Our man in Havana...

[egswanso]

I had originally started this in the 2k4 dynasty forum, just as 2k5 was coming out, which was poor timing on my part, so i'm shifting it over here. My well-read Pittsburgh Crawfords dynasty remains in the 2k4 forum...

And so, once again, we start... my dynasty of the expansion Havana Sugar Kings...

but first, some background on expansion team creation:

Player Allotment

Each of my four expansion teams is constructed from the following (needlessly complicated?) matrix. Final “opening day” allotment is 30 players. This creates minimal depth, but is sufficient to give the team a few options. Free agents can be signed in season to bolster weak positions:

1. First, each team gets to keep 3 of the new players Mogul creates when you add a team. I examine predicted output and pick three I think will go on to have good careers (of course predicted statistics are often wrong, so this is no guarantee.)

2. Next, 8 batters and 5 pitchers from “real life” are infused. For the 2020 infusion, I chose four teams (1930 Philadelphia Phillies, 1969 Montreal Expos, 1875-77 Hartford Dark Blues, and 1880-82 Worcester Ruby Legs.) I took the starting lineups and top five pitchers (thus the range for the early teams: to get enough players to fill out the 13 required) and randomized their distribution amongst the four new teams. I then enter them into Mogul, using they’r actual career statistics (averaged and projected to 162 games) as the basis for they’r predicted values, peaks, etc. How they perform in my league may or may not reflect their real-life performance. I’ve had hall-of-fame players flame out gloriously (dead-ball pitcher John Clarkson, in real-life a winner of 328 games with a 2.81 career ERA: in my league, he has a career record of 104-150 with a 4.72 ERA and can only find a job as long-man for the worst team in the league) and scrubs play well (Felix Mantilla, who in real-life had a respectable, if never great, 11 year career, is a perennial all-star in my league, with 10 gold gloves (in 11 years), over 2000 hits, and a .296 career batting average.)

3. Next, seven players are picked in an expansion draft, one from each of the teams in the opposite division (thus Havana picks from the seven teams in the Republic League, North.) Any player with a least one-year of experience and not on the 25-man roster is illegible.

4. Finally, to flesh out the roster and fill in weak spots, the expansion team gets to sign seven free agents to start the season.

Simple, right?

[egswanso]

Our position players (sans free agents):

We’ve lucked out a bit with our roster allocations, drawing the only hall-of-famers in the bunch of real-life players, as well as some strong other players. We also had the benefit of picking from the Republic League, North, which is full of teams who invest in their systems and, in general, had more prospects to choose from.

BLODGETT, Asa: age 22, third base/infield.

Toronto’s 1st round pick in 2018, Blodgett has yet to play in the majors, but has put up good numbers in the minors. He hits for an excellent average, draws a good number of walks, and is good in the field. He lacks the power you’d like to see from third however, and could end up at second or short.

CAO, Ji-yuan: age 23, centerfield.

Minneapolis’s 6th round pick in 2016, Cao failed to ever hit enough to hold down a position with the big-league club. He has respectable power, takes his fair share of walks, and plays an excellent outfield. He’ll never be a star, but should be adequate for a few years as long as he doesn’t price himself out of a job.

Yr Team AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2018 MIN .200 0 4 1 18 45 9 5 2 0 .538 71
DAVIS, Spud: age 24, catcher.

Virgil “Spud” Davis, 1904-1984, had a 16-year career as a major league catcher. Starting with St. Louis in 1928, he was traded to Philly in May 1928 and played for the Phillies until 1933 when he was traded back to the Cardinals (for the same player). By ’37, his days as a starter were done, but he continued with the Reds, the Phillies (again) and the Pirates, when he last saw action in 1945. He never had much power, but was a good hitter and good in getting on base.

DRZASZCZ, Troy: age 20, first base/designated hitter.

A Mogul created rookie, Drzaszcz projects as an over-all good offensive player, with good average, power, and on-base potential. He’s pretty lousy in the field though, so he’ll probably play mostly as DH.

FERGUSON, Bobby: age 26, third base.

Robert Ferguson (who had one of the best nick-names: “Death to Flying Things”), 1845-1894, played third and managed a variety of teams in the EARLY days of baseball. He started with the N. Y. Mutuals in 1871, went over to Brooklyn when the Mutuals dissolved, and Hartford, for whom he played in the National League’s inaugural season. He played a year for the Cubs after Hartford left the league, then four years for the Haymakers in the 80s. He finished off his playing career with the Phillies in ’83 and 10 games with the A.A. Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1884. He managed for a couple more years after that, with the old Mets in ’86 and ’87, with no success. Ferguson was decent in his day, but decidedly mediocre now: empty, mediocre average, no power, little speed, terrible fielder. I think it unlikely he’ll play much of a role for me.

GARRIDO, Gregory: age 23, second base

Philadelphia’s 6th round pick in 2016, Garrido’s been slow to develop, but has matured into a player that should be a solid middle infielder: nothing spectacular, but solid bat, solid glove.

GROSBOLL, Guerino: age 23, first base.

Chicago’s 8th round pick in 2019, Grosboll was the odd-man out in Chicago as the third solid first baseman in the organization. I expect him to seize the opportunity granted him in Havana. He has a strong bat, with excellent power, and doesn’t embarrass himself in the field.

HACKNEY, Larry: age 28, first base/infield

Milwaukee’s 4th round pick in 2016, Hackney was rushed through a weak organization and never managed to show the power he showed in the minors, making him expendable. At his point, it’s unlikely he’ll ever realize his potential, but he’s respectable off the bench.

Yr Team AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2017 MIL .226 0 5 0 34 115 26 12 6 0 .582 78
2018 MIL .198 1 19 0 58 141 28 16 5 0 .570 75
2019 MIL .246 5 25 0 85 247 61 21 14 0 .690 92
HARBIDGE, Bill: age 20, catcher.

“Yaller” Bill Harbidge, 1855-1924, played nine years for a variety of teams in the 1870s and 80s. Starting with Hartford, he moved to the Cubs, then the Haymakers, the Phillies for a year, then finishing his career with the Outlaw Reds of the U.A. in 1884. He was never very good, with a weak bat and no power. He’s a good backup though, and that’s likely the role he’ll fill for me.

HURST, Don: age 23, first base.

Don Hurst, 1905-1952, had a short career in the majors, most all of it with the Phillies. For a short time (1928-1932) he was ranked as one of the best first basemen in the league (although his gaudy numbers have to be considered in light of the day’s juiced-up ball), but in 1933 he fell off badly. He was traded to the Cubs the following year, but never recovered and was out of the league by the end of the season. I suspect he’ll be a very strong player in my league, better then he was in real-life.

IRWIN, Sandy: age 22, shortstop.

Arthur “Sandy” Irwin, 1858-1921, had a 13-yr career in the majors, despite no apparent talent. He started with Worcester, then to the successful Providence teams of the early 1880s before the Phillies for four years and half a year in Washington. He played a year in the Players League, and had brief cameos in ’91 and ’94. He also managed, most successfully with the A.A.’s Boston Reds (First place in 1891), then a few unsuccessful spots with Washington, Philadelphia, and the Giants, finishing up with the soon-to-be-contracted Washington Senators in 1899.

KLEIN, Chuck: age 24, right field.

The best player available in the real-life infusion, Chuck Klein, 1904-1958, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980. Most of his career, in which he routinely batted in the high .300s, was with the Phillies, although he played three years for the Cubs and one with the Pirates. He finished with over 2000 hits, 300 homers, and a .320 career batting average, and should be an excellent player for Havana.

LABOY, Coco: age 30, third base.

Jose “Coco” Laboy, born 1939, was basically an AAAA player who spent 10 years (!) in the minors before being drafted by the Expos in the 1968 expansion draft. His rookie year was by far his best, but he hung on with the early ‘Spos until his release in 1973. He was pretty bad in real life and I doubt will be any better for me. He’ll probably sit on the edge of my bench.

MANN, Fred: age 24, third base/infield.

Fred Mann, 1858-1916, had a short and mostly undistinguished career, mostly in the A.A. He started with Worcester in 1882 before going to the Philadelphia Athletics, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and the Athletics again. He had no power, but hit and walked well enough to hold down a job on my bench at least.

MERTES, Dean: age 28, outfield

Detroit’s 2nd round pick in 2016, Mertes hit well in the minors and found himself in the majors the following year, coming off the bench and as a defensive replacement. His position with the team was always tenuous, as he constantly failed to seize opportunities. He’s excellent in the field, however, and should do nicely as a 4th outfielder at least.

