The Tribe: A Cleveland Indians Dynasty

[HoustonGM]

Now that my rosters are complete, I can start doing another dynasty. :)

Indians GM Shapiro Resigns, Smith to Replace Him
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/30/308257.jpg

Indians general manager Mark Shapiro announced his resignation today. He would not disclose a reason any more specific than "It's personal." The Indians front office was quick to announce a replacement. In a never-before-seen move, the Indians have hired a teenager to take the reins. Erik Smith is a senior in high school, but will manage to juggle school with running a major league baseball team. Smith issued this statement:

"Mark Shapiro has laid the groundwork for a great baseball team. We already have a strong, young nucleus set up with Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, C.C. Sabathia, and Cliff Lee, as well as some up-and-coming near-ready prospects like Andy Marte, Jeremy Sowers, and Ryan Garko. Lately, I've been heavily reading articles and books on sabermetrics, and I think you'll start to see a sabermetric revolution within the Indians franchise. If you're not a patient hitter, you better damn well bring something great to the table, or you'll find yourself on the way out the door."

Sources close to the Cleveland front office say that Smith is planning on entering 2006 with the current roster set up by Shapiro, but if things don't pan out this season, he'll begin overhauling the team in the offseason.

Next up, we'll take a look at the preseason power rankings, as well as a breakdown of the Cleveland Indians roster.

[HoustonGM]

Preseason Power Rankings
1)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/19.gif Los Angeles Dodgers - Derek Lowe and Greg Maddux front a star-studded pitching rotation, and Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, and J.D. Drew form a tough middle-of-the-order.
2)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/9.gif Minnesota Twins - Johan Santana, the best pitcher in baseball, looks to take Francisco Liriano, the best prospect in baseball, under his wing, while the M&M brothers, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, lead an aggressive lineup.
3)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/21.gif New York Mets - Big offseason deals by Omar Minaya have the Mets looking towards a world championship.
4)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/10.gif New York Yankees - The lineup has all stars up and down, but can the aging pitching staff hold up?
5)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/18.gif Houston Astros - Who can argue with a starting rotation that features Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Andy Pettite?
6)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/14.gif Toronto Blue Jays - An overhauled roster features a new addition behind the plate, in the rotation, and at closer. Can this new look team compete with the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East?
7)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/3.gif Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Management is expecting big things from the young tandem of Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver, while Juan Rivera and Vladimir Guerrero anchor the lineup.
8)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/25.gif San Diego Padres - Chris Young and Jake Peavy lead the rotation, but can the lineup hold up?
9)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/6.gif Detroit Tigers - The rotation can be dynamite if rookie Justin Verlander performs, and the lineup is very powerful, but needs to learn patience.
10)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/26.gif San Francisco Giants - Can Barry Bonds put up monster numbers after an injury-ridden 2005? The team is also expecting phenom Matt Cain and free-agent Matt Morris to perform big at the top of the rotation with Jason Schmidt.

[HoustonGM]

11)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/15.gif Atlanta Braves - Is this the end of the Braves' long division title streak? The lineup looks good, but the rotation might be shaky.
12)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/4.gif Chicago White Sox - Wear and tear seemed to have gotten to the rotation this spring, but the acquisition of Jim Thome sets up a 3-4-5 middle of the order capable of smashing 100 home runs themselves.
13)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/24.gif St. Louis Cardinals - Chris Carpenter is the only sure thing in the rotation, and Albert Pujols is the only sure thing in the lineup.
14)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/29.gif Arizona Diamondbacks - The team is expecting a Cy Young year from ace Brandon Webb, and the lineup is solid through and through, although it's lacking a big bopper.
15)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/27.gif Colorado Rockies - The team looked great this spring, but can it hold up during the regular season? An increased humidor effect may tamper with Coors Field's usual monster power numbers.
16)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/8.gif Milwaukee Brewers - After a .500 showing last year, the team's expecting repeat years from Ben Sheets, Doug Davis, and Chris Capuano. If Dave Bush improves, this team could feature a monster rotation.
17)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/13.gif Texas Rangers - The rotation has been completely overhauled. It now features Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Adam Eaton, and Kip Wells. Carlos Lee was brought in to provide even more power.
18)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/11.gif Oakland Athletics - Besides Barry Zito, nobody here stands out. Can the team pull together and take over the division from the Angels?
19)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/5.gif Cleveland Indians - Rookie Jeremy Sowers is being thrust into the rotation, and the club is hoping Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner anchor the lineup.
20)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/28.gif Florida Marlins - 15 rookies start the season on the 25-man roster. How will the youngn's do?

[HoustonGM]

21)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/12.gif Seattle Mariners - The rotation could be a big question mark, while the lineup isn't much different.
22)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/2.gif Boston Red Sox - Boston? This far down? Coco Crisp isn't likely to duplicate Johnny Damon's performance, while the rotation features rookies Jon Lester and David Pauley. The bullpen has all the makings of a disaster.
23)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/22.gif Philadelphia Phillies - A lot is expected from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of the order, while the rotation features rookie Cole Hamels.
24)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/1.gif - It's a roster of average players with Erik Bedard, Ramon Hernandez and Miguel Tejada thrown in.
25)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/17.gif Cincinnati Reds - The Reds are hoping Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang can lead a pitching staff that's in shambles, while the weight of the lineup is on the backs of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Adam Dunn.
26)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/23.gif Pittsburgh Pirates - The entire team is pretty young, and it's doubtful they'll do anything big this season, or even next.
27)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/16.gif Chicago Cubs - Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Derrek Lee all start the season on the DL, and the team is forced to go with a rotation featuring 4 rookies!
28)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/20.gif Washington Nationals - The lineup looks decent, but the pitching staff is a complete mess. Only Chad Cordero is a lock for a decent season there.
29)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/30.gif Tampa Bay Devil Rays - This team is full of young prospects who could one day lead a great team, but that day isn't today.
30)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/7.gif Kansas City Royals - They're the Royals. What else is there to say?

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Im reading. I have been waiting to see an Indians dynatsy

[HoustonGM]

The Lineup - This lineup is capable of scoring a ton of runs. It has power up and down, although we hope the team's patience improves.
1) CF Grady Sizemore - Just one word to describe this guy - absolute stud. Okay, two words. He's got it all - contact, power, speed, fielding, eye.
2) 2B Hector Luna - We're going to use April to evaluate him, and he might fall into a platoon eventually.
3) RF Casey Blake - We're hoping he can stay healthy and return to 2004 form.
4) DH Travis Hafner - An absolute beast. We're hoping to get a .300 AVG, .400 OBP, and 40+ home runs from him.
5) C Victor Martinez - His defense is iffy, but there's no question he's one of the best hitting catchers in baseball.
6) 1B Ryan Garko - The first of two rookies in our lineup. The future is special for Garko, who's hit well at every stop in the minors.
7) 3B Andy Marte - This highly touted prospect went from Atlanta to Boston and finally stopped here in Cleveland. We're expecting a so-so year in 2006, but hope he'll break out next season.
8) SS Jhonny Peralta - He's a wizard in the field, but can he duplicate his offensive numbers from 2005?
9 LF Jason Michaels - We hope a switch to a full-time role doesn't hurt his production.

Bench - Jose Cruz was signed to come off the bench as a valuable pinch hitter/defensive repalcement.
OF Jose Cruz - His skills have obviously diminished, but he still plays solid defense, and his eye has improved with age.
OF Shin-Soo Choo - We hope this rookie can provide some flexibility in the outfield.
UTL Joe Inglett - Another rookie on the bench, but he's old (27) and has nothing left to prove in the minors. He can play outfield and the two middle infield positions.
IF Aaron Boone - After a horrid 2005, Boone's role has been reduced to infield utility.
C Kelly Shoppach - The third rookie on the bench will backup Victor Martinez and might get some starts at first base.

Starting Rotation - The rotation looks great, and has a nice mix of finesse and power as well as young and old.
1) C.C. Sabathia - The ace of the staff through and through. He's a workhorse.
2) Jake Westbrook - He's sure to induce a boatload of grounders. Another workhorse who has two straight years of 200+ innings under his belt.
3) Jeremy Sowers - A rookie finesse master. Just 22 years old, Sowers hopes to prove his worth to the Indians.
4) Paul Byrd - A veteran finesse pitcher. Byrd should help mentor rookie Sowers as well as provide acceptable pitching.
5) Cliff Lee - Lee had a breakout year last year, but an offseason injury left his arm a little shaken up. We hope he can overcome it and give us 5 strong starters.

Bullpen - This is the weakest part of the team, and one that we'll look to signficantly upgrade this offseason.
Closer) Rafael Betancourt - No closing experience, but he has provided the Indians with the best relief work the last few years.
Set Up) Jason Davis - He failed as a starter, but hopes to find new life in a relief role.
Short Relief) Juan Lara - A rookie. We don't know what to expect here.
Short Relief) Fausto Carmona - Another rookie. Again, this is all up in the air.
Middle Relief) Fernando Cabrera - He's a power pitcher, but like the two guys ahead of him in the bullpen pecking order, we don't know what to expect.
Long Relief) Jeremy Guthrie - The 4th rookie of the pen, and another toss-up.

[HoustonGM]

THE FARM SYSTEM
Side Note: The following minor league veterans have been released by the Indians: IF Lou Merloni, IF Jason Alfaro, OF Jason Dubois, 3B Jared Sandberg, RP Rob Bell, and RP Vic Darensbourg.

AAA Buffalo Bisons
The outfield features three decent prospects - LF Jason Cooper, CF Brian Barton, and RF Franklin Gutierrez. Gutierrez and Cooper are in line for a promotion if any injuries happen up in the big leagues. 1B Michael Aubrey was once a highly-touted prospect, but injuries have left his future a question mark. IF Mike Rouse and IF Ramon Vazquez are both veterans who hope to prove to the front office that they're capable of a utility job in the majors.

Jason Stanford, Brian Sikorski and Danny Graves are two veteran pitchers with nowhere to go but down, but they're being kept around as insurance. Thomas Mastny, Andrew Brown, and Brian Slocum hope to compete for a bullpen spot.

AA Akron Aeros
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff hopes to show that his bat his as potent as it's been in the lower levels. CF Trevor Crowe and RF Brad Snyder are both future big league outfielders. IF Eider Torres may have to settle for a utility job some day. 1B Ryan Mulhern might never amount to much either.

Jake Dittler and Ronald Bay front the rotation. Bay may find himself at the back of a major league rotation by 2010. Dan Denham, Rafael Perez, and Tony Sipp all have a decent shot at a future in a major league bullpen. Edward Mujica is the brightest pitching prospect in Akron.

A Lake County Captains
Stephen Head mans first base and might be a decent first basemen in the majors one day. IF Asdrubal Cabrera is a strong defender but doesn't offer much with the stick. C Max Ramirez has a strong arm and could be an on-base machine in the future. CF John Drennen is a so-so prospect.

Adam Miller has a ceiling as a future big league ace. Chuck Lofgren might one day be a decent middle-of-the-rotation starter. J.D. Martin and Nick Pesco are iffy. Jensen Lewis could also go either way.

R Burlington Indians
Everything's pretty devoid of talent here, except for starting pitcher Cody Bunkleman who has a lot to prove and a low ceiling.

[HoustonGM]

Transactions Prior to Opening Day
The Rockies signed P Rob Bell and P Steve Kent.
The Devil Rays signed P Felix Sanchez, IF Jason Alfaro, LF Jason Dubois, 1B Travis Lee P Franklyn German and P Justin Wayne. UTL Damian Jackson was signed to play a bench role.
The Pirates signed OF Tony Alvarez.
The Phillies signed 3B Tony Batista.
The Cubs signed 1B Dmitri Young. He's going to platoon at first base with John Mabry until Derrek Lee is healthy.
The Tigers signed C Javy Lopez to back up Pudge Rodriguez.

The Cubs signed SP Carlos Zambrano to a 3-year deal worth over $30 million. They also resigned SP Mark Prior to a 2-year deal, a tad to early I'd say, considering he's injured for a few months.

[HoustonGM]

Ok. wow. These HTML box scores are really annoying me. I just lost all my work on April. I had it all set up awesomely, with good game lines, in-depth injury analysis, trade analysis, etc. I guess I'll use Microsoft Word from now on, and copy/paste to post it.

Since I'm not redoing all this, it's not going to look pretty at all, but May will be better.

We finish 11-13 on the month.

We made the following moves:

APRIL 11, 2006
Padres receive Jason Stanford (SP), Jason Davis (RP) and Ramon Vazquez (3B)
Indians receive Scott Linebrink (RP) and Todd Walker (3B)

APRIL 12, 2006
Cardinals receive Matt Miller (RP)
Indians receive Scott Spiezio (3B) and John Rodriguez (LF)

APRIL 17, 2006
Astros receive Joe Inglett (2B), Asdrubal Cabrera (SS), John Drennen (CF) and Rafael Perez (SP)
Indians receive Brad Lidge (CL)

In a strange move on the Dodgers part:
APRIL 13, 2006
Mariners receive Andre Ethier (LF) and Andy LaRoche (3B)
Dodgers receive Willie Bloomquist (CF) and George Sherrill (RP)

John Rodriguez and Jason Michaels are in a platoon in LF right now. Andy Marte was sent to AAA along with Shin-Soo Choo. Scott Spiezio's starting at 3B. Todd Walker and Ryan Garko are platooning at 1B.

Jeremy Sower's will be out til mid-May. So the pithing staff in the meantime is:

1) Sabathia
2) Westbrook
3) Jeremy Guthrie
4) Byrd
5) Lee

Closer - Lidge
Setup - Linebrink
Short - Betancourt
Short - Cabrera
Middle - Carmona
Long- Danny Graves

Juan Lara was sent to AAA.

Travis Hafner leads the majors with 13 home runs. 6 players are batting above .400.


Yeah. Sorry this blew. Now I know not to make the report in the actual post. May will be much more indepth and prettier.

[HoustonGM]

I'm going to post Post-April power rankings (which will just be alisting without blurbs, like the pre-season ones were), followed by May and possibly more months whe nI get home this evening. I would like some more reader intercation, so feel free to post your comments!

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Good job gettng Lidge and Linebrink. They sould really help your bullpen out.

[HoustonGM]

I figured that a full monthly power ranking update would help let you all know of whats going on around the league. The team’s record is listed following their name, and then a +/- of where they were last month. Following that, a small blurb.

May 1st Power Rankings
1)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/15.gif Atlanta Braves – 19-5 – +10 – The Braves flew through April to a 19-5 tune. Monster months from Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, and Adam LaRoche helped a so-so pitching staff.
2)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/10.gif New York Yankees – 17-7 – +3 – Strong performances by Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, and Johnny Damon kept the team afloat. With the recent injuries to Cano (20 days) and Jeter (52 days) the Yankees are forced to go with a middle infield of Frank Menechino and Miguel Cairo. With the below-average pitching, that could spell disaster.
3) http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/9.gif Minnesota Twins – 16-8 – -1 – With an injury to Carlos Silva, the staff is full of question marks after its vicious 1-2 punch of Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. Justin Morneau won’t be back until the very end of September. This hot April isn’t likely a sign of good things to come.
4)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/18.gif Houston Astros – 16-7 – +1 – Lance Berkman (.422/.515/.783) and Morgan Ensberg (.318/.500/.636) are tearing the cover off the ball. Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Roy Oswalt, and Taylor Buchholz have all pitched superbly. Dan Wheeler helps offset the loss of Brad Lidge.
5)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/6.gif Detroit Tigers – 15-9 – +4 – Phenomenal pitching has been the key to the Tigers success, especially from late-inning relievers Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones, who, combined, have pitched 20 and two-thirds scoreless innings. Marcus Thames has provided power with an AL-leading 12 home runs.
6)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/26.gif San Francisco Giants – 14-9 – +4 – Ray Durham is having a fantastic start to the season, batting .330/.385/.739 with 10 home runs. The Giants top 5 hitters all have OBP’s above .380. The bullpen has been a strong point.
7)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/21.gif New York Mets – 15-9 – -4 – Their pitching staff has been iffy, but David Wright and Co. have mashed the ball. Jose Reyes has been a speed demon, stealing 17 bases in 21 tries.
8)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/14.gif Toronto Blue Jays – 14-10 – -2 – A major-league leading .316 team batting average has the Jays setting their sights early on a playoff trip. However, A.J. Burnett and Ted Lilly both have ERA’s above 9.
9)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/19.gif Los Angeles Dodgers – 13-11 – -8 – Relatively little power from the offense hasn’t helped a ground-ball staff. With the sudden retirement of Takashi Saito, the Dodgers are forced to use newcomer George Sherrill and his 11.05 ERA in the closer spot.
10)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/12.gif Seattle Mariners – 14-10 – +11 – Outside of the 8 and 9 spot hitters Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt (both with averages above .340), the offense has been dismal. A decent pitching staff has helped them win games.

[HoustonGM]

11)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/25.gif San Diego Padres – 12-11 – -3 – Russell Branyan is having an uncharacteristically strong season, batting .280/.359/.671. Outside of his 10 home runs, nobody else on the team has more than 3. Ace Jake Peavy has been dominant.
12)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/13.gif Texas Rangers – 13-11 – +5 – The offense has been superb, with a breakout performance by Mark DeRosa (.422/.484/.699). Pitching-wise, only Adam Eaton has an ERA below 5 in the rotation, but the bullpen is strong outside of Wes Littleton.
13)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/27.gif Colorado Rockies – 11-12 – 0 – Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Brad Hawpe have all turned in strong Aprils. Pitching, as always in Denver, is the question mark.
14)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/2.gif Boston Red Sox – 12-12 – +8 – The pitching has been pretty iffy, but decent offense has kept the team afloat. It’s going to be tough competing with the offensive juggernauts in New York and Toronto.
15)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/23.gif Pittsburgh Pirates – 11-11 – +11 – The lineup has been surprisingly strong, as has the bullpen. Outside of Zach Duke, the rotation is all posting ERA’s above 5.80 though. The success should be short-lived.
16)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/29.gif Arizona Diamondbacks – 11-13 – -2 – Brandon Webb is the only good pitcher, and the lineup is struggling outside of Conor Jackson and Jeff DaVanon, say WHAT?!
17)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/16.gif Chicago Cubs – 11-12 – +10 – With a 5.47 ERA, the pitching has been horrendous, but the offense has been surprisingly capable, led by 3B Aramis Ramirez.
18)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/3.gif Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -11-14 – -11 – Ervin Santana has struggled to the tune of an 0-4 record and an ERA above 10. Maicer Iztruris has been a pleasant surprise at the hot corner, and Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera form a potent middle-of-the-order.
19)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/4.gif Chicago White Sox – 10-14 – -7 – As we predicted, a strong offense, but the pitching staff has been struggling.
20)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/17.gif Cincinnati Reds -12-12 – +5 – Rich Aurilia has taken over at third for the injured Edwin Encarnacion and has produced beyond his wildest dreams. Eric Milton has given up more home runs than walks. Pitching has been a question mark through and through.

[HoustonGM]

21)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/5.gif Cleveland Indians – 11-13 – -2 – A staff ERA of 6.22 never bodes well. The lineup has produced decently, but Grady Sizemore needs to step it up.
22)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/24.gif St. Louis Cardinals – 9-14 – -9 – The future doesn’t look good when your staff ace and reigning Cy Young winner is 1-4 with a 7.45 ERA. Outside of Adam Wainwright, the bullpen has been decent.
23)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/20.gif Washington Nationals -12-12 – +5 – Nick Johnson and Austin Kearns are the only hitters that seem alive. Pitching has been horrendous. It’s a mystery how this team is at a .500 record.
24)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/1.gifBaltimore Orioles – 10-14 – 0 – Corey Patterson has a .391 OBP, that’s an eye-opener. Miguel Tejada’s doing his usual thing. Pitching, bad. Mmm.
25)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/11.gif Oakland Athletics – 10-14 – -7 – The lineup has produced outside of Bobby Crosby, but pitching is again the bane of a team. The bullpen looks amazing though, led by Joe Kennedy’s 16 scoreless innings.
26)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/8.gif Milwaukee Brewers – 9-15 – -10 – Kevin Mench and Chris Capuano are the lone bright spots here.
27)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/28.gif Florida Marlins – 8-16 – -7 – Rookie SS Hanley Ramirez is done for the year, and Brian Cleveland, his replacement, surely is not ready for the big leagues. Miguel Cabrera has been outstanding, but the rest of the team looks shoddy.
28)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/30.gif Tampa Bay Devil Rays – 9-16 – +1 – Rocco Baldelli, B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford have been superb at the top of the order. Not much is brewing in the offense besides those three. Injuries are already starting to decimate the already bad pitching staff.
29)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/7.gif Kansas City Royals – 7-17 – +1 – The middle of the order (Mark Teahen, Mike Sweeney, and Ryan Shealy) has produced, but outside of Philadelphia, the pitching is the worst in the majors.
30)http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/MLB/TeamLogo/Small/22.gif Philadelphia Phillies – 5-19 – -7 – Chase Utley is out for the season. The pitching staff is an absolute mess. Not a recipe for success.

[Sanji Watsuki]

Interesting way of keeping up with the season. May I incorporate it into my Montreal dynasty (where Bonds has suddenly returned to his ridiculous form)?

[HoustonGM]

Sure. It's a bit tedious, but hey!

[HoustonGM]

May 2006 - 15-14
Season Record: 26-27 (5 GB Detroit)

Indians News
May 6 – 2B Hector Luna went down for a month with a broken collar bone. Todd Walker has moved to second base fulltime, with Ryan Garko regaining a fulltime role at first. Mike Rouse was recalled to be a utilityman.
May 28 – We received very disheartening news that rookie Ryan Garko will miss the rest of the season with a broken fibula. To offset the loss of the struggling rookie, we pulled a deal with Kansas City.

Kansas City receives:
OF Jose Cruz
1B Ryan Mulhern

Cleveland receives:
1B Doug Mientkiewicz

Doug was batting .333/.419/.444 in 36 at bats with KC. He’ll take over as the full-time first basemen. Shin-Soo Choo was recalled from AAA.
May 30 - Scott Spiezio suffered three small injuries throughout the month. His most recent injury, a twisted knee, will keep him out of action for 10 days. Andy Marte has been ripping it up in AAA, and will get another shot to prove his worth.

Top Indians Games
May 5 vs. Minnesota (5-1 win) – Grady Sizemore went 4 for 4, with two runs, a double, a home run, and 3 runs batted in.
May 7 vs. Tampa Bay (5-2 win) – We got all our runs on solo home runs – one each from Travis Hafner, Scott Spiezio, and Ryan Garko, and two from Casey Blake.
May 17 vs. Los Angeles Angeles (7-4 win) – John Rodriguez had a nice 3 for 4 night with a double and 4 RBI.
May 20 vs. Cincinnati (3-1 win) – C.C. Sabathia threw a 1-run complete game with 10 strikeouts.
May 21 vs. Cincinnati (16-8 win) – An all-out slugfest. Both teams were into their bullpens by the fourth inning. Todd Walker led the hit parade, going 4 for 5 with a double, a home run, and an impressive 8 runs batted in.
May 31 vs. Oakland (5-0 win) – Jake Westbrook through a dazzling complete game shut out, allowing 5 hits and striking out 8 batters. He used just 100 pitches. Casey Blake provided two 2-run home runs.


News From Around the League
May 1- Padres catcher Mike Piazza launched his 400th career home run.
May 11- Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux added another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume – a no-hitter. He allowed just one walk, and pitched a very economical game, throwing just 93 pitches in the full 9 innings.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (31-20)
AL Central: Detroit (30-21)
AL West: Texas (30-21)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (29-23)

NL East: Atlanta (35-17)
NL Central: Houston (36-16)
NL West: San Diego (27-23)/Los Angeles (28-24)
NL Wild Card: New York (34-18)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: C Victor Martinez (.315)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (19)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (41)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.460)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.55)
ERA (Reliever): RP Danny Graves (2.16)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (6)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (76)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (12, 8 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (.392)
Home Runs: Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (20)
Runs Batted In: Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (59)
On-Base Percentage: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.487)
ERA: Astros SP Roger Clemens (1.43)
Wins: Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (9)
Strikeouts: Brewers SP Chris Capuano (86)
Saves: Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (18)

On the Injury Front
-The White Sox lost utilityman Rob Mackowiak for the year. Mackowiak was platooning in center field with rookie Brian Anderson, who has now taken over the full-time role.
-The Reds lost Ryan Franklin from their bullpen until mid-August with tendonitis in his elbow.
-The Twins will be without leadoff man 2B Luis Castillo until mid-July. Michael Cuddyer is expected to play 2B, opening up right field for rookie Doug Deeds.\
-The Nationals will add SS Felipe Lopez to their evergrowing disabled list. Lopez will undergo back surgery and will miss the rest of the season. 27-year old rookie Josh Labandeira will man short.
-As if the news wasn’t bad enough for Philadelphia when they got the news that Chase Utley will miss the rest of the season and Randy Wolf won’t be back until late July, their ace, Brett Myers, is the next victim of the injury bug. A broken ankle will keep him out of action until September.

[Sanji Watsuki]

Sure. It's a bit tedious, but hey!

Tedious is the opposite of my middle name!

[HoustonGM]

Skipping the power rankings this month, they're a bit too tedious :p to do every month.

[HoustonGM]

June 2006 20-5
Season Record: 46-32 (2 games up on Detroit)

Monthly Wrapup
Oh man. Did we got hot this month, or what? We stormed past Detroit with a 20-5 record in June. Torrid hitting is the main cause of the surge.

Doug Mientkiewicz has been an amazing replacement at first. When we traded for him, we were expecting solid defense and veteran leadership. We figured his nice numbers in Kansas City were a result of a small sample size. Boy, were we wrong, or what? He’s hit BETTER in Cleveland, with a .356/.443/.466 line.

I don’t like to sound like a sabermetric fan boy, but great on-base ability is the main reason for our hitting prowess. 7 of our 9 starters have on-base percentages above .340. Casey Blake weighs in at .333, with Jhonny Peralta a measly .302. We have two hitters, Travis Hafner and the afortmentioned Doug Mientkiewicz, above .400 and John Rodriguez is nearing the .400 mark with a .397 OBP. Our bench has been way below average, but with the durability of our starters, that’s okay.

Our rotation has strongly improved. Its main strength is its durability and efficiency – 11 complete games so far. Jake Westbrook and C.C. Sabathia are tied with Jon Lieber for the major league lead of 4 complete games each. Jeremy Sowers has given two, and Paul Byrd one. Our bullpen has been average, with an ERA in the mid 4’s, but Lidge, despite a 4.43 ERA in Cleveland, has 16 saves in 17 chances.

Indians News
June 19 – Paul Byrd goes down for about two weeks with a pulled groin. Danny Graves will be given a chance to start in Byrd’s absence.
June 30 – Mike Rouse will miss the rest of the season. Released.

Top Indians Games
June 5 vs. Detroit (8-2 win)– C.C. Sabathia allowed 2 runs in his third complete game of the year. He piled on 10 strikeouts on top of that.
June 10 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (7-3 win) – Hector Luna continued in his torrid hitting since returning from the disabled list, going 4 for 6 with 3 RBI in this game.
June 12 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (3-0 win) – Following a combined shutout of the Dodgers on June 11, Jake Westbrook went the distance for a 2-hit complete game shutout, with six strikeouts and no walks. He was perfect through the last 4 innings.
June 13 vs. Arizona (8-3 win) – John Rodriguez went 4 for 4 and his proving to be a valuable outfielder in a full-time role. He has little power, showcased by his .380 SLG, but his .307 batting average and .399 OBP can’t be argued with at the top of the order.
June 14 vs. Arizona (8-4 win) – Grady Sizemore has been mashing lately, going 3 for 5 with two runs, one home run, and three RBIs in this game, marking a 6 six Indian winning streak.
June 18 vs. Colorado (17-5 win) – With trade rumors swirling, Jhonny Peralta made a strong case to stay in Cleveland, hitting for the cycle with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored.
June 28 vs. Chicago White Sox (12-4 win) – Travis Hafner had two home runs to go with 2 walks and 5 RBI.
June 29 vs. Chicago White Sox (3-1 win) – C.C. Sabathia notched another complete game, allowing 1 run. Doug Mientkiewicz has been a hot hitter since coming to Cleveland, and he went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI this game.


News From Around the League
June 21 – The Nationals made a move that seems to downgrade their rotation, and not upgrade anywhere else.

Washington Nationals receive:
IF Augie Ojeda
RP Roberto Novoa

Chicago Cubs receive:
SP Ramon Ortiz
OF Prentice Redman
RP Kevin Gryboski

Ramon Ortiz made a big splash in Chicago in his debut, going 8 innings and allowing just 1 run. Ortiz will hopefully eat some innings on a Chicago staff that’s been riddled by injuries and has been forced to go with many rookies, such as Donald Veal, Rich Hill, Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, and Angel Guzman.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (48-30)
AL Central: Cleveland (46-32)
AL West: Texas (48-30)
AL Wild Card: Detroit/Los Angeles (44-34)

NL East: New York (51-27)
NL Central: Houston (53-25)
NL West: San Diego (42-35)
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (49-29)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz (.349, .356 w/ CLE)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (27)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (67)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.485)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.31)
ERA (Reliever): RP Scott Linebrink (4.12, 4.34 w/ CLE)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (11)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (110)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (20, 16 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.391)
Home Runs: Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (31)
Runs Batted In: Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (87)
On-Base Percentage: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.497)
ERA: Astros SP Roger Clemens (1.87)
Wins: Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (13)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (129)
Saves: Tigers RP Todd Jones/Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (24)

On the Injury Front
-The banged up Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose starting pitcher for the rest of the year. They’re actually getting decent outings from their plentiful rookie replacements.
-The Yankees shaky bullpen just got shakier when they received the news that Scott Proctor will undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of this season and part of next season.
-The Cardinals lost rookie left fielder Chris Duncan to a torn ankle ligament. He’ll miss the rest of the season. Preston Wilson gets a full-time role.
-The Astros lost sophomore center fielder Willy Taveras for the rest of the season. The well-traveled Tike Redman is getting a chance to showcase his abilities for the Astros staff, as he will platoon with Chris Burke in center.
-Royals third basemen Mark Teahen will miss most of the season following a horrific trip down the stairs. He was showing strong on-base capabilities, but Esteban German, his replacement, while a downgrade in the power department, is a decent hitter.
-The Twins lost two of their main players on the same day. Reliever Juan Rincon will be out until September with a broken arm. Justin Morneau’s replacement, Phil Nevin, will join Morneau on the 60-day DL with a broken wrist. The Twins, who were hoping for a breakout season from Morneau, are now forced to go with rookie Garrett Jones at first base.
-The Pirates lost their “ace” Zach Duke for the rest of the season.

[HoustonGM]

July 2006 21-5
Season Record: 67-38 (11.5 games ahead of Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
Another monster month. We’re now 41-10 over the last two months, and we’ve taken a stranglehold on the AL Central, moving 11 and a half games up on the second place Twins. We enter August coming off an absolute monster sweep against Baltimore, where we outscored the Orioles 40-6 in three games. Travis Hafner’s huge month catapulted him into being the favorite for AL MVP, despite being a designated hitter.

We really like our lineup here. At the top, you have the speedy Carl Crawford. Carl’s batting .304/.361/.500 in 56 at bats with us and has a perfect four steals so far. Doug Mientkiewicz is keeping up his hot hitting, keeping his line with Cleveland at .352/.441/.508. Sizemore struggled in July, but everybody knows how great a talent he is. Travis Hafner, man. This guy is a beauty! .331/.474/.760. Casey Blake really improved in July, and now has 24 home runs and 73 RBI, with a .289/.351/.527 line. Spiezio’s also stepped things up, despite shaky defense at short. Victor Martinez’s numbers are right in line with his career, except for his decreased power production, which is still mysterious. Walker’s numbers are bad, due mostly to his horrible hitting against lefties. He’s batting full-time vs. righties only now, and his .271/.351/.406 line vs. righties is sweet. John Rodriguez has been a great pick up, batting .285/.390/.361. We’d like some more power production, but a .390 OBP at the league minimum cost is just awesome.

Our pitching has definitely kept on improving. C.C. Sabathia is the undisputed ace of the staff, with a 15-3 record and a 3.02 ERA. Cliff Lee has had some struggles, but Byrd, Sowers, and Westbrook have all been productive. After a rough start to his Indian career, Brad Lidge has really settled down. He’s now 26 for 27 in saves in a Cleveland uniform, with a 2.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 34 innings. Scott Linebrink and Ruddy Lugo have stabilized the path to Lidge.

Indians News
July 10 – Jason Cooper went down for the season with a severed ligament in his elbow.
July 18 – We made the first big splash of the trading season. Disappointed with the low OBP’s of middle infielders Hector Luna and Jhonny Peralta, we dealt both of them to Tampa Bay, and netted a pretty big fish.

Tampa Bay receives:
SS Jhonny Peralta
2B Hector Luna
IF Aaron Boone
OF Jason Cooper

Cleveland receives:
RP Ruddy Lugo
LF Carl Crawford

The addition of Crawford shook up the lineup, and we signed IF Tim Hummel to a minor league deal to play utility in the infield. Ruddy Lugo gets inserted into Fausto Carmona’s bullpen spot, as Carmona’s been demoted to AAA.

In 44 innings with the Devil Rays, Lugo’s posted a 3.27 ERA and has held opponents to a .204 batting average. Despite being a righty, he’s held lefties to a miniscule .130 average. His power and control are areas of concern though, as he has 30 walks to just 26 strikeouts.

Crawford is the definition of a five-tool player. He’s batting .294/.339/.464 on the season. His extra-base hit numbers are near equal – 10 doubles, 8 triples, 12 homers. He’s also stolen an insane 43 bases in 45 attempts. Here in Cleveland, we don’t like the stolen base much, partially because of the risk. Losing an out is a horrible thing when it could’ve been prevented if you just stayed put. However, we’re going to let Crawford run at his own will. With that sort of success rate, it can only benefit us. Our lineup now looks like this:

LF Carl Crawford
1B Doug Mientkiewicz
CF Grady Sizemore
DH Travis Hafner
3B Casey Blake
SS Scott Spiezio
C Victor Martinez
2B Todd Walker
RF John Rodriguez

On the bench, we see two new faces manning infield spots – 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff was called up from AA Akron where he batted .320/.386/.526. Tim Hummel also will man a utility position.
July 27 – We weren’t liking where our bench was going with two natural third basemen, so the day after Henry Mateo was released from Washington, we snatched him up. Kevin Kouzmanoff will travel back to Akron. Mateo has speed, but little else offensively. He can play a decent defense up the middle. Due to Todd Walker’s struggles against lefties (10 for 69 this year), Mateo will start at second vs. southpaws.

Top Indians Games
July 8 vs. Texas (11-1 win) – Grady Sizemore led the hit parade with two home runs and 5 RBI. Travis Hafner provided two round trippers of his own to go with two walks and three runs.
July 9 vs. Texas (13-4 win) – On back to back days, Sizemore launched two home runs. He added two walks to his box score line in this game. Victor Martinez went 3 for 4 with a home run and six runs batted in.
July 10 vs. Texas (4-0 win) – C.C. Sabathia threw another complete game, this one of the shutout form. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks and struck out 9
July 16 vs. Detroit (6-3 win) – Scott Spiezio had a huge night, going 5 for 5. He had two home runs and three runs batted in.
July 17 vs. Detroit (7-1 win) – Travis Hafner blasted three balls over the fence during his 4 for 5 night. He had 5 runs batted in.
July 18 vs. Chicago White Sox (7-0 win) – A day after smashing three roundtrippers, Travis Hafner hit two more, making that three multi-homer games this month. He went 3 for 4 in all and drove in 4 runs.
July 19 vs. Chicago White Sox (1-0 win) – We shut out the Chisox for the second straight day. Jake Westbrook went 8 innings, allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk. Brad Lidge pitched a perfect 9th to close out the game.
July 21 vs. Toronto (6-3 win) – Surprise Doug Mientkiewicz went 4 for 4, but had little to show for it with just one run batted in.
July 26 vs. Minnesota (7-6 win) – Travis Hafner launched home runs 39 and 40, becoming the first 40-homer man in the majors at an early date. This marked Hafner’s 4th multi-homer game of July. John Rodriguez hit his first home run this season.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (66-38)
AL Central: Cleveland (67-37)
AL West: Texas (60-44)
AL Wild Card: Los Angeles (58-47)

NL East: New York (70-35)
NL Central: Houston (67-38)
NL West: San Diego (60-44)
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (65-40)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz (.349, .352 w/ CLE)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (42)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (109)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.474)
ERA (Starter): SP C.C. Sabathia (3.02)
ERA (Reliever): RP Brad Lidge (3.00, 2.91 w/ CLE)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (15)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (146)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (30, 26 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.394)
Home Runs: Indians DH Travis Hafner (42)
Runs Batted In: Indians DH Travis Hafner (109)
On-Base Percentage: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.488)
ERA: Astros SP Roger Clemens (2.01)
Wins: Indians SP C.C. Sabathia/Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (15)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (183)
Saves: Padres RP Trevor Hoffman (33)

On the Injury Front
-The Marlins lost rookie starter Anibal Sanchez for the rest of the year to a ruptured cervical disc. Sanchez finishes his rookie season with a 4-8 record and a 5.08 ERA.
-In another devastating blow, the Yankees lost DH/1B Jason Giambi for the rest of the season and into the postseason. The Yankees will use Craig Wilson at first and rookie Bronson Sardinha at DH until Gary Sheffield is activated in August.
-Brian Cleveland, the Marlins replacement for Hanley Ramirez at short stop, suffered a tear in his knee and will be out until the end of August. With no other viable replacements, the Marlins are forced to use outfielder Reggie Abercrombie at shortstop. Abercrombie played 38 games at second base in Dan Uggla’s spot earlier in the season, where he performed abysmally, with 14 errors in those 38 appearances.
-The Orioles lost right fielder Jay Gibbons for the year. The O’s are drawing massive criticism in not allowing Nick Markakis to get playing time, opting instead to give the right field job to fellow rookie Val Majewski. Markakis, meanwhile, is toiling in AA just trying to get the Orioles management to notice him.
-The underperforming Rangers third basemen Hank Blalock (.237/.308/.359) went down for the rest of the year with a broken wrist. Mark DeRosa will move from right field to third base, opening up right field for Nelson Cruz to showcase his power and speed skills.
-The Marlins will be without rookie starter Yusmeiro Petit for the rest of the season.
-Bad news for Brewers fans, as Geoff Jenkins goes down for the year. Corey Hart takes over full time in right.
-Miguel Tejeda has got to be upset. Desperate Tejada’s unwillingness to sit out, team doctors have told Orioles management that due to an inflamed rotator cuff, he will have to sit out at least a month. His consecutive games streak ends at 1,017 games.

[HoustonGM]

News From Around the League
July 3 – Padres catcher Mike Piazza got his 2,000th career hit.
July 3 – The Nationals made a move to add some depth to their bullpen.

Washington Nationals receive:
RP Brett Tomko

Los Angeles Dodgers receive:
C/1B Robert Fick
OF George Lombard
RP Chris Booker

July 12 – The All Star Game took place in Pittsburgh. Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs to lead the AL in a 14-1 blowout win over the NL. The AL team was:


AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 679,771 votes
1B : Travis Hafner (CLE) 1,715,478
2B : Robinson Cano (NYY) 940,200
3B : Alex Rodriguez (NYY) 1,129,125
SS : Miguel Tejada (BAL) 981,370
OF : Manny Ramirez (BOS) 1,639,347
OF : Jermaine Dye (CHW) 1,356,466
OF : Grady Sizemore (CLE) 919,521
Bench : Jason Giambi (NYY)
Bench : Angel Berroa (KCR)
Bench : Mark Kotsay (OAK)
Bench : Raul Ibanez (SEA)
Bench : Rocco Baldelli (TBD)
Bench : Gary Matthews (TEX)
Bench : Alex Rios (TOR)
Pitcher : Jered Weaver (LAA)
Pitcher : Johan Santana (MIN)
Pitcher : C.C. Sabathia (CLE)
Pitcher : Roy Halladay (TOR)
Pitcher : Jeremy Bonderman (DET)
Pitcher : Mark Buehrle (CHW)
Pitcher : Francisco Liriano (MIN)
Pitcher : Joaquin Benoit (TEX)
Pitcher : Joe Nathan (MIN)
Pitcher : Todd Jones (DET)
Pitcher : B.J. Ryan (TOR)

And the National League…

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Brian McCann (ATL) 1,248,757 votes
1B : Adam LaRoche (ATL) 1,219,223
2B : Ray Durham (SFG) 873,268
3B : Chipper Jones (ATL) 1,625,379
SS : Edgar Renteria (ATL) 742,241
OF : Carlos Beltran (NYM) 997,744
OF : Eric Byrnes (ARI) 783,278
OF : Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN) 797,232
Bench : David Wright (NYM)
Bench : Aramis Ramirez (CHC)
Bench : Brad Hawpe (COL)
Bench : Miguel Cabrera (FLA)
Bench : Jeff Kent (LAD)
Bench : Bill Hall (MIL)
Bench : Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
Bench : Jack Wilson (PIT)
Bench : Mike Piazza (SDP)
Bench : Albert Pujols (STL)
Bench : Jose Vidro (WSN)
Pitcher : Roger Clemens (HOU)
Pitcher : Brad Penny (LAD)
Pitcher : Pedro Martinez (NYM)
Pitcher : Tom Glavine (NYM)
Pitcher : Jason Jennings (COL)
Pitcher : Roy Oswalt (HOU)
Pitcher : John Smoltz (ATL)
Pitcher : Salomon Torres (PIT)
Pitcher : Dan Wheeler (HOU)
Pitcher : Kevin Correia (SFG)
Pitcher : Armando Benitez (SFG)
July 12 – Catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr. retired from baseball. He finishes his 18-year career with a .274/.311/.409 batting line, 1,223 hits, and 112 home runs.
July 16 – Padres first basemen Adrian Gonzalez hit for the cycle.
July 20 – Yankee third basemen Alex Rodriguez got his 2,000th career hit, and Mets first basemen Carlos Delgado launched his 400th career home run.
July 23 – Tigers starter Kenny Rogers got his 200th career win.
July 23 – The Astros and Royals made a 6-player trade:

Kansas City Royals receive:
SP Brandon Backe
UTL Eric Bruntlett

Houston Astros receive:
RP Scott Dohmann
C John Buck
2B Fernando Cortez
P Brandon Duckworth

Brandon Backe is out until the middle of next season following Tommy John surgery, and Eric Bruntlett isn’t someone who looks to play into the Royals future plans. They didn’t give up much talent for the utilityman though. Backe would become the staff ace if he was healthy.
July 23 – The Seattle Mariners freed themselves of the final two months of Joel Pineiro’s contract.

Seattle Mariners receive:
SP Casey Fossum
2B Luis Rivas

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
RP Joel Pineiro

Fossum is out for the season, and Rivas sucks across the board. This move was likely made just to free up some roster space and get rid of the underperforming Joel Pineiro’s contract.
July 25 – A relatively inconsequential trade was made between the Marlins and Cardinals.

Florida Marlins receive:
RP Dennis Tankersly
RP Jorge Sosa

St. Louis Cardinals receive:
1B Brad McCann
3B Mike Kinkade
C Matt Treanor
July 29 – The Devil Rays have been the only active team this trading season.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
P Roger Deago

San Diego Padres receive:
OF Damon Hollins
July 31 – Mariano Rivera became the fourth closer with 400 saves.
July 31 – Following a relatively quiet run up to the deadline, a flurry of deals took place.

Kansas City Royals receive:
C Javy Lopez
2B Kevin Hooper

Detroit Tigers receive:
RP Esteban Yan
SP Adam Bernero

Lopez becomes the starting catcher in KC.

Boston Red Sox receive:
RP Brian Falkenborg

St. Louis Cardinals receive:
2B Alejandro Machado
RP Julian Tavarez

Basically a trade of two washed up relievers.

BIG DEAL HERE:

Boston Red Sox receive:
RP David Riske
SP Jon Garland

Chicago White Sox receive:
P Mike Burns
P Jeriome Robertson
P Kevin Frederick
P Abe Alvarez
UTL Willie Harris
SS Christian Lara
OF Michael Hall
OF Gabe Kapler
1B Carlos Pena
C Doug Mirabelli

A huge rip off in the Red Sox favor. Garland is 5-8 with a 4.03 ERA, and Riske has struggled this year. However, all they really gave up was Doug Mirabelli. Boston is in last place in the AL East though, thanks mostly to their horrendous pitching.

Seattle Mariners receive:
CF Aaron Rowand
RP Arthur Rhodes

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
OF Chris Snelling
RP Sean Green

Rowand, despite a horrid year at the plate, gives the Mariners a dynamite defensive outfield, with Ichiro moving back to right.

Texas Rangers receive:
C Mike Rose
1B Wes Bankston

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
OF Brad Wilkerson

[HoustonGM]

Is anybody reading?

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Yes i am. Good job getting Crawford, in one of my dynasty's he became a .380 hitter and could steal 100 bases every year easily.

[TheNamelessPoet]

me too. same with crawford. I nearly always try and get him.

[HoustonGM]

I actually put Peralta and Luna on the block and the D-Rays OFFERED him to me along with Luis Rivas, and I restructured the deal a bit to get a strong reliever as well. :)

[petrel]

Definitely reading here. Good work so far.

--Pet

[HoustonGM]

August 2006 14-14
Season Record: 81-51 (9 games ahead of Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
This month was a huge disappointment compared to June and July. Doug Mientkiewicz considerably cooled off. Travis Hafner followed his 15-homer month with 6 in August. Injuries ate up our lineup.

The pitching stayed steady. C.C. Sabathia is putting together a Cy Young caliber season, entering September at 17-4 with a 2.87 ERA.

We get 15 call ups in September. The following players will be available off the bench, or in the bullpen:

RP Juan Lara
SP Jeremy Guthrie
RP Fausto Carmona
RP Brian Slocum
RP Thomas Mastny
RP Andrew Brown
OF Franklin Gutierrez
OF Brian Barton
1B Michael Aubrey
IF Tim Hummel
OF Trevor Crowe
OF Brad Snyder
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff
1B Stephen Head
C Maximiliano Ramirez

(Jeez, I just realized that that’s all our uninjured minor league hitters!)

Indians News
August 12 – Catcher Victor Martinez ruptured a knee ligament and will be out until mid-September. Kelly Shoppach will start behind the plate, and we were forced to sign free agent Ben Davis to back him up.
August 28 – On the same day, both our regular middle infielders, Scott Spiezio and Todd Walker, went down with injuries. Walker will miss a week and Spiezio will miss two. We called up Eider Torres and Andy Marte. Marte will play short, and rookie Eider Torres will man second for a week. Tim Hummel was sent to AAA.

Top Indians Games
August 3 vs. Tampa Bay (7-0 win) – Cliff Lee had a masterful performance, striking out 10 in a complete game 4-hitter.
August 8 vs. New York Yankees (10-2 win) – Carl Crawford had a huge 3 for 5 night. He also walked once, scored four runs, hit a home run, and drove in three.
August 9 vs. New York Yankees (5-4 win) – Crawford followed yesterday’s big night with two home runs and three runs batted in.
August 15 vs. Kansas City (4-2 win) – Scott Spiezio hit his 19th and 20th home runs of the season, a career-high for him.
August 28 vs. Seattle (17-2 win) – Everybody hit in this game. Andy Marte paid immediate dividends and is making a strong case for a starting job the rest of the year. He went 2 for 5 with a homer and 3 RBI. Travis Hafner had a grand slam and an RBI single. Grady Sizemore had two hits and three walks in six plate appearances. He also drove in 3 runs.

News From Around the League
August 2 – Red Sox starter Curt Schilling notched his 200th career victory.
August 3 – Mets starter Pedro Martinez struck out the 3,000th batter of his career.
August 6 – Cubs center fielder Juan Pierre stole the 300th base of his career.
August 19 - After reaching the 200-victory mark earlier in the month, Curt Schilling picked up the 3,000th strikeout of his career.
August 24 – Giants outfielder Steve Finley hit the 300th home run of his career.
August 26 – Angels sophomore pitcher Ervin Santana threw an absolute gem. A near perfect game. He hit Esteban German with a pitch in the first inning, but was perfect the rest of the way. In the second no hitter pitched this season, Santana struck out 9 Royals.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (83-50)
AL Central: Cleveland (81-51)
AL West: Texas (77-55)
AL Wild Card: Minnesota (72-60)

NL East: New York (89-43)
NL Central: Houston (81-51)
NL West: Los Angeles (71-61)
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (82-51)

Playoff Races
All the division races in the American League are all but wrapped up. Barring huge collapses, New York, Cleveland, and Texas will be the division winners. The wild card is still up for grabs. Toronto is just one game out. Detroit is two games out. Los Angeles is three and a half games out. Chicago is four games out, and pulling up the rear, Seattle is six games behind.

New York and Houston have strangleholds on their respective divisions. In the west, San Diego is one game behind Los Angeles, and Arizona trails by one and a half. San Francisco is 5.5 games behind, but still in striking distance. Atlanta has pretty much wrapped up the wild card, but they’ll have to make up a 7.5 game gap to secure another consecutive division title.

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: DH Travis Hafner (.323)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (48)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (138)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.464)
ERA (Starter): SP C.C. Sabathia (2.87)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (2.70, 1.59 w/ CLE)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (17)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (180)
Saves:

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (.370)
Home Runs: Indians DH Travis Hafner (48)
Runs Batted In: Indians DH Travis Hafner (138)
On-Base Percentage: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.475)
ERA: Astros SP Roger Clemens (1.97)
Wins: Astros SP Roger Clemens/Braves SP John Smoltz/White Sox SP Mark Buehrle (18)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Johan Santana (228)
Saves: Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (42)

On the Injury Front
-The Astros lost rookie outfielder Luke Scott for the year. He showed strong on-base capabilities while providing gap power. Orlando Palmeiro will be his replacement.
-The Angels lost their rookie ace Jered Weaver for the rest of the year. Weaver finishes his rookie season 10-5 with a 2.23 ERA. He held opponents to a measly .188 average. His season ending early might hurt his chances at the Rookie of the Year award.
-The Yankees lost Hideki Matsui until the end of September. Matsui started the year on the disabled list and only got to play in 9 games before injuring his hip.
-Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder will miss the rest of the season, following a diagnosis of severe tendonitis in his pitching elbow. He finishes 2006 with a 8-13 record and a 4.26 ERA. A day later, the Cardinals learned that fellow starter Jason Marquis will likely miss the rest of the season and nearly all of next season. An MRI revealed that his rotator cuff was completely torn. He finishes 12-6 with a 5.05 ERA. And to top it all off, two days later, the news comes in that third basemen Scott Rolen will miss the rest of the season and won’t be available until May of next season. He finishes with a .279/.369/.505 line, 21 home runs and 63 RBIs.

[jakemann]

Just wanted to compliment you on a great format, perfect for a multiple-season game. It's fun to read and touches all the bases. Keep up the good work. Go Tribe!

[HoustonGM]

I've decided to not do power rankings anymore. I started to do it at the end of September, but then I realized how screwed up the rankings mogul gives were...my Indians were in like 14th place, probably due to the replacements in their lineup for Walker and Spiezio, as well as a 3-game losing streak...

[abben]

Hey, I saw you said that Hafner looked to be an MVP favorite, and he was also the leading AL vote getter for the all star team. Do you think that might be a strong enough connection to suggest that Hafner may win MVP?

[HoustonGM]

I'm not sure. I was looking at Alex Rios before...he's batting like .370, with a .420 OBP, 25doubles, 10 triples, 28 homers, 22 steals....in real life, that would probably win the MVP. In Mogul, I'm thinking a guy like Hafner with 50 homers and 150 RBI will win. (Not to mention, Hafner would surely be penalized in real lief for being a DH...where as I don't think Mogul looks at that)

[HoustonGM]

September/October 2006 17-13
FINAL Season Record: 98-64 (9 games ahead of Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
We had a decent final month of the season, but it included some horrible setbacks. First, the lose of Travis Hafner from our lineup is a devastating blow. Luckily, we get the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, who’s pitching has been sub-par at best.

We hope C.C. Sabathia’s final game (1.1 IP, 13 hits, 9 runs) isn’t a sign of something worse. Hopefully he can resume his Cy Young pitching in the playoffs.

Our playoff lineup is listed below, and here’s the bench we’re carrying:

OF Jason Michaels
OF Shin-Soo Choo
IF Henry Mateo
IF Tim Hummel
C Kelly Shoppach

The season was more than I expected, and I look forward to some great October nights!

Indians News
September 24 – We received absolutely devastating news. Travis Hafner was hit by a pitch that shattered his elbow. He’s out of action for three months. This is horrible news for us, as we will have to play the playoffs without our big bopper in the middle of our lineup. He finishes the season with 58 homers and 158 RBI. He had a serious shot at smashing 60 roundtrippers and driving in an insane 160 runs. This really shook up our lineup, which now looks like this:

LF Carl Crawford
1B Doug Mientkiewicz
CF Grady Sizemore
3B Andy Marte
DH Casey Blake
SS Scott Spiezio
C Victor Martinez
2B Todd Walker (vs. righties)/Henry Mateo (vs. lefties)
RF John Rodriguez
October 2 – C.C. Sabathia imploded. Against the Tigers, he allowed 9 runs and 13 hits in just over one inning. This outing skyrocketed his ERA, which was below 3, to 3.28. He’s still a top candidate for the Cy Young Award, with that ERA and a 21-6 record to go along with 216 strikeouts in 235.2 innings.

Top Indians Games
September 1 vs. Chicago White Sox (8-3 win) – Carl Crawford continued paying dividends, going 4 for 5 with 2 homers, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs.
September 2 vs. Chicago White Sox (11-2 win) – Crawford followed it up with another 4 for 5 night, scoring 3 more runs, including a homer and 2 RBI. He also stole a base in this game.
September 6 vs. Minnesota (17-3 win) – I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve scored 15 or more runs this season. This hit parade was led by rookie Andy Marte, who blasted 2 home runs en route to a 3 for 5 night that included an enormous 7 RBI. Grady Sizemore and John Rodriguez also hit home runs.
September 8 vs. Minnesota (8-3 win) – Travis Hafner hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season.
September 10 vs. Oakland (12-0 win) – Andy Marte, despite playing at an unnatural shortstop position, is proving he’s major league ready, and he’s doing with force. He went 3 for 4 in this game, smashing two more home runs, and driving in 8 runs!
September 19 vs. Detroit (14-8 win) – Carl Crawford reached base 5 times, with 4 hits and a walk, and scored 4 times. He had a home run and drove in 4 runs. Doug Mientkiewicz went 4 for 6. Grady Sizemore went 3 for 5 and drove in 3 runs. Travis Hafner also hit a home run, his 55th of the year.
September 29 vs. Chicago White Sox (8-6 win) – Scott Spiezio’s newfound power helped him launch his 26th and 27th home runs of the season.


News From Around the League
September 1 – Brewers reliever Brian Shouse announced his retirement at age 37. He pitched 46.2 innings this year for Milwaukee, but had a horrific 6.75 ERA.
September 2 – Devil Rays center fielder Rocco Baldelli hit for the cycle.
September 17 – Giants closer Armando Benitez notched the 300th save of his career.
September 20 – A week after getting his first full-time role all season, Mets outfielder Shawn Green drove in the 1000th run of his career.
September 24 – Braves third basemen Chipper Jones got the 2000th hit of his career.

Division Leaders – Your Playoff Picture
AL East: New York (102-60)
AL Central: Cleveland (98-64)
AL West: Texas (95-67)
AL Wild Card: Detroit (89-73)

NL East: New York (113-49) (Congratulations on the huge season!)
NL Central: Houston (99-63)
NL West: Los Angeles (90-72)
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (97-65)

FINAL Indians Leaders
Batting Average: DH Travis Hafner (.323)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (58)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (158)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.467)
ERA (Starter): SP C.C. Sabathia (3.28)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (2.30, 1.29 w/ CLE)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (21)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (216)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (42, 38 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
-Stay tuned for a league leader wrap up!

On the Injury Front
September 2 – Devil Rays second basemen Jorge Cantu will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot. He finishes at .280/.329/.406 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI, a far cry from his breakout 2005 campaign. Hector Luna, who was platooning with Cantu, will take over the full-time duties.
September 5 – An increasingly battered St. Louis Cardinals team added star center fielder Jim Edmonds to this disabled list. He will miss the rest of the season. He finishes at .277/.399/.507 with 21 homers and 68 RBI. He joins teammates Scott Rolen, Chris Duncan, Mark Mulder, and Jason Marquis on the list of Cardinals who started the season in a major role with the team, and subsequently got injured for the rest of the season. The Cardinals will slide Juan Encarnacion from right to center, and will use rookie Nick Stavinoha in right.
September 6 – Four days after losing their second basemen, the Devil Rays learn that their primary DH, Greg Norton, will miss the rest of the season. Norton was in the midst of the best season of his career, going .240/.337/.415 with 22 homers and 70 RBI. Jason Dubois will be their DH the rest of the way.
September 13 – Mets outfielder Endy Chavez pulled his groin and will likely miss the rest of the season. He had a breakthrough season as the Mets starting right fielder, batting .284/.339/.409. Despite just four home runs, he drove in a hefty 71 runs. Shawn Green, who up until now played a heavy pinch-hitting role, getting 237 at bats in 112 games, and splitting time at all three outfield spots and first base, reprises his full-time role.
September 20 – Diamondbacks fan favorite outfielder Luis Gonzalez has likely played his last game in a Diamondback uniform. He tore a ligament in his ankle on a sliding play in left field. He had a strong final season in Arizona, batting .303/.385/.489, with 15 homers and 65 RBI. Reports say that Gonzo is considering retirement. The injury, which will keep him from practicing until next February, is considered the culprit in Gonzo’s recent reversal in his hopes for next year.
September 20 – Mariners closer J.J. Putz will be out of action until next June, after breaking his wrist. He finishes his first year as Seattle closer with a 2.55 ERA and 35 saves in 40 chances.
September 22 – Reds left fielder Adam Dunn’s season will end early, following a broken ankle. He finishes with a .225/.348/.522 line, hitting 43 homers and driving in a career-high 117 runs.

[HoustonGM]

2006 LEAGUE LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average
American League
1) Yankees 2B Robinson Cano (.375)
2) Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (.356)
3) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.345)

National League
1) Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (.356)
2) Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.354)
3) Braves C Brian McCann (.348)

Doubles
American League
1) Rangers CF Gary Matthews (61)
2) Indians CF Grady Sizemore (54)
3) Yankees RF Bobby Abreu/Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (52)

National League
1) Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera (47)
2) Braves SS Edgar Renteria/Mets C Paul LoDuca (46)
3) Padres 2B Josh Barfield (44)

Triples
American League
1) Indians CF Grady Sizemore/Royals 3B Esteban German/Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki (14)
2) Angels CF Chone Figgins (12)
3) Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (11)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (16)
2) Cubs CF Juan Pierre (14)
3) Rockies CF Cory Sullivan (12)

Home Runs
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (58)
2) White Sox RF Jermaine Dye/Tigers DH Marcus Thames (52) How about that? Marcus Thames!
3) Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (43)

National League
1) Braves 1B Adam LaRoche/Mets CF Carlos Beltran (49)
2) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (47)
3) Mets 1B Carlos Delgado/Padres 3B Russell Branyan (44) Who would’ve thunk? Branyan had just 16 doubles and a .235 average!

Runs Batted In
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (158)
2) White Sox RF Jermaine Dye (152)
3) Yankees 2B Robinson Cano (151)

National League
1) Mets CF Carlos Beltran (146)
2) Braves C Brian McCann/Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (140)
3) Mets 1B Carlos Delgado (136)

On-Base Percentage
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (.467)
2) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.451)
3) Yankees RF Bobby Abreu (.418)

National League
1) Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.455)
2) Astros 1B Lance Berkman (.454)
3) Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (.451)

OPS
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (1.187)
2) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (1.116)
3) White Sox RF Jermaine Dye (1.031)

National League
1) Braves 3B Chipper Jones/Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (1.092)
2) Astros 1B Lance Berkman (1.048)
3) Brewers SS Bill Hall (1.042)

Hits
American League
1) Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (237)
2) Yankes 2B Robinson Cano (233)
3) Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki (225)

National League
1) Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (215)
2) Mets SS Jose Reyes (203)
3) Braves SS Edgar Renteria (199)

Steals
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (78 in 83 attempts!)
2) Angels CF Chone Figgins (61)
3) Royals OF Joey Gathright/Devil Rays 3B B.J. Upton (48)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (80)
2) Padres LF Dave Roberts (68)
3) Cubs CF Juan Pierre (56)

Pitching
Earned Run Average
American League
1) Twins SP Johan Santana (2.41)
2) Mets SP Mike Mussina (2.49)
3) Devil Rays SP Scott Kazmir (2.88)

National League
1) Astros SP Roger Clemens (2.18)
2) Dodgers SP Derek Lowe (2.74)
3) Mets SP Pedro Martinez (2.87)

Wins
American League
1) Indians SP C.C. Sabathia/Yankees SP Mike Mussina (21)
2) Twins SP Johan Santana/Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (20)
3) White Sox SP Mark Buerhle/Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (19)

National League
1) Astros SP Roger Clemens/Braves SP John Smoltz/Dodgers SP Derek Lowe (21)
2) Mets SP Tom Glavine (20)
3) Astros SP Roy Oswalt/Giants SP Noah Lowry (18)

Strikeouts
American League
1) Twins SP Johan Santana (266)
2) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (259)
3) Angels SP John Lackey (217)

National League
1) Braves SP John Smoltz (257)
2) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (228)
3) Mets SP Pedro Martinez (227)

Saves
American League
1) Tigers RP Todd Jones/Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (46)
2) Indians RP Brad Lidge/Angels RP Francisco Rodriguez (42)
3) Orioles RP Chris Ray/White Sox RP Bobby Jenks (41)

National League
1) Cardinals RP Jason Isringhausen (44)
2) Padres RP Trevor Hoffman (43)
3) Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde (42)

REMARKABLE/BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES
Diamondbacks CF Jeff DaVanon - .291/.391/.487, 19 HR, 63 RBI
Diamondbacks CF Eric Byrnes - .317/.356/.561, 25 HR, 86 RBI
Braves C Brian McCann - .348/.425/.605, 34 HR, 140 RBI
Braves 1B Adam LaRoche - .264/.343/.547, 49 HR, 140 RBI
White Sox RF Jermaine Dye - .318/.396/.635, 52 HR, 152 RBI
Reds 1B Scott Hatteberg - .322/.417/.522, 22 HR, 75 RBI
Reds 3B Rich Aurilia - .302/.344/.559, 37 HR, 117 RBI
Reds 2B Brandon Phillips - .304/.350/.458, 15 HR, 66 RBI
Indians RP Ruddy Lugo – 86 IP, 2.30 ERA, .191 BAA
Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman – 20-10, 3.17 ERA, 215 K
Tigers SP Mike Maroth – 15 GS, 11-3, 2.02 ERA
Tigers DH Marcus Thames - .256/.348/.610, 52 HR, 122 RBI
Royals 3B Esteban German - .293/.378/.425, 6 HR, 53 RBI
Angels SP Jered Weaver – 20 GS, 10-5, 2.23 ERA, .188 BAA
Angels 3B Maicer Izturis - .295/.362/.456 13 HR, 87 RBI
Angels 2B Howie Kendrick - .317/.335/.472, 14 HR, 74 RBI
Dodgers C Russell Martin - .316/.405/.463, 6 HR, 68 RBI
Dodgers 3B Wilson Betemit - .260/.334/.510, 39 HR, 112 RBI
Dodgers LF Marlon Anderson - .287/.354/.519, 28 HR, 104 RBI
Brewers CF Gabe Gross - .281/.399/.446, 16 HR, 55 RBI
Brewers SS Bill Hall - .316/.388/.654, 38 HR, 110 RBI
Twins 3B Nick Punto - .310/.362/.382, 1 HR, 55 RBI
Twins RF/2B Michael Cuddyer - .271/.353/.471, 23 HR, 112 RBI
Twins C Mike Redmond - .305/.336/.368, 2 HR, 54 RBI
Mets 3B David Wright - .300/.372/.569, 38 HR, 127 RBI
Mets SS Jose Reyes - .308/.364/.571, 24 HR, 94 RBI, 80 SB
Mets RF Endy Chavez - .284/.339/.409, 4 HR, 71 RBI
Yankees CF Johnny Damon - .301/.371/.538, 33 HR, 110 RBI, 27 SB
Yankees 2B Robinson Cano - .375/.402/.588, 28 HR, 151 RBI
Yankees RF Bernie Williams - .288/.338/.455, 17 HR, 81 RBI
Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang – 19-6, 3.30 ERA
Yankees SP Mike Mussina – 21-6, 2.49 ERA, 199 K
Athletics DH Frank Thomas - .277/.384/.525, 40 HR, 103 RBI
Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins - .271/.326/.477, 28 HR, 91 RBI, 25 SB
Pirates RP Mike Gonzalez – 1.37 ERA, 30 SV, 2 BS, 46 K, 39.1 IP
Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez - .356/.390/.462, 8 HR, 79 RBI
Giants SP Noah Lowry – 18-7, 3.87 ERA, 146 K
Giants 2B Ray Durham - .306/.369/.571, 34 HR, 127 RBI
Giants 1B Shea Hillenbrand - .272/.301/.464, 31 HR, 108 RBI
Mariners DH/OF Andre Ethier - .320/.373/.464, 10 HR, 90 RBI
Cardinals OF Juan Encarnacion - .280/.316/.516, 37 HR, 95 RBI
Devil Rays CF Rocco Baldelli - .286/.331/.544, 32 HR, 101 RBI
Devil Rays 1B Ty Wigginton - .273/.318/.519, 34 HR, 121 RBI
Devil Rays SP Scott Kazmir – 11-8, 2.88 ERA, 193 K
Rangers RP Joaquin Benoit – 10-3, 93.1 IP, 2.51 ERA, 101 K
Rangers CF Gary Matthews - .325/.382/.536, 21 HR, 99 RBI
Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler - .295/.367/.432, 10 HR, 71 RBI
Rangers C Gerald Laird - .299/.326/.451, 13 HR, 73 RBI
Rangers 3B/OF Mark DeRosa - .317/.372/.497, 21 HR, 86 RBI
Blue Jays RF Alex Rios - .356/.404/.595, 33 HR, 121 RBI, 25 SB
Nationals RF Austin Kearns - .297/.380/.562, 28 HR, 86 RBI



*If there is any player that you'd like to see stats for, ask.

[Sanji Watsuki]

The stats on Brad Radke, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Bonds please. ^^

[HoustonGM]

The stats on Brad Radke, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Bonds please. ^^

Brad Radke made 25 starts and went 8-12, with a 4.93 ERA.
Alfonso Soriano neared a 40-40 season, with 40 homers and 36 SB. He batted .253/.337/.502 and had 105 RBI.
Bonds was .242/.437/.453, 21 HR, 75 RBI.

[abben]

I don’t like to sound like a sabermetric fan boy, but great on-base ability is the main reason for our hitting prowess.

Hey, if something works well, that's that. I don't think that your acknowlegdment of your team's winning through OBP, means you have to be stuck with any labels such as "sabermetric fan boy". I'd think all in all that such a label would be petty and hollow.

[HoustonGM]

Hey, if something works well, that's that. I don't think that your acknowlegdment of your team's winning through OBP, means you have to be stuck with any labels such as "sabermetric fan boy". I'd think all in all that such a label would be petty and hollow.
:p

Anyway, the playoffs will be posted next. Sufficed to say, the loss of Hafner probably did us in!

[HoustonGM]

Well, that sucks. I just figured out that I didn’t set the simulation settings to the settings I figured out. Oh well…I’ll have them right for next season. This just might’ve led to Rich Hill, Boof Bonser, Scott Olsen, Matt Chico, and John Maine showing up on the top 10 leader board for home runs allowed in a season, though!

