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cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Great, third league I've been in, third league I've made a topic for. Let's hope this one is a little more active than V.15!
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Dang, I really need to get in a more talkative league.
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, the eastern division is looking very interesting right now. 5 teams within 6 games of first, and 3 teams were tied for the #1 spot at one point today. Can't wait to see who finishes on top.
jreynoldson913
Joined: 08/18/2015
Posts: 293

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Hey man if you want people to come to your forum just mail all of them the link and say its so you can talk in the forum, copy and paste for all messages in league, thats what I did for my league.
Jalapeno5
Joined: 06/01/2014
Posts: 226

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Close run race in the East this year... Going to be interesting to see how this last cycle plays out!
amalric7
Joined: 01/20/2016
Posts: 2238

New York Lancers
V.4

Broken Bat Baseball
Whoa! Knights 7.5 games out of first place...and are in the relegation zone. That's tough!
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Tell me about it. I know my team is not having their best season, but 5th place with my record seems a bit harsh.
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, it all comes down today. If I can pull off a 2-1 or 3-0 series against Memphis and some other games go in my favor, I might miraculously be able to stay up in league IV. That would be amazing for me, as honestly my team has struggled a little this year (more than I expected them to). I think if we can manage to climb our way into 4th, we might have a shot at being a contender next year. For now, let's just go one game at a time. Cliché, I know, but very true to my situation.
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Anybody in the league ever check the forum board?
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Go Titans!

I think we're playing tomorrow. Good luck!
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash

We do at beautiful Will Montgomery Field. Good luck on the field of battle. I am just hoping my pitching staff remembers to get on the plane and show up tomorrow.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, I just landed two pitchers on waivers and released my closer. My bullpen has been a very sore subject in Monterey. That and two of my starters with 60 collective days on the DL. No buenos!
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
I thought I was doing bad with pitchers and the DL. I have only had one guy with two stints that totaled 24 days. I will be releasing a few players today, most of them pitchers, and will begin building for the future. Don't tell him yet but my manager will also be shown the door.
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash

Thanks for letting me take that one game in extra innings. Did some mid-summers cleaning with the roster and have a couple of claims out on the waiver wire. Hoping for the best. Great job in this stand.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@fife

Good luck against Roseville. They've had my number all season! Your team is getting there bit by bit.
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
It is a work in progress but I am hoping for good production in the long haul.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Fife

You totally took apart Roseville in game two! That was sweet. 11 runs in just two innings.

I think that's better than I've managed in 10 whole games against those guys. Nicely done.
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash

I really handed it to those guys in one game. I'll take all the small victories I can get at this point. Have some waiver claims out there to help wit the right now but I feel I need to build for the future instead.

And a good job on taking it to the Elephants. They are the only team in my division I have any chance of catching and even if I do I will still be so far behind everyone else that relegation is very likely. Moving down might not be a bad thing could mean that I play in more competitive games but I know my income will also go down.

Updated Monday, August 15 2016 @ 8:36:45 am PDT
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Team did awesomely against Sitka. Taking 4 of the 5. Best series my team has had this season.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Fife - congrats on the high note against Sitka! Great job.

********************

Monterey had three selections to the 2028 All Star Game. First baseman Handsome Adrian Hurst was the only starter named and it was his first All Star appearance.

Martin the Fox Foley was named to his third All Star squad and Rusty Greer to his second. All three Titans saw action and performed well in the 11-7 loss to the East All Stars.

******************

With recent waiver claims of veteran pitchers Ivan Alomar, Casey Mason and Jesse Mill, the Titans hope to bolster their suffering bullpen. A bullpen that saw ace closer Xavier Lucas's outright released in a fit of management anger.

Also claimed was backup outfielder, Belgian, Reuben Vermeulen, a speedster adding hitting depth to Monterey's young outfield. Allowing the Titans to release an underdeveloped Jesse Finley and over priced replacement, Darren Logan.

These changes are seen by many as the Titan's announcing their challenge to Roseville and Beachside Woods for the crown of LL IV.8.

Go Titans!!
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash Congrats on the All Stars. Dolphins had no stars this year😔 But I kinda knew that before the all star game.


***

The Dolphins won their second series in a row. This time going 3-2 against Sitka. Dumping the old expensive guys and moving up the minors and playing a little of the market is seeming to make a difference.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Fife

Keep it up! I'll try and help out by beating up on the guys right above you .... but, my pitching has really struggled with consistency. Grrr.

Go Dolphins
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Twas a good day. Took four outta five against Jeffersonville. Pitched well, hit well, good D. It even seems like a closer has emerged: Trevon Berry.

Next up, Chesapeake. We're 0-5 this season. Gulp.
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, unless my team has a major meltdown (which it could), chances are looking pretty good that I will be rejoining this league next season. Last time I was here, I went 78-82 and finished...5th. Very tight competition among the lower ranks in the east a couple seasons back. I wonder what will happen next year.
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@cqk

Looks like you will be taking my place. Good competition in the east. Had fun and got better in the 2nd half after making many roster transactions. Hopefully see you the season after that.
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Yeah, I hope to see you in a couple seasons as well! (Unless I jump up to III! ;))

Updated Sunday, August 21 2016 @ 6:40:23 pm PDT
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Hey, @Fife, round two tomorrow! Good luck! This time you have home field advantage. :)
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash Well that was a beating. So much for home field advantage. Maybe I should install a wheelchair ramp make it easier for my boys to get into their locker room.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Fife
Well it looks like the wheelchairs were better lubed today! Three outta five vs. Roseville, superb! Great job. Your team is really headed in the right direction.