Yr Team AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2017 DET .222 1 2 0 8 18 4 4 1 0 .744 99
2018 DET .226 2 17 0 75 159 36 12 6 0 .546 72
2019 DET .217 2 8 0 82 138 30 13 4 0 .559 74

[egswanso]

Our pitching:

AUBAMEYANG, Ken: age 22, relief pitcher.

A Mogul-created rookie, Aubameyang projects as an ideal closer: low ERA, dominating stuff, and good control. He should have a long career in my bullpen.

COLLINS, Phil: age 21, starting pitcher.

“Fidgety Phil” Collins, 1901-1948, appeared briefly with the Cubs in ’23, but didn’t stick until he joined the Phillies in 1929. He was a respectable pitcher on terrible teams during a hitter’s era, so his un-adjusted numbers make him out to be worse then he was. For Havana, he should be serviceable as a third/fourth starter.

CUMMINGS, Candy: age 23, starting pitcher.

Hall of Famer William “Candy” Cummings, 1848-1924, is credited for inventing the curveball. His actual career was rather short (although he had played amateur ball since the mid 1860s), bouncing around the National Association: starting with the Mutuals, then to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and finally to Hartford for two years, including the first National League season. Like most early pitchers, he was done early and a bad 1877 season for Cincinnati marked his last in the league. These sorts of rubber-armed junkerballers generally do well in my league, so I expect him to be a solid ace, although probably not one with much value past his 30th birthday.

ELLIOTT, Jumbo: age 22, starting pitcher.

James “Jumbo” Elliott, 1900-1970, was another respectable pitcher who played for some bad teams at the worst team to be a pitcher. He came up with the Browns in ’23 for a game, but didn’t really stick until he was with the Dodgers a couple years later. He had a couple good years in ’27 and ’28, but missed most of ’29, and got traded to the terrible Phillies. His 1930 was respectable, but he sucked it up afterwards and was done by 1934 after a shot with the Braves didn’t pan out. He should be another third/fourth starter type for Havana, good for a few years, at least.

MARTIN, Lonell: age 26, relief pitcher.

Denver’s 1st round pick in 2017, Martin pitched well enough in the minors to get a chance in the 2019 Green Stocking pen. He didn’t impress, showing mediocre stuff and weak peripherals. He just doesn’t have much talent, and I suspect he won’t be around for a very long time.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2019 DEN 2 2 1 5.26 32 1 39.3 48 23 19 27 -4.7 80
NOLAN, Carl: age 22, relief pitcher.

The final Mogul created rookie, Nolan projects as a valuable member of the bullpen, with dominating stuff, every-day durability, and good ERAs. He should enjoy success setting up or closing.

RICHMOND, Lee: age 22, starting pitcher.

Lee Richmond, 1857-1929, pitched a game for the Braves in ’79 before being one of the Ruby Legs’s pitchers 1880-82. His arm went dead after ’82 though, and he was done at age 25 (common in the day), although he did hang on to get in a few games with Providence in ’83 and the A.A. Red Stockings in ’86. His career ERA of 3.06 looks good, but is actually worse then the league average - but since I don’t normalize statistics for infusion purposes, Richmond should be an excellent pitcher for Havana.

ROBERTSON, Jerry: age 25, starting pitcher.

Jerry Robertson, 1943-1996, was initially drafted in 1965 and picked in the ’68 expansion draft by the Expos. He had a respectable 1969, but the Expos traded him to the Tigers, where he appeared in 11 games in 1970. He never pitched in the majors again. His numbers aren’t too shabby: he could even be a no. 2 starter for Havana, although I would expect him to peter out pretty quick.

[egswanso]

Free agents:

To flesh out the team (and cover the weak spots and players who just plain out suck, I need to get: (1) a starting outfielder; (2) a backup outfielder; (3) three relievers; and (4) two other pitchers capable of starting (for added depth). I’ll start with the offensive players (which is a deeper pool of talent then the rather sparse pitching available.)

GOMEZ, Ricardo: age 27, outfield (signed to 4yr, $2.2M contract)

Philadelphia’s 5th round pick in 2015, Gomez quickly made it to the majors, joining the Quaker bench in 2016. He remained a bench player for the next couple of years before given a chance to start in 2019. He responded well. Gomez needs to get on base more if he is to become a permanent starter, however. Nonetheless, as he enters his prime, he should prove an able place-setter for the big bats in the Sugar King lineup. Failing that, he isn’t paid enough to preclude being a bench player.


Yr Team AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2016 PHI .294 0 10 0 43 102 30 8 5 2 .727 97
2017 PHI .273 1 15 1 84 157 43 20 5 1 .666 89
2018 PHI .216 2 24 3 104 240 52 23 5 0 .552 73
2019 PHI .288 2 47 3 146 517 149 50 17 1 .684 91
ERICKSON, Harry: age 28, outfield (signed to 4yr, $1.8M contract)

Denver’s 7th round pick in 2015, Erickson made his debut in 2016 when injury and financial constraint forced him into the lineup earlier then management would have liked. He returned to the minors in 2017, but returned to the bench for 2018 and 2019. Never playing much, he never made much of an impression. He has a good bat, however, if needed, and can play a mean outfield as a defensive replacement.


Yr Team AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2016 DEN .242 2 8 0 35 132 32 10 3 0 .585 78
2017 DEN .125 0 1 0 3 8 1 2 0 0 .347 46
2018 DEN .240 1 15 0 29 79 19 7 2 0 .605 80
2019 DEN .226 5 20 0 49 128 29 16 8 0 .683 91
CECIL, Abimael: age 28, relief pitcher (signed to 2yr, $1.2M contract)

San Juan’s 5th round pick in 2016, Cecil was rushed through a barren organization into the Tigres bullpen in ’16. He performed well however and started the next season penciled in as a key-man with the big club, but after a terrible few months was demoted. He spent all of 2018 in the minors working out the kinks and returned in 2019. While not brilliant, he led the league in appearances, showed great durability, good control and an ability to get the strikeouts. With his peripherals, I would expect his ERA to fall, but league average isn’t terrible if it doesn’t.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2016 SJU 3 0 0 2.90 26 0 31 33 10 26 3 4.1 141
2017 SJU 1 6 6 7.95 31 0 31.6 54 28 27 7 -13.6 51
2019 SJU 6 11 1 4.05 88 0 104.3 132 47 104 24 1.6 103
ESTEVEZ, Enrique: age 29, relief pitcher (signed to 3yr, $2.0M contract)

Milwaukee’s 2nd round pick in 2013, Estevez has been a serviceable back-of-the-pen type for the last few years in the league with the league’s laughing-stock (can Milwaukee ever escape the Selig curse?). He’s nothing remarkable, but shouldn’t embarrass himself until I develop some arms to take his place.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2015 MIL 0 2 0 5.19 15 0 17.3 19 10 6 15 -1.9 81
2016 MIL 1 3 0 4.97 44 3 72.3 88 40 37 38 -7.1 82
2017 MIL 3 6 1 4.18 53 2 71 92 33 32 35 -0.8 98
2018 MIL 2 4 0 3.74 42 1 45.6 53 19 23 21 2.6 114
2019 MIL 3 2 1 6.10 33 0 45.6 64 31 23 27 -9.7 69
FELDSTEIN, Jurgen: age 33, relief pitcher/spot starter (signed to 2yr, $2.2M contract)

San Francisco’s 6th round pick in 2010, Feldstein is a late bloomer who’s never managed to find a pattern of the continued success that would cement his position in the league. He saw only a cup of coffee with his first organization before leaving as a minor-league free agent. San Juan took a chance with him and he pitched well, but the financially strapped franchise couldn’t afford his services and he left again. Dallas took a chance with him in 2017 and he rewarded them again, but collapsed in 2018, leading to a demotion to 6th starter for 2019, seeing only brief action and hardly proving his value. After two bad years, he’s looked to re-establish himself.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2013 SFO 0 0 0 1.50 1 1 6 5 1 2 4 1.7 268
2015 SJU 9 9 0 3.72 63 0 79.6 90 33 40 20 4.3 113
2017 DAL 4 1 3 3.42 38 0 63 63 24 29 23 4.6 119
2018 DAL 6 1 1 7.20 22 0 35 50 28 23 22 -11.5 59
2019 DAL 0 0 0 6.48 5 5 25 30 18 18 13 -6.4 65
GENOLIO, Walter: age 28, relief pitcher (signed to 1yr, $400K contract)

