an MLB Gold Glove in 2010 with his measly 7 errors, most folks figure his reduced range will put him firmly in the “3” range factor, which is tough to take at SS.
Utility Infielder – Jamey Carroll did an excellent job holding-down most of the duties at 2B last season. But with K. Johnson back in-form, Jamey will be reduced to a back-up role, despite his .381 OBP. A finally healthy, switch-hitting Jed Lowrie showed some power in his late-season action with the Red Sox (.287 / 9 / 24 in 171 AB)….and he can play all four infield positions.
Outfield – Unless I can draft a decent CF, Scott Podsednik (.297 / 6 / 51 / 35 SB) and Ryan Ludwick (.251 / 17 / 69) will probably be covering that position while Nate McLouth (.190 / 6 / 24) attempts to bounce-back from a horrible 2010 campaign. Nate will be semi-usable vs. RHP, but his “4” glove will be shuffled over to LF. Melky Cabrera is also an option (.255 / 4 / 42), but he showed no power in his move to ATL, lost what little speed he had, and digressed in the field….probably not a keeper.
DH – Despite limited action with MIN, Jim Thome made the most of his playing time. Although he got only 276 ABs, he clubbed 25 HRs and had an OPS of 1.038. He’ll be holding-down the clean-up spot vs. RHP as much as possible. A declining Jorge Posada (.248 / 18 / 57) will again probably serve as back-up catcher and platoon with Thome at DH.
Starting Pitching – If you take the 2010 MLB records of CC Sabathia (21 – 7), Bronson Arroyo (17 – 10), Brian Duensing (10 – 3), Tommy Hunter (13 – 4) and Phil Hughes (18 – 8), you would end-up with an amazing 79 – 32 record and a .712 winning percentage! OK, I intentionally left-out Gavin Floyd (10 – 13). Adding his record to the mix would drop the PCT to .664, still impressive. Does this translate to what will happen in TBA Strat?…..not bloody likely, but I thought it was interesting. Bottom-line, I think my rotation is set for 2011, with the possibility of Hughes and Duensing using some of their IPs in the bullpen. Scott Feldman’s 5.48 ERA and 1.60 WHIP with TEX will probably get him released.
Bullpen – This is where it gets ugly. Trevor Hoffman, LaTroy Hawkins, Chad Qualls, and Fu-Ti Ni all had horrible seasons in 2010. Regarding “keeper” status: Hoffman and Hawkins are too old to risk a spot, Qualls is questionable to bounce back, and Ni has little-to-no history. That leaves 1st round pick Neftali Feliz to step into the closer role….no complaints there. A strong 2010 finish with CLE may allow lefty Tony Sipp to stay with the staff. A decent season by starter-reliever Nelson Figueroa (93 IP / 3.29 ERA / 1.27 WHIP) could make him trade-bait for a contender.
Prognosis: This is what they call a “rebuilding” year for Bowling Green. There are needs at 1B, possibly 3B, and in one OF position, as well as the bullpen. A future SS selection might be wise too. Unless I make some significant trades or major draft pick-ups, BOW will be probably looking to return to a .500 season.
Available for the asking:
C Kottaras / 1B – 3B Cantu / IF J. Nix / OF Mel. Cabrera , R. Willits, M. Stairs (no card = Carp)
Pitchers - S. Feldman / N. Figueroa / T. Hoffman / C. Qualls / B. Donnelly / P. Misch / G. Mota (no card = Ni / Hawkins)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Booze Hounds Win the TBA Championship in 6 Games!
Great job Joe!
BOXSCORE: 2010 Vero Beach Bums At 2010 Washington Booze Hounds 10/22/2010 Bums AB R H RBI AVG Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG M.Young 3B 4 0 1 0 .230 R.Cano 2B 5 1 2 0 .281 Y.Escobar SS 4 0 0 0 .369 B.Zobrist RF 4 1 2 0 .286 S.Smith LF 2 0 1 0 .243 J.Mauer C 5 0 3 1 .311 C.Richard P 1 0 0 0 .000 M.Teixeira 1B 5 0 1 0 .313 J.Fulchino P 0 0 0 0 ---- T.Tulowitzki SS 5 2 3 2 .305 A.Rhodes P 0 0 0 0 ---- R.Zimmerman 3B 3 1 0 0 .255 D.Oliver P 0 0 0 0 ---- C.Gonzalez CF,LF 4 1 2 1 .257 D-R.Ibanez LF 1 1 1 1 .167 W.Venable LF 1 0 0 0 .160 N.Cruz RF 4 0 0 0 .250 B-J.Willingham PH,LF 1 0 0 0 .143 B.McCann C 4 0 0 0 .262 C-S.Victorino PR,CF 0 0 0 0 .205 T.Hunter CF 3 1 1 0 .311 J.Vazquez P 3 1 1 1 .333 L.Overbay 1B 3 0 1 0 .378 B.Phillips 2B 3 0 0 0 .238 J.Weaver* P 1 0 0 0 .250 A-M.Ramirez PH,LF 2 1 1 1 .333 F.Cordero P 0 0 0 0 ---- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 32 3 6 2 Totals 36 7 14 5 A-Pinch Hit For Weaver* In 5th Inning B-Pinch Hit For Venable In 6th Inning C-Pinch Ran For Willingham In 7th Inning D-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Oliver In 8th Inning Bums............ 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 - 3 6 1 Booze Hounds.... 