2006 Cleveland Indians Stats
Batting

2006 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP
Sizemore, Grady CLE 161 .288 670 193 54 14 34 76 179 11 4 132 119 .563 .368
Crawford, Carl CLE 160 .296 686 203 18 10 27 39 88 78 5 126 98 .469 .340
Blake, Casey CLE 155 .272 622 169 31 2 31 65 178 3 1 99 104 .477 .343
Hafner, Travis CLE 154 .323 539 174 32 4 58 144 132 0 0 134 158 .720 .467
Rodriguez, John CLE 153 .289 506 146 28 3 2 57 148 1 1 77 48 .368 .375
Spiezio, Scott CLE 130 .259 451 117 20 4 27 75 126 1 0 76 80 .501 .363
Mientkiewicz, Doug CLE 125 .290 458 133 34 5 3 63 62 6 0 78 57 .406 .383
Martinez, Victor CLE 114 .280 414 116 24 0 8 48 55 1 0 39 59 .396 .354
Walker, Todd CLE 89 .271 273 74 11 2 6 34 17 1 0 31 34 .392 .351
Shoppach, Kelly CLE 69 .240 229 55 13 0 7 13 77 0 0 27 34 .389 .282
Michaels, Jason CLE 55 .259 108 28 10 0 1 6 29 2 0 9 11 .380 .302
Marte, Andy CLE 53 .275 204 56 19 0 7 16 44 0 0 29 49 .471 .326
Garko, Ryan CLE 47 .200 170 34 5 0 4 14 52 0 1 16 13 .300 .265
Mateo, Henry CLE 27 .194 67 13 1 1 0 5 12 5 1 5 4 .239 .270
Choo, Shin-Soo CLE 24 .154 26 4 0 0 1 2 11 0 0 3 1 .269 .214
Torres, Eider CLE 19 .238 42 10 0 1 0 3 8 2 2 4 3 .286 .283
Gutierrez, Franklin CLE 9 .143 7 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .286 .143
Westbrook, Jake CLE 3 .250 8 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 .250 .250
Kouzmanoff, Kevin CLE 2 1.000 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1.500 1.000
Sabathia, C.C. CLE 2 .167 6 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 2 .667 .167
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 2 .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Byrd, Paul CLE 1 .333 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333
Lee, Cliff CLE 1 .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Graves, Danny CLE 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Pitching

2006 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9
Sabathia, C.C. CLE 235.2 3.28 32 32 21 6 0 216 61 10.58
Lee, Cliff CLE 230.0 4.03 33 32 17 11 0 191 66 12.05
Westbrook, Jake CLE 214.1 4.24 31 31 15 10 0 120 56 12.39
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 197.0 4.71 29 29 12 11 0 88 48 12.29
Byrd, Paul CLE 178.1 5.65 28 28 13 9 0 73 23 12.26
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 86.0 2.30 56 0 3 3 1 49 42 10.57
Linebrink, Scott CLE 71.1 3.79 64 0 8 5 0 64 33 10.98
Betancourt, Rafael CLE 58.0 5.90 43 0 3 2 3 50 12 12.88
Graves, Danny CLE 57.1 3.77 22 4 0 1 0 24 22 13.34
Lidge, Brad CLE 52.1 3.10 57 0 3 2 42 70 17 8.94
Cabrera, Fernando CLE 37.0 4.62 33 1 0 1 0 47 15 12.16
Carmona, Fausto CLE 33.1 5.67 18 0 1 2 2 31 7 13.23
Guthrie, Jeremy CLE 22.2 8.34 6 3 1 2 0 16 13 18.26
Lara, Juan CLE 17.0 9.00 13 1 3 2 0 11 16 25.41
Slocum, Brian CLE 6.2 13.50 2 1 1 0 0 6 4 28.35
Brown, Andrew CLE 0.1 0.00 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 27.00

NEXT UP, the playoffs! I’ll be playing every game in play-by-play (Manager mode).

[HoustonGM]

Eider Torres beat out Tim Hummel for a spot on our playoff roster. C.C. Sabathia needs some rest, so we’ll be going with the following rotation in the Division Series:

Game 1 – Jake Westbrook
Game 2 – Jeremy Sowers
Game 3 – C.C. Sabathia
Game 4 (if needed) – Cliff Lee
Game 5 (if needed) – Jake Westbrook

Game 1 American League Division Series
Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Indians
Series Tied 0-0

Jake Westbrook pitched a very economical 87-pitch complete game 4-hit shutout. The bottom three hitters in our order, Victor Martinez, Todd Walker, and John Rodriguez drove in all 3 runs for us.


Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians
October 4, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Rangers (TEX) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Indians (CLE) 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 x 3 7 0

TEXAS ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Matthews (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .325
M. Young (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .291
C. Lee (LF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .299
M. Teixeira (1B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
I. Kinsler (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .295
G. Laird (C) 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
J. Botts (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .242
M. DeRosa (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .317
V. Diaz (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
TOTALS 28 4 0 0 0 0 5 0


TEXAS ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
K. Millwood 7.0 6 3 1 3 3 3 105 4.13
R. Mahay 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 2 19 6.18
TOTALS 8.0 7 3 1 3 3 5 124

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 .280
T. Walker (2B) 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 .271
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .289
TOTALS 29 7 3 3 1 3 5 0

2B: V. Martinez
HR: T. Walker

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Westbrook 9.0 4 0 0 0 0 5 87 4.24
TOTALS 9.0 4 0 0 0 0 5 87

WP: J. Westbrook
LP: K. Millwood

Temperature: 47F
Wind: Calm
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 2:21
Player of the Game: Jake Westbrook

Game 2 American League Division Series
Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Leads 1-0

We got off to a huge start, with Carl Crawford leading off the first inning with a double and a steal of third base. We batted around, and in Carl Crawford’s second at bat of the inning, he delivered a 2-run triple, but was left stranded at third. The Ranger bullpen held us scoreless the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done.


Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians
October 5, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Rangers (TEX) 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 9 0
Indians (CLE) 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 7 9 0

TEXAS ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Matthews (CF) 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .325
M. Young (SS) 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .291
C. Lee (LF) 3 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 .299
M. Teixeira (1B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .285
I. Kinsler (2B) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .295
G. Laird (C) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .299
J. Botts (DH) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .242
M. DeRosa (3B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .317
V. Diaz (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
TOTALS 34 9 4 3 1 3 3 1

2B: G. Laird, C. Lee, G. Matthews
HR: C. Lee

TEXAS ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
V. Padilla 2.0 7 1 0 7 7 2 48 5.78
C. Wilson 2.0 0 1 0 0 0 4 34 3.90
J. Rupe 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 21 4.39
R. Mahay 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 3 24 6.18
J. Benoit 1.0 0 2 0 0 0 1 31 2.51
TOTALS 8.0 9 4 0 7 7 11 158

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 2 0 1 0 2 1 2 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 .280
T. Walker (2B) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .271
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 .289
TOTALS 32 9 4 7 0 7 11 2

2B: C. Crawford
3B: C. Crawford

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 6.1 8 3 1 3 3 2 88 4.71
R. Lugo 2.2 1 1 0 0 0 1 36 2.30
TOTALS 9.0 9 4 1 3 3 3 124

WP: J. Sowers
LP: V. Padilla

Temperature: 45F
Wind: Calm
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 2:55
Player of the Game: Carl Crawford


Game 3 American League Division Series
Cleveland Indians @ Texas Rangers
Cleveland Leads 2-0

Casey Blake delivered with a 2nd inning home run off Rangers starter Adam Eaton, but the Rangers struck back in their half with 2 runs. In the 4th, Blake delivered again with an RBI single, and Scott Spiezio followed with a 2-run homer. Scott Linebrink came into the game in the 8th, and promptly let up the tying run. However, Andy Marte delivered in a huge way with the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th, a three run blast! Brad Lidge, who came in to get the final out in the 8th, finished up the game and secured a trip to the ALCS for the Cleveland Indians!


Cleveland Indians at Texas Rangers
October 7, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 1 0 3 0 2 0 0 3 9 11 0
Rangers (TEX) 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 6 9 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 5 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 5 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 3 2 2 3 1 2 0 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 2 1 2 1 2 0 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .280
T. Walker (2B) 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 .271
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
TOTALS 35 11 5 9 3 9 4 0

2B: V. Martinez, C. Crawford 2
3B: G. Sizemore
HR: S. Spiezio, A. Marte, C. Blake

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 6.0 6 2 0 2 2 3 97 3.28
R. Lugo 1.0 1 0 1 1 1 1 13 2.30
S. Linebrink 0.2 2 0 0 3 0 1 23 3.79
B. Lidge 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 15 3.10
TOTALS 9.0 9 2 1 6 3 6 148

TEXAS ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Matthews (CF) 5 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 .325
M. Young (SS) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .291
C. Lee (LF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .299
M. Teixeira (1B) 4 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .285
I. Kinsler (2B) 3 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 .295
G. Laird (C) 4 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 .299
J. Botts (DH) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .242
M. DeRosa (3B) 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 .317
V. Diaz (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .279
TOTALS 37 9 2 6 1 5 6 0

2B: G. Laird 2, M. DeRosa
HR: G. Matthews

TEXAS ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
A. Eaton 5.0 8 3 2 6 6 2 95 3.91
R. Mahay 1.2 0 1 0 0 0 2 34 6.18
J. Rupe 2.0 3 1 1 3 3 0 37 4.39
J. Benoit 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2.51
TOTALS 9.0 11 5 3 9 9 4 167

WP: B. Lidge
LP: J. Rupe

Temperature: 59F
Wind: 5 MPH (left to right)
Attendance: 49,115
Time: 2:58
Player of the Game: Andy Marte


In the other American League Division Series, the wild card Detroit Tigers knocked out the best team in the AL, the New York Yankees, in a 4-game upset!
In the National League, the Mets and Braves both took their series in 4 games.

[Sanji Watsuki]

I see the Yankees had the same fate as in real life XD

A-Rod Trade Rumors start... now.

[HoustonGM]

We added reliever Juan Lara to our roster for the ALCS, dropping Danny Graves. We noticed in the ALDS that we didn’t have any left-handed relievers. C.C. Sabathia will be starting game 1, followed by Jeremy Sowers in game 2, Jake Westbrook in game 3, and Cliff Lee in game 4. If we’re facing elimination in Game 4, we might go with Sabathia.

Game 1 American League Championship Series
Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians
Series Tied 0-0

We scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to take the lead. We added two more runs in the following inning, sparked by the same hitters, Henry Mateo, John Rodriguez, Carl Crawford, and Doug Mientkiewicz. Also, please note that errors are not showing in the line score of the box score, although they are adding correctly to player’s stats.


Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians
October 12, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Tigers (DET) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 7 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 x 6 11 0

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .201
B. Inge (3B) 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .245
C. Guillen (SS) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .268
C. Shelton (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .262
P. Polanco (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .323
V. Wilson (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .300
TOTALS 36 7 2 3 0 2 7 0

2B: M. Thames, M. Ordonez, C. Monroe

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Maroth 5.0 8 3 0 5 5 5 84 2.02
F. Rodney 1.2 1 1 0 0 0 3 34 1.88
W. Ledezma 1.1 2 0 0 1 1 2 22 4.14
TOTALS 8.0 11 4 0 6 6 10 140

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 .288
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .280
H. Mateo (2B) 3 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 .194
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 .289
TOTALS 34 11 4 6 0 6 10 1

2B: A. Marte, C. Crawford, H. Mateo 2

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 6.0 6 2 0 3 3 3 92 3.28
J. Lara 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 9.00
R. Lugo 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 2.30
B. Lidge 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 3.10
TOTALS 9.0 7 2 0 3 3 7 133

WP: C. Sabathia
LP: M. Maroth
SV: B. Lidge

Temperature: 41F
Wind: 7 MPH (in from left)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:05
Player of the Game: Carl Crawford

Game 2 American League Championship Series
Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Leads 1-0

The surprise 50 homer man Marcus Thames, who had hit just 19 homers prior to this year, smashed a 3-run shot off Jeremy Sowers in the first inning. In the third inning, he hit his second 3-run homer off the game, knocking Sowers out early. Reliever Fernando Cabrera promptly loaded the bases and allowed a single, forcing us to go with Ruddy Lugo much earlier than we wanted to. Even Lugo couldn’t stop the bleeding, allowing a leadoff solo shot to Brandon Inge to start the 4th. Thames hit his THIRD homer of the game off Lugo in the 6th. Linebrink came in and then he allowed a homer to Craig Monroe. We were able to get ourselves back in it, following some walks and a homer by Scott Spiezio in the 7th, but we weren’t able to make up the final 4 runs.


Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians
October 13, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Tigers (DET) 3 0 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 12 15 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 3 1 4 0 0 8 13 0

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 5 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 .201
B. Inge (3B) 5 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 .245
C. Guillen (SS) 6 2 0 2 0 0 3 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 4 3 1 3 3 7 0 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 5 2 0 3 1 1 0 0 .268
C. Shelton (1B) 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 .262
P. Polanco (2B) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .323
V. Wilson (C) 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .300
TOTALS 41 15 5 12 5 12 8 0

HR: B. Inge, M. Thames 3, C. Monroe

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Bonderman 5.1 10 1 0 4 4 4 123 3.17
K. Whelan 1.0 2 2 1 4 4 1 29 6.92
F. Rodney 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 2 26 1.88
W. Ledezma 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 2 15 4.14
TOTALS 9.0 13 3 1 8 8 9 193

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 5 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 5 1 0 1 0 1 3 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 2 1 3 1 3 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .280
T. Walker (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .271
J. Rodriguez (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 .289
TOTALS 39 13 3 8 1 8 9 0

2B: V. Martinez, S. Spiezio, C. Blake
HR: S. Spiezio

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 2.1 6 0 2 6 6 0 36 4.71
F. Cabrera 0.1 3 0 0 1 1 1 17 4.62
R. Lugo 2.2 3 1 2 4 3 2 45 2.30
S. Linebrink 2.2 2 2 1 1 1 3 50 3.79
J. Lara 0.2 1 2 0 0 0 1 19 9.00
B. Lidge 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 3.10
TOTALS 9.0 15 5 5 12 11 8 173

WP: J. Bonderman
LP: J. Sowers

Temperature: 36F
Wind: 2 MPH (in from left)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:54
Player of the Game: Marcus Thames

Game 3 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers
Series Tied 1-1

Carlos Guillen launched a 2 run shot in the first inning to give the Tigers an early lead, and Marcus Thames followed immediately with his 4th homer in the last 2 games. The Tigers continued pounding the ball, and held a 10-3 lead after three innings. After the game, we received news that Andy Marte won’t be available for three days.


Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
October 15, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 15 0
Tigers (DET) 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 x 10 13 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 5 4 0 1 1 1 1 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 5 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .280
H. Mateo (2B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .194
J. Rodriguez (RF) 4 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 .289
TOTALS 41 15 3 5 1 5 8 0

2B: G. Sizemore, D. Mientkiewicz
HR: A. Marte

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Westbrook 2.2 10 1 2 10 9 1 51 4.24
J. Lara 2.2 3 1 0 0 0 3 51 9.00
F. Cabrera 2.2 0 0 0 0 0 5 36 4.62
TOTALS 8.0 13 2 2 10 9 9 138

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 5 2 0 2 0 1 2 1 .201
I. Rodriguez (C) 5 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 .310
C. Guillen (SS) 5 2 0 1 1 2 1 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 5 2 0 1 1 2 1 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .268
B. Inge (3B) 2 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 .245
S. Casey (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .268
P. Polanco (2B) 4 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 .323
TOTALS 38 13 2 10 2 9 9 1

2B: P. Polanco 2, M. Thames, C. Granderson
3B: M. Ordonez
HR: C. Guillen, M. Thames

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
N. Robertson 5.1 13 0 1 5 5 5 114 4.20
K. Whelan 1.2 1 1 0 0 0 1 30 6.92
J. Walker 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 1 17 7.52
W. Ledezma 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 1 13 4.14
TOTALS 9.0 15 3 1 5 5 8 174

WP: N. Robertson
LP: J. Westbrook

Temperature: 38F
Wind: 2 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 40,120
Time: 3:34
Player of the Game:: Placido Polanco

[HoustonGM]

Game 4 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers
Detroit Leads 2-1

Magglio Ordonez got the Tigers out in front early, again, with a two run homer in the 2nd. A string of singles and a sac fly led to three runs from us in the following inning. That was all we needed to even the series up at 2.


Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
October 16, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 0
Tigers (DET) 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 5 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .288
T. Walker (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
E. Torres (P) 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .238
C. Blake (DH) 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .280
H. Mateo (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .194
J. Rodriguez (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .289
TOTALS 35 11 2 3 0 3 4 1

2B: J. Rodriguez

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Lee 6.1 7 3 1 2 2 7 96 4.03
R. Lugo 2.0 0 1 0 0 0 1 21 2.30
B. Lidge 0.2 0 1 0 0 0 1 12 3.10
TOTALS 9.0 7 5 1 2 2 9 129

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 .201
B. Inge (3B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .245
C. Guillen (SS) 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 4 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268
C. Shelton (1B) 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 .262
P. Polanco (2B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .323
V. Wilson (C) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .300
TOTALS 30 7 5 2 1 2 9 0

2B: C. Guillen, C. Shelton
HR: M. Ordonez

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Maroth 7.0 8 1 0 3 3 4 85 2.02
J. Zumaya 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 19 2.81
W. Ledezma 1.0 2 1 0 0 0 0 18 4.14
TOTALS 9.0 11 2 0 3 3 4 122

WP: C. Lee
LP: M. Maroth
SV: B. Lidge

Temperature: 41F
Wind: 2 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 40,120
Time: 2:27
Player of the Game: Carl Crawford


Game 5 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers
Series Tied 2-2

Kenny Rogers kept us hitless through five innings, but Victor Martinez broke up the no-hit bid with a double to lead off the sixth inning. C.C. Sabathia was nearly as masterful as Rogers until he allowed a solo homer to Vance Wilson in the 8th inning. Rogers finished the complete game and got the 1-0 shutout win.


Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
October 17, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Tigers (DET) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 1 6 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .288
T. Walker (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .271
C. Blake (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .280
H. Mateo (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .194
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
TOTALS 28 3 1 0 0 0 5 0

2B: V. Martinez

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 7.1 6 1 1 1 1 6 91 3.28
R. Lugo 0.2 0 1 0 0 0 1 12 2.30
TOTALS 8.0 6 2 1 1 1 7 103

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .201
B. Inge (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .245
C. Guillen (SS) 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268
C. Shelton (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .262
S. Casey (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268
P. Polanco (2B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .323
V. Wilson (C) 3 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 .300
TOTALS 30 6 2 1 1 1 7 0

2B: V. Wilson, C. Monroe
HR: V. Wilson

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
K. Rogers 9.0 3 1 0 0 0 5 98 3.51
TOTALS 9.0 3 1 0 0 0 5 98

WP: K. Rogers
LP: C. Sabathia

Temperature: 40F
Wind: 9 MPH (left to right)
Attendance: 40,120
Time: 2:05
Player of the Game: Kenny Rogers


Game 6 American League Championship Series
Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians
Detroit Leads 3-2

Facing elimination, we turn to Jake Westbrook…who’s had a shaky playoff so far, but is the best bet of our available starters. The Tigers were handed another pitching gem, this time from Justin Verlander, who allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 8 innings. Todd Jones came in and sealed the deal, advancing Detroit to the World Series for the first time since 1984, just 3 years removed from a 119-loss season. Marcus Thames was named ALCS MVP.


Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians
October 19, 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Tigers (DET) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 8 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0

DETROIT ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Granderson (CF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .201
I. Rodriguez (C) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .310
C. Guillen (SS) 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .251
M. Thames (DH) 4 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 .256
M. Ordonez (RF) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .261
C. Monroe (LF) 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 .268
B. Inge (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 .245
S. Casey (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .268
P. Polanco (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .323
TOTALS 34 8 3 3 0 3 10 0

2B: M. Ordonez

DETROIT ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Verlander 8.0 3 2 0 1 1 7 126 3.93
T. Jones 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 2.08
TOTALS 9.0 3 3 0 1 1 7 137

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .296
D. Mientkiewicz (1B) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .290
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .288
A. Marte (3B) 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .275
C. Blake (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .272
S. Spiezio (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .259
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .280
T. Walker (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
J. Rodriguez (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .289
TOTALS 29 3 3 1 0 1 7 0

2B: D. Mientkiewicz

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Westbrook 7.1 6 3 0 3 3 7 103 4.24
J. Lara 1.2 2 0 0 0 0 3 33 9.00
TOTALS 9.0 8 3 0 3 3 10 136

WP: J. Verlander
LP: J. Westbrook
SV: T. Jones

Temperature: 37F
Wind: 4 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 2:57
Player of the Game: Justin Verlander

The Mets took four of six from their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, and named John Maine the NLCS MVP.

The Mets, who had a huge 113-win season, took the World Series in 6 games, winning their first championship since 1986! Tom Glavine was named World Series MVP. He made four starts in the playoffs, winning all four and allowing just 1 earned run.

It’s interesting to note that in real life this year, Mark Kiger of the A’s became the first player to make his major league debut in the playoffs. In this Mogul season, Corey Ragsdale of the Mets did the exact same thing!

[HoustonGM]

2006 Awards
2006 AL Cy Young – Yankees SP Mike Mussina – With a 21-6 record, he finally won 20 games in a season. He posted his first ERA under 3 since his sophomore 18-5, 2.54 season in Baltimore way back in 1992.
2006 AL Most Valuable Player – Indians DH Travis Hafner – A strong .323 batting average and a major-league leading .467 on-base percentage assisted Hafner in winning his first MVP. His 58 homers and 158 RBI no doubt sealed the deal.
2006 AL Rookie of the Year – Angels 2B Howie Kendrick – Kendrick unseated Adam Kennedy from his starting spot, and went on to post a rookie-leading .317 batting average. He hit 14 home runs and drove in 74 runs.
2006 AL Gold Gloves –
P – Detroit SP Jeremy Bonderman (1)
C – Detroit C Ivan Rodriguez (12)
1B – Detroit 1B Sean Casey (1)
2B – Detroit 2B Placido Polanco (1)
3B – Texas 3B Mark DeRosa (1)
SS – Texas SS Michael Young (1)
OF – Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki (6)
OF – Red Sox CF Coco Crisp (1)
OF – Athletics CF Mark Kotsay (1)

2006 NL Cy Young – Astros SP Roger Clemens – Clemens won his record 8th Cy Young. At age 44, he posted a 21-7 record with a 2.18 ERA – his third straight sub-3 ERA. He’s expected to return for another season.
2006 NL Most Valuable Player – Mets CF Carlos Beltran – Beltran found his power stroke after his disappointing 2005. He whacked 49 roundtrippers and drove in 146 runs. He walked 105 times, his first crack of the century mark in his career.
2006 NL Rookie of the Year – Dodgers C Russell Martin – Martin was phenomenal, playing strong defense and providing a .316/.405/.463 bat.
2006 NL Gold Gloves –
P – Dodgers SP Derek Lowe (1)
C – Cubs C Henry Blanco (1)
1B – Dodgers 1B Nomar Garciaparra (1)
2B – Dodgers 2B Jeff Kent (1)
3B – Astros 3B Morgan Ensberg (1)
SS – Cardinals SS David Eckstein (1)
OF – Mets CF Carlos Beltran (1)
OF – Mets RF Endy Chavez (1)
OF – Rockies RF Brad Hawpe (1)

Wow, so many first-timers. In the NL, it was a complete first-timer sweep! It’s also pretty interesting how the Tigers swept the entire right side of the infield, including pitcher and catcher.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Interesting that the real ALCS champ is in there - who have you got for the NLC S? Could make a killing in Vegas if its the Mets....

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Houston how do you show the stats??????

[HoustonGM]

Tools > Output Stats, name it, set it to .txt, and view file now. Then paste it and put [code*] and [/code*] around it, wtihout the asterisks.

[HoustonGM]

2006-2007 Offseason
A run-down of our expiring contracts and arbitration cases:

After Scott Spiezio’s huge career year, he was expecting a mighty big raise. We couldn’t get him to lower his demands, and had to let the 34-year old go.

Todd Walker was great for us against righties. He wants to test the market first, but we hope to resign him at some point in the offseason.

We non-tendered Jason Michaels. Getting him for Arthur Rhodes last offseason didn’t provide us with much. In 55 games, he batted .259/.302/.380. He asked for a pretty decent raise over his 2006 salary, and we had no choice but to let him go.

We let Doug Mientkiewicz go. Ryan Garko should be healthy by spring training. If something goes wrong with Garko over the offseason, we hope to resign Dougie.

We released Henry Mateo, Ben Davis and Tim Hummel, useless spare parts.

We won our arbitration case with reliever Rafael Betancourt, who will get a $2 million contract for 2007.

Danny Graves had a surprising showing this year, but was asking for over a million a year, and we couldn’t give that to him. Released.


Notable Retirements Around the League
Mike Timlin
Jamie Moyer
Mike Stanton
Doug Brocail
Ricardo Rincon
Ron Villone
Phil Nevin
Matt Stairs
Jason Johnson
Tim Salmon
Jose Vizcaino

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Tools > Output Stats, name it, set it to .txt, and view file now. Then paste it and put [code*] and [/code*] around it, wtihout the asterisks.
Thanks Houston!

[HoustonGM]

We have a few things on our check list this offseason.

We need two middle infielders, a starting shortstop and a starting second basemen. We need a few bench players or we’ll be stuck with rookies on the bench, something that isn’t good for their development. We’d like to pick up two infielders and an outfielder for that. We’re also going to look for a reliable left-handed reliever or two.

Next, we’ll take a look at the free agent market, position by position.

Catcher – Gregg Zaun is the big prize on the market. He’s coming off a huge season, batting .268/.364/.438 with 18 homers and 66 RBI. Mike Piazza revitalized his career in San Diego with 28 home runs and 90 runs batted in, but his age might scare teams off. Mike Lieberthal had a strong season in Philadelphia, but is in the same boat as Piazza as far as age goes. NL Gold Glove winner Henry Blanco and Rod Barajas are also available for starting jobs, but will likely have to settle for a backup spot.

First Basemen – Shea Hillenbrand had a career season and will likely fetch a decent contract. Frank Thomas wasn’t resigned by Oakland, but following a career-saving season, will likely sign on somewhere for another season at DH. Gary Sheffield showed in limited time this year that he still has it, batting .313/.383/.591 with 13 homers and 42 RBI in 181 at bats. Doug Mientkiewicz and Gold Glove winner Sean Casey are the only other first basemen on the market who might land a starting job.

Second Basemen – Brian Roberts proved that his power outburst in 2005 wasn’t a fluke, swatting 19 home runs this year. Ronnie Belliard can play an average second base, but might have to settle for a backup job somewhere. Mark Loretta can still hit, but is aging. Luis Castillo might land another starting job somewhere. Tony Graffanino is likely to sign on as a utility player somewhere. Craig Biggio still has pop left in his bat and would like to go for 3,000 hits. It’s unfortunate that he might not get that chance in a Houston uniform. Adam Kennedy might also land a starting job.

Third Basemen – Former Indians Scott Spiezio and Todd Walker are the best of the bunch. Pedro Feliz can play outstanding defense, but a .302 OBP with a .260 BA isn’t likely to garner much attention, though his 28 home runs might. Joe Randa, Aaron Boone, Jeff Cirillo, and David Bell could all land backup/utility jobs.

Shortstop – A very weak free agent class this year. Adam Everett is the “prize” but is the posterboy for good-glove, no-hit shortstops – a dying breed. Alex Gonzalez is in the same mold as Everett. There are plenty of guys here who could land utility jobs, such as Miguel Cairo, Eric Bruntlett, John McDonald, Tomas Perez, Alex Cintron, Royce Clayton, and Damion Easley.

Left Field – The biggest fish on the market resides here – Alfonso Soriano. Barry Bonds hopes to land a job, probably as a designated hitter, and is 26 home runs away from tying Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king. Dave Roberts is a speedster and will definitely get signed somewhere. David Dellucci, Jose Cruz, Rondell White, Bobby Kielty, and Preston Wilson are also free agents.

Center Field – Jim Edmonds is the best guy here, but is aging and a huge injury risk. Juan Pierre, Aaron Rowand and Corey Patterson are likely to latch on somewhere.

Right Field – Moises Alou is old, but a phenomenal 2006 will likely land him a job. Aubrey Huff had a decent season. Emil Brown could prove valuable. Jose Guillen missed most of the year but should get a contract. Trot Nixon played off the bench in Boston, but still has a good bat and a great eye.

Starting Pitcher – Roger Clemens is the obvious prize here. Texas, Houston, both New York teams, and Boston are the favorites to sign him. Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt also command a high price. Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux will return for another season. Mark Mulder and Andy Pettite also are quality starters. This pitcher free agent class is rounded out by Orlando Hernandez, Adam Eaton, Tomo Ohka, Jeff Suppan, Chan Ho Park, Jeff Weaver, Steve Trachsel, Rodrigo Lopez, and Tony Armas.

Relief Pitcher – Joe Kennedy, Russ Springer, Dustin Hermanson, Scott Schoeneweis, Alan Embree, Eddie Guardado, David Weathers, Rick Helling, Arthur Rhodes, Al Reyes.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Very Very nicely written & superb summary of your FA market - looking at the list you seem to be better off trading than signing unless you want to get into Soriano & the 3 top pitchers


just my observation ... you will ofcourse tell us the next Chapter in Indian history

[HoustonGM]

Reds Trade Dunn to Angels
http://www.cincinnati.com/spotlite/dunn_post180.jpg

Reds GM Wayne Krivsky, in an effort to cut down his teams strikeouts, traded away left fielder Adam Dunn. He sent Dunn along with pitcher Grant Balfour to the Anaheim Angels. In return, he received long-time Angel Garret Anderson, who played a backup role in LA. Reliever J.C. Romero will also join the Reds, along with pitching prospect Daniel Davidson and shortstop prospect Sean Rodriguez. Los Angeles has also sent cash to Cincinnati to pay for some of Anderson’s contract.

Orioles Send Tejada to Houston
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040924/BAL_tejada_84599.jpg

A deal that has long been rumored has finally came to fruition. The Orioles have sent their star shortstop Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros. They received a package of prospects in return. Major-league ready Chance Douglass is expected to be a fixture in their rotation this year. Pitcher Juan Gutierrez and center field Josh Anderson round out the prospects heading to Baltimore. Veteran journeyman pitchers Brandon Duckworth and Dave Borkowski also get sent to Baltimore.

Texas/Philly complete 5-player swap
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/2003/allstar/news/2003/07/15/midsummer_classic_ap/blalock_final.jpg

Thanks to Mark DeRosa’s breakout season, the Rangers could afford to part ways with third basemen Hank Blalock. They sent him, along with rookie reliever Jesse Carlson, to the Philadelphia Phillies. In return, they receive highly-touted pitching prospect J.A. Happ, and speedster prospect, outfielder Chris Roberson. Career minor league infielder Luis Ugueto also heads to Texas.

[HoustonGM]

In a surprising twist, the Dodgers decided to ink Eric Gagne to a long-term 5-year, $23.5 million deal. He should definitely take over the closer role again in 2007, barring another injury. The Dodgers used George Sherrill there for most of 2006, where he compiled 35 saves, but blew 12 and had an outrageous 7.43 ERA.

On the first day of free agency, the Diamondbacks reeled in the biggest hitter on the market, outfielder Alfonso Soriano. They inked him to a 4-year deal worth $36.8 million.

Also on the first day, the Dodgers signed reliever Joe Kennedy to a 3-year deal worth $16.5 million. This was a huge blow to us, as he we had our eye on him for our lefty reliever spot. He had a great season in Oakland, posting a 1.89 ERA in 72 relief appearances.

The Rangers improved their rotation, signing free agent Andy Pettite to a 2-year deal worth a total of $12.4 million. Pettite was 14-7 with a 3.54 ERA in Houston last year.

The Brewers signed center fielder Corey Patterson to a 4-year deal, averaging $4.5 million per year. Patterson followed a woeful 2005 with a decent 2006, posting a .271/.311/.422 line and racking up 37 stolen bases.

Later that evening, I called up New York Mets GM Omar Minaya, inquiring about reliever Pedro Feliciano. In need of a corner outfielder, the Mets decided to structure a deal around Casey Blake. Along with Blake, we sent relief prospect 26-year old Thomas Mastny to New York. We also got reliever Guillermo Mota. Mota and Feliciano will likely both start the season on our 25-man roster.

We were then able to deal struggling reliever Rafael Betancourt, along with cash, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. We received a nice package, starting with the surprising Marlon Anderson, who smashed a dazzling 28 home runs and 104 RBI at age 32. He played mostly left field for Los Angeles, but is naturally a second basemen. We’ll find a place for him. We also received backup infielder Wilson Valdez. Valdez has decent speed and hits for decent contact, but we really like his eye. In AAA this past season, he posted a .375 OBP and walked 69 times compared to 59 strikeouts. The final piece of the puzzle was 24-year old reliever Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez struggled in 31 innings with LA last year, and will likely start off the season in AAA.

We lost our chance at Scott Spiezio, as he signed a 3 year deal worth $17.4 million with the Milwaukee Brewers.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Oh oh you re traded for Mota ?

[HoustonGM]

Oh oh you re traded for Mota ?
Haha, you can say that. :p

[HoustonGM]

Just three days into the free agent signing period, and the Mets landed one of the top pitching free agents, Barry Zito. He received a 4-year deal worth $34 million. With a switch to the National League, he’s likely to see a large drop in his 4.59 ERA from this season. Two days later, they signed another big fish, Jason Schmidt, to a 3-year contract worth $27.6 million. With a rotation that now features five strong starters, Zito, Schmidt, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, and John Maine, the Mets look primed for another 100+ win season.

The Orioles replaced Brian Roberts at second base by signing Craig Biggio to a 2-year deal worth $6.1 million. Biggie hit 14 home runs and drove in 79 RBI while batting .278/.346/.439. He’s 87 hits away from hitting 3,000 and should reach that, sadly, while not in a Houston uniform.

The Giants apparently have not learned their lesson that old outfielders are not always the best bet, and they’ve signed 36-year old Jim Edmonds to a 2-year, $8.8 million contract. Fortunately, their 40+ year old outfield from last year have all left to free agency.

The Tigers added reliever Scott Schoeneweis to their bullpen. He had a 1.91 ERA in 66 innings with Cincinatti.

We’ve decided to trade Paul Byrd, and the Mets jumped at the offer, for one reason or another. We sent Byrd and his $7+ million contract along with relief prospect Tony Sipp to the Mets for pitching prospect Brian Bannister. Bannister was 2-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 11 appearances (7 starts) with New York this past season. He’ll start the season in the rotation.

The Braves have lost all confidence in Marcus Giles, and have signed Brian Roberts to leadoff for them. After the signing, they looked to deal Giles. They found a suitor in the Minnesota Twins, who sent pitching prospects Kyle Waldrop and Errol Simonitsch in return. They also then signed Mark Mulder to a 3-year deal worth around $16 million. Mulder rejoins Tim Hudson, who he formed two-thirds of the Oakland A’s Big Three a few years back. They’ll be contending with the remaining member, Barry Zito, now in a Mets uniform.

The Rangers stole another former Houston Astro, signing right fielder Aubrey Huff to a 4-year deal worth about $20 million.

The White Sox came out of nowhere in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes, signing him to a 2-year deal, guaranteeing him over $35 million. Following this signing, they sent Freddy Garcia packing across the border to Toronto. They received a package including left fielder Frank Catalanatto, second basemen Ryan Roberts, pitcher Ryan Houston, and pitcher Josh Banks, in return.

The Angels went out and signed Gary Sheffield to a contract that could prove to be a huge bargain – 1 year, $2,750,000.

The Rangers continued to retool their rotation, adding free agent Jeff Suppan, whom they signed to a one-year deal worth $5.2 million.

[HoustonGM]

The Angels signed Chan Ho Park to a 1-year $2 million deal. He’ll likely switch to a relief role to lighten his workload.

In a huge signing, the Rangers proved their commitment to winning. They signed future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to a one-year deal. This signing knocks Kip Wells to a long relief role. Maddux went 17-10 with a 4.58 ERA in Los Angeles last year. He has 335 career wins. The Rangers also added Dustin Hermanson to their bullpen.

After losing center fielder Kenny Lofton to free agency, the Dodger signed a player in a similar mold as Lofton – Juan Pierre. He’ll make a total of $6.2 million over 2 years.

The Tigers signed first basemen Shea Hillenbrand to a 2-year contract. They’ll no longer be going with a platoon, as they did last year with Chris Shelton and Sean Casey.

The Nationals signed reliever Aaron Fultz to a 1-year deal.

The Dodgers signed second basemen Ronnie Belliard to a 1-year contract. He’ll have to settle for a utility role.

Next, we’ll take a break from the usual offseason transactions, and take a look at this years amateur draft. The draft has been moved from its usual June spot, in an effort to get new draftees acclimated to the full-year schedule sooner.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Nice pick up of Banister if he holds up ... surprised you didnt go after Giles though...(especially for the low return demanded) but GM Cleveland knows best...

[HoustonGM]

Nice pick up of Banister if he holds up ... surprised you didnt go after Giles though...(especially for the low return demanded) but GM Cleveland knows best...
Well, I actually had to force the Giles trade (and every other offseason trade). Teams dont trade in the offseason in Mogul, and for realism sake, I made all those trades. We're gonna use Marlon Anderson at second base this year, and we'll likely find a bargain shortstop before spring training

[HoustonGM]

2007 Amateur Draft Preview
This year’s draft looks very pitcher-heavy.

Bruce Landry is a college reliever, and is the closest draftee to the majors. He’s in the mold of Tiger reliever Joel Zumaya, armed with a fastball that’s topped out at an astounding 105 MPH! Combine that with a brutal splitter and an improving knuckle curve, and you have the makings of a potential lights out closer.

Third basemen Cam Wilder, despite being out of high school, is likely the closest position player in the draft to the majors. His bat may keep him in the minors for a year or two, but his defense is said to already be Gold-Glove caliber. Scouts compare him not to Scott Rolen, but to Brooks Robinson. He has something over Robinson though – he can play outstanding at second base and short stop as well.

Center fielder Shane Sharry will likely go high. Throughout high school and two years of college, he committed just ONE error. He’s shown power as well.

Rob Layfield likely has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the minor leagues. An 18-year old out of a Baltimore high school, Layfield throws a fastball, a change up, and a splitter. He’s known for his workhorse mentality.

Walt Fuller is a 5-tool right fielder, who’s also shown an outstanding batting eye. He comes out of Steubenville High School in Ohio, and despite a small frame, has shown power.

High school first basemen Seth Harvey likely has the brightest future of all position players in the draft. Harvey has a powerful swing, and hit a home run in every 12 at bats in high school.

Josh Harrigan, Joel Worthy, Len Robertson, Juan Murrieta, Joe Polkovnikov, Rod Clayton, Gregory Batrouny, Brian Scott, Marcus Castro, Joe Simmons, Manuel Delpuerto, Craig Thomas, Joey Wood, Tim Ketron, Tyler Hathcock, and Allan Nelson make up the rest of the top pitchers in the draft.

As for our Indians, here’s a list of the player’s we’re eying:

SP Juan Murietta Went to Colorado
1B Seth Harvey Went to Tampa Bay
SP Rob Layfield GOT!
3B Cam Wilder Went to Philadelphia
3B Brian Neft Went to San Francisco
RF Walt Fuller Went to Atlanta
RF James McConkey GOT!
1B Ron Crone GOT!
2B Bart Kotoll Went to Boston
RP Bruce Landry Went to Milwaukee
RP Stewart Tucker Went to Chicago (AL)
C Kevin Mundell Went to St. Louis
SP Joel Worthy Went to Chicago (AL)
SP Rod Clayton Went to New York (AL)

[HoustonGM]

2007 Amateur Draft
The Kansas City Royals were granted the first pick, and took a lowly catcher, Jose Cabido, in a weird move. Florida took another catcher, Luke Law, with the second overall pick in the draft…

In the first pick that will probably mean anything, the Phillies took highly-coveted third basemen Cam Wilder. The Brewers followed by taking reliever Bruce Landry. The Red Sox took 2B Bart Kotoll with the 5h pick in the draft, and the Devil Rays took 1B Seth Harvey.

Other notable selections in the first round:
The Rockies took starter Juan Murrieta 9th overall.
The Cubs took center fielder Shane Sharry 10th overall.
The Giants took third basemen Brian Neft 15th overall.
The Cardinals took catcher Kevin Mundell 18th overall.
The White Sox took reliever Stewart Tucker 19th overall.

We got the 26th pick. We had it down to two candidates – starters Joel Worthy and starter Rob Layfield. We decided to take Layfield, who you can read more about above.

By our second pick, our wish list was widdled down to three – RF James McConkey, 1B Ron Crone, and SP Rod Clayton. We decided to go with McConkey, a well-rounded high school player from Providence, Rhode Island. McConkey’s biggest strength is something we love – a strong batting eye.

We were able to get 1B Ron Crone in the third round. Crone is very durable, and he prides himself on never having an injury worse than a bump or bruise in his entire life. He shows a great eye and much power.

With our fourth pick, we took starter Jake Moser. He just finished his junior year of college, and shows strong control, with an arsenal featuring an average fastball, a developing change up, and a 12-6 curveball.

Our fifth round pick was outfielder Jamie Hayes, who doesn’t do any one thing particularly well.

Reliever Ray Murrieta, Juan Murrieta’s younger brother, was our 6th round pick. His strong point is a high 90s fastball.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Well, I actually had to force the Giles trade (and every other offseason trade). Teams dont trade in the offseason in Mogul, and for realism sake, I made all those trades. We're gonna use Marlon Anderson at second base this year, and we'll likely find a bargain shortstop before spring training

Yea I read what you said in Sanji's dynasty but considering your wants/needs I assumed that a trade with you would have made as much sense as for the Braves sending a 2B man to the opposite league (like the Twins) & your need for middle infield (Anderson is back up at best)

[HoustonGM]

Yea I read what you said in Sanji's dynasty but considering your wants/needs I assumed that a trade with you would have made as much sense as for the Braves sending a 2B man to the opposite league (like the Twins) & your need for middle infield (Anderson is back up at best)
Did you read? Anderson hit 28 home runs and batting .287/.354/.519! :p

I don't expect him to duplicate that, but he'll surely be better than Giles, who was .236/.315/.367 in 259 at bats for Atlanta.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Hope you are right ....

[HoustonGM]

Starting right up again with free agency…The Cubs signed Tony Armas, who will likely work out of the pen. They also signed Mark Loretta to start at second for them, taking Ryan Theriot’s starting job. Tomo Ohka was also added to the bullpen mix. Adding Alex Gonzalez gives them a brand new double play combination, with him and Loretta. They also signed Tony Graffanino to play a utility role. Jason Lane who hopes to start in center field for them.

The Braves signed Dave Roberts, who will leadoff for them and play left field, to a 1-year deal worth $1.9 million.

Boston will start new pickup Alex Cintron at shortstop.

The Giants signed outfielder Aaron Rowand, who has to settle for a defensive replacement role. They also picked up Adam Eaton to start for them, on a 1-year, $4.3 million deal.

The Angels signed Doug Mientkiewicz. We’ll have to do without him.

The Orioles signed Emil Brown, who will start in left field for them.

The Twins signed David Dellucci, who will platoon with Shannon Stewart in left.

The Athletics signed Jose Guillen and will start him in right.

The Padres signed Henry Blanco, who won’t be able to follow up with another Gold Glove, as he’ll be stuck in a backup spot. Jeff Weaver will be added to their rotation.

The Devil Rays signed Adam Kennedy to a 1-year deal worth $1.6 million. He’ll start the season in a platoon with Jorge Cantu. They also signed Pedro Feliz, who will platoon in left with Brad Wilkerson.

Rick Helling, Rodrigo Lopez, Al Reyes, Jason Michaels and LaTroy Hawkins will be in Washington this season.

The Phillies signed Trot Nixon, who will start in right for them and make $2.05 million.

I was able to resign Todd Walker for a very affordable $1.7 million, 1-year deal. We will use him at short vs. righties. Wilson Valdez will be his platoon partner.

The Phillies signed Jeff Cirillo to play third base, and Gregg Zaun to start behind the plate. Rod Barajas was also signed to back up Zaun. They signed David Weathers to pitch from the bullpen.

The Braves signed Kevin Mench, but he’ll have to fight for a roster spot.

The Orioles picked up Yorvit Torrealba to back up Ramon Hernandez, and signed reliever Alan Embree.

The Astros might’ve found a bargain in 40-year old Moises Alou, signed to a 1-year, $2.7 million deal.

The Rangers opened up their pockets and stole Frank Thomas from the Oakland Athletics. He’ll add even more power to an already powerful lineup.

Barry Bonds accepted a generous paycut to stay in San Francisco. He’ll make a shade over $4 million in his attempt to pass Hank Aaron on the all-time home run leader board.

The Red Sox signed Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Russ Springer.

The Reds resigned Eddie Guardado.

[HoustonGM]

Prior to spring training, we signed Eric Bruntlett to a 1-year deal for a utilityman role. Andrew Brown learned a change up from Luis Gonzalez during spring training.

During spring training:
Atlanta signed outfielder Bobby Kielty.
The Yankees signed infielder John McDonald.
The Nationals signed reliever Arthur Rhodes and outfielder Luis Matos.
The PIRATES were able to sign Mike Piazza, even though they already have Ronny Paulino. Piazza becomes the starter, which Ronny sure doesn’t appreciate.
The Cubs signed Luis Castillo and Adam Everett. Castillo platoons with Loretta. Everett takes over fulltime at short, as Alex Gonzalez gets dropped to AAA! Brady Clark gets to platoon with Jason Lane.
The Athletics signed Mike Lieberthal, who knocks Jason Kendall into a backup role.
The Giants signed Woody Williams who joins the rotation.
The Red Sox signed Steve Trachsel.





Bed time now. Tomorrow I'll go over every team in the league, and what they're outlook is for this year, as well as go through my roster, and possibly start the season.

[michaelg123789]

Great Writeup here. Keep this going!

[HoustonGM]

Attached here are the 25-man rosters as of Opening Day for each team, as well as any players on the DL who would be on the roster if not for their injury.

A star denotes a player that is platooned. The lineup shown is the lineup vs. righties.

I'll be doing a short write up for each team, about a paragraph in length, broken down by division, next.

[Red Sox Fan 734]

What is Andy Marte's rating???? Is he enough to protect Hafner

[HoustonGM]

What is Andy Marte's rating???? Is he enough to protect Hafner
86/93, with ratings +/- 6. Just for the **** of it, let's check in Commish Mode. 86/94.

That whole "protection" stuff is only sometimes relevent in real lief and is overused, and in Mogul, it's even less of a factor. In real life, it's because if the guy behind So and So is also really good, you won't want to put So and So on with a free pass or something....but I'm 99.9% sure the AI doesn't look at the next batter when deciding whether to walk or pitch around a guy.

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Ya i guess your right. The AI doesnt really look at it.

[HoustonGM]

You'll also notice that Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the Mariners roster. I also added third basemen Akinori Iwamura to the Giants, but right now, the auto-sort's because really strange, so I'm going to try to fix that tonight when I get home from work, to make sure he gets sorted into the lineup, and not A-ball...

Matsuzaka has a 5-year, $50M contract.
Iwamura has a 4-year, $32M contract.

[HoustonGM]

There were two signings that I neglected to report earlier, two Japanese imports. 28 year old Akinori Iwamura signed a 4-year, $32 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. Iwamura consistently put up a decent batting average with strong power, hitting a career high 44 home runs in 2004. As for where he’ll play, well, it took Aaron Boone retiring for the Giants to give Iwamura the starting position. Man, that Boone is quite a ballplayer with a lot of respect for the game, calling it quits just to give another guy rightfully deserved playing time.

The Mariners signed 26-year old gyroballer Daisuke Matsuzaka to a 5-year deal worth $50 million. He’ll be a mainstay at the front of the Seattle rotation.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
Baltimore Orioles
2006 Record: 71-91
I think this team has actually gotten worse since last year. They lost their only star hitter, Miguel Tejada, in a trade. They picked up some guys who could prove to be cornerstones to their team in the future, but nobody who should have an immediate impact. Their rotation is full of unproven guys like Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen, and Chance Douglass. Without Tejada’s big bat in the middle of the lineup, I foresee them having trouble putting runs on the board. You know something’s wrong when you have Ramon Hernandez batting clean up.
Predicted 2007 Record: 68-94

Boston Red Sox
2006 Record: 70-92
Nobody expected the Red Sox to do as badly as they did in 2006. David Ortiz had a huge drop in batting average, finishing with a .243. Of course though, his on-base ability was as good as ever, as he posted a career high 129 walks. The real cause of concern with Ortiz should be his drop in slugging percentage – down 81 points from 2005, due in large part to his lack of doubles (20, compared to 40 in 2005). The lineup is basically the same as last year, except with a new double play combination – rookie Dustin Pedroia and Alex Cintron. Barring a rookie-of-the-year performance from Pedroia, which many don’t expect, he’ll be a downgrade from Loretta. Alex Cintron, while a slight downgrade defensively, should be a huge offensive upgrade from Alex Gonzalez. They’re rotation has just aged with the additions of El Duque and Steve Trachsel. They’re bullpen looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
Predicted 2007 Record: 76-86

New York Yankees
2006 Record: 102-60
Gary Sheffield was their only loss from the lineup, and rookie Melky Cabrera was likely ready to play last year, so besides the drop in power, the lineup should produce admirably. Robinson Cano will surely come down to earth from his absolutely insane sophomore year - .375/.402/.588, 28 HR, 151 RBI. They didn’t make any significant upgrades to their pitching, either, which, except for an improved Jeff Karstens and a “deproved” Carl Pavano, looks exactly as it did last year.
Predicted 2007 Record: 92-70

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2006 Record: 70-92
Your list of upgrades: Adam Kennedy, Pedro Feliz. Yeah, this team is destined for the cellar, again. Sophmore pitchers Chris Seddon, J.P. Howell, and Jason Hammel should improve on their 2006 performances. Tampa looks to have a bright future, but it’s just not there yet. And keeping Delmon Young in the minors is a travesty. If they really want Greg Norton in the lineup, drop the Wilkeson/Feliz platoon, move Gomes or Norton to left, and put Young in right field, with Gomes/Norton DHing.
Predicted 2007 Record: 65-97

Toronto Blue Jays
2006 Record: 88-74
They’re lineup, with the loss of Gregg Zaun, and the addition of his replacement, rookie Rob Cosby, looks a little less fearful than it did last year, but it’s nonetheless a team that can score a lot of runs. They’ve upgraded their pitching staff by adding Freddy Garcia, while not losing anybody else from last year’s team. I expect a strong playoff push, and possibly even unseating the Yankees from first place.
Predicted 2007 Record: 91-71

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Chicago White Sox
2006 Record: 86-76
There’s very little new things going on here. Frank Catalanatto is now in left, and he’s a significant upgrade over Scott Podsednik, although they should probably find someone to hit against lefties because Catalanatto simply can’t. Rob Mackowiak is in center, with Brian Anderson earning himself a demotion to AAA. The one major difference is likely to be huge, as long as he can hold up, and that’s the addition to Roger Clemens. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Clemens will hold up fantastically. He obviously has some superhuman gene in him. I mean, last year, at age 43, he went 21-7 with a nutty 2.18 ERA, and struck out 213 batters
Predicted 2007 Record: 89-73

Cleveland Indians
2006 Record: 98-64
They probably would’ve at least made the World Series if Hafner didn’t get injured just in time for the playoffs. Ryan Garko has huge potential, but he might end up being a downgrade from Doug Mientkiewicz this year. The Todd Walker/Wilson Valdez platoon isn’t exactly inspiring. They’re bullpen has been upgraded though, with the addition of Pedro Feliciano. I expect another good performance, but they might have to actually fight for a playoff spot this year.
Predicted 2007 Record: 90-72

Detroit Tigers
2006 Record: 89-73
The surprise team of 2006, making it to the World Series just three years after a 119-loss season. They definitely have all the necessary ingredients to be a playoff contender again this year. Shea Hillenbrand is likely a step up from a Sean Casey/Chris Shelton platoon, and what do you know? He fits in perfectly with the free-swinging, yet successful, Tigers. The rotation is the same, and it will probably perform the same, with great performances by Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. Kenny Rogers may breakdown by the end of the season though.
Predicted 2007 Record: 88-74

Kansas City Royals
2006 Record: 53-109
They upgraded nothing. They’re going with two sophomores in the rotation, Billy Buckner and Tyler Lumsden, who both had ERA’s over 7 last year, 21 starts for Buckner and 14 for Lumsden. They have two future cornerstones, Justin Huber and Alex Gordon, on the bench. Expect another horrible season.
Predicted 2007 Record: 57-105

Minnesota Twins
2006 Record: 84-78
You really can’t argue with a team that features the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, and his protégé, Francisco Liriano. Boof Bonser looked really good in spring training, which makes a formidable top 3. The bullpen, led by Joe Nathan, looks strong. David Dellucci and Marcus Giles are newcomers to a lineup that will likely produce slightly better than last year, as they’ll hopefully get a full season from Justin Morneau, who is still waiting for that breakout season.
Predicted 2007 Record: 85-77

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Los Angeles Angels
2006 Record: 87-75
Adam Dunn is likely to be huge in the middle of that lineup. Sure, he strikes out a ton, but when you walk just as much as you strike out, it more than makes up for it. Rookie of the Year Howie Kendrick is looking to improve upon his ROTY campaign. The Angels have one of the best rotations in all of baseball, featuring 5 guys who are legitimate #1 or 2 starters. The bullpen has the potential to be dynamite, especially in the late innings with Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez.
Predicted 2007 Record: 89-73

Oakland Athletics
2006 Record: 75-87
Mike Lieberthal is a downgrade from Jason Kendall. Sure, Lieberthal looks better if you like “conventional baseball wisdom.” 27 HR and 93 RBI in 2006 would make Joe Morgan orgasm with thoughts of an RBI-man, and he’s likely to call Jason Kendall a joke, with his 2 roundtrippers and 29 RBI. But wait, Kendall scored 54 runs, compared to Lieberthal’s 57. And Lieberthal played in 30 more games than Kendall. HOW COULD IT BE?! Maybe because Lieberthal became absolutely allergic to the walk, walking a grand total of 12 times in 518 at bats, good for a .253/.278/.461 line. Kendall, in 395 at bats, walked 34 times, for a line of .278/.342/.344, pretty adequate for a catcher. The loss of big bopper Frank Thomas is likely to hurt the offense, just as the loss of ace Barry Zito is going to hurt the pitching staff, although a full year of Rich Harden would help make up for that. They have a strong bullpen.
Predicted 2007 Record: 77-85

Seattle Mariners
2006 Record: 77-85
The lineup is pretty much the same as last year. The difference definitely lies in Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka. If Matsuzaka can match or surpass his performance in Japan, the Mariners could have a dynamite one-two punch with him and young phenom Felix Hernandez, who already has a full season under his belt at age 20. The bullpen will be shaky until J.J. Putz returns in June.
Predicted 2007 Record: 80-82

Texas Rangers
2006 Record: 95-67
A AL West division crown repeat is very likely. They traded Hank Blalock, who became redundant with Mark DeRosa’s breakout season. The additions of Frank Thomas and Aubrey Huff will add even more firepower to the high-octane Texas offense. After all the years of neglecting pitching, they finally went out and signed some big-name guys – Andy Pettite and Greg Maddux, and also a smaller-name, but a consistent starter nonetheless, Jeff Suppan. Their rotation now features five veterans, including a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Their bullpen looks decent, and so long as it performs even averagely, Texas will find itself in its second straight playoffs.
Predicted 2007 Record: 97-65

[HoustonGM]

National League East
Atlanta Braves
2006 Record: 97-65
In any other season, or any other division, they’d likely have continued their insanely long streak of division titles. The core of their team remains intact, with Chipper Jones, Adam LaRoche, and Brian McCann all coming off monster seasons. Andruw Jones is no slouch either, and he showed the best plate discipline of his career in 2006, walking 84 times. If they can get Jeff Francoeur and his anemic .239/.275/.409 line to learn to take some pitches, they’d have 5 insanely good hitters. They’ve added Mark Mulder, and now feature two-thirds of the former Oakland Big Three in their rotation. If the pitching holds up, they’ll make another playoff appearance in 2007, although starting up a new division title streak seems out of the cards with the insane upgrades the Mets made this offseason.
Predicted 2007 Record: 95-67

Florida Marlins
2006 Record: 56-106
They have a nice core of young players, especially in their rotation. Hanley Ramirez will finally get his rookie season, barring another year-long injury in April. Miguel Cabrera’s power was down last year, but that is probably a fluke. However, he showed great plate discipline, walking a career-high 87 times for a .407 on-base percentage. Don’t listen to Joe Morgan when he says some nonsense about how Cabrera should have driven in more than 86 runs. He doesn’t understand that even Babe Ruth can’t drive in runs if the rest of his team sucks. Cabrera has 101 career home runs at the ripe, young age of 23. They’re rotation is full of guys who will likely one day be #1 starters somewhere. I don’t expect a great season this year, but they’ll surely do better than 2006.
Predicted 2007 Record: 68-94

New York Mets
2006 Record: 113-49
The defending World Series champions will likely make another run at the title, armed with two new ace pitchers, Barry Zito AND Jason Schmidt, and an upgrade in left field. Casey Blake will likely produce a lot better than the aging Shawn Green or the frail Cliff Floyd, who’s still sitting on the free agent market trying to catch on with a team. You absolutely cannot argue with a rotation that features two future Hall of Famers (Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine) and two consistently awesome starters (Schmidt and Zito). John Maine, their fifth starter, was 12-6 with a 4.89 ERA in 2006, but had a nice 8.6 K/9.
Predicted 2007 Record: 106-56

Philadelphia Phillies
2006 Record: 62-100
Nobody predicted the Phillies horrible season. Most of it was probably due to losing all-star second basemen Chase Utley early on in the season, but Utley’s back now. Ryan Howard showed great improvement, walking 121 times, for a .299/.451/.558 line with 34 HR and 90 RBI. The pitching will likely be their downfall. Only Brett Myers is dependable at this point. They’re staff is a mish-mash of young, unproven rookies, and aging veterans.
Predicted 2007 Record: 68-94

Washington Nationals
2006 Record: 71-91
Ryan Zimmerman is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign, but other than that, the offense looks a little below average. They hope sophomore Matt Chico improves upon his absolutely horrendous rookie season, where he went 7-21 with a 6.60 ERA, and 42 home runs allowed. Adding Arthur Rhodes, Rick Helling, and Rodrigo Lopez adds “veteran insight” but it doesn’t add skill.
Predicted 2007 Record: 65-97

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Chicago Cubs
2006 Record: 75-87
The double play combination of Adam Everett and Mark Loretta is an upgrade over Cesar Izturis and Ryan Theriot. Everett is Izturis with a better glove. Loretta is a huge upgrade over Theriot in every way, even at 35 years old. If Mark Prior stays healthy, he’ll be the difference maker in the rotation, and Kerry Wood will get his first full season as a reliever. They’ll improve slightly over last year, but likely won’t make the playoffs.
Predicted 2007 Record: 77-85

Cincinatti Reds
2006 Record: 76-86
Garret Anderson is a massive downgrade from Adam Dunn, even given Dunn’s drop in both average and OBP last year. Outside of that, the lineup remains the same. The pitching staff doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence either, with Eric Milton and Kyle Lohse manning the middle of the rotation.
Predicted 2007 Record: 70-92

Houston Astros
2006 Record: 99-63
The only reason they were so good last year was because Roger Clemens, Clay Buchholz, Roy Oswalt, and Andy Pettite were all outstanding. The best of the bunch, Clemens, headed north to Chicago, and Pettite moved across the state to the Rangers. If Moises Alou can stay healthy, he’ll be a significant upgrade over Aubrey Huff, and Miguel Tejada is an absolutely mind-boggling improvement over Adam Everett. The offense will definitely be better, but can it help a rotation that features two rookies (Matt Albers and Troy Patton) and a guy with just enough innings to not qualify as a rookie (Jason Hirsh)?
Predicted 2007 Record: 86-76

Milwaukee Brewers
2006 Record: 65-97
All the parts are there – a rotation that has the skill to be dominating, a decent bullpen, powerful hitters in the middle of the lineup, and a great tablesetter in Rickie Weeks. They couldn’t put it together last year, and it’s likely they won’t this year either.
Predicted 2007 Record: 68-94

Pittsburgh Pirates
2006 Record: 75-87
The lineup looks pretty much the same, especially considering the Pirates management finally announced that Mike Piazza won’t, in fact, be starting. The entire team looks like a duplicate from last year. Last year though, they also got incredibly lucky. Expect a drop in the standings.
Predicted 2007 Record: 70-92

St. Louis Cardinals
2006 Record: 84-78
They didn’t do much in the offseason to upgrade their team, but considering the Astros lost a lot of pitching, the playoffs could once again be in the cards for the Cardinals. They’ve moved Adam Wainwright to the rotation, which is an interesting move. He was shaky out of the pen last year, but was a former top prospect for the Braves, and he’s still just 25. The bullpen looks to be a question mark. Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel form an interesting two-thirds of the outfield.
Predicted 2007 Record: 87-75

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
2006 Record: 84-78
If they hadn’t picked up Alfonso Soriano, moving Eric Byrnes to left and giving Chris Young a chance to play everyday would’ve been a good move. As of now, Young will have to settle for a bench role. Trading Young for some pitching is something that’s been rumored, and it’d work out best for both the Diamondbacks AND Chris Young. The lineup should be pretty good, but the pitching staff is largely unchanged, and Brandon Webb is the only definite.
Predicted 2007 Record: 85-77

Colorado Rockies
2006 Record: 73-89
The lineup is strong in the middle, but weak at both the top and the bottom. The Rockies are another team that are largely unchanged from last year. The difference now is that their rotation features two guys who got a taste of the big leagues last year, and failed miserably – Shane Lindsay and Samuel Deduno. In 15 starts, Lindsay had a 6.81 ERA. In 71.1 innings, he did strike out an astonishing 108 batters, but also walked an outrageous 72 batters. Deduno made 11 starts and 2 relief appearances, and went 1-8 with an absolutely unfathomable 12.23 ERA.
Predicted 2007 Record: 70-92

Los Angeles Dodgers
2006 Record: 90-72
A platoon of Juan Pierre and Jason Repko is an interesting change of pace from Kenny Lofton. Wilson Betemit, who hit 39 home runs in a surprise breakout year in 2006, and Nomar Garciaparra man the middle of a potentially explosive lineup. The starting rotation will likely play the same as it did last year, although the loss of Greg Maddux might hurt it. The bullpen, so long as Eric Gagne stays healthy, will surely be a lot better than it was last year, you know, with George Sherrill pitching a full year as closer with an ERA above 7.
Predicted 2007 Record: 92-70

San Diego Padres
2006 Record: 86-76
I have absolutely no clue why the Padres are insisting on a platoon of Damon Hollins and Brian Giles. There’s a fundamental difference between the two that should make it clear who should ALWAYS play – Damon Hollins sucks, and Brian Giles does not. Josh Bard will likely produce just as well, if not better, than Mike Piazza did last year. Bard batted .284/.361/.495 in 218 at bats. The back-end of the rotation has to hold up if the Padres want to win. The bullpen sucks outside of Trevor Hoffman and Cla Meredith.
Predicted 2007 Record: 84-78

San Francisco Giants
2006 Record: 79-83
Resigning Barry Bonds at such a small price was a huge bargain for the Giants, although his defense surely lags behind everything else. Akinori Iwamura, who forced Aaron Boone to retire, provides a power bat in the middle of the lineup, as does Jim Edmonds, who’s freaking being platooned with Aaron Rowand. What’s up with NL West teams platooning players when it’s obvious who should play ALL the time? Maybe it’s Rowand’s big heart and scrappy playing that the Giants like. Adam Eaton and Woody Williams round out a solid rotation, but the bullpen is questionable.
Predicted 2007 Record: 76-86

[HoustonGM]

April 2007 13-11
Season Record: 13-11 (Tied with Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
Early in the month, the phones were going off the hook – other teams inquiring about Pedro Feliciano and John Rodriguez. We were able to get a nice, NICE package of prospects for Feliciano, including the first overall pick in the 2006 Amateur Draft, Andrew Miller. We even ended up getting rid of John Rodriguez, for the much better, Emil Brown.

It was a so-so month for us. We had our ups and our downs. The bullpen, a weak point last year, has been outstanding. The lineup is also starting to wake up. Look for another playoff run….we hope.

Indians News
April 11 – We made the following trade:

Cleveland receives:
SP Zach Miner
RP Bo Beedle
SP Andrew Miller
RP Jamie Walker
1B Jeff Larish

Detroit receives:
RP Pedro Feliciano

Basically, we ripped their asses off. We basically swapped left-handed specialists, except they also threw in four prospects. Let’s break it down, player-by-player.

Pedro Feliciano – We traded for him this offseason. He was coming off a solid season as a reliever for the Mets. In 2.2 innings with us, he gave up 6 runs.
Zach Miner – Miner’s a swingman who will likely stick with us in the majors. He should be a solid reliever for years to come.
Bo Beedle – Beedle is a 17 year old, and the Tigers 3rd round pick in the amateur draft this offseason. And his name is BO BEEDLE. Sorry. Back on track, he’s got a huge upside, but he probably won’t be ready for 4-5 years.
Andrew Miller – The gem of the deal. He’s potentially ready to pitch in the majors right now, but we’ll give him seasoning in the minors. His ceiling is that of a #1 ace.
Jamie Walker – Walker’s old, at 35, and was horrible for Detroit last year, with a 7.52 ERA and .333 BAA…and 20 home runs in 46 innings. Hopefully he’ll settle down for us, else we’ll probably have to release him.
Jeff Larish – He 24, with a decent batting eye. Not much upside, but a decent prospect.

We sent Juan Lara to AAA, and put Miner and Walker in our bullpen. Bo Beedle will play Rookie ball this year. Miller will start off in AAA. Jeff Larish will play in A-ball, where he is incredibly old for the level.
April 22 – We made two trades today.

Cleveland receives:
RF Emil Brown
RP Ricardo Santomario
LF Jeff Fiorentino

Baltimore receives:
OF John Rodriguez

Rodriguez was very valuable last year, with an OBP of .375, but he lost the ability to hit the ball this year. His .358 OBP was good, but he had an anemic .295 slugging percentage. Emil Brown, though more expensive and a free agent following this season, is batting .295/.377/.393 in 61 at bats so far this year. Last year, he batted .269/.326/.435, not great, but in a limited role, it’s alright. Santomario is a young reliever at the age of 18. His fastball is strong at 96 MPH, and he should have a decent career as a major league reliever. Jeff Fiorentino is 23, and we like his chances at becoming a solid big league outfielder. He’s ready to play now, but we’ll give him some more seasoning in the minors. We like his batting eye a lot. He walks a lot, and also more than he strikeouts.

Our next trade was huge, in our eyes:

Cleveland receives:
SS Craig Counsell
OF Chris Young

Arizona receives:
SP Jake Westbrook
RP Fausto Carmona
P Ronald Bay

Young deserves a shot as a full time player, and he’ll get it here in Cleveland. Counsell gives us a dependable short stop. He is old, but we’re just expecting better production than Walker/Valdez. Walker was batting .188/.212/.271. Westbrook is a pending free agent, but we have a viable replacement in Zach Miner, and Andrew Miller might get the call of Miner falters. Carmona and Bay were okay prospects, but Young will have a great career. Wilson Valdez was sent to AAA, as was Shin-Soo Choo. Juan Lara was recalled to pitch out of the pen, and our lineup now looks like this:

LF Carl Crawford
SS Craig Counsell
CF Grady Sizemore
DH Travis Hafner
3B Andy Marte
C Victor Martinez
2B Marlon Anderson
1B Ryan Garko
RF Chris Young

Top Indians Games
April 4 vs. Detroit Tigers (15-4 win) – The first game of the season, and we’re already mashing. Travis Hafner went 3 for 4 with a home run and five RBI. Ryan Garko and Marlon Anderson also went deep.
April 9 vs. Chicago White Sox (3-0 win) – In his first start as an Indian, Brian Bannister was great. He threw eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and three walks.
April 13 vs. Detroit Tigers (6-1 win) – Jake Westbrook pitched a complete game, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run.
April 19 vs. Chicago White Sox (12-4 win) – Grady Sizemore went 3 for 4 with a walk, home run, 3 runs, and 3 RBI. Travis Hafner hit a three run home run.
April 22 vs. Minnesota Twins (6-0 win) – Jeremy Sowers pitched a complete game shutout, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks. Travis Hafner went 2 for 3 with a walk. Both hits were home runs.
April 24 vs. Minnesota Twins (5-3 win) – Victor Martinez went 3 for 5 with a home run and 4 RBI.
April 29 vs. Kansas City Royals (1-0 win) – Starters Scott Elarton and Zach Miner both turned in fantastic performances, but 8 shutout innings from Miner followed by a scoreless 9th from Lidge sealed the deal.