Pittsburgh’s 7th round pick in 2014, Genolio started well with the Crawfords before flaming out in 2018 and earning his release. Portland took a chance with him, but he failed to impress and was once again released. If he can recover his form of 2017, he’ll be a valuable member of my pen. If not, he’s a low-budget risk.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2016 PIT 0 0 0 0.00 1 1 3 1 0 3 1 1.4 -
2017 PIT 1 2 2 2.39 33 0 41.3 31 11 27 25 7.8 171
2018 PIT 1 0 1 6.12 17 0 25 24 17 17 12 -5.2 69
2019 POR 0 0 0 5.58 47 0 59.6 75 37 49 37 -9.2 75
MARTINEZ, Morgan: age 28, starter (signed to 1yr, $200K contract)

Dallas’s 6th round pick in 2012, Martinez has successfully managed to pitch horribly everywhere he’s played. An impressive stint earned him a shot in the Mockingbirds rotation back in 2013. He left Dallas after 2017 as a minor-league free agent, never having earned another shot in the big leagues. Portland took a chance with him as an emergency starter in 2018, and he pitched poorly in a few games for the Beavers over the next couple of years. He is signed only as an emergency back up and ideally won’t see any action for Havana.


Yr Team W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
2013 DAL 0 4 0 9.66 5 5 31.6 51 34 19 15 -19.8 42
2018 POR 3 4 0 6.42 8 8 54.6 64 39 40 30 -13.2 66
2019 POR 2 5 0 8.24 7 7 43.6 58 40 35 31 -19.6 51

[egswanso]

My roster now set, I present your 2020 Havana Sugar Kings:


Po Lineup: Starters:
3B Blodgett Cummings
C Davis Richmond
SS Hurst Robertson
1B Grosboll Elliott
LF Klein Collins
DH Drzaszcz
CF Cao Bullpen:
RF Gomez Aubameyang
2B Garrido Cecil
Bench: Nolan
IF Hackney Genolio
OF Erickson Estevez
IF Mann Feldstein
OF Mertes
C Harbidge
As a five-year plan, I think it reasonable to win a division title by 2024. The division is wide-open, with no one-team dominating (although Houston has recently become very strong.) Moreover, the team is projected to make a lot of money. I’ll be able to invest VERY heavily in creating an excellent farm system, and have the money to get new pieces and hang on to everyone I create. However, if I’m optimistic for the future, I’m much more muted about 2020. My goals for the first year:
[list=1]
Have a contender for Rookie of the Year (I’m imagining Klein or Cummings would be the front-runners here.)
Lose no more then 90 games.
Draw at least 3.5 million fans: 4 million would be better.
Develop and identity players that can become pieces for a championship run, whilst discarding those who cannot.
[/list=1]

[egswanso]

Yes, this has not been forgotten. An update to come soon.

[egswanso]

i've actually finished the season update, just haven't posted it. ah, life.

[egswanso]

Record: 76-86, 6th place, 29 games behind ATL.
Pythagorean Win-Loss: 82-80
SD: -0.82

The Sugar Kings performed much as I expected them to, with the strongest record amongst the four expansion teams. Mind you, they were still 10 games under .500 (although bad luck played a portion of that: their run differential projected as a .500 team, more or less) Of my pre-season goals:

1. Achieved. Although none of my offensive players were extra-ordinary, some of my rookie pitchers were fantastic.
2. Achieved. We lost 86.
3. More then achieved. We drew 7,418,466, 5th in the Republic League.
4. Achieved, as discussed below.

Havana showed strong pitching in 2020; pitching that kept us in many a game, but lacked the offensive clout to take full advantage. Notable pitchers were the team’s only all-star, rookie closer Ken Aubameyang, and my top two starters: Candy Cummings (6K & 11bb in 233ip... hilarious) and Lee Richmond, as well as hard-working middle reliever Abimael Cecil.

But offensively... only two regulars posted OPS+ above average and only four had double figures in homeruns. Basically, the team needs power. That’s the first priority for the off-season. Chuck Klein had a respectable, if not fantastic, rookie year, as did Troy Drzaszcz, Don Hurst and Guerino Grosboll, but all will have to continue to improve if they are going to be pieces of a championship run.


2020 Batting AVG HR BI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
Garrido, Gregory .302 4 42 3 146 571 173 55 16 0 .731 98
Gomez, Ricardo .299 1 31 2 140 515 154 43 17 3 .708 95
Davis, Spud .292 3 50 0 140 605 177 55 25 3 .699 94
Blodgett, Asa .286 1 37 0 141 625 179 60 40 0 .692 93
Klein, Chuck .282 10 71 4 143 562 159 66 30 8 .763 103
Hackney, Larry .278 6 23 0 39 140 39 17 5 1 .817 110
Hurst, Don .277 11 57 4 146 555 154 65 23 6 .744 100
Mann, Fred .274 0 7 8 48 208 57 20 7 7 .675 91
Grosboll, Guerino .260 16 66 0 153 625 163 62 28 4 .698 94
Drzaszcz, Troy .252 15 68 0 151 566 143 63 19 2 .710 96
Erickson, Harry .249 7 35 0 85 281 70 25 11 2 .666 90
Harbidge, Bill .217 0 6 0 22 92 20 6 4 1 .547 74
Cao, Ji-yuan .213 2 15 1 76 145 31 10 6 0 .574 77
Mertes, Dean .203 3 16 0 83 270 55 21 13 0 .538 72

2020 Pitching W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
Elliott, Jumbo 14 6 0 2.05 31 31 171 131 39 32 46 38.2 198
Cummings, Candy 16 12 0 2.23 34 33 233.6 240 58 6 11 47.5 182
Richmond, Lee 13 13 0 2.29 33 33 227.6 215 58 47 39 44.8 177
Cecil, Abimael 3 7 0 2.72 86 0 102.3 91 31 89 32 15.2 149
Feldstein, Jürgen 1 2 1 2.76 34 0 81.3 68 25 53 26 11.7 147
Genolio, Walter 9 4 0 2.98 66 0 90.3 75 30 57 47 10.8 136
Aubameyang, Ken 5 7 23 3.54 74 0 61 56 24 52 14 3.5 115
Collins, Phil 8 13 0 3.75 32 32 168 161 70 37 58 5.8 108
Estévez, Enrique 0 1 2 3.94 40 0 70.6 72 31 26 32 0.9 103
Nolan, Carl 2 5 1 4.17 69 0 84 91 39 43 36 -1.0 97
Robertson, Jerry 4 16 0 4.57 32 32 163.3 166 83 72 66 -9.3 89

We have six free agents. Gregory Garrido ($5.9M for 2yrs), hit for a good average, but an empty one. He’s not worth re-signing. Larry Hackney ($2.0M for 3yrs) had a good year, but 2M is too much for a back-up outfielder, since I doubt he’s good enough to hold down a starting position. The same goes for Ji-yuan Cao ($1.25M for 2yrs) and Dean Mertes ($1.45M for 3yrs), neither of who are even any good. Walter Genolio ($2.1M for 2yrs) did have a good year and is worth bringing back. Morgan Martinez ($950K for 2yrs) isn’t worth anything.

Addressing my top weakness, I pull off a big trade, sending sp Jumbo Elliott to the ne’er-do-well Minnesota White Caps for two powerful veteran outfielders, Reggie Johnson and Robin Abrams. While both are in the mid-30s, they should be good for 25+ homers and excellent OBPs. I also address my weakness at 2B by signing Marv Throneberry as a free agent ($4.0M for 3yrs), who’s an excellent defender and 15-20 homer potential. With the trade of Elliott, I also need to pick up a number 3-4 starter and I find one in Alex Kellner, who at 31 seemed to turn a corner with a solid 2019 season. He’s also relatively inexpensive at $800K for 2yrs. My bullpen stays the same.

I also add a bunch of new rookies: if Nate ALBERT, of Egryn GROVE, 3b Brady BUSCH, rf Alisha CHARLES, 1b Rumen BLAKE, ss Juan Carlos SANTANA, if Ron SIEZLASKO, sp Ashkenaz MOLANDER, rp Jeff FORTE, and rp Juliet EDWARDS. None are ready for the majors at the moment.