0 3 1 0 0 3 0 0 - 7 14 1 Bums (9-8) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET J.Weaver* LOSS(1-2) 4 8 4 4 1 4 2 86 6.23 A1 C4 C.Richard 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 10 5.84 C5 C7 J.Fulchino 0 1/3 2 3 1 1 1 0 17 3.38 C8 D2 A.Rhodes 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 5.40 D3 D3 D.Oliver 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 21 0.00 D4 D9 F.Cordero 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 20 2.57 E1 Totals 8 14 7 5 3 10 2 Booze Hounds (11-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET J.Vazquez WIN(3-1) 9 6 3 2 1 9 1 112 4.18 A1 Totals 9 6 3 2 1 9 1 ATTENDANCE- 46,724 DATE- Friday, October 22nd 2010 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad UMPIRES- Larry Poncino, Tim Welke, Chuck Meriwether, Bill Welke T- 2:50 LEFT ON BASE- Bums: 3 Booze Hounds:10 DOUBLE PLAYS- Bums: 1 Booze Hounds: 2 ERRORS- A.Rhodes, R.Zimmerman DOUBLES- M.Ramirez(4th) TRIPLES- C.Gonzalez(2nd) HOME RUNS- R.Ibanez(3rd), T.Tulowitzki-2(7th) STOLEN BASES- S.Victorino(1st) SACRIFICE HITS- J.Vazquez WALKS- T.Hunter, B.Zobrist, R.Zimmerman, J.Willingham HIT BY PITCH- W.Venable STRIKE OUTS- M.Young, Y.Escobar, N.Cruz, B.McCann-3, L.Overbay, B.Phillips, M.Ramirez, R.Cano, B.Zobrist, J.Mauer, M.Teixeira, R.Zimmerman-2, C.Gonzalez, J.Willingham, J.Vazquez-2 GIDP- Y.Escobar, N.Cruz, R.Zimmerman PASSED BALLS- B.McCann Troy Tulowitzki rocketed 2 homeruns and Javier Vazquez allowed Joe Potts to rest his bullpen, tossing a complete game at Citizen's Bank Park where the Washington Booze Hounds beat the Vero Beach Bums by the score of 7 to 3. Tulowitzki enjoyed a fine evening at the plate. He smashed a solo-shot out of the park in the 2nd inning, lofted a solo-blast 'downtown' in the 3rd inning and laced a one-base hit in the 5th inning. Washington had a total of 14 hits for the game. The win went to Vazquez(3-1) who allowed 3 runs in the game. Jered Weaver*(1-2) was the loser. He pitched 4 innings allowing 8 hits and 1 walk.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
WS Game 5 - Tulo Smacks 2 Homers for a 5-4 Win for the Boozers
BOXSCORE: 2010 Washington Booze Hounds At 2010 Vero Beach Bums 10/20/2010 Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG Bums AB R H RBI AVG C.Gonzalez RF 5 0 0 0 .226 M.Young 3B 5 1 2 0 .229 B.Zobrist 2B 5 2 3 1 .271 Y.Escobar SS 4 1 1 0 .393 M.Teixeira 1B 4 0 0 0 .322 N.Cruz RF 3 0 0 0 .275 J.Mauer C 5 1 2 0 .286 M.Ramirez LF 4 1 2 3 .324 T.Tulowitzki SS 3 2 2 4 .278 B.McCann C 4 0 1 0 .279 R.Zimmerman 3B 3 0 0 0 .269 T.Hunter CF 4 1 1 0 .310 W.Venable LF 3 0 1 0 .167 S.Smith DH 3 0 0 0 .229 A-R.Roberts PH 0 0 0 0 .429 D-L.Milledge PH 1 0 1 0 .529 B-P.Phillips PH 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Overbay 1B 3 0 1 0 .381 C-J.Maxwell LF 0 0 0 0 .333 B.Phillips 2B 3 0 0 1 .250 J.Willingham DH 3 0 0 0 .150 S.Victorino CF 3 0 0 0 .205 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 34 5 8 5 Totals 34 4 9 4 A-Pinch Hit For Venable In 8th Inning B-Pinch Hit For Roberts In 8th Inning C-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Phillips In 8th Inning D-Pinch Hit For Smith In 9th Inning Booze Hounds.... 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 - 5 8 0 Bums............ 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 - 4 9 0 Booze Hounds (10-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET C.Carpenter WIN(2-1) 8 8 4 4 2 5 1 115 4.03 A1 D6 S.Burnett HOLD(2nd) 0 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.08 D7 D8 D.Aardsma SAVE(2nd) 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.00 D9 Totals 9 9 4 4 2 5 1 Bums (9-7) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET E.Volquez LOSS(0-2) 6 6 5 5 3 10 3 98 6.55 A1 C9 C.Richard 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 19 6.35 D1 D6 J.Fulchino 1 1/3 1 0 0 2 0 0 29 0.00 D7 Totals 9 8 5 5 6 11 3 ATTENDANCE- 49,770 DATE- Wednesday, October 20th 2010 TIME- Night UMPIRES- Paul Emmel, Gary Darling, Jerry Meals, Bill Miller T- 2:34 LEFT ON BASE- Booze Hounds: 8 Bums: 6 DOUBLE PLAYS- Booze Hounds: 1 Bums: 1 DOUBLES- B.Zobrist(3rd), J.Mauer(3rd) HOME RUNS- B.Zobrist(4th), T.Tulowitzki-2(5th), M.Ramirez(2nd) SACRIFICE FLIES- B.Phillips WALKS- M.Teixeira, T.Tulowitzki, R.Zimmerman, P.Phillips, J.Willingham, S.Victorino, N.Cruz, L.Overbay STRIKE OUTS- C.Gonzalez-4, B.Zobrist, T.Tulowitzki, R.Zimmerman, W.Venable-2, J.Willingham, S.Victorino, N.Cruz-3, L.Overbay, B.Phillips GIDP- B.Zobrist, Y.Escobar WEB GEMS- Bot 2nd: Ben Zobrist robbed Seth Smith of a base hit. Top 6th: Brandon Phillips robbed Ryan Zimmerman of a base hit. Troy Tulowitzki rocketed 2 homeruns and had 4 RBI at Tropicana Field as the Washington Booze Hounds beat the Vero Beach Bums 5 to 4. Tulowitzki enjoyed a fine evening at the plate. He hit a bases-empty home run in the 4th inning and belted a three-run homer in the 6th inning. Vero Beach had a chance in the 9th but they came up short. The victory was credited to Chris Carpenter(2-1) who went 8 innings, allowing 4 runs. Carpenter got relief help from David Aardsma who gained credit for his 2nd save. Edinson Volquez(0-2) ended up with the loss. He served up 3 gopher balls in 6 innings.