News From Around the League
April 3 – The White Sox released outfielder Scott Podsednik, who promptly hung up his cleats. Sorry analysts, you lose one of your favorite “scrappy” players, who you value so insanely much.
April 4 – The Phillies signed “scrappy” first basemen Darin Erstad to a one-year deal, where he’ll serve as Ryan Howard insurance. Haha.
April 6 – Braves center fielder Andruw Jones drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
April 8 – Yankees center field Johnny Damon got the 2,000th hit of his career.
April 12 – The Cardinals signed ace Chris Carpenter to an extension, worth $52 million over 4 years.
April 19 – Yankees DH Jason Giambi and RF Bobby Abreu both scored the 1,000th runs of their careers.
April 22 – Tons of Yankees are reaching milestones this month – SS Derek Jeter notched his 2,000th career hit.
April 25 – Braves starter John Smoltz got the 200th win of his career.
April 28 – The Giants and Nationals made a fairly one-sided trade.

Washington Nationals receive:
P Brad Hennessey
SP Tim Lincecum

San Francisco Giants receive:
RP Travis Hughes
CF Nook Logan
SS Cristian Guzman
OF Tyrell Godwin.

Let’s see…the Giants get a bunch of nobodys, and the Nationals get a solid reliever and one of the best pitching prospects in the game…

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (16-9)
AL Central: Cleveland/Minnesota (13-11)
AL West: Los Angeles/Oakland (16-8)
AL Wild Card: Los Angeles/Oakland (16-8)

NL East: Atlanta (16-8)
NL Central: Milwaukee (14-10)
NL West: Arizona (15-8)
NL Wild Card: New York (14-10)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.343)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (8)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (20)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.448)
ERA (Starter): SP Zach Miner (2.49)
ERA (Reliever): Brad Lidge/Scott Linebrink (0.00)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (3)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (32)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (5)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.464)
Home Runs: Athletics 3B Eric Chavez (13)
Runs Batted In: Yankees 1B Jason Giambi (32)
On-Base Percentage: Braves 3B Chipper Jones (.549)
ERA: Orioles SP Kris Benson (1.50)
Wins: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (5)
Strikeouts: Reds SP Aaron Harang/Padres SP Jake Peavy/Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (38)
Saves: Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde (9)

On the Injury Front
April 4 – Just one game into the season, and the Orioles lose their third basemen, Melvin Mora. He injured his wrist and will likely miss the rest of the season. Signing the aging Mora to a long-term deal was a bad move on the part of Baltimore. They have him tied up through 2009 at $7.25 million per year, and he’s 35. This injury is just a sign of things to come. Mora, call it quits. They’ll go with Angel Chavez at third.
April 12 – Royals catcher Paul Phillips will miss the rest of the season following a tear in his ankle. The Royals will start rookie Adam Donachie behind the plate.
April 15 – The Pirates lost young starter Ian Snell for four months with severe elbow tendonitis.
April 17 – The Athletics first basemen, Nick Swisher, will be out until the middle of June with a torn elbow ligament. This moves Jose Guillen into a fulltime right field role, with Dan Johnson playing full time at first.
April 23 – Aren’t we lucky? John Rodriguez went down with a season-ending injury.
April 23 – Twins left fielder David Dellucci will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken wrist. They’ll go with Shannon Stewart in left.
April 25 – The Blue Jays lost second basemen Aaron Hill until September with a broken hip. The vastly worse Carlo Cota replaces him.
April 29 – The Astros will be without starter Taylor Buchholz until September. Rookie Brian Bogusevic joins a very inexperienced rotation. Ace Roy Oswalt has 9 times as many career innings under his belt as the four other Astros starters combined.

[HoustonGM]

nice can i know how the rockies are doing and their leader in hr and ba plz
Sure thing. I love that sort of thing. :p

The Rockies are 11-12, 4 games behind Arizona. Garret Atkins, with 6 home runs, leads the team, and he's the only player on their team with more than 2 homers. Matt Holliday has 2. 6 other players have 1 (2 of them on the bench) Atkins is batting .452, leading the team by a long shot. (Cory Sullivan is 2nd at .330)

[HoustonGM]

May 2007 16-13
Season Record: 29-24 (1 Game Ahead of Minnesota and Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
We’re definitely performing a lot worse than we were last year. Thankfully, so is the rest of our division. However, Detroit will enter June on an 8 game winning streak, and Minnesota and them are both hot on our tails. The loss of C.C. Sabathia is a huge blow. Grady Sizemore has hit just 6 home runs so far this year, after launching 34 out of the park last year. Andy Marte has yet to show his power potential, hitting just five taters. Todd Walker has definitely been excellent so far. The bullpen has been inconsistent.

Basically, we really need to step up every aspect of our game if we want to stay in the race.

Indians News
May 2 – We pulled a deal involving the newly-acquired Emil Brown:

Cleveland receives:
2B Alberto Callaspo
RP Chuck Gott
C Juan Brito

Arizona receives:
OF Emil Brown

Brown was expensive, and after the acquisition of Chris Young, ironically, from Arizona, he wasn’t needed. We got some good value in return for him. Gott is a potential future middle reliever, and Brito is your standard backup catcher. Gott will be in Single A for us, while Brito will be in AAA. Callaspo is an excellent leadoff man. Or, rather, will be sometime in the future. He’s a 23-year old second basemen, who makes a great contact and also has a strong eye. His speed is showcased more via the triple than the steal, but that’s okay. He doesn’t have much power, but he looks to consistently post a .370+ OBP in the majors eventually. He’ll begin in AAA. Shin-Soo Choo was shuttled back to Cleveland.
May 16 – In an effort to give a boost to our bullpen, which has struggled outside of Brad Lidge and Guillermo Mota, we demoted Jamie Walker and Juan Lara to the minor leagues. We’ve recalled Luis Gonzalez and Edward Mujica.
May 18 – While Ryan Garko nursed an injury for five days, Todd Walker made a case to take over as full-time first basemen. Due to his struggles against lefties, we decided to give Walker all the playing time vs. right-handed pitchers, while the struggling Ryan Garko will start hit against lefties. At the time of this writing, Walker is batting .324/.362/.467 in 105 at bats this year.
May 26 – We received news that ace C.C. Sabathia will have to miss two and a half weeks due to a fracture in his ankle. We think its too early to call up top prospect Andrew Miller, so we’ve recalled Nick Pesco from AA Akron. Pesco will start in Sabathia’s place. Also, Luis Gonzalez and Edward Mujica have struggled, so we’ve signed long-time Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield to pitch out of the pen. Fernando Cabrera was also called up in lieu of the Gonzalez/Mujica demotions.
May 29 – Our best middle reliever this year, Guillermo Mota, has gone down with a finger fracture for 11 days. Jeremy Guthrie has been recalled from AAA.

Top Indians Games
May 12 vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (3-2 win) – In an extra inning affair, Brian Bannister showed outstanding endurance, going 10 innings before being pulled for Brad Lidge. He allowed 8 hits, a walk, and two solo home runs, both to Jonny Gomes. Grady Sizemore provided a walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
May 14 vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (11-3 win) – Grady Sizemore reached based in all five plate appearances, with four hits and a walk. He was a homer shy of the cycle and drove in two runs. Travis Hafner hit a three-run home run.
May 17 vs. Seattle Mariners (15-11 win) – In an all-out slugfest, we got most of our slugging from our top two hitters in the lineup, Carl Crawford and Craig Counsell. Crawford went 4 for 5 with a walk, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI. Counsell went 3 for 4 with 3 runs, 2 homers, and 3 RBI. Grady Sizemore and Andy Marte also hit longballs.
May 22 vs. Milwaukee Brewers (5-3 win) – Marlon Anderson hit two home runs and drove in four of our five funs. Cliff Lee struck out 13 batters in seven and two-thirds innings.
May 26 vs. Oakland Athletics (10-9 win) – Todd Walker went 3 for 3 with a walk, a home run, and 3 RBI.
May 27 vs. Seattle Mariners (12-2 win) – Carl Crawford was phenomenal, going 5 for 6 with 4 RBI and a stolen base. Chris Young reached base four teams – two hits, a walk, and a fielder’s choice – and scored all four times, including a solo home run.
May 28 vs. Seattle Mariners (10-5 win) – We hit six home runs, two from Carl Crawford. Andy Marte went 3 for 5 with a home run and three runs scored.

News From Around the League
May 12 – 11-year veteran and nationally-known headcase Dmitri Young announced his retirement at the age of 33. In 11 seasons, Young played for the Cubs, Tigers, Reds, and Cardinals, and compiled a career line of .286/.342/.468 with 153 home runs. He enjoyed his best year in 2003, his first full season with the Tigers. He batted .297/.372/.537 with 29 HR and 85 RBI that year.
May 16 – Rangers left fielder Carlos Lee hit for a natural cycle.
May 23 – 40-year old Jeff Conine announced his retirement at the age of 40. Conine played for the Phillies, Orioles, Royals, and Marlins throughout his 17-year career. His career line was .285/.347/.446, and he had 206 career home runs. He enjoyed his best season in 1995 with the Marlins, batting .302/.379/.520 with 25 HR and 105 RBI.
May 26 – Rockies first basemen Todd Helton hit the 300th home run of his career.
May 26 – The Phillies signed second basemen Chase Utley to a cheap 3-year deal, worth 7 million dollars. His skills have noticeably diminished after he missed most of last season with back injuries, but the signing could prove to be a huge bargain for Philadlephia.

Division Leaders
AL East: Boston (33-20)
AL Central: Cleveland (29-24)
AL West: Oakland (30-22)
AL Wild Card: New York (31-21)

NL East: New York (31-21)
NL Central: Milwaukee (33-18)
NL West: San Francisco (34-18)
NL Wild Card: Chicago (32-20)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: 1B Todd Walker (.340)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (17)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (50)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.433)
ERA (Starter): SP Cliff Lee (3.07)
ERA (Reliever): RP Guillermo Mota (2.66)
Wins: SP Cliff Lee/SP Jeremy Sowers (6)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (64)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (10)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Twins DH Mike Redmond (.408) (!!!!!!...just 1 walk though!)
Home Runs: Angels DH Adam Dunn (23)
Runs Batted In: Yankees 1B Jason Giambi (57)
On-Base Percentage: Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera (.496)
ERA: Marlins SP Scott Olsen (1.96)
Wins: Cubs SP Mark Prior (7)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Johan Santana (84)
Saves: Brewers RP Derrick Turnbow (17)

On the Injury Front
May 3 – The Phillies, who’s pitching staff was decimated by injuries last year, took a hit, as ace Brett Myers, who made just 13 starts last year due to injury, will be out until August with a ruptured cervical disc. He was 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA at the time of the injury.
May 5 – The White Sox will be without starter Jose Conteras until July. His struggles from 2006 (13-15, 5.14 ERA) have carried into this year, as he goes on the disabled list with a 2-3 record and a 5.97 ERA.
May 9 – Former Indians reserve outfielder and current Nationals starting left fielder, Jason Michaels, will miss the rest of the season with a torn ankle ligament. He finishes the season with near identical numbers to his 2006 season – 111 at bats, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .252/.300/.342 line. Rookie Kory Casto will get a chance to prove his worth to the Nationals, whose roster now features seven outfielders.
May 11 – Devil Rays starter Jae Seo will be out until mid-August with tendonitis in his pitching elbow. Tim Corcoran will replace him in the rotation.
May 15 – As if losing their only veteran starter was enough, the Devil Rays first basemen Ty Wigginton will be out roughly the same amount of time as Jae Seo, following an injury to his knee. His power was down this year, hitting just 2 home runs and slugging a paltry .354 in 35 games. However, he had shown surprising plate discipline this year, with an on-base percentage of .371 despite a .246 batting average. He had 23 walks in 130 at bats, after walking just 33 times in 567 at bats last year. The Devil Rays will go with Brad Wilkerson at first in Wigginton’s absence.
May 20 – Athletics outfielder Milton Bradley will miss two months. Without Jose Guillen until early June, and Nick Swisher until mid-June, the A’s are forced to insert rookies Travis Buck and Brian Stavisky into the lineup.
May 21 – Giants second basemen Ray Durham, who has recently transformed himself into one of the best players in the league at the age of 35, will miss two months with a ruptured disc. The Giants will use Japanese import Akinori Iwamura, who has been disappointing, at second base, and utility man Mike Rouse will play third.

[HoustonGM]

June 2007 12-13
Season Record: 41-37 (1 GB Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Another lackluster month. Injuries have really hurt our lineup, as has poor production from our rookies. I don’t have much to say except that I hope to be very active and make at least one big trade this coming month.

Indians News
June 11 – Victor Martinez got injured and will miss a month. Kelly Shoppach will start, and Juan Brito has been recalled to back him up. At the time of the injury, Martinez was enjoying great success, batting .347/.404/.534.
June 17 – Diamondbacks starter Miguel Batista no-hit us. MIGUEL BATISTA. The Diamondbacks made one error, and Batista walked us four times, but …MIGUEL BATISTA. 
June 17 – Craig Counsell went down for two weeks. We’ve decided to try out Alberto Callaspo in the majors at short stop. We also recalled Juan Lara and demoted Jeremy Guthrie.
June 21 – With an injury to Marlon Anderson, three regulars are now on the DL. Anderson will be out until the end of July. We’re going to likely be a bit active in the trading market this coming July. We’ve called up Kevin Kouzmanoff, who will play first fulltime, while Todd Walker plays second until Craig Counsell returns. Depending on how Kouzmanoff and Callaspo perform, they might run Counsell and/or Walker out of a starting spot.

Top Indians Games
June 7 vs. San Francisco Giants (10-0 win) – Cliff Lee threw a complete game 4-hit shutout, striking out 9 and walking one. Travis Hafner was 3 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI. Carl Crawford was 3 for 6 with a stolen base and 3 runs driven in.
June 8 vs. San Francisco Giants (11-1 win) – Everybody mashed the ball for us in this game. Counsell was 4 for 5 with 2 runs and an RBI. Sizemore was 4 for 5 with three runs, a home run and 4 RBI. Hafner was 3 for 5 with 2 runs. Victor Martinez was 3 for 5 with a home run and 5 RBI.
June 24 vs. Milwaukee Brewers (12-6 loss) – It’s rare that there’s a performance worth noting in a loss, but Carl Crawford got on base 4 times – 3 hits, and one reached on error. He stole a total of four bases!

News From Around the League
June 2 – The Phillies and Reds made a trade today:

Cincinnati Reds receive:
RP David Weathers
2B Joe Thurston

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
RP Jason Standridge
P Matt Belisle
Belisle and Standridge are both marginal relievers, who have both struggled in a couple appearances in 2007. Weathers has excelled though, with a 1.21 ERA in 29 innings despite 15 walks compared to just 19 strike outs. His success shouldn’t last long, especially in a hitter’s paradise like Great American Ballpark. Thurston is a bad player, batting .221/.286/.313 in 533 at bats last year in replace of Chase Utley.
June 5 – Reds left fielder Garret Anderson got the 2,000th hit of his career.
June 5 – Angels right fielder Vladimir Guerrero scored the 1,000th run of his career.
June 5 – The Brewers and Reds swapped replacement-level players:

Cincinatti Reds receive:
OF Dave Krynzel

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
C Ryan Jorgensen
June 7 – The Braves and Royals swapped below average pitchers.

Kansas City Royals receive:
SP John Thomson

Atlanta Braves receive:
SP Odalis Perez
RP Steve Stemle
June 9 – The Royals signed legendary Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams to a one-year deal. Williams was solid last year for the Yankees, batting .288/.338/.455 with 40 doubles, 17 HR, and 81 RBI. Due to his age, he went unsigned through the offseason, but he’ll get a chance to start in center field for the weak Royals.
June 11 – The Royals continued their active rebuilding, making a trade with the Phillies:

Kansas City Royals receive:
C Chris Coste
SP Eude Brito

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
SS Andres Blanco
OF Reggie Sanders
UTL Esteban German
The addition of German puts the deal squarely as a Phillies win. German batted .293/.378/.425 last year for Kansas City, and was at .289/.360/.421 so far this year. Chase Utley at second, Jimmy Rollins at short, and the immensely improved Hank Blalock at third will keep German on the bench, but he’ll be very valuable as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, and defensive replacement. The Royals also signed OF Steve Finley, 1B Ryan Klesko, RP Brian Meadows, P Russ Ortiz, and IF Jason Smith.
June 17 – Arizona starter Miguel Batista tossed a no-hitter…against me. More on that is above.
June 17 – Veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton retired at the age of 39. In 16 seasons, he spent time with 10 different major league teams – Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, Cubs, White Sox, Pirates, Giants, Indians, Braves, and Astros. His career line was a strong .299/.372/.424, with 2,288 hits, and 602 stolen bases. His best year probably came in 1994 with the Indians, when he batted .349/.412/.536, with 12 HR, 57 RBI and 60 SB.
June 17 – Rangers DH Frank Thomas hit the 500th home run of his career.
June 25 – Mets starter Tom Glavine reached a great milestone – 300 wins.
June 26 – Rockies center fielder Cory Sullivan hit for the cycle.

Division Leaders
AL East: Boston (52-27)
AL Central: Detroit (42-36)
AL West: Oakland (45-33)
AL Wild Card: New York (45-34)

NL East: New York (48-30)
NL Central: Milwaukee (50-28)
NL West: San Francisco (46-33)
NL Wild Card: Chicago (47-31)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.329)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (20)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (67)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.417)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.47)
ERA (Reliever): RP Scott Linebrink (2.73)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (9)
Strikeouts: SP Cliff Lee (88)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (14)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (.392)
Home Runs: Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (28)
Runs Batted In: Brewers SS Bill Hall (78)
On-Base Percentage: Marlins LF Miguel Cabrera (.495)
ERA: Athletics SP Rich Harden (2.22)
Wins: Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano/Angels SP Ervin Santana/Athletics SP Rich Harden (10)
Strikeouts: Phillies SP Scott Mathieson (124)
Saves: Brewers RP Derrick Turnbow (27)

On the Injury Front
June 3 – The Phillies, hurt greatly by the loss of Chase Utley last season, will be without first basemen Ryan Howard until early September. Howard will be replaced by the unbelievably worse Darin Erstad.
June 13 – The Padres got devastating news about their pitching staff – Chris Young will miss the rest of the season, and Shawn Estes will be out until mid-August. Jeff Weaver and Tim Stauffer are now in the rotation.
June 15 – The Rockies lost Jason Jennings until mid-August.
June 29 – Two weeks after losing start Jason Jennings, the Rockies lost fellow starter Jeff Francis until the end of August. 20-year old Chaz Roe was called up to start in his place. In his major league debut, Roe threw 7 shutout innings but didn’t get the decision.

[HoustonGM]

July 2007 16-10
Season Record: 57-47 (3 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Travis Hafner had his second straight absolutely dominating July, smashing 14 home runs in the month. This power outburst helped us to a 16-10 record, and also helped us seize first place from Detroit.

Scott Hatteberg was a sweet pick up, batting .326/.429/.472 so far in Cleveland. Jason Bartlett only has 10 at bats so far for us, with 2 hits. Erik Bedard has also been a great pick up. He’s 3-0 with a 3.90 ERA, and a 33 to 11 K:BB ratio in 32.1 innings. He has yet to give up a home run in an Indian uniform. He’s signed at a decent bargain - $4.2M a year through 2009.

At the end of the month, we agreed to a huge deal with Travis Hafner. We agreed to a 6-year deal worth $90 million. It pushes our payroll to a middle-of-the-road $61.1 million, but Hafner is one of the best players in the league, and is definitely worth $15 million a year.

We’ll enter August with Chris Young and Marlon Anderson benched.

Indians News
July 1 – We made two deals to start off the month.


Cleveland Indians receive:
1B Scott Hatteberg
C Ryan Hanigan

Cincinatti Reds receive:
C Juan Brito
RP Jamie Walker
This deal improves our horrific first base situation, while also giving us a backup catcher with an outstanding eye in Ryan Hanigan. Hatteberg was batting .240/.373 (!!)/.370 for the Reds.


Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Erik Bedard

Baltimore Orioles receive:
SS Craig Counsell
1B Ryan Garko
This trade was criticized beyond all he.ll in the media. And it looks like a horrible trade if you look at the traditional pitching stats of Bedard – 4-9 record, 5.38 ERA, .292 BAA. Then, you look at defense-independent ERA, and Bedard is 7th in the majors at 2.83! His K/9 ratio is 8.65, and BB/9 is 2.79. We’re going to chalk up his lackluster performance in Baltimore to mostly luck and hope he rebounds with us. Here’s a look at our roster following these trades.

LF Carl Crawford
1B Scott Hatteberg
CF Grady Sizemore
DH Travis Hafner
3B Andy Marte
2B Todd Walker
RF Chris Young
C Kelly Shoppach
SS Alberto Callaspo

OF Shin-Soo Choo
OF Franklin Gutierrez
IF Eric Bruntlett
IF Wilson Valdez
C Ryan Hanigan

SP C.C. Sabathia
SP Jeremy Sowers
SP Erik Bedard
SP Cliff Lee
SP Brian Bannister

CL Brad Lidge
SU Scott Linebrink
SR Guillermo Mota
SR Ruddy Lugo
MR Zach Miner
LR Tim Wakefield
July 23 – Tim Wakefield abruptly announced his retirement. Brian Slocum has been recalled to pitch in middle relief, with Zach Miner moving to the long relief spot. We also decided to try out Franklin Gutierrez in right for the time being, with Chris Young moving to the bench. We sent Alberto Callaspo back to the minor leagues, recalling Eider Torres. Wilson Valdez will start at short until Marlon Anderson returns at the end of the month.
July 25 – We figured we needed some help at short stop, and made a deal.

Cleveland Indians receive:
SS Jason Bartlett

Minnesota Twins receive:
RP Scott Linebrink
SP Jeremy Guthrie
Bartlett was batting .313/.364/.404 with Minnesota, while playing strong defense. We’ll find a way to work Marlon Anderson back into the lineup when he returns. Andrew Brown was recalled to pitch out of the bullpen. Later this day, Carl Crawford went down with an injury and will be out for 5 days. Chris Young will replace him.
July 26 – Victor Martinez went down for 5 days as well. Shoppach replaces him in the lineup.

Top Indians Games
July 5 vs. Boston Red Sox (10-5 win) – Carl Crawford went 3 for 6 with a home run, 3 RBI, and a stolen base.
July 16 vs. Detroit Tigers (6-3 win) – Travis Hafner hit two home runs and drove in four runs.
July 17 vs. Detroit Tigers (11-1 win) – What’s up with Hafner, and multi-homer games in July? He added two more today. Andy Marte also hit two home runs and drove in 4 runs.
July 20 vs. Kansas City Royals (9-2 win) – Grady Sizemore went 3 for 4 with 2 HR and 6 RBI.
July 25 vs. Minnesota Twins (11-6 win) – Kelly Shoppach, giving Victor Martinez a day of rest, went 3 for 6 with a home run and 4 RBI.
July 26 vs. Minnesota Twins (14-2 win) – In his third multihomer game of the month, Travis Hafner went 3 for 5 and drove in three. Chris Young, in his first game in place of the injured Crawford, went 3 for 6 with a grand slam. Todd Walker went 4 for 5 with a homer and 5 RBI, and Victor Martinez also had 4 hits.
July 29 vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (10-4 win) – Travis Hafner went 4 for 5 with a double, a homer, two runs, and five RBI.

News From Around the League
July 7 – Royals outfielder Bernie Williams hit the 300th home run of his career. It’s a shame he couldn’t do it in pinstripes.
July 7 – Somebody in pinstripes DID reach a milestone this day – Mike Mussina won his 250th career game.
July 12 – Your 2007 All Stars:

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Ivan Rodriguez (DET) 617,685 votes
1B : David Ortiz (BOS) 838,438
2B : Robinson Cano (NYY) 830,086
3B : Brandon Inge (DET) 1,350,758
SS : Carlos Guillen (DET) 815,192
OF : Manny Ramirez (BOS) 1,091,890
OF : Carl Crawford (CLE) 713,145
OF : Carlos Lee (TEX) 699,068
Bench : Eric Chavez (OAK)
Bench : Craig Biggio (BAL)
Bench : Mark Grudzielanek (KCR)
Bench : Adam Dunn (LAA)
Bench : Andre Ethier (SEA)
Bench : Jhonny Peralta (TBD)
Pitcher : Roger Clemens (CHW)
Pitcher : Francisco Liriano (MIN)
Pitcher : Roy Halladay (TOR)
Pitcher : Rich Harden (OAK)
Pitcher : Randy Johnson (NYY)
Pitcher : Pat Neshek (MIN)
Pitcher : Jered Weaver (LAA)
Pitcher : Russ Springer (BOS)
Pitcher : Jonathan Papelbon (BOS)
Pitcher : Francisco Rodriguez (LAA)
Pitcher : Chris Britton (BAL)

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Russell Martin (LAD) 752,043 votes
1B : Albert Pujols (STL) 1,318,751
2B : Jeff Kent (LAD) 667,957
3B : Chipper Jones (ATL) 1,309,248
SS : Bill Hall (MIL) 1,040,045
OF : Carlos Beltran (NYM) 1,076,151
OF : Matt Holliday (COL) 1,029,914
OF : Alfonso Soriano (ARI) 1,017,759
Bench : Garrett Atkins (COL)
Bench : Aramis Ramirez (CHC)
Bench : Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN)
Bench : Miguel Cabrera (FLA)
Bench : Miguel Tejada (HOU)
Bench : Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
Bench : Jason Bay (PIT)
Bench : Khalil Greene (SDP)
Bench : Omar Vizquel (SFG)
Bench : Jose Vidro (WSN)
Pitcher : Pedro Martinez (NYM)
Pitcher : Ben Sheets (MIL)
Pitcher : John Smoltz (ATL)
Pitcher : Derek Lowe (LAD)
Pitcher : Matt Morris (SFG)
Pitcher : Mark Prior (CHC)
Pitcher : Jason Schmidt (NYM)
Pitcher : David Weathers (CIN)
Pitcher : Billy Wagner (NYM)
Pitcher : Chad Bradford (NYM)
Pitcher : Trevor Hoffman (SDP)
The National League won the game 5-4. The MVP was Pedro Martinez, who pitched 3 innings and allowed 1 hit. (JHONNY PERALTA?! Tampa Bay has like 24 other players who are better than that schmuck. I really want user-controlled all-star selection in Mogul! )
July 13 – Jeff Bagwell officially announced his retirement today. Look him online if you care about his final stats. He didn’t do anything in 2006 or 2007. :p
July 14 – Angels phenom Jered Weaver threw a No-Hitter, the second of the year leaguewide! Congratulations to Jered.
July 23 – The Tigers traded for a reliever.


Detroit Tigers receive:
RP Juan Salas

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
1B Chris Shelton
RP Scott Schoeneweis
RP John Ennis
SP Preston Larrison
Schoeneweis and Salas have been pretty much equal in terms of performance this year, so Detroit just added relish to get the Devil Rays closer. Joel Zumaya has taken over the closer role from Todd Jones, and Juan Salas will pitch in middle relief. Chad Orvella takes over the vacated closer role in Tampa Bay.
July 25 – Two Braves scored the 1,000th runs of their careers – Andruw Jones and Edgar Renteria.
July 26 – It’s a historic day for the no-hitter. For the second time in major league history, two no-hitters were pitched on the same day. These two no-hitters brought the total for the year up to 4. Brandon Webb of the Diamondbacks threw a PERFECT GAME! Red Sox starter Steve Trachsel threw a no-hitter later, despite walking 7 batters!

[HoustonGM]

July 27 – The Dodgers traded a swingman for a utility guy.

Los Angeles Dodgers receive:
C J.R. House
UTL Joe Inglett

Houston Astros receive:
SP Eric Stults
July 29 – The Giants and Marlins made a nothing trade.

San Francisco Giants receive:
OF Matt Cepicky

Florida Marlins receive:
RP Carlos Hines
July 29 – Detroit finally wised up to the fact that Neifi Perez is bad at baseball, and they traded him to a perfect fit – the Royals, who are, coincidentally, bad at baseball!

Detroit Tigers receive:
SP Runelvys Hernandez
RP Mike Wood
RP Brian Meadows

Kansas City Royals receive:
IF Neifi Perez
OF Alexis Gomez
July 29 – The Brewers and Orioles swapped minor leaguers.

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
OF Napolean Calzado
1B Fernando Tatis

Baltimore Orioles receive:
RP Dan Kolb
July 31 – The Phillies made a trade to improve their shot at the wild card, acquiring Xavier Nady from the Pirates to start at first until Ryan Howard returns in mid-September.

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
1B Xavier Nady

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
OF Trot Nixon
OF Josh Kroeger
P Matt Belisle
P Jason Standridge
July 31 – The Cubs acquired an outfielder and sent a pitcher back to his former team.

Chicago Cubs receive:
OF Ryan Church

Washington Nationals receive:
SP Ramon Ortiz
2B Richard Lewis

Division Leaders
AL East: Boston (65-41)
AL Central: Cleveland (57-47)
AL West: Los Angeles (58-46)
AL Wild Card: New York (61-43)

NL East: New York (68-37)
NL Central: Milwaukee (64-41)
NL West: Arizona (59-46)
NL Wild Card: Chicago (59-46)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: C Victor Martinez (.353)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (34)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (104)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.430)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.69)
ERA (Reliever): RP Brad Lidge (3.45)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (12)
Strikeouts: SP Erik Bedard (123, 33 W/ CLE)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (20)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (.376)
Home Runs: Angels DH Adam Dunn/Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (35)
Runs Batted In: Indians DH Travis Hafner (104)
On-Base Percentage: Marlins LF Miguel Cabrera (.478)
ERA: White Sox SP Roger Clemens (2.41)
Wins: Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano (13)
Strikeouts: Phillies SP Scott Mathieson (173) A ridiculous 11.86 K/9, AS A STARTER!
Saves: Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (31)

On the Injury Front
July 2 – The Devil Rays lost SS Jhonny Peralta for the rest of the year, which might actually be BETTER for them. He was batting .225/.272/.315 (!!!!!!!!!) for the year. Hector Luna will play short for them.
July 19 – The Orioles will be without starter Kris Benson for the rest of the year. He finishes with a 3-10 W-L record, a 4.05 ERA, and 48 strikeouts to 28 walks in 115.2 innings. With the trade of Bedard and the injury to Benson, the Orioles rotation now is: Daniel Cabrera, Chance Douglass, Adam Loewen, Cory Morris, and Hayden Penn.
July 22 – The Pirates will be without right fielder Jody Gerut, who finishes the season at .237/.330/.356 with 5 HR and 30 RBI. Jorge Piedra will start in right for them.
July 24 – The oft-injured Mike Sweeney, Royals first basemen, who even got to see time at RF and C this year, will miss the rest of the season. He finishes at .295/.355/.523 with 17 HR and 67 RBI. Ryan Shealy will take over first, and top prospect Alex Gordon will get a chance to showcase his batting skills as a DH.
July 26 – The Reds lost aging shortstop Rich Aurilia for the rest of the year. He finishes at .270/.328/.445 with 12 HR and 59 RBI. Anderson Machado will start at short.
July 28 – The Padres lost starting catcher Josh Bard, who’s expected to be ready just in time for Opening Day 2008. He finishes at .296/.376/.427 with 7 HR and 38 RBI. The Padres will use Rob Bowen behind the plate
July 29 – The Brewers will play the rest of their season without right fielder Corey Hart. After going 315 at bats last year without a home run, Hart was having a breakouts season, batting .294/.334/.491 with 15 HR and 18 SB. Geoff Jenkins takes over fulltime in right.

[HoustonGM]

August 2007 17-11
Season Record: 74-58 (2 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Hafner continued pounding the ball. We had some big offensive games, but also some pitching gems. We played just well enough to have the leg up on Detroit entering September. I don’t have much else to say except that we’re going to have to win the division if we want a playoff spot. In September, we’ll have 15 extra guys on our roster:

P Nick Pesco
RP Juan Lara
RP Edward Mujica
P Brian Slocum
SP Andrew Miller
RP Luis Gonzalez
IF Alberto Callaspo
IF Wilson Valdez
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff
OF Jeff Fiorentino
OF Brad Snyder
OF Brian Barton
C Ryan Hanigan
IF Eider Torres
1B Michael Aubrey

Indians News
August 5 – Guillermo Mota will miss two weeks with a fractured hand. Andrew Miller will be recalled and pitch out of the pen.
August 8 – Carl Crawford stole the 300th base of his career. I’m not sure which is more impressive – that he’s just 25 and already has 300 steals, or that his career stolen base percentage is 86%.
August 10 – We demoted Andrew Miller. He clearly looked overmatched – giving up 13 hits, and 10 runs (9 earned) in 5.2 innings. Fernando Cabrera will take his spot.
August 18 – Chris Young has taken over right field from Franklin Gutierrez.

Top Indians Games
August 9 vs. Baltimore Orioles (13-6 win) – Grady Sizemore had 4 walks and 3 runs. Victor Martinez went 3 for 5 with 5 RBI. Todd Walker was 2 for 2 with a grand slam and two walks. Jason Bartlett went 3 for 6.
August 10 vs. Baltimore Orioles (11-8 win) – Travis Hafner hit his 38th and 39th home runs of the season. Todd Walker hit his second grand slam in as many days.
August 12 vs. Toronto Blue Jays (10-9 loss) – A lot of slugfests lately. Travis Hafner’s two home runs in this game are worth mentioning.
August 20 vs. Baltimore Orioles (8-0 win) – Travis Hafner had another two home run game. Jeremy Sowers threw a complete game 4-hit shutout, striking out 7 batters and walking none.
August 21 vs. Baltimore Orioles (11-0 win) – A grand slam from Chris Young helped the offensive onslaught. Erik Bedard came out and pitched 8.1 shutout innings against his former team, as we shut out the Birds for the second straight day.

News From Around the League
August 1 – Luis Gonzalez retired from baseball today. His career spanned 17 seasons and four teams – the Astros, Cubs, Tigers, and Diamondbacks. He had a career line of .286/.370/.487 with 331 career home runs. His best year undisputedly came in 2001, the year he won a World Series with the Diamondbacks. That year, he batted .325/.429/.688 with an astonishing 57 HR and 142 RBI.
August 9 – Congratulations to Baltimore second basemen Craig Biggio, who got his
August 14 – Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez hit the 500th home run of his career at age 31.
August 30 – Astros SS Miguel Tejada drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
August 30 – Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (77-55)/Boston (78-56)
AL Central: Cleveland (74-58)
AL West: Los Angeles (77-55)
AL Wild Card: New York (77-55)/Boston (78-56)

NL East: New York (86-47)
NL Central: Milwaukee (77-56)
NL West: Arizona (78-55)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (75-57)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: C Victor Martinez (.333)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (46)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (136)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.434)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.70)
ERA (Reliever): RP Guillermo Mota (3.17)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (16)
Strikeouts: SP Erik Bedard (147, 57 W/ CLE)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (29)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (.362)
Home Runs: Indians DH Travis Hafner (46)
Runs Batted In: Indians DH Travis Hafner (136)
On-Base Percentage: Marlins LF Miguel Cabrera (.478)
ERA: White Sox SP Roger Clemens (2.63)
Wins: Indians SP Jeremy Sowers/Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano (16)
Strikeouts: Padres SP Jake Peavy (202)
Saves: Angels RP Francisco Rodriguez (41)

On the Injury Front
August 2 – The Rockies lost right fielder Brad Hawpe for the rest of the season. He finishes with a great .326/.429/.570 line with 13 HR and 70 RBI. Ryan Spilborghs will start in right for Colorado.
August 13 – Star Pirates outfielder Jason Bay will be out until May of 2008 with a severed ligament in his knee. He finishes 2007 with a .260/.392/.524 line, 30 HR and 85 RBI.
August 14 – The Marlins lose their ace, Dontrelle Willis, for the rest of the season. His health is a question mark now, after throwing 236+ innings in 2005. He made just 27 starts last year, and finishes this year with 24. He was 6-11 with a 3.47 ERA this year. The rumors of a trade this offseason have already started circulating.
August 17 – Angels outfielder Juan Rivera will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing foot surgery. He was enjoying a career year, batting .312/.364/.490 with 18 HR and 75 RBI.
August 26 – Promising young White Sox starter Brandon McCarthy will be out until May of next season. He finishes his first season as a full-time starter with a subpar 7-14 record and a bad 5.95 ERA. He’s still just 23 years old, though.

[HoustonGM]

September/October 2007 20-10
Season Record: 94-68 (4 Games Ahead of Detroit – Clinched Playoffs!)

Monthly Wrap-up
A superb month led to us clinching the AL Central title for the second straight year. Our rotation for the Division Series against the Yankees will be Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, Jeremy Sowers, and Erik Bedard. I’m definitely happy with this season, although we expected more from Andy Marte and Chris Young. They’ve now had time to acclimate to the majors, so we’re expecting big seasons next year from them.

Indians News
September 4 – Travis Hafner will miss five days. Hopefully this isn’t a sign that what happened last year will repeat itself later in the month. Kevin Kouzmanoff will DH in his place.
September 23 – Todd Walker will miss six days with a bruised knee. Marlon Anderson will start at second in his place.
September 29 – Erik Bedard will miss a week with tendonitis in his shoulder. He wasn’t due to start the rest of the season, so it won’t mean much.

Top Indians Games
September 23 vs. Chicago White Sox (6-0 win) – Erik Bedard pitched 8 shutout innings, but walked 5 batters. Scott Hatteberg went 5 for 5 with a homer and 2 RBI.
September 25 vs. Chicago White Sox (4-0 win) – Brian Bannister tossed a complete game 5-hit shutout. Marlon Anderson hit a two-run homer.
September 30 vs. Detroit Tigers (5-2 win) – Grady Sizemore went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored.
October 2 vs. Detroit Tigers (4-1 win) – Jeremy Sowers closed the season with a 1-run complete game. Grady Sizemore hit his 27th home run.

News From Around the League
September 3 – The Tigers locked up the left side of their infield for the long term. Brandon Inge was rewarded for his breakout year with a 4-year contract worth nearly $35 million. Carlos Guillen received a 5-year deal worth a little over $35 million.
September 5 – Cardinals third basemen Scott Rolen drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
September 7 – Vernon Wells accepted a deal that is well below his market price to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. The two sides agreed to a 5-year deal worth $41.5 million.
September 10 – Reds center field Ken Griffey, Jr. joined an elite club, becoming the 5th player in major league history to hit 600 career home runs.
September 16 – Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen saved the 300th game of his career.
September 17 – Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino hit for the cycle.
September 23 – Barry Bonds joined Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron as the only players in history to drive in 2,000 runs in their careers.

Division Leaders –
AL East: Boston (94-68)
AL Central: Cleveland (94-68)
AL West: Los Angeles (92-70)
AL Wild Card: New York (93-69)

NL East: New York (106-56)
NL Central: Milwaukee (95-67)
NL West: Arizona (97-65)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (93-69)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: C Victor Martinez (.324)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (49)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (147)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.424)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.38)
ERA (Reliever): RP Brad Lidge (2.86)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (21)
Strikeouts: SP Erik Bedard (188, 98 W/ CLE)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (39)

MLB Leaders
-Stay tuned for a league leader wrap up!

On the Injury Front
September 7 – Sophomore Devil Ray starting pitcher Jason Hammel will miss the rest of the season. He finishes with a 10-9 record and a 4.28 ERA. 5 days later, they lost ace Scott Kazmir for the season as well. He finished with a 10-11 record and a 4.18 ERA.
September 14 – After signing a long-term deal with the Tigers, third basemen Brandon Inge’s season was cut short after breaking his foot on a slide into home. 2007 was a breakout year for Inge, who has toiled in the majors as a solid hitting third basemen with outstanding defense for the last 3 years. He batted .306/.369/.600 with 34 HR and 82 RBI. He also was 6 for 6 in stolen base attempts.
September 17 – Sophomore Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of this season AND all of next season. In 44 career starts, Sanchez is 12-22 with a 5.04 ERA.
September 18 – The Yankees will be without on-base machine first basemen Jason Giambi for the rest of the season and most of the playoffs. He finishes with a .235/.402/.494 line, 30 HR, and 112 RBI. They’ll use Craig Wilson at first.
September 18 – Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins will miss the rest of the season. He proved his power breakout last year was no fluke, breaking his career high in home runs, set last season, with 33 this year.
September 28 – Cardinals ace and 2005 Cy Young award winner Chris Carpenter will undergo surgery and will be out until next May. He was 15-11 with a 3.63 ERA in 2007.

[HoustonGM]

NOTE: BARRY BONDS FINISHES 2007 WITH 753 HOME RUNS, 2 BEHIND HANK AARON'S ALL TIME RECORD!


2007 LEAGUE LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average
American League
1) Mariners LF Andre Ethier (.330)
2) Yankees LF Melky Cabrera/Rangers 1B Mark Teixeira (.325)
3) Indians C Victor Martinez/Twins DH Mike Redmond (.324)

National League
1) Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera (.354)
2) Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (.349)
3) Rockies LF Matt Holliday (.336)

Doubles
American League
1) Twins 1B Justin Morneau (53)
2) Tigers SS Carlos Guillen (50)
3) Devil Rays CF Rocco Baldelli (49)

National League
1) Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (63) Tied for third all-time in single season with Hank Greenberg
2) Diamondbacks 3B Chad Tracy/Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez (53)
3) Reds RF Ryan Freel (46)

Triples
American League
1) Mariners LF Andre Ethier (13)
2) Indians LF Carl Crawford (12)
3) Indians CF Grady Sizemore/Tigers CF Curtis Granderson (11)

National League
1) Phillies CF Shane Victorino (14)
2) Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez (13)
3) 4 tied with 12.

Home Runs
American League
1) Angels DH Adam Dunn (50)
2) Indians DH Travis Hafner (49)
3) Tigers DH Marcus Thames (47) There he is again! His only quality is power though. A .338 OBP leaves a lot to be desired for from your power dude

National League
1) Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano/Braves CF Andruw Jones (54)
2) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (47)
3) Mets 1B Carlos Delgado (46)

Runs Batted In
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (147)
2) Twins 1B Justin Morneau (136)
3) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (133)

National League
1) Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (158)
2) Rockies LF Matt Holliday/Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (141)
3) Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez (139)

On-Base Percentage
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.469)
2) Indians DH Travis Hafner (.424)
3) Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (.422)

National League
1) Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera (.484)
2) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (.448)
3) Nationals 1B Nick Johnson (.431)

OPS
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (1.066)
2) Indians DH Travis Hafner (1.015)
3) Tigers 3B Brandon Inge (.969)

National League
1) Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera (1.097)
2) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (1.092)
3) Rockies LF Matt Holliday (1.030)

Hits
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (221)
2) Rangers 1B Mark Teixeira (199)
3) Mariners LF Andre Ethier (196)

National League
1) Astros SS Miguel Tejada (210)
2) Phillies CF Shane Victorino (209)
3) Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (203)

Steals
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (63)
2) Angels CF Chone Figgins (54)
3) Mariners CF Ichiro Suzuki (53)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (66)
2) Nationals SS Felipe Lopez (58)
3) Dodgers CF Juan Pierre (56)

Pitching
Earned Run Average
American League
1) White Sox SP Roger Clemens (2.79)
2) Blue Jays SP Roy Halladay (2.81)
3) Athletics SP Rich Harden (2.92)

National League
1) Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano (2.72)
2) Brewers SP Ben Sheets/Padres SP Jake Peavy (3.04)
3) Mets SP Pedro Martinez (3.11)

Wins
American League
1) Indians SP Jeremy Sowers (21)
2) 5 tied with 17.
3) 5 tied with 16.

National League
1) Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano/Cubs SP Mark Prior (18)
2) Astros SP Roy Oswalt (16)
3) 7 tied with 15.

Strikeouts
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (235)
2) Twins SP Johan Santana (215)
3) Angels SP Jered Weaver (212)

National League
1) Padres SP Jake Peavy (246)
2) Cubs SP Mark Prior (221)
3) Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano (208)

Saves
American League
1) Angels RP Francisco Rodriguez (47)
2) Mariners RP Rafael Soriano/Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (44)
3) Indians RP Brad Lidge/Blue Jays RP B.J. Ryan (39)

National League
1) Cardinals RP Jason Isringhausen/Brewers RP Derrick Turnbow/Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde (42)
2) Padres RP Trevor Hoffman (40)
3) Braves RP Bob Wickman (39)

Defense-Independent ERA
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (2.64)
2) Indians SP Erik Bedard (2.82)
3) Yankees SP Mike Mussina (3.13)

National League
1) Padres SP Jake Peavy (2.47)
2) Brewers SP Ben Sheets (2.56)
3) Cubs SP Mark Prior (2.68)

[HoustonGM]

Preseason Predictions in Review
American League East
For the preseason predictions, see http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639247&postcount=75.

The Baltimore Orioles finished 54-108. I predicted them at 68-94. I correctly predicted that they would be worse than 2006, but when your team leader in home runs is a rookie (Nick Markakis) with 16, and your leading OBP man is Ramon Hernandez at .343, you know you have a horrible offense. The inexperienced pitching staff pitched at about league average level, but the horrible offense couldn't give them any run support.

The Red Sox surpassed my expectations and then some. I predicted them to be at 76-86, but they ended up winning the division at 94-68. Kevin Youkilis at a standout year, at least in a sabermetric viewpoint. I'm looking over their pitching, and I'm still not sure how they did so well. Josh Beckett was their best starter, with a 14-9 record and a 4.32 ERA. Jon Garland's ERA was 6.09. Curt Schilling's was 5.91! Orlando Hernandez had a 4.55 ERA. They scored an average of 5.36 runs a game. Papelbon and Russ Springer were lights out in the bullpen.

The Yankees I had predicted almost exactly. I had 92-70, they were 93-69. One interesting thing is that absolutely insane dropoff of Robinson Cano. He dropped 99 points in batting average, 102 points in OBP, and 164 points in slugging, to a .276/.302/.424 year. He still managed to drive in 122 runs though, due to Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter batting ahead of him, as well as Melky Cabrera batting 9th and giving a rookie of the year performance.

I was pretty much dead on with the Devil Rays, who's 69-93 record was just slightly better than my 65-97 record.

The Blue Jays were 88-74, not too far off from my 91-71 prediction.

American League Central
http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639309&postcount=76

The White Sox, predicted at 89-73, performed way worse with a 74-88 record. Clemens was outstanding with a 2.79 ERA, but he had just a 9-5 record in 26 starts. Their starters were bad, but their bullpen was good. Their offense was decent, but it just wasnt enough.

I predicted my Indians at 90-72, and we performed better at 94-68.

I was accurate with the Tigers too. Actual record was 90-72, and I predicted 88-74. Brandon Inge's breakout season helped their cause.

Who can perform worse than a 57-105 prediction? The Kansas City Royals, that's who, with a 54-108 record. Billy Buckner went 1-22 (!!!!!!!) for them. Alex Gordon showed huge promise though, batting .354/.436/.600 in 130 at bats. He also was 6 for 6 in steals. Angel Berroa is bad at baseball and should never see another game ever. We need to rename the Mendoza Line to the Berroa Line. In his last 743 at bats, he has a .179 average, a .215 (!!!!!!!!) OBP, and a .264 SLG. WHAT?!?! WHY ARE THE ROYALS STILL STARTING THIS GUY?! JEEZ. NEIFI PEREZ IS BETTER THAN THAT!

I predicted the Twins at 85-77, and they WERE 85-77. DING DING DING!

American League West
http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639329&postcount=77

I had the Angels pegged at 89-73, and they were 92-70. Pretty accurate. Vlad Guerrero's power dropped off the table, and he hit just 20 homers this year, while going a bad 19 for 35 in steals. Their starting pitcher was phenomenel though, with only Ervin Santana posting an ERA above 4.

I was way off with the Rangers, who were 83-79 compared to my 97-65 prediction. Theyre pitching was averge, worse than expected, but Frank Thomas dropped off the face of the earth. He had just 270 at bats, with a .215/.304/.389 line. Mark DeRosa came back DOWN to earth. Kinsler, Teixeira, and Lee were great, but it just wasn't enough.

The A's were an even 81-81, surpassing my 77-85 prediction. Their offense was worse than expected, but their pitching was solid.

I predicted the Mariners at 80-82, and they WERE 80-82! BAM. 2 exactly correct predictions. Andre Ethier improved on his outstanding rookie campaign. Daisuke Matsuzaka had a subpar rookie season, going 16-12 with a 4.66 ERA. 30 home runs allowed wasn't inspiring. He should improve next year as he further adjusts to major league hitting.

National League review tomorrow. Time for bed.

[HoustonGM]

Im at work right now. I'd like some comments/feedback, etc.

Tonight, I'm going to quickly go over my NL predictions. Then, I'll go team by team and list some guys who had breakout seasons, some guys who had great seasons whether they were breakout or not, and some guys who dropped off a cliff and performed worse than before (the opposite of a breakout), and some guys who just had all-around bad seasons.

After the 2008 season, I'm going to combine the team-by-team with the prediction overview.

[HoustonGM]

National League East
http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639349&postcount=78

I had the Braves pegged at 95-67, and they were slightly worse at 92-70. Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, and Adam LaRoche all had fantastic seasons, but dropped off but from 2006 stats.

The Marlins went 67-95, and I was predicting a 68-94 year. Pretty good! If they want to compete any time soon, they’re going to need to replace Dan Uggla and Miguel Olivo. Joe Borchard too. Those three hitters all had OBP’s under .300 (!!). The young pitching staff continued to improve.

I correctly pegged the Mets at 106-56! 3 predictions dead-on so far.

I had the Phillies at 68-94, and they outperformed my prediction to an 83-79 tune. Xavier Nady proved to be great in Ryan Howard’s absence. The offense was good, but the pitching could improve.

I predicted the Washington Nationals to go 65-97, and…THEY DID THAT! 4 correct. It’s scary how bad their pitching is.

National League Central
http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639364&postcount=79

I predicted the Cubs at a 77-85 record, and they ended up making a strong playoff push with a 91-71 record. As I mentioned in my prediction, Mark Prior stayed relatively healthy and WAS the difference maker.

I predicted the Reds to go 70-92, and they performed two games worse at 68-94. Losing Adam Dunn and Scott Hatteberg hurt the team, and Rich Aurilia’s latest injury will likely end his career.

I figured the Astros, last year’s division champions, would be worse than last year and miss out at the playoffs, predicting them at 86-76, but nobody expected them to fall to last place at 67-95. The offense was greatly improved, but Roy Oswalt was their only dependable starter.

The Milwaukee Brewers. I said “all the parts are there” but I still pegged them at 68-94. They ended up clinching the division with a 95-67 year, anchored mostly by an outstanding rotation. Tim Dillard was their only pitcher with an ERA above 4. They’re going to be a contender for a few years into the future.

The Pirates outdid my 70-92 prediction by going 77-85.

The Cardinals were disappointing. I thought they’d win the division with an 87-75 record, but they came in third with an 80-82 record.

National League West
http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=639381&postcount=80

I figured the Diamondbacks would do okay, with a 85-77 record, but they surpassed my expectations and came in first with a 97-65 record.

The Rockies went 64-98, and I had them at 70-92. Ouch

The Dodgers were right where I expected them, beating by 92-70 prediction and going 93-69.

I predicted the Padres to go 84-78, but they went 77-85. They need to upgrade in every aspect of the game, especially offense.

The Giants went 77-85, nearly matching my 76-86 prediction.

[HoustonGM]

Sorry that these playoffs aren’t going to be in depth. I’m in a rush to get to the offseason. :p

The Yankees knocked us out in the first round 3-1.
The Angels defeated the Red Sox in 5 games.
The Mets swept the Dodgers.
The Brewers came out on top in 4 game against Arizona.

In the ALCS, the Yankees defeated the Angels in 5 games, earning a trip to the World Series for the first time since 2003, where they lost to the Marlins. Bobby Abreu was named ALCS MVP.
In the NLCS, the Mets defeated the Brewers in 6 games, forcing the second Subway Series of the millennium. Pedro Martinez got the MVP honors.

The Yankees, after a 6-year World Series ring drought, came out on top in 6 games! Chien-Ming Wang earned World Series MVP honors.

[HoustonGM]

Team-by-Team Review
For this, each team has four categories.

Breakouts: Breakouts lists the statistics of players who came out of nowhere, had amazing rookie campaigns, had comeback player of the year-type years, etc. Basically, any player who performed greater than ever before, or in the case of comeback players, players who outdid last year’s performance by a large margin.
Outstanding Performances: Listed in Outstanding Performances are the statistics of players who had great years. Your average Manny Ramirez year would show up here. Note that some Breakouts would also qualify as Outstanding Performances. Such players are listed in Breakouts not in Outstanding Performances.
Busts: Listed in Busts are players who performed well below the level they’ve established. Sophomore players who had a significant drop off from their rookie year are also listed here. In some cases, the a player’s 2006 stats are listed for comparison.
Offseason Needs: Listed here are the areas where the team should look to improve upon during the offseason.

American League East
Boston Red Sox – 94-68
Breakouts:
RP Jonathan Papelbon – 3-2, 1.69 ERA, 89 K, 38 SV, 79.2 IP

Outstanding Performances:
DH David Ortiz - .282/.396/.550, 39 HR, 123 RBI
LF Manny Ramirez - .316/.469/.597, 39 HR, 132 RBI, career-high 149 walks

Busts:
SP Jon Garland – 9-13, 6.09 ERA, .315 BAA
SP Curt Schilling – 12-16, 5.91 ERA, .316 BAA

Offseason Needs: Resigning SS Alex Cintron (.297/.313/.394) should be a priority, unless they plan to sign another shortstop to replace him. Dustin Pedroia will be expected to really improve upon his bad rookie season. The pitching staff is in shambles and something really needs to be done there if the Red Sox, who seemingly got lucky this year, want to stay a competitor.

New York Yankees – 93-67
Breakouts:
LF Melky Cabrera - .325/.401/.435, 6 HR, 79 RBI, 20 SB

Outstanding Performances:
3B Alex Rodriguez - .279/.382/.536, 42 HR, 133 RBI
SP Chien-Ming Wang – 17-8, 3.65 ERA

Busts:
SS Derek Jeter - .277/.357/.362, 3 HR, 74 RBI, 30 SB – He was coming off an injury-riddled 2006, and the injuries obviously sapped his hitting ability. The Captain will need to bounce back to truly help the Yankees in 2008. If his playoff performance is a sign of things to come, things look good. He batted .391/.443/.609 and matched his three regular season home runs in 64 at bats.
2B Robinson Cano - .276/.304/.424, 20 HR, 122 RBI – Don’t get me wrong, those are fantastic stats from a second basemen, but if you take a look back to 2006, you’ll see why Cano is such a bust - .375/.402/.588, 28 HR, 151 RBI.

Offseason Needs: The pitching should be the major priority. Rumors of Dontrelle Willis, who recently signed a 2-year extension with the Marlins at a very cheap cost of around $4 million a year, have already started circulating. The bullpen also needs upgrades. Brian Bruney and Jaret Wright both were the workhorses of the pen, and both had ERA’s above 6.

Toronto Blue Jays – 88-74
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
CF Vernon Wells - .296/.344/.525, 36 HR, 128 RBI
3B Troy Glaus - .261/.377/.486, 33 HR, 114 RBI
SP Roy Halladay – 15-10, 2.81 ERA

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: A decent double play partner for Aaron Hill up the middle would be useful. The bullpen could use some upgrades as well.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays – 69-93
Breakouts:
LF Brad Wilkerson - .241/.338/.490, 25 HR, 66 RBI – He’s getting back to the Brad Wilkerson of 2002-2004 slowly but surely.
IF Hector Luna - .307/.332/.471, 8 HR, 55 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
CF Rocco Baldelli - .252/.304/.462, 19 HR, 85 RBI – An iffy season, but it’s absolutely stunning if you look at his 2006 campaign - .286/.331/.544, 32 HR, 101 RBI.
LF Pedro Feliz - .230/.273/.411, 14 HR, 41 RBI
SS Jhonny Peralta - .225/.272/.315, 4 HR, 35 RBI

Offseason Needs: Finding room for Delmon Young: PRONTO!

Baltimore Orioles – 54-108
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Daniel Cabrera – 6-16, 6.09 ERA, 1.65 WHIP

Offseason Needs: I think Baltimore won’t even reach .500 for a few more years. The only advice I can give to them – get guys who can actually play baseball. Your TEAM ON BASE PERCENTAGE WAS .298! Do you understand how hideously bad that is?

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Cleveland Indians – 94-68
Breakouts:
IF Todd Walker - .288/.366/.441, 15 HR, 78 RBI
SP Jeremy Sowers – 21-10, 3.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
LF Carl Crawford - .313/.348/.480, 22 HR, 85 RBI, 63 SB
CF Grady Sizemore - .286/.379/.509, 27 HR, 117 RBI, 20 SB
DH Travis Hafner - .283/.424/.591, 49 HR, 147 RBI
C Victor Martinez - .324/.379/.490, 14 HR, 70 RBI
SP Cliff Lee – 17-5, 3.47 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: The main holes are Andy Marte and Chris Young, both who are expected to improve in 2008. Todd Walker, Scott Hatteberg, and Jason Bartlett all could be on the chopping block, but unless replacements can be found, they’ll be kept.

Detroit Tigers – 90-72
Breakouts:
3B Brandon Inge - .306/.369/.600, 34 HR, 82 RBI
SP Mike Maroth – 17-8, 3.34 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
SS Carlos Guillen - .319/.388/.515, 19 HR, 81 RBI
DH Marcus Thames - .250/.339/.538, 47 HR, 114 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: Shea Hillenbrand doesn’t look like he can hit anymore, so a first basemen would improve their offense. Outside of that, the team looks strong for next year.

Minnesota Twins – 85-77
Breakouts:
RP Pat Neshek – 9-5, 2.44 ERA, 157 K, 22 B, 121.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
C Joe Mauer - .304/.393/.451, 11 HR, 95 RBI
1B Justin Morneau - .281/.336/.521, 30 HR, 136 RBI
DH Mike Redmond - .324/.344/.402, 1 HR, 65 RBI
SP Johan Santana – 14-9, 3.23 ERA, 215 K, 1.02 WHIP
SP Francisco Liriano – 16-8, 3.04 ERA, 235 K, 0.96 WHIP

Busts:
3B Nick Punto - .261/.325/.336,1 HR, 50 RBI

Offseason Needs: The entire infield outside of Justin Morneau needs to be transformed. Luis Rodriguez? Nick Punto? Marcus Giles? They all blew this year. A move back to third for Mike Cuddyer could be an in-house possibility.

Chicago White Sox – 74-88
Breakouts:
SP Tim Redding – 8-11, 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
RF Jermaine Dye - .307/.385/.578, 39 HR, 109 RBI
C A.J. Pierzynski - .326/.361/.485, 15 HR, 58 RBI
SP Roger Clemens – 9-5, 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Busts:
2B Tadahito Iguchi - .244/.325/.350, 13 HR, 53 RBI
LF Frank Catalanatto - .239/.293/.323, 9 HR, 41 RBI
SS Juan Uribe - .217/.227/.386, 19 HR, 55 RBI - .227 OBP?!? IN A FULL SEASON?! Stick a fork in this guy.

Offseason Needs: They need to significantly upgrade at left field, center field, and shortstop if they want to compete in the very tough AL Central. The pitching also needs to step it up, although there’s not much more you can bring in from outside the organization. The current guys need to step it up.

Kansas City Royals – 54-108
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SS Angel Berroa - .165/.198/.241, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 407 AB!
Nearly the entire team.

Offseason Needs: Change their name, move to a different city, release their entire roster except for Alex Gordon, Luke Hochever, Mark Teahen, and Justin Huber, and restart the franchise.

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Los Angeles Angels – 92-70
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
DH Adam Dunn - .240/.367/.553, 50 HR, 111 RBI
SP Jered Weaver – 16-6, 3.47 ERA, 212 K, 0.99 WHIP

Busts:
CF Chone Figgins - .231/.290/.319, 8 HR, 52 RBI
SS Orlando Cabrera - .245/.286/.361, 8 HR, 75 RBI

Offseason Needs: The team is pretty much set and ready to go. They’ll look into moving Cabrera and Figgins and finding better players for those positions.

Texas Rangers – 83-79
Breakouts:
DH Jason Botts - .306/.384/.451, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 337 AB

Outstanding Performances:
2B Ian Kinsler - .296/.355/.471, 20 HR, 95 RBI
1B Mark Teixeira - .325/.403/.555, 30 HR, 109 RBI
LF Carlos Lee - .297/.356/.551, 37 HR, 114 RBI
SP Vicente Padilla – 17-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Busts:
CF Gary Matthews - .270/.333/.435, 13 HR, 43 RBI – His fantastic 2006 (.325/.382/.536) looks to be a fluke – a fluke that rewarded him with a sweet contract.
3B Mark DeRosa - .269/.315/.416, 17 HR, 64 RBI – He’s just like Matthews, coming off of a .317/.372/.497 year. His contract isn’t as nice as Matthews’ though.
DH Frank Thomas - .215/.304/.389, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 270 AB

Offseason Needs: They might look to trade Matthews or DeRosa, who’s trade value should still be quite high. The pitching staff looked good on paper, but produced at about an average level.

Oakland Athletics – 81-81
Breakouts:
SP Rich Harden – 17-9, 2.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP – He only started 7 games last year. Quite a comeback performance.

Outstanding Performances:
3B Eric Chavez - .267/.370/.503, 37 HR, 99 RBI

Busts:
SS Bobby Crosby - .221/.280/.364, 16 HR, 62 RBI

Offseason Needs: Bobby Crosby isn’t panning out the way everyone though he would. The A’s should look to deal him. Other than that, there isn’t much they can upgrade. They just need to perform to their potential.

Seattle Mariners – 80-82
Breakouts:
CL Rafael Soriano – 2-3, 2.73 ERA, .160 BAA, 44 SV, 0.91 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
LF Andre Ethier - .330/.371/.508, 17 HR, 108 RBI

Busts:
3B Adrian Beltre - .220/.282/.380, 19 HR, 56 RBI – He had experienced a revival last year coming off a lackluster 2005. 2007 was miles worse than 2005.

Offseason Needs: Moving Adrian Beltre would be in the team’s best interest, but they would likely have to pay most of his contract. Jeremy Reed might not live up to his potential, so the team should look into another outfielder. A trade of Richie Sexson or Ben Broussard could also help the team if the net return is good enough.





The National League will come tomorrow.

[HoustonGM]

National League East
New York Mets – 106-56
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
SS Jose Reyes - .283/.350/.479, 24 HR, 67 RBI, 66 SB
CF Carlos Beltran - .275/.416/.588, 41 HR, 119 RBI
1B Carlos Delgado - .269/.363/.581, 46 HR, 134 RBI – It’s freaky how consistent he was over the last two years. His 2006 stats were .269/.365/.590, 44 HR, 136 RBI.
C Paul LoDuca - .320/.353/.464, 10 HR, 67 RBI
SP Jason Schmidt – 14-7, 3.32 ERA, 182 K, 1.14 WHIP
SP Pedro Martinez – 15-7, 3.11 ERA, 201 K, 1.00 WHIP

Busts:
3B David Wright - .294/.363/.465, 18 HR, 94 RBI – A fantastic year, but his power was missing. Last year he slugged .569 with 38 home runs.

Offseason Needs: They’ll do great again next year even if they make no moves. However, they should look at upgrading their corner outfield spots. Casey Blake looks like more of a platoon player at this point, and Endy Chavez and Shawn Green probably should be relegated to the bench.

Atlanta Braves – 92-70
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
3B Chipper Jones - .311/.400/.589, 29 HR, 101 RBI
C Brian McCann - .307/.392/.518, 24 HR, 94 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche - .284/.380/.563, 33 HR, 120 RBI, 63 doubles
RF Jeff Francoeur - .287/.327/.544, 40 HR, 116 RBI – He can still work on that plate discipline thing. He had 27 walks in 616 at bats.
CF Andruw Jones - .242/.340/.560, 54 HR, 137 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: They might be better off spinning Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder for some younger pitching. An upgrade in left field over Matt Diaz would also help them out, although with 5 outstanding hitters (the guys listed above), it’s not needed.

Philadelphia Phillies – 83-79
Breakouts:
2B Chase Utley - .288/.372/.471, 17 HR, 91 RBI – He missed all but 10 games last year due to injury.
CF Shane Victorino - .313/.368/.449, 10 HR, 93 RBI
3B Hank Blalock - .298/.353/.475, 21 HR, 93 RBI – Two great Comeback Player of the Year picks. Last year, Blalock went .237/.308/.359 in 312 at bats.


Outstanding Performances:
SS Jimmy Rollins - .274/.331/.522, 33 HR, 101 RBI, 20 SB
LF Pat Burrell - .248/.384/.528, 40 HR, 120 RBI
C Gregg Zaun - .252/.341/.466, 20 HR, 83 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: Pitching should be the top priority. Entering 2006, the Phillies looked primed to become a contender with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard as rising stars. Last year, Utley missed most of the season, and this year, Howard missed half the season. With both players fully healthy and expecting full 2008’s, all the team needs is to add some solid pitching to back its awesome offense.

Florida Marlins – 67-95
Breakouts:
SS Hanley Ramirez - .280/.348/.425, 2 HR, 74 RBI, 46 SB, 53 doubles – After missing nearly all of his would-be rookie season in 2006, Hanley returned in 2007 and is a prime candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Outstanding Performances:
3B Miguel Cabrera - .354/.484/.613, 31 HR, 124 RBI

Busts:
2B Dan Uggla - .203/.251/.305, 12 HR, 51 RBI – And to think, his 2006 (.231/.292/.334) was actually a lot better.
C Miguel Olivo - .227/.244/.344, 9 HR, 44 RBI

Offseason Needs: They primarily just need to improve their lineup. Uggla and Olivo no longer deserve starting jobs.

Washington Nationals – 65-97
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
3B Ryan Zimmerman - .270/.326/.473, 24 HR, 103 RBI
1B Nick Johnson - .277/.431/.483, 18 HR, 72 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Pitching.

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Milwaukee Brewers– 95-67
Breakouts:
OF Corey Hart - .294/.334/.491, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 18 SB, 371 AB – The 20/20, possibly one day 30/30 potential finally showed its head. He didn’t even hit a home run in 315 at bats last year.

Outstanding Performances:
3B Scott Spiezio - .269/.386/.508, 30 HR, 91 RBI
2B Rickie Weeks - .302/.370/.462, 18 HR, 92 RBI, 28 SB
SS Bill Hall - .291/.377/.598, 44 HR, 134 RBI
SP Ben Sheets – 13-5, 3.04 ERA, 205 K, 1.18 WHIP
SP Chris Capuano – 15-8, 3.50 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: Catcher is really their only weakness. Get a younger guy than Damian Miller and slot him in there, and there’d set for another year in contention.

Chicago Cubs – 91-71
Breakouts:
2B Eric Patterson - .282/.343/.406, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 25 SB
SP Mark Prior – 18-7, 3.16 ERA, 221 K, 1.16 WHIP – He finally stayed healthy!

Outstanding Performances:
LF Matt Murton - .295/.377/.458, 19 HR, 74 RBI
3B Aramis Ramirez - .302/.364/.578, 39 HR, 139 RBI
RF Jacque Jones - .284/.335/.513, 35 HR, 108 RBI
1B Derrek Lee - .284/.387/.537, 29 HR, 96 RBI, 15 SB
SP Carlos Zambrano – 18-8, 2.72 ERA, 208 K, 1.26 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: They should look at getting a shortstop that can actually hit the ball. Adam Everett is an amazing defender and all, but HE CAN’T HIT!

St. Louis Cardinals– 80-82
Breakouts:
LF Chris Duncan - .252/.320/.438, 24 HR, 74 RBI
OF Rick Ankiel - .248/.314/.426, 21 HR, 71 RBI – A halfway decent performance from the outfielder-turned-pitcher.
C Yadier Molina - .274/.342/.374, 6 HR, 63 RBI – Thought for years to be all-glove, no-bat, he finally put up a decent batting line.
SP Ricardo Rodriguez – 13-8, 4.23 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
1B Albert Pujols - .329/.448/.644, 47 HR, 141 RBI
3B Scott Rolen - .302/.366/.504, 23 HR, 87 RBI
RP Jason Isringhausen – 4-4, 2.58 ERA, 42 SV, 1.04 WHIP

Busts:
RF Juan Encarnacion - .248/.287/.404, 17 HR, 62 RBI – This guy launched a career high 37 home runs last year.

Offseason Needs: Upgrades at second base, starting pitcher, and outfield.

Pittsburgh Pirates – 77-85
Breakouts:
SS Jack Wilson - .310/.350/.409, 8 HR, 61 RBI – He showed his 2004 All Star side, after two horrible years.

Outstanding Performances:
3B Freddy Sanchez - .332/.361/.420, 4 HR, 81 RBI
C Ronny Paulino - .329/.391/.418, 8 HR, 64 RBI
LF Jason Bay - .260/.392/.524, 30 HR, 85 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: They’re pitching staff is still young and needs time to improve, but the offense is going to stagnate if the Pirates don’t add a big bat in the middle of the lineup.