My goals for the 2021 season:

1. Have a winning record.
2. Draw over 8 million fans.
3. Continue to develop and identity players that can become pieces for a championship run, whilst discarding those who cannot.

[egswanso]

i dont have a new posting for the team, just wanted to keep the dynasty in the front page. People do read this, right?

[egswanso]

The 2021 season has begun and the Sugar Kings are off to a good start...

Viva Cuba! Viva Habana!

Update coming tonight...

[Lobsteve]

Biggest. Tease. Ever.

[egswanso]

yeah, i know...

not intentional, though, i just haven't had the time.

[egswanso]

I really am terrible keeping this updates, aren't i? I haven't abandoned it... other things keep interveining. It shall be done, however.

[egswanso]

I finished April at 13-13, a bit of a disappointment, given the strong start. Nonetheless, only 3 games back of Atlanta in a weak division (so far at least.)

Power has come from an unexpected source: good ol' Marvelous Marv Throneberry, who's off to a 410/463/700 start with 9hrs. There's no way in h*ll he's going to keep this up, but i'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Pitching has been in general a strong-point, with Alex Kellner (4-1, 1.73) the best, although the bull-pen has been hit and miss, with Ken Aubameyang off to a poor start.

[egswanso]

For May, the Sugar Kings were 17-14, for a total record of 30-27. We remain, however, 3 games back, now in back of Mexico City, who lead the division by one game over San Juan.

My offense is much improved from last year, with a couple key players taking step forwards. Troy Drzaszcz is at 331/410/579, but still trails Marvelous Marv for the team lead in homers (he has 13). Robin Abrams has been a disappointment, however, and is being benched for Harry Erickson, who's hitting 483/507/725(!) in limited (62ab) duty.

Lots of extra-inning games have been rough on some of my pitching staff, with some heavy workloads all ready. Candy Cummings leads the way, with a mediocre 4-3 record, but a 1.81 ERA in 94 innings. Ken Aubameyang has 13 saves, but a terrible 5.47 ERA, he's pitching much better recently though.

With only 10 games between the top team in the division (Mexico City) and the worst (San Antonio), it seems clear we're going to be in the hunt all year. It's anyone's division.

[egswanso]

June saw the team go 15-11, for a season-to-date record of 45-38. The divsion race is starting to materialize, however, with a red-hot Atlanta, Mexico City, San Juan and us stil in the thick of it. Houston's 7.5 out, but has started to get hot; they're a top sleeper pick.

The offense has become quite balanced, with no-one really standing out, although Troy Drzaszcz continues his torrid pace, at 326/398/571. Harry Erickson's done a good job starting, while Robin Abrams has picked up his game as the 4th outfielder.

Pitching has been dominated by the troika of Cummings, Richmond, and Kellner. Richmond leads the way with a 2.25 ERA and a 13-2 record in 132ip. The bullpen is generally good, but both Aubameyang and Nolan are having bad sophmore slumps.

[egswanso]

We got off to a hot start in July, coming within a .5 game of Mexico City before we cooled off and they got hot. We finished the month 17-11, for a 62-49 season-to-date record and are still stuck in 3rd, 6.5 games behind the Aztecas. My offensive remains nicely balanced, led by a core of Klein, Johnson, Drzaszcz, Grosboll, and Throneberry.

Pitching is led by provisional all-stars, Lee Richmond (16-3, 2.15), and Alex Kellner (14-5, 2.22), and Candy Cummings, whose lags with a 11-5 record, but a sparkling 1.94 ERA in 176ip (damm those pitch-counts!). Aubameyang and Nolan both found themselves demoted to work out the kinks in AAA. Promoted rookie Jeff Forte has a 1.68 ERA in 16 relief innings, while work-horse Abimael Cecil has taken over the closer role, with Jurgen Feldstein taking over the work-horse role (75.2ip!)

[alvarez16]

nice

[egswanso]

We just can't get that run of great play, combined with a slump from the Aztecas to gain some ground. We went 17-12, and are at 79-61 for the season, 4 games back.

My lineup continues its hitting ways, with Chuck Klein and Troy Drzaszcz the top hitters, but everyone contributing. Pitching's another strength, with most of the staff turning in excellent performences.

This all said, I need to have a good September, and both the Aztecas and Crackers need to collapse if I am to claim the division crown.

[egswanso]

It didn't happen. End up tied for 3rd, 5.5 games back. Our Pythagorean record had us tied for first, so a good season over all. Re-cap coming soon.

[egswanso]

Record: 90-72, 3rd place (tied), 5.5 games behind MEX.
Pythagorean Win-Loss: 95-67
SD: 0.60

As I discussed in the month-to-month postings, a good season. Came within a half game of Mexico City, but in the game, just couldn’t catch the sustained break we needed to over-take the Aztecas. It was an excellent race though, down to the wire in every way, with the division coming down to a one-game playoff between Mexico City and perennial power-house Atlanta. Pythagorean-wise, we underplayed by five games: us, Mexico City, and San Juan came in with equal 95-67 Pythagorean projections. Not too shabby for a second-year team. Of my pre-season goals:

1. Achieved. Nine games over .500.
2. Failed. Although we went up to 4th place in the league in attendance, it actually decreased to 7,100,136. Still though, it’s hard to argue with 7.1M fans.
3. Achieved, as discussed below.

Going into 2021, one of my major goals was to increase the offensive clout of the team. Happily, this was successful. My OPS+’s soared, with seven of my nine regulars posting above average rates. I was particularly happy with the emergence of Troy Drzaszcz and Chuck Klein, the former was an all-star, the second just missed. The team showed excellent power as well, which was a prime area I focused on improving. My bench was just terrible though.

Pitching was the big strength in 2020 and it continued to be one in 2021. We were led by the troika of Richmond, Cummings, and Kellner, who combined for 56 wins and 700 innings. Richmond was the best: his 23-6 record and 191 ERA+ led to his selection as Pitcher of the Year. Bit of a disappointment in the bull-pen, where both Carl Nolan and Ken Aubameyang collapsed in pretty bad sophomore slumps. Both were pitching fine in the minors though, so I hope it’s not a permanent regression. Abimael Cecil went nicely from work-horse to closer, while Walter Genolio and Jürgen Feldstein provided nice innings in relief, while surprising rookie Jeff Forte was the revelation of the year (SO not in my plans going into the year.)


2021 Batting AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
Erickson, Harry .322 18 71 0 122 437 141 53 21 0 .847 116
Drzaszcz, Troy .320 27 82 0 153 574 184 82 37 3 .944 129
Hurst, Don .319 12 50 1 150 648 207 98 27 6 .808 111
Klein, Chuck .316 25 91 1 149 641 203 76 39 4 .866 118
Davis, Spud .295 7 44 0 147 653 193 71 34 2 .734 100
Ferguson, Bobby .291 0 14 0 66 206 60 19 9 1 .664 91
Grosboll, Guerino .287 31 91 1 151 564 162 76 25 3 .859 118
Johnson, Reggie .279 25 73 0 151 593 166 76 21 0 .809 111
Mann, Fred .271 0 0 6 15 59 16 7 2 1 .644 88
Blodgett, Asa .256 3 25 0 124 362 93 30 18 1 .669 92
Throneberry, Marv .237 27 62 0 160 589 140 60 6 2 .686 94
Gomez, Ricardo .236 3 17 0 75 165 39 12 4 1 .619 85
Abrams, Robin .224 7 24 0 91 209 47 24 6 0 .664 91
Harbidge, Bill .189 0 3 0 15 58 11 1 1 1 .506 69

2021 Pitching W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER SO BB PR ERA+
Richmond, Lee 23 6 0 2.08 32 32 250 207 58 43 35 52.8 191
Cummings, Candy 16 8 0 2.10 33 33 244 203 57 6 9 51.0 190
Kellner, Alex 17 10 0 2.49 31 31 205.3 140 57 66 81 34.0 160
Cecil, Abimael 3 4 10 2.53 61 0 60.3 52 17 55 15 9.7 157
Genolio, Walter 5 1 1 2.70 56 0 63.3 41 19 43 27 9.0 147
Feldstein, Jürgen 5 8 1 3.46 60 0 101.3 116 39 66 24 5.9 115
Robertson, Jerry 6 13 0 3.55 32 32 182.3 152 72 77 75 8.7 112
Forte, Jeff 1 1 1 3.56 25 0 35.3 34 14 15 10 1.6 112
Collins, Phil 9 11 0 4.06 33 33 168.3 160 76 29 42 -1.5 98
Estevez, Enrique 3 5 0 4.90 44 0 62.3 66 34 25 32 -6.4 81
Martin, Lonell 0 0 0 5.78 10 0 14 20 9 9 7 -2.8 69
Aubameyang, Ken 1 4 16 6.29 38 0 34.3 46 24 34 12 -8.8 63
Nolan, Carl 1 0 0 6.90 21 0 30 36 23 15 11 -9.7 58

[egswanso]

I only had three free agents after the year: Abimael Cecil ($2.4M for 2yrs) and Jürgen Feldstein ($2.6M for 2yrs) are productive, consistent, and relatively cheap. They’ll both be re-signed. Lonell Martin is terrible and he won’t be missed: he’s not even worth the league minimum.