WS Game 4 - Washington Ties the series at 2 Games Each
BOXSCORE: 2010 Washington Booze Hounds At 2010 Vero Beach Bums 10/19/2010 Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG Bums AB R H RBI AVG C.Gonzalez RF 2 0 0 0 .269 B.Phillips 2B 4 0 0 0 .263 A-J.Willingham PH 1 0 0 0 .176 L.Milledge LF 3 0 1 0 .500 B-J.Maxwell RF 0 0 0 0 .333 C-N.Cruz PH,RF 1 0 0 0 .297 B.Zobrist 2B 4 0 1 0 .241 M.Young 3B 4 0 0 0 .215 M.Teixeira 1B 3 1 1 0 .345 R.Ibanez DH 4 0 0 0 .130 J.Mauer C 3 2 1 2 .275 T.Hunter CF 4 0 1 0 .315 T.Tulowitzki SS 3 1 1 0 .255 Y.Escobar SS 1 0 0 0 .404 R.Zimmerman 3B 4 0 2 1 .286 R.Hernandez 1B 3 0 1 0 .235 R.Cano DH 4 0 1 0 .269 B.McCann C 3 0 0 0 .281 W.Venable LF 4 0 0 0 .143 B.Upton RF,LF 2 1 0 0 .333 S.Victorino CF 3 0 1 0 .220 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 31 4 8 3 Totals 29 1 3 0 A-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 8th Inning B-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Willingham In 8th Inning C-Pinch Hit For Milledge In 8th Inning Booze Hounds.... 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 4 8 1 Bums............ 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 3 0 Booze Hounds (9-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET T.Lilly WIN(3-1) 7 1/3 3 1 0 2 7 0 111 0.99 A1 C9 A.Guzman SAVE(1st) 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0.00 D1 Totals 9 3 1 0 2 7 0 Bums (9-6) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET C.Zambrano LOSS(1-1) 7 5 2 2 4 4 0 111 4.00 A1 C9 C.Richard 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 10 7.45 D1 D4 D.Oliver 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.00 D5 D6 F.Cordero 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 3.00 D7 Totals 9 8 4 4 4 5 1 ATTENDANCE- 47,591 DATE- Tuesday, October 19th 2010 TIME- Night UMPIRES- Jeff Nelson, Mark Carlson, Tim Tschida, Jim Joyce T- 2:43 LEFT ON BASE- Booze Hounds: 5 Bums: 4 DOUBLE PLAYS- Booze Hounds: 2 Bums: 2 ERRORS- R.Zimmerman DOUBLES- T.Hunter(5th) HOME RUNS- J.Mauer(3rd) CAUGHT STEALING- C.Gonzalez WALKS- C.Gonzalez, J.Mauer, T.Tulowitzki, S.Victorino, Y.Escobar, B.Upton HIT BY PITCH- M.Teixeira, Y.Escobar STRIKE OUTS- C.Gonzalez, T.Tulowitzki, R.Cano, W.Venable-2, B.Phillips, L.Milledge, M.Young, R.Ibanez, T.Hunter, Y.Escobar, B.Upton GIDP- B.Zobrist, R.Cano, R.Hernandez-2 The Washington Booze Hounds defeated the Vero Beach Bums by a score of 4 to 1 at Tropicana Field. Washington went ahead for good in the top of the 2nd inning when they tallied 2 runs on 1 hit. That was all Ted Lilly(3-1) needed. Washington had 8 hits for the night while Vero Beach had 3. Angel Guzman got the save, his 1st. Carlos Zambrano(1-1) suffered the loss. He pitched 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 4 walks.
Game 3 - Verlander Notches 14 K's as Bums Win 3-2
BOXSCORE: 2010 Washington Booze Hounds At 2010 Vero Beach Bums 10/18/2010 Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG Bums AB R H RBI AVG R.Cano DH 5 0 0 0 .271 M.Young 3B 4 0 0 0 .230 B.Zobrist 2B 4 0 1 0 .240 Y.Escobar SS 4 0 2 0 .411 M.Teixeira 1B 4 0 2 0 .346 N.Cruz RF 4 1 1 1 .306 J.Mauer C 4 1 1 0 .271 M.Ramirez LF 3 0 0 0 .303 T.Tulowitzki SS 4 0 1 0 .250 B.McCann C 3 0 1 0 .296 R.Zimmerman 3B 4 1 1 1 .267 T.Hunter CF 3 0 0 0 .320 C.Gonzalez RF 4 0 3 1 .292 S.Smith DH 2 0 1 0 .250 W.Venable LF 3 0 1 0 .176 A-R.Ibanez PH 1 0 0 0 .158 S.Victorino CF 4 0 0 0 .211 L.Overbay 1B 3 1 1 0 .385 B.Phillips 2B 3 1 1 2 .283 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 36 2 10 2 Totals 30 3 7 3 A-Pinch Hit For Smith In 7th Inning Booze Hounds.... 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 - 2 10 0 Bums............ 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 - 3 7 0 Booze Hounds (8-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET A.Wainwright 6 1/3 6 2 2 0 3 1 86 1.20 A1 C6 S.Burnett LOSS(0-1) 1 2/3 1 1 1 0 1 1 21 2.25 C7 Totals 8 7 3 3 0 4 2 Bums (9-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET J.Verlander WIN(3-1) 9 10 2 2 0 14 1 145 4.17 A1 Totals 9 10 2 2 0 14 1 ATTENDANCE- 45,037 DATE- Monday, October 18th 2010 TIME- Night UMPIRES- Bill Hohn, Ron Kulpa, Dan Iassogna, Dale Scott T- 2:41 LEFT ON BASE- Booze Hounds: 8 Bums: 3 DOUBLE PLAYS- Booze Hounds: 1 Bums: 0 DOUBLES- J.Mauer(2nd), C.Gonzalez(1st), L.Overbay(5th) HOME RUNS- R.Zimmerman(4th), N.Cruz(2nd), B.Phillips(2nd) STOLEN BASES- C.Gonzalez(2nd) SACRIFICE HITS- W.Venable STRIKE OUTS- R.Cano, B.Zobrist-2, M.Teixeira, J.Mauer-3, T.Tulowitzki, R.Zimmerman-2, W.Venable, S.Victorino-3, Y.Escobar, N.Cruz, R.Ibanez, L.Overbay GIDP- N.Cruz WILD PITCHES- A.Wainwright PASSED BALLS- J.Mauer WEB GEMS- Bot 1st: Troy Tulowitzki robbed Michael Young of a base hit. Justin Verlander reeled off a total of 14 strikeouts at Tropicana Field as the Vero Beach Bums won in their last at-bat beating the Washington Booze Hounds by the count of 3 to 2. The deciding run was scored by Vero Beach in the bottom of the 9th. Nelson Cruz smashed a solo-shot out of the park making Vero Beach the victor and beginning a joyous home town celebration. Despite losing, Washington out-hit Vero Beach 10 to 7. The victory went to Verlander(3-1) who went the distance allowing 2 runs. Sean Burnett(0-1) absorbed the loss in relief. Verlander was jubilant in the hometown clubhouse, 'It was a lot of fun out there. The fans gave me a lot of support as did my teammates. We got the victory and I'll sure take 14 strikeouts anytime!'