Cincinnati Reds – 68-94
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
Ken Griffey, Jr. - .232/.296/.434, 26 HR, 70 RBI – A great career, but he should hang up his cleats before embarrassing himself next year.

Offseason Needs: Pitching, both starters and relievers. They also need massive help at shortstop, first base, and in the outfield.

Houston Astros – 67-95
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
1B Lance Berkman - .287/.425/.486, 25 HR, 94 RBI – Injuries limited him to 135 games.
RF Moises Alou - .295/.356/.497, 21 HR, 94 RBI – After playing in just 123 and 119 games the last two years, he appeared in 152 contents at the age of 40.
SP Roy Oswalt – 16-9, 3.81 ERA, 1.12 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: The loss of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite really hurt their pitching staff. They should look into bringing in another veteran starter to team up with Roy Oswalt at the top of the rotation.

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – 97-65
Breakouts:
SS Stephen Drew - .304/.365/.493, 25 HR, 106 RBI – The Diamondbacks bright future has started to rear its head.
3B Chad Tracy - .311/.368/.535, 29 HR, 124 RBI – After going .308/.359/.553 in 2005, he dropped to .231/.302/.383 last year, and now posted the previous line this year!

Outstanding Performances:
CF Eric Byrnes - .254/.309/.459, 32 HR, 130 RBI, 22 SB
LF Alfonso Soriano - .295/.376/.633, 54 HR, 158 RBI, 25 SB
SP Brandon Webb – 15-5, 3.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: The only real thing that the Diamondbacks might want to look at adding is a mid-rotation starter.

Los Angeles Dodgers – 93-69
Breakouts:
SP Chad Billingsley – 12-8, 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
SP D.J. Houlton – 14-4, 3.17 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
RP Eric Gagne – 5-5, 2.36 ERA, 35 SV, 99 K, 80 IP, 1.19 WHIP – Great year after missing all of last year and most of 2005!

Outstanding Performances:
SS Rafael Furcal - .303/.374/.446, 15 HR, 81 RBI, 41 SB
C Russell Martin - .320/.397/.528, 26 HR, 124 RBI
1B Nomar Garciaparra - .305/.377/.501, 22 HR, 98 RBI

Busts:
RF J.D. Drew - .237/.350/.355, 7 HR, 69 RBI - OUCH!

Offseason Needs: Center field. Juan Pierre needs to stop playing.

San Francisco Giants – 77-85
Breakouts:
3B Akinori Iwamura - .271/.364/.430, 15 HR, 75 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Offseason Needs: Getting a good-hitting first basemen should be their top priority. If Barry Bonds retires two home runs short of the all-time record, they might be in the hunt for another outfielder, although Dan Ortmeier might make a run for that vacancy.

San Diego Padres – 77-85
Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
SP Jake Peavy – 15-9, 3.04 ERA, 246 K, 1.16 WHIP

Busts:
SP Clay Hensley – 8-15, 5.27 ERA, 1.50 WHIP

Offseason Needs: They need offense. They need a power guy especially. They also need bullpen help.

Colorado Rockies – 64-98
Breakouts:
CF Cory Sullivan – .299/.355/.430, 5 HR, 51 RBI, 19 SB
IF Kazuo Matsui - .295/.351/.437, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 18 SB (in 18 attempts!) – How about that?
IF Jamey Carroll - .301/.358/.430, 8 HR, 47 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
1B Todd Helton - .301/.397/.471, 17 HR, 88 RBI
LF Matt Holliday - .336/.387/.643, 41 HR, 141 RBI
3B Garret Atkins - .349/.429/.582, 30 HR, 122 RB1
RF Brad Hawpe - .326/.439/.570, 13 HR, 70 RBI

Busts:
SP Shane Lindsay – 5-19, 8.43 ERA, 151 BB in 157 IP (!!!!), 2.16 WHIP – This guy is CLEARLY not ready for the big leagues. That has got to be one of the worst pitching performances over a full season (33 starts) ever in history.
SP Samuel Deduno – 4-12, 10.24 ERA, 92 BB in 99.1 IP, 2.26 WHIP – 21 starts for this guy. I need to smack whoever is in charge of keeping this guys on the roster.
RP Brian Fuentes – 5-6, 6.80 ERA, 18 SV, 8 BS, 1.80 WHIP – He was a fine closer for two years. This won’t cut it though.

Offseason Needs: Their offense is already loaded, although they should really look at benching Clint Barmes, maybe in favor of Kazuo Matsui. Their pitching is an absolute mess. Wow. I still can’t believe it. UPGRADE THAT!

[HoustonGM]

Are people still reading this? Also, if you are, do you enjoy the team-by-team write ups, or do you think they're unnecessary?

[Red Sox Fan 734]

I enjoy them.I know how you feel, its tough to write a dynasty if no one is repling to it.

[HoustonGM]

I just noticed. A-Rod's postseason stats for 2007:

.298/.365/.667. Six home runs. 18 RBI.

Maybe the Mogul Yankee fans are finally backing off?

[HoustonGM]

2007 Cleveland Indians Batting Stats

2007 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP
Sizemore, Grady CLE 161 .286 644 184 41 11 27 80 166 20 8 115 117 .509 .379
Marte, Andy CLE 160 .260 620 161 43 1 19 64 157 1 0 83 90 .424 .329
Hafner, Travis CLE 158 .283 569 161 26 1 49 136 140 1 1 121 147 .591 .424
Bartlett, Jason CLE 157 .310 596 185 40 5 3 40 84 22 7 87 66 .409 .366
Hatteberg, Scott CLE 157 .250 564 141 30 1 13 93 47 4 0 102 69 .376 .360
Crawford, Carl CLE 156 .313 706 221 28 12 22 36 95 63 11 133 85 .480 .348
Walker, Todd CLE 141 .288 451 130 20 2 15 59 33 2 0 73 78 .441 .366
Young, Chris CLE 136 .221 470 104 30 6 14 48 92 9 5 79 60 .400 .302
Martinez, Victor CLE 125 .324 472 153 36 0 14 42 62 0 0 67 70 .489 .379
Anderson, Marlon CLE 109 .263 320 84 17 5 14 20 69 2 1 42 47 .478 .304
Shoppach, Kelly CLE 62 .244 168 41 8 0 6 8 43 0 1 12 24 .399 .287
Bruntlett, Eric CLE 53 .178 73 13 6 0 2 3 21 1 0 10 10 .342 .211
Gutierrez, Franklin CLE 38 .229 105 24 6 0 0 12 39 3 0 15 14 .286 .314
Callaspo, Alberto CLE 28 .212 104 22 3 1 1 8 7 2 1 14 7 .288 .274
Kouzmanoff, Kevin CLE 15 .222 45 10 1 0 0 3 14 0 0 1 3 .244 .271
Choo, Shin-Soo CLE 10 .263 19 5 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 3 2 .263 .300
Valdez, Wilson CLE 7 .211 19 4 1 0 0 2 3 1 2 2 0 .263 .286
Bedard, Erik CLE 3 .167 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 .167
Miner, Zach CLE 3 .000 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 .000 .000
Torres, Eider CLE 2 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Lee, Cliff CLE 2 .222 9 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 1 1 .222 .222
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 2 .200 5 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 .200 .333
Aubrey, Michael CLE 1 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Bannister, Brian CLE 1 .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Pesco, Nick CLE 1 .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .000

2007 Cleveland Indians Pitching Stats

2007 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 248.0 3.38 33 33 21 10 0 121 59 10.38
Lee, Cliff CLE 230.2 3.47 32 32 17 5 0 171 50 11.24
Bannister, Brian CLE 218.2 4.69 32 32 13 9 0 143 78 11.52
Sabathia, C.C. CLE 216.0 3.63 30 30 13 11 0 179 57 11.00
Bedard, Erik CLE 204.2 4.22 33 33 12 14 0 188 68 13.15
Miner, Zach CLE 85.2 5.25 20 14 5 4 0 57 27 13.03
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 58.0 5.12 60 0 5 5 1 35 37 14.74
Mota, Guillermo CLE 57.2 3.12 50 0 0 2 0 47 24 11.86
Lidge, Brad CLE 50.1 2.86 57 0 5 4 39 68 27 12.87
Pesco, Nick CLE 19.1 5.12 3 3 2 1 0 13 10 14.43
Cabrera, Fernando CLE 18.2 3.86 14 0 1 0 0 20 8 10.61
Brown, Andrew CLE 18.2 6.27 13 0 0 0 0 17 10 13.50
Lara, Juan CLE 12.0 12.00 8 0 0 1 0 15 7 21.75
Gonzalez, Luis CLE 9.1 8.68 5 0 0 1 0 7 6 16.39
Miller, Andrew CLE 5.2 14.29 4 0 0 0 0 4 2 23.82
Slocum, Brian CLE 3.0 12.00 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 21.00
Mujica, Edward CLE 2.2 16.88 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 30.38

[Red Sox Fan 734]

I just noticed. A-Rod's postseason stats for 2007:

.298/.365/.667. Six home runs. 18 RBI.

Maybe the Mogul Yankee fans are finally backing off?
Must be a different A-Rod:p

[HoustonGM]

2007-2008 OFFSEASON

Resigned
We exercised our $1.85 million option on 1B Scott Hatteberg.

Arbitration
Jason Bartlett won his arbitration case and received a $6.5 million, 1-year deal. Trade fodder probably.
Fernando Cabrera won his arbitration case and received a $2.15 million, 1-year deal.

Released
IF Eric Bruntlett - He’s asking for a multi-million dollar deal. Psh.
IF Todd Walker – We hope to resign him at some point in the offseason.
IF Marlon Anderson – Asking too much.

Around the League
42-year old Kenny Rogers retired. His career record was 210-148 and he had a career ERA of 4.17.

[HoustonGM]

This offseason, we’re going to look to make some trades for some bullpen arms. Middle infielders would also help. Other than that, we’re content with what we have.

Now, a look at the free agent market at each position.

Catcher
Teams Interested in C: Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Johnny Estrada, Ivan Rodriguez, Gregg Zaun, Mike Lieberthal, Mike Piazza, Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba, Damian Miller, Brad Ausmus

Johnny Estrada is likely going to be the catcher most hotly pursued. Besides Miguel Olivo and Yorvit Torrealba, he’s the youngest of the bunch. And unlike Olivo and Torrealba, he doesn’t suck, batting .298/.324/.434 this year. Pudge Rodriguez, Gregg Zaun, and Mike Lieberthal might each have one year of starting left in them. The rest could all sign as backups.

First Basemen
Teams Interested in 1B: Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants,
Free Agents: Ty Wigginton, Ben Broussard, Frank Thomas, Doug Mientkiewicz, Gary Sheffield, Darin Erstad, Ryan Klesko, Tony Clark, Mike Sweeney

Wigginton, Broussard, and Mientkiewicz are the only guys who might be able to actually improve a team. Broussard is strictly a platoon player, as he cannot hit lefties at all. Thomas, Sheffield, Erstad, Klesko, and Clark are all washed up at this point, although Thomas and Sheffield might try to make an impact at DH after disappointing 2007 seasons. Mike Sweeney’s very active injury history will scare off most teams.

Second Basemen
Teams Interested in 2B: Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays
Free Agents: Jose Valentin, Marlon Anderson, Jeff Kent, Jorge Cantu, Adam Kennedy, Mark Grudzielanek, Mark Loretta, Jamey Carroll, Neifi Perez, Luis Castillo

Jeff Kent is clearly the best catch here. Jose Valentin might still have one year left in him. If Jorge Cantu can find his 2005-self, he’d be a bargain pick up. The rest of the guys could all be decent, but not spectacular…well, except Neifi Perez. He sucks!

Third Basemen
Teams Interested in 3B: Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres
Free Agents: Russell Branyan, Corey Koskie, Abraham Nunez

Nothing of worth here. I suppose Koskie could be useful for a team in dire need of someone at the hot corner. Branyan’s only ability is to hit for power, so he’s better coming off the bench. Abraham Nunez just…sucks.

Shortstop
Teams Interested in SS: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants
Free Agents: Juan Uribe, Clint Barmes, Alex Cintron, Omar Vizquel, Cesar Izturis, Todd Walker, Alex Cora, Alex Gonzalez, Eric Bruntlett

Todd Walker is the only guy here who has a good approach at the plate. The rest of the guys are mainly glove dudes. Alex Cintron had a solid year in Boston and could get a starting job somewhere.

Left Field
Teams Interested in LF: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cincinatti Reds, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Brad Wilkerson, Barry Bonds, Pedro Feliz, Cliff Floyd, Bobby Kielty, Kevin Mench, Jose Cruz, Todd Hollandsworth, David Dellucci

Looks like Bonds wants to break the home run record. He’d best be served by switching to the American League at DHing. Brad Wilkerson might be of use starting. If Cliff Floyd can stay healthy, he’d be decent as well. The rest of the guys are bench players at best.

Center Field
Teams Interested in CF:[/b] Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals
Free Agents: Bernie Williams

Woo! >_< And that’s being generous.

Right Field
Teams Interested in RF: Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies
Free Agents: Jermaine Dye, Moises Alou, Eric Hinske, Reggie Sanders

Jermaine Dye is going to be the most sought-after free agent. Moises Alou will also be wanted after a big 2007, but he’s old. Eric Hinske could be useful because of his versatility. Reggie Sanders should probably retire.

Starting Pitcher
Teams Interested in SP: Most teams. :p
Free Agents: Javier Vazquez, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth, Jake Westbrook, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Mark Hendrickson, Orlando Hernandez, Jeff Suppan, Adam Eaton, Jeff Weaver, Horacio Ramirez, Randy Johnson, Tim Redding, Steve Trachsel, Paul Byrd, Jon Leiber

That’s a lot of old guys. There’s five future Hall of Famers there: Smoltz, Schilling, Glavine, Maddux, and Johnson. Javier Vazquez, Nate Robertson, and Mike Maroth are the best bets for strong seasons. It’s a decent free agent class.

Relief Pitcher
Teams Interested in RP: Most teams.
Free Agents: Trevor Hoffman, Jason Isringhausen, Bob Wickman, Matt Wise, Todd Jones, Russ Springer, Alan Embree, Dan Miceli, Eddie Guardado, David Weathers

A lot of closers/former closers in this free agent class.

[HoustonGM]

Beltre Heading Back to NL West
http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/seattlems/BeltreSea.jpg

Adrian Beltre, after a disappointing 2007 season, has been sent to the San Diego Padres for a package of four players. Starter Tim Stauffer will come up to Seattle, along with utility infielder Geoff Blum and pitching prospects Cesar Ramos and Cesar Carillo. The Padres will only be reasonable for $12 million of the remaining $24 million on Beltre’s contract.

D-Train Moves to the Bronx
http://netsports.baseball.com/images/baseball/mlb/allsport/florida/willis_dontrelle2.jpg

Dontrelle Willis has been the subject of trade rumors for three years. Finally, the Marlins have traded him. The winning team? The New York Yankees. In exchange for Willis, the Yankees sent reliever Scott Proctor, starting pitching prospects Steven White and Matt DeSalvo, outfield prospect Bronson Sardinha, and third basemen/first basemen Eric Duncan. The past two seasons have been mired in injury for the D-Train, but he hopes to succeed and bring a repeat championship to the Bronx, and a third in a row for the city of New York.

Figgins, Cabrera to Boston for Pitcher and Outfielder
http://www.prosportspictures.com/images/mlb/anaheim-angels/2006/06-chone-figgins-batting-1-GX11906-sm.jpg

The Los Angeles Angels have traded their super-utility man, Chone Figgins, and short stop Orlando Cabrera, to the Boston Red Sox for starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, and outfielder Chris Durbin. This trade opens up short stop for Angels prospect Erick Aybar, and Maicer Izturis has offered to replace Figgins in center field. Top prospect Brandon Wood will now get a chance to showcase his skills as a third basemen.

[HoustonGM]

Ah, the offseason is in full swing already.

The Phillies opened up their pocket books. They signed two of the top tier free agents. Right fielder Jermaine Dye agreed to a $37.5 million, 3-year deal with the Phillies. This signing gives them an absolute dynamite middle-of-the-order, featuring Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Jermaine Dye. They also signed pitcher Mike Maroth to a $23.1 million, 3-year deal. They signed closer Jason Isringhausen to a two-year deal worth $17 million.

The Royals made some signings, inking pitcher Nate Robertson to a 3-year deal, reliever Matt Wise to a 2-year deal, and first basemen Gary Sheffield to a 2-year deal. They later would add infielder Marlon Anderson, and pitchers Horacio Ramirez and Adam Eaton.

The White Sox added two veteran arms – Mark Hendrickson and Paul Byrd, both signed to 2-year contracts. They also added Todd Jones to the bullpen, and signed outfielder David Dellucci.

The Oakland Athletics nabbed starting pitcher John Smoltz, signing him to a 2-year deal.

We’ve made some trades!

Cleveland Indians receive:
2B Bernie Castro
IF Josh Labandeira
RF Austin Kearns

Washington Nationals receive:
SS Jason Bartlett
RP Juan Lara

Cleveland Indians receive:
RP Matt Capps

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff
1B Jeff Larish
The first deal addresses two of our issues – second base and right field. Bernie Castro has a decent eye and hits for contact well, and he also has impressive speed on the basepaths. Barlett was expensive and unneeded. Felipe Lopez has been shifted to the outfield in Washington to make room for Bartlett.

In the second deal, we trade rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff, who will start at first base in Pittsburgh, for a young up and coming reliever, Matt Capps. Capps is known for his impeccable control.

Near the end of November, Tom Glavine announced that he would be retiring from baseball. He finishes his Hall of Fame career with 307 career wins and a career ERA of 3.44.

[HoustonGM]

The Yankees signed Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez to a 1-year deal.

The Minnesota Twins will upgrade second base to Jose Valentin, signed to a 1-year, $4.9 million contract.

The surprising Brewers signed Javier Vazquez to a 2-year contract, giving them five outstanding starting pitchers. They signed the top catcher on the market, Johnny Estrada, to a 2-year contract as well.

The Angels signed first basemen Ty Wigginton to a 2-year, $7.8 million contract.

The Tigers will go with veteran catcher Mike Lieberthal behind the plate in 2008.

The Orioles signed veteran second basemen Jeff Kent to a 1-year contract.

[HoustonGM]

I’m going to interrupt the offseason to go over the AWARDS!

Cy Young Award
American League
Cleveland Indians SP Jeremy Sowers
21-10, 3.38 ERA, 248 IP, 1.15 WHIP

At the age of 23, Jeremy Sowers is proving that he’s a dominant finesse lefty. It’s his first career Cy Young, and he has a very bright future.

National League
Chicago Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano
18-8, 2.72 ERA, 208 K, 1.26 WHIP

People forget that Zambrano’s only 26, and he’s already established himself as one of the most dominating starters in the game.

Most Valuable Player Award
American League
Cleveland Indians DH Travis Hafner
.283/.424/.591, 49 HR, 147 RBI

Hafner has won his second straight MVP award. He’s a force in the middle of the lineup, and will continue to hit 45+ home runs and drive in 140+ RBI year after year.

National League
Arizona Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano
.295/.376/.633, 54 HR, 158 RBI, 25 SB

Soriano did it all for the Diamondbacks this year. He hit for average, he walked, he stole bases, he hit home runs, he drove in runs, he had 28 outfield assists!!

Rookie of the Year Award
American League
New York Yankees LF Melky Cabrera
.325/.401/.435, 6 HR, 79 RBI, 20 SB

An outstanding rookie year for the young left fielder, Melky Cabrera. He should continue to improve and might win a batting title or two in his career. The Yankees hope he will add some power to his stroke.

National League
San Francisco Giants 3B Akinori Iwamura
.271/.364/.430, 15 HR, 75 RBI

The Japanese import had a strong first season in the major leagues. He even filled in at second base while Ray Durham was injured.

Gold Glove Awards
American League
Gold Glove (P): Roy Halladay (TOR) (1)
Gold Glove (C): Joe Mauer (MIN) (1)
Gold Glove (1B): Mark Teixeira (TEX) (2)
Gold Glove (2B): Mark Ellis (OAK) (1)
Gold Glove (3B): Troy Glaus (TOR) (1)
Gold Glove (SS): Michael Young (TEX) (2)
Gold Glove (LF): Melky Cabrera (NYY) (1)
Gold Glove (CF): Jay Payton (OAK) (1)
Gold Glove (RF): Torii Hunter (MIN) (6)

National League
Gold Glove (P): Matt Morris (SFG) (1)
Gold Glove (C): Yadier Molina (STL) (1)
Gold Glove (1B): Lance Berkman (HOU) (1)
Gold Glove (2B): Jamey Carroll (COL) (1)
Gold Glove (3B): Morgan Ensberg (HOU) (2)
Gold Glove (SS): Stephen Drew (ARI) (1)
Gold Glove (LF): Shane Victorino (PHI) (1)
Gold Glove (CF): Endy Chavez (NYM) (2)
Gold Glove (RF): Carlos Beltran (NYM) (2)

Many first-timers, just like last year. Hm…

[HoustonGM]

can i know the pitching stats for rockies the best era, wins
Heh, do you really wanna know?

Aaron Cook was their best pitcher. 11-12, 4.98 ERA, 1.68 WHIP.

Jeff Francis, in 117 innings, had the best ERA at 4.77. He had a 1.53 WHIP and a 3-6 record.

[HoustonGM]

Tomorrow I'll do the ammy draft and the rest of the offseason.

Would people like me to post the 25-man rosters, like i did last year here (http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showpost.php?p=638776&postcount=69)? because if not, i'm not gonig to bother writing them up.

[HoustonGM]

**** they should better and can i know the rockies overall era
6.11.

>_<

[HoustonGM]

that's horrible. i will go angry if that happens in real life at least this year they are good for real life
I think you can sleep at night. In real life, no body would let Shane Lindsay (8.43 ERA in 157 IP) and Samuel Deduno (10.24 ERA in 99.1 IP) pitch as much as they did.

[HoustonGM]

Ill be updatng again tonight around 9 EST or so. Does anybody else besides yamiviet think I should do the 25-man roster thing?

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Its up to you. I will read them if you post them but i wont be dissapointed if you dont.

[HoustonGM]

2008 Amateur Draft
Round 1
1) Baltimore Orioles – RP Albert Vargas – Strikeout pitcher with blazing fastball. Near-major league ready. Future closer potential.
2) Kansas City Royals – SP Bill Hocknell – Closest starter draft pick to the majors. Fastball, slider, change, 12-6 curve repertoire. Workhorse mentality.
3) Colorado Rockies – SP Seth Cryder – Mid-90s fastball, harsh sinker. Future ace.
4) Washington Nationals – RF Tim Freeman – 5-tool talent, although no standout tool.
5) Florida Marlins – SP Austin Manna – Dominating fastball and impeccable control. Good endurance.
6) Houston Astros – SP Tod Kudis – Cutter reminds scouts of Mariano Rivera. Good control.
7) Cincinnati Reds – 1B Colin Godshalk – Excellent defender, has pop.
8) Tampa Bay Devil Rays – 2B Aaron Mullaney – Very far from the majors, but scouts like his old-school style.
9) Chicago White Sox – SP Craig Booker – History of arm problems, but has shown stability lately. Could be an ace if his arm holds up.
10) Pittsburgh Pirates – CF Hector Narcho – Outstanding range and great hands in the outfield. Switch-hitter with speed.
11) San Diego Padres – 2B Sean Trevail – Only plus tool is speed.
12) San Francisco Giants – C Samuel Fitch – Mobility behind the plate and strong arm remind scouts of a young Pudge Rodriguez
13) Seattle Mariners – LF Joseph Tenenbaum – Average across the board, but could be a solid major leaguer in 5 years.
14) St. Louis Cardinals – 1B Damon Schumann – Huge power potential and good eye.
15) Oakland Athletics – 1B Chris Pruitt – Good power, but offers little else. Might develop a solid eye.
16) Philadelphia Phillies – 1B Bill Woodford – In the same mold as previous pick Chris Pruitt.
17) Texas Rangers – C Jesse Fairfield – Only plus right now is a good eye.
18) Minnesota Twins – C Claudio Whipple – Good behind the plate and durable, but blocked by Joe Mauer for the foreseeable future.
19) Toronto Blue Jays – RP Stuart Kisner – Ceiling is as a durable middle reliever.
20) Detroit Tigers – 1B Clarence Tucker – Fourth high power first basemen drafted in the first round this year.
21) Chicago Cubs – RP Juan Cabvera – No standout abilities.
22) Atlanta Braves – RP Rex Mallard – Odd pick, as scouts don’t expect much from him.
23) Los Angeles Angels – RP Cory Cicala – Looks like a Joel Zumaya clone.
24) Los Angeles Dodgers – RF Carl Benbow – Solid all-around.
25) New York Yankees – 1B Martin MacIntyre – Excellent skill with the bat, slow on his feet in the field.
26) Boston Red Sox – CF James Wiggins – Good defense, little else.
27) Cleveland Indians – SP Alberto Cortez – Has shown incredible guile on the mound. Just 18, has a strong future.
28) Milwaukee Brewers – SP Scott Radabaugh – Great all-around, induces a lot of groundballs, could be a future ace.
29) Arizona Diamondbacks – C Vince Wilkinson – Excellent defender. Decent speed for a catcher.
30) New York Mets – SP Matt Mardell – Looks like a young Greg Maddux, but won’t reach Maddux’s status, ever.


Cleveland Indians Picks
Round 2 – 17-year old 2B Anton Keil – Speed and good eye at the plate. Should be an above-average defender.
Round 3 – 18-year old SP Damon Snider – High 90s fastball. Will succeed as a reliever if he doesn’t make it as a starter.
Round 4 – 18-year old SS Jose Aquino – Outstanding eye makes him appealing.
Round 5 – 17-year old RF Warren Holcomb – Nothing standout here, except a history of perfect health.
Round 6 – 21-year old 2B Manuel Belderrian – Plays on his toes, shows good speed and eye.

[HoustonGM]

Rest of the offseason…

We resigned Todd Walker to a 1-year contract.

The Angels signed 1B Ben Broussard to a 1-year deal to platoon with Ty Wigginton and Russell Branyan to be a bench player. They also made a trade, sending 1B Sean Casey and 3B Dallas McPherson to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Merkin Valdez and starter Jamey Wright.

The Astros signed catcher Gregg Zaun to a 1-year deal. He’ll be better than John Buck.

The Rockies signed Cesar Izturis.

The Braves added Eric Hinske.

The Nationals signed Moises Alou for one year.

The Red Sox signed SP Jeff Suppan for one year.

The Tigers signed SP Jeff Weaver for one year.

The Mets signed left fielder Brad Wilkerson to a 1-year contract.

The Mariners signed all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman to a 1-year deal to close for them, giving them an absolutely dominate late-game featuring three guys with closer experience – Hoffman, Rafael Soriano, and J.J. Putz.

The Marlins re-signed catcher Miguel Olivo to a 1-year deal.

The Oakland Athletics signed catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a 1-year contract worth $3.1 million.

The Yankees signed reliever Russ Springer, stealing him from the Red Sox, and starter Tim Redding, who had a strong year with the White Sox in 2007. Orlando Hernandez abruptly retired, moving rookie Tyler Clippard to the rotation. Bob Wickman also joins a retooled bullpen. They signed Mike Piazza to back up Jorge Posada. That has got to be the oldest pair of catchers ever 1-2 on a team’s depth chart.

The Mets signed 2B Jorge Cantu to a 1-year deal.

The Cardinals added former Indian starter Jake Westbrook and second basemen Mark Loretta.

The Blue Jays signed infielder Alex Cintron.

The Nationals signed catcher Yorvit Torrealba.

The Orioles signed Juan Uribe.

The White Sox signed Luis Castillo, who will shift to short stop for them.

The following future Hall of Famers all retired after not catching on with a team during the offseason – Randy Johnson, Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. The all-time home run record will stay IN TACT!

[HoustonGM]

A few moves we made before spring training:

Re-signed LF Carl Crawford – 4 years, $44 million.

We wanted to get Chris Young in the lineup after a bad rookie season. This move might prove to be detrimental, but we figure that the reward of a breakout season from Chris Young outweighs the risk of losing a valuable guy like Austin Kearns.


Cleveland Indians receive:
SS J.J. Hardy
SP Carlos Villanueva
LF Mike Naugle

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
RF Austin Kearns
J.J. Hardy will be our main shortstop, forcing Bernie Castro into a primary backup role, although Castro will start at second vs. southpaws, as Todd Walker has shown for two straight years that he simply can’t hit lefties.

Following this trade, the Brewers sent center fielder Corey Patterson packing to the Dodgers in exchange for relief pitcher Joe Beimel.

Cy Young winner Jeremy Sowers will enter 2008 with a new pitch – the cutter, and Brian Bannister has added a slider.

The following signings occurred during spring training:

The Yankees signed 2B Jamey Carroll, and IF Eric Bruntlett, and SPs Tony Armas and Chan Ho Park.
The Nationals signed OF Kevin Mench and IF Neifi Perez.
The Dodgers signed OF’s Pedro Feliz and Bobby Kielty.
The Giants signed SS Clint Barmes and 3B Corey Koskie.
The Orioles signed SS Alex Gonzalez and 2B Adam Kennedy.
The Rangers signed 1B Doug Mientkiewicz.

Oh, and fun fact I just learned – Carl Crawford set the all-time at-bats record in a single season last year, beating Willie Wilson’s mark of 705 in 1980 by 1!

[HoustonGM]

LOL. They'll be going into the season with Lindsay and Deduno manning the back end of the rotation. Look out!!!!!

25-man rosters tomorrow, and beginnings of the previews.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Excellent work as always...

[HoustonGM]

Opening Day 25-Man Rosters

* indicates a platoon. Lineups shown are vs. righties.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
Baltimore Orioles
2007 Record: 54-108
The lineup will likely be stronger than it was last year, with a full year from Ryan Garko and the addition of Jeff Kent, but it still will be below league average. The pitching staff is relatively unchanged. It’s going to be another year in the cellar for the Orioles.
Predicted 2008 Record: 64-98

Boston Red Sox
2007 Record: 94-68
They haven’t lost much, but have gained guys like Orlando Cabrera, Chone Figgins, and Jeff Suppan. They’re record is probably going to take a slight hit, but they’ll be a playoff contender. They may need to make some moves to solidify their rotation though. Their top 3, veterans Josh Beckett, Jon Garland, and Jeff Suppan, will be solid, but the back end of the rotation are full of rookies.
Predicted 2008 Record: 90-72

New York Yankees
2007 Record: 93-69
The talent is all there to repeat as World Champions. The addition of Dontrelle Willis gives them five excellent options in their starting rotation. They’ve added some more options in their bullpen. Their fantastic lineup is identical to their World Series lineup last year.
Predicted 2008 Record: 96-66

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2007 Record: 69-93
Delmon Young will finally make his long-awaited rookie season. He had 10 at bats in 2006, and had four hits including a double. Their young starters are all poised for big years, especially Scott Kazmir and Jason Hammel. Down in the minors, Evan Longoria has made a switch to first base which he hopes will facilitate a quicker call up to the majors. Their young talent still needs a few years to reach its potential, so they’ll probably be in the lower rungs of the league for the next few years.
Predicted 2008 Record: 72-90

Toronto Blue Jays
2007 Record: 88-74
Not much has changed here. Alex Cintron, who batted .297/.313/.394 last year with the division rival Boston Red Sox, will be an upgrade from Russ Adams at short. Expect another year similar to their 2006 and 2007. If Boston falters, Toronto may lay claim to a Wild Card spot.
Predicted 2008 Record: 88-74

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Chicago White Sox
2007 Record: 74-88
They significantly underperformed in 2007, and I don’t expect them to turn it around this year. Mark Buerhle was injured for the first time in his career last year, and the heavy workloads he shouldered from 2001 through 2006 (220+ IP each year, 5 years of over 230 IP) are starting to take a major toll. Roger Clemens, at 45, might have a tough time continuing his post-40 dominance. Offensively, they lost Jermaine Dye to free agency, and his replacement, Ryan Sweeney, isn’t the 40-homer threat Dye was.
Predicted 2008 Record: 76-86

Cleveland Indians
2007 Record: 94-68
Things look good again for the Tribe. They’ll be getting a full year out of midseason pick up Erik Bedard. Bedard was undervalued because his traditional stats (wins, losses, ERA) looked bad in Baltimore prior to the trade – 4-9, 5.38 ERA. However, Indians GM Erik Smith noticed his strong peripherals, including outstanding K/9 and K/BB ratios. Bedard also had one of the top defensive-independent ERA’s in the majors. He proved awesome in Cleveland – 8-5, 3.24 ERA, and total, all year, he gave up just 9 home runs! J.J. Hardy is the only new face in the lineup, which will continue to produce.
Predicted 2008 Record: 96-66

Detroit Tigers
2007 Record: 90-72
Detroit’s made a huge turnaround in the last two years, making the World Series in 2006 and narrowly missing a playoff appearance, despite a better record than 2006, in 2007. They lost three of their rotation mainstays, Mike Maroth and Nate Robertson, to free agency, as well as Kenny Rogers to retirement. Runelvys Hernandez, Jeff Weaver, and rookie Jair Jurrjens take over the vacancies, so their rotation is a giant question mark. Mike Lieberthal provides much of the same offensive capabilities of Pudge Rodriguez, but his defense is a significant downgrade. They’ll need to get lucky to make another playoff push, but they should stay above .500.
Predicted 2008 Record: 84-78

Kansas City Royals
2007 Record: 54-108
What an odd millennium it’s been for Kansas City. They’ve lost 100 games 5 out of the last 6 years, and that odd year out, 2003, they were actually above .500 at 83-79. They opened up their pocketbooks this offseason and added some veterans – Nate Robertson, Horacio Ramirez, Adam Eaton, Matt Wise, and Marlon Anderson. These additions might keep the Royals from reaching the century-mark in losses for a fifth consecutive year. They really need to replace Angel Berroa though.
Predicted 2008 Record: 66-96

Minnesota Twins
2007 Record: 85-77
The only change in their lineup is Jose Valentin manning second base over the inferior Marcus Giles. Outside of that, the team is nearly exactly the same, and should expect similar results.
Predicted 2008 Record: 86-76

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Los Angeles Angels
2007 Record: 92-70
They’ll be starting two relatively inexperienced players on the left side of the infield – SS Erick Aybar and rookie 3B Brandon Wood. The platoon of Ty Wigginton and Ben Broussard should be an upgrade over their horrid first base situation last year. Their pitching, as has been the usual lately, is strong.
Predicted 2008 Record: 86-76

Oakland Athletics
2007 Record: 81-81
John Smoltz is the main addition, as is Ivan Rodriguez who’s an upgrade over Mike Lieberthal behind the plate. They might be able to compete for a playoff spot this year, but it’ll take some extra oomph.
Predicted 2008 Record: 84-78

Seattle Mariners
2007 Record: 80-82
The team looks pretty much exactly like the 2007 team. The only differences are rookie Andy LaRoche starting at third base in the place of the departed Adrian Beltre, and future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman taking over the closer role. Seattle has the most dominant 7-8-9 inning combination with Rafael Soriano (their 2007 closer) and J.J. Putz (their 2006 closer) as well as Trevor Hoffman. The AL West will be a tough division, and it’s anybody’s game.
Predicted 2008 Record: 83-79

Texas Rangers
2007 Record: 83-79
Their lineup will be fantastic if Gary Matthews and Mark DeRosa can return to 2006-form. The pitching will likely be hurt by the offensive paradise of a stadium they play in, but in the tight AL West, the Rangers have a shot.
Predicted 2008 Record: 81-81

[HoustonGM]

National League East
Atlanta Braves
2007 Record: 92-70
Nothing new here. Move along. Okay, seriously. They’re powerful lineup will help them to a good record, but it probably won’t be enough to unseat the New York Mets.
Predicted 2008 Record: 90-72

Florida Marlins
2007 Record: 67-95
They’re still trotting out the horrible hitters in Dan Uggla and Miguel Olivo. Their lineup is still a giant question mark outside of the always outstanding Miguel Cabrera. The loss of Dontrelle Willis will probably hurt the pitching staff. The Marlins can expect another low finish in the standings.
Predicted 2008 Record: 65-97

New York Mets
2007 Record: 106-56
Jorge Cantu replaces the departed Jose Valentin, and Brad Wilkerson will form a platoon with Casey Blake in left field. Lastings Milledge is waiting in the wings and will likely take over left at some point this year. Expect the same awesome year.
Predicted 2008 Record: 102-60

Philadelphia Phillies
2007 Record: 83-79
They had a massive turnaround in 2007 from their 100-loss 2006, and they’ll likely do even better this year. They’ll hopefully get a full season from both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and the addition of Jermaine Dye makes this lineup one of the scariest lineups in the majors. Mike Maroth and Jason Isringhausen represent the new faces in the pitching staff, which might underperform until Brett Myers returns in early May. They could compete for the Wild Card, and if they’re lucky, maybe even the Mets.
Predicted 2008 Record: 94-68

Washington Nationals
2007 Record: 65-97
Moises Alou should add some much needed firepower to the offense, but it definitely won’t be enough. The pitching staff is shaky as always.
Predicted 2008 Record: 66-96

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Chicago Cubs
2007 Record: 91-71
A surprising year for the Cubs. However, this year will see a familiar situation – Mark Prior injured. He’ll be out until the end of May, which might strain the pitching staff early. They don’t have any new faces in the lineup, and they’ll likely miss out on 90 wins this year.
Predicted 2008 Record: 84-78

Cincinnati Reds
2007 Record: 68-94
The financially strained Reds were unable to do anything this offseason. They’ll likely perform even worse this year. Not much else to say.
Predicted 2008 Record: 62-100

Houston Astros
2007 Record: 67-95
They had a very disappointing season last year. This year, Gregg Zaun upgrades their offense, but they’re starting pitching is still young and inexperienced outside of Roy Oswalt. If their rookie pitchers can put it together, the Astros might have a decent season.
Predicted 2008 Record: 76-86

Milwaukee Brewers
2007 Record: 95-67
They were the surprise team of the majors in 2007, and they’ve only upgraded for 2008. Javier Vazquez is a dependable workhorse, having started 30 games or more in 9 of his 10 major league seasons. They’re bullpen is decent as well. Offensively, adding Austin Kearns allowed the Brewers to move the on-base challenged Corey Patterson, and shift 20-20 threat Corey Hart from right to center. Johnny Estrada will provide them with a strong all-around catcher, an upgrade from Damian Miller.
Predicted 2008 Record: 96-66

Pittsburgh Pirates
2007 Record: 77-85
The team is once again full of question mark players. If everyone performs to their ability, they’ll likely match last year’s record. More likely, they’ll do a bit worse.
Predicted 2008 Record: 72-90

St. Louis Cardinals
2007 Record: 80-82
Nothing doing here. They’ll be without ace Chris Carpenter until May, which will likely mean they’ll struggle in April. The loss of Jason Isringhausen moves the inexperienced Tyler Johnson to the closer role. They’re lineup CAN be explosive, but likely won’t be.
Predicted 2008 Record: 81-81

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
2007 Record: 97-65
Pretty much the same team as last year. Chris Snyder takes over full time behind the plate. In 270 at bats in 2007, he batted an outstanding .352/.417/.552 so he might prove to be a hidden gem. Expect a playoff push.
Predicted 2008 Record: 94-68

Colorado Rockies
2007 Record: 64-98
The lineup is definitely explosive and powerful, but it won’t mean anything if they keep throwing Shane Lindsay and Samuel Deduno and their astronomically high earned run averages. It’s going to be another tough year for Rockies fans. If they wake up and demote Lindsay and Deduno to the minors before they can do their damage, they’re prediction would likely increase to something like 72-90
Predicted 2008 Record: 62-100

Los Angeles Dodgers
2007 Record: 93-69
Not sure what to say here. The team looks pretty much the same, except they’ll have Corey Patterson getting most of the playing time instead of Juan Pierre. They’re pretty much identical players, except Patterson has a huge advantage in the power department.
Predicted 2008 Record: 90-72

San Diego Padres
2007 Record: 77-85
Adrian Beltre can go either way. If he hits like he did in 2006, he’ll prove to be a fantastic pickup and he’ll help the Padres immensely. If he hits like he did in 2007, he’ll be detrimental to the team’s success. Cla Meredith will step into the closer role vacated by the all-time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman.
Predicted 2008 Record: 79-83

San Francisco Giants
2007 Record: 77-85
They’re pitching staff is the same as last year. It’ll be dependable. They’ve definitely gotten younger on the offensive side of things, which might add some energy to the team. Fred Lewis and Todd Linden man the top of the order and both can get on base at a decent rate. Clint Barmes at short stop isn’t pretty though.
Predicted 2008 Record: 76-86

[HoustonGM]

April 2008 13-11
Season Record: 13-11 (Tied with Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
A mediocre April for the third year in a row. I like the moves we made though. Getting Eric Duncan could prove huge for the future, and the two Jeff’s (Francis and Baker) that we picked up from Colorado will make an immediate impact. Travis Hafner’s bat has been inexplicably quiet.

J.J. Hardy has been a disappointment so far, and Bernie Castro has impressed us in his limited playing time. If things keep going the way they are, we might start Castro at short vs. righties, leaving Hardy’s playing time vs. lefties only.

Indians News
April 5 – We made the following trade.

Cleveland Indians receive:
1B/3B Eric Duncan

Florida Marlins
OF Franklin Gutierrez
Duncan is on the verge of breaking into the majors, and might see some time with us later in the season. We called up outfielder Jeff Fiorentino to play a reserve role.
April 27 – We made a fairly large trade here. Unhappy with Chris Young’s progress, we sent him packing to Colorado where he should be able to take advantage of the thin mountain air.

Cleveland Indians receive:
RF Jeff Baker
SP Jeff Francis

Colorado Rockies receive:
OF Chris Young
SP Brian Bannister
P Brian Slocum
Jeff Francis gives us five starters who would all be #1 or #2 starters if they were on different teams. We love that. Jeff Baker will take over full time in right field. In 51 at bats with the Rockies so far this season, he’s batting .314/.364/.686 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI.
April 28 – Scott Hatteberg broke his finger and will miss a month. This gives us a chance to evaluate Eric Duncan at the major league level.

Top Indians Games
April 6 vs. Detroit (8-5 win) – CF Grady Sizemore went 4 for 5 with two home runs, three runs, and four runs batted in.
April 7 vs. Detroit (2-0 win) – Cliff Lee threw a complete game 3-hit shutout. Andy Marte and Chris Young both hit solo home runs.
April 23 vs. Kansas City (8-0 win) – Grady Sizemore hit two home runs and drove in four runs.
April 24 vs. Kansas City (7-4 win) – Carl Crawford had a huge 4 for 4 night, tripling and hitting a home run while driving in five runs.

News From Around the League
April 11 – Athletics starter John Smoltz struck out the 3,000th batter of his career.
April 11 – Angels right fielder Vladimir Guerrero got his 2,000th career hit.
April 15 – At the age of 30, Braves center fielder Andruw Jones launched the 400th home run of his career.
April 19 – Dodgers closer Eric Gagne saved the 200th game of his career.
April 22 – Blue Jays third basemen Troy Glaus hit his 300th career homer.
April 23 – Long time Braves third basemen Chipper Jones hit his 400th career home run.
April 23 – Albert Pujols launched his 300th career home run.
April 25 – It’s a flurry of milestones. Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria got his 2,000th career hit.
April 27 – Giants second basemen Ray Durham got his 2,000th career hit. He’s making a case late in his career for a Hall of Fame induction.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (20-5)
AL Central: Minnesota/Cleveland (13-11)
AL West: Seattle/Oakland (13-11)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (15-9)

NL East: New York (18-6)
NL Central: St. Louis (15-8)
NL West: Los Angeles (16-8)
NL Wild Card: Arizona (15-8)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.330)
Home Runs: CF Grady Sizemore (8)
Runs Batted In: CF Grady Sizemore (26)
On-Base Percentage: 2B Todd Walker (.406)
ERA (Starter): SP Cliff Lee (2.25)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (0.00)
Wins: SP Erik Bedard (4)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (30)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (5)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Cardinals OF Rick Ankiel (.435)
Home Runs: Mets CF Carlos Beltran (11)
Runs Batted In: Yankees 2B Robinson Cano (31)
On-Base Percentage: Cardinals OF Rick Ankiel (.493)
ERA: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (1.30)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang/Yankees SP Dontrelle Willis (5)
Strikeouts: Reds SP Aaron Harang (42)
Saves: Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde/Red Sox RP Jonathan Papelbon (8)

On the Injury Front
April 4 – The Royals will be without their starting catcher Adam Donachie until July. They’re forced to go with Paul Phillips behind the plate. On April 7, their top prospect and starting DH Alex Gordon also went down with an injury for three months.
April 10 – Cubs starter Rich Hill will add his name to the list of top Cubs pitching prospects who turn out to be ridiculously prone to injury. After missing a month last season, Rich Hill will be out until July this year, straining the already strained Cub rotation even more.
April 15 – The White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski will miss three months following a broken wrist suffered in a collision at the plate. Chris Stewart will start for them.
April 15 – In a career that’s start got delayed due to injuries, Alex Escobar got injured again and will miss the rest of the season, making Luis Matos the primary center fielder in Washington.
April 17 – It’s like some epidemic is going around causing catchers to be injured for three months. Eliezer Alfonzo of the Giants is the next victim. Todd Greene is starting behind the plate for San Francisco.
April 20 – The Pirates starter Paul Maholm will miss the rest of the season.
April 21 – In a devastating twist to a career already hampered by injuries, Josh Beckett’s career will likely be over after suffering a complete tear of his rotator cuff. He won’t even be able to resume pitching until August of next season, let alone make a comeback.
April 26 – Fan favorite Twins center field Torii Hunter will miss two months. They’ll go with their top prospect, Denard Span, in his place.

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Good job getting Francis. I always try to get him in my games and he always become good.(Well i haven't tryed getting him in my Angels dynatsy yet)

[HoustonGM]

nice can i know how the rockies are doing and their leader in hr and ba plz

can i know the pitching stats for rockies the best era, wins
man this really stinks for rockies
they're 9-15. Chris Young actually leads them with four home runs, two while with them. Garret Atkins .323 batting average leads them.

Pitching, reliever Justin Hampson and starter Jason Jennings both have two wins. Jennings leads them with a 3.44 ERA.

[HoustonGM]

overall era and lindsay and deduno era and saves and steals
As of May 12:

Overall ERA is 4.95
Shane Lindsay is 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA.
Deduno was 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA before being demoted for Chaz Roe (who is 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA in 3 starts)
Brian Fuentes has 8 saves but a 6.75 ERA.
Kaz Matsui and Cory Sullivan both have 4 steals

[HoustonGM]

May 2008 18-11
Season Record: 31-22 (2 GB Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
It was an up and down month, and despite performing better than in April, we lost ground in the standings. I’m pleased with the way things are going. J.J. Hardy is making up for his lowly .219 batting average by getting on base at a .356 clip. He’s also provided solid defense up the middle.

Eric Duncan proved he’s almost ready for the majors, but we’ll give him a little more seasoning in AAA. Andrew Miller has had some bad outings and some good ones, so we likely won’t shake things up midseason for him. Although, if C.C. Sabathia continues to struggle we might trade the pending free agent. Adam Miller is also waiting to breakthrough into the majors.

Brad Lidge has struggled with his control, walking a batter an inning, garnering him with an ERA above 7. Guillermo Mota, Fernando Cabrera, and Ruddy Lugo all might get some save chances.

Indians News
May 3 – Jeff Baker got injured and will miss two weeks. Jeff Fiorentino will start in his spot, and Brad Snyder has been called up to back him up.
May 15 – Ruddy Lugo went down with a two week injury. Andrew Miller will get a chance to prove his stuff out of the bullpen. His future is still as a starter, and we might end up moving the starter who’s performing the worst if Miller proves to be ready. If not, we’ll definitely make room for him over the offseason.

Top Indians Games
May 1 vs. Chicago White Sox (2-0 win) – The Jeff Francis trade has already paid off big time. In his Indians debut, he threw a complete game 3-hit shutout, walking four. Travis Hafner hit a longball.
May 4 vs. Kansas City (5-0 win) – C.C. Sabathia threw a complete game one-hit shutout! The only hit was an infield single in the second inning by former Indian Marlon Anderson. So close to perfection! Carl Crawford had a triple and a home run while driving in two runs.
May 5 vs. Kansas City (10-0 win) – Cliff Lee and Ruddy Lugo combined to 5-hit the Royals. Kelly Shoppach, giving Victor Martinez a day off, went 3 for 5 with two home runs.
May 9 vs. Baltimore (7-2 win) – J.J Hardy has turned things around, hitting two home runs in this game.
May 12 vs. Toronto (4-3 win) – Grady Sizemore hit two solo home runs.
May 31 vs. Seattle (13-6) – Every single hitter in our starting lineup had at least one RBI, WITHOUT a home run! Cliff Lee allowed 6 runs in 5.2 innings, but Andrew Miller pitched the final three and a third innings without allowing a run, earning his first career save.

News From Around the League
May 6 – 3B Jeff Cirillo retired.
May 8 – OF Cliff Floyd retired.
May 8 – The Reds made a gigantic trade to cut salary.

Cincinnati Reds receive:
RP Matt Lindstrom
RP Steve Schmoll

New York Mets receive:
1B Earl Snyder
RP J.C. Romero
OF Dewayne Wise
OF B.J. Szymanski
SP Joe Mays
SP Phillipe Valiquette
LF Wil Pinchin
IF Juan Castro
May 15 – White Sox DH Jim Thome joined the 500 home run club.
May 21 – Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran scored his 1,000th career run.
May 23 – Phillies right fielder Jermaine Dye got his 300th career homer and 1,000th career RBI with one swing of the bat.
May 24 – Mariners center fielder Ichiro Suzuki stole the 300th base of his career.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (34-18)
AL Central: Detroit (32-19)
AL West: Oakland (29-22)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (31-21)

NL East: New York (34-17)
NL Central: St. Louis (36-16)
NL West: Arizona (34-17)
NL Wild Card: Milwaukee (32-20)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.345)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (16)
Runs Batted In: CF Grady Sizemore (47)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.401)
ERA (Starter): SP Cliff Lee (2.40)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (1.04)
Wins: SP Cliff Lee (7)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (68)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (10)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.377)
Home Runs: Tigers DH Marcus Thames (25)
Runs Batted In: Tigers DH Marcus Thames (68)
On-Base Percentage: Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (.454)
ERA: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (1.72)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang/Blue Jays SP Roy Halladay (9)
Strikeouts: Reds SP Aaron Harang (77)
Saves: Yankees RP Mariano Rivera/Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde (16)

On the Injury Front
May 15 – Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera will be out until mid-July.

[HoustonGM]

wow surpise era man who has the lowest era in relief
Ramon Ramirez, 1.20 ERA in 30 innings.

[HoustonGM]

nice can i know how the rockies are doing and their leader in hr and ba plz

can i know the pitching stats for rockies the best era, wins
man this really stinks for rockies and steals
I'm not going to do this every month...but here:

Garret Atkins leads in BA and HR with .317 and 9.
Kaz Matsui has 8 steals.
Jason Jennings has a 4.18 ERA and 5 wins, both leading the team.

25-27 record, 5.02 team ERA.

[HoustonGM]

how many times do you do it
I don't know, but this dynasty is mainly about the Indians...so...yeah.

[HoustonGM]

Huh?

How about this, after July. Then after the season.

[HoustonGM]

I missed two things in May. Orioles starter Chance Douglass threw a no-hitter, walking four batters. Also, the Reds and Blue Jays made this trade:


Cincinnati Reds receive:
RP Brian Tallet
OF Tony Miller

Toronto Blue Jays receive:
SP Josh Hall
LF Lawrence Kulp
RP Michael Gosling

June 2008 15-10
Season Record: 46-32 (1 GB Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Another solid month. Jeremy Sowers is really proving he’s the real thing, although we’re a bit concerned over his heavy workload at such a young age. Hopefully he doesn’t fall fate to the same trap Dontrelle Willis has fallen into.

Our pitching has been excellent thus far. Our 3.63 team ERA ranks third in the majors behind the Yankees and Diamondbacks. All of our starters have at least 7 wins. Brad Lidge has settled down, not walking a batter in his last 5.1 innings after walking one batter an inning over his first 16 innings.

Travis Hafner has continued heating up, and we feel another giant July is in the cards from him. We’d also like to see the struggling Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez step things up. Our offense is decent, so as long as the pitching keeps doing so well, we like our chances this year.

Indians News
June 10 – Guillermo Mota will miss two weeks with a strained groin. Andrew Miller has again been called up.
June 11 – With the declining skills and health of Todd Walker, we decided to send him packing – across state to Cincinatti.

Cleveland Indians receive:
2B Brandon Phillips

Cincinnati Reds receive:
2B Todd Walker
RP Andrew Brown
P Jake Dittler
At the time of the trade, 26-year old Brandon Phillips was batting .302/.351/.447. He’ll consistently hit for a strong average and put up decent power numbers for a second basemen. He’s also a very good base stealer, having been thrown out just 5 times since the start of 2006, and stealing 44 bases successfully. He’ll take over full time at second.
June 28 – Scott Hatteberg will miss two weeks with muscle spasms. Eric Duncan has been called up again. Also, we’re going to evaluate Bernie Castro at short stop for the next two weeks, demoting J.J. Hardy to a reserve role.

Top Indians Games
June 4 vs. Detroit (3-1 win) – It went 10 innings, and Jeremy Sowers threw a complete game. Yes, 10 innings. He gave up five hits, three walks, and one run. Andy Marte drove two of our three runs.
June 5 vs. Detroit (10-1 win) – Filling in for Todd Walker, who was dealing with family issues, Bernie Castro had four hits and scored twice. Andy Marte drove in five runs without an extra base hit.
June 12 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-7 win) – In his first game as an Indian, Brandon Phillips showed amazing plate discipline, walking three times. He came around to score once. Andy Marte hit a home run and drove in four runs.
June 13 vs. San Francisco (9-8 win) – Brandon Phillips hit a three-run home run. Erik Bedard was knocked up for 8 runs in the first 3.2 innnigs, but Andrew Miller came in and pitched 4.1 shutout innings before handing the game over to Brad Lidge for the 9th.
June 14 vs. San Francisco (7-0 win) – Jeff Francis and Fernando Cabrera combined to 3-hit the Giants.
June 20 vs. Kansas City (10-0 win) – It’s d&#233;j&#224; vu. Jeff Francis and Fernando Cabrera threw a combined 3-hit shutout.
June 21 vs. Kansas City (10-0 win) – Harsh days for the Royals, huh? Jeremy Sowers threw a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and a walk. Travis Hafner and Andy Marte both went 3 for 4, and Carl Crawford went 4 for 6.

News From Around the League
June 3 – The Nationals made a move for an upper-level prospect from Arizona.

Washington Nationals receive:
SP Max Scherzer

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
RP Brad Hennessey
RP Roy Corcoran
SP Ryan Drese
OF Kevin Mench
June 11 – Rangers starter Andy Pettite won the 200th game of his career.
June 14 – The division rival Blue Jays and Orioles made a trade.

Toronto Blue Jays receive:
SS Alex Gonzalez
C Danny Ardoin

Baltimore Orioles receive:
C Jason Phillips
IF Carlo Cota
June 19 – Cardinals third basemen Scott Rolen scored the 1,000th run of his career, and on the same day, got injured until mid-September. More on that below.
June 29 – Dodgers first basemen Nomar Garciaparra drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
June 30 – Second basemen Mark Grudzielanek announced his retirement from baseball. In 13 seasons with the Expos, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, and Royals, Mark compiled a .288 batting average, while providing above average defense at second base.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (55-24)
AL Central: Detroit (47-31)
AL West: Oakland (42-35)
AL Wild Card: Cleveland (46-32)

NL East: New York (50-29)
NL Central: Milwaukee (47-32)
NL West: Arizona (55-23)
NL Wild Card: St. Louis (46-32)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.327)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (22)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (65)
On-Base Percentage: 1B Scott Hatteberg (.409) Hafner’s at .408
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (2.34)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (1.62)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (9)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (96)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (15)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.347)
Home Runs: Mets CF Carlos Beltran (31)
Runs Batted In: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (84)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.465)
ERA: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (2.10)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (13)
Strikeouts: Brewers SP Ben Sheets (113)
Saves: Tigers RP Joel Zumaya (24)

On the Injury Front
June 1 – Mariners starter Gil Meche will undergo shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the regular season, although he should be available for the playoffs if the Mariners make it. He was 3-4 with a 7.08 ERA in 11 starts this year.
June 7 – The Yankees knew it was risky signing Dontrelle Willis, who missed significant portions of the past two years. The signing looked awesome early on, as he went 8-2 with a 2.24 ERA in his first 10 starts. Now, the Yankees receive the heart-wrenching news that the D-Train will miss the rest of the season, requiring Tommy John surgery. Tim Redding has been called upon to replace the giant hole in their rotation.
June 12 – Alex Cintron, who replaced Russ Adams at short for the Blue Jays, was producing big early on, batting .322/.366/.479 prior to injuring himself. The Blue Jays will be without him until mid-August, moving the sub-par Russ Adams back to short.
June 19 – One of the Cardinals best hitters, third basemen Scott Rolen went down with an injury that will keep him out of action until the middle of September. He was in the midst of a phenomenal season, batting .321/.394/.520.
June 23 – Phillies starter Randy Wolf will miss three months with back issues.
June 24 – The Dodgers will have to play without one of their top starters, D.J. Houlton, until the end of August. Houlton was 8-5 with a 2.68 ERA at the time of his injury.
June 27 – Cubs first basemen Derrek Lee, who hasn’t been the same player since missing most of 2006 nursing an injury, will miss three months with a broken tibia. Rookie Brandon Sing has taken over first for the Cubs.

[HoustonGM]

July 2008 16-10
Season Record: 62-42 (4 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Our offense has been worse than in the past two years, but it’s still solid. We’re getting strong years from offseason additions Scott Hatteberg (.307/.420/.486) and Bernie Castro (.324/.365/.386). Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, and Travis Hafner are all having uncharacteristic seasons. Carl Crawford has been great at the top of the order, as always.

On a side note, we called up reliever Luis Gonzalez and demoted Matt Capps.

Indians News
July 25 – Travis Hafner will miss 12 days. With the progress Eric Duncan has shown, he’ll DH in Pronk’s absence.

Top Indians Games
July 4 vs. Baltimore (11-0 win) – C.C. Sabathia threw a complete game 3-hit shutout. Andy Marte had a grand slam and a sacrifice fly.
July 5 vs. Baltimore (16-4 win) – Eider Torres and Victor Martinez both drove in four runs.
July 10 vs. Los Angeles Angels (14-7 win) – Carl Crawford had a huge 5 for 5 night. He also walked once. He hit two home runs and drove in three, while coming around to score five times.
July 24 vs. Tampa Bay (11-5 win) – Scott Hatteberg hit two home runs and drove in five.

News From Around the League
July 1 – After 15 seasons with the Braves, Padres, and Royals, Ryan Klesko has retired. He finishes with 273 career home runs and a career batting line of .279/.372/.506.
July 1 – Mets starter Jason Schmidt struck out the 2,000th batter of his career.
July 3 – Twins second basemen Jose Valentin scored the 1,000th run of his career.
July 6 – Padres right fielder Brian Giles scored his 1,000th career run.
July 6 – The Tigers and Orioles swapped minor leaguers.

Baltimore Orioles receive:
OF Jose Cruz

Detroit Tigers receive:
3B Tripper Johnson
July 7 – Padres ace Jake Peavy cashed in on his excellent performance, inking a 4-year deal to stay in San Diego worth $59.6 million.
July 8 – Dodgers first basemen Nomar Garciparra scored the 1,000th run of his career.
July 8 – Long-time Astros second basemen Craig Biggio, who spent the final two years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles, has retired from baseball and will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame come his eligibility. Biggio, who came up as a catcher, ended up playing a total of six different positions in his career, providing a solid bat with decent pop. His 3,049 career hits gave him a .282/.365/.433 career line.
July 9 – Short stop Omar Vizquel announced his retirement after a 19 season career with the Mariners, Indians, and Giants.
July 12 – The All Star Game. Here are the teams:

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Joe Mauer (MIN) 878,041 votes
1B : Justin Morneau (MIN) 785,196
2B : Ian Kinsler (TEX) 823,084
3B : Alex Rodriguez (NYY) 2,161,363
SS : Derek Jeter (NYY) 841,313
OF : Manny Ramirez (BOS) 1,442,804
OF : Vernon Wells (TOR) 763,341
OF : Grady Sizemore (CLE) 765,275
Bench : Marcus Thames (DET)
Bench : Jeff Kent (BAL)
Bench : Jim Thome (CHW)
Bench : Angel Berroa (KCR)
Bench : Maicer Izturis (LAA)
Bench : Eric Chavez (OAK)
Bench : Yuniesky Betancourt (SEA)
Bench : Rocco Baldelli (TBD)
Pitcher : Roy Halladay (TOR)
Pitcher : Jeremy Sowers (CLE)
Pitcher : Chien-Ming Wang (NYY)
Pitcher : Jeff Karstens (NYY)
Pitcher : Francisco Liriano (MIN)
Pitcher : Mike Mussina (NYY)
Pitcher : Pat Neshek (MIN)
Pitcher : Jonathan Papelbon (BOS)
Pitcher : Huston Street (OAK)
Pitcher : Joe Nathan (MIN)
Pitcher : David Riske (BOS)

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Brian McCann (ATL) 596,759 votes
1B : Albert Pujols (STL) 1,440,414
2B : Orlando Hudson (ARI) 714,009
3B : David Wright (NYM) 1,504,561
SS : Stephen Drew (ARI) 845,425
OF : Carlos Beltran (NYM) 1,386,594
OF : Alfonso Soriano (ARI) 677,152
OF : Gabe Gross (MIL) 673,091
Bench : Carlos Delgado (NYM)
Bench : Eric Patterson (CHC)
Bench : Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN)
Bench : Garrett Atkins (COL)
Bench : Miguel Cabrera (FLA)
Bench : Lance Berkman (HOU)
Bench : Rafael Furcal (LAD)
Bench : Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
Bench : Jack Wilson (PIT)
Bench : Josh Barfield (SDP)
Bench : Ray Durham (SFG)
Bench : Ryan Zimmerman (WSN)
Pitcher : Adam Wainwright (STL)
Pitcher : Chris Capuano (MIL)
Pitcher : Enrique Gonzalez (ARI)
Pitcher : Jason Schmidt (NYM)
Pitcher : Brandon Webb (ARI)
Pitcher : Pedro Martinez (NYM)
Pitcher : Jake Peavy (SDP)
Pitcher : Eric Gagne (LAD)
Pitcher : Chad Bradford (NYM)
Pitcher : Jonathan Sanchez (SFG)
Pitcher : Bob Howry (CHC)
I’m getting real sick of Angel Berroa making the all-star team. This is his second in the last three years, and he has still yet to hit above .200. I know the Royals suck, but there are players more worthy for inclusion in the Midsummer Classic than Angel Berroa. David DeJesus, Ryan Shealy... Heck, take a reliever like Luke Hudson. The National League won and Carlos Delgado was named MVP.
July 13 – The Brewers have shipped off Scott Spiezio to the Orioles. Spiezio, coming off the two greatest seasons of his career, was struggling with a .251/.351/.374 batting line and only 4 home runs.

Baltimore Orioles receive:
IF Scott Spiezio

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
1B Mark Eastham
The trade opens up third base for 24-year old Ryan Braun, who was batting .282/.333/.412 while filling in at short stop while Bill Hall was injured. Braun also has outstanding speed on the basepaths, stealing 22 bases in 23 attempts. He’s going to be a 30-30 threat every year.
July 17 – Yankee outfielder Bobby Abreu drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
July 23 – Feeling the repercussions of using Russ Adams at short stop, the Blue Jays made a move for a dependable middle infielder.

Toronto Blue Jays receive:
IF Hector Luna

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
C Danny Ardoin
RP Michael Gosling
RP Jason Frasor
July 27 – Boston made a move to improve their starting rotation.

Boston Red Sox receive:
SP Horacio Ramirez

Kansas City Royals receive:
RP Javier Lopez
C Corky Miller
July 27 – The White Sox and Pirates swapped subpar relievers.

Chicago White Sox receive:
RP Scott Strickland
C Humberto Cota

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
RP Paulino Reynoso
July 28 – Braves outfielder Dave Roberts stole the 300th base of his career.
July 28 – Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran got the 1,000th RBI of his career.
July 30 – The Mariners, hoping to make a run at the AL West title, picked up a veteran starter to add to their rotation.

Seattle Mariners receive:
SP Kris Benson

Baltimore Orioles receive:
C Jeff Clement
July 30 – The Pirates, in position for a shot at the wild card, upgraded their outfield significantly.

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
RF Brad Hawpe

Colorado Rockies receive:
OF Jody Gerut
OF Jose Bautista
1B Ryan Doumit
July 30 – The Pirates and Reds swapped four players.

Cincinnati Reds receive:
OF Rajai Davis
1B Juan Tejeda

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
P Daniel Davidson
C Juan Brito
July 31 – Looking for a starting outfielder, the Devil Rays picked up Kevin Mench.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
OF Kevin Mench

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
SP Doug Waechter
July 31 – The Tigers and Marlins swapped some players.

Florida Marlins receive:
OF Brent Clevlen
OF Ryan Ludwick

Detroit Tigers receive:
OF Franklin Gutierrez
C Adam Melhuse
July 31 – The White Sox and Cardinals made a deal.

Chicago White Sox receive:
SP John Webb

St. Louis Cardinals receive:
UTL Willie Harris
RP Dewon Day

[HoustonGM]

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (76-28) Entering August on a 14 game winning streak
AL Central: Cleveland (62-42)
AL West: Oakland (59-45)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (62-43)

NL East: New York (69-36)
NL Central: Milwaukee (63-42)
NL West: Arizona (77-28)
NL Wild Card: St. Louis (56-49)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.335)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (26)
Runs Batted In: CF Grady Sizemore (84)
On-Base Percentage: 1B Scott Hatteberg (.420)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.08)
ERA (Reliever): RP Guillermo Mota (3.80)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia (12)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (122)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (22)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.347)
Home Runs: Mets CF Carlos Beltran (38)
Runs Batted In: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (104)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.472)
ERA: Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.12)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (17) He might win 25+ games! Jeez
Strikeouts: Reds SP Aaron Harang (161)
Saves: Yankees RP Mariano Rivera (30)

On the Injury Front
July 1 – The Cardinals signed the aging Mark Loretta to fill a void they had at second base. He was great in the first three months of the season, compiling a batting line of .311/.373/.450. However, his wrist snapped while covering second, and he’ll miss the rest of the season. Aaron Miles will play fulltime at the cornerstone for the Cardinals.
July 8 – The Giants will be without closer Armando Benitez for the rest of the season. He was having a solid year, compiling a 3.02 ERA and 14 saves in 17 chances. Kevin Correia takes over the 9th-inning duties.
July 16 – Devil Rays center field Rocco Baldelli will miss the rest of the season. He finishes with a .287/.315/.486 line, 14 homers, and 60 RBI.
July 26 – Big Papi’s season will end early following a broken ankle. David Ortiz was batting .256/.399/.500 with 22 HR and 74 RBI for Boston. The Red Sox will be using rookie Chad Spann at DH.

[HoustonGM]

August 2008 11-17
Season Record: 73-59 (2.5 GB Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
Ouch. What a horrible month. Our pitching has really faltered. We really need to step things up if we want to stay in the playoff picture. On the offensive side of things, everyone’s taken a turn for the worse except the ever-reliable Carl Crawford.

If we miss the playoffs, expect some major changes this offseason.

Indians News
August 16 - Reliever Luis Gonzalez will miss two and a half weeks. Matt Capps has been recalled.