My free-agent priorities focus on upgrading the weakest positions: 2B and 3B. Marv Throneberry gave me the protection I expected, but a prolonged slump dipped him below league average for the year, plus, at age 35, his production may well fall off a cliff. While I think I can get another avaerge year out of him, I want to ensure I have a back-up who can play when/if ol’ Marvelous tanks. I find my guy in George Fairley. He’s never been a starter, but he’s posted good (but not great) numbers in enough action to indicate his skill level. He’s 30, which isn’t too old, and at $2.8M for 4yrs, while not dirt cheap, is not a crippling burden. He’ll start the year on the bench (he can play OF too).

For Third, I need to find a starter. While Asa Blodgett and Bobby Ferguson aren’t terrible, in the classic sense, both are below-average offensively, with no power. Blodgett is a good guy to have off the bench, but I just don’t think he’ll develop into an above-average player, and Ferguson doesn’t have the same defensive skill… he’ll be shopped for something. There are three top third-sackers on the market (and many lesser ones), I choose Calvin Chipowsky. Formerly of Atlanta, Chipowsky doesn’t hit for a great average, but has good power, a good eye, and is excellent in the field. And he’s the youngest, at 25. At $8.4M for 4yrs, he’s not cheap, but I expect him to be productive and improve.

And a few minor moves: I restructure Robin Abrams’s contract, who lost his job in a steep decline (he was 37 after all), and sees his pay packet fall from $3.6M to $200K (through the 2022 season). Released is Ricardo Gomez, who hasn’t amounted to much of anything. I trade the aforementioned Bobby Ferguson to Montreal for catcher Oringo Dreyer, who’ll take over the backup role as Bill Harbridge goes back down for some more seasoning. Down in the minors, I release Egryn Grove, who can’t hit worth a ****. Rumen Blake had a fantastic year, but has no place to play at the moment. I’m having him work at second and wouldn’t be surprised if he makes a cameo sometime during the year. I add of Ichiro FUJISHIMA, 2b Mike DRUMMOND, 1b Demetrio RODRIGUEZ, rp Sylvester LONG, rp Joel BROWN, and rp George CLAPPER in the draft. No-one ready to make an immediate impact, but a year on the farm can do wonders for the kids.

My goals for 2022:

1. I’ll hedge my bets here: I want to contend for the title all year and finish no more then five back. Obviously, I’d love to win it too, but I’ll stick with my original plan (five years).
2. Draw over 8 million fans. I’m hovering around that 7M mark, which is excellent, but I should be able to push it with a strong season.
3. A three-part goal: (1) no regressions (very important. I’m not looking for one year wonders here); (2) bounce-backs from Aubameyang and Nolan; and (3) my youngsters keep improving.

I should be a lock for 85-90 wins. With continued progress, a break-out or two, and some
luck, I could clock in at 95-100, which should win the division.

[egswanso]

after a long hiatus... I'm back playing the NABL and continuing the saga of the Havana Sugar Kings... 2022 looks like an exciting season...

update shortly.

[egswanso]

The first two months of 2022 saw the Sugar Kings go 32-24, good for a tie for second with the Sharks, and a game back of Atlanta.

The team has, in general, been performing to expectations. Attendence is going along great and the offense is led by the young guns of Tony Drzaszcz 323/407/593 amd Guerino Grosboll 328/388/534.

Pitching, as always, is led by Candy Cummings, 7-3. 1.66, and Lee Richmond, 6-4, 1.63. The bullpen's been a bit shaky, but is showing signs of turning it around.

I should contend all year, esp. as Atlanta seems to be hurting a bit at the moment.

[egswanso]

June was fairly disappointing, actually. The team went 15-12, and lost ground in the pennant race, falling 4.5 games behind Atlanta, vying with Miami and San Juan in a very close race for 2nd... but 2nd don't really do much.

The reason for the stall? Easy - it's the hitting. Troy Drzaszcz continues to lead the team (318/393/544), but even he's leveling off. Reggie Johnson and Don Hurst are mired in slumps and lost their starting spots, and a few others aren't living up to par.

I sign the best available free agent, of Phil Ragan, who'll hopefully help. And he's cheap, at 600K for a couple years.

On the other hand, the pitching's been great. Candy Cummings (10-5, 1.58) and Lee Richmond (11-4, 1.37) remain the pace-setters, and Ken Aubameyang has come back to lead the well-rested bullpen (ERA under 1.00). Cecil and Genolio, on the other hand, are having off-years; although so far it hasn't been a problem.

[egswanso]

As the season comes into the home streach, more of the same: the Sugar Kings go 18-11, which is pretty good, but can't manage to make up any ground on the Crackers, who stay hot. We have, however, moved into sole possession of 2nd place, which is good, at 5.5 games back.

Our offense seems to have kicked it up a notch. Drzaszcz, Klein, Grosbell, and a resurgent Robin Abrams anchor the lineup, while rookie Rumen Blake, promoted to take over from a slumping Marv Throneberry, is off to a great 358/390/589 start.

Pitching continues with more of the same: Candy Cummings (14-7, 1.60) and Lee Richmond (12-7, 1.83), and both closing in on 200ips, anchor the staff. Genolio and Cecil haven't quite been the same, but the rest of the 'pen is going along strong.

[egswanso]

Why Oh Why can't this team catch a break?

They are crying in their rum in Habana. We challenge all year, end up with 96 wins (sig. underplaying our Pythagorean projection), have Lee Richmond win the Cy Young and MVP and...

Finish 2nd to Atlanta by 3 games.

The perils of not having a wild card, i suppose, although I wouldn't have won that either, since Toronto was 2nd in the RL North with 102 wins.

End-of-season update coming soon.

[egswanso]

i haven't forgotten this... the update is done, i'm just having internet problems getting it from my lap-top to the net... argh.

[BamaZouLou]

Hmm.. Good Expansion team starting, but how do you only let them keep 3 players mogul creates and how do you do expansions drafts?

[BamaZouLou]

also how do you input players like john clarkson?

[egswanso]

Hmm.. Good Expansion team starting, but how do you only let them keep 3 players mogul creates and how do you do expansions drafts?

the old fashioned way... manually. I went into commish mode, and forced trades to simulate the expansion draft, and edited and deleted players as needed.

[egswanso]

also how do you input players like john clarkson?
again, manually via commish mode. I grabbed final stats from baseball-reference, and did 162 gm. average.

[egswanso]

OK, my new flash drive should be here in a day or two, so i'll be able to update this (finally)...

yay!

[egswanso]

the drive is here, and i shall update this tomorrow morning with the 2022 season re-caps (and maybe start on the 2023 season).

yay!

[egswanso]

The 2022 season:

Record: 96-66, 2nd place, 3 games behind ATL.
Pythagorean Win-Loss: 103-59
SD: 0.18

For the second year in a row, a good (but not quite good enough) season. The Sugar Kings benefited from superb pitching, but were overall below-average offensively, which led to the team under-performing their Pythagorean projection by seven games - costly them the division title.

I’m going to have to make some upgrades if I’m going to stop my under-performing ways. While 96 wins for a third year team is nothing to be ashamed of; there’s no reason I shouldn’t win the pennant with a couple new faces. A look at my preseason goals:

1. Achieved. Won 96 games, finishing 3 back. My Pythagorean record had me win the division out-right.
2. Almost achieved. I drew 7,628,499.
3. Mixed. Most of my stars stayed at their level, although some have seemingly plateaued at a level below that which I’d like. Don Hurst seemed to fall apart. Aubameyang and Nolan did bounce back, although Genolio and Cecil regressed.