Bums Launch Offensive Attack, Take Game 2 10-6
BOXSCORE: 2010 Vero Beach Bums At 2010 Washington Booze Hounds 10/16/2010 Bums AB R H RBI AVG Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG M.Young 3B 4 0 0 1 .246 S.Victorino CF 3 0 0 0 .235 Y.Escobar SS 5 2 2 0 .404 B.Zobrist LF,2B 5 1 1 1 .239 N.Cruz RF 5 1 1 0 .313 M.Teixeira 1B 4 0 2 0 .333 S.Smith LF 4 2 2 3 .233 J.Mauer C 5 0 1 0 .273 T.Coffey P 0 0 0 0 ---- T.Tulowitzki SS 4 1 1 1 .250 F.Cordero P 0 0 0 0 ---- R.Zimmerman 3B 4 2 3 1 .268 H-M.Ramirez PH 1 0 0 0 .333 R.Cano 2B 2 0 0 0 .302 F.Rodriguez P 0 0 0 0 ---- C-J.Willingham PH,LF 2 1 1 0 .188 B.McCann C 5 0 1 2 .294 C.Gonzalez RF 2 0 1 0 .200 T.Hunter CF 5 2 2 0 .340 D-R.Roberts PH 0 0 0 0 .429 L.Overbay 1B 4 2 2 2 .389 E-J.Maxwell PH,RF 2 1 1 3 .333 B.Phillips 2B 3 1 1 0 .280 J.Vazquez P 0 0 0 0 .333 J.Weaver* P 3 0 1 2 .333 A-P.Phillips PH 1 0 0 0 .000 A.Rhodes P 0 0 0 0 ---- B.Morrow P 0 0 0 0 ---- J.Fulchino P 0 0 0 0 ---- B-W.Venable PH 0 0 0 0 .143 C.Richard P 0 0 0 0 ---- D.Baez P 1 0 0 0 .000 F-B.Upton PH,LF 1 0 1 0 .368 J.Sanchez P 0 0 0 0 .000 G-C.Carpenter PH 1 0 0 0 .000 A.Guzman P 0 0 0 0 ---- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 40 10 13 10 Totals 36 6 11 6 A-Pinch Hit For Vazquez In 3rd Inning B-Pinch Hit For Morrow In 5th Inning C-Pinch Hit For Cano In 6th Inning D-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 6th Inning E-Pinch Hit For Roberts In 6th Inning F-Pinch Hit For Richard In 8th Inning G-Pinch Hit For Sanchez In 8th Inning H-Pinch Hit For Cordero In 9th Inning Bums............ 2 2 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 10 13 0 Booze Hounds.... 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 - 6 11 2 Bums (8-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET J.Weaver* WIN(1-1) 5 1/3 6 2 2 3 4 2 100 5.60 A1 C6 A.Rhodes 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 5.40 C7 C7 J.Fulchino 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 17 0.00 C8 D3 C.Richard 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6.23 D4 D4 T.Coffey 0 1/3 4 4 4 0 0 2 15 12.15 D5 D9 F.Cordero 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3.60 E1 E2 F.Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00 E3 Totals 9 11 6 6 4 5 4 Booze Hounds (8-4) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET J.Vazquez LOSS(2-1) 3 9 8 7 0 6 2 56 5.01 A1 B9 B.Morrow 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 32 3.86 C1 C9 D.Baez 2 1/3 1 1 1 0 2 0 28 4.76 D1 D8 J.Sanchez 0 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 10 0.00 D9 E2 A.Guzman 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 14 0.00 E3 Totals 9 13 10 9 1 12 2 ATTENDANCE- 45,341 DATE- Saturday, October 16th 2010 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good UMPIRES- Mike Dimuro, Tim McClelland, Larry Vanover, Mike Everitt T- 3:19 LEFT ON BASE- Bums: 5 Booze Hounds: 8 DOUBLE PLAYS- Bums: 1 Booze Hounds: 0 ERRORS- R.Cano, A.Guzman DOUBLES- B.McCann(3rd), T.Hunter(4th), L.Overbay(4th), B.Upton(2nd) HOME RUNS- S.Smith(1st), L.Overbay(2nd), B.Zobrist(3rd), T.Tulowitzki(3rd), R.Zimmerman(3rd), J.Maxwell(1st) CAUGHT STEALING- C.Gonzalez SACRIFICE FLIES- M.Young WALKS- B.Phillips, S.Victorino, M.Teixeira, T.Tulowitzki, W.Venable HIT BY PITCH- S.Victorino STRIKE OUTS- M.Young-2, Y.Escobar-2, N.Cruz, B.McCann-2, T.Hunter, L.Overbay, B.Phillips-2, J.Weaver*, B.Zobrist, M.Teixeira, R.Cano-2, J.Willingham GIDP- B.Zobrist Seth Smith slammed a homerun and had 3 RBI at Citizen's Bank Park where the Vero Beach Bums beat the Washington Booze Hounds by the score of 10 to 6. Jered Weaver*(1-1) pitched well enough to earn the win. He went 5 and 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 walks and surrendered 2 'long-bombs'. Vero Beach totaled 13 hits on the night. Javier Vazquez(2-1) was the losing pitcher. He was knocked around pretty good, giving up 8 runs in 3 innings.