My guys are in middle of their best hot spell. After the all-star break, the Titans have gone 19-6! Mostly, I stopped losing the one run games. My hitting has also come alive and my pitching has been superb.

One more series then back to division play. Yum 😒

Updated Wednesday, August 24 2016 @ 10:05:39 pm PDT
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Hoping for a win sometime soon. Longest losing skid of the season taking place right now for the Dolphins. 10 count them 10 losses in a row. Ouch
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Hey, @fife, back to back 4-hitters by Schwarts and Woods put an emphatic end to your losing streak. Great wins. Now, you have a two game winner going. Keep rocking!
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Garnash Only 10.5 games back. Need to catch a hot streak and win this thing man. I am hoping to catch the Elephants, I play them today, and not finish last place in the division.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Its all starting to fall apart. My hitters have forgotten how, my bullpen couldn't save a nickel and most of my rotation must be raging alcoholics.

There are only four bright spots: 1 Greer and Foley are doing their thing well. 2 Carlton is growing up. 3 Guardado is playing as good as ever. 4 Alomar, a mid-season waiver claim, is looking like a #2 starter.

I think I'm running up the flag after being 5-hit by the worst team in my division. Now, I'm just hoping the free-fall doesn't lead to relegation. Sigh. I thought my guys could do it. The sad part is they're about on par performance-wise with how they played last season, in winning V.15. Unfortunately, they didn't improve as a team, like I'd hoped.

**********

Okay, so game one stuck out like the proverbial thumb, it still totally looks like the division is Beachside Wood's to lose. Congrats to rita and all the talent at Beachside Woods.

Updated Monday, September 5 2016 @ 4:26:51 pm PDT
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@Fife

You've caught Hialeah! Congrats! I know it doesn't help keep you up, but it is a small victory! Good job!
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Congrats to Beachside Woods. I took game one today, but it was a fluke. The front runners thrashed me in the next three games including our biggest loss of the year 17-4 against my very best pitcher.

I am truly outclassed and just as soon as I get four or five more 14 pot pitchers, I'll be looking for revenge. Arrrghhhhh.

Seriously, you have a great team, rita, good luck in III.4!
Fife
Joined: 06/12/2016
Posts: 29

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
See you guys later. Hopefully I can make a triumphant return to League IV.8 after a season or 2.
mikkoredsox
Joined: 03/29/2015
Posts: 116

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Hey guys, just noticed the forum for our league! I had won tow straight titles, but fell off a bit this year. Once i realized I was in no danger of relegation I played a lot of youngsters who gained a lot.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Welcome to the our lil ol' forum. You have a nice squad. Congrats for staying up.
mikkoredsox
Joined: 03/29/2015
Posts: 116

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
The East division is very tight this year. Seems as though anyone could take it. Inter league play is coming right up, can't wait to see how it shakes things up. The West seems like a much stronger division.

Updated Thursday, October 20 2016 @ 3:31:06 pm PDT
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Yeah, the East is scaring me a little. I'm worried that what happened to me in 2026 in IV.8 will happen again. I was 78-82 and still got demoted that year...I think I have a better team though. Still, my team's performance is scaring me...I wasn't expecting to go 107-53 like last year in V, but I feel like I should be winning a few more games....
mikkoredsox
Joined: 03/29/2015
Posts: 116

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Even through 3 inter league series the East is still not breaking up. This is gonna be a great race. Although I'm in last I'm only 6 out and haven't lost a inter league series yet.
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, I've only won one interleague series and I'm 2-8 in my last 10. Did Minnetonka really have to take all 5 games on Thursday.....I knew I wasn't gonna walk over the west like I did last year, but I didn't expect to get swept like that either. Hopefully I'll have better luck today (meaning that I hope to NOT lose 17-2 again...).
cqk328
Joined: 07/28/2014
Posts: 289

Unalaska Alaskans
VI.20

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, we are done with the west and...it's STILL tight. Is separation ever going to happen in this division??? Should make an interesting final 50 games.
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
@cqk328

Man, you guys are packed in tight 2-5 separated by a game and a half and all within striking distance of first. Good luck heading down the stretch!

Go North Port! :)
Garnash1970
Joined: 08/07/2014
Posts: 199

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Only a walk-off two run home-run in the bottom of the twelfth inning, has kept Monterey's playoff hopes alive.

Trailing in the series 3-1, Roger D'Amico's blast means the Titans return to Jeffersonville to play at least one more game against the Bulls.

Normally, the Titan's strength, the Bull's bats have dominated Monterey's starters in 4 of the 5 games played, so far.