2022 goes down as my best year yet, however, I remain unsatisfied, primarily because of the continued failure of the team to play up to its full potential. Klein, Drzaszcz and Grosboll have performed excellently, but Spud Davis and Calvin Chipowsky were a bit of a disappointment, both being a bit below average. Phil Ragan and Robin Abrams did a good job covering in the outfield, but Abrams especially is old and neither he nor Reggie Johnson (who played poorly this year) should be counted on for consistent excellence. Rumen Blake had a solid, though not spectacular, debut, but I’m not sure if he’s ready to start on a championship-quality team.

My pitching, on the other hand, is the best in the league. Although both Genolio and Cecil fell off this year, the staff as a whole didn’t miss a step. Even Ashkenaz Molander looked good in a brief look-see.



2022 Batting AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
Klein, Chuck .320 18 50 5 151 581 186 82 20 12 .853 117
Drzaszcz, Troy .309 28 93 0 154 588 182 72 38 0 .900 124
Ragan, Philip .298 8 30 0 78 278 83 30 24 0 .837 115
Abrams, Robin .280 15 45 0 105 414 116 55 13 0 .776 107
Blake, Rumen .280 3 25 0 61 221 62 16 16 0 .716 98
Grosboll, G .266 32 91 2 155 589 157 71 19 0 .797 110
Davis, Spud .262 10 32 0 152 648 170 48 24 0 .666 92
Chipowsky, C. .247 17 41 0 159 566 140 58 15 0 .692 95
Throneberry, M. .230 11 29 0 100 347 80 28 2 2 .631 87
Blodgett, Asa .224 1 9 0 24 49 11 6 2 0 .622 86
Erickson, Harry .224 10 37 1 102 316 71 33 8 0 .614 84
Fairley, George .224 2 11 3 104 223 50 15 4 0 .535 74
Johnson, Reggie .224 8 32 0 58 227 51 24 7 0 .648 89
Hurst, Don .222 8 27 1 112 413 92 40 13 3 .609 84
Mann, Fred .193 0 8 6 30 93 18 12 1 2 .489 67
Dreyer, Oringo .184 0 0 0 10 38 7 1 1 0 .415 57


2022 Pitching W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
Nolan, Carl 3 1 0 0.81 8 0 11 6 1 6 4 3.8 485
Feldstein, J. 3 1 1 1.44 13 2 37.3 18 6 26 9 10.3 273
Richmond, Lee 19 10 0 1.57 32 32 275 188 48 59 27 72.1 250
Cummings, Candy 21 9 0 1.59 33 33 288.3 229 51 9 11 75.0 247
Aubameyang, Ken 4 4 19 1.80 46 0 50 30 10 55 14 11.8 218
Kellner, Alex 9 7 0 2.78 24 24 180.7 143 56 51 58 23.1 141
Collins, Phil 15 7 0 2.99 32 32 219.3 178 73 36 79 22.9 131
Molander, A. 3 1 0 3.22 4 4 30.7 25 11 13 5 2.4 122
Estévez, E. 2 2 0 3.30 34 1 46.3 42 17 14 20 3.2 119
Forte, Jeff 2 2 1 3.31 28 0 40.7 35 15 20 15 2.8 119
Robertson, J. 10 16 0 3.36 32 32 222 192 83 92 90 14.1 117
Cecil, Abimael 3 2 6 4.64 27 1 31 39 16 24 8 -2.4 85
Genolio, Walter 1 4 0 6.10 31 0 28 27 19 21 24 -6.8 64

[egswanso]

I have five free agents. Robin Abrams ($200K for 2yrs) only wants the minimum - for that, I’ll re-sign him as a back-up. I won’t, on the other hand, pay Reggie Johnson ($800K for 3yrs) any more then the minimum, so he’s gone. Asa Blodgett ($5.4M for 3yrs) never really panned out, so he too is gone. Alex Kellner ($18.5M for 7yrs) is asking for a lot (no doubt, a sign of things to come), but is worth it, and I have the money, so I can resign him. Lastly, Enrique Estévez ($2.5M for 5yrs) is asking for a lot, and while he’s played very well, I think I can replace him for cheaper.

My number one priority are new bats, specifically an outfielder (as I doubt Robin Abrams has much left in the tank - Phil Ragan performed pretty well, and is cheap.) Spud Davis is respectable for a catcher, but I’m going to check out free-agents and trade opportunities, to try to find something better. I need to upgrade shortstop, and get a better third baseman. I’m happy with Chuck Klein in left, Troy Drzaszcz as my DH, Grosboll at First, and Rumen Blake as an up-and-coming second base star.

My first signing is one of the best, of Ted Dihigo. Through his first five years, Dihigo’s made the all-star team four times, has a career OBP over .400, and is only 26 years old. At $15M for 7yrs, he’s certainly not cheap, but paying for quality is well worth it.
For shortstop, I find Hyuk Jung: through five years, he too posted an OBP near .400, and while he has little power, his speed and ability to get on base will be a valuable asset. Again, he’s not cheap, at $13M for 6 yrs, but should be well-worth it.

After those block-buster signings, I’ll try to take it easy for catcher and third base. The market for both isn’t too hot, regardless, so it’s not too much of a loss: nor am I weak enough at either position to justify a mass upgrade (a platoon-type situation of going with the hot hand of the moment should be sufficient). I’ll grab c John Sander ($2.4M for 3yrs) and 3b Gregory Leibman ($2.4M for 4yrs). Neither is a star, but both provide insurance and league average/slightly about league average performance. I also need a backup outfielder (as none of my minor-league outfielders are major-league ready), so I sign of Tony Toler ($400K for 4yrs), who’s nothing special, but is good both in the field and can draw a walk or two. I’m also releasing a whole bunch of guys who’ve outlived their usefulness: 2b Marv Throneberry (expensive and declining), of Harry Erickson (ditto), if George Fairley, ss Fred Mann, c Oringo Dreyer, and two guys who can’t hit: if Sandy Irwin, and ss Juan Carlos Santana.

The pitching staff’s far more settled. The rotation stays the same. I shift up the bullpen by trading Walter Genolio to Detroit for Tom Harrington, and release rp George Clapper and rp Juliet Edwards, since they suck.

Five new rookies join the squad: of Brian UICHICO, 3b Tony O’REILLY, of Yu’ichi KOMAKI, rp Tsutomu USHIYAMA, and rp Johnny FERRARO. Once again, they need some more seasoning before making the show.

My goals for 2023: (pardon the repetition)

1. Win the division (or at the least, finish no further then 2 game behind)
2. Draw over 8 million fans. I’m close…
3. A three-part goal: (1) no regressions; (2) my pitching to continue to rock; (3) more offense.

The team’s success is making me greedy. I want to hit 100 wins and a division title.

[egswanso]

For the first time, the Sugar Kings got off to a fast start and end the month leading the RL South with an 18-9 record, but only 1 game in front of Miami…

The offense is going along well, with new acquisitions Hyuk Jung and Ted Dihigo joining Drzaszcz and Klein to provide the pop. I’m not hitting the home runs I’d like to, however (Dihigo and Drzaszcz are leading the team with 4 each).

Pitching is being led by Candy Cummings, Lee Richmond, and Phil Collins, with Alex Kellner sucking it up so-far (0-3, 6.18 in 5gs), and the bullpen barely playing a roll (Carl Nolan leads, with 7ip), but doing it well.

Hopefully, we’ll continue with more of the same.

[egswanso]

May saw first place bounce back and forth between the Sugar Kings and the Sharks, but at the end of the month, I’m back on top again with a 35-21 record (17-12 on the month), 1.5 games in front of Miami. The rest of the division has been pretty lousy, with only a recent hot streak pushing Mexico City to .500 for 3rd place. But don’t count out my rivals yet, as Mexico City, San Juan, and Atlanta are all able to turn it around in a hurry.

Offensively, Teddy Dihigo’s come on strong, and now is among the league leaders with 14 homers, and the team as a whole is hitting much better then last year.

Pitching-wise, everything’s still great. Candy Cummings is already over 100ip (and has a 1.50 era) and the bullpen’s been just terrific.

[egswanso]

June was just a fantastic month. I went 18-10, and my hot streaks coincided with some poor play by Miami (who is now engaged in a tight 3-way battle for second with San Juan and Mexico City. The good play has padded my lead, now 6 games.