World Series - Game 1 - Booze Hounds 4 Bums 2
BOXSCORE: 2010 Vero Beach Bums At 2010 Washington Booze Hounds 10/15/2010 Bums AB R H RBI AVG Booze Hounds AB R H RBI AVG M.Young 3B 4 0 1 0 .264 R.Cano 2B 4 0 1 2 .317 Y.Escobar SS 4 0 0 0 .404 B.Zobrist RF,LF 3 1 1 0 .244 N.Cruz RF 2 0 1 0 .333 M.Teixeira 1B 3 0 1 1 .318 F-L.Milledge PH 1 0 0 0 .538 J.Mauer C 4 1 1 1 .282 M.Ramirez LF 3 1 0 0 .345 T.Tulowitzki SS 4 1 2 0 .250 B.McCann C 3 1 1 0 .304 R.Zimmerman 3B 4 0 0 0 .216 T.Hunter CF 4 0 1 0 .333 W.Venable LF 2 0 0 0 .143 L.Overbay 1B 3 0 0 0 .375 B-J.Willingham PH 1 0 0 0 .143 G-R.Hernandez PH 0 0 0 0 .214 C-J.Maxwell RF 0 0 0 0 .250 B.Phillips 2B 3 0 1 1 .277 E-C.Gonzalez PH,RF 1 0 0 0 .167 E.Volquez P 1 0 0 0 .000 S.Victorino CF 3 1 1 0 .258 A-S.Smith PH 1 0 1 0 .192 C.Carpenter P 2 0 0 0 .000 C.Richard P 0 0 0 0 ---- C.Breslow P 0 0 0 0 .000 D-R.Ibanez PH 1 0 0 0 .167 B.Morrow P 0 0 0 0 ---- D.Oliver P 0 0 0 0 ---- S.Burnett P 0 0 0 0 ---- H-B.Upton PH 1 0 0 0 .333 D.Aardsma P 0 0 0 0 ---- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 31 2 6 1 Totals 31 4 7 4 A-Pinch Hit For Volquez In 6th Inning B-Pinch Hit For Venable In 6th Inning C-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Willingham In 7th Inning D-Pinch Hit For Richard In 8th Inning E-Pinch Hit For Maxwell In 8th Inning F-Pinch Hit For Cruz In 9th Inning G-Pinch Hit For Overbay In 9th Inning H-Pinch Hit For Oliver In 9th Inning Bums............ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 - 2 6 1 Booze Hounds.... 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 4 7 0 Bums (7-5) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET E.Volquez LOSS(0-1) 5 5 3 3 2 6 1 100 5.40 A1 C5 C.Richard 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 21 6.48 C6 D4 D.Oliver 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 14 0.00 D5 Totals 8 7 4 4 3 7 1 Booze Hounds (8-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET C.Carpenter WIN(1-1) 8 6 1 1 1 8 0 106 3.86 A1 D2 C.Breslow 0 1/3 0 1 1 1 0 0 14 1.69 D3 D5 B.Morrow HOLD(1st) 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 D6 D6 S.Burnett 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0.00 D7 D7 D.Aardsma SAVE(1st) 0 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0.00 D8 Totals 9 6 2 2 4 8 0 ATTENDANCE- 49,571 DATE- Friday, October 15th 2010 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad UMPIRES- Jim Reynolds, Tim Timmons, Gary Cederstrom, Fieldin Culbreth T- 2:36 LEFT ON BASE- Bums: 7 Booze Hounds: 7 DOUBLE PLAYS- Bums: 0 Booze Hounds: 2 ERRORS- N.Cruz DOUBLES- M.Teixeira(2nd) TRIPLES- N.Cruz(1st) HOME RUNS- J.Mauer(2nd) STOLEN BASES- T.Tulowitzki(2nd) WALKS- N.Cruz, B.McCann, R.Hernandez, B.Phillips, B.Zobrist, S.Victorino, C.Carpenter HIT BY PITCH- M.Ramirez, M.Teixeira STRIKE OUTS- Y.Escobar-2, M.Ramirez-3, T.Hunter, L.Overbay, B.Phillips, R.Cano, B.Zobrist, M.Teixeira, J.Mauer, R.Zimmerman, W.Venable, C.Gonzalez GIDP- M.Young, L.Overbay WILD PITCHES- E.Volquez Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had 2 base hits at Citizen's Bank Park where the Washington Booze Hounds beat the Vero Beach Bums 4 to 2. Washington tallied 2 runs in the 2nd inning when they had 3 base hits. Tulowitzki led off and keyed the rally when he lined a base-hit. Ryan Zimmerman followed, but he was set down on strikes. After another out, Shane Victorino stepped in and he delivered a single. Chris Carpenter came up and he drew a walk to load the bases. Robinson Cano came to the plate and stroked a one-base hit, and an error was also committed. Ben Zobrist was next to the plate, but was promptly struck out. Washington had a total of 7 hits for the game. The winning pitcher was Carpenter(1-1) who allowed 1 run in 8 innings. David Aardsma recorded the save, his 1st. Edinson Volquez(0-1) was hit with the loss. He surrendered 5 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Booze Hounds-Bums Position-By-Position Breakdown
The Second Ever TBA Championship will feature the regular season juggernaut Washington Booze Hounds and the underdog Vero Beach Bums. Both teams have reached their first ever Championship.
Washington will look to break out the booze one more time but as the LHLCS showed it is getting ever so difficult for them. After breezing through the regular season with a record 125 wins and blowing past London in the Division Series, the Giants gave them a huge scare by getting ahead 3-2 in the series. Washington turned to probable LHL Cy Young Winner Javier Vazquez to even the series before the bats came through in Game 7 to move Washington on.
Winning from behind has not been an issue for Vero Beach this year. With four games to go against Napa, the Bums needed to win two to force a play-in game with Bartonville or three to outright win the second wild card. After dropping game one of the series, Vero Beach fought back to win all the final games to move into the playoffs. Upon getting there, they found themselves down 2-1 against the rival Alamos. Nevertheless, the Bums took care of business taking the final two games to move on. As luck would have it, they found themselves down 2-1 again against Napa in the EMLCS. And just like the regular season they took three straight games to advance to the Championship.
Anyway, on the breakdown!
Catcher: Joe Mauer vs. Brian McCann
These two are the top two catchers in the game. Yet, with all due respect to McCann, this one is not even close. Mauer .348 during the regular season with 26 homers and 111 RBI. All this while providing an excellent receiver for his pitchers and throwing out 31% of potential base stealers.
EDGE: Washington
First Base: Mark Teixeira vs. Lyle Overbay/Ramon Hernandez
Teixeira clubbed 43 regular season home runs and 120 RBI, and neither were team leads. The playoffs have been even better to the switch-hitting first baseman. After hitting .533 in the post-season a year ago, he has four HR, 9 RBI, and a .317 batting average in the 2010 extra season. Vero Beach's combo do a solid job at first but are nothing spectacular. Overbay did help lead the Bums over Napa with six hits and a home run in the final three games in the EMLDS.
EDGE: Washington
Second Base: Robinson Cano vs. Brandon Phillips
Phillips struggled all year but did provide 21 stolen bases while only being caught twice. His defense is still stellar and he does have some pop but with all of Washington's RHP he may struggle in the power department. Cano had an outbreak season for the Booze Hounds. A .327 batting average and 23 home runs gives Washington yet another star hitter in the lineup, something Vero Beach better get used to.