Hopefully, Ivan Alomar will have some luck tomorrow and force a game seven where Luis Guardado is slated to start.
allen54chevy
Joined: 11/22/2015
Posts: 475

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Man, it looks like I just ran into a buzz saw of a league/division.
Starting 0-3 hurts, but then I saw how even all the teams were last year. Hope my boys are up for the challenge ahead.
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
Hi guys! No posts from our league for a long time so lets kick it off again!

How about that All star game? Huge win by the East. I was really happy to have 2 guys make the team and my pitcher getting the win! Cannot believe that the West only used one pitcher the whole game and he got smashed from early on. Surely the management settings should have kicked in to replace him? I feel sorry for the rest of the pitchers on the roster who didnt get a game.

How does everyone feel about the season so far?
Cheers, Sadman.
jakala2018
Joined: 10/01/2018
Posts: 20

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Lol. I thought it was a match from upper league.
Yeah, i don't know why the game setting didn't replace that pitcher. Also their batters performance were bad.

This is my 1st season (at BB and Hardball). I had minimal knowledge about both games, just from watching animes. Also, this is my 1st time in playing baseball and basket simulation game. So i learned from scratch to be familiar with both games.

This season is disaster. Bad performance (which was my mistakes) from earlier season keep haunting my team for the rest of the season. Like i got 'jinxed' or maybe i touch the setting too much. It needs a good luck to free my team from bottom zone haha.

Anyway, both games are superb and the way to recruit players are unique. I just hope BB didn't die before i got into top league. :)
marceo
Joined: 10/27/2011
Posts: 1

Wingrove Crossing Bears
VI.25

Broken Bat Baseball
Hi guys, good to hear from you.
i woke up this morning with 6 injured players, but it's a fun race for first place this year.

good luck you all from Italy
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
Wow the race for 1st place in the East is fascinating! Rancho is dominating the West and I cant see them being displaced. I am loving this season.
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
No posts in here for a while! Looks like it will be a tight competition this season after playing each team once already. Not a huge gap between first and last! Good luck to all.
Meyrian
Joined: 09/24/2015
Posts: 61

Littleton Genesiz
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Good luck !
In DIV East, Newton is really strong.
In DIV West, it's really close.
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
I am tipping Hanson to take out league MVA for sure. Pretty impressive to be leading the league in home runs, batting average, runs, RBIs and stolen bases. I was hoping my player Briones would catch him up but he is just way too good.
Meyrian
Joined: 09/24/2015
Posts: 61

Littleton Genesiz
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Mejia vs Riggins, who will win the Cy Young? :)
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
They are both doing so well, but Riggins looks to be the stronger. He has more losses, but also more strike-outs and complete games. I think he adds more value but its going to be a close call! Only 25 years old as well. What a beast.
Meyrian
Joined: 09/24/2015
Posts: 61

Littleton Genesiz
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
His 2 last start wasn't really good.
Mejia's WHIP and ERA are perfect, he finishes better the season. The last games will be decisive.
sadman
Joined: 07/13/2015
Posts: 61

Shamokin Hot Chili's
IV.7

Broken Bat Baseball
Thanks for the great season all. Very excited that my team was able to win the playoffs. I think its a great send-off to a few guys I will have to let go due to age. A nice way to go for them! Hopefully my younger players (whom I have been trying to get ready for this transition) are able to take on the challenge in Division III. Might see you all again in Div.IV sooner rather than later!
wick
Joined: 02/26/2018
Posts: 56

Bayonne Bleeders
VI.30

Broken Bat Baseball
Hi everyone. First time in LL4, excited to see what the competition is like. Here's to a good season!
StretchDynamo
Joined: 05/16/2016
Posts: 64

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
What's goin on Wick and the rest of IV.8. This is my 2nd stint in League IV, but it's been a decade since my team was here, so hopefully this time goes much better than the last.

Wick I notice you have my former draftee and 2 time all star Josue Leon. Hopefully he can stay hot and limit those strikeouts!
wick
Joined: 02/26/2018
Posts: 56

Bayonne Bleeders
VI.30

Broken Bat Baseball
Hey stretch. Yeah he had quite a nice 2041 campaign but I am really worried that he greatly overperformed and that he won’t repeat that performance. Plus I just signed pagans (https://brokenbat.org/player/125166) who has a much better track record. I’m afraid Leon might have lost his starting job to pagano. My LF and CF both have worse range and arm than Leon, but both have shown consistent great production at the plate. Either Leon or pagano is going to wind up being the 4th OF.

Updated Monday, August 19 2019 @ 1:18:20 pm PDT
StretchDynamo
Joined: 05/16/2016
Posts: 64

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Leon is definitely a very streaky player. After his two all star seasons he quickly become more of a rotation piece in the outfield due to inconsistency at the plate, spearheaded by a metric *beep* ton of strikeouts. However, in 2039, whilst being on the verge of being cut, he had an amazing second half resurgence that was key in our promotion from league VI.

His range and arm in the field are nothing short of elite as well. He even won a Gold Glove one year even though he has a measly 5 fielding.