Top Indians Games
August 19 vs. Boston (7-0 win) – Jeremy Sowers tossed a complete game 4-hit shutout.
August 27 vs. Oakland (8-5 win) – Jeff Baker went 3 for 4 with a homer and 4 RBI.
August 29 vs. Texas (5-2 win) – Andy Marte hit two roundtrippers

News From Around the League
August 5 – Mariners first basemen Richie Sexson hit the 300th home run of his career.
August 10 – Rangers left fielder Carlos Lee got his 1,000th career RBI.
August 11 – Outfielder Bernie Williams has retired after a 17 year career, 16 of which came in Yankee pinstripes. He finishes with a career line of .297/.379/.480 and 307 career home runs.
August 11 – Yankee right fielder Bobby Abreu stole the 300th base of his career.
August 13 – Jim Thome got the 2,000th hit of his career.
August 24 – Twins second basemen Jose Valentin hit the 300th homer of his career.
August 25 – Athletics catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez became the fifth catcher with 300 home runs in his career.
August 28 – Blue Jays outfielder Reed Johnson hit for the cycle.
August 31 – Yankees first basemen Jason Giambi hit the 400th homer of his career.
August 31 – Rockies first basemen Todd Helton got his 2,000th career hit.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (97-35) :eek:
AL Central: Minnesota (76-57)
AL West: Oakland (75-57)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (76-57)

NL East: New York (83-50)
NL Central: Milwaukee (78-56)
NL West: Arizona (94-39) :eek:
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (72-60)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.334)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (30)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner/CF Grady Sizemore (96)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.401)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeff Francis (3.39, 3.03 W/ CLE)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (4.07)
Wins: SP C.C. Sabathia/SP Jeff Francis(12 W/ CLE) (13)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (144)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (28)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.348)
Home Runs: Mets CF Carlos Beltran (43)
Runs Batted In: Twins 1B Justin Morneau (127)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.468)
ERA: Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.24)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (21)
Strikeouts: Padres SP Jake Peavy (181)
Saves: Yankees RP Mariano Rivera (38)

On the Injury Front
August 27 – Star Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew will miss the rest of the season and the playoffs after tearing a ligament in his knee. He finishes the season at .335/.384/.527 with 17 HR and 83 RBI. Arizona will be going with Kenny Perez, who batted .389 in AAA, at shortstop.

[Sanji Watsuki]

Go for the Cy, Chien!

[HoustonGM]

September/October 2008 20-10
Season Record: 93-69 (1/2 Game Ahead of Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
It came down to the wire. Entering October, we were in a dead heat with Minnesota. We took over first place in game 161, and a second straight Minnesota loss gave us the AL Central title, despite a 14-10 loss at the hands of the Tigers on the final day of the season. Minnesota and Toronto had to play a playoff game to decide the wild card, and Minnesota won.

After a strong start to the season, our pitching was really shaky. Two pitchers, C.C. Sabathia and Erik Bedard, had ERAs upwards of 5. Bedard is the odd man out in our playoff rotation, which will go Jeff Francis – Jeremy Sowers – Cliff Lee – C.C. Sabathia.

Indians News
September 10 – Bernie Castro was injured for 12 days. Alberto Callaspo will get a chance to prove his readiness in his absence.

Top Indians Games
September 13 vs. Kansas City (11-4 win) – Jeff Baker went 4 for 5 with two homers and 3 RBI.
September 17 vs. Minnesota (18-4 win) – We scored all those runs without a home run, and of our 23 hits, only three were for extra bases. The Twins made two errors and walked 7 of our hitters. Scott Hatteberg had 4 RBI. Grady Sizemore had five hits and 3 RBI.
September 22 vs. Minnesota (13-7 win) – Another outburst of runs without a home run. We did have 6 extra base hits though out of a total of 14 hits. Sizemore had four hits and an equal amount of runs driven in.
September 30 vs. Detroit (5-0 win) – Jeff Francis came up big, throwing a complete game shutout at a vital point in the season. This win tied us for first with Minnesota with two games left to go.

News From Around the League
September 21 – Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran hit his 300th career homer.
September 22 – Albert Pujols, who has started his career with 8 straight seasons of at least 117 RBI, drove in the 1,000th run of his career. He’s also hit under 40 home runs only twice, and has never batted below .300. His slugging has only been below .600 once, and his OBP has only been under .400 once.
September 24 – Padres outfielder Mike Cameron stole the 300th base of his career.
September 30 – Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada drove in the 1,000th run of his career.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (117-45) – A NEW RECORD!
AL Central: Cleveland (93-69)
AL West: Oakland (93-69)
AL Wild Card: Minnesota (93-70)

NL East: New York (103-59)
NL Central: Milwaukee (97-65)
NL West: Arizona (107-55)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (90-72)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.336)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner/3B Andy Marte (35) Grady Sizemore had 34
Runs Batted In: CF Grady Sizemore (129)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.407)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.31)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (3.52)
Wins: SP Jeff Francis (15 w/ CLE)/SP Jeremy Sowers/SP C.C. Sabathia (16)
Strikeouts: SP C.C. Sabathia (175)
Saves: RP Brad Lidge (33)

MLB Leaders
-Stay tuned for a league leader overview.

On the Injury Front
September 2 – Pirates reliever Salomon Torres tore his rotator cuff and will be out until next July. Torres has been the most dependable reliever for Pittsburgh since 2004. This year, his best season of his career, in 81 innings, Torres had a 1.89 ERA and a 70 to 19 K:BB ratio.
September 6 – The once very promising Tampa Bay pitcher, Scott Kazmir, took a major hit to his career, suffering a mysterious pain in his elbow. The outlook is bleak, and doctor’s warn his career may likely be over. He finishes 2008 with an 8-11 record and a 4.48 ERA.
September 22 – The Twins will be without starter Francisco Liriano for the rest of the season, and the playoffs if they make it. His 2008 stats included a 19-4 record with a 3.63 ERA. He struck out 203 batters in 176 innings.
September 25 – A promising young Royals pitcher, Luke Hochever, has elected to undergo Tommy John Surgery, and will miss the rest of this season and all of 2009.

[HoustonGM]

Also, the Yankees had a TEAM on-base percentage of .373. That has got to be some sort of record, but I'm too lazy to look it up. 1051 runs scored, as well.

[HoustonGM]

//Carl Crawford’s at-bat record was broken TWICE. Robinson Cano had 730, and Crawford himself at 717!

2008 LEAGUE LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.354)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.341)
3) Twins C Joe Mauer (.339)

National League
1) Braves C Brian McCann (.339)
2) Diamondbacks SS Stephen Drew (.335)
3) Rockies 3B Garrett Atkins/Mets 3B David Wright (.334)

Doubles
American League
1) Yankees 2B Robinson Cano (59)
2) Yankees RF Bobby Abreu (54)
3) Tigers SS Carlos Guillen (47)

National League
1) Dodgers C Russell Martin (52)
2) Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman (48)
3) Phillies 2B Chase Utley (47)

Triples
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford/Mariners CF Ichiro Suzuki (14)
2) Royals RF Juan Senreiso (12)
3) Mariners LF Andre Ethier (10)

National League
1) Rockies 2B Kazuo Matsui (12)
2) Braves LF Dave Roberts (11)
3) 4 tied with 10.

Home Runs
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (50)
2) White Sox DH Jim Thome (48)
3) Tigers DH Marcus Thames (43)

National League
1) Mets CF Carlos Beltran (49)
2) Braves RF Jeff Francoeur (46)
3) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols/Phillies RF Jermaine Dye (44)

Runs Batted In
American League
1) Twins 1B Justin Morneau (157)
2) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (152)
3) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (145)

National League
1) Phillies RF Jermaine Dye (138)
2) Mets CF Carlos Beltran (137)
3) Rockies 3B Garrett Atkins (131)

On-Base Percentage
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.471)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.450)
3) Twins C Joe Mauer (.437)

National League
1) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (.459)
2) Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (.448)
3) Pirates LF Jason Bay (.424)

OPS
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (1.189)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (1.057)
3) White Sox DH Jim Thome (1.009)

National League
1) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (1.084)
2) Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (1.077)
3) Braves C Brian McCann (1.032)

Hits
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (241)
2) Yankees 2B Robinson Cano (223)
3) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (210)

National League
1) Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (212)
2) Mets 3B David Wright (211)
3) Rockies 3B Garret Atkins (200)

Steals
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (69)
2) Angels SS Erick Aybar (50)
3) Devil Rays 3B B.J. Upton (48)

National League
1) Pirates CF Chris Duffy (77)
2) Braves LF Dave Roberts (61)
3) Mets SS Jose Reyes (57)

Pitching
Earned Run Average
American League
1) Yankees SP Mike Mussina (2.70)
2) Yankees SP Chein-Ming Wang (2.82)
3) Rangers SP Kameron Loe (2.86)

National League
1) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.48)
2) Padres SP Jake Peavy (2.76)
3) Brewers SP Chris Capuano (2.84)

Wins
American League
1) Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (24)
2) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (19)
3) Yankees SP Mike Mussina/Yankees SP Jeff Karstens/Blue Jays SP Roy Halladay (18)

National League
1) Mets SP Jason Schmidt (21)
2) Diamondbacks SP Enrique Gonzalez (19)
3) Diamondbacks SP Miguel Batista (18)

Strikeouts
American League
1) Twins SP Johan Santana (208)
2) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (203)
3) Mariners SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (186)

National League
1) Padres SP Jake Peavy (217)
2) Brewers SP Ben Sheets (211)
3) Reds SP Aaron Harang/Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright (200)

Saves
American League
1) Athletics RP Huston Street (45)
2) Yankees RP Mariano Rivera (44)
3) Twins RP Joe Nathan/Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (36)

National League
1) Padres RP Cla Meredith (43)
2) Brewers RP Derrick Turnbow (42) 6.45 ERA and 12 blown saves, ouch.
3) Phillies RP Jason Isringhausen (38)

Defense-Independent ERA
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (2.55)
2) Twins SP Johan Santana (2.67)
3) Mariners SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (3.18)

National League
1) Brewers SP Ben Sheets (2.53)
2) Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright (2.73)
3) Padres SP Jake Peavy (2.77)

[HoustonGM]

2008 Indians Batting Stats

2008 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP
Crawford, Carl CLE 161 .336 717 241 28 14 24 41 94 69 12 151 113 .515 .375
Sizemore, Grady CLE 162 .269 635 171 37 9 34 84 161 14 6 135 129 .517 .362
Marte, Andy CLE 161 .288 631 182 46 1 35 51 145 1 0 102 119 .531 .340
Phillips, Brandon CLE 147 .263 551 145 29 0 14 35 89 15 3 72 78 .392 .312
Hafner, Travis CLE 151 .261 544 142 31 2 35 132 135 0 0 99 117 .518 .407
Baker, Jeff CLE 143 .256 528 135 38 2 21 55 154 3 0 89 86 .455 .328
Martinez, Victor CLE 144 .271 512 139 26 0 12 69 63 0 1 62 70 .393 .358
Hatteberg, Scott CLE 118 .259 441 114 14 1 18 67 60 0 4 58 68 .417 .359
Castro, Bernie CLE 117 .281 349 98 4 2 4 26 41 24 4 55 51 .338 .332
Hardy, J.J. CLE 102 .226 301 68 15 1 7 40 51 0 1 41 30 .352 .320
Duncan, Eric CLE 55 .290 183 53 14 2 3 23 35 0 1 29 16 .437 .375
Shoppach, Kelly CLE 41 .247 93 23 7 0 3 9 25 0 2 11 16 .419 .340
Callaspo, Alberto CLE 17 .217 60 13 1 0 0 7 7 0 2 8 6 .233 .294
Snyder, Brad CLE 18 .281 57 16 6 0 0 10 9 4 0 5 6 .386 .388
Choo, Shin-Soo CLE 32 .269 52 14 1 0 0 6 9 1 0 4 5 .288 .345
Torres, Eider CLE 32 .244 41 10 2 0 1 2 10 2 1 6 9 .366 .273
Fiorentino, Jeff CLE 18 .231 39 9 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 .256 .302
Lee, Cliff CLE 3 .000 8 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 .000 .100
Francis, Jeff CLE 5 .000 7 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 1 0 .000 .125
Sabathia, C.C. CLE 2 .000 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Bedard, Erik CLE 2 .250 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 .250 .250
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 1 .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

2008 Indians Pitching Stats

2008 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 247.1 3.31 33 33 16 12 0 105 57 10.04
Sabathia, C.C. CLE 221.2 5.08 33 33 16 9 0 175 56 12.63
Francis, Jeff CLE 218.1 3.38 31 31 16 9 0 137 79 10.35
Lee, Cliff CLE 208.0 4.54 32 32 15 8 0 151 52 12.12
Bedard, Erik CLE 190.2 5.00 30 30 13 10 0 146 61 13.50
Mota, Guillermo CLE 68.2 5.24 55 0 5 6 2 58 28 12.84
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 53.2 3.52 49 0 4 1 2 25 23 12.24
Miner, Zach CLE 53.2 6.37 15 2 1 2 0 37 18 14.25
Cabrera, Fernando CLE 51.1 4.91 33 1 1 0 0 58 22 11.22
Lidge, Brad CLE 43.2 4.74 51 0 2 6 33 57 29 15.25
Capps, Matt CLE 32.0 5.91 26 0 2 3 1 19 2 12.94
Gonzalez, Luis CLE 30.2 5.58 23 0 2 2 0 29 27 18.20
Miller, Andrew CLE 18.0 5.50 11 0 1 1 1 22 8 14.00

[HoustonGM]

can i have the rockies stats and leaders for you know what
Garrett Atkins led in AVG and HR, .334 and 36

Kaz Matsui and Chris Young both had 23 steals.

Jason Jennings had 14 wins.

Brian Bannister had a 3.97 ERA, 4.00 w/ COL.

Ramon Ramirez had teh best ERA in the pen, 2.97.

Brian Fuentes had 34 saves despite a 6.61 ERA

[HoustonGM]

77-85, team ERA of 5.37. Lindsay made 27 starts, 4-12 with a 6.98 ERA. He struck out an insane 190 batters in 135.1 innings, but also walked 120 batters. Chaz Roe made 21 starts, was 6-6 with a 5.68 ERA, he walked 80 in 111 IP. Deduno made just 5 starts and 2 relief apperances, and was 1-3 with a 4.66 ERA...30 BB, 34 K in 36.2 IP.

[HoustonGM]

Game 1 American League Division Series
Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians
Series Tied 0-0

The A’s struck first with a solo shot by Bobby Crosby in the top of the second, and they added another on an RBI single by Antonio Perez in the 8th. The latter play knocked Cliff Lee from the game. Then, bottom of the 9th…Hatteberg singles followed by a Grady Sizemore single. Travis Hafner grounds to third and they throw out Hatteberg. Andy Marte comes to the plate. The first pitch he sees, he drives it to deep right field for a 3-run walk off home run!


Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Indians
October 5, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Athletics (OAK) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 8 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 8 0

OAKLAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Petit (2B) 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 .285
A. Perez (P) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .303
I. Rodriguez (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .289
J. Payton (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .289
N. Swisher (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .235
E. Chavez (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .276
B. Crosby (SS) 4 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 .225
J. Guillen (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
J. Brown (DH) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .228
M. Kotsay (CF) 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .279
TOTALS 33 8 1 2 1 2 7 1

2B: B. Crosby, M. Kotsay
HR: B. Crosby

OAKLAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
D. Haren 8.1 8 0 1 3 3 5 114 4.94
TOTALS 8.1 8 0 1 3 3 5 114

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 2 0 1 1 3 0 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .256
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
B. Phillips (2B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .281
TOTALS 32 8 0 3 1 3 5 0

2B: B. Phillips
HR: A. Marte

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Lee 7.1 7 1 1 2 2 6 98 4.54
R. Lugo 1.2 1 0 0 0 0 1 28 3.52
TOTALS 9.0 8 1 1 2 2 7 126

WP: R. Lugo
LP: D. Haren

Temperature: 42F
Wind: 4 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 30,031
Time: 2:29

Player of the Game: Andy Marte

Game 2 American League Division Series
Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Lead Series 1-0

In the first inning, Travis Hafner drove in the first run of the game with a single. Andy Marte ended up making an error in the second inning, causing a run to score for the Athletics, tying the game. In our half of the fifth, we loaded the bases with one out and Grady Sizemore stepping to the plate. He grounded into a fielder’s choice, but it was enough to score the go-ahead run. An inning later, Victor Martinez drove in Andy Marte, who had reached on an error. Travis Hafner later added another run to the board with an RBI double.


Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Indians
October 6, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Athletics (OAK) 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 8 0
Indians (CLE) 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 x 4 8 0

OAKLAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Petit (2B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .285
I. Rodriguez (C) 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .289
J. Payton (LF) 5 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 .289
N. Swisher (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .235
E. Chavez (3B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .276
B. Crosby (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .225
J. Guillen (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .255
J. Brown (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 .228
M. Kotsay (CF) 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .279
TOTALS 35 8 4 2 0 1 11 0

2B: J. Guillen

OAKLAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
R. Harden 5.1 6 2 0 3 2 6 117 3.51
J. Duchscherer 1.2 2 0 0 1 1 1 24 3.38
K. Calero 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 1 20 4.10
TOTALS 8.0 8 3 0 4 3 8 161

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 3 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .256
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .271
B. Phillips (2B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 32 8 3 4 0 4 8 0

2B: B. Phillips, C. Crawford, T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 7.0 8 1 0 2 1 7 115 5.08
L. Gonzalez 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 2 22 5.58
B. Lidge 1.0 0 2 0 0 0 2 22 4.74
TOTALS 9.0 8 4 0 2 1 11 159

WP: C. Sabathia
LP: R. Harden
SV: B. Lidge

Temperature: 46F
Wind: 6 MPH (out to center)
Attendance: 32,033
Time: 3:39
Player of the Game: Travis Hafner

Victor Martinez went down for 7 days. Kelly Shoppach will start in his place.

[HoustonGM]

Game 3 American League Division Series
Cleveland Indians @ Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Lead Series 2-0

With a poor performance by Jeff Francis, the Athletics moved within one game in this extra-inning affair.


Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics
October 8, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 1 0 0 8 12 0
Athletics (OAK) 1 0 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 1 9 14 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 6 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 5 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 1 1 0 1 3 0 .256
K. Shoppach (C) 4 3 0 1 0 2 1 0 .247
B. Phillips (2B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 5 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 .281
TOTALS 42 12 3 8 0 7 9 0

2B: G. Sizemore, J. Baker, T. Hafner
3B: C. Crawford

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Francis 5.0 9 4 0 7 7 2 99 3.38
G. Mota 1.0 1 2 0 0 0 1 25 5.24
F. Cabrera 1.0 1 1 0 1 1 0 22 4.91
R. Lugo 2.0 0 2 0 0 0 2 33 3.52
B. Lidge 0.2 3 0 0 1 1 0 21 4.74
TOTALS 9.2 14 9 0 9 9 5 200

OAKLAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Petit (2B) 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 .285
A. Perez (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .303
I. Rodriguez (C) 6 2 0 0 0 3 1 1 .289
J. Payton (LF) 4 2 2 3 0 0 0 1 .289
N. Swisher (1B) 4 3 2 0 0 3 0 0 .235
E. Chavez (3B) 6 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .276
B. Crosby (SS) 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .225
J. Guillen (RF) 5 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 .255
J. Brown (DH) 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 .228
M. Kotsay (CF) 5 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 .279
TOTALS 39 14 9 9 0 9 5 2

2B: I. Rodriguez, G. Petit, J. Guillen
3B: N. Swisher

OAKLAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Windsor 3.2 7 0 0 6 1 3 72 4.66
R. Flores 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 3.81
C. Gaudin 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 3 23 3.48
K. Calero 1.0 0 3 0 1 1 1 28 4.10
H. Street 2.0 3 0 0 1 1 1 36 1.49
J. Duchscherer 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 3.38
TOTALS 10.0 12 3 0 8 3 9 178

WP: J. Duchscherer
LP: B. Lidge

Temperature: 54F
Wind: 4 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 34,007
Time: 3:40
Player of the Game: Nick Swisher

Game 4 American League Division Series
Cleveland Indians @ Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Lead Series 2-1

The Athletics continued jumping all over our pitching, scoring 5 runs off Jeremy Sowers and four more off Fernando Cabrera. The series heads back to Cleveland for the rubber match.


Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics
October 9, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10 0
Athletics (OAK) 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 4 x 10 12 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 .256
K. Shoppach (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .247
B. Phillips (2B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .263
B. Castro (SS) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 36 10 2 2 1 2 2 1

2B: G. Sizemore, S. Hatteberg
3B: C. Crawford
HR: J. Baker

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 5.0 6 1 1 5 5 1 65 3.31
G. Mota 1.2 3 0 1 1 1 1 29 5.24
F. Cabrera 1.1 3 2 0 4 4 2 42 4.91
TOTALS 8.0 12 3 2 10 10 4 136

OAKLAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Petit (2B) 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .285
I. Rodriguez (C) 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 .289
J. Payton (LF) 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .289
N. Swisher (1B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .235
E. Chavez (3B) 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .276
B. Crosby (SS) 3 3 1 4 2 4 0 0 .225
J. Guillen (RF) 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .255
J. Brown (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 .228
M. Kotsay (CF) 4 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 .279
TOTALS 35 12 3 10 2 10 4 0

2B: B. Crosby, M. Kotsay
HR: B. Crosby 2

OAKLAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Smoltz 7.1 7 2 0 1 1 2 118 4.88
R. Flores 1.2 3 0 1 1 1 0 30 3.81
TOTALS 9.0 10 2 1 2 2 2 148

WP: J. Smoltz
LP: J. Sowers

Temperature: 52F
Wind: 8 MPH (out to center)
Attendance: 34,007
Time: 2:59
Player of the Game: Bobby Crosby

Game 5 American League Division Series
Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians
Series Tied 2-2

Our bats came alive, hitting three home runs. Cliff Lee turned in another strong performance. We’ll now head to the Bronx to face the record-smashing Yankees.


Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Indians
October 11, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Athletics (OAK) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 9 0
Indians (CLE) 0 2 1 3 0 0 1 0 x 7 6 0

OAKLAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
G. Petit (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
I. Rodriguez (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .289
J. Payton (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .289
N. Swisher (1B) 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 0 .235
E. Chavez (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .276
B. Crosby (SS) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .225
J. Guillen (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
J. Brown (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .228
M. Kotsay (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
TOTALS 35 9 1 2 2 2 9 0

2B: J. Guillen
HR: N. Swisher 2

OAKLAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
D. Haren 3.0 3 1 2 4 3 3 58 4.94
R. Flores 1.0 2 1 1 2 2 0 21 3.81
D. Braden 4.0 1 2 0 1 1 6 51 3.06
TOTALS 8.0 6 4 3 7 6 9 130

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 1 1 2 1 2 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 3 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 .256
K. Shoppach (C) 4 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 .247
B. Phillips (2B) 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .281
TOTALS 33 6 4 7 3 6 9 1

2B: K. Shoppach, S. Hatteberg
HR: B. Phillips, A. Marte, G. Sizemore

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Lee 8.0 8 1 2 2 2 8 113 4.54
L. Gonzalez 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 5.58
TOTALS 9.0 9 1 2 2 2 9 129

WP: C. Lee
LP: D. Haren

Temperature: 52F
Wind: Calm
Attendance: 33,898
Time: 2:58
Player of the Game: Cliff Lee



The Yankees swept the Twins with ease.
The Mets steamrolled past the Dodgers in three games.
It took four games for the Diamondbacks to beat the Brewers.

[HoustonGM]

Game 1 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Series Tied 0-0

The Yankees did what they’ve done best all year – smash the ball all over. They trampled us.


Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
October 13, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 6 8 0
Yankees (NYY) 0 2 1 2 4 6 0 0 x 15 16 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .256
K. Shoppach (C) 4 3 0 2 1 2 0 0 .247
B. Phillips (2B) 4 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .281
TOTALS 34 8 2 6 3 6 5 1

2B: T. Hafner
HR: B. Phillips, C. Crawford, K. Shoppach

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 4.2 8 5 1 8 8 2 118 5.08
L. Gonzalez 0.2 6 0 0 6 5 1 36 5.58
F. Cabrera 1.1 2 1 1 1 1 3 38 4.91
M. Capps 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 5.91
TOTALS 8.0 16 6 2 15 14 6 210

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 .281
D. Jeter (SS) 5 2 0 1 0 0 3 1 .293
R. Cano (2B) 5 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 .305
A. Rodriguez (3B) 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .341
J. Giambi (1B) 4 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 .230
H. Matsui (DH) 4 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 .273
J. Damon (CF) 5 2 0 4 1 2 0 0 .291
J. Posada (C) 3 2 2 2 1 5 0 0 .245
M. Cabrera (LF) 5 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .323
TOTALS 39 16 6 15 2 14 6 2

2B: J. Posada, J. Giambi, M. Cabrera
HR: J. Posada, J. Damon

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Wang 5.0 4 2 1 3 3 3 59 2.82
B. Wickman 1.1 2 0 1 2 2 1 23 3.23
T. Redding 2.2 2 0 1 1 1 1 34 5.57
TOTALS 9.0 8 2 3 6 6 5 116

WP: C. Wang
LP: C. Sabathia

Temperature: 47F
Wind: 2 MPH (out to center)
Attendance: 57,546
Time: 3:07
Player of the Game: Jorge Posada


Game 2 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
New York Leads Series 1-0

This game wasn’t a blow out like Game 1, but the Yankees still came out on top. This team is just unstoppable.


Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
October 14, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 7 0
Yankees (NYY) 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 x 5 12 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .256
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .271
B. Phillips (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 3 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .281
TOTALS 33 7 0 2 1 2 9 0

HR: T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Francis 5.2 9 3 1 5 5 3 110 3.38
F. Cabrera 1.1 1 1 0 0 0 2 29 4.91
R. Lugo 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 16 3.52
TOTALS 8.0 12 4 1 5 5 5 155

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .281
D. Jeter (SS) 5 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .293
J. Carroll (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .202
R. Cano (2B) 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .305
A. Rodriguez (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .341
J. Giambi (1B) 3 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 .230
C. Wilson (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
H. Matsui (DH) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .273
J. Damon (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .291
J. Posada (C) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .245
M. Cabrera (LF) 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 .323
TOTALS 34 12 4 5 1 5 5 0

2B: J. Posada, J. Giambi
HR: J. Giambi

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Mussina 8.0 7 0 1 2 2 7 121 2.70
M. Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 13 2.54
TOTALS 9.0 7 0 1 2 2 9 134

WP: M. Mussina
LP: J. Francis
SV: M. Rivera

Temperature: 48F
Wind: 4 MPH (in from left)
Attendance: 57,546
Time: 2:50
Player of the Game: Mike Mussina

Game 3 American League Championship Series
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
New York Leads Series 2-0

Wow. We were winning the entire game, until Brad Lidge came in and gave up five runs in the 9th inning. This team really can’t be beat, can they?


New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
October 16, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Yankees (NYY) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 6 5 0
Indians (CLE) 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 5 9 0

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .281
D. Jeter (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
A. Guiel (P) 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .304
N. Green (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
R. Cano (2B) 5 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 .305
A. Rodriguez (3B) 2 1 3 1 1 2 0 1 .341
J. Carroll (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .202
J. Giambi (1B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .230
C. Wilson (P) 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .273
H. Matsui (DH) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .273
J. Damon (CF) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .291
J. Posada (C) 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .245
M. Cabrera (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .323
TOTALS 33 5 7 6 1 4 2 1

HR: A. Rodriguez

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Karstens 7.0 6 2 1 3 3 4 116 3.57
M. Myers 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 22 4.29
M. Rivera 1.0 2 0 1 1 1 1 20 2.54
TOTALS 9.0 9 2 2 5 4 5 158

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 2 0 1 0 2 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 .256
V. Martinez (C) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .271
E. Torres (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .244
B. Phillips (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .263
S. Choo (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269
B. Castro (SS) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .281
J. Fiorentino (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231
TOTALS 33 9 2 5 2 5 5 1

2B: V. Martinez, C. Crawford, G. Sizemore 2
3B: J. Baker
HR: J. Baker, T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 8.0 4 3 1 1 1 1 99 3.31
B. Lidge 0.2 1 4 0 5 3 0 43 4.74
R. Lugo 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 3.52
TOTALS 9.0 5 7 1 6 4 2 146

WP: M. Myers
LP: B. Lidge
SV: M. Rivera

Temperature: 53F
Wind: Calm
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:08
Player of the Game: Alex Rodriguez

[HoustonGM]

Game 4 American League Championship Series
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
New York Leads Series 3-0

The Yankees beat up our bullpen to sweep the series.


New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
October 17, 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Yankees (NYY) 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 10 14 0
Indians (CLE) 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 0

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 5 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 .281
D. Jeter (SS) 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 .293
J. Carroll (P) 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .202
R. Cano (2B) 5 4 0 2 1 4 0 0 .305
A. Rodriguez (3B) 5 2 0 2 2 3 3 0 .341
J. Giambi (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .230
C. Wilson (P) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
H. Matsui (DH) 5 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 .273
J. Damon (CF) 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .291
J. Posada (C) 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .245
M. Cabrera (LF) 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .323
TOTALS 40 14 5 10 4 10 7 0

2B: J. Giambi, R. Cano, B. Abreu
HR: R. Cano, A. Rodriguez 2, H. Matsui

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
T. Clippard 4.1 5 3 1 4 4 3 93 3.52
J. Cox 1.2 2 0 0 0 0 3 35 1.88
M. Myers 1.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 14 4.29
M. Rivera 1.2 1 0 0 0 0 2 19 2.54
B. Wickman 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3.23
TOTALS 9.0 8 5 1 4 4 8 166

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 .336
S. Hatteberg (1B) 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .259
G. Sizemore (CF) 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 .269
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 .261
A. Marte (3B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 .288
J. Baker (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .256
V. Martinez (C) 4 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .271
B. Phillips (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .263
B. Castro (SS) 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 .281
S. Choo (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269
J. Hardy (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .226
TOTALS 33 8 5 4 1 4 8 2

HR: T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Lee 6.0 6 4 1 4 4 5 121 4.54
L. Gonzalez 1.1 3 0 1 3 3 1 38 5.58
R. Lugo 1.0 4 0 2 3 3 0 29 3.52
F. Cabrera 0.2 1 1 0 0 0 1 23 4.91
TOTALS 9.0 14 5 4 10 10 7 211

WP: J. Cox
LP: L. Gonzalez

Temperature: 48F
Wind: 2 MPH (out to right)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 4:15
Player of the Game: Robinson Cano

Jason Giambi was named ALCS MVP O_O.

The Mets beat Arizona in five games, making a second straight Subway Series. Pedro Martinez won the NLCS MVP

The Mets actually gave the Yankees a challenge, forcing the series to go to 7 games. And, thanks to an unprecedented rest period after the LCS’s, the Mets won game 7 on a cold November night. A stunning upset for the Yankees.

Carlos Beltran was named World Series MVP.

[HoustonGM]

Team-by-Team Review
Here’s how it’ll go:

Team Name
Predicted Record
Actual Record
Best Hitter – Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Starting Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Relief Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Breakouts: Breakouts lists the statistics of players who came out of nowhere, had amazing rookie campaigns, had comeback player of the year-type years, etc. Basically, any player who performed greater than ever before, or in the case of comeback players, players who outdid last year’s performance by a large margin.
Outstanding Performances: Listed in Outstanding Performances are the statistics of players who had great years. Your average Manny Ramirez year would show up here. Note that some Breakouts would also qualify as Outstanding Performances. Such players are listed in Breakouts not in Outstanding Performances.
Busts: Listed in Busts are players who performed well below the level they’ve established. Sophomore players who had a significant drop off from their rookie year are also listed here. In some cases, the a player’s 2006 stats are listed for comparison.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
New York Yankees
Predicted Record: 96-66
Actual Record: 117-45
Best Hitter: 3B Alex Rodriguez - .341/.450/.607, 41 HR, 145 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chien-Ming Wang – 24-6, 2.82 ERA, 10 HRA, 1.21 WHIP – All this, despite just 65 strikeouts.
Best Relief Pitcher:RP Mariano Rivera – 3-2, 2.54 ERA, 44 SV, 1.10 WHIP

Breakouts:
SP Jeff Karstens – 18-6. 3.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
SP Tyler Clippard – 16-5, 3.52 ERA, 1.39 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
RF Bobby Abreu - .281/.403/.458, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 24 SB
SS Derek Jeter - .293/.364/.428, 12 HR, 106 RBI, 29 SB
2B Robinson Cano - .305/.345/.468, 20 HR, 142 RBI
DH Hideki Matsui - .273/.389/.443, 25 HR, 113 RBI
CF Johnny Damon - .291/.360/.449, 16 HR, 102 RBI
LF Melky Cabrera - .323/.413/.425, 8 HR, 96 RBI
SP Mike Mussina – 18-6, 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Toronto Blue Jays
Predicted Record: 88-74
Actual Record: 92-71
Best Hitter: CF Vernon Wells - .309/.365/.508, 28 HR, 108 RBI, 19 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Roy Halladay – 18-3, 3.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher:RP B.J. Ryan – 5-4, 2.33 ERA, 32 SV, 1.53 WHIP

Breakouts:
LF Adam Lind - .310/.366/.476, 17 HR, 65 RBI
SP Casey Janssen – 14-8, 3.47 ERA, .236 BAA, 1.08 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
RF Alex Rios - .311/.364/.509, 23 HR, 105 RBI, 17 SB
3B Troy Glaus - .240/.351/.472, 34 HR, 133 RBI
LF Reed Johnson - .306/.372/.446, 16 HR, 87 RBI
1B Lyle Overbay - .320/.374/.537, 23 HR, 92 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Boston Red Sox
Predicted Record: 90-72
Actual Record: 74-88
Best Hitter: LF Manny Ramirez - .354/.471/.718, 50 HR, 152 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jon Garland – 11-10, 4.51 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jonathan Papelbon – 3-1, 1.70 ERA, .206 BAA, 35 SV, 1.17 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
RF Wily Mo Pena - .285/.322/.483, 28 HR, 105 RBI

Busts:
SS Orlando Cabrera - .239/.293/.349, 8 HR, 71 RBI, 27 SB
1B Kevin Youkilis - .261/.352/.389, 9 HR, 48 RBI – this is down from his 2007 of .323/.422/.530 by quite a large margin.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Predicted Record: 72-90
Actual Record: 63-99
Best Hitter: RF Jonny Gomes - .216/.350/.420, 28 HR, 85 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Scott Kazmir – 8-11, 4.48 ERA, 180 K, 1.29 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Scott McClung – 5-6, 5.12 ERA, 1.52 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Baltimore Orioles
Predicted Record: 64-98
Actual Record: 56-106
Best Hitter: 1B Ryan Garko - .275/.362/.486, 24 HR, 102 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chance Douglass – 11-14, 4.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Chris Britton – 2-3, 4.26 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Breakouts:
CF Adam Stern - .287/.324/.428, 15 HR, 73 RBI, 40 SB

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
2B Jeff Kent - .216/.308/.336, 6 HR, 44 RBI
RP Kurt Birkins – 3-10, 9.33 ERA, 2.10 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Cleveland Indians
Predicted Record: 96-66
Actual Record: 93-69
Best Hitter: LF Carl Crawford - .336/.375/.515, 24 HR, 113 RBI, 69 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jeff Francis – 16-9, 3.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ruddy Lugo – 4-1, 3.52 ERA, 1.36 WHIP

Breakouts:
3B Andy Marte - .288/.340/.531, 35 HR, 119 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
CF Grady Sizemore - .269/.362/.517, 34 HR, 129 RBI, 14 SB
DH Travis Hafner - .261/.407/.518, 35 HR, 117 RBI

Busts:
2B Brandon Phillips - .263/.312/.392, 14 HR, 78 RBI

Minnesota Twins
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 93-70
Best Hitter: 1B Justin Morneau - .321/.375/.561, 32 HR, 157 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Francisco Liriano – 19-4, 3.63 ERA, 10.38 K/9, 1.15 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Joe Nathan – 5-6, 2.25 ERA, 13.03 K/9, 1.05 WHIP

Breakouts:
RF Doug Deeds - .281/.368/.431, 12 HR, 78 RBI
SP Scott Baker – 9-7, 2.64 ERA, 0.97 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
C Joe Mauer - .339/.437/.492, 16 HR, 92 RBI
SP Johan Santana – 15-5, 3.25 ERA, 9.38 K/9, 1.11 WHIP
RP Pat Neshek – 7-7, 2.90 ERA, 10.2 K/9, 0.95 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Detroit Tigers
Predicted Record: 84-78
Actual Record: 83-79
Best Hitter: LF Marcus Thames - .260/331/.547, 43 HR, 130 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Justin Verlander – 15-9, 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Pedro Feliciano – 11-4, 3.73 ERA, 1.23 WHIP

Breakouts:
SP Jair Jurrjens – 11-5, 3.69 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
SS Carlos Guillen - .299/.382/.463, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 14 SB
LF Craig Monroe - .303/.353/.584, 24 HR, 77 RBI

Busts:
3B Brandon Inge - .227/.296/.374, 12 HR, 56 RBI – Coming off a monster year - .306/.369/.600, 34 HR, 82 RBI – a lot more was expected from him. His defense also faltered. He committed 21 errors this year compared to 10 last year in roughly the same amount of innings.
RP Joel Zumaya – 7-7, 6.16 ERA, 35 SV, 15 BS, 1.73 WHIP – He spent half of last season at closer and excelled. This year, the Tigers stuck with him through thick and thin, but he failed to impress. A move back to a setup role might be in the cards for Zoom.

Chicago White Sox
Predicted Record: 76-86
Actual Record: 70-92
Best Hitter: DH Jim Thome - .290/.418/.591, 48 HR, 126 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Mark Buerhle – 9-8, 4.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Bobby Jenks – 2-8, 2.55 ERA, 34 SV, 1.19 WHIP

Breakouts:
RF Ryan Sweeney - .310/.349/.441, 8 HR, 45 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
1B Paul Konerko - .293/.363/.503, 29 HR, 91 RBI

Busts:
SP Jose Contreras – 5-15, 6.13 ERA, 1.54 WHIP
SP Roger Clemens – 2-2, 5.29 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 6 GS

Kansas City Royals
Predicted Record: 66-96
Actual Record: 59-103
Best Hitter: 1B Ryan Shealy - .292/.346/.483, 19 HR, 79 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Zach Greinke – 18 GS, 7-8, 3.64 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Matt Wise – 6-4, 4.74 ERA, 1.59 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
RP Andrew Sisco – 2-7, 7.36 ERA, 24 SV, 9 BS, 2.18 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Oakland Athletics
Predicted Record: 84-78
Actual Record: 93-69
Best Hitter: 3B Eric Chavez - .276/.373/.466, 28 HR, 91 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Rich Harden – 15-5, 3.51 ERA, .227 BAA, 1.30 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Huston Street – 2-3, 1.49 ERA, .172 BAA, 45 SV, 0.88 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Gregorio Petit - .285/.345/.403, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 26 SB

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
2B Mark Ellis - .218/.303/.333, 8 HR, 42 RBI

Seattle Mariners
Predicted Record: 83-79
Actual Record: 86-76
Best Hitter: LF Raul Ibanez - .279/.361/.548, 37 HR, 123 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Daisuke Matsuzaka – 14-12, 3.83 ERA, 186 K, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP J.J. Putz – 9-3, 2.90 ERA, 34 SV, 1.24 WHIP

Breakouts:
DH Greg Dobbs - .309/.358/.438, 7 HR, 66 RBI
SS Yuniesky Betancourt - .315/.335/.429, 9 HR, 77 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Texas Rangers
Predicted Record: 81-81
Actual Record: 80-82
Best Hitter: LF Carlos Lee - .300/.357/.554, 40 HR, 138 RBI, 18 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Kameron Loe – 15-7, 2.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Akinori Otsuka – 2-4, 2.56 ERA, 36 SV, 1.26 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
2B Ian Kinsler - .285/.345/.469, 24 HR, 109 RBI
RF Aubrey Huff - .292/.382/.517, 26 HR, 93 RBI
SS Michael Young - .319/.360/.446, 11 HR, 81 RBI
C Gerald Laird - .322/.364/.468, 11 HR, 62 RBI

Busts:
SP Vicente Padilla – 5-15, 5.93 ERA, 1.48 WHIP

Los Angeles Angels
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 74-88
Best Hitter: RF Vladimir Guerrero - .290/.353/.488, 29 HR, 121 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jered Weaver – 10-10, 4.44 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Francisco Rodriguez – 2-7, 4.60 ERA, 31 SV, 1.51 WHIP

Breakouts:
SS Erick Aybar - .284/.325/.409, 7 HR, 49 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
DH Adam Dunn -.237/.364/.444, 30 HR, 107 RBI
1B Ben Broussard - .289/.329/.494, 29 HR, 81 RBI

Busts:
2B Howie Kendrick - .269/.313/.356, 2 HR, 66 RBI

[HoustonGM]

Thanks. I accidently didnt change the team name

[HoustonGM]

National League East
New York Mets
Predicted Record: 102-60
Actual Record: 103-59
Best Hitter: CF Carlos Beltran - .287/.399/.625, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 14 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jason Schmidt – 21-7, 3.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Chad Bradford – 7-3, 0.90 ERA, .191 BAA, 0.87 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
RF Endy Chavez - .310/.345/.456, 11 HR, 99 RBI, 13 SB
3B David Wright - .334/.415/.597, 37 HR, 119 RBI, 17 SB
SP Pedro Martinez – 12-7, 3.58 ERA, .209 BAA, 1.04 WHIP, 9.77 K/9

Busts:
NONE

Atlanta Braves
Predicted Record: 90-72
Actual Record: 89-73
Best Hitter: C Brian McCann - .339/.404/.628, 36 HR, 112 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chuck James – 16-9, 3.46 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Blaine Boyer – 3-5, 3.07 ERA, 37 SV, .209 BAA, 1.40 WHIP

Breakouts:
SP Mike Hampton – 14-6, 4.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP – He missed all of 2006 and only appeared in 6 games in 2007
SP Matt Harrison – 17-6, 3.43 ERA, 1.33 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
3B Chipper Jones - .301/.399/.498, 19 HR, 101 RBI, 10 SB
1B Adam LaRoche - .293/.368/.549, 34 HR, 115 RBI
RF Jeff Francoeur - .304/.338/.589, 46 HR, 126 RBI

Busts:
CF Andruw Jones - .233/.337/.447, 32 HR, 76 RBI

Philadelphia Phillies
Predicted Record: 94-68
Actual Record: 85-77
Best Hitter: 1B Ryan Howard - .320/.448/.629, 42 HR, 125 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Mike Maroth – 16-11, 3.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jason Isringhausen – 3-7, 2.81 ERA, 38 SV, 1.20 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
RF Jermaine Dye - .305/.386/.584, 44 HR, 138 RBI
2B Chase Utley - .291/.354/.513, 27 HR, 101 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Florida Marlins
Predicted Record: 65-97
Actual Record: 63-99
Best Hitter: 3B Miguel Cabrera - .274/.392/.480, 23 HR, 89 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Yusmeiro Petit – 10-10, 3.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Joe Borowski – 4-4, 3.72 ERA, 1.60 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Washington Nationals
Predicted Record: 66-96
Actual Record: 60-102
Best Hitter: 3B Ryan Zimmerman - .326/.391/.528, 21 HR, 104 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Ramon Ortiz – 5-8, 4.46 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Chad Cordero – 1-2, 3.25 ERA, 33 SV, 0.94 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
CF Luis Matos - .182/.238/.272, 3 HR, 22 RBI – All this was in 500 at bats. 500!!!! And they had plenty of alternatives at center.
SP John Patterson – 4-15, 5.64 ERA, 1.56 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Milwaukee Brewers
Predicted Record: 96-66
Actual Record: 97-65
Best Hitter: SS Bill Hall - .289/.383/.621, 40 HR, 118 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chris Capuano – 13-10, 2.84 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Bruce Landry – 6-1, 2.74 ERA, .219 BAA, 1.10 WHIP

Breakouts:
3B Ryan Braun - .290/.351/.462, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 40 SB – He was only caught stealing three times. Favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Outstanding Performances:
CF Gabe Gross - .274/.390/.492, 25 HR, 105 RBI
SP Ben Sheets – 12-9, 3.86 ERA, 9.94 K/9, 1.24 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Pittsburgh Pirates
Predicted Record: 72-90
Actual Record: 84-78
Best Hitter: LF Jason Bay - .290/.424/.505, 21 HR, 74 RBI, 23 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Bryan Bullington – 12-5, 3.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Salomon Torres – 7-1, 1.89 ERA, .213 BAA, 1.02 WHIP

Breakouts:
CF Chris Duffy - .293/.358/.369, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 77 SB
1B Kevin Kouzmanoff - .296/.345/.468, 16 HR, 92 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
3B Freddy Sanchez - .338/.363/.435, 5 HR, 93 RBI
C Ronny Paulino - .316/.366/.382, 3 HR, 72 RBI
SP Tom Gorzelanny – 13-8, 3.44 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
SP Ian Snell – 10-5, 4.03 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

Busts:
SS Jack Wilson - .247/.284/.332, 6 HR, 46 RBI

Houston Astros
Predicted Record: 76-86
Actual Record: 82-80
Best Hitter: 1B Lance Berkman - .281/.398/.552, 40 HR, 114 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Taylor Buchholz – 12-8, 3.60 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ezequiel Astacio – 4-3, 2.87 ERA, .178 BAA, 1.17 WHIP

Breakouts:
SP Jason Hirsh – 14-7, 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
SS Miguel Tejada - .297/.348/.430, 19 HR, 94 RBI
RF Mike Lamb - .302/.352/.463, 14 HR, 72 RBI

Busts:
NONE

St. Louis Cardinals
Predicted Record: 81-81
Actual Record: 82-80
Best Hitter: 1B Albert Pujols - .324/.459/.625, 44 HR, 127 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chris Carpenter – 13-12, 2.48 ERA, 0.96 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Brad Thompson – 3-0, 2.58 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Breakouts:
LF Chris Duncan - .293/.372/.577, 41 HR, 102 RBI
RF Rick Ankiel - .288/.351/.541, 30 HR, 92 RBI
SP Adam Wainwright – 14-6, 2.88 ERA, .195 BAA, 9.93 K/9, 1.01 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
CF Reid Gorecki - .183/.266/.301, 10 HR, 45 RBI – 601 at bats. Why, oh why, do teams do this?
C Yadier Molina - .237/.301/.340, 7 HR, 52 RBI – .274/.342/.374 last year must’ve been a fluke
RP Tyler Johnson – 2-8, 7.46 ERA, 34 SV, 10 BS, 1.85 WHIP – I think Tony LaRussa died and his corpse his managing the team.

Chicago Cubs
Predicted Record: 84-78
Actual Record: 76-86
Best Hitter: LF Matt Murton - .292/.356/.469, 23 HR, 100 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Sean Marshall – 10-10, 4.59 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Bob Howry – 5-4, 2.84 ERA, 30 SV, .196 BAA, 1.00 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Eric Patterson - .283/.354/.450, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 47 SB

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Mark Prior – 8-10, 5.01 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 11.44 K/9 – The K/9 ratio is the only thing nice.
SP Carlos Zambrano – 10-10, 5.49 ERA, 1.74 WHIP – This is last year’s Cy Young, folks. I would like to point out his hitting stats these last 3 years - .314/.324/.829, 12 HR, 18 RBI in 2006, .194/.206/.463, 6 HR, 13 RBI in 2007, .250/.264/.769, 9 HR, 15 RBI this year

Cincinnati Reds
Predicted Record: 62-100
Actual Record: 68-94
Best Hitter: C Javier Valentin - .298/.337/.474, 23 HR, 80 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Aaron Harang – 14-11, 4.52 ERA, 9.31 K/9, 1.41 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Gary Majewski – 4-1, 5.29 ERA, 1.43 WHIP

Breakouts:
OF Chris Denorfia - .349/.396/.498, 7 HR, 38 RBI – 307 at bats. Likely won him a starting spot next season.

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Bronson Arroyo – 8-17, 5.39 ERA, 1.44 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Predicted Record: 94-68
Actual Record: 107-55
Best Hitter: LF Alfonso Soriano - .279/.370/.534, 37 HR, 113 RBI, 35 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Enrique Gonzalez – 19-4, 3.05 ERA, 1.09 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Brandon Lyon – 6-4, 2.50 ERA, .192 BAA, 1.04 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
CF Eric Byrnes - .300/.349/.512, 25 HR, 93 RBI, 20 SB
1B Conor Jackson - .313/.382/.508, 27 HR, 109 RBI
3B Chad Tracy - .296/.366/.484, 25 HR, 125 RBI
C Chris Snyder - .284/.365/.482, 22 HR, 91 RBI
SS Stephen Drew - .335/.384/.527, 17 HR, 83 RBI
SP Miguel Batista – 18-4, 3.72 ERA, 1.38 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Los Angeles Dodgers
Predicted Record: 90-72
Actual Record: 90-72
Best Hitter: C Russell Martin - .329/.409/.493, 11 HR, 93 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Derek Lowe – 15-9, 3.42 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Eric Gagne – 3-6, 2.21 ERA, .181 BAA, 34 SV, 11.77 K/9, 1.05 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
SS Rafael Furcal - .280/.348/.458, 20 HR, 97 RBI, 41 SB
1B Nomar Garciaparra - .294/.366/.508, 26 HR, 114 RBI

Busts:
SP Chad Billingsley – 9-11, 5.94 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 102 BB, 91 K – OUCH! More walks than strikeouts!

Colorado Rockies
Predicted Record: 62-100
Actual Record: 77-85
Best Hitter: 3B Garrett Atkins - .334/.418/.592, 36 HR, 131 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Brian Bannister – 12-8, 3.97 ERA, 1.36 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ramon Ramirez – 7-0, 2.97 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

Breakouts:
SS Cesar Izturis - .286/.329/.379, 4 HR, 47 RBI – Ah, look at what Coors Field can do to a good-glove, no-hit shortstop!

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

San Diego Padres
Predicted Record: 79-83
Actual Record: 76-86
Best Hitter: 1B Adrian Gonzalez - .328/.391/.487, 16 HR, 100 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher:SP Jake Peavy – 16-6, 2.76 ERA, 9.37 K/9, 1.08 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Cla Meredith – 5-5, 2.86 ERA, 43 SV, 1.11 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
CF Mike Cameron - .266/.383/.517, 27 HR, 84 RBI, 25 SB
C Josh Bard - .292/.364/.483, 16 HR, 76 RBI

Busts:
NONE

San Francisco Giants
Predicted Record: 76-86
Actual Record: 59-103
Best Hitter: 3B Akinori Iwamura - .290/.379/.503, 26 HR, 113 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Matt Cain – 9-8, 3.85 ERA, 9.46 K/9, 1.28 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Kevin Correia – 2-1, 3.12 ERA, 7 SV, 1.13 WHIP

Breakouts:
SS Clint Barmes - .277/.323/.417, 10 HR, 71 RBI – Not a good season, but much better than ‘06/’07.

Outstanding Performances:
2B Ray Durham - .293/.354/.502, 19 HR, 82 RBI

Busts:
1B Chad Santos - .230/.281/.317, 6 HR, 58 RBI
SP Matt Morris – 5-15, 6.20 ERA, 1.57 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

2008-2009 Offseason

Resigned
NONE

Arbitration
Catcher Kelly Shoppach won his case and was awarded a $1.75 million deal.
We won our case with Jeremy Sowers, who received a 1-year, $9.5 million contract. We will attempt to sign him long-term at some point this season.
We won our case with Jeff Francis. He received a 1-year, $11.5 million contract. As with Sowers, we hope to sign him to a long-term deal at some point.
We won our case with reliever Ruddy Lugo, and he'll have a $3 million salary in 2009.
We won our case with reliever Fernando Cabrera, who will have a $2.8 million salary this coming season.
We won our case with reliever Matt Capps. He received a 1-year, $2.5 million contract.

Released
We non-tendered J.J. Hardy, who was quite a disappointment for us this season.
We non-tendered Shin-Soo Choo, who was asking for a multi-million dollar deal despite being a bench player. We might resign him if his price lowers.
We released Scott Hatteberg. He was a cheap quick fix at first, but with Eric Duncan waiting in the wings, we can afford to let him go.
We released C.C. Sabathia. He should be sought-after on the free agent market. It was sad to let the long-time Indian go, but he struggled this year and we have some prospects more than ready to go.
We released Brad Lidge. We're going to try and resign him, but we might just give someone else in the organization a shot at closing, or sign a cheaper guy off the free agent list.
We released the aging and ineffective Guillermo Mota.

[HoustonGM]

I’m going to interrupt the offseason to go over the AWARDS!

Cy Young Award
American League
New York Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang
24-6, 2.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP

24 wins is extremely hard to come by in this day and age. Another remarkable stat here is that Wang managed to have such an amazing year despite striking out just 65 batters.

National League
Arizona Diamondbacks SP Enrique Gonzalez
19-4, 3.05 ERA, 1.09 WHIP

He split 2007 between the bullpen and the rotation. In 2008, he turned in a full season of starts and did fantastic for the NL West Champion Diamondbacks.

Most Valuable Player Award
American League
New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez
.341/.450/.607, 41 HR, 145 RBI

He’s finally gaining recognition in the New York media, especially with decent postseason’s the last two years. This is his third MVP award of his career.

National League
New York Mets CF Carlos Beltran
.287/.399/.625, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 14 SB

Everyone criticized the Mets for signing “one-year wonder” Beltran after the 2004 season. Boy has Carlos helped the Mets prove everyone wrong, or what? He’s the definition of a 5-tool player.

Rookie of the Year Award
American League
Tampa Bay Devil Rays RF Delmon Young
.261/.291/.386, 12 HR, 93 RBI, 25 SB

A rather weak season, but this guy is expected to be huge. In the weak AL rookie class of 2008, Delmon Young easily pulls out in front.

National League
Milwaukee Brewers 3B Ryan Braun
.290/.351/.462, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 40 SB

With 40 steals in 43 tries, Braun has already established himself as one of the best base stealers in the major leagues. His power is still developing, and some scouts say he may be the fourth player to go 40-40 in a season eventually.

Gold Glove Awards
American League
Gold Glove (P): Chien-Ming Wang (NYY) (1)
Gold Glove (C): Mike Napoli (LAA) (1)
Gold Glove (1B): Paul Konerko (CHW) (1)
Gold Glove (2B): Mark Ellis (OAK) (2)
Gold Glove (3B): Mark DeRosa (TEX) (2)
Gold Glove (SS): Luis Castillo (CHW) (4)
Gold Glove (LF): Coco Crisp (BOS)(2)
Gold Glove (CF): Alex Rios (TOR) (1)
Gold Glove (RF): Melky Cabrera (NYY) (2)

National League
Gold Glove (P): Derek Lowe (LAD) (2)
Gold Glove (C): Russell Martin (LAD) (1)
Gold Glove (1B): Albert Pujols (STL) (1)
Gold Glove (2B): Josh Barfield (SDP) (1)
Gold Glove (3B): Freddy Sanchez (PIT) (1)
Gold Glove (SS): David Eckstein (STL) (2)
Gold Glove (LF): Shane Victorino (PHI) (2)
Gold Glove (CF): Brad Wilkerson (NYM) (1)
Gold Glove (RF): Jason Bay (PIT)(1)

There’s some kind of conspiracy going on to hand out as many gold gloves to first timers as possible.

[HoustonGM]

Okay, we started off the offseason by negotiating long-term deals with our current players:

We extended Jeremy Sowers through 2011 at $9.5 million per season.
We extended Jeff Francis though 2012 at $11.5 million per season.
We extended Ruddy Lugo through 2010 at $3.05 million per season.

Next, we got off to some trades:


Cleveland Indians receive:
C Geovany Soto
2B Eric Patterson
P Billy Petrick
P Joel Santo

Chicago Cubs receive:
2B Brandon Phillips
SP Erik Bedard

This cuts tons of salary to make room for the one big signing that we’re hammering out right now. More on that later though. Patterson is a cheap, better version of Brandon Phillips.


Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Jose Vaquedano
CF Jacoby Ellsbury

Boston Red Sox receive:
SP Cliff Lee

Ellsbury is a hot up and coming outfield prospect. His power is his only lacking tool. With a strong spring, he could grab right field from Jeff Baker. This was another move to cut some salary. When you hear about this signing, coming up real soon…you’ll understand why it was okay to trade away two of our starters. :)


Cleveland Indians receive:
RP Blaine Boyer

Atlanta Braves receive:
P Zach Miner

Miner goes back to the team that originally drafted him, and we get a nice closer, who's cheap.

WE SIGNED JOHAN SANTANA, 7 YEARS, $119 MILLION. Santana was angry at the Twins management for letting him go without even trying to reach a deal, so he decided to sign with us – division rivals.

Next, the free agency overview.

[HoustonGM]

2008-2009 Free Agent Class
This offseason has a very deep free agency pool that is absolutely littered with stars.

Catcher
Teams Interested In C: Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Javier Valentin, Josh Bard, A.J. Pierzynski, Ivan Rodriguez, Gregg Zaun, Dioner Navarro, Jason Varitek, Mike Lieberthal, David Ross, Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba

Everyone here except Olivo and Torrealba could be an asset as a starter behind the plate for any team.

First Base
Teams Interested In 1B: Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Jim Thome, Lyle Overbay, Mark Teixeira, Ben Broussard, Nick Johnson, Shea Hillenbrand, Richie Sexson, Xavier Nady, Jason Giambi, Chris Shelton, Mike Sweeney, Scott Hatteberg

Another very deep position. Teixeira’s coming off an injury-shortened season, so he might be undervalued and could prove to be a big bargain for a team. Jim Thome is likely headed for another DH job somewhere. Lyle Overbay has proven to be one of the most consistent players in all of baseball. Nick Johnson, Scott Hatteberg and Jason Giambi are on-base machines. Interesting stuff here.

Second Base
Teams Interested In 2B: Baltimore Orioles, Cincinatti Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Ray Durham, Jose Valentin, Kazuo Matsui, Aaron Miles, Jose Vidro, Adam Kennedy, Todd Walker, Jeff Kent, Mark Loretta, Neifi Perez

The weakest position in the free agent market this season, along with center field. This could cause some of these players to be overpaid.

Third Base
Teams Interested In 3B: Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners,
Free Agents: Miguel Cabrera, Garrett Atkins, Chipper Jones, Michael Cuddyer, Mark Teahen, Mark Bellhorn

Not a deep position, but with 3 bonafide stars and two other strong options, it’s a very powerful position. Versatility also exists here. Miguel Cabrera could end up in left field or at first base for someone, if not third base. The aging Chipper Jones might benefit from a shift across the diamond to first. Michael Cuddyer has experience at both corner infield and corner outfield positions, as well as second base. Mark Teahen would be a fine option at first as well.

Shortstop
Teams Interested In SS: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays
Free Agents: Bill Hall, Khalil Greene, J.J. Hardy, Clint Barmes, Cesar Izturis, Adam Everett, Orlando Cabrera, Luis Castillo, Angel Berroa, Alex Cintron, Russ Adams, Alex Cora, Craig Counsell

It’s pretty much a bunch of guys who can’t hit, and then Bill Hall. Bill Hall will be highly sought-after though. The other guys could all start, but they all provide more with their glove than their bat.

Left Field
Teams Interested In LF: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Marcus Thames, Raul Ibanez, Felipe Lopez, Josh Willingham, Garret Anderson, Todd Hollandsworth, Jose Cruz

Another position that isn’t very deep, but has versatility. Raul Ibanez can play either corner outfield spot, and could also play first. Felipe Lopez can play the outfield now, as well as any infield position. Josh Willingham should do fine in left, right, or at first, and even has a little catching experience.

Center Field
Teams Interested In CF: Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Jose Bautista, Joey Gathright, Mark Kotsay, Shin-Soo Choo, Jim Edmonds, Laynce Nix, Ryan Church, Alfredo Amezega, Ken Griffey, Alex Escobar

Nobody here is particularly eye-catching. Sure, Griffey Jr’s name is, but he’s old and has shown lately that he should really hang up his cleats. Jim Edmonds might have a year or two left in him.

Right Field
Teams Interested In RF: Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Austin Kearns, Rick Ankiel, Jacque Jones, Joe Borchard, Moises Alou, Russell Branyan, Brian Giles

Kearns, Jones, and Ankiel are probably the only guys worth picking up for a starting role.

Starting Pitcher
Teams Interested In SP: Every team EXCEPT Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers.
Free Agents: Ben Sheets, C.C. Sabathia, Pedro Martinez, Chris Capuano, Bronson Arroyo, Jeff Weaver, Mike Hampton, Jake Westbrook, Dave Bush, Andy Pettite, Jae Seo, Carlos Zambrano, Ricardo Rodriguez, Runelvys Hernandez, Miguel Batista, Luke Hudson, Aaron Harang, Mark Buerhle, Esteban Loaiza, Brandon Claussen, Shawn Estes, Paul Wilson

Very deep here. Sheets, Sabathia, Martinez, and Capuano are the most sought-after guys here.

Relief Pitcher
Teams Interested In RP: Every team EXCEPT Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants.
Free Agents: Brad Lidge, Chad Cordero, Trevor Hoffman, Bob Howry, Derrick Turnbow, Wilfredo Ledezma, Scott Downs, Salomon Torres, Joe Borowski, Jimmy Gobble, Julio Santana, Ron Mahay, Guillermo Mota

Lidge, Cordero, Hoffman, Howry, Turnbow, and Borowski will all be wanted because of their closing experience. Strong class all-around.

[HoustonGM]

Cubs Ship Off Aramis Ramirez
http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper144/stills/6mo20v7a.jpg

The Cubs traded Aramis Ramirez to the Seattle Mariners today. They picked up some much needed pitching help in Gil Meche, as well as catcher Rob Johnson. This move opens up third base for Scott Moore.

White Sox Move Crede to Baltimore
http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2005/10/12/bnYc6EDu.jpg

The White Sox, wanting to make space for prospect Josh Fields, have sent Joe Crede packing to Baltimore. In return, they picked up some prospects – starter Len Roberston, who’s near-ready for the majors, starter Kevin Leake, and shortstop Gianluca Rumcald.

Mark Ellis Moves to Cincy
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20060808/ellis_3718.jpg

In another move designed to open up space for a younger player, the Athletics have sent Mark Ellis to the Cincinnati Reds. In return, Billy Beane’s Athletics received outfielder Chris Denorfia and reliever Bill Bray.

Kelvim Escobar is Bronx-Bound
http://www.sinmordaza.net/blogs/media/escobar.jpg

With enough pitching depth to make a move, the Angels sent starter Kelvim Escobar across the country to the New York Yankees. The Angels picked up four players in return: SP Jorge DePaula, OF Brett Gardner, OF Kevin Thompson, and IF Kevin Howard.

[HoustonGM]

We’re off and running!

The Dodgers signed third basemen Miguel Cabrera to a 5-year, $65 million deal.

The Reds spent their entire budget on third basemen Garrett Atkins, signing him to a 4-year, $75.2 million contract, and starter Jeff Weaver, signing him to a 3-year deal worth $18.9 million. This signing shifts Edwin Encarnacion across the diamond to first base.

The Giants signed shortstop Bill Hall to a 5-year, $82 million deal.

Reliever Chad Cordero agreed to move to the Bronx to setup legendary closer Mariano Rivera. He signed a 3-year deal in the vicinity of $21 million.

The Oakland Athletics came out and signed a future Hall of Fame pitcher for the second straight year, this time nabbing Pedro Martinez for two years. They also signed former Brewer Chris Capuano. These two signings move John Smoltz and Joe Blanton to the bullpen. Smoltz, who closed for a few years in Atlanta, is welcoming the switch.

The Royals made a big splash, stealing Marcus Thames away from the Detroit Tigers. They ended up agreeing to pay him $28 million over three years.

The White Sox completely retooled early on. They signed Jose Bautista to platoon with Rob Mackowiak in center. They signed Felipe Lopez and shifted him back to his natural shortstop position. They added three new pitchers – Dave Bush, Jae Seo, and Luke Hudson. They also signed Jason Varitek to catch. They signed Michael Cuddyer as well, and will play him primarily in left field.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed big-name pitcher C.C. Sabathia to a 4-year, $34 million deal. They also signed Laynce Nix to backup all three outfield positions.

The Brewers added Wilfredo Ledezma to their bullpen, and signed Jake Westbrook to start. They were also able to resign closer Derrick Turnbow.

The Marlins made a huge splash, convincing Raul Ibanez to sign with them at the price of $19.6 million for two years.

The Tigers made a huge signing, convincing Jim Thome to switch to them from the division rival White Sox. He signed a two-year deal worth over $30 million in all. He’s going to hurt them defensively, as they’ll be slotting him in at first base, but he should more than make up for it with his bat. They also signed Miguel Batista, who enjoyed the best year of his career last season in Arizona.

OF Rick Ankiel has gone to our nation’s capital for three years. He’ll make $21 million there.

Colorado made two huge signings. They were able to convince Chipper Jones to come up to Denver. He’ll play there for two years and make over $22 million. With the loss of Garrett Atkins, a third basemen of Jones’s caliber was needed. They also signed Brad Lidge to close for them, after Brian Fuentes struggled for two years.

The Cardinals signed catcher Javier Valentin. The signing will shift Yadier Molina to a backup role, where he might be better suited.

The Braves signed Bob Howry to close for them, after they traded away 2008 closer Blaine Boyer.

The Red Sox made a huge signing in getting Ben Sheets for 4 years at just over $10 million per. They also signed Josh Bard to fill the hole behind the plate left by Jason Varitek.

[HoustonGM]

The Nationals signed first basemen Lyle Overbay to a 4-year deal worth over $36 million, and added Scott Downs to their bullpen. They also signed former Indian Shin-Soo Choo, who will likely get a starting job. They continued their spending by signing Bronson Arroyo to a 2-year contract. Arroyo, who had an off-year in 2008, will likely benefit from the move to the pitcher-friendly RFK Stadium. He had two decent years in 2006 and 2007 playing in the offensive paradise of Great American. They also picked up Gregg Zaun to catch. Zaun will join his fourth team in as many years.

The Rangers were able to resign first basemen Mark Teixeira for 3-years and $19 million.

The Yankees signed one of their former players, first basemen Nick Johnson, for three years.

The Cubs signed outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Khalil Greene for two years each. They were also able to pick up future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman to close for them on a one-year deal.

The Giants made a few signings, as well. They signed Richie Sexson on a one-year contract. They picked up second basemen Jose Vidro for two years. They also signed starter Carlos Zambrano for two years, hoping he’ll return to his Cy-Young caliber performance.

The Mets signed Joe Borowski as bullpen insurance.

[HoustonGM]

2009 Amatuer Draft
I’m not going over all the picks. Just mine.

1) 1B Chris Barker – A well-rounded first basemen out of a high school in Pittsburgh.
2) 3B Mathieu Thorn – A well-built third basemen from California. Good bat.
3) SP Brett Kelly – He’s a college sinkerballer. He just finished his sophomore year to USC.
4) LF Ken Grisby – Another college sophomore. Good eye.
5) SP Gabriel Ruacho – Nothing standout here.
6) SS Paul Osborne – Nothing exciting.

[HoustonGM]

The Nationals signed Jacque Jones, giving them two decent corner outfielders in him and Rick Ankiel.

The Orioles made a rash of signings in mid-January. They added starter Aaron Harang to their rotation, and catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who will split the catching and DH duties with Ramon Hernandez. Alfredo Amezega was also added as a utility player.

The Braves signed starter Ricardo Rodriguez.

The Yankees added Julio Santana and Jimmy Gobble to their bullpen mix.

The Tigers were able to convince catcher Ivan Rodriguez to return to the Motor City for a year.

The Blue Jays signed 1B Ben Broussard.

The Twins signed 3B Mark Teahen to a three-year deal.

The Devil Rays signed Josh Willingham for one year.

With a new owner, the Reds had some extra cash to use. They signed veteran pitchers Mike Hampton and Andy Pettite for one year each.

The Phillies signed SP Mark Buerhle for one year, hoping he’ll regain form. This signing moves Gavin Floyd to the minors/bullpen.

[HoustonGM]

Some spring training news:

Johan Santana taught Edward Mujica the circle change.
Matt Capps was injured and will miss most of April. Jose Vaquedano will get the vacant bullpen spot.

The Reds signed C Dioner Navarro, C David Ross and C Miguel Olivo.
The Yankees signed P Runelvys Hernandez and OF Mark Kotsay.
The Braves signed OF Joe Borchard.
The Orioles signed 2B Jose Valentin and OF Joey Gathright.
The Cubs traded 1B Derrek Lee to the Mariners for OF Wladimir Balentien. The Cubs will pick up half the remaining money on Lee’s contract. This was to make room for Brandon Sing to start.
The White Sox resigned IF Luis Castillo.
The Rockies signed SP Brandon Claussen.
The Marlins signed 2B Adam Kennedy.
The Brewers signed SS JJ Hardy and OF Xavier Nady.
The Twins signed SS Adam Everett.

Mark Mulder, Braves starter, has gone down for the year and his career is likely over, as is Tim Hudson's, although he'll be available, barely pitching well enough to stay in AAA...


Next, the 25-man rosters.