EDGE: Washington
Third Base: Ryan Zimmerman vs. Michael Young
Young carried the Bums on his back all season long. The unquestioned MVP of the team, Young smashed 45 doubles and 23 homers to the tune of a league leading .342 batting average. Ryan Zimmerman is no push-over though. He hit .322 during the regular season and 32 home runs. His 106 RBI are more than 20 than what Young had, yet Washington provides more opportunities than Vero's lineup. Despite Zimmerman's superb defense, Young gets the nod here for being the heart and soul of this Vero Beach team.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki vs. Yunel Escobar
Vero Beach got a big jumpstart when they acquired Escobar mid-season. In his 51 games, he hit an even .300 and drove in 40 runs while playing excellent defense. Troy Tulowitzki however had a MONSTER season in Washington. The shortstop hit 46 homers and drove in 140 and is the favorite to win the MVP. Not only does the man hit, but he can run and play defense as well. 'Tulo' has struggled so far this post-season but don't expect that to last long.
EDGE: Washington
Left Field: Ben Zobrist vs. Manny Ramirez/Raul Ibanez
Vero Beach rotates it's outfielders but these two should get the majority of the time in left. Manny had a great season, although only played in about half of it. He is still a power threat with 19 HR and 34 doubles to go along with his .304 batting average. The other half of this platoon hit 20 long balls and 32 doubles so together this is a pretty formidable threat. Zobrist came over from Napa midseason and gave the Booze Hounds another offensive threat in the lineup. He hit .309 upon arriving and hit 21 homers in 84 games. While Zobrist's numbers are good, the Vero Beach duo takes the award here with their experience and because Man-Ram has been in a grove all post-season.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Center Field: Shane Victorino vs. Torii Hunter
Hunter is a perennial all-star but struggled this season. While destroying lefties, righty pitching gave him problems which could be a problem for Vero Beach in this series. Despite offensive struggles he has destroyed opposing pitchers in the playoffs. And he still is the best defensive outfielder in the game. Victorino finished the season hitting .308 with decent power due to high double and triple numbers. Hunter may be the best defensive outfielder now but Victorino isn't too far behind.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Right Field: Carlos Gonzalez vs. Nelson Cruz
Washington has played a number of players in right field but Gonzalez should get the bulk of at-bats in the Championship Series. In limited time he was a stud. He drove in 53 runs and led the team with 12 triples. While Nelson Cruz's power numbers are there his batting average fell all the way down to .217. He does play good defense but it's not enough to overcome the excitement Gonzalez brings to a ballgame.
EDGE: Washington
Designated Hitter: Josh Willingham vs. Seth Smith/Lastings Milledge/Raul Ibanez
Seth Smith and the other various outfielders should all split DH duties. Willingham seems the most logical player to DH for Washington. They haven't needed a DH all year but Willingham had great offensive numbers when he played the outfield. I'm calling this one a wash only because it has yet to be seen how Washington plays using the DH.
EDGE: EVEN
Starting Pitching: Javier Vazquez and Co. vs. Justin Verlander and Co.
Vazquez had the best season of any pitcher in the TBA's short history. He might be the most valuable player on Washington! After Javy, Washington can throw out Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright rounding out arguably the best trio in baseball. Verlander led the major leagues with 316 strikeouts but did not have the best numbers outside of that. Jered Weaver and Carlos Zambrano are numbers two and three and although formidable can't touch Washington's group.
EDGE: Washington
Relief Pitching: David Aardsma and Co. vs. Francisco Rodriguez and Co.
K-Rod saved 31 games for Vero Beach with a 2.21 ERA. Darren Oliver may have been the best middle reliever for the team, winning 6 games and holding a 2.35 ERA. Aardsma leads a deep Washington group of relievers. Four relievers had ERAs under 3, perfectly complementing a great starting staff. Vero Beach will have a hard time as this bullpen can match up with just about anyone.
EDGE: Washington
Overall: Washington has an advantage on paper heading into the series but as we all know anything is possible in October, uhhh November. Vero Beach has been the underdog this entire post-season and has thrived on it. If any team would be the one to upset Washington, Vero Beach would be it. I know I'm looking forward to the games and I hope some of you will be there watching it too.
Washington will look to break out the booze one more time but as the LHLCS showed it is getting ever so difficult for them. After breezing through the regular season with a record 125 wins and blowing past London in the Division Series, the Giants gave them a huge scare by getting ahead 3-2 in the series. Washington turned to probable LHL Cy Young Winner Javier Vazquez to even the series before the bats came through in Game 7 to move Washington on.
Winning from behind has not been an issue for Vero Beach this year. With four games to go against Napa, the Bums needed to win two to force a play-in game with Bartonville or three to outright win the second wild card. After dropping game one of the series, Vero Beach fought back to win all the final games to move into the playoffs. Upon getting there, they found themselves down 2-1 against the rival Alamos. Nevertheless, the Bums took care of business taking the final two games to move on. As luck would have it, they found themselves down 2-1 again against Napa in the EMLCS. And just like the regular season they took three straight games to advance to the Championship.
Anyway, on the breakdown!
Catcher: Joe Mauer vs. Brian McCann
These two are the top two catchers in the game. Yet, with all due respect to McCann, this one is not even close. Mauer .348 during the regular season with 26 homers and 111 RBI. All this while providing an excellent receiver for his pitchers and throwing out 31% of potential base stealers.
EDGE: Washington
First Base: Mark Teixeira vs. Lyle Overbay/Ramon Hernandez
Teixeira clubbed 43 regular season home runs and 120 RBI, and neither were team leads. The playoffs have been even better to the switch-hitting first baseman. After hitting .533 in the post-season a year ago, he has four HR, 9 RBI, and a .317 batting average in the 2010 extra season. Vero Beach's combo do a solid job at first but are nothing spectacular. Overbay did help lead the Bums over Napa with six hits and a home run in the final three games in the EMLDS.
EDGE: Washington
Second Base: Robinson Cano vs. Brandon Phillips
Phillips struggled all year but did provide 21 stolen bases while only being caught twice. His defense is still stellar and he does have some pop but with all of Washington's RHP he may struggle in the power department. Cano had an outbreak season for the Booze Hounds. A .327 batting average and 23 home runs gives Washington yet another star hitter in the lineup, something Vero Beach better get used to.