Pagano certainly seems to have a more consistent bat. Over .300 average, less strikeouts and more walks. Leon should be a good 4th outfield who can slot in at Center or Right whenever you need him. I notice almost all of your outfielders have pretty weak arms, so I'll make sure to test those guys when we face off!

Updated Tuesday, August 20 2019 @ 7:04:55 am PDT
wick
Joined: 02/26/2018
Posts: 56

Bayonne Bleeders
VI.30

Broken Bat Baseball
Yeah, I made a decision to go with bats and range over arms... partly a test of the engine to see how much that bites me, and partly because *somethings* got to give, you can't have elite ratings across the board... and I wanted bats and range over arm. If it costs me some extra base hits, those hits have to be hits first and if my guys catch them first, you can't have a triple on a flyout.

You can, however, take home all day long on sac flies :P
AnimalMother
Joined: 11/27/2015
Posts: 3

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
Just your standard 24 inning game...

Good game marceo, these are always tough to lose.
JV-Tosshin
Joined: 11/11/2020
Posts: 297

Biloxi Thresher Sharks
V.15

Broken Bat Baseball
Gotta say, Council Bluffs... The fact that you have a player with the exact same name as an old national team soccer player from my home country is very weird.

Entertaining, but... Weird and slightly uncanny.
shmyles
Joined: 10/10/2018
Posts: 40

Apopka Rockets
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
through only 7 games, the buzzards' "buzzards" already had 3 multi-homer games and 8 homers in total...
JV-Tosshin
Joined: 11/11/2020
Posts: 297

Biloxi Thresher Sharks
V.15

Broken Bat Baseball
If I can cling on to a .500 record before interdivisonal, I'll take that result. Been having some very confusing series' score-wise all season so far, but 50-50? Heck yeah I'll take that!
wuggla
Joined: 05/10/2013
Posts: 1059

Colorado Springs Vultures
VI.28

Broken Bat Baseball
http://brokenbat.org/player/197093 will he ever be allstar?
need a 3 game sweep against "Buffalo" for 1st in west with left till interleague....
wuggla
Joined: 05/10/2013
Posts: 1059

Colorado Springs Vultures
VI.28

Broken Bat Baseball
R. Bishop Sioux City vs http://brokenbat.org/player/233183 Silver for the Cy Young Award? I'm praying for the 1st in Franchise history...
The MVP Award L. Guzman of West Fargo The western champion vs J. Carvy of Biloxi?
timothy
Joined: 03/18/2020
Posts: 202

West Fargo Turtles
II.1

Broken Bat Baseball
Congrats, Normal! Tough series. Turtles were up three games to none and then...
JV-Tosshin
Joined: 11/11/2020
Posts: 297

Biloxi Thresher Sharks
V.15

Broken Bat Baseball
What has happened to the West, btw?

How can my crummy, 5th place team be statistically good enough to lead over there. What's happened?
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Hello?
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Oh, boy, all the owners in tge East have been around at least 4 years and I'm not yet at my 2-year milestone yet!

I feel outclassed :)
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Hello, IV.8!

After a rough year at III.4, we're starting our first season in this particular league in franchise history. Lots of familiar faces, though, so I feel like I'm in good company.

One of the major storylines for us this year is the arrival of Marco Cruz. Cruz has a fairly appealing offensive profile: left-handed hitter, very good hitting, decent slugging, decent speed, and solid discipline skill already. What really has me intrigued is his minor league performance, though. Cruz has some of the best offensive numbers I've seen come out of my minor leagues. Now, I have found minor league numbers to be pretty unreliable, but I still think it's a positive sign. I'll be curious to see how he develops in the majors.
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 Been a while, but let’s see if I can still do these or not. The usual caveats and disclaimers apply: This is strictly by-the-numbers, very quick-n’-dirty, good/bad is only in comparison to the divisional average, and in no way should any of this be taken as gospel.

———————————————

I V . 8   W E S T


Littleton Genesiz
 The Genesiz are the best contact team in the league and the division’s most patient team at the plate. They lack bat control, power, and speed, but will have a relentless march of station-to-station baserunners. Their defense has the worst fielding and gloves in the West, which could lead to their league best arms throwing the ball who knows where. Their pitching has decent stamina and good change of speed, but movement and control are divisional worsts.

Prediction: 5th — The pitching and defense will need backed up by more runs than the offense will produce.


Battle Creek Sting
 The Sting are the least disciplined team in the league, with average contact and bat control and reasonable power for the division. Their speed is just short of average. They have great range and arms defensively, but shoddy glove work will lead to frustrating misadventures in the field. Their pitching generally hovers in the vicinity of the West’s average from one end to the other.

Prediction: 3rd — Fairly average team, fairly average finish.


San Luis Obispo Turtles
 The Turtles are an exceptional contact team, but the rest of their offensive capabilities are decidedly below average. As their name might suggest, they are the slowest team in IV.8 by a noticeable margin. Neither their range nor their arms are particularly good, but their fielding is solid. Their pitching lacks some velocity and staying power, but their control leads the West and their change of speed and movement lead the league — junk balls ahoy!

Prediction: 2nd — Slow and steady offense won’t quite win the pennant race, but their pitching will make it be a race.