Teddy Dihigo (322/399/618) and Troy Drzaszcz (327/420/523) are leading the offense, although everyone is performing well (although I might find a replacement for Phil Ragan, who hasn’t been too impressive.) Pitching’s been excellent all around as well, and Alex Kellner really turned it on before heading to the DL for a stint (nothing serious).

[egswanso]

I saw July off with a small pick-up, but one that should be useful: Martin Stanley, to take over right from Phil Ragan, who’s just not performing up to par (I’ll worry about a good upgrade here after the season…)

Martin STANLEY, outfield: age 32


Yr Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B SLG OBA OPS OPS+
2016 SJU .281 9 50 0 140 523 147 57 37 1 .407 .332 .739 99
2017 SJU .291 27 96 2 138 515 150 58 21 0 .489 .337 .826 110
2018 SJU .291 20 45 0 138 505 147 64 29 0 .467 .338 .805 106
2019 SJU .288 13 63 0 142 565 163 54 29 0 .408 .339 .747 99
2020 SJU .230 8 42 0 106 260 60 20 14 1 .384 .270 .654 88
2021 SJU .243 3 24 3 97 185 45 18 4 1 .324 .313 .637 87
2022 SJU .278 4 21 1 37 104 29 9 6 0 .451 .324 .775 107
7 TOT .279 84 341 6 798 2657 741 280 140 3 .429 .327 .755 101

July was an excellent month. A late-month hot streak (11 games in a row) pushed me into a big-lead, 13 over Miami. My line-up’s a potent threat, with Ted Dihigo and Troy Drzaszcz, and Guerino Grosbell all with at least 20 homers, and no real weak links (although Stanley and Ragan haven’t exactly lit the world on fire.)

Pitching remains strong, with Alex Kellner the only one with an ERA over 4.00, and Candy Cummings and Lee Richmond leading in wins.

Barring a late season collapse, I shouldn’t have a problem finishing on top.

[egswanso]

We’ve almost put the division away, opening our lead over Miami to 20 games and closing in on 100 wins. We had a great month, at 21-9. The heart of my lineup provides the power, while the pitching is just solid through and through (although no-one’s at 20 wins yet, it should happen early in September.)

Looks like I’ll get the division sooner then I had originally planned… yay!

[egswanso]

This year, the cards were in place, and victory was ours, as we finish the year at 109-53, 20 games up on Miami. Great job all around.

I’m glad we weren’t in some of these other divisions, however. My Republic League championship opponent, Philadelphia Quakers, went 123-39 on the year. The Chicago Whales finished at 118-44, which only got them second.

The worst was the UL West: Las Vegas won the division at 113-49, then San Francisco (106 wins), Portland (105 wins), and Guadalajara (101 wins). Four teams with 100 wins in one division. It must suck to be a Diablos Rojas fan… 101 wins, and 4th place!

I’m a major underdog in the play-offs, but anything can happen.

Playoffs summary (including daily boxes of our games) coming!

[egswanso]

Game One featured a pitching duel between two of the league's best, my Candy Cummings, and Philly's Elbridge Miller (often compared to Walter Johnson). The Quakers got a run in the bottom of the first; I tied it a 1-1 in the 7th, but Philly scored the go-ahead in the bottom of the 7th. That was all that they needed.

Philadelphia wins 2-1, up 1-0 in RLCS.


Havana Sugar Kings at Philadelphia Quakers
October 3, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 1
Quakers (PHI) 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x 2 6 1

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Jung (SS) 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .264
Blake (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279
Davis (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304
TOTALS 31 6 2 1 0 1 2 0

2B: Dihigo

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Cummings 8.0 6 1 0 2 2 0 104 1.56
TOTALS 8.0 6 1 0 2 2 0 104

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .349
Ahn (3B) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
Atwood (LF) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .256
Benson (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
TOTALS 30 6 1 2 0 2 0 0

2B: Hubbell, Jackson

PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Miller 9.0 6 2 0 1 0 2 116 1.62
TOTALS 9.0 6 2 0 1 0 2 116

WP: Miller
LP: Cummings

Attendance: 80,400
Time: 2:26

[egswanso]

Game Two was all Philly's Marty Mathewson... as he spun a four-hit shutout for the win. Our Lee Richmond was great (8h, 2r for the CG), but it just wasn't enough, as we lose, again.

Philadelphia wins 2-0, up 2-0 in RLCS.

Back to Havana for Game Three...


Havana Sugar Kings at Philadelphia Quakers
October 4, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
Quakers (PHI) 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 x 2 8 0

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Jung (SS) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264
Blake (2B) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .279
Davis (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304
TOTALS 29 4 3 0 0 0 3 0

2B: Davis

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Richmond 8.0 8 0 0 2 2 1 109 2.33
TOTALS 8.0 8 0 0 2 2 1 109

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .349
Ahn (3B) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
Atwood (LF) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .256
Benson (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .293
TOTALS 32 8 0 2 0 1 1 0


PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Mathewson 9.0 4 3 0 0 0 3 122 2.74
TOTALS 9.0 4 3 0 0 0 3 122

WP: Mathewson
LP: Richmond

Attendance: 80,400
Time: 2:35

[egswanso]

Needing a win, the Sugar Kings return to the Island and a raucous Estadio de Castro for Game Three. The fans got a good one. We got off to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to see the Quakers score one in the 8th off a tired Jerry Robertson.

Tied 1-1 into extra innings, we WON in a thrilling fashion, with a Rumen Blake walk-off homer in the bottom of the 12th off Philly's relief ace, Dan Hargrave!

We win, 2-1. Philly leads RLCS 2-1.


Philadelphia Quakers at Havana Sugar Kings
October 6, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Quakers (PHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1
Sugar Kings (HAV) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 0

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .349
Atwood (LF) 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .256
Benson (1B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 5 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 .293
TOTALS 41 4 6 1 0 1 9 0

2B: Hubbell

PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Wilson 10.0 6 2 0 1 1 1 128 2.07
Lu 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 25 2.72
Hargrave 0.0 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 0.90
TOTALS 12.0 7 2 1 2 2 2 156

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Jung (SS) 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .318
Hurst (SS) 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .284
Dihigo (CF) 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264
Blake (2B) 5 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 .279
Davis (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .304
TOTALS 41 7 2 2 1 2 2 0

2B: Dihigo
HR: Blake

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Robertson 8.2 2 5 0 1 1 5 127 3.28
Cecil 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 2.02
Aubameyang 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 2 21 2.78
Forte 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 26 1.65
TOTALS 13.0 4 6 0 1 1 9 191

WP: Forte
LP: Hargrave

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 3:26

[egswanso]

Phil Collins just didn't have it for Game Four, and it showed. Never really had much of a chance.

Philadelphia wins 6-2, leads RLCS 3-1



Philadelphia Quakers at Havana Sugar Kings
October 7, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Quakers (PHI) 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 13 1
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 8 1

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .349
Ahn (3B) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
Atwood (LF) 5 2 0 2 2 3 0 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 2 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 .256
Benson (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 4 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 4 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 .293
TOTALS 39 13 5 6 2 6 6 0

2B: Velasquez, Jackson
HR: Atwood 2

PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Zellner 8.0 8 3 0 2 2 4 125 2.35
Lu 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 2.72
TOTALS 9.0 8 3 0 2 2 5 141

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 5 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .321
Jung (SS) 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .264
Blake (2B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .279
Davis (C) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304
TOTALS 35 8 3 2 0 2 5 0

2B: Grosboll, Chipowsky, Dihigo

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Collins 6.0 9 3 2 4 4 3 102 3.51
Forte 1.1 2 1 0 1 0 1 31 1.65
Cecil 1.1 1 1 0 1 1 1 27 2.02
Aubameyang 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 2.78
TOTALS 9.0 13 5 2 6 5 6 170

WP: Zellner
LP: Collins

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 3:28

[egswanso]

Game Five was a must-win, a rematch of Candy Cummings and Elbridge Miller.
This time, we win. Teddy Dihigo and Calvin Chipowsky hit homers and Candy finished with the shutout four-hitter.

We win, 3-0. Philadelphia leads RLCS 3-2.