EDGE: Washington
Third Base: Ryan Zimmerman vs. Michael Young
Young carried the Bums on his back all season long. The unquestioned MVP of the team, Young smashed 45 doubles and 23 homers to the tune of a league leading .342 batting average. Ryan Zimmerman is no push-over though. He hit .322 during the regular season and 32 home runs. His 106 RBI are more than 20 than what Young had, yet Washington provides more opportunities than Vero's lineup. Despite Zimmerman's superb defense, Young gets the nod here for being the heart and soul of this Vero Beach team.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki vs. Yunel Escobar
Vero Beach got a big jumpstart when they acquired Escobar mid-season. In his 51 games, he hit an even .300 and drove in 40 runs while playing excellent defense. Troy Tulowitzki however had a MONSTER season in Washington. The shortstop hit 46 homers and drove in 140 and is the favorite to win the MVP. Not only does the man hit, but he can run and play defense as well. 'Tulo' has struggled so far this post-season but don't expect that to last long.
EDGE: Washington
Left Field: Ben Zobrist vs. Manny Ramirez/Raul Ibanez
Vero Beach rotates it's outfielders but these two should get the majority of the time in left. Manny had a great season, although only played in about half of it. He is still a power threat with 19 HR and 34 doubles to go along with his .304 batting average. The other half of this platoon hit 20 long balls and 32 doubles so together this is a pretty formidable threat. Zobrist came over from Napa midseason and gave the Booze Hounds another offensive threat in the lineup. He hit .309 upon arriving and hit 21 homers in 84 games. While Zobrist's numbers are good, the Vero Beach duo takes the award here with their experience and because Man-Ram has been in a grove all post-season.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Center Field: Shane Victorino vs. Torii Hunter
Hunter is a perennial all-star but struggled this season. While destroying lefties, righty pitching gave him problems which could be a problem for Vero Beach in this series. Despite offensive struggles he has destroyed opposing pitchers in the playoffs. And he still is the best defensive outfielder in the game. Victorino finished the season hitting .308 with decent power due to high double and triple numbers. Hunter may be the best defensive outfielder now but Victorino isn't too far behind.
EDGE: Vero Beach
Right Field: Carlos Gonzalez vs. Nelson Cruz
Washington has played a number of players in right field but Gonzalez should get the bulk of at-bats in the Championship Series. In limited time he was a stud. He drove in 53 runs and led the team with 12 triples. While Nelson Cruz's power numbers are there his batting average fell all the way down to .217. He does play good defense but it's not enough to overcome the excitement Gonzalez brings to a ballgame.
EDGE: Washington
Designated Hitter: Josh Willingham vs. Seth Smith/Lastings Milledge/Raul Ibanez
Seth Smith and the other various outfielders should all split DH duties. Willingham seems the most logical player to DH for Washington. They haven't needed a DH all year but Willingham had great offensive numbers when he played the outfield. I'm calling this one a wash only because it has yet to be seen how Washington plays using the DH.
EDGE: EVEN
Starting Pitching: Javier Vazquez and Co. vs. Justin Verlander and Co.
Vazquez had the best season of any pitcher in the TBA's short history. He might be the most valuable player on Washington! After Javy, Washington can throw out Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright rounding out arguably the best trio in baseball. Verlander led the major leagues with 316 strikeouts but did not have the best numbers outside of that. Jered Weaver and Carlos Zambrano are numbers two and three and although formidable can't touch Washington's group.
EDGE: Washington
Relief Pitching: David Aardsma and Co. vs. Francisco Rodriguez and Co.
K-Rod saved 31 games for Vero Beach with a 2.21 ERA. Darren Oliver may have been the best middle reliever for the team, winning 6 games and holding a 2.35 ERA. Aardsma leads a deep Washington group of relievers. Four relievers had ERAs under 3, perfectly complementing a great starting staff. Vero Beach will have a hard time as this bullpen can match up with just about anyone.
EDGE: Washington
Overall: Washington has an advantage on paper heading into the series but as we all know anything is possible in October, uhhh November. Vero Beach has been the underdog this entire post-season and has thrived on it. If any team would be the one to upset Washington, Vero Beach would be it. I know I'm looking forward to the games and I hope some of you will be there watching it too.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Off-Season Decisions: San Antonio
9:10 November 4-San Antonio
After a regular season in which the Alamos took home the Edgar Martinez League's best record they were rudely ousted by their division rival Vero Beach Bums in 5 games in the EMLDS. With a number of roster concerns, owner John Garcia will be challenged to get this team back in a position to compete next season. Let's take a look at the upcoming roster decisions needed to be made along with comments from Garcia's conference.
Catcher: Starting catcher Miguel Montero is only 26 and despite injury concerns has Garcia's confidence as the franchise catcher. Chris Iannetta will again be the right-handed complement for Montero. The youngster Josh Thole is the big question-mark. He played excellent in limited time down the stretch for the Alamos but there might not be enough room on the roster for him next season. Garcia admitted he would listen to offers for Montero but if he is moved it would most likely need to be apart of a larger deal. Thole has already been mentioned around the league by the Alamos and the phones are open listening to offers for him.
First Base: James Loney and Lance Berkman are both not guaranteed to return next year and Garcia has said he is listening to offers for both of them.
Second Base: Chase Utley just came in at the trade deadline last season and would like to remain with the team next season. Despite a poor post-season he remains one of the top second baseman in the game and unless Alamos management get a variety of top young talent Utley should be back in San Antonio next year.
Third Base: Scott Rolen somehow keeps improving at age 35 and next year will be one of the top third baseman in baseball. However at his age the Alamos are set on dealing him. Garcia will be listening to any and all offers concerning the Gold Glover. Unless the Alamos bring in a new third baseman it seems Alberto Callaspo will be manning third next year.
Shortstop: Miguel Tejada looks like he is at the end of his tenure in San An. "Miggy", a fan favorite, will likely be shopped this off-season as Alcides Escobar becomes the full-time shortstop. Escobar's bat is a big question mark but Garcia made it clear that they are looking to get younger and more athletic meaning the job should be Escobar's at this point.
Left Field: The biggest certainty of this roster is that Jason Bay will be starting in left next year for the Alamos. Bay has been the Alamos leader these past two seasons and unless blown away with an offer will be an Alamo next season.
Center Field- And here's the biggest question mark for the team. Mike Cameron will not be re-signed leaving a huge hole in the Alamos lineup. Fernando Martinez and Jordan Schafer are not close to ready to take over yet and JD Drew has lost enough speed where center field is out of the question. The Alamos could look to the draft for a replacement but without a first round pick will most likely search for trade options instead.