Walla Walla Wolverines
 The Wolverines are generally an above average offensive team across the board with one notable exception: Their power is the best in the league, and by a good margin at that — this team will mash. Their gloves are good in the field, but mediocre range and league worst arms will invite aggressive running. Their velocity is good and movement even better, but they may have difficulty finding the strike zone.

Prediction: 1st — …But they’ll have to work for it; offense and pitching will both have bad days the other needs to pick up for.


Pontiac Panthers
 The Panthers are a below average contact team with average speed, but the rest of their offense is near or at the bottom of the league. Their defense is a stark contrast, leading the division in range and the league in fielding. They’ll need that fielding: Their pitching has excellent control, but with their other pitching skills being below average, the defense will be put through their paces on a regular basis.

Prediction: 6th — The defense will keep opponents from scoring much, but their own offense means their opponents won’t need to score much.


Sioux City Catfish
 The Catfish are the league’s worst contact ball club by far, though the rest of the team’s offensive tools are quite good. Notably, they’re the divisions quickest team on the base paths. Their fielding is poor and their range doesn’t quite carry over from their running game, but they have arms that should give all but the boldest runners pause. Their pitching mostly tops out at just above average at best, with change of speed and movement in particular lacking.

Prediction: 4th — They’ll be relying on inconsistent hitting to keep them out of the celler, but it’ll be enough.

———————————————

I V . 8   E A S T

Boca Raton Gryphons
 The Gryphons are the East’s best contact team, but are otherwise well below any offensive divisional average. Their defense leaves much to be desired, rating near the bottom of the division in all categories (or at the bottom, in the case of range). Their pitching has the lowest stamina in IV.8 and their velocity is fairly average, but everything else about their pitching is the best in the division or, in the case of control, the league.

Prediction: 6th — A pitch-to-contact staff with that defense is the stuff of nightmares, and the lackluster offense won’t help.


Prattville Black Cats
 The Black Cats are a good contact team with patience at the plate, but lack bat control and power. Their speed is decent enough that getting on base and letting the running game take over may be viable. Their fielding is a bit suspect, but their arms mostly make up for it. They’re a fairly low velocity pitching staff with unimpressive stamina, but the rest of their tools are good.

Prediction: 3rd — Most of their proficiencies and deficiencies generally average out. So does their overall finish.


Greensboro Blue Jays
 The Blue Jays rank at the top of the league in plate discipline and especially in bat control. Even with slightly below average contact and speed, a bunt-heavy offense to move runners along will serve them well. Their fielding is the best the East has to offer and their arms are good, though their range is slightly subpar. They lead the league in velocity and stamina with excellent control, though secondary pitches are lacking.

Prediction: 1st — Range isn’t an issue when opposing batters strike out, and the offense won’t need to do much.


Kenosha Storm
 The Storm are a great contact team, but lack other good offensive capabilities at the plate. They have decent speed, and will beat out grounders and challenge for extra bags. They have good gloves but IV.8’s worst arms, which will make them susceptible to their own brand of offense. Their pitching shares the best control in the league, but only the fastball touches the East’s average and their movement is the worst in the league.

Prediction: 5th — The defense is okay, but the pitching will overwork them enough that the offense won’t keep up.


Melbourne Raccoons
 The Raccoons are the division’s worst contact team, but also have the division’s best power and good bat control. Their speed is average at best, so a three-true-outcome approach might be their preferred offense. Their defense leads the East in arm strength and the league in range, and their solid gloves could make the Raccoons a defensive juggernaught. Their velocity and control are the division’s worst and movement is poor, but their stamina is IV.8’s best.

Prediction: 2nd — They’ll vie for the Pennant, but the pitching is too wild for the pitch-to-contact game they want and the offense is too inconsistent.


Bridgeport Americans
 The Americans have good power but bring little else of note to the plate. Their speed is unrivaled in IV.8, but may go underutilized with their sporadic baserunners. Their range and arms are good defensively, but league worst gloves will lead to many misadventures in the field. Their pitching ranges from slightly below average at its best to bottom of the league in change of speed.

Prediction: 4th — Lackluster pitching and suspect defense will leave the team relying on unpredictable offense to stay in IV.8 next season.

———————————————

Playoff prediction: Greensboro wins in four — The Blue Jays outclass the Wolverines from one end to the other.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Fantastic write up! Thank you for sharing it. I hope it comes true. After last season, I would love to come in second place.
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
image.png

 …Okay, I guess this works… o.O
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Very competitive first series, Boca Raton. Could have gone either way.
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 Looking forward to the rematch at the end of next week. ^.^
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
I had mentioned the development of Marco Cruz in an earlier post, and I have to say, it has just been going awful so far this season. I know rookies often struggle, but he has been atrociously bad this season despite having some platoon protection. Cruz should probably be my best defensive outfielder already, so he at least has that much going for him, but the offense has been so bad that I'm a bit worried about its impact on our season. We're competitive right now. Should I pull back on Cruz's playing time to try to protect that? I'm not sure, but I'm thinking about it.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
We've reached the All Star Break! That means we're halfway through inter-division play, and it's time for a look at the standings.