[HoustonGM]

opening day 25 man rosters.

as usually, lineups are vs. righties, *'s indicate platoons.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
Baltimore Orioles
2008 Record: 56-106
Lost: 2B Jeff Kent, 2B Adam Kennedy, 1B Kevin Millar, OF Jose Cruz, SS Craig Counsell, SP Len Robertson, SP Kevin Leake, SS Gianluca Rumcald
Gained: 3B Joe Crede, C A.J. Pierzynski, SP Aaron Harang, UTL Alfredo Amezega, 2B Jose Valentin, OF Joey Gathright
Outlook: The addition of former White Sox Joe Crede and A.J. Pierzynski drastically upgrades their offense. They’re young pitching has improved and should perform better with the veteran Aaron Harang providing assistance. Things are looking better for the struggling O’s, but due to the highly competitive division they reside in, they’re looking at another low finish.
Predicted 2009 Record: 68-94

Boston Red Sox
2008 Record: 74-88
Lost: C Jason Varitek, SS Orlando Cabrera, SP Jose Vaquedano, OF Jacoby Ellsbury
Gained: SP Cliff Lee, SP Ben Sheets, C Josh Bard
Outlook: 2008 was incredibly disappointing for the defending AL East champion Red Sox. They didn’t make many moves during the offseason, but the few they did make were huge. Cliff Lee and Ben Sheets provide the struggling rotation with much needed firepower. Josh Bard will most likely outperform Jason Varitek, although the loss of their captain might hurt the team’s morale a bit. The Yankees appear more dominant than last season, if that’s even possible, so they’ll probably have to settle for Wild Card contention, if that.
Predicted 2009 Record: 84-78

New York Yankees
2008 Record: 117-45
Lost: 1B Jason Giambi, C Mike Piazza *Retired*, RP Russ Springer *Retired*, RP Octavio Dotel *Retired*, 2B Kevin Howard, OF Brett Gardner, OF Kevin Thompson, P Jorge DePaula
Gained: SP Kelvim Escobar, RP Chad Cordero, 1B Nick Johnson, RP Julio Santana, RP Jimmy Gobble, SP Runelvys Hernandez, CF Mark Kotsay
Outlook: The 2008 Yankees smashed all sorts of records. 117 wins is a major league all time record. They had an absolutely outrageous team on-base percentage of above .370. They lost one of their big walk guys, Jason Giambi, but signed a free agent in a similar mold as Giambi, Nick Johnson. They’ve added more players to an already strong pitching staff. Kelvim Escobar joins a rotation that will hopefully squeeze out a full season from the oft-injured Dontrelle Willis. Chad Cordero gives the Yankees two dominant closers in their bullpen, along with Mariano Rivera. These Yankees have ONLY improved.
Predicted 2009 Record: 115-47

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2008 Record: 63-99
Lost: C Dioner Navarro, 1B Chris Shelton, IF Abraham Nunez, 1B/3B/OF Greg Norton *Retired*, SP Jae Seo
Gained: LF Josh Willingham
Outlook: The real gains for the Devil Rays aren’t shown above because they’re coming up from inside their own organization. The 2008 Rookie of the Year, Delmon Young, has had a year to adjust to major league pitching and should far surpass is Rookie of the Year performance. He’ll never walk a lot, but neither does Miguel Tejada, and Delmon Young is an even more complete hitter than Tejada, providing 30 steal potential as well as 30 home run potential. Evan Longoria disappointed in a 154-at bat cup of coffee last year, but should be huge in the middle of the Tampa Bay lineup this year. Elijah Dukes, who has struggled in two half-seasons so far, but he had a strong spring and looks primed for a breakout year. His breakout spring has pushed the newly-acquired Josh Willingham into a bench role, where he’ll fill in at the corner outfielder positions, as well as first base and possibly catcher. Their pitching staff will hurt them, as will the strong division they play in. The future is bright though.
Predicted 2009 Record: 65-97

Toronto Blue Jays
2008 Record: 92-71
Lost: 1B Lyle Overbay, IF Russ Adams, IF Alex Cintron, RP Scott Downs
Gained: SP C.C. Sabathia, OF Laynce Nix, 1B Ben Broussard
Outlook: They’re offense has never been a problem, and it shouldn’t be much different this year. Ben Broussard is a step down from Lyle Overbay, but Adam Lind could breakout even further and would more than make up the difference. C.C. Sabathia is a huge pick up, and it gives them five #1-3 starters. A wild card playoff berth is a strong possibility.
Predicted 2009 Record: 96-66

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Chicago White Sox
2008 Record: 70-92
Lost: C A.J. Pierzynski, DH Jim Thome, SP Mark Buerhle, SP Roger Clemens *Retired*, Joe Crede
Gained: SP Len Robertson, SP Kevin Leake, SS Gianluca Rumcald, LF Michael Cuddyer, SS Felipe Lopez, CF Jose Bautista, SP Jae Seo, P Luke Hudson, SP Dave Bush, C Jason Varitek
Outlook: The White Sox were very busy this offseason. The trade of Joe Crede opened up a spot for Josh Fields, who has been waiting in the wings for a shot the last three years. Jason Varitek, a similar catcher to A.J. Pierzynski, was signed to replace A.J. himself. Michael Cuddyer will be a huge upgrade from the slappy Frank Catalanatto in left field. The pitching staff is completely transformed from their 2005 World Champion team, but it should prove solid. The AL Central is highly competitive though, and it’s likely they won’t be able to compete with Detroit, Minnesota, and Cleveland.
Predicted 2009 Record: 77-85

Cleveland Indians
2008 Record: 93-69
Lost: SS J.J. Hardy, OF Shin-Soo Choo, SP C.C. Sabathia, 1B Scott Hatteberg, RP Brad Lidge, RP Guillermo Mota, 2B Brandon Phillips, SP Erik Bedard, SP Cliff Lee, P Zach Miner
Gained: C Geovany Soto, 2B Eric Patterson, P Joel Santo, P Billy Petrick, OF Jacoby Ellsbury, SP Jose Vaquedano, SP Johan Santana, RP Blaine Boyer
Outlook: Like their division rival White Sox, the Indians were fairly active this offseason. They traded away two-fifths of their starting rotation, and lost C.C. Sabathia to free agency, but their Miller Twins, Andrew Miller and Adam Miller (no relation), could prove huge in their rookie seasons. Oh, what was that? Right. They also signed the best pitcher in all of baseball, Johan Santana. Eric Patterson provides an upgrade from the disappointing Brandon Phillips. Alberto Callaspo is being given a shot to start at shortstop, and he seems ready to breakout. Blaine Boyer might actually be better than their former closer, Brad Lidge. All in all, expect another playoff appearance.
Predicted 2009 Record: 100-62

Detroit Tigers
2008 Record: 83-79
Lost: C Mike Lieberthal, 1B Shea Hillenbrand, OF/DH Marcus Thames, IF Alex Cora, SP Jeff Weaver, SP Runelvys Hernandez, RP Wilfredo Ledezma
Gained: 1B Jim Thome, SP Miguel Batista, C Ivan Rodriguez
Outlook: They lost a huge home run guy in Marcus Thames, but they gained Jim Thome. Thome will likely hurt the Tigers defense, playing at first base, but he’ll provide just as many home runs at Thames did, with the added bonus of an increased average and a huge increase in on-base percentage. Veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez has resigned with the Tigers. At the age of 37, he’s an anomaly among catchers, still going strong. They have a strong shot at contending, but it’ll be tough with the Indians and Twins ahead of them.
Predicted 2009 Record: 85-77

Kansas City Royals
2008 Record: 59-103
Lost: SS Angel Berroa, OF Joey Gathright, 3B Mark Teahen, P Luke Hudson, RP Jimmy Gobble, P John Thomson *Retired*
Gained: LF Marcus Thames
Outlook: Losing Angel Berroa is actually a gain! Marcus Thames somehow was convinced to sign with the lowly Royals, leaving the division rival Tigers for KC. With full years from Alex Gordon and Justin Huber, the middle of the Royals order could be strong, along with Thames. They’re shaky pitching, as well as the terrible hitters outside of the aforementioned three, as well as the strong division they’re in, will nearly guarantee another 100-loss season.
Predicted 2009 Record: 61-101

Minnesota Twins
2008 Record: 93-70
Lost: 2B Jose Valentin, 3B Michael Cuddyer, SP Johan Santana
Gained: 3B Mark Teahen, SS Adam Everett
Outlook: The loss of Johan Santana is huge, especially considering he’s switched to their main rivals, the Cleveland Indians. Francisco Liriano, assuming he stays healthy, will provide them with an ace, and the rest of their rotation is pretty solid. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will continue carrying the offense on their backs, and Mark Teahen will adequately replace the departed Michael Cuddyer. The loss of Santana should prove pivotal, as the Twins, while likely still contending for a playoff appearance, will fall far short of the Indians in their division.
Predicted 2009 Record: 90-72

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Los Angeles Angels
2008 Record: 74-88
Lost: 1B Ben Broussard, 1B/3B/OF Russell Branyan, SP Kelvim Escobar
Gained: 2B Kevin Howard, OF Brett Gardner, OF Kevin Thompson, P Jorge DePaula
Outlook: The loss of their primary first basemen and one of their starters, without the addition of anyone else, may seem like a major blow, but Casey Kotchman is itching for a chance at this fulltime job, and if that fails, Ty Wigginton is an easy choice to replace him. The Angels also have a boatload of starting pitching prospects on the verge of bursting into the majors – Nick Green, who get’s the nod in the rotation to start the year, Jose Arredondo, who will start off in the bullpen and might never move to the rotation but will be a dominant middle reliever and maybe eventual closer, Clay Buccholz in AAA, Tommy Mendoza on the verge of quickly moving through AAA, Nick Adenhart in the same position as Mendoza, etc. The Angels are expecting a giant improvement in Brandon Wood after an absolutely disgusting rookie season, which saw him bat under the Mendoza Line in over 500 at bats. If things don’t work out for the first half of the season, you might see the Angels spin their abundance of pitching prospects for some big time hitters.
Predicted 2009 Record: 77-85

Oakland Athletics
2008 Record: 93-69
Lost: C Ivan Rodriguez, OF Mark Kotsay, SP Esteban Loaiza, 2B Mark Ellis
Gained: OF Chris Denorfia, RP Bill Bray, SP Pedro Martinez, SP Chris Capuano
Outlook: On paper, the lineup looks worse than last year, but it could prove to be very effective. The real deal here is the pitching staff. The Athletics have seven legitimate starting pitchers. John Smoltz, who’s nearing the end of his career, has graciously accepted a relief assignment. The other odd man out, Joe Blanton, will also pitch out of the bullpen. Dan Haren, Rich Harden, Chris Capuano, Pedro Martinez, Jason Windsor. That’s a brutal rotation, and I mean brutal in a good way. Huston Street proved to be the most effective closer in the majors last year, giving them a strong end to the game as well. If the lineup can just perform a bit above league average, the Athletics will find themselves in another playoff race.
Predicted 2009 Record: 90-72

Seattle Mariners
2008 Record: 86-76
Lost: 1B Richie Sexson, OF Raul Ibanez, RP Trevor Hoffman, C Rob Johnson, SP Gil Meche
Gained: 3B Aramis Ramirez, 1B Derrek Lee
Outlook: Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee will be big enough additions to offset the loss of Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez. Andy LaRoche was a giant disappointment, and at the age of 25, his star is dimming. Jeremy Reed will get yet another chance to prove his worth as a starter, but he may have to settle for a career as a fourth outfielder. The offense looks strong. Pitching-wise, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Felix Hernandez provide a devastating 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, while Kris Benson, Jarrod Washburn, and Tim Stauffer make up a formidable back end of the rotation. The loss of Trevor Hoffman won’t harm their strong bullpen at all.
Predicted 2009 Record: 86-76

Texas Rangers
2008 Record: 80-82
Lost: SP Andy Pettite, RP Ron Mahay
Gained: NONE
Outlook: The Rangers were silent this offseason. Thomas Diamond and Daniel Haigwood, two young flamethrowers, form the 4th and 5th spots in their rotation, but they both could prove disastrous. Nelson Cruz has finally wrestled himself a starting spot in right field. The offense, on paper, looks to be explosive, but it hasn’t produced like that at all, and it likely won’t this year. With the loss of Pettite, their rotation becomes shaky, so they might slide in the standings.
Predicted 2009 Record: 76-86

[HoustonGM]

National League East
Atlanta Braves
2008 Record: 89-73
Lost: 3B Chipper Jones, SP Mike Hampton, RP Blaine Boyer
Gained: P Zach Miner, RP Bob Howry, SP Ricardo Rodriguez, OF Joe Borchard
Outlook: Willy Aybar has finally gotten a long-awaited starting job. In 532 at bats (basically a full season), he’s batted .280/.377/.391. The Braves will miss Jones’s power, but Aybar gets on base just as well. Losing Jones, though, will certainly hurt the offense. The pitching staff looks shaky, and the Phillies look better than ever, so the Braves may be looking at third place – an unfamiliar spot,
Predicted 2009 Record: 86-76

Florida Marlins
2008 Record: 63-99
Lost: C Miguel Olivo, 3B Miguel Cabrera, LF Josh Willingham, OF Todd Hollandsworth, OF Alfredo Amezega, 1B Mike Sweeney, OF Joe Borchard, RP Joe Borowski
Gained: LF Raul Ibanez, 2B Adam Kennedy
Outlook: They’re now without their two brightest stars, Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. The loss of Cabrera will downgrade their offense by a margin that can’t be made up by Raul Ibanez. Their offense will be among the league’s worst. However, their pitching staff is full of promising young arms with experience. That will offset some of the pain from the offense, but it won’t be enough to come anywhere close to contendning.
Predicted 2009 Record: 66-96

New York Mets
2008 Record: 103-59
Lost: IF Juan Castro, OF Michael Tucker *Retired*, SP Pedro Martinez
Gained: RP Joe Borowski
Outlook: The loss of Pedro Martinez will slightly degrade their pitching staff, but it won’t be enough to knock the Mets from atop the division. Not much else to say here!
Predicted 2009 Record: 100-62

Philadelphia Phillies
2008 Record: 85-77
Lost: 1B Xavier Nady, RP Julio Santana, RP Tom Gordon *Retired*
Gained: SP Mark Buerhle
Outlook: Mark Buerhle is a shadow of what he once was, but he’ll eat innings in the back of the Philadelphia rotation. Cole Hamels is primed for a breakout season, which would really boost the Phillies in the standings. They’re virtually identical to last year, but should fair better this year.
Predicted 2009 Record: 88-74

Washington Nationals
2008 Record: 60-102
Lost: 1B Nick Johnson, C Yorvit Torrealba, 2B Jose Vidro, IF Neifi Perez, IF/OF Felipe Lopez, RF Moises Alou, OF Alex Escobar, RP Chad Cordero
Gained: OF Rick Ankiel, 1B Lyle Overbay, RP Scott Downs, OF Shin-Soo Choo, SP Bronson Arroyo, C Gregg Zaun, OF Jacque Jones
Outlook: They were very busy this offseason. They’re main focus was pulling themselves out of the cellar. They’ll accomplish the goal of losing less than 100 games, but they’ll likely find themselves no higher than 4th place in the strong NL East. They’re pitching staff is once again their giant question mark.
Predicted 2009 Record: 68-94

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Chicago Cubs
2008 Record: 76-86
Lost: SS Adam Everett, OF Ryan Church, OF Jacque Jones, SP Carlos Zambrano, RP Bob Howry, C Geovany Soto, 2B Eric Patterson, P Joel Santo, P Billy Petrick, 3B Aramis Ramirez, 1B Derrek Lee
Gained: 2B Brandon Phillips, SP Erik Bedard, C Rob Johnson, SP Gil Meche, SS Khalil Greene, OF Austin Kearns, RP Trevor Hoffman, OF Wladimir Balentien
Outlook: The Cubs were one of the most active teams during the offseason. On paper, their 2009 team is better than their 2008 team. The NL Central, however, is one of the hardest divisions to predict at this point, so things really could go either way. There’s no doubt that they’ve upgraded all around. They could very well outperform expectations by a long short, but there’s also a good chance that they’ll under perform.
Predicted 2009 Record: 85-77

Cincinnati Reds
2008 Record: 68-94
Lost: C Javier Valentin, OF Garret Anderson, OF Ken Griffey, IF Todd Walker, IF Rich Aurilia, SP Bronson Arroyo, SP Aaron Harang, SP Brandon Claussen, SP Paul Wilson, OF Chris Denorfia, RP Bill Bray
Gained: 2B Mark Ellis, 3B Garrett Atkins, SP Jeff Weaver, SP Mike Hampton, SP Andy Pettite, C Dioner Navarro, C Miguel Olivo Outlook: The NL Central was definitely the busiest division in all of baseball over the offseason. The Reds were blessed with new ownership, and consequently, had more money to spend. The plunged a significant portion of it into signing All Star third basemen Garrett Atkins. They also spend a good amount on retooling their pitching staff, signing Weaver, Hampton, and Pettite (who will miss the first month of the season due to injury). They’ve vastly improved over last season, but it likely won’t be enough to compete this season.
Predicted 2009 Record: 73-89

Houston Astros
2008 Record: 82-80
Lost: C Gregg Zaun
Gained: NONE
Outlook: That’s a fairly meager change, wouldn’t you say? Their team is an exact replica of last year’s, except for John Buck starting, with Gregg Zaun out of town. They’ll likely perform to the same tune.
Predicted 2009 Record: 82-80

Milwaukee Brewers
2008 Record: 97-65
Lost: SS Bill Hall, OF Austin Kearns, OF Laynce Nix, SP Ben Sheets, SP Dave Bush, SP Chris Capuano
Gained: RP Wilfredo Ledezma, SP Jake Westbrook, OF Xavier Nady, SS J.J. Hardy
Outlook: They lost a huge force in the middle of the order in Bill Hall. They also lost their top two starters – Sheets and Capuano. They’re still a very solid team and should compete, although they likely won’t dominate like they have for the past two seasons. Ryan Braun is poised for a monster season after a strong rookie campaign.
Predicted 2009 Record: 92-70

Pittsburgh Pirates
2008 Record: 84-78
Lost: RP Salomon Torres
Gained: NONE
Outlook: By making no new acquisitions, the Pirates have set themselves up for a fall. They’ll perform respectably, but likely won’t play .500 ball this season. They have a nice core of players for the future though.
Predicted 2009 Record: 78-84

St. Louis Cardinals
2008 Record: 82-80
Lost: 2B Aaron Miles, OF Rick Ankiel, 2B Mark Loretta, SP Jake Westbrook, SP Ricardo Rodriguez
Gained: C Javier Valentin
Outlook: Javier Valentin, while a major defensive downgrade from Yadier Molina, is a major offensive upgrade. They’re outfield is horrendous outside of left fielder Chris Duncan. Combine that with the loss of two starting pitchers, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Predicted 2009 Record: 74-88

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
2008 Record: 107-55
Lost: SP Miguel Batista
Gained: NONE
Outlook: Usually, an inactive offseason lends itself to a season worse than the previous. In this case, the best thing the Diamondbacks could do was remain quiet throughout the winter. They’re lineup is explosive, and their pitching staff looks amazing. Things look good in the desert.
Predicted 2009 Record: 102-60

Colorado Rockies
2008 Record: 77-85
Lost: 2B Kazuo Matsui, 3B Garrett Atkins, SS Cesar Izturis, OF Jose Bautista
Gained: 3B Chipper Jones, RP Brad Lidge, SP Brandon Claussen
Outlook: The Rockies don’t seem to get it – Shane Lindsay can’t through the ball over the plate even if you cut the length from the mound to home plate in half. Signing a flyball pitcher like Brandon Claussen was a mistake. Lidge and Jones are awesome additions, and Jones should see his offensive numbers improve thanks to the thin air in Denver. Joe Koshansky has actually beat out longtime Rockie and fan favorite Todd Helton for a starting job. Todd Helton is still signed through 2011, and at age 35 with declining skills and a massive contract, the Rockies will be hard-pressed to find something to do withhim.
Predicted 2009 Record: 75-87

Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Record: 90-72
Lost: Nobody.
Gained: 3B Miguel Cabrera
Outlook: Take last year’s Wild Card team that won 70 games. Add one of, if not the, best young hitters in the game. What do you get? A team that can easily contend with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West title. That’s all there is to it.
Predicted 2009 Record: 98-64

San Diego Padres
2008 Record: 76-86
Lost: C Josh Bard, SS Khalil Greene, RF Brian Giles, IF Mark Bellhorn, SP Shawn Estes
Gained: NONE
Outlook: Ouch. They lost four of their starting players (Bard, Greene, Giles, Estes) and didn’t replace any of them with anybody. The core of their team is still solid, so they shouldn’t be a total disaster, but they’ll be far from a winning team.
Predicted 2009 Record: 74-88

San Francisco Giants
2008 Record: 59-103
Lost: 2B Ray Durham, SS Clint Barmes, CF Jim Edmonds, RP Steve Kline *Retired*
Gained: SP Carlos Zambrano, 2B Jose Vidro, 1B Richie Sexson
Outlook: 2008 was an absolute disaster for the Giants. This season looks to shape up much better. They’ll still probably be in the cellar of the NL West, though.
Predicted 2009 Record: 72-90

[HoustonGM]

April 2009 12-12
Season Record: 12-12 (2 GB Detroit/Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
First, I’d like to announce that we have tentative plans to build a new stadium at some point in the future. :)

Now, back to our train wreck of a month. Johan Santana was supposed to be the best pitcher in the majors, and he’s gone 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA. The rest of the pitching staff has been just as inconsistent though.

Offensively, things are a tad better. Our middle infielders, Eric Patterson (.172/.287/.264) and Alberto Callaspo (.154/.233/.179) have been the only, albeit major, disappointments. We’ll give them May to turn things around. If they don’t start to show signs of improvement, we’re going to have to shake things up a bit if we want to make our fourth consecutive appearance in the playoffs.

Indians News
April 6 – We made a trade – already. This one was offered to us from Philadelphia.


Cleveland Indians receive:
3B Cam Wilder
1B Bill Woodford
SS Andres Blanco
RP Jesse Carlson

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
SP Chuck Lofgren

Chuck Lofgren has a future as a solid starter in the majors, and it could be here already, but he was blocked behind our brighter pitchers. We received quite a package in return. Cam Wilder, you may recall, was on our prospect watch list back in the 2007 amateur draft. He’s now 20 years old, and his defense is already among the best in the major leagues, despite never playing above Single A. His bat trails his glove by quite a margin, and there’s a chance he’ll never be much of a hitter. His glove will at least get him a career as a utility guy. Bill Woodford, age 19, was the Phillies first round pick in the 2008 draft. He’s got a powerful bat and should develop into a solid middle of the order type. Andres Blanco’s future is a bench player. He has absolutely no power, hitting just 41 doubles and no home runs in 1,129 at bats combined majors/minors. Jesse Carlson is a strong reliever who will get a place in our bullpen immediately. Jose Vaquedano was demoted. When Matt Capps returns from the DL, whichever reliever is performing the worst will be sent to AAA.
April 10 – Adam Miller was injured and will miss at least one start. Joel Santo has been called up to start in his place.
April 16 – Now, Andrew Miller got injured. He’ll be out probably until the end of May. Joel Santo, who allowed two runs in 8 innings in his major league debut, will hold on to a rotation spot and hopes to impress us enough to let him keep it once Andrew returns.

Top Indians Games
April 13 vs. Kansas City (12-1 win) – Jeremy Sowers pitched a complete game, and had a shutout going until the 9th. Andy Marte went 3 for 5 with two home runs and five runs driven in. Kelly Shoppach also launched two home runs. Jeff Baker and Carl Crawford each provided one roundtripper.
April 14 vs. Kansas City (11-7 loss) – I just wanted to mention that Marte hit two more home runs in this game, despite the loss.
April 19 vs. Tampa Bay (10-8 win) – Andy Marte enjoyed his third two-homer game of the season.

News From Around the League
April 8 – The Astros signed second basemen Aaron Miles to play utility.
April 8 – Veteran Mets first basemen Carlos Delgado got his 2,000th career hit.
April 15 – Mets short stop Jose Reyes stole the 300th base of his career.
April 15 – Mets first basemen Carlos Delgado got his second milestone of the month – career home run #500.
April 16 – The Royals, desperate to dump players, found a taker in the Pirates. What an uneven trade…

Kansas City Royals receive:
RP Josh Sharpless

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
C Alan Trottier
SP Bob Keppel
SP Brandon Backe
SS Chris McConnell
CF Joe Dickerson
2B Donnie Murphy
3B Mike Edwards
1B Gary Sheffield
RP Javier Lopez

April 17 – White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko unloaded with his 300th career home run.
April 21 – Dodgers short stop Rafael Furcal stole his 300th career base.
April 23 – Yankee center fielder Johnny Damon drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
April 25 – Giants first basemen Richie Sexson drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
April 27 – Blue Jays third basemen Troy Glaus got his 1,000th career RBI.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (17-7)
AL Central: Detroit/Minnesota (14-10)
AL West: Texas (15-9)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (15-9)

NL East: Philadelphia (18-6)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (18-6)
NL West: San Diego (14-9)
NL Wild Card: New York (16-8)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: CF Grady Sizemore (.337)
Home Runs: 3B Andy Marte (8)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (26)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.438)
ERA (Starter): SP Jeremy Sowers (3.72)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (3.65)
Wins: 5 tied with 2.
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (39)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (4)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.439)
Home Runs: Tigers 1B Jim Thome (10)
Runs Batted In: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (35)
On-Base Percentage: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.535)
ERA: Rangers SP Kip Wells (1.18) !!!!!!
Wins: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (5)
Strikeouts: Mets SP Jason Schmidt (42)
Saves: Pirates RP Mike Gonzalez/Phillies RP Jason Isringhausen/Athletics RP Huston Street (9)

On the Injury Front
April 9 – Freshly signed White Sox shortstop Felipe Lopez has gone down until the middle of September. Lopez missed nearly all of 2006 due to injury, and a fractured wrist in 2008 kept him out of action for a month. The White Sox are forced to go with Pedro Lopez at shortstop.
April 10 – The Orioles lost starting catcher Ramon Hernandez until the All Star Break. A.J. Pierzynski will easily slide in behind the plate, but the O’s are now stuck with nothing at DH, and they’ll likely use a mish-mash of bench players there.
April 11 – Cardinals third basemen Scott Rolen will be out until mid-June due to a fracture in his forearm. Travis Hanson, who batted a miserable .211/.283/.301 in 322 at bats last year, will play in place of Rolen.
April 17 – The Pirates will have to do without second basemen Jose Castillo for the rest of the season. They’ll be going with Craig Stansberry at the cornerstone, who has shown a good eye and decent speed in limited major league time.
April 22 – The Brewers lost second basemen Rickie Weeks until the end of June. Callix Crabbe has seized the starting job and should be more than adequate in Rickie’s absence.
April 25 – The injury bug strikes the Brew Crew again. This news may be worse than the loss of Rickie Weeks. Catcher Johnny Estrada will miss the rest of the season. They’ll go with Lou Palmisano behind the plate.
April 30 – Marlins starter Yusmeiro Petit will miss two months.

[HoustonGM]

I told you, i'm not doing that monthly. Sorry. During the season, I want to focus on my team.

[HoustonGM]

May 2009 15-12
Season Record: 27-24 (3 GB Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
We had a better month, but the pitching is still sucking. Johan Santana has improved a bit, and is now 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA. Bronson Arroyo’s first start with us was solid. He went 8 innings and allowed 3 runs. Carl Crawford is struggling at the plate, as are Eric Patterson and Eric Duncan. We’re going to stick with them though. Travis Hafner is also having an off-year.

Indians News
May 22 – We traded away struggling reliever Matt Capps.

Cleveland Indians receive:
IF Omar Quintanilla
OF Jeff Salazar
RP Chin-Hui Tsao

Colorado Rockies receive:
RP Matt Capps
Tsao will start off in the long reliever spot. Both position player pickups will begin their Indian career in AAA. On an unrelated note, we activated Andrew Miller from the disabled list and sent Joel Santo back to AAA.
May 25 – Infielder Wilson Valdez retired.
May 27 – Jeff Francis got injured and will miss one or two starts. Later this day, we made a trade to boost our pitching staff.

Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Bronson Arroyo

Washington Nationals receive:
OF Brad Snyder
Arroyo was 4-5 with a 2.97 ERA in Washington. He’s a solid mid-rotation guy. We demoted Jesse Carlson to AAA, who’s posted a horrendous 8.49 ERA for us in 23+ innings. Adam Miller was then shifted to bullpen duty. Jeff Salazar was recalled to play off the bench. Also, Eider Torres will get a chance to start at shortstop in the place of struggling Alberto Callaspo, who will play a utility role for now.

Top Indians Games
May 2 vs. Baltimore (6-0 win) – Jeff Francis tossed a complete game 5-hit shutout. Andy Marte hit a grand slam.
May 14 vs. Texas (7-0 win) – Jeremy Sowers pitched a complete game 2-hit shutout. Carl Crawford had three hits, including a solo homerun. He scored 3 times.

News From Around the League
May 2 – Brewers starter Javier Vazquez got his 2,000th career strikeout.
May 2 – Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez got his 2,500th career hit.
May 6 – Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu got his 2,000th career hit.
May 8 – The Royals traded a reliever to the Blue Jays.

Kansas City Royals receive:
SS Alex Gonzalez
2B Victor Dejesus
3B Sean Mirza

Toronto Blue Jays receive:
RP Todd Wellemeyer
May 9 – Jeff Kent retired from baseball. He had a fantastic career and should be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible. Playing the majority of his career at the offensively-challenged position of second base, Jeff Kent compiled a .284/.353/.494 line. He hit 375 home runs. His best season came with the San Francisco Giants in 2000. He hit .334/.424/.596 with 33 home runs and 125 RBI.
May 11 – Twins closer Joe Nathan saved the 200th game of his career.
May 13 – Longtime Yankee closer Mariano Rivera became the second pitcher in history, along with Trevor Hoffman, to save 500 games.
May 13 – Padres center fielder Mike Cameron scored the 1,000th run of his career.
May 17 – Infielder Todd Walker announced his retirement. He spent 13 years in the majors, splitting time between 7 different teams.
May 18 – Royals center fielder David DeJesus hit for the cycle.
May 21 – White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko got his 1,000th career RBI.
May 24 – Cardinals first basemen Albert Pujols scored the 1,000th run of his career.
May 25 – Cubs closer Trevor Hoffman, in the middle of a fine season (2.66 ERA, 12 for 12 in SVs) decided to call it quits. He’s going to make my own virtual Hall of Fame, but Mogul likely won’t induct him.
May 26 – Diamondbacks left fielder Alfonso Soriano hit the 300th home run of his career. He is 22 steals away from joining the 300-300 club.
May 27 – Astros first basemen Lance Berkman hit home run #300 of his career.
May 30 – Reds starter Andy Pettite struck out the 2,000th batter of his career.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (35-18)
AL Central: Minnesota (31-22)
AL West: Texas (29-23)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (32-19)

NL East: New York (32-19)
NL Central: Houston (31-20)
NL West: Arizona (34-18)
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia (31-21)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: RF Jeff Baker (.310)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner/3B Andy Marte (12)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (48)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.382)
ERA (Starter): SP Bronson Arroyo (3.01, 3.38 w/ CLE)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (4.45)
Wins: SP Bronson Arroyo (5, 1 w/ CLE)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (79)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (10)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Pirates C Ronny Paulino (.437)
Home Runs: Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (18)
Runs Batted In: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (57)
On-Base Percentage: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.529)
ERA: White Sox SP Brandon McCarthy (1.44)
Wins: Yankees SP Mike Mussina (10)
Strikeouts: Indians SP Johan Santana (79)
Saves: Blue Jays RP B.J. Ryan (17)

On the Injury Front
May 3 – The Texas Rangers will be without hot-hitting catcher Gerald Laird until early July. Taylor Teagarden, a 25 year old who’s bat lags far behind his glove, is expected to start in Laird’s absence.
May 6 – After running straight into an outfield wall, Royals outfielder Juan Senreiso will be out until August. The Royals will use Ryan Shealy in right, opening up first base for Justin Huber. Contact-artist Angel Sanchez will be DHing for them.
May 7 – The Tigers will be without shortstop Carlos Guillen until early August. Tony Giarrantino will replace him, but their lineup will definitely be hurt by the absence of one of it’s best hitters.
May 19 – The weak Colorado pitching staff lost veteran Aaron Cook for the rest of the year as he undergoes Tommy John Surgery.
May 19 – The Brewers took another hit behind the plate. Johnny Estrada’s replacement, Lou Palmisano, will be out until mid-August. They now have to delve into replacement-level players like Ryan Jorgansen and Mike Rivera.
May 22 – The Brewers are really being hit hard by injuries this year. Next on the disabled list is pitcher Vince Perkins, who will be out roughly the same amount of time as Palmisano.
May 24 – Giants pitcher Matt Morris will be out until the end of September.
May 25 – Royals pitcher Mark Redman will be out until the end of August
May 28 – Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur broke his hip and will be out until the very end of August. Daryle Ward, who hasn’t played regularly since 2005, will start in right field in his place.
May 31 – The Devil Rays lost starting catcher Shawn Riggans for the rest of the year after he was barreled over at home. Rookie John Jaso will get a shot, forming the right-handed side of a platoon with Josh Paul.

[HoustonGM]

June 2009 15-11
Season Record: 42-35 (2.5 GB Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
The beginning of the month was rough, but we finished our final 10 games to an 8-2 tune, keeping us in playoff contention. The pitching continues to improve with the newly-acquired Bronson Arroyo leading the way (4-1, 2.76 ERA since coming to Cleveland). The bullpen is the main cause for concern right now, but we’re hoping Justin Duchscherer will add some oomph to the pen when he returns in a week. Offensively, Eric Patterson has begun heating up, and now sits at .263/.330/.414 with 24 stolen bases. We definitely can improve all around though.

Indians News
June 8 – Carl Crawford stole career base #400.
June 26 – Andy Marte pulled his groin and will miss two weeks. We’re going to go with Bernie Castro at third, and Alberto Callaspo is going to get a second shot at shortstop, moving Eider Torres back to the bench. We also signed Andy Marte to a 4-year extension at $8 million per year. Additionally, we shook up our bullpen a bit with the following trade:

Cleveland Indians receive:
RP Justin Duchscherer
IF D’Angelo Jimenez
OF Brian Stavisky

Oakland Athletics receive:
RP Fernando Cabrera
RP Chin-Hui Tsao
RP Jesse Carlson
Duchscherer is injured and will miss a little over a week, but he’ll provide a boost once he gets healthy. Jose Vaquedano and Cody Bunkelman join the bullpen currently. As always, when Duchscherer returns, whoever is currently struggling will be demoted. Stavisky replaces Jeff Salazar on the bench, and D’Angelo Jimenez gets added in Marte’s spot for the time being.

Top Indians Games
June 3 vs. Tampa Bay (12-7 win) – Eric Duncan went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. Bronson Arroyo pitched well, giving up just 3 runs in 8 innings. Chin-Hui Tsao ended up allowing 4 runs in the 9th.
June 14 vs. Arizona (2-0 win) – Bronson Arroyo (8 innings, 3 hits) and Blaine Boyer combined to shutout the D-backs.
June 18 vs. San Francisco (12-2 win) – Jeff Baker had three hits, including a homer, and drove in 6 runs.
June 19 vs. San Francisco (4-0 win) – Bronson Arroyo once again tossed 8 shutout innings. Ruddy Lugo finished this game out.
June 24 vs. Colorado (3-0 win) – Johan Santana threw 8 shutout 2-hit innings. Blaine Boyer closed it out.
June 25 vs. Colorado (11-7 win) – Carl Crawford had 4 hits and 2 stolen bases.


News From Around the League
June 1 – Long-time short stop Craig Counsell retired after a 14 year career spent on 7 different teams.
June 4 – Mike Mussina, who’s really molded his career into a definite Hall of Fame career in his late 30s, struck out the 3,000th batter of his career.
June 5 – Veteran infielder Rich Aurilia announced his retirement today. He split his 14 year career among the Giants, Padres, Mariners, and Reds.
June 10 – Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada got his 2,000th career hit.
June 10 – Mets closer Billy Wagner saved his 400th career game.
June 11 – Orioles infielder Jose Valentin drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
June 11 – The Yankees picked up a minor league veteran.

New York Yankees receive:
RP Chris Resop

Florida Marlins receive:
SP Tony Armas
C Wil Nieves
June 12 – Angels right fielder Vladimir Guerrero hit his 400th career homer.
June 13 – Astros first basemen Lance Berkman drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
June 15 – The Angels and Nationals swapped players that will all be in AAA after the trade.

Washington Nationals receive:
SP Chris Bootcheck

Los Angeles Angels receive:
SP Mike O’Connor
OF Tony Blanco
SP Rodrigo Lopez
June 16 – Phillies right fielder Jermaine Dye scored the 1,000th run of his career.
June 21 – 2B Mark Loretta announced his retirement. He had a 14-season career, spending time with the Brewers, Astros, Padres, Red Sox, Cubs, and Cardinals.
June 21 – Yankee captain SS Derek Jeter drove in his 1,000th career run.
June 26 – Center fielder Jim Edmonds has decided to hang up his cleats after a 16 year career that saw him play with the Angels, Cardinals, and Giants. He had a .287/.383/.530 line with 383 career home runs. He played in four all star games and collected 8 Gold Gloves.
June 26 – Angels DH Adam Dunn hit home run 300.
June 27 – Ken Griffey, Jr. retired after a storied 20 year career. He is one of just 5 players to have 600 home runs in his career, finishing with 628. Year in and year out up until 2001, Griffey could be counted on for 40 home runs and 130 RBI. Injuries ruined his career from there on out, and never broke the century mark in runs batted in again. He did hit 41 home runs in 2006, but struggled horribly after that. He appeared in 15 all star games, one an MVP award in 1997, and collected 10 Gold Gloves.
June 28 – 2B Ray Durham announced his retirement. His late surge in 2006 helped him make a borderline case for the Hall of Fame. We’ll find out in a few years. He finished with a .284/.357/.452 line with 212 home runs. He also stole 265 bases, while being thrown out 92 times. He appeared in 4 all star games.
June 30 – Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki scored his 1,000th career run.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (54-25)
AL Central: Minnesota (45-33)
AL West: Oakland (45-32)
AL Wild Card: Texas/Toronto (44-34)

NL East: New York (46-33)
NL Central: Houston (43-35)
NL West: Arizona (54-25)
NL Wild Card: San Diego (45-34)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: RF Jeff Baker (.310)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (18)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (74)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.399)
ERA (Starter): SP Bronson Arroyo (2.88, 2.76 w/ CLE)
ERA (Reliever): RP Blaine Boyer (4.15)
Wins: SP Bronson Arroyo (8, 4 w/ CLE)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (118)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (15)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.393)
Home Runs: Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (27)
Runs Batted In: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (79)
On-Base Percentage: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.496)
ERA: White Sox SP Brandon McCarthy (2.50)
Wins: Yankees SP Mike Mussina (13)
Strikeouts: Padres SP Jake Peavy (124)
Saves: Yankees RP Mariano Rivera (25)

On the Injury Front
June 4 – Wow. The Brewers just lost their third catcher for extended time. Ryan Jorgensen will be out until early September. Mike Rivera now gains the starting job, and with no other veteran backup catchers, the Brewers have called 20-year old rookie Brandon Brecks up from A-ball.
June 22 – Dodgers reliever Joe Kennedy will miss the rest of the season.

[HoustonGM]

Yamiviet:

The Rockies are a bad 21-59. 6.23 team ERA.

Matt Holliday leads in avg/hr, .319/21.

IF Corey Wimberly has 20 stolen bases.

On the ptiching side of things...ouch. Team lead in wins is 3, and its all by guys with under 50 IP - SP Juan Morillo (6.19 ERA in 9 starts), RP Brian Fuentes (6.43 ERA), and RP Ramon Ramirez (3.40 ERA). Top starter ERA is 5.34 for Brian Bannister (whos 2-6). Top reliever ERA is former Indian Matt Capps with 2.96, and 1.46 WITH Colorado.

Starter records:

aaron cook (missing the rest of thes eason) 1-6
Shane Lindsay 2-10, 8.32 ERA. 95 K in 74 IP, but 54 BB.
Bannister is 2-6
Jason Jennings is 2-9

[Jam391]

What's goin on with the Phiten Phils, is there core still together, or have they just had bad luck?

[HoustonGM]

What's goin on with the Phiten Phils, is there core still together, or have they just had bad luck?
They're 42-36, 3.5 games behind New York in the East and 2.5 out in the Wild Card.

2006 was horrible, as they lost Chase Utley to injury as well as most of their pitching staff and they ended up losing 100 games.
2007 saw them lose Ryan Howard for half a season, so they finished 83-79.
2008 they finished 85-77.

Theyre core is still there. Rollins, Victorino, Howard, Burrell, Utley, Carlos Ruiz...with Hank Blalock and Jermaine Dye huge additions. Pitching wise, they're roatation at this point is Mike Maroth/Cole Hamels/kYle drabek/mark buerhle/brett myers. Buerhle's leading the staff. Jason Isringhausen is closing.

They'd be a much better team if they weren't in a division with the Mets and Braves.

Anyway, updates right now will be a bit more sporadic. I'm focusing on my Dungeons and Dragons campaign right now, so I might not make any psots on the dynasty for a little. Think of it as a brief hiatus. I'll still respond to any questions and what not.

[Jam391]

Thanks for the Phils update!!!

[HoustonGM]

July 2009 15-12
Season Record: 57-47 (3 GA Minnesota/Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
After the All Star Break, we took 3 of 4 from the Tigers, and swept the Twins, helping us grab first place. Alberto Callaspo has been on an absolute tear. He had a mindblowing .430 batting average in July, boosting his season line to .307/.359/.408. He’s managed to take over the leadoff spot from Carl Crawford.

We have our eyes set on a fourth straight playoff appearance.

Indians News
July 4 – Big blow to our rotation…Bronson Arroyo will be out approximately two weeks after stretching a muscle during his pre-game workouts. Adam Miller will get a few more starts to prove himself in the rotation. Rookie Jensen Lewis has been called up to pitch out of the pen.
July 5 – We get word that Eric Duncan will miss a week. This makes a schedule in which Andy Marte and Duncan will return to the lineup on the same day. We decided to give the week up until the All Star Break to give some guys a chance. We called up rookie and top prospect Jacoby Ellsbury to play in right field, shifting Jeff Baker to first base in Duncan’s absence.
July 7 – Justin Duchscherer will finally be placed on our active roster. Cody Bunkelman was demoted to AAA.

Top Indians Games
July 6 vs. Chicago White Sox (11-3 win) – Carl Crawford had two hits, a walk, and he reached on an error. He created havoc on the basepaths, stealing three bases and scoring all four times he reached base.
July 8 vs. New York Yankees (10-2 win) – Eric Patterson had a great game, collecting three hits, including two solo home runs. Andrew Miller pitched his first strong game of his career, throwing 7 innings of 1-run baseball.
July 19 vs. Minnesota (5-0 win) – Jeff Francis and Edward Mujica combined to throw a shutout.
July 26 vs. Oakland (11-9 win) – Alberto Callaspo continued his torrid hitting, smacking 5 singles and scoring three runs. Grady Sizemore and Carl Crawford both had three hits apiece, with Sizemore hitting a home run.

News From Around the League
July 4 – Rangers left fielder Carlos Lee hit his 300th career homer.
July 9 – Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez saved the 200th game of his career.
July 12 – Your 2009 All Stars:

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Jorge Posada (NYY) 1,064,296 votes
1B : Paul Konerko (CHW) 1,375,905
2B : Ian Kinsler (TEX) 813,077
3B : Troy Glaus (TOR) 1,382,781
SS : Derek Jeter (NYY) 943,354
OF : Manny Ramirez (BOS) 907,578
OF : Vladimir Guerrero (LAA) 837,366
OF : Alex Rios (TOR) 636,981
Bench : Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
Bench : Jose Valentin (BAL)
Bench : Travis Hafner (CLE)
Bench : Jim Thome (DET)
Bench : Alex Gonzalez (KCR)
Bench : Bobby Crosby (OAK)
Bench : Jhonny Peralta (TBD)
Pitcher : Boof Bonser (MIN)
Pitcher : Daisuke Matsuzaka (SEA)
Pitcher : Mike Mussina (NYY)
Pitcher : Brandon McCarthy (CHW)
Pitcher : Cliff Lee (BOS)
Pitcher : Dan Haren (OAK)
Pitcher : Francisco Liriano (MIN)
Pitcher : Kiko Calero (OAK)
Pitcher : Ruddy Lugo (CLE)
Pitcher : John Smoltz (OAK)
Pitcher : Fernando Rodney (DET)

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Brian McCann (ATL) 1,260,706 votes
1B : Lance Berkman (HOU) 1,106,660
2B : Orlando Hudson (ARI) 744,885
3B : Garrett Atkins (CIN) 1,817,429
SS : Bill Hall (SFG) 1,028,938
OF : Jermaine Dye (PHI) 799,571
OF : Andruw Jones (ATL) 723,344
OF : Eric Byrnes (ARI) 707,250
Bench : David Wright (NYM)
Bench : Austin Kearns (CHC)
Bench : Matt Holliday (COL)
Bench : Raul Ibanez (FLA)
Bench : Rafael Furcal (LAD)
Bench : J.J. Hardy (MIL)
Bench : Jack Wilson (PIT)
Bench : Jason Bartlett (WSN)
Pitcher : Jake Peavy (SDP)
Pitcher : Chris Carpenter (STL)
Pitcher : Derek Lowe (LAD)
Pitcher : Mike Hampton (CIN)
Pitcher : Enrique Gonzalez (ARI)
Pitcher : Jason Schmidt (NYM)
Pitcher : Sean Thompson (SDP)
Pitcher : Armando Benitez (SFG)
Pitcher : Cla Meredith (SDP)
Pitcher : Brian Rogers (PIT)
Pitcher : Duaner Sanchez (NYM)
The American League won 6-2, and Manny Ramirez won the MVP by blasting two home runs.
July 13 – The Nationals and Brewers made a trade.

Washington Nationals receive:
RP Joe Beimel

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
C Brian Schneider
1B Josh Whitesell
SP Anastacio Martinez
The move to the nation’s capital is welcomed by Joe Beimel. After a decent 2006, he hasn’t gotten much of a chance in the major leagues, appearing in only 10 games. He’ll get an extended look in the Washington bullpen. Brian Schneider, despite being on the expensive side, will give the Brewers a veteran backstop for now. Johnny Estrada is out for the year, and his replacement Lou Palmisano won’t return until the middle of September. Palmisano’s replacement, Ryan Jorgensen, will return from the DL shortly after Palmisano does. Jorgensen’s replacement, Mike Rivera, just headed to the DL for about two weeks, causing the Brewers to use budding star Ryan Braun behind the plate. The acquisition of Schneider gives them relief at that spot.
July 14 – The Diamondbacks and White Sox made a trade. The trading season is under way!

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
SP Ray Liotta
UTL Rob Mackowiak
OF Aaron Cunningham

Chicago White Sox receive:
3B/1B James D’Antona
D’Antona was blocked by Chad Tracy in Arizona, so the move is a good one for him. The Diamondbacks are rumored to be shopping a prospect in a similar situation, Chris Carter, who’s tearing up AAA to the tune of .400/.506/.654. The White Sox will move Ryan Sweeney from right to center, and then move Michael Cuddyer from left to right. Frank Catalanatto takes over in left, with Josh Fields moving to DH to open up third for D’Antona.
July 18 – The Phillies made a trade to boost their bullpen.

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
RP Chad Cordero
RP Jimmy Gobble

New York Yankees receive:
SP Jugo Salazar
2B Tim Moss
SP Chuck Lofgren
SP Matt Maloney
July 18 – The rumors were true that Arizona was shopping Chris Carter.

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
SP Vince Mazzaro
IF Antonio Perez
SP Jerome Williams
RP Santiago Casilla

Oakland Athletics receive:
1B Chris Carter
OF Scott Hairston
This move puts Nick Swisher back in left field, opening first for Chris Carter. Scott Hairston will serve as the Athletics designated hitter.
July 20 – The Giants solved their quest for a decent second basemen.

San Francisco Giants receive:
IF Joaquin Arias

Texas Rangers receive:
IF Kazuo Matsui
1B Travis Ishikawa
RP Erick Threets
Arias, blocked in Texas at both middle infield spots by Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, will get his long-awaited shot in a big league lineup, manning the cornerstone for the Wild Card hopeful Giants.
July 20 – The Rockies actually found someone to take Shane Lindsay off their hands, but it came at the expense of dealing free agent to be Matt Holliday.

Atlanta Braves receive:
LF Matt Holliday
SP Shane Lindsay

Colorado Rockies receive:
3B Van Pope
SP Kyle Waldrop
SP James Parr
RP Kurtis Andrew
The Rockies picked up a nice package of prospects, including major league ready Van Pope. Blocked at third by former Brave Chipper Jones, Pope welcomes a move to the outfield to replace Matt Holliday. The three pitching prospects the Rockies picked up are all near major league ready. The Braves have moved Zach Miner to the rotation, and will be smarter about Shane Lindsay, not allowing him to pitch in the majors right now. Dave Roberts will shift to right until Jeff Francoeur returns from the DL. This move really opens the floodgates for Atlanta to take a huge lead in the wild card race. They’re also within shouting distance of the Mets in the NL East.

[HoustonGM]

July 24 – The Mets opened up left field completely to Lastings Milledge.

Seattle Mariners receive:
OF Brad Wilkerson

New York Mets receive:
2B Luis Valbuena
Valbuena could take over the second base job from Jorge Cantu come Opening Day 2010. With Ichiro Suzuki injured for about three weeks, Brad Wilkerson will man right field in Seattle.
July 27 – Rockies closer Brad Lidge got the 200th save of his career.
July 29 – The Angels traded away one of their two outstanding catchers.

Chicago White Sox receive:
C Mike Napoli

Los Angeles Angels receive:
RP Scott Strickland
SP Kevin Leake
OF Jerry Owens
This moves the very disappointing Jason Varitek to a backup role. Napoli has trouble hitting for average (.204 career BA), but has tremendous plate discipline, boasting a .387 OBP this year. He has also shown flashes of light tower power, as well as being very adept behind the plate.
July 29 – The Orioles picked up a utilityman with power.

Baltimore Orioles receive:
IF Brooks Conrad

Houston Astros receive:
IF Carlo Cota
C Jason Phillips
July 29 – The once top prospect Oliver Perez will get a shot at proving himself, this time in Tampa Bay. Another failed top prospect, Scott Kazmir, is traded for him. Kazmir’s light is completely out though, while Perez still has a chance to shine.

New York Mets receive:
SP Scott Kazmir
C Luis Landois
OF Kevin Mench
RP Gustavo Delosantos
RP John Ennis
OF Fernando Perez

Tampa Bay Devil Rays receive:
SP Oliver Perez
July 29 – The Astros picked up the disappointment Marcus Thames.

Houston Astros receive:
LF Marcus Thames
P Eude Brito

Kansas City Royals receive:
P Mark McLemore
2B Aaron Miles
OF Eli Iorg
After three straight 40+ homer seasons, Thames had just 17 this year. Thames got injured for three weeks shortly after the Astros acquired him.
July 30 – The Yankees and Nationals made a trade.

Washington Nationals receive:
SP Chuck Lofgren

New York Yankees receive:
RP Saul Rivera
C Devin Ivany
July 30 – The Mets took Todd Helton’s outrageous $17 million per year through 2011 salary off the Rockies hands.

New York Mets receive:
1B Todd Helton
SP Denny Bautista

Colorado Rockies receive:
SP Matt Mardell
SP Phillipe Valiquette
RP Joe Borowski
The Rockies also signed SP Esteban Loaiza.
July 31 – The only day-of-deadline deal was a fairly unimportant one.

Washington Nationals receive:
C Juan Brito
RP John Grabow

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
IF Melvin Dorta

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (75-31)
AL Central: Cleveland (57-47)
AL West: Oakland (61-43)
AL Wild Card: Texas (61-44)

NL East: New York (62-43)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (61-44)
NL West: Arizona (71-34)
NL Wild Card: San Diego (59-47)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: SS Alberto Callaspo (.307)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (24)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (90)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.394)
ERA (Starter): SP Bronson Arroyo (2.67, 2.35 w/ CLE)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (3.43)
Wins: SP Bronson Arroyo (9, 5 w/ CLE)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (150)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (22)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.362)
Home Runs: Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (34)
Runs Batted In: Diamondbacks 3B Chad Tracy (103)
On-Base Percentage: Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.464)
ERA: Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.42)
Wins: Yankees SP Mike Mussina (17)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (167)
Saves: Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (35)

On the Injury Front
July 16 – The Phillies have lost starting pitcher Brett Myers for the rest of the year. Myers three decent years of 30+ starts from 2003-2005, Myers career has been riddled by injuries. He made just 13 starts in 2006, and 15 in 2007. He played nearly a full season in 2008, making 29 starts. This year, 2009, he finishes with 17 starts.
July 26 – The Diamondbacks have lost the defending Cy Young Award winner, Enrique Gonzalez, for the rest of the year. In 18 starts, he was 13-2 with a 3.20 ERA.
July 29 – The ever fragile Mark Prior has another injury to add to his resume – a broken wrist. He’s expected to be ready by next Opening Day, barring any setbacks.

[HoustonGM]

August 2009 20-8
Season Record: 77-55 (5 GA Chicago)

Monthly Wrap-up
We had our best month of the year. However, a few bad outings raised Bronson Arroyo’s ERA to 3.48 total, and 3.82 with us. Chuck Gott and Jensen Lewis, two rookies, anchored our bullpen throughout the month, allowed 6 runs in 28 innings combined. Alberto Callaspo cooled down significantly but is still strong at the top of our lineup. Crawford’s hot streak, though, has caused us to flip flop Crawford back into the leadoff spot.

The following players have been added to our roster for September: OF Jacoby Ellsbury, OF Brian Barton, OF Trevor Crowe, 1B Michael Aubrey, IF Andres Blanco, C Ryan Hanigan, OF Jeff Salazar, IF Omar Quintanilla, C Geovany Soto, P Adam Miller, P Joel Santo, RP Cody Bunkelman, P Jose Vaquedano, and RP J.D. Martin.

Indians News
August 16 – We called up former Arizona 1st round pick, reliever Chuck Gott. Gott has been lights out in the minors, saving 60 games in three years, including 17 saves so far this year at AA Akron. He doesn’t have a high strikeout rate, or even a good strikeout to walk rate, but he’s shown a remarkable ability to control hits, never allowing a batting average over .200.
August 31 – Valuable utility man Bernie Castro will be out until the end of September while he nurses a hand injury. D’Angelo Jimenez takes his spot on the 25-man roster.

Top Indians Games
August 3 vs. Oakland (7-6 win) – Andy Marte went 4 for 5 with 2 homers and 4 RBI.
August 16 vs. Baltimore (13-0 win) – Carl Crawford and Eric Duncan both had 4 hits. Duncan had two homers. Andrew Miller pitched 8 shutout innings, while Jensen Lewis completed the shutout.
August 20 vs. Boston (13-5 win) – Andy Marte had four hits, a homer, and five runs batted in. Jeff Baker had three hits, including two home runs.
August 27 vs. Baltimore (12-8 win) – Eric Duncan had 3 hits, 2 HR, and 5 RBI. Carl Crawford and Grady Sizemore each had 3 hits and 3 RBI.
August 31 vs. Chicago White Sox (13-3 win) – Carl Crawford went 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, 6 runs batted in, and 4 runs scored.

News From Around the League
August 7 – Oakland A’s starting pitcher Pedro Martinez recorded the 250th victory of his career.
August 8 – Red Sox 1B/DH David Ortiz hit the 300th home run of his career, which also gave him the 1,000th RBI of his career.
August 11 – Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal scored the 1,000th run of his career.
August 21 – Yankees backstop Jorge Posada drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
August 23 – Outfielder Moises Alou announced his retirement from the major leagues. His .300/.366/.512 career batting line is very strong, but 363 career home runs and lack of recognition will likely keep him out of the Hall of Fame.
August 24 – Rangers outfielder Carlos Lee scored his 1,000th career run.
August 26 – Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria stole the 300th base of his career.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (92-42)
AL Central: Cleveland (77-55)
AL West: Oakland/Texas (79-53)
AL Wild Card: Oakland/Texas (79-53)

NL East: New York (80-53)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (76-57)
NL West: Arizona (85-47)
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia (74-58)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: RF Jeff Baker (.310)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (30)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (117)
On-Base Percentage: 3B Andy Marte (.378)
ERA (Starter): SP Bronson Arroyo (3.48, 3.82 W/ CLE)
ERA (Reliever): RP Blaine Boyer (3.68)
Wins: SP Jeremy Sowers (12)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (188)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (28)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Pirates C Ronny Paulino (.363)
Home Runs: Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (42)
Runs Batted In: Mets 3B David Wright (123)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.467)
ERA: Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.50)
Wins: Yankees SP Mike Mussina (21)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Francisco Liriano (202)
Saves: Athletics RP Huston Street/Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (43)

On the Injury Front
August 7 – Second base has opened up quicker than expected for the newly-acquired Luis Valbuena. Mets second basemen Jorge Cantu has gone down with an injury for the rest of the season. He finishes at .263/.308/.414, with 11 HR and 53 RBI.
August 23 – Devil Rays DH Jonny Gomes has gone down with an injury that will keep him out of practicing for five months. He finished the year at .266/.384/.506 with 21 HR and 79 RBI.

[HoustonGM]

rockies losing a strong player name holliday stupid mogul. see rockies get first pick
I made that trade. It benefits them. They get rid of a crappy pitcher like Lindsay, and they also get something in return for pending free agent Holliday. They wouldn't have been able to resign him. They've actually improved since trading him - 16-26 since July 20th. 28-65 prior to july 20th.

They're rotation is now guys who can throw the ball over the plate, at least - Jennings, Bannister, Juan Morillo, Claussen, and Loaiza.

Oh, and mroe than likely, the Royals (33-100) will get the first pick. ;p

[HoustonGM]

September/October 2009 19-10
Season Record: 97-65 (9 GA Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
Not much to say…except we really blew away the AL Central and secured a fourth straight playoff appearance. Our final stats:
2009 Batting Stats

2009 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP
Crawford, Carl CLE 158 .296 703 208 21 12 23 50 103 61 9 127 103 .458 .346
Sizemore, Grady CLE 152 .296 608 180 51 7 18 71 134 12 9 120 110 .492 .373
Hafner, Travis CLE 160 .264 594 157 38 0 46 116 150 1 0 114 151 .561 .386
Baker, Jeff CLE 153 .301 582 175 38 5 22 44 139 7 1 92 94 .497 .354
Patterson, Eric CLE 159 .269 558 150 31 12 12 56 110 37 14 99 58 .432 .342
Marte, Andy CLE 143 .285 555 158 41 1 34 64 131 0 0 94 130 .546 .359
Duncan, Eric CLE 152 .215 540 116 19 7 22 85 116 3 0 75 78 .398 .327
Callaspo, Alberto CLE 149 .285 519 148 24 8 7 37 34 3 4 83 56 .403 .340
Martinez, Victor CLE 142 .276 510 141 30 0 12 46 90 2 2 64 80 .406 .335
Stavisky, Brian CLE 69 .181 216 39 7 0 1 35 39 1 0 21 20 .227 .294
Torres, Eider CLE 75 .286 119 34 4 2 1 8 15 6 0 19 14 .378 .328
Castro, Bernie CLE 66 .273 110 30 1 1 0 11 15 10 4 15 6 .300 .339
Shoppach, Kelly CLE 46 .263 99 26 7 0 5 10 32 1 0 11 18 .485 .333
Fiorentino, Jeff CLE 27 .174 86 15 1 0 2 7 9 1 1 9 3 .256 .253
Ellsbury, Jacoby CLE 15 .208 53 11 5 0 0 5 9 6 3 4 4 .302 .276
Salazar, Jeff CLE 10 .212 33 7 3 0 1 4 7 0 1 5 3 .394 .289
Arroyo, Bronson CLE 12 .125 24 3 1 0 0 1 8 0 0 0 3 .167 .160
Santana, Johan CLE 3 .222 9 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 .333 .222
Aubrey, Michael CLE 5 .400 5 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 .400 .400
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 2 .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Francis, Jeff CLE 2 .250 4 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 .250 .400
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 0 .500 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 .500
Jimenez, D'Angelo CLE 3 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Barton, Brian CLE 1 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Soto, Geovany CLE 1 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
2009 Pitching Stats

2009 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9
Sowers, Jeremy CLE 234.2 4.49 34 34 14 12 0 107 61 12.31
Santana, Johan CLE 229.1 3.41 34 34 15 7 0 213 67 11.58
Arroyo, Bronson CLE 215.0 3.60 31 31 15 10 0 149 71 11.55
Francis, Jeff CLE 204.2 4.75 32 32 10 12 0 140 78 12.80
Miller, Andrew CLE 123.0 5.20 20 20 10 5 0 129 47 14.78
Miller, Adam CLE 90.1 6.97 17 14 6 4 0 73 52 16.14
Duchscherer, Justin CLE 88.2 3.65 66 0 9 4 1 82 23 10.35
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 87.2 3.39 68 0 12 6 4 51 41 11.19
Mujica, Edward CLE 77.1 4.89 47 1 7 2 0 64 25 13.50
Boyer, Blaine CLE 49.0 3.86 54 0 4 3 38 49 28 14.33
Santo, Joel CLE 28.2 5.65 5 5 0 4 0 20 15 16.01
Lewis, Jensen CLE 22.2 4.76 15 0 0 1 0 17 7 14.29
Gott, Chuck CLE 21.2 2.49 21 0 0 1 0 17 8 12.05
Vaquedano, Jose CLE 11.2 6.17 5 0 0 1 0 8 5 14.66
Bunkelman, Cody CLE 7.1 9.82 4 1 0 1 0 6 6 19.64

Indians News
No news to report.

Top Indians Games
September 9 vs. Detroit (9-0 win) – Bronson Arroyo pitched 8.2 innings of 2-hit shutout ball. Jensen Lewis came in to get the last out after Arroyo walked two batters in the 9th. Carl Crawford was a perfect 4 for 4 with 2 HR and 4 RBI.
September 13 vs. Kansas City (13-0 win) – Johan Santana and Jensen Lewis combined to shut out the Royals and hold them to just two hits. Grady Sizemore had three hits, including two 3-run home runs. Eric Duncan had two solo homers.
October 1 vs. Kansas City (1-0 win) – This game was truly interesting. Both starters, Jeremy Sowers and Mark Redman, pitched at least INTO the 10th inning. Redman went 9.2 innings, while Sowers went the full 10 for the complete game shutout. Kelly Shoppach hit a home run to boost the Indians to the win.

News From Around the League
September 2 – Oakland third basemen Eric Chavez hit his 300th career home run.
September 4 – Astros first basemen Lance Berkman scored his 1,000th career run.
September 9 – Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez became the sixth player in major league history to hit 600 home runs. At 36 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down and could reach 700 by the time he retires.
September 18 – Mariners DH Aramis Ramirez drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
September 19 – Tigers DH Magglio Ordonez got his 1,000th career RBI.
September 21 – Diamondbacks left fielder Alfonso Soriano scored his 1,000th career run.
September 24 – Just two weeks after Manny Ramirez became the 6th player to hit 600 home runs, Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez became the 7th. He’s just 33 years old and has a strong chance of shattering most home run records.
September 28 – A’s third basemen Eric Chavez drove in his 1,000th career run.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (110-52)
AL Central: Cleveland (97-65)
AL West: Texas (95-67)
AL Wild Card: Toronto (96-66)

NL East: New York (96-66)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (89-73)
NL West: Arizona (105-57)
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia (89-73)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: RF Jeff Baker (.301)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (46)
Runs Batted In: DH Travis Hafner (151)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.386)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.41)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (3.39)
Wins: SP Johan Santana/SP Bronson Arroyo (15, Arroyo 11 w/ CLE)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (213)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (38) – We resigned him for 2 yearsrs/$5.0M per.

MLB Leaders
-Stay tuned for a league leader overview.

On the Injury Front
September 3 –Dodgers first basemen Nomar Garciparra went down with an injury that will keep him out of baseball until next June. After injury-plagued years in 2004 and 2005, Nomar stayed surprisingly healthy from 2006 through now. He struggled mightily throughout 2009, batting .238/.313/.369, with 12 HR and 77 RBI. He may choose to hang up his cleats at some point, but right now he’s planning on coming back once he’s fully healed. The Dodgers will go with James Loney at first.

[HoustonGM]

2009 LEAGUE LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average
American League
1) White Sox 1B Paul Konerko/Twins 1B Justin Morneau (.341)
2) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.329)
3) Rangers CF Gary Matthews/Angels RF Vladimir Guerrero (.321)

National League
1) Pirates C Ronny Paulino (.366)
2) Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.348)
3) Braves LF Matt Holliday (.334)

Doubles
American League
1) Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia/White Sox OF Michael Cuddyer/Blue Jays OF Reed Johnson (53)
2) Blue Jays RF Alex Rios (52)
3) Indians CF Grady Sizemore (51)

National League
1) Mets 3B David Wright (59)
2) Mets SS Jose Reyes (50)
3) Rockies OF Chris Young/Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (49)

Triples
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford/Indians 2B Eric Patterson/Tigers CF Curtis Granderson (12)
2) Devil Rays 2B Ben Zobrist (11)
3) Twins DH Mark Teahen/Athletics 2B Gregorio Petit (10)

National League
1) Diamondbacks SS Stephen Drew/Braves OF Dave Roberts/Rockies CF Cory Sullivan/Giants OF Fred Lewis (11)
2) Phillies CF Shane Victorino/Pirates CF Chris Duffy (10)
3) Mets SS Jose Reyes/Pirates 2B Craig Stansberry/Padres 3B Adrian Beltre (9)

Home Runs
American League
1) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (50)
2) Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (47)
3) Indians DH Travis Hafner (46)

National League
1) Astros 1B Lance Berkman/Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (46)
2) Braves 1B Adam LaRoche (45)
3) Braves LF Matt Holliday (42)

Runs Batted In
American League
1) Indians DH Travis Hafner (151)
2) Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (150)
3) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (149)

National League
1) Mets 3B David Wright (152)
2) Astros 1B Lance Berkman (142)
3) Diamondbacks 3B Chad Tracy (140)

On-Base Percentage
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.456)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.441)
3) White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (.429)

National League
1) Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (.462)
2) Astros 3B Morgan Ensberg (.435)
3) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (.432)

OPS
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (1.077)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (1.059)
3) White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (.997)

National League
1) Reds 3B Garrett Atkins (1.043)
2) Mets 3B David Wright (1.022)
3) Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (1.013)

Hits
American League
1) Angels RF Vladimir Guerrero (217)
2) Blue Jays LF Reed Johnson (213)
3) Indians LF Carl Crawford (208)

National League
1) Phillies CF Shane Victorino (212)
2) Mets SS Jose Reyes (205)
3) Braves LF Matt Holliday/Mets 3B David Wright (204)

Steals
American League
1) Indians LF Carl Crawford (61)
2) Devil Rays 3B B.J. Upton (58)
3) White Sox 3B/LF Josh Fields (40)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (74)
2) Pirates CF Chris Duffy (61)
3) Braves OF Dave Roberts (58)

Pitching
Earned Run Average
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (2.84)
2) Angels SP Jered Weaver (2.96)
3) Mariners SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (2.98)

National League
1) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.35)
2) Dodgers SP Derek Lowe (3.12)
3) Padres SP Jake Peavy (3.30)

Wins
American League
1) Yankees SP Mike Mussina (22)
2) Yankees SP Dontrelle Willis/Athletics SP Dan Haren (19)
3) Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang/Blue Jays SP C.C. Sabathia (18)

National League
1) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter/Diamondbacks SP Brandon Webb (20)
2) Brewers SP Javier Vazquez (17)
3) 5 tied with 16.

Strikeouts
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (243)
2) Indians SP Johan Santana (213)
3) Mariners SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (211)

National League
1) Padres SP Jake Peavy (223)
2) Braves SP Kyle Davies (213)
3) Cardinals SP Anthony Reyes/Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright (195)

Saves
American League
1) Rangers RP Akinori Otsuka (50)
2) Athletics RP Huston Street (44)
3) Blue Jays RP B.J. Ryan (42)

National League
1) Pirates RP Mike Gonzalez (45)
2) Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde/Padres RP Cla Meredith (43)
3) Giants RP Armando Benitez (39)

Defense-Independent ERA
American League
1) Twins SP Francisco Liriano (2.21)
2) Brewers SP Ben Sheets (2.69)
3) Orioles SP Daniel Cabrera (2.93)

National League
1) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.52)
2) Padres SP Jake Peavy (2.77)
3) Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright (2.95)

[HoustonGM]

Game 1 American League Division Series
Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians
Series Tied 0-0

A pure pitching dual between two outstanding pitchers, Johan Santana and Roy Halladay.


Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians
October 4, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Blue Jays (TOR) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 x 2 4 0

TORONTO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
R. Johnson (LF) 5 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .320
A. Lind (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 .312
A. Rios (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .310
T. Glaus (3B) 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 .261
B. Broussard (1B) 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 .294
B. Molina (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
L. Nix (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
H. Luna (SS) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .271
A. Hill (2B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .307
TOTALS 34 7 3 1 1 1 9 0

2B: B. Broussard, R. Johnson
HR: T. Glaus

TORONTO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
R. Halladay 7.0 4 4 0 2 2 5 98 3.12
J. Accardo 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 3.44
TOTALS 8.0 4 4 0 2 2 7 107

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .285
B. Castro (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .273
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .276
K. Shoppach (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
E. Patterson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .269
TOTALS 25 4 4 2 0 2 7 1

2B: G. Sizemore

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Santana 8.0 7 3 1 1 1 8 131 3.41
B. Boyer 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 3.86
TOTALS 9.0 7 3 1 1 1 9 142

WP: J. Santana
LP: R. Halladay
SV: B. Boyer

Temperature: 39F
Wind: 7 MPH (out to left)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 2:47
Player of the Game: Johan Santana

Game 2 American League Division Series
Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Leads Series 1-0

Amazing pitching from Cleveland once again helped lift the Tribe over the Jays.


Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians
October 5, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Blue Jays (TOR) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 x 3 11 0

TORONTO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
R. Johnson (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .320
A. Lind (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .312
A. Rios (RF) 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 .310
T. Glaus (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 .261
B. Broussard (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .294
B. Molina (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .299
L. Nix (CF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .294
H. Luna (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .271
A. Hill (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .307
TOTALS 31 4 2 1 0 1 13 0

2B: T. Glaus

TORONTO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Sabathia 6.2 9 1 1 2 2 3 128 3.92
J. Speier 1.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 36 4.64
J. Accardo 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3.44
TOTALS 8.0 11 1 1 3 3 3 169

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
B. Castro (P) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .273
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 .269
TOTALS 33 11 1 3 1 3 3 1

2B: E. Patterson, E. Duncan, C. Crawford
HR: T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
B. Arroyo 8.2 4 1 0 1 1 13 122 3.60
B. Boyer 0.1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 3.86
TOTALS 9.0 4 2 0 1 1 13 132

WP: B. Arroyo
LP: C. Sabathia
SV: B. Boyer

Temperature: 49F
Wind: 7 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:07
Player of the Game: Bronson Arroyo

Game 3 American League Division Series
Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays
Cleveland Leads Series 2-0

The series continued to be dominated by the home team’s pitching.


Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays
October 7, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 0
Blue Jays (TOR) 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 x 3 7 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 3 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .269
TOTALS 28 5 3 1 1 1 1 0

2B: G. Sizemore
HR: A. Marte

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 7.0 7 4 0 3 3 3 101 4.49
J. Duchscherer 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 3.65
TOTALS 8.0 7 4 0 3 3 3 110

TORONTO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
R. Johnson (LF) 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .320
A. Lind (DH) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .312
A. Rios (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 .310
T. Glaus (3B) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .261
B. Broussard (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .294
B. Molina (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
C. Thigpen (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
L. Nix (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .294
H. Luna (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .271
A. Hill (2B) 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .307
TOTALS 30 7 4 3 0 3 3 0


TORONTO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
F. Garcia 9.0 5 3 1 1 1 1 109 5.07
TOTALS 9.0 5 3 1 1 1 1 109

WP: F. Garcia
LP: J. Sowers

Temperature: 40F
Wind: None (Roof Closed)
Attendance: 50,516
Time: 2:16
Player of the Game: Freddy Garcia

Game 4 American League Division Series
Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays
Cleveland Leads Series 2-1

The Indians finally broke out the bats, trumping Toronto to win the series and proceed to the American League Championship series.


Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays
October 8, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 8 13 0
Blue Jays (TOR) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 5 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 5 3 0 2 2 3 0 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 5 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 5 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .269
TOTALS 39 13 2 8 3 8 7 2

3B: E. Duncan
HR: T. Hafner 2, A. Marte

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Francis 8.0 9 2 0 1 1 4 113 4.75
J. Lewis 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 4.76
TOTALS 9.0 10 2 0 1 1 4 122

TORONTO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
H. Luna (SS) 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
A. Lind (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .312
R. Johnson (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .320
A. Rios (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .310
B. Broussard (1B) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .294
B. Molina (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
L. Nix (CF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .294
J. Hattig (3B) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .167
A. Hill (2B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .307
TOTALS 33 10 2 1 0 1 4 0

2B: B. Molina, H. Luna, R. Johnson

TORONTO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
A. Burnett 5.0 8 0 1 3 3 5 96 4.66
J. Speier 0.2 2 2 0 2 2 1 25 4.64
C. Janssen 3.1 3 0 2 3 3 1 45 5.72
TOTALS 9.0 13 2 3 8 8 7 166

WP: J. Francis
LP: A. Burnett

Temperature: 39F
Wind: None (Roof Closed)
Attendance: 50,516
Time: 2:49
Player of the Game: Travis Hafner

[HoustonGM]

The rest of the Division Series:

The Yankees swept past the Rangers 3-0 with ease.
The Fighting Phil's put up a hard fight against Arizona, forcing a 5-game series, but Arizona came out on top.
The Mets easily swept the Pirates.

[HoustonGM]

Game 1 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Series Tied 0-0

Both starters struggled, but the outstanding Yankee offense trumped the Indians.


Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
October 12, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 5 10 0
Yankees (NYY) 0 1 0 1 2 1 3 0 x 8 9 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 4 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 .269
TOTALS 35 10 4 5 1 5 1 0

2B: G. Sizemore, A. Callaspo
HR: E. Patterson

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Santana 5.2 7 3 2 5 5 11 123 3.41
R. Lugo 1.0 2 2 1 3 3 1 30 3.39
C. Gott 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 3 20 2.49
TOTALS 8.0 9 5 3 8 8 15 173

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 .285
M. Kotsay (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .314
D. Jeter (SS) 4 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 1 0 3 2 0 0 1 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 3 0 2 2 5 0 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 3 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 .281
J. Posada (C) 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 .293
N. Johnson (1B) 3 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 .238
J. Carroll (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .205
TOTALS 31 9 5 8 3 8 15 1

2B: R. Cano, D. Jeter, J. Damon
HR: N. Johnson, R. Cano 2

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Wang 4.2 7 1 1 4 4 0 69 3.13
J. Cox 1.1 2 2 0 1 1 0 33 4.15
M. Myers 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 17 4.38
K. Farnsworth 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15 3.98
M. Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 3.21
TOTALS 9.0 10 4 1 5 5 1 145

WP: M. Myers
LP: R. Lugo
SV: M. Rivera

Temperature: 45F
Wind: 6 MPH (out to right)
Attendance: 57,546
Time: 3:00
Player of the Game: Robinson Cano

Game 2 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
New York Leads Series 1-0

Cy Young candidate Mike Mussina outpitched Bronson Arroyo, though the Yankees needed 10 innings to get the win.


Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
October 13, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 8 0
Yankees (NYY) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 11 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
B. Castro (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .269
TOTALS 36 8 1 2 0 2 5 1

2B: T. Hafner, E. Duncan, J. Baker

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
B. Arroyo 7.2 7 1 1 2 2 8 129 3.60
J. Duchscherer 0.1 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 3.65
C. Gott 1.1 3 0 0 1 1 2 38 2.49
TOTALS 9.1 11 2 1 3 3 10 177

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .285
D. Jeter (SS) 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 4 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 4 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 .281
J. Posada (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .293
N. Johnson (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .238
TOTALS 37 11 2 3 1 3 10 1

3B: D. Jeter
HR: J. Damon

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Mussina 8.0 7 1 0 2 2 4 119 3.11
M. Myers 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 17 4.38
M. Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 3.21
TOTALS 10.0 8 1 0 2 2 5 145

WP: M. Rivera
LP: C. Gott

Temperature: 40F
Wind: 7 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 57,546
Time: 3:05
Player of the Game: Mike Mussina

Game 3 American League Championship Series
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
New York Leads Series 2-0

The Indians took advantage of the inexperienced Tyler Clippard to get their first playoff victory against the Bronx Bombers.


New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
October 15, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Yankees (NYY) 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 12 0
Indians (CLE) 0 2 0 2 3 0 0 0 x 7 6 0

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .285
D. Jeter (SS) 5 5 0 2 1 2 0 0 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 5 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .281
N. Johnson (1B) 3 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 .238
D. Ivany (C) 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .188
C. Wilson (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .295
TOTALS 37 12 2 4 2 4 4 0

2B: D. Ivany, D. Jeter
HR: N. Johnson, D. Jeter

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
T. Clippard 3.2 4 5 1 4 4 3 94 5.61
M. Maloney 3.1 2 3 1 3 3 5 76 5.69
M. Myers 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 4.38
TOTALS 8.0 6 9 2 7 7 8 183

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 .285
B. Castro (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
G. Sizemore (CF) 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 2 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 .215
J. Baker (RF) 3 1 1 2 1 2 1 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 .269
TOTALS 29 6 9 7 2 7 8 3

HR: V. Martinez, J. Baker

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Sowers 6.1 10 2 2 4 4 3 102 4.49
J. Duchscherer 1.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 30 3.65
B. Boyer 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 24 3.86
TOTALS 9.0 12 2 2 4 4 4 156

WP: J. Sowers
LP: T. Clippard
SV: B. Boyer

Temperature: 47F
Wind: 6 MPH (out to right)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:15
Player of the Game: Jeff Baker

[HoustonGM]

Game 4 American League Championship Series
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
New York Leads Series 2-1

Despite a strong offensive performance from Andy Marte, the Yankees, led by a Robinson Cano grand slam got their third win of the series.


New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
October 16, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Yankees (NYY) 3 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0 8 9 0
Indians (CLE) 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 6 12 0

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 5 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 .285
M. Kotsay (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .314
D. Jeter (SS) 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 3 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 2 1 2 1 4 0 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 4 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 .281
J. Posada (C) 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 .293
N. Johnson (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .238
J. Carroll (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .205
TOTALS 35 9 9 8 1 8 7 0

2B: D. Jeter, J. Damon
HR: R. Cano

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
K. Escobar 5.2 9 3 1 5 5 4 117 4.98
M. Myers 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 0 15 4.38
K. Farnsworth 1.0 1 0 1 1 1 1 15 3.98
M. Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3.21
M. Maloney 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 24 5.69
TOTALS 9.0 12 4 2 6 6 5 178

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 5 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 4 3 0 2 2 4 0 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .269
TOTALS 37 12 4 6 2 6 5 0

2B: G. Sizemore
HR: A. Marte 2

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Francis 4.0 5 5 1 6 5 4 96 4.75
J. Lewis 3.1 4 4 0 2 2 2 87 4.76
C. Gott 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 1 19 2.49
TOTALS 9.0 9 9 1 8 7 7 202

WP: K. Escobar
LP: J. Francis
SV: M. Maloney

Temperature: 38F
Wind: 3 MPH (in from left)
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:55
Player of the Game: Robinson Cano

Game 5 American League Championship Series
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
New York Leads Series 3-1

Johan Santana and Chuck Gott combined to shutout the Yankees. We did receive some brutal news after the game – Travis Hafner will miss the rest of the playoffs while nursing an injury to his forearm. We called up rookie Trevor Crowe, who will make his first Major League at bat in the playoffs (he’s been a defensive replacement in 5 games)


New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
October 17, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Yankees (NYY) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Indians (CLE) 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 x 7 8 0

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .285
D. Jeter (SS) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .281
J. Posada (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
N. Johnson (1B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .238
TOTALS 31 6 4 0 0 0 9 1

2B: J. Posada, N. Johnson, H. Matsui

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
C. Wang 4.2 5 0 0 5 5 1 62 3.13
J. Cox 0.1 2 2 1 2 2 1 28 4.15
D. Willis 3.0 1 1 0 0 0 1 40 4.21
TOTALS 8.0 8 3 1 7 7 3 130

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 4 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 .296
T. Hafner (DH) 4 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 .264
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
E. Duncan (1B) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .215
J. Baker (RF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 .301
V. Martinez (C) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .269
TOTALS 31 8 3 7 1 7 3 0

2B: E. Patterson, C. Crawford, A. Callaspo
HR: T. Hafner

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Santana 6.2 4 4 0 0 0 7 144 3.41
C. Gott 2.1 2 0 0 0 0 2 44 2.49
TOTALS 9.0 6 4 0 0 0 9 188

WP: J. Santana
LP: C. Wang

Temperature: 52F
Wind: Calm
Attendance: 43,405
Time: 3:36
Player of the Game: Johan Santana

Game 6 American League Championship Series
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
New York Leads Series 3-2

Mike Mussina completely owned the Indian offense, securing the Yankees third straight World Series appearance.


Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
October 19, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Indians (CLE) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Yankees (NYY) 2 3 0 1 0 5 0 0 x 11 15 0

CLEVELAND ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
C. Crawford (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .296
A. Callaspo (SS) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .285
G. Sizemore (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .296
A. Marte (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .285
J. Baker (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .301
E. Duncan (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .215
V. Martinez (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .276
E. Patterson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .269
T. Crowe (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .000
TOTALS 30 3 1 0 0 0 14 0

2B: V. Martinez

CLEVELAND ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
B. Arroyo 3.2 8 6 2 6 6 6 115 3.60
A. Miller 2.1 6 3 0 5 5 2 82 5.20
C. Gott 2.0 1 1 0 0 0 2 36 2.49
TOTALS 8.0 15 10 2 11 11 10 233

NEW YORK ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
B. Abreu (RF) 5 3 1 2 0 2 0 0 .285
D. Jeter (SS) 3 2 2 2 1 2 1 0 .298
M. Cabrera (LF) 4 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 .304
A. Rodriguez (3B) 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 .298
R. Cano (2B) 4 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 .298
H. Matsui (DH) 4 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 .307
J. Damon (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 .281
J. Posada (C) 3 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 .293
N. Johnson (1B) 4 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 .238
TOTALS 34 15 10 11 2 11 10 0

2B: M. Cabrera, J. Damon
HR: D. Jeter, H. Matsui

NEW YORK ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Mussina 8.0 3 0 0 0 0 13 105 3.11
J. Cox 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 1 17 4.15
TOTALS 9.0 3 1 0 0 0 14 122

WP: M. Mussina
LP: B. Arroyo

Temperature: 47F
Wind: 11 MPH (in from center)
Attendance: 57,546
Time: 3:26
Player of the Game: Mike Mussina

Derek Jeter, who’s batting .526 so far in the playoffs, won ALCS MVP honors.

In what’s becoming a repetitive sight (3 years in a row now), the Mets won the NLCS in 6 games, forcing a Subway Series. The young Luis Valbuena, who batted .350 with a homer and 4 RBI, won the NLCS MVP.

[HoustonGM]

The Mets took the series in 7. Carlos Beltran won the World Series MVP. He had a hit in every game except the first, for a total batting average of .280. His 3 homers and 8 RBI helped lead the way for the Mets.

[HoustonGM]

Team-by-Team Review
Here’s how it’ll go:

Team Name
Predicted Record
Actual Record
Team Batting Line (AVG/OBP/SLG)
Team Earned Run Average
Best Hitter – Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Starting Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Relief Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Breakouts: Breakouts lists the statistics of players who came out of nowhere, had amazing rookie campaigns, had comeback player of the year-type years, etc. Basically, any player who performed greater than ever before, or in the case of comeback players, players who outdid last year’s performance by a large margin.
Outstanding Performances: Listed in Outstanding Performances are the statistics of players who had great years. Your average Manny Ramirez year would show up here. Note that some Breakouts would also qualify as Outstanding Performances. Such players are listed in Breakouts not in Outstanding Performances.
Busts: Listed in Busts are players who performed well below the level they’ve established. Sophomore players who had a significant drop off from their rookie year are also listed here. In some cases, the a player’s 2006 stats are listed for comparison.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
New York Yankees
Predicted Record: 115-47
Actual Record: 110-52
Team Batting Line: .288/.371/.466
Team Earned Run Average: 4.19
Best Hitter: 3B Alex Rodriguez - .298/.441/.618, 50 HR, 149 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Mike Mussina – 22-6, 3.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Mariano Rivera – 1-3, 3.21 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 41 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
SS Derek Jeter - .298/.372/.403, 11 HR, 92 RBI
LF Melky Cabrera - .304/.372/.469, 19 HR, 96 RBI
DH Hideki Matsui - .307/.393/.467, 22 HR, 103 RBI
C Jorge Posada - .293/.373/.548, 32 HR, 115 RBI
SP Chien-Ming Wang – 18-8, 3.13 ERA, 1.23 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Toronto Blue Jays
Predicted Record: 92-71
Actual Record: 96-66
Team Batting Line: .291/.347/.467
Team Earned Run Average: 4.38
Best Hitter: 3B Troy Glaus - .261/.373/.546, 47 HR, 150 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Roy Halladay – 15-8, 3.12 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Brandon League – 3-1, 2.14 ERA, 67 IP, 1.23 WHIP

Breakouts:

Outstanding Performances:
LF Reed Johnson - .320/.376/.471, 14 HR, 102 RBI
DH Adam Lind - .312/.374/.497, 22 HR, 108 RBI
RF Alex Rios - .310/.377/.528, 24 HR, 106 RBI
SP C.C. Sabathia – 18-5, 3.92 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

Busts:
CF Vernon Wells – .267/.318/.437, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 371 AB – An injury cut his season short in the middle of July. It might’ve redeemed himself had he been able to play. A possible trade candidate?

Boston Red Sox
Predicted Record: 84-78
Actual Record: 77-85
Team Batting Line: .277/.352/.433
Team Earned Run Average: 5.21
Best Hitter: LF Manny Ramirez - .329/.456/.621, 37 HR, 122 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Ben Sheets – 14-10, 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jonathan Papelbon – 5-4, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 33 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
3B Mike Lowell - .288/.340/.501, 25 HR, 108 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Baltimore Orioles
Predicted Record: 68-94
Actual Record: 68-94
Team Batting Line: .258/.305/.410
Team Earned Run Average: 4.87
Best Hitter: RF Nick Markakis - .303/.354/.468, 20 HR, 78 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Daniel Cabrera – 13-9, 4.60 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10.45 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Chris Ray – 3-2, 3.46 ERA, .181 BAA, 1.15 WHIP, 34 SV

Breakouts:
IF Angel Chavez - .286/.320/.449, 14 HR, 66 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
1B Ryan Garko - .221/.304/.381, 22 HR, 79 RBI
SP Aaron Harang – 4-10, 5.69 ERA, 1.50 WHIP

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Predicted Record: 65-97
Actual Record: 61-101
Team Batting Line: .260/.325/.417
Team Earned Run Average: 5.20
Best Hitter: LF Elijah Dukes - .290/.398/.512, 22 HR, 102 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jason Hammel – 8-12, 4.45 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Seth McClung – 6-9, 3.20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 132 IP

Breakouts:
IF Angel Chavez - .286/.320/.449, 14 HR, 66 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
CF Rocco Baldelli - .224/.254/356, 11 HR, 67 RBI

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Cleveland Indians
Predicted Record: 100-62
Actual Record: 97-65
Team Batting Line: .274/.344/.455
Team Earned Run Average: 4.62
Best Hitter: DH Travis Hafner - .264/.386/.561, 46 HR, 151 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Johan Santana – 15-7, 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 8.36 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Justin Duchscherer – 9-4, 3.65 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.32 K/9

Breakouts:
IF Alberto Callaspo - .285/.340/.403, 7 HR, 56 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
LF Carl Crawford - .296/.346/.458, 23 HR, 103 RBI, 61 SB
CF Grady Sizemore - .296/.373/.492, 18 HR, 110 RBI
3B Andy Marte - .285/.359/.546, 34 HR, 130 RBI
SP Bronson Arroyo – 15-10, 3.60 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Minnesota Twins
Predicted Record: 90-72
Actual Record: 88-74
Team Batting Line: .273/.339/.401
Team Earned Run Average: 3.75
Best Hitter: 1B Justin Morneau - .341/.415/.566, 27 HR, 117 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Francisco Liriano – 16-13, 2.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 10.14 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Joe Nathan – 4-4, 1.80 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11.63 K/9, 36 SV

Breakouts:
LF Alex Romero - .289/.369/.407, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 24 SB

Outstanding Performances:
C Joe Mauer - .315/.425/.454, 10 HR, 83 RBI
SP Boof Bonser – 14-9, 3.62 ERA, 1.10 WHIP

Busts:
CF Torii Hunter - .229/.294/.398, 20 HR, 75 RBI – He very would could have lost his job to Denard Span.

Chicago White Sox
Predicted Record: 77-85
Actual Record: 86-76
Team Batting Line: .280/.348/.441
Team Earned Run Average: 4.67
Best Hitter: 1B Paul Konerko - .341/.429/.568, 34 HR, 137 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Brandon McCarthy – 15-10, 3.71 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Mike MacDougal – 3-8, 3.72 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10 SV

Breakouts:
OF Michael Cuddyer - .319/.394/.583, 35 HR, 129 RBI
C Mike Napoli - .240/.372/.475, 30 HR, 74 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
OF Ryan Sweeney - .313/.367/.481, 20 HR, 109 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Detroit Tigers
Predicted Record: 85-77
Actual Record: 71-91
Team Batting Line: .255/.312/.401
Team Earned Run Average: 4.60
Best Hitter: 1B Jim Thome - .264/.378/.500, 26 HR, 81 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Justin Verlander – 13-10, 3.34 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Fernando Rodney – 10-6, 2.54 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.41 K/9

Breakouts:
3B Brandon Inge - .260/.324/.491, 35 HR, 104 RBI – Qualifies for a comeback from his horrific .227/.296/.374 2008.

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
LF Craig Monroe - .255/.289/.463, 26 HR, 91 RBI
SP Jeremy Bonderman – 10-18, 5.08 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
SP Miguel Batista – 5-13, 6.20 ERA, 1.76 WHIP

Kansas City Royals
Predicted Record: 61-101
Actual Record: 43-119 They duplicated the Tigers 2003!
Team Batting Line: .243/.298/.378 OMG
Team Earned Run Average: 5.86
Best Hitter: 3B Alex Gordon - .267/.354/.484, 28 HR, 92 RBI, 27 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Zack Greinke – 5-19, 5.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Andrew Sisco – 2-3, 4.50 ERA, .192 BAA, 1.30 WHIP, 20 SVV

Breakouts:
1B Justin Huber - .274/.344/.441, 20 HR, 69 RBI

Outstanding Performances:

Busts:
CF David DeJesus - .223/.278/.307, 2 HR, 27 RBI
RF Ryan Shealy - .233/.285/.362, 14 HR, 64 RBI

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Texas Rangers
Predicted Record: 76-86
Actual Record: 95-67
Team Batting Line: .282/.347/.430
Team Earned Run Average: 4.29
Best Hitter: CF Gary Matthews - .321/.383/.484, 17 HR, 81 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Vicente Padilla – 16-8, 3.90 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Akinori Otsuka – 0-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 50 SV

Breakouts:
RP Scott Feldman – 3-6, 2.85 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
2B Ian Kinsler - .315/.391/.478, 16 HR, 82 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Oakland Athletics
Predicted Record: 92-70
Actual Record: 90-72
Team Batting Line: .259/.335/.409
Team Earned Run Average: 4.40
Best Hitter: 3B Eric Chavez - .263/.368/.442, 23 HR, 91 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Dan Haren – 19-10, 3.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Huston Street – 1-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 44 SV

Breakouts:
SS Bobby Crosby - .269/.350/.429, 21 HR, 93 RBI – After two years of batting averages in the .220’s and an OBP hovering around .300, this year he finally showed signs of why he was once a top prospect.

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Los Angeles Angels
Predicted Record: 81-81
Actual Record: 77-85
Team Batting Line: .259/.321/.424
Team Earned Run Average: 4.63
Best Hitter: RF Vladimir Guerrero - .321/.363/.557, 37 HR, 136 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jered Weaver – 17-6, 2.96 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Francisco Rodriguez – 3-2, 2.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 14.30 K/9, 38 SV Is that K/9 ridiculous, or what?!

Breakouts:
1B Casey Kotchman - .285/.368/.438, 14 HR, 58 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
CF Maicer Izturis - .293/.380/.402, 6 HR, 59 RBI, 17 SB – A leadoff man if there ever was one.

Busts:
SS Erick Aybar - .258/.298/.399, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 39 SB, 29 CS – He finds himself back in AAA…
SP Bartolo Colon – 12-11, 5.33 ERA, 1.33 WHIP


Seattle Mariners
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 78-84
Team Batting Line: .264/.314/.403
Team Earned Run Average: 4.10
Best Hitter: 1B Greg Dobbs - .298/.357/.477, 16 HR, 67 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Daisuke Matsuzaka – 15-9, 2.98 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Emiliano Fruto – 3-5, 2.64 ERA, 1.37 WHIP

Breakouts:

Outstanding Performances:
SP Felix Hernandez – 15-10, 3.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Busts:
1B Derrek Lee - .243/.320/.398, 16 HR, 66 RBI
CF Jeremy Reed - .221/.273/.319, 6 HR, 46 RBI
SP Tim Stauffer – 7-14, 6.43 ERA, 1.59 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

National League East
New York Mets
Predicted Record: 100-62
Actual Record: 96-66
Team Batting Line: .258/.333/.437
Team Earned Run Average: 4.04
Best Hitter: 3B David Wright - .325/.404/.618, 39 HR, 152 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jason Schmidt – 15-8, 3.80 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.40 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Chad Bradford – 5-4, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 10 SV

Breakouts:
SP Philip Humber – 12-9, 3.43 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
SS Jose Reyes - .300/.365/.501, 23 HR, 64 RBI, 74 SB
CF Carlos Beltran - .251/.383/.495, 31 HR, 120 RBI
SP John Maine – 13-5, 3.96 ERA, .214 BAA, 1.11 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Philadelphia Phillies
Predicted Record: 88-74
Actual Record: 89-73
Team Batting Line: .264/.333/.452
Team Earned Run Average: 4.55
Best Hitter: 1B Ryan Howard - .290/.414/.599, 46 HR, 129 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Mike Maroth – 15-12, 3.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jimmy Gobble – 4-1, 1.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
RF Jermaine Dye - .291/.370/.554, 41 HR, 131 RBI
LF Pat Burrell - .246/.360/.492, 34 HR, 105 RBI

Busts:
SS Jimmy Rollins - .234/.288/.406, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 26 SB
SP Cole Hamels – 8-10, 5.59 ERA, 1.52 WHIP

Atlanta Braves
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 83-79
Team Batting Line: .269/.336/.444
Team Earned Run Average: 4.60
Best Hitter: LF Matt Holliday - .334/.383/.607, 42 HR, 126 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Kyle Davies – 11-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.57 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Lance Cormier – 10-5, 3.88 ERA, 1.44 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
C Brian McCann - .329/.405/.597, 35 HR, 113 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche - .272/.341/.562, 45 HR, 132 RBI

Busts:
3B Willy Aybar - .239/.351/.347, 4 HR, 51 RBI
RP Bob Howry – 5-5, 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 26 SV, 12 BS

Florida Marlins
Predicted Record: 66-96
Actual Record: 65-97
Team Batting Line: .239/.297/.370
Team Earned Run Average: 4.63
Best Hitter: RF Bronson Sardinha - .253/.344/.405, 19 HR, 65 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Josh Johnson – 11-12, 4.20 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Travis Bowyer – 3-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.11 K/9

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
NONE

Washington Nationals
Predicted Record: 68-94
Actual Record: 63-99
Team Batting Line: .246/.304/.368
Team Earned Run Average: 4.75
Best Hitter: RF Jacque Jones - .280/.332/.486, 18 HR, 58 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Brian Lawrence - 6-14, 3.74 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Shawn Hill – 4-1, 4.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
LF Rick Ankiel - .224/.282/.404, 24 HR, 86 RBI

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Pittsburgh Pirates
Predicted Record: 78-84
Actual Record: 89-73
Team Batting Line: .277/.338/.415
Team Earned Run Average: 4.49
Best Hitter: C Ronny Paulino - .366/.409/.491, 12 HR, 56 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Tom Gorzelanny – 12-6, 3.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Brian Rogers – 12-6, 1.69 ERA, .173 BAA, 1.01 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Craig Stansberry - .249/.360/.413, 10 HR, 60 RBI
SS Jack Wilson - .285/.320/.385, 6 HR, 52 RBI – Okay 2006, Great 2007, Bad 2088, Okay 2009. Hm…I’ll predict a great 2010.
SP Dan Weber – 8-4, 3.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
CF Chris Duffy - .315/.384/.416, 5 HR, 47 RBI, 61 SB
3B Freddy Sanchez - .323/.356/.418, 6 HR, 97 RBI
1B Kevin Kouzmanoff - .287/.342/.461, 24 HR, 107 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Milwaukee Brewers
Predicted Record: 92-70
Actual Record: 87-75
Team Batting Line: .277/.347/.436
Team Earned Run Average: 4.56
Best Hitter: 3B Ryan Braun - .302/.383/.510, 25 HR, 105 RBI, 26 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jake Westbrook – 14-7, 3.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Bruce Landry – 3-1, 3.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Breakouts:
IF Callix Crabbe - .299/.408/.419, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 23 SB
SS J.J. Hardy - .274/.355/.428, 18 HR, 85 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
LF Gabe Gross - .299/.406/.509, 24 HR, 110 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Houston Astros
Predicted Record: 82-80
Actual Record: 87-75
Team Batting Line: .270/.335/.427
Team Earned Run Average: 4.76
Best Hitter: 1B Lance Berkman - .304/.396/.590, 46 HR, 142 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Roy Oswalt – 16-9, 3.48 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Dan Wheeler – 3-5, 3.18 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 32 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
3B Morgan Ensberg - .251/.435/.511, 34 HR, 102 RBI

Busts:
LF Marcus Thames - .247/.330/.487, 19 HR, 73 RBI

St. Louis Cardinals
Predicted Record: 74-88
Actual Record: 83-79
Team Batting Line: .268/.335/.405
Team Earned Run Average: 4.33
Best Hitter: 1B Albert Pujols - .305/.432/.568, 38 HR, 115 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chris Carpenter – 20-6, 2.35 ERA, 0.97 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Braden Looper – 2-4, 3.70 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Alejandro Machado - .275/.358/.361, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 43 SB

Outstanding Performances:
LF Chris Duncan - .316/.377/.600, 39 HR, 125 RBI
SP Adam Wainwright – 16-7, 3.39 ERA, 1.17 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

Chicago Cubs
Predicted Record: 85-77
Actual Record: 75-87
Team Batting Line: .268/.326/.411
Team Earned Run Average: 4.77
Best Hitter: LF Matt Murton - .331/.388/.483, 19 HR, 99 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Erik Bedard – 12-11, 3.98 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Kerry Wood – 4-1, 4.01 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.49 K/9

Breakouts:
CF Angel Pagan - .278/.341/.460, 20 HR, 72 RBI, 15 SB
2B Brandon Phillips - .282/.331/.465, 25 HR, 66 RBI, 29 SB – Major bounceback from his struggles last year with Cincinnati and Cleveland.
3B Scott Moore - .288/.367/.420, 11 HR, 68 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Gil Meche – 1-8, 7.28 ERA, 1.88 WHIP

Cincinnati Reds
Predicted Record: 73-89
Actual Record: 70-92
Team Batting Line: .255/.328/.382
Team Earned Run Average: 5.26
Best Hitter: 3B Garrett Atkins - .348/.462/.581, 30 HR, 135 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jeff Weaver – 14-12, 4.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Todd Coffey – 6-5, 3.41 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 34 SV

Breakouts:
LF Javon Moran - .308/.349/.386, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 39 SB

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
1B Edwin Encarnacion - .235/.321/.375, 19 HR, 96 RBI
SP Andy Pettite – 6-7, 5.79 ERA, 1.49 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Predicted Record: 102-60
Actual Record: 105-57
Team Batting Line: .274/.341/.446
Team Earned Run Average: 3.87
Best Hitter: 1B Conor Jackson - .332/.409/.547, 29 HR, 127 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Brandon Webb – 20-5, 3.71 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ronald Bay – 4-1, 3.19 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

Breakouts:
RF Carlos Quentin - .257/.365/.455, 25 HR, 106 RBI
SP Micah Owings – 15-8, 3.80 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
SS Stephen Drew - .294/.360/.498, 25 HR, 94 RBI
LF Alfonso Soriano - .265/.354/.511, 37 HR, 112 RBI, 32 SB
3B Chad Tracy - .307/.369/.506, 27 HR, 140 RBI

Busts:
NONE

San Francisco Giants
Predicted Record: 72-90
Actual Record: 84-78
Team Batting Line: .271/.331/.444
Team Earned Run Average: 4.45
Best Hitter: SS Bill Hall - .310/.418/.568, 32 HR, 131 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Noah Lowry – 15-10, 3.73 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jonathan Sanchez – 9-2, 3.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Breakouts:
LF Fred Lewis - .316/.403/.490, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 29 SB

Outstanding Performances:
3B Akinori Iwamura - .290/.382/.534, 32 HR, 125 RBI
1B Richie Sexson - .274/.334/.534, 38 HR, 111 RBI
SP Matt Cain – 11-9, 3.89 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

Busts:
NONE

San Diego Padres
Predicted Record: 74-88
Actual Record: 80-82
Team Batting Line: .240/.303/.380
Team Earned Run Average: 4.07
Best Hitter: 1B Adrian Gonzalez - .280/.346/.449, 23 HR, 87 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jake Peavy – 14-9, 3.30 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.68 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Cla Meredith – 2-1, 1.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 43 SV

Breakouts:
SS Angel Berroa - .276/.303/.382, 7 HR, 37 RBI – Just thought this was worth noting because his 2006-2008 lines were - .193/.232/.286, .165/.198/.241, and .205/.222/.259.

Outstanding Performances:
SP Sean Thompson – 11-14, 3.59 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

Busts:
2B Josh Barfield - .237/.271/.372, 12 HR, 71 RBI, 20 SB, 11 CS
C Rob Bowen - .217/.326/.332, 12 HR, 50 RBI
CF Mike Cameron - .214/.303/.392, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 26 SB

Los Angeles Dodgers
Predicted Record: 74-88
Actual Record: 79-83
Team Batting Line: .258/.329/.402
Team Earned Run Average: 4.23
Best Hitter: 3B Miguel Cabrera - .308/.425/.582, 32 HR, 124 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Derek Lowe – 16-8, 3.12 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jonathan Broxton – 4-6, 2.35 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 11.35 K/9, 9 SV

Breakouts:
CF Matt Kemp - .299/.348/.468, 13 HR, 69 RBI, 31 SB

Outstanding Performances:
SS Rafael Furcal - .293/.363/.436, 16 HR, 89 RBI, 38 SB
C Russell Martin - .299/.377/.432, 10 HR, 82 RBI
RP Eric Gagne – 5-4, 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 13.29 K/9, 19 SV

Busts:
2B Julio Lugo - .222/.280/.331, 10 HR, 52 RBI
1B Nomar Garciaparra - .238/.313/.369, 12 HR, 77 RBI
SP D.J. Houlton – 11-9, 5.77 ERA, 1.41 WHIP
RP George Sherrill – 4-4, 7.08 ERA, 1.80 WHIP

Colorado Rockies
Predicted Record: 75-87
Actual Record: 52-110
Team Batting Line: .262/.326/.416
Team Earned Run Average: 5.81
Best Hitter: 3B Chipper Jones - .321/.418/.582, 29 HR, 92 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Juan Morillo – 9-5, 5.22 ERA, 1.55 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Matt Capps – 2-6, 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Corey Wimberly – .280/.336/.333, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 52 SB
1B Joe Koshansky - .266/.343/.465, 33 HR, 96 RBI
C Chris Iannetta - .291/.373/.440, 15 HR, 67 RBI

Outstanding Performances:

Busts:
SP Jason Jennings – 6-16, 5.64 ERA, 1.71 WHIP
SP Brian Bannister – 5-12, 5.26 ERA, 1.53 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

2008-2009 Offseason

Resigned
NONE

Arbitration
We won our case with 2B Eric Patterson. He’ll have a salary of $5.75 million.
RF Jeff Baker won his case and will make $8.05 million in 2010. He’s a candidate to be traded.
C Kelly Shoppach won his case and will earn $2.6 million. He might be our replacement for Victor Martinez (see below).

Released
We had to let C Victor Martinez test the free agent waters. He was asking for a 4-year deal worth over $7 million per. He’s marginal defensively, and while he’s got a good bat for a catcher, signing a 31 year old catcher for four years at such a price is risky. We’ll try to get him back at a lower price at some point this winter.
We non-tendered Bernie Castro. He was asking for too much to be a reserve player. We like him though and hope to resign him at a lower price.
We non-tendered Brian Stavisky.

[Scooby Moo]

Kansas City Royals
Predicted Record: 61-101
Actual Record: 43-119 They duplicated the Tigers 2003!
Team Batting Line: .243/.298/.378 OMG
Team Earned Run Average: 5.86
Best Hitter: 3B Alex Gordon - .267/.354/.484, 28 HR, 92 RBI, 27 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Zack Greinke – 5-19, 5.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Andrew Sisco – 2-3, 4.50 ERA, .192 BAA, 1.30 WHIP, 20 SVV



"Ouch" is probably an understatement.

[HoustonGM]

Cy Young Award
American League
New York Yankees SP Mike Mussina
22-6, 3.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

Mike did this at age 40. He now enters the free agent market, and should get a lot of money, despite his age.

National League
St. Louis Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter
20-6, 2.35 ERA, 0.97 WHIP

He was the best pitcher in the major leagues this year by far.

Most Valuable Player Award
American League
New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez
.298/.441/.618, 50 HR, 149 RBI

2nd straight MVP award for this guy. Still have doubts? :rolleyes:

National League
New York Mets 3B David Wright
.325/.404/.618, 39 HR, 152 RBI

He’s going to be a great talent for years to come.

Rookie of the Year Award
American League
Detroit Tigers RP Eulogio De La Cruz
2-2, 4.29 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, .247 BAA, 3 SV

A kind of odd choice. He didn’t do anything particularly well.

National League
Colorado Rockies LF Van Pope
.238/.322/.381, 8 HR, 66 RBI

Oh, come on. This is a bad choice. His own teammate, Corey Wimberly, would probably have been a better choice. No doubt that Pope will improve next year, and he’s a better talent than other guys like Wimberly, but his season sucked.


Gold Glove Awards
American League
Gold Glove (P): Jeremy Sowers (CLE) (1)
Gold Glove (C): Mike Napoli (CHW) (2)
Gold Glove (1B): Ryan Shealy (KCR) (1)
Gold Glove (2B): Aaron Hill (TOR) (1)
Gold Glove (3B): Troy Glaus (TOR) (2)
Gold Glove (SS): Michael Young (TEX) (3)
Gold Glove (LF): Melky Cabrera (NYY) (3)
Gold Glove (CF): Alex Romero (MIN) (1)
Gold Glove (RF): Carl Crawford (CLE) (1)

Shealy only played half his season at first. Wow.

National League
Gold Glove (P): Chris Carpenter (STL) (2)
Gold Glove (C): Russell Martin (LAD) (2)
Gold Glove (1B): Nomar Garciaparra (LAD) (2)
Gold Glove (2B): Orlando Hudson (ARI) (2)
Gold Glove (3B): Ryan Braun (MIL) (1)
Gold Glove (SS): J.J. Hardy (MIL) (1)
Gold Glove (LF): Shane Victorino (PHI) (3)
Gold Glove (CF): Pat Burrell (PHI) (1)
Gold Glove (RF): Luke Scott (HOU) (1)

So I don’t think we’ll ever again see guys like Brooks Robinson or Jim Kaat or Greg Maddux. You know, guys who win year after year…because apparently this new generation of sportswriters just likes to hand out tons of awards to first time winners, even if there’s better choices (I’m looking at you Ryan Shealy, Alex Romero, Pat Burrell, and Luke Scott).

[HoustonGM]

INDIANS ANNOUNCE THAT NEW STADIUM IS READY!

The Indians will be moving to their new park - Verizon Field - for the 2010 season. The park has been designed in a fashion that brings in more in line with an average pitcher/average hitter's park, rather than a hitter's park.

The dimensions are:

335 to Left
370 to Left Center
415 to Center
396 to Right Center
334 to Right

The stadium will seat 41,000 fans. It's located in downtown Cleveland, and shouldn't provide much of a hassle for fans to reach.

[HoustonGM]

With baseball’s revenue booming, teams are expected to overpay a lot of players in this very deep free agent class. There’s no shortage of free agents, and no shortage of cash to spend.

Catcher
Teams Interested In C: Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Ramon Hernandez, Bengie Molina, John Buck, A.J. Pierzynski, Gregg Zaun, Dioner Navarro, Johnny Estrada, Ivan Rodriguez, David Ross, Brian Schneider, Gerald Laird, Henry Blanco, Mike Redmond, Mike Lieberthal, Miguel Olivo

The catching market is saturated with talent. Mauer, Martinez, Hernandez, Molina, Buck, Pierzynski, Zaun, Navarro, Estrada, Rodriguez, and Laird are all more than capable at holding down starting jobs. Mauer’s an absolute stud and the most attractive catcher on the market. Many teams have holes behind the plate, but there’s no shortage of talent to fill those gaps.

Catcher Predictions
Joe Mauer – Baltimore, 5 Yrs/$50M
Victor Martinez – Cleveland, 3 Yrs/$18M
Ramon Hernandez – Houston, 3 Yrs/$15M
Bengie Molina – Washington, 2 Yrs/$10M
A.J. Pierzynski – Minnesota, 3 Yrs/$11M
Gregg Zaun – Florida, 1 Yr/$3M
Dioner Navarro – Cincinatti, 2 Yrs/$4M
Johnny Estrada – Padres, 3 Yrs/$12M
Ivan Rodriguez – Texas, 1 Yr/$5M
Gerald Laird – Detroit, 3 Yrs/$17M

First Basemen
Teams Interested In 1B: Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays
Free Agents: Justin Morneau, Ben Broussard, Richie Sexson, Kevin Youkilis, Greg Dobbs, Chris Shelton, Travis Lee, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi

Justin Morneau, coming off an outstanding walk year, is the mostly highly-prized possession here. Broussard and Sexson provide reliable 5-spot type batters. Youkilis and Dobbs are in the same mold. They don’t have much power, can play both corner infield and corner outfield positions, and hit for good contact and get on base. They should find a job easily. Garciaparra is an injury-risk, but if a team signs him at a low price, he’s a low-risk, high-reward type of player.

First Base Predictions
Justin Morneau – Toronto, 5 Yrs/$65M
Ben Broussard – Detroit, 3 Yrs/$20M
Richie Sexson – Cincinnati, 2 Yr/$14M
Kevin Youkilis – San Francisco, 3 Yrs/$15M
Greg Dobbs – Minnesota, 1 Yr/$3.5M

Second Basemen
Teams Interested In 2B: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals
Free Agents: Mark Ellis, Julio Lugo, Placido Polanco, Brian Roberts, Marlon Anderson, Kazuo Matsui, Aaron Miles, Adam Kennedy, Ronnie Belliard, Jose Valentin, Jose Castillo, Tony Graffanino, Neifi Perez

There’s no star talent at this position. Most of the guys are in a similar mold – contact hitters, little power, average eyes, decent defense.

Second Base Predictions
Mark Ellis – Atlanta, 3 Yrs/$12M
Julio Lugo – Houston, 3 Yrs/$15M
Placido Polanco – Los Angeles (NL), 2 Yrs/$8M
Brian Roberts – Baltimore, 3 Yrs/$14M
Marlon Anderson – Cincinnati, 2 Yrs/$7M
Kazuo Matsui – Washington, 2 Yrs/$5M
Jose Castillo – Minnesota, 1 Yr/$4M
Jose Valentin – Florida, 1 Yr/$4M

Third Basemen
Teams Interested In 3B: Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays
Free Agents: Troy Glaus, Joe Crede, Mark DeRosa, Mike Lowell, Hank Blalock

There isn’t a large quantity of available third basemen, but the few that are on the market are huge assets. Troy Glaus is coming off a 47 homer season and should receive plenty of offers. Crede provides a powerful bat and solid defense. DeRosa can shift all over the diamond if needed. Lowell and Blalock are also very capable of starting.

Third Base Predictions
Troy Glaus – Texas, 4 Yrs/$55M
Joe Crede – Toronto, 4 Yrs/$40M
Mark DeRosa – Philadelphia, 2 Yrs/$14M
Mike Lowell – Minnesota, 2 Yrs/$14M
Hank Blalock – No Prediction

Outfielders
Teams Interested In OF: Baltimore Orioles (LF,CF), Boston Red Sox (RF), Cincinnati Reds (LF,CF,RF), Detroit Tigers (LF,CF,RF), Florida Marlins (CF), Kansas City Royals (LF,CF,RF), Los Angeles Dodgers (RF), Milwaukee Brewers (LF,CF,RF), Oakland Athletics (LF,CF), San Diego Padres (RF), San Francisco Giants (CF,RF), St. Louis Cardinals (CF,RF), Texas Rangers (CF), Toronto Blue Jays (LF,CF,RF), Washington Nationals (RF)
Free Agents: Reed Johnson, Carlos Lee (LF,DH), Jason Bay (LF), Luke Scott, Craig Monroe, Josh Willingham (1B,LF), Shannon Stewart, Garret Anderson (LF), Frank Catalanatto, Gabe Gross, Gary Matthews, Rocco Baldelli, Mike Cameron, Alex Rios, Jonny Gomes (1B,RF,DH), Wily Mo Pena, Franklin Gutierrez, Ryan Freel (UTL), Chris Denorfia, Xavier Nady (1B,RF,LF), Milton Bradley, Mike Lamb (1B,3B,LF,RF), Magglio Ordonez (RF,DH), Jacque Jones, Dave Roberts

Alex Rios is the biggest name here, although there are a lot of strong candidates. Jason Bay had a down year last year, but he’s still fairly young and has some good years ahead of him. Carlos Lee’s defense in left is extremely shaky, so he’d benefit from staying in the AL and DHing. Gabe Gross has developed nicely and could provide assistance all over the outfield. Gary Matthews is getting up there in age but is still a strong player all around. Jonny Gomes should have a good year or two left in him. Mike Cameron is still strong on defense although his bat has definitely slown down. Reed Johnson is a great guy all around. Josh Willingham excelled in limited time in Tampa Bay and deserves another chance to start.

Outfield Predictions
Reed Johnson – Los Angeles (NL), 3 Yrs/$30.5M
Carlos Lee – Baltimore, 3 Yrs/$27M
Jason Bay – Milwaukee, 3 Yrs/$27M
Josh Willingham – Detroit, 2 Yrs/$10M
Gabe Gross – St. Louis, 4 Yrs/$40M
Gary Matthews – Detroit, 2 Yrs/$18M
Mike Cameron – Texas, 1 Yr/$5M
Alex Rios – Boston, 5 Yrs/$75M
Jonny Gomes – San Francisco, 3 Yrs, $17M
Ryan Freel – Kansas City, 2 Yrs/$10M
Xavier Nady – Washington, 2 Yrs/$8M
Mike Lamb – San Diego, 2 Yrs/$9M
Magglio Ordonez – Cincinnati, 1 Yr/$4.5M

Starting Pitcher
Teams Interested In SP: All teams except Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Free Agents: Mike Mussina, Vicente Padilla, Javier Vazquez, Doug Davis, Casey Janssen, Zack Greinke, Horacio Ramirez, Mark Buerhle, Ricardo Rodriguez, Kris Benson

Pitching is at a premium. Thus, teams are going to overspend on these guys. Mussina’s coming off a Cy Young year and apparently wants out of New York. This should be interesting.

Starting Pitcher Predictions
Mike Mussina – Los Angeles (NL), 2 Yrs/$25M
Vicent Padilla – Toronto, 4 Yrs/$40M
Javier Vazquez – Boston, 3 Yrs/$30M
Doug Davis – Boston, 3 Yrs/$27M
Casey Janssen – Colorado, 1 Yr/$4M
Zack Greinke – Colorado, 2 Yrs/$14M
Horacio Ramirez – Washington, 2 Yrs/$13M
Mark Buerhle – San Diego, 1 Yr/$4.5M
Ricardo Rodriguez – Kansas City, 2 Yrs/$8M
Kris Benson – Chicago (NL), 1 Yr/$5M

Relief Pitchers
Teams Interested In RP: All teams except Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Oakland Athletics.
Free Agents: Akinori Otsuka, Pedro Feliciano, Chris Ray, Jason Isringhausen, Armando Benitez, Brett Tomko, Salomon Torres, Mark Hendrickson, Joe Borowski

Four guys on the market were closers last year, and closers are always highly-wanted.

Reliever Predictions
Akinori Otsuka – St. Louis, 2 Yrs/$16M
Pedro Feliciano – Boston, 3 Yrs/$9M
Chris Ray – Chicago (NL), 3 Yrs/$16M
Jason Isringhausen – Cincinnati, 1 Yr/$6.5M
Armando Benitez – Baltimore, 2 Yr/$10M

[HoustonGM]

Some trades were made:


Toronto Blue Jays receive:
RP Pat Neshek
SP Scott Baker
OF Chris Parmelee

Minnesota Twins receive:
CF Vernon Wells


Washington Nationals receive:
1B Nick Johnson
SS Marcos Vechionacci

New York Yankees receive:
1B Lyle Overbay
RP Chris Bootcheck
SP Marcus Castro


Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
SP Luke Hochevar

Kansas City Royals receive:
CF Justin Upton
SP Vince Mazzaro
SP Evan MacLane

[HoustonGM]

The Indians made a few trades.


Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Clint Everts
SP Junkei Nakanashi
OF Tim Freeman
SP Max Scherzer
RP Juan Lara

Washington Nationals receive:
SP Adam Miller
RF Jeff Baker
Miller wasn't panning out. Moving Baker allows us to start Jacoby Ellsbury. We also want to get Trevor Crowe in the lineup, but all the outfield spots are now taken. If Ellsbury falters, Crowe will take over immediately. Clint Everts is a 25 year old with a bright future. He was 5-5 with a 4.21 ERA in 20 starts last year with the Nationals. He also struck out 130 batters in 121 innings. Nakanishi was the Nationals first round pick last year, but he's like 3 years or so away from reaching the majors. Tim Freeman is a fringe prospect. Lara is a former Indian, but he'll likely pitch in AAA unless he's needed. Max Scherzer is a career minor leaguer.

With the extra starting pitcher in tow, we were able to trade an expensive starter in Jeff Francis.


Cleveland Indians receive:
2B Jose Vallejo
RP Nick Masset
C Jesse Fairfield

Texas Rangers receive:
SP Jeff Francis
1B Stephen Head
Vallejo has a future as a utilityman, although he could start at second for a lesser team. Nick Masset is an immediate asset in the bullpen. He can strick guys out and has good control, as evidenced by his 117:34 K:BB ratio in 121.2 IP last year.

[HoustonGM]

I overlooked the shortstop position in free agency. Just for a quick overview...Miguel Tejada...Nick Punto, David Eckstein, Lusi Castillo, Cesar Izturis, Jason Bartlett, Adam Everett, Juan Uribe, Angel berroa, bernie castro....

[HoustonGM]

I was right on in my Troy Glaus prediction. He went to Texas, although for 3 years and a total of $44.4 million.

The Yankees added Pedro Feliciano to their bullpen, at $5.3 million per year for the next two years and Vicente Padilla to their rotation at 3 years, $22 million.

The Royals were a surprise player in the Reed Johnson sweepstakes, signing him to a 3 year, $32.7 million deal. They also made a huge improvement by adding Gerald Laird (4 years, $26.4 million) to catch.

The Rockies signed Armando Benitez (2 yrs, $12M) to their bullpen, and also added SP Kris Benson (2 yrs, $8M) and CF Rocco Baldelli (3 yrs, $18M). And in the biggest surprise ever, the Rockies signed one of the most prized players on the market, Justin Morneau. His contract is worth $72 million over 5 years. His numbers should skyrocket in the favorable offensive environment of Coors Field. The addition of Morneau made Joe Koshansky expendable, and they shipped him to Detroit for SP Chad Durbin and SP Jordan Tata.

The Twins signed Marlon Byrd to backup Vernon Wells in center, and added Dioner Navarro (3 years, $9.9M) as a replacement for the departed Joe Mauer.

The Reds came out of nowhere to make their second huge signing in the past two years, signing prized right fielder Alex Rios to a 4 year, $54.8 million deal. Rios and Garrett Atkins now make up nearly half of the Reds payroll alone.

It’s becoming a trend this offseason – small market teams shelling out the big bucks for sought-after free agents. The Nationals opened up their pocketbooks to give LF Carlos Lee a 3 year, $29.4 million deal AND CF Gabe Gross a 3-year, $30.3 million deal.

Like I said, the Twins just signed Miguel Tejada to a 3 year deal worth in the vicinity of $32 million per.

The Tigers made a big splash by signing Cy Young Award winner Mike Mussina to a 2 year deal worth over $26 million. They added Jonny Gomes on a 3-year deal worth a bit over $19 million total. And in another big signing, they added Jason Bay (3 years, $25.2M). The signings just keep coming in…they added Javier Vazquez to their rotation at 2-years, $8 million per.

The Blue Jays resigned Ben Broussard, and added Joe Crede to replace Troy Glaus, signing him to a 3-year, $23 million contract.

The Cubs succeeded in acquiring closer Chris Ray for two years.

[HoustonGM]

In a surprise beyond all proportions, the Devil Rays came out on top of the Joe Mauer sweepstakes, inking him to a 4-year deal worth $42 million.

The Blue Jays signed Richie Sexson to a 1-year contract worth $7.2 million. He’ll become their every day first basemen, while Ben Broussard becomes their regular designated hitter. They were also able to agree to 1-year deals with CF Gary Matthews and SP Doug Davis. With the addition of Davis, Freddy Garcia became expendable and they shipped him off for a pair of players who will definitely be useful.

Toronto Blue Jays receive:
SS Hainley Statia
OF Juan Rivera

Los Angeles Angels receive:
SP Freddy Garcia
C Neil Brooks
Statia and Rivera both immediately secure starting jobs.

The Phillies signed Mike Lowell as their replacement for Hank Blalock on a 1 year deal.

The Brewers signed former Indian Brian Stavisky to a one-year deal.

The Cardinals signed Akinori Otsuka to a 2-year deal. They also traded reliever Tyler Johnson to the Astros for OF Charlton Jimerson.

Mark DeRosa signed with the White Sox to play right field for 2 years, and the ChiSox also signed SP Casey Janssen to a 4 year contract worth roughly $25 million.

The Brewers signed OF Mike Cameron and SP Horacio Ramirez for one year.

The Orioles signed IF Julio Lugo (2 yrs/$12M) and 3B Hank Blalock (1 yr/$6M).

The Red Sox added David Eckstein on a one year term.

The Diamondbacks and Nationals made a trade.

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
SP Francis Beltran
SP Jeff Bradford
LF Kory Casto
RP Shawn Hill

Washington Nationals receive:
2B Emilio Bonifacio
This trade gives the 24-year old Bonifacio a chance at a starting job. He was blocked behind Orlando Hudson in Arizona.

The Padres signed C Ramon Hernandez to a two-year contract worth $13 million and LF Josh Willingham to a two-year contract worth $10 million.

The Giants signed 1B Kevin Youkilis to a 3-year, $15 million contract.

[HoustonGM]

2010 Amateur Draft
With the first overall pick in the draft, the Royals selected the powerful first basemen Leon Cobas out of Virginia University.

Our picks went like this.

1) 3B Josh Tobey – Powerful, good eye, very healthy.
2) SP Ricky Tobin – Excellent poise on the mound. Just 20 years old.
3) SP John Boone – Strong fastball and excellent array of pitches.
4) LF Wilfredo Gerero – The best eye in the draft.
5) RP Tony Hazlett – The consensus top prospect remaining at this point in the draft.
6) 1B Jesse Sullivan – Nothing special

[HoustonGM]

The White Sox signed Zack Greinke to pitch out of the bullpen.

The Yankees signed SP Brandon Claussen, who was once one of their best prospects. He’s since floundered out. SP Ricardo Rodriguez will also head to the Bronx. They signed outfielder Joey Gathright and RP Salomon Torres, too.

The Brewers signed catcher David Ross and resigned Xavier Nady.

We, the Indians, were able to resign Victor Martinez had a substantial discount, inking him to a 2-year, $8 million contract.

The Orioles signed reliever Jason Isringhausen.

The Cardinals signed outfielder Ryan Freel, who will man center in St. Louis.

The Angels added two outfielders – Milton Bradley and Ryan Church.

The Red Sox added Chris Shelton and Chris Denorfia.

The Astros signed Franklin Gutierrez.

During spring training, Clint Everts added a slider to his arsenal.

[HoustonGM]

Some additional signings:

C Gregg Zaun – Orioles
C Johnny Estrada – Reds
C Ivan Rodriguez – Tigers
C Mike Lieberthal – Marlins
C A.J. Pierzynski - Nationals
1B Jason Giambi – Yankees
SP Mark Mulder – Yankees
IF Bernie Castro – Indians

SS Jose Reyes signed a 5-year extension worth over $70 million to stay with the Mets.

We released a few excess pitchers – Luis Gonzalez, Nick Pesco, J.D. Martin, Dan Denham, Ray Murietta, and Carlos Villanueva. All except Murietta opted for retirement.

Still on the free agency pile: SS Jason Bartlett, SS Nick Punto, 2B Mark Ellis, OF Luke Scott, SS Adam Everett, 1B Nomar Garciaparra, RF Wily Mo Pena, RF Magglio Ordonez, 2B Placido Polanco, C John Buck, SS Juan Uribe, 2B Marlon Anderson, 2B Jose Valentin, IF Angel Berroa, IF Cesar Izturis, OF Mike Lamb, 1B Greg Dobbs, IF Luis Castillo, 2B Adam Kennedy, OF Dave Roberts, OF Jacque Jones

[Kyyrewyyoae]

This was a good read; keep it up. It's painful to read how bad the Royals suck though.

[HoustonGM]

This was a good read; keep it up. It's painful to read how bad the Royals suck though.
They might be on their way to at least a semi-okay year. They're in a tough division.

CF Justin Upton (84/96)
2B Jeff Keppinger (79)
LF Reed Johnson (92)
3B Alex Gordon (92)
1B Justin Huber (86)
RF Ryan Shealy (85)
C Gerald Laird (86)
DH Adam Donachie (81)
SS Alex Gonzalez (79)

1B Carlos Pena (73)
IF Angel Sanchez (78)
OF David DeJesus (77)
OF Jason Ellison (68)
OF Juan Senreiso (78)

SP Bill Hocknell (88)
SP Adam Eaton (81)
SP Evan MacLane (81)
SP Nate Robertson (74)
SP Chris Nicoll (78)

CL Andrew Sisco (78)
SU Josh Sharpless (81)
SR Matt Wise (79)
SR Jorge de la Rosa (83)
MR Julio Pimental (82/85)
LR Mark McLemore (77)

[HoustonGM]

Forgot this: Mets signed 2B jose castillo for one year

[HoustonGM]

25 man rosters.

Lineups are vs. righties, * indicates platooning.

[HoustonGM]

super through rockies are going to be worse than royals
I doubt it.

With Morneau, their lineup is nasty. The pitching finally looks a little better.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
Baltimore Orioles
2009 Record: 68-94
Lost: C Ramon Hernandez, 2B Jose Valentin, 3B Joe Crede, 3B David Bell, 3B Melvin Mora, IF Scott Spiezio, C A.J. Pierzynski, SS Juan Uribe, OF Joey Gathright, OF John Rodriguez *RETIRED*, RP Chris Ray, SP Aaron Harang
Gained: 3B Hank Blalock, 2B Julio Lugo, RP Jason Isringhausen
Outlook: They lost a large chunk of their roster to free agency, but they look like a better team this year. Their division will surely hamper them, though. In a weaker division, they’d likely a see a fairly mediocre record, maybe 79-83. In the AL East, though, they’re looking at 4th or 5th place.
Predicted 2010 Record: 72-90

Boston Red Sox
2009 Record: 77-85
Lost: 3B Mike Lowell, IF Cesar Izturis, IF Clint Barmes, OF Wily Mo Pena, OF Jose Cruz, 1B Chris Shelton, 1B Kevin Youkilis, IF Neifi Perez, OF Ryan Church, SP Horacio Ramirez, RP Keith Foulke *RETIRED*, RP Matt Clement *RETIRED*,
Gained: SS David Eckstein, 1B Chris Shelton, OF Chris Denorfia
Outlook: Their lineup is, and has always been, extremely potent. However, they’ve sunk to mediocrity lately due to poor pitching. Their pitching staff this year is anchored by ace Ben Sheets, but has two unproven starters manning the back of the rotation – Daniel Bard and David Pauley. If they’re pitching staff pitches just a bit above average, they’ll contend for the Wild Card.
Predicted 2010 Record: 83-79

New York Yankees
2009 Record: 110-52
Lost: OF Aaron Guiel *RETIRED*, SP Mike Mussina, RP Julio Santana *RETIRED*, RP Chris Schroder *RETIRED*, SS Marcos Vechionacci, 1B Nick Johnson, RP Mike Myers *RETIRED*
Gained: 1B Lyle Overbay, RP Chris Bootcheck, SP Marcus Castro, RP Pedro Feliciano, SP Vicente Padilla, SP Brandon Claussen, SP Ricardo Rodriguez, OF Joey Gathright
Outlook: Most of their offseason additions will be in the minors as insurance. Overbay, Feliciano, and Padilla are the only players who made the team out of spring training. Other than that, it’s the same old story, a division title and likely league title.
Predicted 2010 Record: 106-56

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2009 Record: 61-101
[Lost: CF Rocco Baldelli, 2B Ronnie Belliard, LF Josh Willingham, 1B Travis Lee, RF Jonny Gomes, RP Tyler Walker *RETIRED*
Gained: C Joe Mauer
Outlook: They’re only free agent signing was absolutely huge. The entire lineup the Devil Rays will field on Opening Day is 28 years old or younger. Ben Zobrist, at 28, is the oldest of the bunch, and Jhonny Peralta is 27. Mauer’s 26, and everyone else is 25 or under. Not only is it young, it’s extremely talented. The pitching staff is the only cause for concern on the team. They won’t contend this year, but if they develop some pitching, they’ll likely have a playoff caliber team by 2012, if not next year.
Predicted 2010 Record: 70-92

Toronto Blue Jays
2009 Record: 96-66
Lost: C Bengie Molina, 3B Troy Glaus, OF Reed Johnson, OF Alex Rios, SP Casey Janssen, CF Vernon Wells, SP Freddy Garcia, C Neil Brooks
Gained: SP Scott Baker, RP Pat Neshek, OF Chris Parmelee, 3B Joe Crede, 1B Richie Sexson, OF Juan Rivera, SS Hainley Statia, CF Gary Matthews, SP Doug Davis
Outlook: They look like an entirely different team this year. However, they’ll still be a team in playoff contention. What they won’t do is repeat their 96 win season.
Predicted 2010 Record: 88-74

[hosh1314]

im going with the red sox to win this division.. i dont see the yankees holding it together

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Chicago White Sox
2009 Record: 86-76
Lost: OF Gabe Kapler, IF Luis Castillo, OF David Dellucci, OF Frank Catalanatto, SP Mark Hendrickson, SP Jose Contreras *RETIRED*
Gained: IF/OF Mark DeRosa, SP Zack Greinke
Outlook: The White Sox weren’t very active during the winter. Mark DeRosa will be a useful tool as the primary right fielder. If any holes open up, he can immediately fill in elsewhere. Full years from Mike Napoli and James D’Antona will be a huge help.
Predicted 2010 Record: 86-76

Cleveland Indians
2009 Record: 97-65
Lost: OF Brian Stavisky, SP Jeff Francis, 1B Stephen Head, SP Adam Miller, RF Jeff Baker
Gained: SP Clint Everts, SP Junkei Nakanashi, OF Tim Freeman, SP Max Scherzer, RP Juan Lara, 2B Jose Vallejo, RP Nick Masset, C Jesse Fairfield
Outlook: Another very active offseason for the Tribe. They’re lineup is likely to produce more than it did last year, which was quite a lot. If Jacoby Ellsbury falters at all, Trevor Crowe is itching for a chance in the majors. In the bullpen, Chuck Gott has earned a roster spot with a decent spring and strong showing in September of last year. If he falters, 24-year old prospect Jake Moser is likely to get the call. With their new ballpark, their pitching should enjoy a nice boost in their statistics.
Predicted 2010 Record: 98-64

Detroit Tigers
2009 Record: 71-91
Lost: 2B Placido Polanco, LF Craig Monroe, DH Magglio Ordonez, RF Franklin Gutierrez, IF Tony Graffanino, RP Pedro Feliciano, SP Chad Durbin, SP Jordan Tata
Gained: 1B Joe Koshansky, SP Mike Mussina, LF Jason Bay, RF Jonny Gomes, SP Javier Vazquez
Outlook: They opened up their pocketbooks this offseason to sign two excellent outfielders and two outstanding pitchers, including defending Cy Young award winner Mike Mussina. These four signings, along with the addition of Koshansky to play first and let Thome DH, should help the Tigers easily get back into the playoff races.
Predicted 2010 Record: 86-76

Kansas City Royals
2009 Record: 43-119
Lost: 2B Marlon Anderson, 2B Aaron Miles, 3B/LF Pedro Feliz, IF Alex Cora, OF Marlon Byrd, SP Zack Greinke, RP Salomon Torres, RP Joel Peralta *RETIRED*, SP Luke Hochevar
Gained: CF Justin Upton, SP Evan MacLane, SP Vince Mazzaro, OF Reed Johnson, C Gerald Laird
Outlook: Can the Royals finally see a season of less than 100 losses? Justin Upton is ready to post an excellent rookie year, and Reed Johnson and Gerald Laird provide a much needed offensive boost to the lowly Royal team. Their pitching staff is shaky, but can produce at least at a league average rate. Due to the competitiveness of their division, they’ll likely see another last place finish, although it will be more respectable than their record-tying 119 loss season in 2009l
Predicted 2010 Record: 65-97

Minnesota Twins
2009 Record: 88-74
Lost: C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, IF Nick Punto, IF Adam Everett, C Mike Redmond, OF Shannon Stewart, RP Pat Neshek, SP Scott Baker, OF Chris Parmelee
Gained: CF Vernon Wells, OF Marlon Byrd, C Dioner Navarro, SS Miguel Tejada
Outlook: The Twins look to offset the massive losses of Mauer and Morneau by adding Vernon Wells and Miguel Tejada. However, it’s most likely that while Wells and Tejada will produce, they won’t produce enough to get wrestle the division crown from Cleveland. A wild card berth is a possibility, but with the White Sox, Tigers, and Indians all outstanding, it’s going to be tough.
Predicted 2010 Record: 83-79

[HoustonGM]

im going with the red sox to win this division.. i dont see the yankees holding it together
Thanks for the input. The Yankees have had two straight seasons with a TEAM OBP of .370 or higher, and they'll likely make that three this year. I'm expecting drops in performance from Posada and Cano, but Lyle Overbay will be an upgrade from Nick Johnson. Their offense is just as potent as it's always been. Pitching, a rotation of Wang, Clippard, Willis, Padilla, and Escobar is very strong. It's also five proven starters, while the Red Sox have three proven starters, one of whom (Jon Garland) is wildly inconsistent. I don't see how the Red Sox could upset the Yankees, although a Wild Card berth is a strong possibility..