Right Field- JD Drew and Kosuke Fukudome are the incumbents here and, as has been the case as almost every other position, are both in their mid-30s. It's very likely one of them get traded if not both. Drew won the 2010 Davy Crockett Award, given to the Alamos Most Valuable Player, but will be dealt if the right deal comes along.
Designated Hitter- Brad Hawpe was the DH mainstay in the lineup last season but it does not look as if the Alamos will renew his contract. If they do trade him or decide not to keep him, Travis Hafner will take over. Hafner has had injury problems the past two season but if healthy could be a big part of the San An lineup.
Rotation: Youngsters Clayton Kershaw and Jair Jurrjens remain some of the top young pitchers in the league and will continue to anchor this rotation in 2011. Joel Pineiro pitched great for the Alamos last year and should be back as well. The rest of the rotation is a little murky. Andy Pettitte has struggled as an Alamo these past two years and reportedly wants out. This team is on the way down and Pettitte wants to go to a contender next year for a shot at the TBA Championship. If he does get dealt, that leaves JA Happ and Chris Volstad. Neither are guaranteed roles with the team as their names have been mentioned in trade talk but would be solid #4/5 options if needed.
Bullpen: Despite a year in which he was sent to AAA to work out some control issues, Carlos Marmol will be back at closer next year. He was discussed in trades at the trade deadline in July but at this time he seems set for a return to San Antonio. Robinson Tejeda after a magnificent year as a set-up man will return in the same role. Injuries to Alfredo Aceves, JP Howell, and Josh Outman have left them thin in the bullpen behind the previous two righthanders. It is expected that the Alamos will not tender contracts to any other reliever outside of Marmol and Tejeda, meaning they will need to upgrade through the draft.
REVIEW:
Availables: Miguel Montero/Josh Thole, James Loney/Lance Berkman, Scott Rolen, Miguel Tejada, JD Drew, Kosuke Fukudome, Brad Hawpe, Travis Hafner, Andy Pettitte, JA Happ, Chris Volstad
Not As Readily Available But Let's Talk Anyway: Chase Utley, Alcides Escobar, Joel Pineiro, Carlos Marmol
After a regular season in which the Alamos took home the Edgar Martinez League's best record they were rudely ousted by their division rival Vero Beach Bums in 5 games in the EMLDS. With a number of roster concerns, owner John Garcia will be challenged to get this team back in a position to compete next season. Let's take a look at the upcoming roster decisions needed to be made along with comments from Garcia's conference.
Catcher: Starting catcher Miguel Montero is only 26 and despite injury concerns has Garcia's confidence as the franchise catcher. Chris Iannetta will again be the right-handed complement for Montero. The youngster Josh Thole is the big question-mark. He played excellent in limited time down the stretch for the Alamos but there might not be enough room on the roster for him next season. Garcia admitted he would listen to offers for Montero but if he is moved it would most likely need to be apart of a larger deal. Thole has already been mentioned around the league by the Alamos and the phones are open listening to offers for him.
First Base: James Loney and Lance Berkman are both not guaranteed to return next year and Garcia has said he is listening to offers for both of them.
Second Base: Chase Utley just came in at the trade deadline last season and would like to remain with the team next season. Despite a poor post-season he remains one of the top second baseman in the game and unless Alamos management get a variety of top young talent Utley should be back in San Antonio next year.
Third Base: Scott Rolen somehow keeps improving at age 35 and next year will be one of the top third baseman in baseball. However at his age the Alamos are set on dealing him. Garcia will be listening to any and all offers concerning the Gold Glover. Unless the Alamos bring in a new third baseman it seems Alberto Callaspo will be manning third next year.
Shortstop: Miguel Tejada looks like he is at the end of his tenure in San An. "Miggy", a fan favorite, will likely be shopped this off-season as Alcides Escobar becomes the full-time shortstop. Escobar's bat is a big question mark but Garcia made it clear that they are looking to get younger and more athletic meaning the job should be Escobar's at this point.
Left Field: The biggest certainty of this roster is that Jason Bay will be starting in left next year for the Alamos. Bay has been the Alamos leader these past two seasons and unless blown away with an offer will be an Alamo next season.
Center Field- And here's the biggest question mark for the team. Mike Cameron will not be re-signed leaving a huge hole in the Alamos lineup. Fernando Martinez and Jordan Schafer are not close to ready to take over yet and JD Drew has lost enough speed where center field is out of the question. The Alamos could look to the draft for a replacement but without a first round pick will most likely search for trade options instead.
Right Field- JD Drew and Kosuke Fukudome are the incumbents here and, as has been the case as almost every other position, are both in their mid-30s. It's very likely one of them get traded if not both. Drew won the 2010 Davy Crockett Award, given to the Alamos Most Valuable Player, but will be dealt if the right deal comes along.
Designated Hitter- Brad Hawpe was the DH mainstay in the lineup last season but it does not look as if the Alamos will renew his contract. If they do trade him or decide not to keep him, Travis Hafner will take over. Hafner has had injury problems the past two season but if healthy could be a big part of the San An lineup.
Rotation: Youngsters Clayton Kershaw and Jair Jurrjens remain some of the top young pitchers in the league and will continue to anchor this rotation in 2011. Joel Pineiro pitched great for the Alamos last year and should be back as well. The rest of the rotation is a little murky. Andy Pettitte has struggled as an Alamo these past two years and reportedly wants out. This team is on the way down and Pettitte wants to go to a contender next year for a shot at the TBA Championship. If he does get dealt, that leaves JA Happ and Chris Volstad. Neither are guaranteed roles with the team as their names have been mentioned in trade talk but would be solid #4/5 options if needed.
Bullpen: Despite a year in which he was sent to AAA to work out some control issues, Carlos Marmol will be back at closer next year. He was discussed in trades at the trade deadline in July but at this time he seems set for a return to San Antonio. Robinson Tejeda after a magnificent year as a set-up man will return in the same role. Injuries to Alfredo Aceves, JP Howell, and Josh Outman have left them thin in the bullpen behind the previous two righthanders. It is expected that the Alamos will not tender contracts to any other reliever outside of Marmol and Tejeda, meaning they will need to upgrade through the draft.
REVIEW:
Availables: Miguel Montero/Josh Thole, James Loney/Lance Berkman, Scott Rolen, Miguel Tejada, JD Drew, Kosuke Fukudome, Brad Hawpe, Travis Hafner, Andy Pettitte, JA Happ, Chris Volstad
Not As Readily Available But Let's Talk Anyway: Chase Utley, Alcides Escobar, Joel Pineiro, Carlos Marmol
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)