So far, inter-division play has been a push, with the East and the West playing exactly .500 against each other. It will be interesting to see if one division can get an edge over the other in the second half. The top overall team in first half ID play is none other than us, the SLO Turtles! We played 19-11 for a .633 winning percentage. The second place team was a tie from two teams in the West: the Littleton Genesiz and the Pontiac Panthers at 18-20 with a .600 winning percentage. Well done!

I'm not sure what to say about our performance this season. Normally we're weaker against the East than we are in division play, but it seems like our team really clicked and got hot during this stretch. I'll happily take it, even if I don't fully believe it.

Here's the complete standings:

Broken-Bat-ID-2058-1st-Half.jpg
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
We have reached the end of inter-division play, so let's take a look at some stats!

The East was somewhat able to right the ship in the second half of ID, winning a fairly narrow 93-87 victory. Thus the natural order is restored. The top team in 2nd half inter-division play was the Greensboro Blue Jays with a 19-11 record for a .633 winning percentage. The second best record was a tie between the Bridgeport Americans and the Battle Creek Sting at 18-12 and .600. Well done, teams!

My Turtles played 17-13 for a .567 percentage in 2nd half. That's still pretty solid and I'm very happy with it. It will be interesting to see how we perform in the final "third" of the season. We did much better in inter-division play than the 25-25 we played against West teams, but we typically play a bit worse against the East. Is this season going to be the inverse of that trend (likely) or will we play better against the West for the rest of the season?

Here's the stats for the 2nd half of inter-division:

Broken-Bat-ID-2058-2nd-Half.jpg

Well, there's no mystery to this one, folks. The first half was a tie, and the second half was an East win. We know the East managed to win overall ID play for 2058. Their final tally was 183-177 or .508. One of the narrower races I have on record, though I've measured slimmer leads. The top team across inter-division play as a whole was a tie between the Greensboro Blue Jays and our very own Turtles at 36-24 for a .600 record. Woohoo! The second best record was the Bridgeport Americans at 35-25 and .583. Nicely done!

Broken-Bat-ID-2058-Complete.jpg

Following up on Cruz's rookie season, the guy has been playing better than his really cold stretch shortly before the All Star break. He even had a bit right out of the break in which he was blistering hot. He still isn't doing well overall, and I'm still considering a short term change for a bit of an upgrade the rest of the season. I have another rookie playing a different position Atwood, who is hitting much better. If you told me before the season that Atwood would perform significantly better offensively than Cruz, I never would have believed it. Yet here we are more than 2/3rds of the way through and his OPS is more than 100 points higher.

Sometimes this game just makes me shake my head.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
"Is this season going to be the inverse of that trend (likely) or will we play better against the West for the rest of the season?"

Well, this question has already been answered fairly emphatic by the first rotation through the division. We went 6-10 and are already looking like we've faded from contention. It was nice while it lasted.
Alyksandur
Joined: 07/19/2017
Posts: 228

Boca Raton Gryphons
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
 🍾

 Yeah, I don’t get it either, but I won’t argue. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Congrats to the league champion Boca Raton Gryphons and the division winning Littleton Genesiz (who are still playing in R'lyeh, btw). Well done!
NotGood88
Joined: 08/28/2020
Posts: 510

Prattville Black Cats
II.2

Broken Bat Baseball
Welp, it's been a moment since I posted in a league thread. VI.30 was a completely dead thread, except when Boca Raton was there, yet, somehow, V.15 was even more dead. So I suppose when I actually rolled into an active IV.8 thread, I was too ignorant to care. Now we're in Year 4 in League 4, so I'll try to be active, I suppose.

It's been a stupid season for us. A 33-17 start in the division was immediately followed by a car crash, 2 train derailments, 3 shipwrecks, and a thousand plane crashes in interleague. We stumbled our way to a 9-21 record and went from 5 up to 4 behind. Luckily Hendersonville, Kenosha, and Peroia have provided us some nice relegation cushioning, and we won 2/5 the last series, so things are looking up. Sort of.

The ASG came and went, and we managed to get 5 selected, which I don't think has happened in a while. Harley and De La Cruz were absolutely rocking it at pitcher, even if the wins came a little harder for Mateo. The non-pitchers, however, were a bit less deserving. S. Trout is having a very good season, but the AI's bias towards AVG clearly showed in his selection. Santini is doing really well at 32, but he really needs to try and make it into more than 49 of 80 games. He used to be pretty healthy, but ever since his first ASG, he's been pretty shaky. For me, the most deserving was Dobbs, but of course he was the next to last selected (De La Cruz got the win out of the 'pen, Trout got MVP for going 2-2 with a pinch homer. Dobbs was 1-2 with a BB as a PH. Santini and Harley took the day off).