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Los Angeles Angels
2009 Record: 81-81
Lost: NONE
Gained: OF Milton Bradley, OF Ryan Church
Outlook: They’re starting lineup and rotation is identical to last year. The additions of Bradley and Church upgrade their bench, but the effect of that is marginal at best. Expect a similar, if not identical, season.
Predicted 2010 Record: 81-81

Oakland Athletics
2009 Record: 92-70
Lost: OF Chris Denorfia, OF Milton Bradley, RP John Smoltz *RETIRED*
Gained: NONE
Outlook: Despite lineups that on paper look mediocre, the Athletics have proven again and again that they’re a competitive team. Their 7-9 hitters are going to be shaky, but their top of the lineup will produce big. 24-year old phenom Brian Scott anchors the back end of an extremely powerful rotation. They’re going to contend for the AL West title again.
Predicted 2010 Record: 93-69

Seattle Mariners
2009 Record: 78-84
Lost: 1B Greg Dobbs, SP Kris Benson
Gained:NONE
Outlook: The Mariners make three teams in the division that are virtually identical to last year. Despite a strong pitching staff, the Mariners will likely come up empty and finish in last in the division.
Predicted 2010 Record: 79-83

Texas Rangers
2009 Record: 95-67
Lost: LF Carlos Lee, 3B Mark DeRosa, CF Gary Matthews, IF Kazuo Matsui, C Gerald Laird, SP Vicente Padilla, RP Akinori Otsuka, 2B Jose Vallejo, RP Nick Masset, C Jesse Fairfield
Gained: SP Jeff Francis, 1B Stephen Head, 3B Troy Glaus
Outlook: The Rangers weren’t expected to take charge of the division last year, but they did. However, they’ve lost a good chunk of their division winning team – Lee, DeRosa, Matthews, Laird, Padilla, Masset, and Otsuka. Troy Glaus will add awesome power to the middle of the lineup, but Jeff Francis, who declined last year, has a strong chance at declining more due to the offense-friendly environment of Ameriquest Field. They’ll likely lose the division to Oakland.
Predicted 2010 Record: 86-76

[HoustonGM]

National League East
Atlanta Braves
2009 Record: 83-79
Lost: 2B Brian Roberts, OF Dave Roberts, SP Ricardo Rodriguez, SP Mark Mulder
Gained: None
Outlook: They’ve moved Lance Cormier to the rotation, not wanting to take a chance on Shane Lindsay. They’re lineup is absolutely explosive, and their pitching isn’t too shabby. Outside of the Marlins, the entire NL East looks competitive, and the Braves will be right in the thick of the playoff race come August and September.
Predicted 2010 Record: 88-74

Florida Marlins
2009 Record: 65-97
Lost: 2B Adam Kennedy, 1B/3B/OF Wes Helms, IF Junior Spivey, IF Henry Mateo *RETIRED*, OF Eric Reed *RETIRED*
Gained: C Mike Lieberthal
Outlook: They’re in for another season down in the dumps. With the loss of Adam Kennedy, and the inability to resign him, they’re forced to go with perennial disappointment Dan Uggla, who’s career line of .222/.280/.337 in 1860 at bats is despicable. They’re rotation is young and dominant, but their offense is severely lacking.
Predicted 2010 Record: 66-96

New York Mets
2009 Record: 96-66
Lost: OF Shawn Green
Gained: 2B Jose Castillo
Outlook: The defending World Champs look fairly similar this year. They’re in for another playoff appearance, but if any injuries hit, the Phillies, Braves, and Nationals will exploit the chance and make a run at the division title.
Predicted 2010 Record: 96-66

Philadelphia Phillies
2009 Record: 89-73
Lost: 3B Hank Blalock, SP Mark Buerhle, RP Jason Isringhausen
Gained: 3B Mike Lowell
Outlook: Mike Lowell is a huge upgrade over the middle-of-the-road Hank Blalock. The addition of Chad Cordero midseason last year allowed the Phillies to let go of aging closer Jason Isringhausen. Outside of Lowell, their lineup is identical to the one they’ve fielded for two straight years. The top of their rotation with Maroth, Drabek, and Hamels is strong, but Wolf and Myers could disappoint,
Predicted 2010 Record: 88-74

Washington Nationals
2009 Record: 63-99
Lost: C Gregg Zaun, SS Jason Bartlett, RF Jacque Jones, RP Brett Tomko, 1B Lyle Overbay, RP Chris Bootcheck, SP Marcus Castro, SP Clint Everts, SP Junkei Nakanashi, OF Tim Freeman, SP Max Scherzer, RP Juan Lara, RP Shawn Hill, LF Kory Casto, SP Francis Beltran, SP Jeff Bradford
Gained: 1B Nick Johnson, SS Marcos Vecchionacci, SP Adam Miller, RF Jeff Baker, CF Gabe Gross, LF Carlos Lee, 2B Emilio Bonifacio
Outlook: The Nationals are in for a gigantic turn around. Through trades and free agency, they’ve gotten themselves an explosive outfield of Lee, Gross, and Baker. Emilio Bonifacio is a speedy contact hitter who also draws plenty of walks. He’s looking at his first starting job and could prove to be an excellent catalyst for the now potent National offense. Nick Johnson returns to the capital for another go around. Marcos Vecchionacci is a strong prospect, who’s shifted from third to shortstop to get a starting job. The pitching could be decent. The Nationals have a shot at contending this year.
Predicted 2010 Record: 84-78

[HoustonGM]

National League Central
Chicago Cubs
2009 Record: 75-87
Lost: NONE
Gained: RP Chris Ray
Outlook: Ray bolsters their bullpen, but outside of that, they’re fielding an identical lineup as last year. They might lose a few games in the standings though.
Predicted 2010 Record: 73-89

Cincinnati Reds
2009 Record: 70-92
Lost: C David Ross, C Dioner Navarro, C Miguel Olivo, 2B Mark Ellis, IF Anderson Machado, UTL Ryan Freel, SP Andy Pettite *RETIRED*
Gained: RF Alex Rios
Outlook: They’ve tied up half their payroll in Alex Rios and Garrett Atkins, but they provide scary forces in the middle of the Cincinnati lineup. Outside of those two players, though, their lineup is full of replacement-level players. They’re pitching staff is also fairly below-average.
Predicted 2010 Record: 68-94

Houston Astros
2009 Record: 87-75
Lost: C John Buck, C Mike Lieberthal, SS Miguel Tejada, OF Luke Scott, 1B/3B/OF Mike Lamb
Gained: OF Franklin Gutierrez
Outlook: They’ve lost a good portion of production from their lineup and didn’t do anything to replace it. Asdrubal Cabrera is a rookie who’s likely reached his potential and is an absolutely enormous downgrade from Miguel Tejada. Their pitching staff is strong, but their offense is a liability.
Predicted 2010 Record: 81-81

Milwaukee Brewers
2009 Record: 87-74
Lost: C Johnny Estrada, OF Gabe Gross, C Brian Schneider, SP Javier Vazquez, SP Doug Davis
Gained: OF Brian Stavisky, OF Mike Cameron, SP Horacio Ramirez, C David Ross
Outlook: They’ve lost a major force in their lineup in Gabe Gross, as well as two of their starting pitchers. Horacio Ramirez and Make Cameron won’t match the production and the Brewers will likely slip into mediocrity in 2010.
Predicted 2010 Record: 80-82

Pittsburgh Pirates
2009 Record: 89-73
Lost: LF Jason Bay, 1B Gary Sheffield *RETIRED*, 2B Jose Castillo
Gained: None
Outlook: A Josh Kroeger/Adam Boeve platoon won’t match the production Jason Bay gave them. Losing Jose Castillo was fine, as they played all but 12 games without him last year and still managed to win their first division title in a very long time. They’re pitching staff is similar to that of the Florida Marlins – young and dominating. They’ll likely contend for a playoff spot, although it’s no guarantee.
Predicted 2010 Record: 86-76

St. Louis Cardinals
2009 Record: 83-79
Lost: SS David Eckstein, RP Julian Tavarez *RETIRED*, RP Tyler Johnson
Gained: RP Akinori Otsuka, OF Charlton Jimerson, OF Ryan Freel
Outlook: The loss of David Eckstein isn’t all that bad because they’ve had Juan Lucena waiting in the wings for a while. Akinori Otsuka will sure up their bullpen drastically, as will getting rid of Tyler Johnson, who’s posted two straight years of 7.00 ERA ball. Ryan Freel is a massive upgrade in center over Reid Gorecki. They’ll find themselves in playoff contention.
Predicted 2010 Record: 88-74

[HoustonGM]

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks
2009 Record: 105-57
Lost: CF Justin Upton, SP Evan MacLane, SP Vince Mazzaro, 2B Emilio Bonifacio
Gained: SP Luke Hochevar, RP Shawn Hill, LF Kory Casto, SP Francis Beltran, SP Jeff Bradford
Outlook: They gave up some of their future in Upton, Bonifacio, and Mazzaro, but with players of equal talent higher in the organization, it was okay. They only significant upgrade they made was the addition of Luke Hochevar to their rotation. Hochever missed all of 2009 following Tommy John surgery, but he’s fully healthy and ready to go. They’ll likely be atop the division come the playoffs.
Predicted 2010 Record: 102-60

Colorado Rockies
2009 Record: 52-110
Lost: 1B Jason Giambi, OF Garrett Anderson, 1B Sean Casey, IF Cristian Guzman, SP Brandon Claussen, SP Esteban Loaiza *RETIRED*, RP Joe Borowski, P Chan Ho Park *RETIRED*, 1B Joe Koshansky
Gained: RP Armando Benitez, 1B Justin Morneau, SP Kris Benson, CF Rocco Baldelli, SP Chad Durbin, SP Jordan Tata
Outlook: Last year, the Rockies joined the Royals in the depths of Major League Baseball. This year, they’ll likely ascend to mediocrity. The addition of Morneau upgrades their lineup, and his numbers should skyrocket in the favorable offensive environment of Coors Field. Immediately prior to this writing, the Rockies released one of the free agent signings, Armando Benitez, as he failed to make the team out of spring training. They’re pitching has finally rid itself of the horrors that were Samuel Deduno and Shane Lindsay, and it should experience a slight upgrade.
Predicted 2010 Record: 77-85

Los Angeles Dodgers
2009 Record: 79-83
Lost: IF Julio Lugo, 1B Nomar Garciaparra
Gained:
Outlook: This offseason was the second straight winter that the Dodgers were fairly quiet. They failed to produce like I expected last year. This year, they’ve shifted Miguel Cabrera across the diamond to make room for Blake DeWitt at third, who’ll start the year platooning with Wilson Betemit. They’ll be in the middle of the pack, but likely won’t contend for the playoffs.
Predicted 2010 Record: 81-81

San Diego Padres
2009 Record: 80-82
Lost: SS Angel Berroa, OF Mike Cameron, C Henry Blanco, RP Mike Adams *RETIRED*
Gained: C Ramon Hernandez, LF Josh Willingham
Outlook: Willingham produced an outstanding .292/.364/.513 line in 277 at bats with Tampa Bay last year. The Padres shouldn’t expect that kind of production, especially considered the pitching-friendly environment of their home field, but they’ll like get more out of the corner outfield spots this year (with Willingham and McAnulty) then they did last year (with McAnulty and Damon Hollins). Ben Johnson has finally received a starting job, and their pitching is decent. They have an outside shot at Wild Card contention.
Predicted 2010 Record: 84-78

San Francisco Giants
2009 Record: 84-78
Lost: 1B Richie Sexson, RP Armando Benitez,
Gained: 1B Kevin Youkilis
Outlook: Kevin Youkilis is next to man the ever-revolving first base position in San Francisco. He signed a three year contract, so barring a surprise prospect, he’ll solidify that position for the Giants. Their pitching staff is incredibly shaky, and their offensive, while decent, isn’t enough to offset that. Expect a slide in the standings.
Predicted 2010 Record: 76-86

[HoustonGM]

April 2010 14-10
Season Record: 14-10 (Tied 1st w/ Minnesota)

Monthly Wrap-up
Arroyo, Sowers, and Miller have all been shaky. We really need them to step things up if we want to win the division. Trevor Crowe has cooled down from his hot start, but we still like him at first base. Jacoby Ellsbury has stepped up his production, and the two have an average OBP of .400. We love the plate discipline our team is showing this year. Andy Marte has the lowest OBP on the team, with a .286, due mostly to his slumping .216 average. Despite a .218 batting average, Eric Patterson is getting on base 34% of the time. Outside of Marte, everyone has an OBP above .340, and four players are above .400. In the pen, Ruddy Lugo has pitched 10.2 scoreless innings. We decided to demote Chuck Gott in favor of Jake Moser.

Indians News
April 6 – Andy Marte will miss one week. In an effort to finally get Trevor Crowe some playing time, we decided to shift Eric Duncan to third and let Crowe work at first for the week.
April 14 – Crowe demolished the ball in his tryout week, and has forced Eric Duncan, who has proven that he can’t hit for a respectable average, out of town.

Cleveland Indians receive:
RP Rafael Soriano
RP Justin Baur
SP Jake Rose
SS Edmun Arzon

Seattle Mariners receive:
1B/3B Eric Duncan
RP Edward Mujica
We get ourselves a dominant reliever who’s signed at a nice price ($4.8 million per year) for three more years, as well as three of the top prospects in the Seattle system.
April 22 – We extended Blaine Boyer’s contract by one year. He’ll make $5.5 million next year.

Top Indians Games
April 4 vs. Chicago White Sox (7-2 win) – Opening Day went well. Carl Crawford started things off with 4 hits, a homer, and 2 RBI.
April 6 vs. Chicago White Sox (10-2 win ) – Crawford continued pounding the ball, collecting 4 more hits, another home run, and 2 more RBI.
April 7 vs. Chicago White Sox (11-3 win) – What a nice way to start the year. Beating a division rival 28-7. Carl Crawford hit a homer for the third straight game. Trevor Crowe was 1 for 2 with 2 walks in his major league debut at the plate (he played some games in the field, but never hit).
April 16 vs. Kansas City (13-3 win) – Carl Crawford had four hits and drove in two runs. Jacoby Ellsbury had a single, two doubles, and a triple – good for 6 RBI.
April 21 vs. Seattle (3-0 win) – Johan Santana went 8.2 shutout innings, and Blaine Boyer finished off the final out.

News From Around the League
April 3 – A rash of signings. The A’s signed Wily Mo Pena, IF Aaron Miles, OF Choo Freeman, OF Tim Raines, IF J.J. Furmaniak, OF Matt Diaz and 1B/3B Wes Helms. The Blue Jays added IF Nick Punto and C Mike Redmond. The Tigers signed RP’s Matt Childers and Mark Hendrickson. The Phillies extended Ryan Howard’s contract by four years. He’ll make a total of $70.4 million over the course of the contract. Lance Berkman will make a similar annual salary, but was extended by the Astros for just two years. The Braves signed Brian McCann to a 3-year extension worth $52.2 million, a record for a catcher.
April 9 – Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter stole the 300th base of his career.
April 12 – The A’s released a bunch of players, including some recently signed guys – OF Choo Freeman, 1B/3B Wes Helms, OF Charles Thomas, OF Matt Diaz, P Shane Komine, and P Jesse Foppert.
April 13 – The Rockies signed IF’s Jason Bartlett and Kazuo Matsui.
April 16 – The Astros have brought SS Adam Everett back to Houston.
April 17 – The Yankees signed C John Buck, and the Dodgers signed 2B Brian Roberts.
April 26 – Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell hit his 300th career homer.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (17-7)
AL Central: Cleveland/Minnesota (14-10)
AL West: Seattle/Los Angeles (13-11)
AL Wild Card: Cleveland/Minnesota (14-10)

NL East: Philadelphia (16-8)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (16-7)
NL West: Arizona (17-6)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (14-9)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: LF Carl Crawford (.389)
Home Runs: LF Carl Crawford (5) Hafner’s severely slumping in the power department with just 2 home runs.
Runs Batted In: LF Carl Crawford (23)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.430)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.48)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (0.00)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (4)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (35)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (3)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Dodgers LF Delwyn Young (.409)
Home Runs: Tigers RF Jonny Gomes/Mets CF Carlos Beltran (9)
Runs Batted In: Tigers RF Jonny Gomes (32)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.549)
ERA: Diamondbacks SP Livan Hernandez (0.36)
Wins: Dodgers SP Chad Billingsley/Mariners RP Cesar Jimenez (5)
Strikeouts: Red Sox SP Ben Sheets (40)
Saves: 4 tied with 7.

On the Injury Front
April 9 – Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen snapped his wrist on a dive at third and will likely be out for the rest of the season. Rookie 3B Alfredo Solorzand will take the opportunity to try and prove his worth.
April 12 – The Marlins lost one of their few decent bats, Bronson Sardinha, for two months. Jeremy Hermida will get his long awaited shot at starting.
April 16 – The Padres lost newly-signed C Ramon Hernandez until after the All Star Break. Rob Bowen once again seizes the starting job.
April 23 – The Blue Jays lost starter A.J. Burnett until the end of July. Rookie Ricky Romero takes over the rotation spot.
April 30 – Star Reds third basemen Garrett Atkins will be out until the very end of September! He was riding a streak of three straight years with a line over .330/.415/.580. IF Ray Olmedo will try (read: fail) to fill the void at the hot corner.

[HoustonGM]

May 2010 16-11
Season Record: 30-21 (4 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
We’ve managed to gain a decent lead in the division race, but we’re going to be hanging on by the edge of our hand if we don’t step things up. Our lineup has all sunk below .400 on the OBP scale, but we’re still way above average.

Jacoby Ellsbury has began to slump, and now sits at .236/.317/.360. Trevor Crowe, though, is shaping up into a very good future leadoff man, showing excellent speed (18 SB in 21 chances) and great on-base abilities. Pitching though is horrendous. Our entire rotation has ERA’s above 5 except Johan Santana who sits at 3.65. Jeremy Sowers and Bronson Arroyo will both be actively shopped unless they start to step things up quickly. We’re going to hang on to Andrew Miller (7.11 ERA) and Clint Everts (5.36 ERA) due to their young age.

Indians News
None to report.

Top Indians Games
May 5 vs. Kansas City (11-8 win) – Carl Crawford had four hits, three runs, and four runs batted in. Kelly Shoppach had three hits, including a homer and 4 RBI.
May 13 vs. Boston (6-0 win) – Johan Santana (7.2 IP) and Jake Moser (1.1 IP) combined to shutout the BoSox. Jacoby Ellsbury went 3 for 4 with two RBI.
May 13 vs. Kansas City (15-5 win) – Andy Marte broke out the lumber and smashed three home runs, driving in 7 runs in all.

News From Around the League
May 3 – Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano stole his 300th career base, giving him entrance into the 300 HR-300 SB club.
May 3 – Tigers starter Mike Mussina won his 300th career win. Quite a milestone.
May 6 – Marlon Anderson has retired after spending twelve seasons on seven different teams.
May 6 – Casey Blake retired.
May 8 – Devil Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine hurled a no-hitter, allowing five walks.
May 11 – The Padres and Yankees made a trade.

San Diego Padres received:
RP Chris Resop
RP T.J. Beam

New York Yankees receive:
RP Michael Skryme
3B Matt Antonelli
May 23 – Braves CF Andruw Jones got his 2,000th career hit.
May 24 – Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins scored his 1,000th career run.
May 27 – Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano drove in his 1,000th run.
May 27 – The Yankees and Giants swapped mediocre pitchers.

New York Yankees receive:
RP Michael Tejera

San Francisco Giants receive:
SP Tim Redding
May 29 – Outfielder Jacque Jones announced his retirement at age 34. He finishes with a career line of .281/.329/.468 and 231 career home runs.
May 29 – Phillies 3B Mike Lowell got his 1,000th career RBI.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (34-18)
AL Central: Cleveland (30-21)
AL West: Los Angeles (26-25)
AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay (27-25)

NL East: Atlanta (33-19)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (31-21)
NL West: Arizona (34-16)
NL Wild Card: New York (30-21)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: SS Alberto Callaspo (.338)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (11)
Runs Batted In: CF Grady Sizemore (40)
On-Base Percentage: SS Alberto Callaspo/DH Travis Hafner (.397)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.65)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (1.52)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (8)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (80)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (12)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Twins LF Denard Span (.379)
Home Runs: Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (18)
Runs Batted In: Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (52)
On-Base Percentage: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.458)
ERA: Dodgers SP Derek Thompson (2.17)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (9)
Strikeouts: Indians SP Johan Santana (80)
Saves: Reds RP Todd Coffey/Cubs RP Chris Ray (15)

On the Injury Front
May 2 – Luckily, we traded Duncan to the Mariners. Eric Duncan will miss the rest of the season, but would be available for the playoffs IF the Mariners make it.
May 3 – The Cubs lost starting pitcher Donald Veal until August.
May 4 – The Reds will be without one of their main veteran pitchers, Mike Hampton, until early July.
May 6 – The Royals have lost OF Reed Johnson to the DL until early July.
May 10 – The Rockies have lost last year’s rookie of the year LF Van Pope for three months. Matthew Miller will start in his place.
May 10 – The Devil Rays will be without young star LF Elijah Dukes for three months. They’ll be using Jason Cooper in left, a significant downgrade.
May 17 – Young White Sox ace Brandon McCarthy has come down with an injury that will keep him out until mid-September.
May 20 – Padres outfielder Damon Hollins, who was actually having a strong year (.312/.347/.538), has had his season cut short. Currently, the Padres are going with Tony Alvarez in right.
May 24 – Another former Indian has gone down with a long-term injury. Jeff Baker, now of the retooled Nationals outfield, will miss the rest of the season. His replacement is Mike Vento.
May 26 – Another day, another former Indian injury. Orioles 1B Ryan Garko will miss the rest of the year with a reoccurrence of the same injury that cut his 2006 rookie season short. He was leading Baltimore’s offense with a .312/.407/.605 batting line. Rookie Mark Fleisher will get the first base job.
May 31 – The Marlins, in addition to Bronson Sardinha, will now be without LF Raul Ibanez for the rest of the season. Jai Miller gets the go ahead in left.

[HoustonGM]

June 2010 15-12
Season Record: 45-33 (2.5 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Prior to the trades we made, we struggled greatly. The trades improved our struggling pitching staff and we saw a turn around in the latter half of the month. With Jacoby Ellsbury struggling, we’re going to be in the market for a corner outfield bat. We have bullpen depth in the minor leagues and could afford to trade a batch of relievers for a corner outfielder. We’ve been received many inquiries about Jose Vaquedano, Cody Bunkelman, and Jensen Lewis.

Also, with Blaine Boyer’s 7.46 ERA, we’ve decided to promote Ruddy Lugo to the closer role. He’s walked more guys (27) than he’s struck out (23), but he’s shown an outstanding ability throughout his career to control hits, with a career BAA of .215.

Indians News
June 10 – We called up newly acquired rookie reliever Justin Baur in favor of Chuck Gott. Blaine Boyer, who’s struggling mightily with his control this year, joins Bronson Arroyo and Jeremy Sowers on the chopping block.
June 13 – We made a trade! Bye bye Bronson.

Baltimore Orioles receive:
OF Jeff Fiorentino
C Maximiliano Ramirez
SP Bronson Arroyo

Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Hayden Penn
Penn was a solid starter for the Orioles last year, and at age 25, he’s been enjoying his best season to date with a 5-6 record and a 4.71 ERA. He strikes out plenty of guys while keeping his walk totals at an acceptable rate. We also demoted Andrew Miller to AAA. He’s allowing way too many hits, and if he improves a bit, he’ll be back up quickly. Nick Masset has seized the rotation spot for the time being. Jeff Salazar took Jeff Fiorentino’s fifth outfielder role.
June 17 – Fed up with all the runs Jeremy Sowers has been allowing, we found a suitor for him.

Cleveland Indians receive:
SP Sean Thompson

San Diego Padres receive:
SP Jeremy Sowers
Thompson is 3-7 with a 4.67 ERA with San Diego. His 74:18 K:BB ratio is nice, but he’s given up 15 home runs already, which is quite uncharacteristic of him. In 195.1 innings last year, he allowed 17. He’s only thrown 86.2 innings so far this year. Hopefully he can figure out the cause of that and chill out with the number of home runs he’s been allowing.
June 19 – After one rough outing as a starter, Nick Masset has lost his rotation stop to rookie phenom Jake Moser, who has a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings of relief.

Top Indians Games
June 14 vs. San Francisco (9-1 win) – Travis Hafner had three hits including two two-run home runs.
June 28 vs. Tampa Bay (5-0 win) – Hayden Penn and Ruddy Lugo combined to shut out the Devil Rays. Penn struck out 10 in 7.2 innings. Alberto Callaspo had two hits and a walk, scored three runs, and hit a homer.
June 29 vs. Tampa Bay (12-2 win) – Andy Marte had his second three-homer game of the season. He also had two singles, good for an outstanding 9 RBI.

News From Around the League
June 3 – Tigers right fielder Jonny Gomes, who was on absolute fire in April but slumped horrendously in May, hit for the cycle.
June 4 – Long time utility infielder Neifi Perez retired.
June 4 – The Royals signed Greg Dobbs for this year.
June 17 – The Reds and Pirates swapped marginal relievers.

Cincinnati Reds receive:
RP Bryan Bullington

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:
RP Brian Tallet
June 25 – Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez became just the fourth player in major league history to drive in 2,000 career runs.
June 27 – Mark Mulder, once one of the most dependable pitchers in the league, announced his retirement. His career was cut short by an assortment of injuries. He finishes with a career record of 130-83 and a 4.08 ERA.
June 28 – Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki got his 2,000th career hit.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (51-28)
AL Central: Cleveland (45-33)
AL West: Los Angeles (41-37)
AL Wild Card: Detroit (42-35)

NL East: Atlanta (46-32)
NL Central: Pittsburgh (42-36)
NL West: Arizona (52-25)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (48-30)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: SS Alberto Callaspo (.322)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (18)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (63)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.405)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.79)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (1.41)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (10)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (119)
Saves: RP Blaine Boyer (20)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (.378)
Home Runs: White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (25)
Runs Batted In: Rockies 1B Justin Morneau (77)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.460)
ERA: Dodgers SP Derek Thompson (2.41)
Wins: Phillies SP Mike Maroth (12)
Strikeouts: Indians SP Johan Santana (119)
Saves: Cubs RP Chris Ray/Reds RP Todd Coffey (22)

On the Injury Front
June 8 – Nationals first basemen Nick Johnson broke his leg and will miss the rest of the season. His .221/.347/.357 was disappointing and they might end up getting better production out of replacement Scott Schade.
June 21 – Cardinals left fielder Chris Duncan will miss two months. Skip Schumaker will start in left.
June 30 – Mariners short stop Yuniesky Betancourt will miss almost the entire rest of the season following a break of his elbow. This injury gives Mariners prospect Oswaldo Navarro a chance to break into the majors as their every day shortstop.

[HoustonGM]

July 2010 14-14
Season Record: 59-47 (4 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
We’ve held on to our lead, but things aren’t pretty. The pitching has been so-so. Johan Santana and Ruddy Lugo are the only impressive guys currently. The hitting has huge ups and huge downs, reaching a low of three straight shutouts towards the end of July. Things, however, are looking up a bit.

Our new stadium hasn’t helped the pitching staff much at all….I really don’t know what to do to combat the 4.30+ ERA’s that are so consistent from the staff.

Indians News
July 6 – We were successfully able to deal some relief pitching for some outfield help.

Texas Rangers receive:
RP Blaine Boyer
SP Billy Petrick
RP Cody Bunkelman

Cleveland Indians receive:
OF Chris Roberson
OF Nelson Cruz
IF Cesar Izturis
IF Anderson Machado
$10 Million
Jensen Lewis takes the vacant bullpen spot. Nelson Cruz provides a very well rounded bat and is having a breakout year this year at age 29, sporting a .307/.370/.540 batting line with 16 HR, 62 RBI, and 12 SB. Jacoby Ellsbury has been pushed into a backup role. Roberson, Izturis, and Machado are all no better than roleplayers. We also cleared some room in our minors by releasing the following players: IF Bernie Castro, IF Omar Quintanilla, 1B Michael Aubrey, IF Stu Kimball, OF Jeff Salazar and OF Warren Holcomb.
July 9 – I was ecstatic when the Reds called me up and offered me their closer, Todd Coffey, for two minor leaguers. Deal completed.

Cleveland Indians receive:
RP Todd Coffey

Cincinnati Reds receive:
IF Anderson Machado
P Jose Vaquedano
Nick Masset was demoted to make space, and we’re going to look into moving him. Todd Coffey becomes our new closer. He has a 2.41 ERA with 22 saves in 41 innings with the Reds.
July 14 – We’ve dealt Nick Masset.

Oakland Athletics receive:
P Nick Masset

Cleveland Indians receive:
P Kazuhito Tadano
RP Allan Nelson
Nelson’s a prospect in the low minors. Tadano has tremendous power, using a splitter-slider combo to devastating effect in the minor leagues. The A’s never gave him a shot to break into the majors. He never got more than a cup of coffee. We’re going use him out of the bullpen, demoting Justin Bauer to AAA.

Top Indians Games
July 6 vs. Detroit (2-1 win) – Alberto Callaspo was 3 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
July 7 vs. Toronto (13-0 win) – Sean Thompson and Jensen Lewis combined to shutout the Blue Jays, while Carl Crawford’s two hits, including a homer, provided 6 runs.
July 15 vs. Chicago White Sox (8-1 win) – Alberto Callaspo had four hits including a home run and he drove in three runs. Sean Thompson gave up 1 run in 7 innings and Kazuhito Tadano pitched two scoreless innings in his debut.

News From Around the League
July 2 – The Nationals signed Nomar Garciaparra for the rest of the season, making him their every day first basemen. Texas signed a smattering of 9 players who are now thrown throughout AAA and their bench.
July 6 – Days after making his first appearance of the season, Nomar got his 2,000th career hit.
July 6 – The Marlins and Brewers completed a trade.

Florida Marlins receive:
1B Josh Whitesell
C Lou Palmisano

Milwaukee Brewers receive:
P Ricky Nolasco
OF Reggie Abercrombie
July 10 –Athletics third basemen Eric Chavez scored the 1,000th run of his career.
July 12 – 2010 All Stars.

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Kenji Johjima (SEA) 792,983 votes
1B : David Ortiz (BOS) 1,143,795
2B : Howie Kendrick (LAA) 767,860
3B : Alex Rodriguez (NYY) 2,043,726
SS : Derek Jeter (NYY) 1,103,703
OF : Michael Cuddyer (CHW) 687,285
OF : Grady Sizemore (CLE) 697,246
OF : Manny Ramirez (BOS) 731,244
Bench : Miguel Tejada (MIN)
Bench : Gregg Zaun (BAL)
Bench : Jason Bay (DET)
Bench : Alex Gonzalez (KCR)
Bench : Bobby Crosby (OAK)
Bench : B.J. Upton (TBD)
Bench : Michael Young (TEX)
Bench : Joe Crede (TOR)
Pitcher : Johan Santana (CLE)
Pitcher : Jeremy Bonderman (DET)
Pitcher : Mike Mussina (DET)
Pitcher : Roy Halladay (TOR)
Pitcher : Daisuke Matsuzaka (SEA)
Pitcher : Ruddy Lugo (CLE)
Pitcher : Glen Perkins (MIN)
Pitcher : Chad Gaudin (OAK)
Pitcher : Ron Flores (OAK)
Pitcher : Jesse Crain (MIN)
Pitcher : Mariano Rivera (NYY)

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM

C : Brian McCann (ATL) 815,061 votes
1B : Justin Morneau (COL) 1,139,769
2B : Orlando Hudson (ARI) 775,940
3B : Ryan Braun (MIL) 1,009,409
SS : Stephen Drew (ARI) 884,322
OF : Carlos Lee (WSN) 789,559
OF : Alfonso Soriano (ARI) 831,555
OF : Eric Byrnes (ARI) 595,053
Bench : Miguel Cabrera (LAD)
Bench : Khalil Greene (CHC)
Bench : Alex Rios (CIN)
Bench : Morgan Ensberg (HOU)
Bench : Freddy Sanchez (PIT)
Bench : Ben Johnson (SDP)
Bench : Bill Hall (SFG)
Pitcher : Josh Johnson (FLA)
Pitcher : Jason Schmidt (NYM)
Pitcher : Mike Maroth (PHI)
Pitcher : Chris Carpenter (STL)
Pitcher : Derek Thompson (LAD)
Pitcher : Brad Lincoln (PIT)
Pitcher : Jake Peavy (SDP)
Pitcher : Michael Wuertz (CHC)
Pitcher : Chris Ray (CHC)
Pitcher : Billy Wagner (NYM)
Pitcher : Chris Narveson (STL)
July 17 – Mets shortstop Jose Reyes stole his 400th career base.
July 19 – Twins shortstop Miguel Tejada hit his 300th career home run.
July 21 – The Red Sox sent a utility infielder to the White Sox for a control artist minor league starter.

Boston Red Sox receive:
SP Josh Banks

Chicago White Sox receive:
IF Russ Adams
July 22 – Pirates starter Paul Maholm pitched a NO HITTER allowing five runners on walks/
July 23 – The Marlins picked up a new starting left fielder for a reliever.

Florida Marlins receive:
LF Kory Casto
IF Antonio Perez

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
RP Logan Kensing
July 25 – The Cardinals exchanged some reserve players for a minor league reliever.

St. Louis Cardinals receive:
RP Andrew Brown

Cincinnati Reds receive:
OF Charlton Jimerson
C Yadier Molina
July 27 – More unexciting trades.

Florida Marlins receive:
OF David Murphy
C Yorvit Torrealba

Boston Red Sox receive:
P Matt DeSalvo

New York Mets receive:
C Miguel Perez

Cincinnati Reds receive:
SP Alay Soler
2B Emmanuel Garcia

Los Angeles Dodgers receive:
P Jose Vaquedano

Cincinnati Reds receive:
OF Adam Greenberg
RP Rafael Betancourt

[HoustonGM]

July 29 – Orioles closer Jason Isringhausen saved his 400th career game and Red Sox DH David Ortiz scored his 1,000th career run.
July 31 – More boring trades.

Oakland Athletics receive:
RP Geoff Geary
RP Julian Minto
P Sidney Ponson

Philadelphia Phillies receive:
P Ray Murietta
P Juan Dominguez

Oakland Athletics receive:
RP Brad Baker

Atlanta Braves receive:
RP Chin-Hui Tsao

Arizona Diamondbacks receive:
RP Ramon Ramirez
P Sandy Nin

Colorado Rockies receive:
IF Mark Reynolds
OF Chris Rahl
RP Bobby Mirales

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (69-36)
AL Central: Cleveland (59-47)
AL West: Los Angeles (56-48)
AL Wild Card: Boston (58-46)

NL East: New York (64-41)
NL Central: St. Louis (55-50)
NL West: Arizona (72-32)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (62-43)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: SS Alberto Callaspo (.332)
Home Runs: DH Travis Hafner (24)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (93)
On-Base Percentage: SS Alberto Callaspo (.390)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.72)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (1.27)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (13)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (153)
Saves: RP Todd Coffey (25, 3 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (.367)
Home Runs: White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (30)
Runs Batted In: Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera (96)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.464)
ERA: Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright (2.82)
Wins: Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang (14)
Strikeouts: Indians SP Johan Santana (153)
Saves: Nationals RP Jon Rauch/Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde (28)

On the Injury Front
July 22 – The Angels will be without CF Maicer Izturis for the rest of the season. Izturis, who had an average season of .297/.369/.410 from 2006 through 2009, was struggling this season, batting .255/.324/.401. The Angels are going with Milton Bradley in center.
July 27 – The Mets lost second basemen Luis Valbuena for the rest of the season. In 220 at bats, Valbuena was batting .259/.341/.386. Jose Castillo now gets a fulltime job.
July 31 – Devil Rays second basemen Ben Zobrist will be out until the very end of September. Elliot Johnson will start at second.

[HoustonGM]

I'm not home, so I don't have the file, but Ill do that when i gethome...but whats "stuff who left"? Any important transactins are written in the aroudn the league section.

[HoustonGM]

can i know you know my rockies stats like stuff who left and leaders in ba, hr, rbi , stls, era, wins

47-60 overall record.
Juan Morillo/Jason Jennings each have 7 wins.
Juan Morillo has a 4.84 ERA.
Justin Morneau's batting .343-26-90
Corey Wimberly has 46 stelas.

[HoustonGM]

August 2010 17-11
Season Record: 76-58 (8 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Much better this month, and we ended on a high note of a 4 game winning streak. The pitching has still been slightly inconsistent, but we look like a lock for the playoffs. With September rolling around, the following players have been added to the active roster: C Ryan Hanigan, OF Chris Roberson, 2B Jose Vallejo, IF Andres Blanco, C Geovany Soto, IF Cam Wilder, OF Mike Naugle, OF James McConkey, 1B Bill Woodford, P Jensen Lewis, RP Justin Bauer, RP Chuck Gott, P Joel Santo, RP Juan Lara, and P Max Scherzer.

Indians News
August 13 – We recalled Andrew Miller from AAA, where he was 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA. Jensen Lewis was sent to AAA, and Jake Moser was moved to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for Miller.

Top Indians Games
August 4 vs. Toronto (10-1 win) – Andy Marte hit two homers and drove in 6 runs.
August 9 vs. Minnesota (11-0 win) – Johan Santana dominated his former team, striking out 10 and allowing four hits in a complete game shutout. Travis Hafner hit two home runs, and Nelson Cruz drove in 5 runs.
August 10 vs. Minnesota (11-4 win) – Victor Martinez collected four hits, including a home run. He drove in four.
August 13 vs. Baltimore (3-0 win) – Miller wasted no time proving that his AAA time improved him, blanking the Orioles for 8 innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out 8.
August 18 vs. Oakland (16-5 win) – Andy Marte had four hits, including two home runs, and drove in 7 runs. Carl Crawford, Grady Sizemore, and Eric Patterson also had three hits apiece.

News From Around the League
August 1 – White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko scored the 1,000th run of his career.
August 5 – At the age of 30, Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols launched home run #400.
August 7 – Phillies right fielder Jermaine Dye got his 2,000th career hit.
August 7 – Mariners third basemen Aramis Ramirez got his 300th career homer.
[u]August 10 – Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew hit for the cycle.

[u]Division Leaders
AL East: New York (91-42)
AL Central: Cleveland (76-58)
AL West: THREE WAY TIE: Los Angeles/Seattle/Texas 67-65 WHAT A RACE!
AL Wild Card: Boston (71-61)

NL East: New York (84-49)
NL Central: St. Louis (72-61)
NL West: Arizona (87-45)
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles (79-54)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: 3B Andy Marte (.315)
Home Runs: 3B Andy Marte (32)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (127)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.391)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.29)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (2.02)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (18)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (198)
Saves: RP Todd Coffey (29, 7 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Batting Average: Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (.366)
Home Runs: Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (37)
Runs Batted In: Indians 3B Andy Marte (127)
On-Base Percentage: Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.464)
ERA: Pirates SP Brad Lincoln (2.95)
Wins: Indians SP Johan Santana (18)
Strikeouts: Indians SP Johan Santa (198)
Saves: Diamondbacks RP Jose Valverde/Mariners RP J.J. Putz (33)

On the Injury Front
August 4 – The Royals lost outfielder Luke Scott for the remainder of the season. He finishes at .256/.353/.421 with 7 HR and 32 RBI in 65 games.
August 15 – The Blue Jays lost free agent pick up Gary Matthews for the rest of the season. He helped the Jays greatly, batting .324/.365/.431 with 9 HR and 60 RBI. Ryan Patterson will take over center for the remainder of the year.
August 21 – A.J. Burnett became the second Blue Jay of the week to go down for the year. He had missed all of May and June as well. After being riddled by injuries from 1999-2004, Burnett remained very healthy from 2005 to 2009. He’s a free agent after the season, and I see no reason why the Jays will elect to keep him. He was 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA this season in 8 starts.

[HoustonGM]

I forgot some milestones at the end of August:

Rangers 3B Troy Glaus – 400th HR
Padres 3B Adrian Beltre – 1,000th RBI
Nationals LF Carlos Lee – 2,000th hit
Indians SP Johan Santana – 2,000th strikeout


September/October 2010 18-10
Season Record: 94-68 (10 GA Detroit)

Monthly Wrap-up
Well, we did fairly well, but the main problem going forward is that we’ll be going into the playoffs without our ace, Johan Santana. We’ll be facing an upstart Boston Red Sox team in the Division Series, but without Santana, the powerful Boston offense will likely take advantage of our young starting pitching.

Indians News
September 3 – SP Sean Thompson will miss two weeks. Jake Moser replaces him in the rotation.
September 18 – RP Chuck Gott went down with an injury for the rest of the year. He struggled a lot this year, allowing 10 home runs in 30 innings. His 28 to 9 K:BB ratio is promising, and he’s still just 21. He’s likely the future closer of our team.
September 20 – DH Travis Hafner hit his 300th career homer.
September 28 – Wow. Johan Santana, who has never missed a start in 7 years as a fulltime starter, went down with an injury that will keep him out of action for the entire playoffs. The Cy Young candidate finished at 20-7 with a 3.40 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 217 innings. Without Johan, our playoff rotation is going to be a bunch of middle-of-the-road or unproven starters. It won’t be pretty.

Top Indians Games
September 30 vs. Chicago White Sox (11-2 win) – Nelson Cruz hit two two-run homers.

News From Around the League
September 4 – Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki stole his 400th career base.
September 7 – Cardinals OF Ryan Freel stole the 300th base of his career.
September 14 – Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins stole his 300th career base.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (111-51)
AL Central: Cleveland (94-68)
AL West: Seattle (84-78)
AL Wild Card: Boston (87-75)

NL East: New York (105-57)
NL Central: St. Louis (88-74)
NL West: Arizona (108-54)
NL Wild Card: Atlanta (95-67)

Indians Leaders
Batting Average: C Victor Martinez (.314)
Home Runs: 3B Andy Marte (41)
Runs Batted In: 3B Andy Marte (150)
On-Base Percentage: DH Travis Hafner (.409)
ERA (Starter): SP Johan Santana (3.40)
ERA (Reliever): RP Ruddy Lugo (2.53)
Wins: SP Johan Santana (20)
Strikeouts: SP Johan Santana (228)
Saves: RP Todd Coffey (36, 14 w/ CLE)

MLB Leaders
Stay tuned for league-leader overview.

On the Injury Front
September 2 – The Cubs lost SP Erik Bedard for the rest of the season. He finished at 9-10 with a 4.40 ERA.
September 19 – Tigers SS Carlos Guillen will undergo Tommy John surgery and is expected to return come the end of June 2011. He finishes 2010 with a .310/.377/.494 line, with 17 HR and 90 RBI.
September 23 – One of the best arms in the Toronto Blue Jay bullpen, Brandon League, has gone down with a torn rotator cuff. The injury is expected to cause him to miss all of next season.
September 24 – It was the second torn rotator cuff incident in two days. Young Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo has suffered the same fate as Brandon League. He’ll miss all of next season which will slow down the progress of a promising career. Gallardo went 6-12 with a 4.59 ERA in 30 starts this year. He struck out 184 batters in 178.1 innings, but his 85 walks were a cause for concern.
September 25 – Cubs pitcher Mark Prior finds himself back on the disabled list. He stayed relatively healthy this year, making 28 starts, but struggled, going 5-13 with a 5.10 ERA.

2010 Cleveland Batting Stats

2010 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP
Crawford, Carl CLE 160 .285 738 210 33 9 20 37 108 58 10 135 109 .435 .319
Callaspo, Alberto CLE 159 .296 652 193 27 6 13 62 31 12 6 112 82 .416 .359
Sizemore, Grady CLE 161 .313 639 200 45 4 27 86 154 16 7 132 113 .523 .399
Marte, Andy CLE 156 .310 617 191 41 2 41 74 122 1 1 109 150 .582 .383
Cruz, Nelson CLE 156 .283 615 174 33 2 34 61 145 18 8 109 119 .509 .347
Hafner, Travis CLE 162 .269 599 161 35 3 37 135 132 0 0 125 142 .523 .407
Martinez, Victor CLE 149 .314 554 174 36 0 11 55 81 0 0 71 88 .439 .376
Crowe, Trevor CLE 158 .268 523 140 27 4 6 81 89 40 7 79 62 .369 .366
Patterson, Eric CLE 159 .251 509 128 25 5 13 57 94 28 7 99 80 .397 .332
Ellsbury, Jacoby CLE 95 .259 278 72 17 6 1 32 43 16 6 43 56 .374 .344
Torres, Eider CLE 77 .264 110 29 2 3 0 10 18 9 2 14 10 .336 .322
Shoppach, Kelly CLE 47 .255 102 26 3 0 3 6 23 0 1 13 18 .373 .296
Barton, Brian CLE 50 .256 86 22 4 3 0 6 25 4 1 12 13 .372 .319
Roberson, Chris CLE 44 .160 81 13 2 0 0 2 20 10 1 11 5 .185 .190
Izturis, Cesar CLE 25 .185 27 5 2 0 0 1 3 0 2 3 1 .259 .214
Thompson, Sean CLE 13 .077 26 2 1 0 0 2 12 0 0 2 1 .115 .138
Vallejo, Jose CLE 13 .313 16 5 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 2 2 .313 .353
Soto, Geovany CLE 14 .133 15 2 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 1 1 .133 .235
Miller, Andrew CLE 3 .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Penn, Hayden CLE 1 .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
Santana, Johan CLE 1 .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000
[size=5]2010 Cleveland Pitching Stats[/code]

2010 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9
Santana, Johan CLE 217.0 3.40 33 33 20 7 0 228 68 10.95
Penn, Hayden CLE 186.0 4.98 32 32 10 11 0 166 61 12.97
Thompson, Sean CLE 184.1 4.49 30 30 13 11 0 144 45 10.74
Everts, Clint CLE 177.1 4.26 31 31 16 6 0 178 103 14.26
Miller, Andrew CLE 111.1 6.22 20 20 4 9 0 98 45 14.87
Moser, Jake CLE 104.2 5.59 32 12 6 4 0 52 22 12.90
Lugo, Ruddy CLE 92.1 2.53 73 0 5 3 3 40 56 12.67
Duchscherer, Justin CLE 78.0 5.54 65 2 4 4 1 67 23 14.19
Soriano, Rafael CLE 75.1 4.06 54 0 5 3 0 83 30 12.31
Coffey, Todd CLE 68.1 3.16 68 0 4 6 36 47 33 12.78
Tadano, Kazuhito CLE 32.1 6.12 16 0 0 0 0 41 12 13.92
Lewis, Jensen CLE 31.0 7.55 13 0 2 0 0 23 9 16.55
Gott, Chuck CLE 30.2 7.34 21 1 0 3 0 28 9 12.33
Baur, Justin CLE 14.1 9.42 7 0 0 0 0 6 7 17.58
Santo, Joel CLE 13.0 1.38 4 0 0 0 1 11 9 13.15
Lara, Juan CLE 2.2 3.38 2 0 1 0 0 2 2 16.88
Beedle, Bo CLE 0.2 0.00 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13.50

[HoustonGM]

2010 LEAGUE LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average
American League
1) Yankees SS Derek Jeter (.345)
2) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.335)
3) Twins LF Denard Span (.328)

National League
1) Pirates 3B Freddy Sanchez (.359)
2) Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera (.336)
3) Rockies 1B Justin Morneau (.333)

Doubles
American League
1) Rangers SS Michael Young (51)
2) Yankees SS Derek Jeter/Angels 3B Brandon Wood (50)
3) Angels LF Drew Toussaint (49)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (49)
2) Diamondbacks RF Carlos Quentin (48)
3) Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera/Rockies 1B Justin Morneau (47)

Triples
American League
1) Mariners LF Andre Ethier (12)
2) Mariners CF Ichiro Suzuki (10)
3) Twins 3B Mark Teahen/Indians LF Carl Crawford (9)

National League
1) Nationals 2B Emilio Bonifacio (16)
2) Mets SS Jose Reyes (14)
3) Cardinals 2B Alejandro Machado (12)

Home Runs
American League
1) Indians 3B Andy Marte/Devil Rays RF Delmon Young (41)
2) Tigers RF Jonny Gomes (39)
3) 4 tied with 38.

National League
1) Braves RF Jeff Francoeur (46)
2) Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (43)
3) Diamondbacks CF Eric Byrnes (39)

Runs Batted In – These totals have been consistently high since 2006
American League
1) Devil Rays RF Delmon Young (161)
2) Indians 3B Andy Marte (150)
3) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (148)

National League
1) Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera (163)
2) Diamondbacks LF Alfonso Soriano (143)
3) Diamondbacks 3B Chad Tracy (141)

On-Base Percentage
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (.475)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (.446)
3) Red Sox DH David Ortiz (.416)

National League
1) Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera (.453)
2) Astros 3B Morgan Ensberg (.428)
3) Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols/Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (.427)

OPS
American League
1) Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez (1.095)
2) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (1.022)
3) Indians 3B Andy Marte (.965)

National League
1) Dodgers 1B Miguel Cabrera (1.034)
2) Rockies 1B Justin Morneau (1.020)
3) Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (1.010)

Hits
American League
1) Yankees SS Derek Jeter (227)
2) Devil Rays CF B.J. Upton (219)
3) Twins LF Denard Spann (211)

National League
1) Diamondbacks 3B Chad Tracy (217)
2) Diamondbacks SS Stephen Drew/Yankees SS Jose Reyes (209)
3) Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal (204)

Steals
American League
1) Devil Rays CF B.J. Upton (73)
2) Rangers CF Freddy Guzman (63)
3) Indians LF Carl Crawford (58)

National League
1) Mets SS Jose Reyes (62)
2) Rockies 2B Corey Wimberly (58)
3) Cardinals CF Ryan Freel/Nationals 2B Emilio Bonifacio (52)

Pitching
Earned Run Average
American League
1) Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (3.18)
2) Blue Jays SP Roy Halladay (3.24)
3) Indians SP Johan Santana (3.40)

National League
1) Pirates SP Brad Lincoln (2.94)
2) Phillies SP Mike Maroth (2.95)
3) Mets SP Philip Humber (3.00)

Wins
American League
1) Yankees SP Chien-Ming Wang/Indians SP Johan Santana (20)
2) Yankees SP Tyler Clippard (17)
3) Indians SP Clint Everts (16)

National League
1) Mets SP Jason Schmidt (19)
2) Mets SP Philip Humber/Phillies SP Mike Maroth (18)
3) Diamondbacks SP Dustin Nippert/Dodgers SP Derek Lowe (17)

Strikeouts
American League
1) Indians SP Johan Santana (228)
2) Tigers SP Jeremy Bonderman (192)
3) Red Sox SP Ben Sheets (190)

National League
1) Mets SP Philip Humber (209)
2) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (190)
3) Diamondbacks SP Dustin Nippert (185)

Saves
American League
1) Mariners RP J.J. Putz (42)
2) Red Sox RP Jonathan Papelbon (41)
3) Yankees RP Mariano Rivera (38)

National League
1) Cardinals RP Akinori Otsuka (41)
2) Phillies RP Chad Cordero (40)
3) Mets RP Billy Wagner (39)

Defense-Independent ERA
American League
1) Twins SP Kevin Slowey (2.69)
2) Red Sox SP Ben Sheets (2.72)
3) Mariners SP Daisuke Matsuzka (3.01)

National League
1) Diamondbacks SP Dustin Nippert (2.92)
2) Dodgers SP Derek Thompson (2.97)
3) Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter (2.98)

[HoustonGM]

Division Series
GAME 1 vs. Boston - 9-4 WIN - Our bats took advantage of Boston ace Ben Sheets, as well as their bullpen. Grady Sizemore launched two home runs.

GAME 2 vs. Boston - 13-3 WIN - Hayden Penn and Joel Santo combined to give up just three hits along with three runs, while we exploded for 21 hits and 13 runs. Five players had at least three hits, including a five hit game from Alberto Callaspo. Travis Hafner hit two homers.

Game 3 vs. Boston - 12-1 WIN - We couldn't have been more happy with the outrageous trouncing of Boston. Travis Hafner had three hits and four RBIs. Andrew Miller threw an 8-inning, 1-run gem.

The Yankees (vs. Seattle) and Diamondbacks (vs. Atlanta) both swept their series. It took the Mets four games to defeat St. Louis.

[HoustonGM]

League Championship Series
Game 1 vs. New York Yankees - 5-3 WIN - Led by a Travis Hafner home run, we were able to outslug the Yankees potent offense.

Game 2 vs. New York Yankees - 6-1 WIN - Sean Thompson allowed one run on three hits in 7 innings, and the bullpen sealed the deal. Andy Marte had three hits and three RBIs.

Game 3 vs. New York Yankees - 8-3 LOSS - We were dominated by Dontrelle Willis, who threw eight shutout innings. J.B. Cox started the ninth and allowed three runs to the Indians, but it wasnt enough.

Game 4 vs. New York Yankees - 10-1 WIN - We took a commanding 3-1 series lead on the back of Andrew Miller, who has been absolutely outstanding so far in two playoff starts. He pitched 8 shutout innings. Travis Hafner hit two home runs in the win.

Game 5 vs. New York Yankees - 6-4 WIN - The Yankees forced the series back to Cleveland.

Game 6 vs. New York Yankees - 7-4 WIN - We secured our first trip to the World Series since 1997! Thompson allowed 4 runs in 5.1 innings, but the bullpen held the Yankees scoreless and let the offense win it for them. Andrew Miller won MVP honors for his tremendous performance in Game 4.

The Diamondbacks defeated the Mets in 6 games, so we'll see our first World Series without a New York team since 2005. Micah Owings won the NLCS MVP honors.

ON TO THE WORLD SERIES!

[HoustonGM]

WORLD SERIES
Game 1 vs. Arizona - 9-5 WIN - Alberto Callaspo collected four hits, and Andy Marte hit two balls out of the park.

Game 2 vs. Arizona - 7-3 WIN - Miller was less than stellar, allowing three runs in 5.2 innings, but it was enough. Rafael Soriano got the win.

Game 3 vs. Arizona - 7-3 LOSS - Clint Everts playoff struggles continued. Stephen Drew hit two home runs in the final three innings off of Rafael Soriano and Jake Moser.

Game 4 vs. Arizona - 3-2 LOSS - Riding Micah Owings, who has had an outstanding postseason, Arizona evened up the series.

Game 5 vs. Arizona - 4-3 WIN - We were able to head back to Arizona with a 3-2 series lead. Hayden Penn allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings.

Game 6 vs. Arizona - 4-1 LOSS - Arizona forced a Game 7 by scoring four runs off Andrew Miller in 6.2 innings.

GAME 7 vs. ARIZONA - 12-4 LOSS - What an embaressing way to end the sreies. Clint Everts finished the postseason at 1-3 with a 4.71 ERA, although errors caused him to give up a total of 15 runs in 21 innings.

Stephen Drew won the World Series MVP award.

[HoustonGM]

Team-by-Team Review
Here’s how it’ll go:

Team Name
Predicted Record
Actual Record
Best Hitter – Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Starting Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Best Relief Pitcher - Won’t be listed in outstanding performances/breakouts
Breakouts: Breakouts lists the statistics of players who came out of nowhere, had amazing rookie campaigns, had comeback player of the year-type years, etc. Basically, any player who performed greater than ever before, or in the case of comeback players, players who outdid last year’s performance by a large margin.
Outstanding Performances: Listed in Outstanding Performances are the statistics of players who had great years. Your average Manny Ramirez year would show up here. Note that some Breakouts would also qualify as Outstanding Performances. Such players are listed in Breakouts not in Outstanding Performances.
Busts: Listed in Busts are players who performed well below the level they’ve established. Sophomore players who had a significant drop off from their rookie year are also listed here. In some cases, the a player’s 2006 stats are listed for comparison.

[HoustonGM]

American League East
New York Yankees
Predicted Record: 106-56
Actual Record: 111-51
Best Hitter: 3B Alex Rodriguez - .315/.446/.576, 38 HR, 148 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chien-Ming Wang – 20-6, 3.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Mariano Rivera – 4-4, 3.06 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 38 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
SS Derek Jeter - .345/.411/.480, 13 HR, 97 RBI, 39 SB
LF Melky Cabrera - .321/.394/.455, 11 HR, 125 RBI
DH Hideki Matsui - .305/.385/.493, 30 HR, 131 RBI
CF Johnny Damon - .290/.349/.503, 27 HR, 123 RBI

Busts:
SP Vicente Padilla – 13-9, 5.16 ERA, 1.48 WHIP

Boston Red Sox
Predicted Record: 83-79
Actual Record: 87-75
Best Hitter: LF Manny Ramirez - .335/.475/.620, 37 HR, 135 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Ben Sheets – 11-7, 3.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.57 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Craig Hansen – 6-6, 4.04 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

Breakouts:
3B Chad Spann - .281/.336/.414, 9 HR, 79 RBI
SP David Pauley – 14-4, 4.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
OF Chris Denorfia - .318/.388/.412, 3 HR, 83 RBI, 25 SB
DH David Ortiz - .304/.416/.540, 31 HR, 130 RBI
2B Dustin Pedroia - .305/.402/.434, 8 HR, 77 RBI

Busts:
SP Cliff Lee – 12-12, 6.10 ERA, 1.54 WHIP
RP Craig Breslow – 4-7, 8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP

Toronto Blue Jays
Predicted Record: 88-74
Actual Record: 80-82
Best Hitter: 3B Joe Crede - .299/.331/.518, 31 HR, 102 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Roy Halladay – 11-9, 3.24 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Pat Neshek – 8-3, 2.47 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.76 K/9

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
1B Ben Broussard - .303/.345/.514, 29 HR, 119 RBI
RF Juan Rivera - .307/.358/.473, 20 HR, 70 RBI

Busts:
SP C.C. Sabathia – 8-17, 5.02 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
SP Doug Davis – 9-14, 7.21 ERA, 1.82 WHIP

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Predicted Record: 70-92
Actual Record: 80-82
Best Hitter: RF Delmon Young - .293/.321/.534, 41 HR, 161 RBI, 34 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Oliver Perez – 13-8, 4.42 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Scott Schoeneweis – 5-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.45 WHIP

Breakouts:
CF B.J. Upton - .327/.401/.478, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 73 SB
1B Evan Longoria - .295/.352/.546, 35 HR, 124 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
C Joe Mauer - .323/.404/.492, 12 HR, 75 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Baltimore Orioles
Predicted Record: 72-90
Actual Record: 64-98
Best Hitter: RF Nick Markakis - .285/.339/.429, 17 HR, 93 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chance Douglass – 14-15, 4.37 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Jason Isringhausen – 0-3, 3.13 ERA, .178 BAA, 1.17 WHIP, 35 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Bronson Arroyo – 11-14, 5.81 ERA, 1.56 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

American League Central
Cleveland Indians
Predicted Record: 98-64
Actual Record: 94-68
Best Hitter: 3B Andy Marte - .310/.383/.582, 41 HR, 150 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Johan Santana – 20-7, 3.40 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 9.46 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ruddy Lugo – 5-3, 2.53 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

Breakouts:
1B Trevor Crowe - .268/.366/.369, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 40 SB, 7 CS

Outstanding Performances:
CF Grady Sizemore - .313/.399/.523, 27 HR, 113 RBI, 16 SB
DH Travis Hafner - .269/.407/.523, 37 HR, 142 RBI
RF Nelson Cruz - .283/.347/.509, 34 HR, 119 RBI, 18 SB
C Victor Martinez - .314/.376/.439, 11 HR, 88 RBI

Busts:
RP Justin Duchscherer – 4-4, 5.54 ERA, 1.58 WHIP

Detroit Tigers
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 84-78
Best Hitter: LF Jason Bay - .269/.377/.484, 33 HR, 129 RBI, 14 SB, 0 CS
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Jeremy Bonderman – 14-12, 3.18 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8.37 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Fernando Rodney – 8-8, 3.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Omar Infante - .301/.342/.452, 16 HR, 75 RBI, 12 SB – This was way up from his .233/.298/.298 with 0 home runs in 407 at bats last year. He also provided solid defense.

Outstanding Performances:
RF Jonny Gomes - .247/.349/.525, 39 HR, 132 RBI
DH Jim Thome - .249/.383/.500, 38 HR, 97 RBI
1B Joe Koshansky - .272/.353/.519, 34 HR, 92 RBI
SS Carlos Guillen - .305/.377/.494, 17 HR, 90 RBI, 16 SB

Busts:
SP Javier Vazquez – 7-8, 5.88 ERA, 1.50 WHIP

Minnesota Twins
Predicted Record: 83-79
Actual Record: 78-84
Best Hitter: CF Vernon Wells - .276/.334/.514, 34 HR, 119 RBI, 15 SB
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Boof Bonser – 9-10, 4.02 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Dennys Reyes – 4-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP

Breakouts:
C Dioner Navarro - .260/.351/.430, 18 HR, 50 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
LF Denard Span - .328/.372/.404, 2 HR, 66 RBI, 36 SB
SS Miguel Tejada - .306/.361/.475, 21 HR, 117 RBI
DH Doug Deeds - .281/.382/.427, 16 HR, 71 RBI

Busts:
RF Alex Romero - .244/.318/.330, 5 HR, 63 RBI, 22 SB, 22 CS
SP Francisco Liriano – 7-13, 5.28 ERA, 1.36 WHIP

Chicago White Sox
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 77-85
Best Hitter: 1B Paul Konerko - .301/.379/.574, 38 HR, 115 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Casey Janssen – 11-8, 4.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Mike MacDougal – 2-2, 2.45 ERA, 1.18 WHIP

Breakouts:
OF Michael Cuddyer - .319/.394/.583, 35 HR, 129 RBI
C Mike Napoli - .240/.372/.475, 30 HR, 74 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
RF Michael Cuddyer - .279/.366/.537, 35 HR, 111 RBI
C Mike Napoli - .249/.397/.529, 27 HR, 64 RBI
3B James D’Antona - .296/.387/.426, 14 HR, 72 RBI

Busts:
SS Felipe Lopez - .217/.306/.309, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 34 SB
THE ENTIRE PITCHING STAFF

Kansas City Royals
Predicted Record: 65-97
Actual Record: 62-100
Best Hitter: 1B Justin Huber - .297/.372/.489, 23 HR, 128 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Evan MacLane – 9-8, 4.89 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Andrew Sisco – 2-8, 4.55 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 29 SV

Breakouts:
CF Justin Upton - .263/.345/.410, 15 HR, 75 RBI, 22 SB
1B Ryan Shealy - .290/.358/.458, 18 HR, 100 RBI – Comeback player of the year (2009 was .233/.285/.362)
2B Angel Sanchez - .362/.421/.468, 2 HR, 47 RBI, 361 AB

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Nate Robertson – 3-12, 7.94 ERA, 1.77 WHIP

[Tigers 94]

I just read this whole dynasty, and I love it! Even though you do it month by month, it's as detailed as it would be if you did it game by game!

[EVEN11323]

Just a small error. You put Alex Romero of the Twins down both as a Breakout and a Bust. Great job with this, keep it up!

[Tigers 94]

EDIT: My bad, he's under breakout and outstanding preformances, but he has different stats...

[HoustonGM]

Just a small error. You put Alex Romero of the Twins down both as a Breakout and a Bust. Great job with this, keep it up!
Thanks. The breakout was leftover from last year. Forgot to remove that.

[HoustonGM]

American League West
Seattle Mariners
Predicted Record: 89-83
Actual Record: 84-78
Best Hitter: C Kenji Johjima - .327/.363/.515, 17 HR, 81 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Daisuke Matsuzaka – 14-12, 3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP J.J. Putz – 2-0, 1.51 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 42 SV, 10.95 K/9, .167 BAA

Breakouts:
SP Travis Blackley – 13-12, 4.29 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
SP Ryan Feierabend – 10-8, 4.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
LF Brad Wilkerson - .197/.327/.374, 20 HR, 60 RBI
SP Felix Hernandez – 15-17, 5.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
RP Emiliano Fruto – 6-2, 5.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP

Los Angeles Angels
Predicted Record: 81-81
Actual Record: 80-82
Best Hitter: LF Drew Toussaint - .285/.378/.532, 28 HR, 102 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Freddy Garcia – 11-9, 4.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Francisco Rodriguez – 1-10, 3.88 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 12.53 K/9, 36 SV

Breakouts:
C Jeff Mathis - .271/.324/.429, 15 HR, 78 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
RF Vladimir Guerrero - .303/.362/.492, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 14 SB

Busts:
CF Maicer Izturis - .255/.324/.401, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 9 SB
SP Jered Weaver – 6-7, 5.07 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 33 GP, 17 GS

Texas Rangers
Predicted Record: 86-76
Actual Record: 79-83
Best Hitter: LF Jason Botts - .287/.370/.500, 26 HR, 86 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Kevin Millwood – 14-7, 4.23 ERA, 1.47 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Scott Feldman – 4-9, 3.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 20 SV

Breakouts:
CF Freddy Guzman - .304/.382/.421, 6 HR, 75 RBI, 63 SB

Outstanding Performances:
SS Michael Young - .308/.345/.463, 14 HR, 112 RBI
3B Troy Glaus - .262/.354/.496, 30 HR, 98 RBI
1B Mark Teixeira - .283/.373/.484, 25 HR, 104 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Oakland Athletics
Predicted Record: 93-69
Actual Record: 68-94
Best Hitter: 1B Nick Swisher - .229/.357/.457, 31 HR, 96 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Dan Haren – 9-15, 4.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ron Flores – 6-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.05 WHIP

Breakouts:
SP Brian Scott – 11-14, 4.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
CF Travis Buck - .217/.295/.339, 8 HR, 51 RBI
SS Bobby Crosby - .231/.306/.331, 6 HR, 44 RBI
3B Eric Chavez - .226/.339/.406, 22 HR, 68 RBI
LF Scott Hairston- . 229/.316/.396, 21 HR, 79 RBI
SP Rich Harden – 7-13, 6.23 ERA, 1.62 WHIP
P Nick Masset – 5-14, 6.73 ERA, 1.62 WHIP

[HoustonGM]

National League East
New York Mets
Predicted Record: 96-66
Actual Record: 105-57
Best Hitter: SS Jose Reyes - .312/.379/.567, 31 HR, 82 RBI, 62 SB, 141 R
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Philip Humber – 18-5, 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, .207 BAA, 9.07 K/9
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Billy Wagner – 3-2, 2.51 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 12.07 K/9, 39 SV

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
3B David Wright - .293/.357/.514, 29 HR, 111 RBI, 18 SB
CF Carlos Beltran - .264/.385/.534, 34 HR, 120 RBI, 20 SB, 0 CS
1B Carlos Delgado - .243/.344/.500, 37 HR, 114 RBI
SP Jason Schmidt – 19-7, 3.14 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
The Entire Pitching Staff

Busts:
NONE

Atlanta Braves
Predicted Record: 88-74
Actual Record: 95-67
Best Hitter: C Brian McCann - .317/.400/.527, 27 HR, 95 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Chuck James – 12-6, 4.06 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .209 BAA
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Oscar Villarreal – 3-1, 4.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP

Breakouts:
3B Eric Campbell - .292/.332/.472, 21 HR, 75 RBI

Outstanding Performances:
LF Matt Holliday - .316/.363/.510, 23 HR, 96 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche - .268/.353/.514, 34 HR, 111 RBI
RF Jeff Francoeur - .302/.339/.579, 46 HR, 130 RBI

Busts:
NONE

Philadelphia Phillies
Predicted Record: 88-74
Actual Record: 89-73
Best Hitter: 1B Ryan Howard - .326/.427/.583, 33 HR, 122 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Mike Maroth – 18-6, 2.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Ryan Madson – 3-0, 3.98 ERA, 1.12 WHIP

Breakouts:
NONE

Outstanding Performances:
RF Jermaine Dye - .277/.334/.482, 30 HR, 99 RBI
2B Chase Utley - .285/.368/.465, 22 HR, 84 RBI

Busts:
SS Jimmy Rollins - .234/.288/.406, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 26 SB
SP Cole Hamels – 8-10, 5.59 ERA, 1.52 WHIP

Washington Nationals
Predicted Record: 84-78
Actual Record: 71-91
Best Hitter: 3B Ryan Zimmerman - .307/.370/.492, 22 HR, 114 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Collin Balester – 12-13, 4.43 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Joe Beimel – 5-6, 2.99 ERA, 1.22 WHIP

Breakouts:
2B Emilio Bonifacio - .296/.369/.454, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 52 SB

Outstanding Performances:
LF Carlos Lee - .281/.339/.492, 29 HR, 115 RBI
CF Gabe Gross - .266/.383/.497, 27 HR, 76 RBI

Busts:
SP Mark Buerhle – 16 GS, 3-8, 5.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP

Florida Marlins
Predicted Record: 66-96
Actual Record: 56-106
Best Hitter: CF Brent Clevlen - .298/.369/.504, 19 HR, 60 RBI
Best Starting Pitcher: SP Yusmeiro Petit – 11-11, 3.53 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
Best Relief Pitcher: RP Taylor Tankersley – 5-6, 4.12 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 27 SV

Breakouts:
2B Dan Uggla - .263/.324/.440, 13 HR, 53 RBI – Significant upgrade for him.

Outstanding Performances:
NONE

Busts:
SP Anibal Sanchez – 1-18, 5.19 ERA, 1.42 WHIP
SP Sean West – 5-19, 5.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
SP Scott Olsen – 10-16, 6.22 ERA, 1.59 WHIP