Would really like to at least hang in there for the 2nd half of interleague. We lucked out and got Carlton off waivers. Hopefully his pitching will help get us through these times. We're gonna give Meijer a run in the rotation. See how it goes, I suppose.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Congratulations to the league champion Battle Creek Sting and the division-winning Prattville Black Cats! I was sorta checked out this season so I didn't do my usual inter-division write up. Here are numbers, though:

1st Half:
Broken-Bat-ID-2059-1st-Half.jpg

2nd Half:
Broken-Bat-ID-2059-2nd-Half.jpg

Complete:
Broken-Bat-ID-2059-Complete.jpg

Updated Wednesday, May 24 2023 @ 4:09:00 pm PDT
tiffit1223
Joined: 06/26/2019
Posts: 3

Cape Coral Blue Locks
III.4

Broken Bat Baseball
Hi! First time seeing an active league thread from my league, then again, first time here lol! Keep the good work going
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Welcome to the league! I don't know how active we'll actually be, but hopefully we make it fun while it lasts.
tiffit1223
Joined: 06/26/2019
Posts: 3

Cape Coral Blue Locks
III.4

Broken Bat Baseball
I was lucky enough to survive and stay in the league! Hope we can keep building for promotion in the next two seasons while staying.
dmseamar11
Joined: 05/17/2023
Posts: 9

Sammamish Sluggers
III.4

Broken Bat Baseball
Start of the season today - good luck!

I am hoping for a top 4 finish to just stay put in league IV this season... my roster is on the older side now and I think if I were to go up, I'd just be right back down next season.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Well, I'm back.
Addimgp
Joined: 02/26/2023
Posts: 11

Rochester Hills Tigers
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Looks like we’ll be going up against each other this season. Good luck with your second place finish. 😁
Natedawg17
Joined: 04/05/2022
Posts: 4

Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Good luck to all this season!

Looking to stabilize after a disappointing campaign last year. Will need my aging core of hitters to continue to produce if we are to have any success. Could be nearing the end of an era as the guys that got us here are now all in their 30s. Hopefully father time has not caught up to them just yet!
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
We've finished the first round of division play, and we're about to start inter-division. With the first "third" of the season in the books, I figured it was a good time to check in and see where things stand.

The numbers after the team name are as follows: Wins, Losses, Winning Percentage, Games Back, and Run Differential

West
1 Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins 36, 14, .720, -, +100
2 Rochester Hills Tigers 29, 21, .580, 7, +8
3 San Luis Obispo Turtles 25, 25, .500, 11, +39
4 Novi Doubledays 23, 27, .460, 13, -21
5 League City Indians 19, 31, .380, 17, -63
6 Pasadena Owls 18, 32, .360, 18, -63

East
1 Saratoga Highlanders 35, 15, .700, -, +103
2 Kenosha Storm 30, 20, .600, 5, +8
3 Sunrise Octopuses 25, 25, .500, 10, -7
4 Kennesaw Knights 21, 29, .420, 14, -21
5 Melbourne Raccoons 20, 30, .400, 15, -37
6 Brockton Bombers 19, 31, .380, 16, -46

The top team in each division is absolutely running away with things. There's a lot of season left to play, but these are large leads so early. The run differentials that the Ragamuffins and Highlanders have put up suggest that it's not a mirage: these teams have been playing dominant baseball. Things can definitely change as the season progresses. I've seen teams fall off or come one with surprising strength, so I don't want to write anything off before it's time, though.

Fun observation: the arrangement of the two divisions in terms of winning percentage is shockingly similar. Approximately .700 at the top. approximately .600 in second, .500 in third and so on. It feels like there's a lot of separation between the layers for this point in the season.

I will admit that after promoting last season I harbored some hopes that we could compete in IV.8. This was obviously foolish. The focus now is making sure we don't demote, and at some point I may turn back towards development as a goal.

Updated Monday, February 19 2024 @ 4:54:22 pm PST
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Now that we have reached the end of inter-division play, let's take a look at how things played out.

In the first half, the East narrowly beat the west 92-88. The top individual team in first half ID play was the Novi Doubledays, but the East played more uniformly strong. Only one East time was below .500 before the break.

For our part, the Turtles played stronger than we had in divisional play. We made a few lineup changes which definitely helped, and some of our other players just started performing better.

Here are the full standings:
Broken-Bat-ID-2063-1st-Half.jpg

The second half of inter-division play was a big reversal. The West came on very strong to win 101-79. That's a collective .561 winning percentage! The best performing team in the second half was none other than my SLO Turtles. The East went from uniformly playing strong in the first 30 to almost as uniformly struggling the second. Notably, the Saratoga Highlanders were strong in the second half again, posting an identical 17-13 (.567 pct) record both halves.

Here are the numbers:
Broken-Bat-ID-2063-2nd-Half.jpg

It should come as no surprise that the West won inter-division play overall, posting a collective 189-171 record for a .525 winning percentage. The top team in ID play was. . . a tie! The SLO Turtles and Novi Doubledays each 36-24 for a .600 winning percentage. The next best record belonged to the Saratoga Highlanders, who were consistently good across ID play. Congratulations, fellas!

Here are the complete numbers:
Broken-Bat-ID-2063-Complete.jpg

Were does that leave the standings then? The race in the East is all but over. Saratoga's consistently strong play this season has built a very commanding 12 game lead. It is probably technically possible for them to blow this lead, but I think I may have been in divisions where the total spread from first to last was tighter than 12 games.

Here in the in the West, in contrast, things have tightened considerably. Rancho Cucamonga still have the lead, but any of the three teams below them is plausibly within striking difference. The Ragamuffins really need to recapture some of their early season dominance if they want to hang onto the division lead. Do they just match up better against other West teams? Have they been sandbagging in inter-division play to focus on development? If it's either of this possibilities, then they may have good odds of rebounding and hanging on to the lead.

Meanwhile, each of the Turtles, the Doubledays and the Tigers have the difficult task of gaining ground on the Ragamuffins while holding off the other teams. This could turn out to be a very tight race after all. If so, that is certainly not what I was expecting.

The numbers after the team name are as follows: Wins, Losses, Winning Percentage, Games Back, and Run Differential

1 Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins 63, 47, .573, -, +123
2 San Luis Obispo Turtles 61, 49, .555, 2, +100
3 Novi Doubledays 59, 51, .536, 4, +18
4 Rochester Hills Tigers 58, 52, .527, 5, +9
5 League City Indians 51, 59, .464, 12, -49
6 Pasadena Owls 47, 63, .427, 16, -94

1 Saratoga Highlanders 69, 41, .627, -, +157
2 Kenosha Storm 57, 53, .518, 12, -18
3 Kennesaw Knights 54, 56, .491, 15, -16
4 Sunrise Octopuses 53, 57, .482, 16, -35
5 Brockton Bombers 44, 66, .400, 25, -89
6 Melbourne Raccoons 44, 66, .400, 25, -106



Updated Saturday, March 9 2024 @ 8:34:08 am PST
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Aaaaand this question has now been emphatically resolved with the next series. Congratulations to the Novi Doubledays who will inevitably win the IV.8 West division in 2063!

I'm kidding of course, but dropping a three game sweep to the team two games behind you in the standing is just brutal. This game really gets under my skin sometimes.
Natedawg17
Joined: 04/05/2022
Posts: 4

Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Love these write-ups!
Man were we bad the first half of inter-division play. Unfortunately for us, sandbagging for development was not the cause of the dramatic decline in performance. I guess I can hope that we match up better in the West, but getting swept in the first series back to divisional play is not a good sign.
Looking more and more like that blazing hot start was an aberration and at this point, we can only hope to be in the hunt down the stretch. Definitely shaping up to be quite the finish!
Jerbeetwo
Joined: 06/30/2019
Posts: 327

Tyler Goldendoodles
IV.3

Broken Bat Baseball
Rochester Hills just doesn’t seem to have enough right now to win at Level IV. But it does look like we can be competitive. So this home grown team will hope for some draft luck next season and continued development of our younger players and try again next season.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Let's take a look at the standings as we head into the final "cycle" of the season.

In the West, the Novi Doubledays have a narrow lead over my SLO Turtles with the Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins a few games back. After a (kind of short-lived) hot streak, my Turtles have seriously scuffled. We've gone 1-2 in our last three series, so it feels like the momentum is with the Doubledays. On the other hand, their 1.5 game lead could evaporate in a single series. The Turtles and Doubledays are about to face each other in a three game set, which is obviously an important matchup at this stage of the season.

The Ragamuffins are not out of this thing, yet, but the hour is growing late for them to turn things around. I think the team has the potential.

1 Novi Doubledays (16) 81-63, .563, -, +67
2 San Luis Obispo Turtles 79-64, .552, 1½, +106
3 Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins 75-68, .524, 5½, +83
4 Rochester Hills Tigers 73-70, .510, 7½, +18
5 League City Indians 66-77, .462, 14½, -70
6 Pasadena Owls 65-79, .451, 16, -97

In the East, things are proceeding exactly as I have foreseen. Or something. The Highlanders still have a big lead, and with a magic number of only five they should lock up the division soon.

1 Saratoga Highlanders (5) 87-57, .604, -, +182
2 Kennesaw Knights 74-69, .517, 12½, +43
3 Sunrise Octopuses 74-69, .517, 12½, -15
4 Kenosha Storm 66-77, .462, 20½, -86
5 Melbourne Raccoons 62-81, .434, 24½, -92
6 Brockton Bombers 58-86, .403, 29, -139
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
There's one series left, but I think that's pretty much the division race. Dropping three out of four to League City caused us to fall 2 1/2 games back from Novi instead of the 1 game back we had been.
Geech
Joined: 01/12/2014
Posts: 545

San Luis Obispo Turtles
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Congratulations to the league champion Novi Doubledays and the East division winning Saratoga Highlanders!

My condolences to the relegating teams. We've all been there before.

I can't wait for next season! I hope we can compete again.
Addimgp
Joined: 02/26/2023
Posts: 11

Rochester Hills Tigers
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Good luck everyone this season. Take it easy on us poor Tigers we are a draft only team. But hopefully we are up to the chalkenge.
shmyles
Joined: 10/10/2018
Posts: 40

Apopka Rockets
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
good luck all!
Natedawg17
Joined: 04/05/2022
Posts: 4

Rancho Cucamonga Ragamuffins
IV.8

Broken Bat Baseball
Lots of developing to be done in Rancho this season, could be pretty rough going. Good luck everyone!


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