Philadelphia Quakers at Havana Sugar Kings
October 8, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Quakers (PHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 x 3 8 0

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .349
Atwood (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .256
Benson (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
TOTALS 31 4 0 0 0 0 1 0


PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Miller 7.2 8 3 2 3 3 2 119 1.62
Hargrave 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.90
TOTALS 8.0 8 3 2 3 3 2 123

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Jung (SS) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .318
Hurst (SS) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .284
Dihigo (CF) 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 4 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 .264
Blake (2B) 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .279
Davis (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .304
TOTALS 31 8 3 3 2 3 2 0

2B: Blake
HR: Chipowsky, Dihigo

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Cummings 9.0 4 0 0 0 0 1 109 1.56
TOTALS 9.0 4 0 0 0 0 1 109

WP: Cummings
LP: Miller

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 2:36

[egswanso]

Do or die continues with Game 6, back in Philadelphia...

The Quakers got out to an early 2-0 lead against Lee Richmond; I was able to get one (unearned) back in the 6th, but in the end, Marty Mathewson was just too much to overcome, and we lose.

We lose 2-1. Philadelphia WINS RLCS, 4-2.

It was a good run, but Philly was just the stronger team. If it's any consolation, Philly ran over New York in five games to become 2023 World Champs...



Havana Sugar Kings at Philadelphia Quakers
October 10, 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 1
Quakers (PHI) 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 x 2 6 2

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .321
Jung (SS) 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .316
Drzaszcz (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .325
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286
Chipowsky (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264
Blake (2B) 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .279
Davis (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
Stanley (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .304
TOTALS 32 4 2 1 0 1 2 0

2B: Blake, Dihigo

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Richmond 8.0 6 2 0 2 1 1 108 2.33
TOTALS 8.0 6 2 0 2 1 1 108

PHILADELPHIA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Jackson (CF) 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 .322
Velasquez (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .349
Ahn (3B) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
Atwood (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .255
Barnett (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .256
Benson (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .332
Jeremies (RF) 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302
Peltier (SS) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .305
Hubbell (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Anderson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293
TOTALS 29 6 2 2 0 2 1 0

2B: Atwood

PHILADELPHIA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Mathewson 9.0 4 2 0 1 0 2 121 2.74
TOTALS 9.0 4 2 0 1 0 2 121

WP: Mathewson
LP: Richmond

Attendance: 80,400
Time: 2:12

[egswanso]

The 2023 season:

Record: 109-53, 1st place, 20 games ahead of MIA.
Pythagorean Win-Loss: 113-49
SD: 1.23

Success! This year, the offensive additions worked; the pitching remains excellent, and we ran away with the division title (after some early season worry). As you saw from the post-season wrap-up, however, we were unable to advance past the first round, losing to eventual World Champion Philadelphia. Still, however, an excellent season, and an achievement of my initial goal (division championship) a year early. A look at my preseason goals:

1. Achieved. We won 109, and the division championship.
2. Achieved. We drew an amazing 8,529,543.
3. Achieved. No regressions and great performances all around. An exceptionally well-balanced team.

Offensively, we did great. All of my regular position players, except Spud Davis,
performed above-league average, with all-stars Troy Drzaszcz and Teddy Dihigo tops,
but Guerino Grosboll and Calvin Chipowsky also super, and sophomore Rumen Blake
definitely showed he can be a champion-level player.

As for my pitching, it remained a strength: Candy Cummings and Lee Richmond were
both all-stars, and everyone except Alex Kellner had an ERA above league-average.



2023 Batting AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
Drzaszcz, Troy .325 26 101 0 154 602 196 86 25 1 .917 124
Klein, Chuck .321 9 60 1 145 638 205 101 31 9 .808 110
Jung, Hyuk .318 4 55 13 161 668 213 106 31 10 .781 106
Dihigo, Ted .316 37 131 1 161 658 208 115 28 9 .937 127
Stanley, Martin .304 3 32 0 72 276 84 30 13 2 .738 100
Leibman, Greg .300 0 0 0 3 10 3 0 0 0 .600 81
Davis, Spud .293 5 45 0 148 552 162 62 26 0 .715 97
Grosboll, Gue. .286 30 101 0 155 621 178 86 26 2 .833 113
Hurst, Don .284 2 19 0 77 116 33 13 4 0 .716 97
Blake, Rumen .279 24 87 0 154 555 155 75 27 0 .812 110
Chipowsky, Cal. .264 26 85 0 159 619 164 80 20 0 .756 103
Toler, Tony .250 2 6 0 39 76 19 8 0 0 .665 90
Sander, John .245 1 3 0 19 53 13 4 2 0 .584 79
Ragan, Philip .234 5 28 0 91 298 70 30 13 1 .658 89
Abrams, Robin .125 1 4 0 26 16 2 1 0 0 .575 78




2023 Pitchers W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER SO BB PR ERA+
Nolan, Carl 4 1 0 1.10 28 1 32.7 25 4 21 13 10.8 371
Cummings, Candy 21 8 0 1.56 32 32 286.7 252 50 6 12 80.3 262
Forte, Jeff 4 0 0 1.65 26 0 38 21 7 11 17 10.3 247
Cecil, Abimael 8 0 1 2.02 43 0 49 34 11 45 17 11.2 202
Feldstein, J. 1 0 0 2.28 10 4 39.3 31 10 24 6 7.9 179
Richmond, Lee 22 9 0 2.33 32 32 281.7 262 73 73 47 54.8 175
Harrington, Tom 3 0 0 2.38 22 0 37.7 19 10 32 10 7.1 171
Aubameyang, Ken 2 5 26 2.78 47 0 42 26 13 38 11 6.1 147
Robertson, J. 14 10 0 3.28 32 32 230.3 200 84 123 91 20.5 124
Collins, Phil 16 9 0 3.51 30 30 217.7 202 85 42 60 13.8 116
Molander, A. 3 1 0 3.56 4 4 30.3 23 12 9 11 1.8 115
Kellner, Alex 10 10 0 4.69 26 26 176.3 179 92 45 77 -11.9 87

[egswanso]

I have only one free agent. Guerino Grosboll wants $8M for 5yrs, which is reasonable for a player of his caliber, especially since he’s only 26 years old. My priorities for the off-season are fairly light: I’d like to upgrade catcher (Spud Davis has shown himself to be offensively average and defensively mediocre) and right-field (Martin Stanley’s a good player, but I don’t think he’s a long-term solution), and perhaps replace Alex Kellner (if his 2023 represents his performance from here on out).

First a look at the free-agent market. The best available catcher isn’t a super-star, but even as a journeyman, he’s put up good numbers. At 33 years old, he is seeking $4.4M over 5 years, which is reasonable given my ability to release him if he fails to perform.

GUARDADO, Norbert - catcher
Born 1991. Career notes: Drafted #6 by SJU: 2014; Signed by MIN as free agent: 2020; Traded by MIN to SEA, 23.02.21, with P. Martin for H. Thomas, F. Thelen, T. Walker, and T. Moreno; Signed by MIN as free agent: 2023.


Yr Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2017 SJU .242 0 9 0 30 33 8 2 1 0 .536 72
2018 SJU .273 8 38 0 97 322 88 30 15 0 .711 94
2020 MIN .330 8 41 0 83 209 69 27 13 0 .906 122
2021 SEA .275 23 77 1 117 458 126 72 24 0 .833 114
2022 SEA .254 25 74 0 141 531 135 71 28 0 .764 105
2023 MIN .286 13 60 0 119 468 134 54 34 0 .775 105
6 TOT .277 77 299 1 587 2021 560 256 115 0 .784 107

As for an outfielder; Martin Stanley performed fairly well: but I think he is better as a 4th outfielder/super-sub then an everyday starter. Moreover, signing Guardado renders Spud Davis expendable, so I swing a big trade, sending Don Hurst, Spud Davis, Demetrio Rodriguez, and Tsutomu Ushiyama to the Seals for rising star Fionn Agler. Agler’s numbers last year weren’t all too impressive (in a part-time role), but I expect him to be a super-star level performer. It’ll be sad to say good-bye to Davis and Hurst, but it’s time.

AGLER, Fionn - right field
Born 1999. Career notes: Drafted #9 by SFO: 2021.


Year Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2023 SFO .240 7 39 0 110 212 51 33 10 0 .785 107

DAVIS, Spud - catcher
Born 1996. Career notes: Expansion (HAV) allocation draft: 2020.


Yr Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2020 HAV .292 3 50 0 140 605 177 55 25 3 .699 94
2021 HAV .295 7 44 0 147 653 193 71 34 2 .734 100
2022 HAV .262 10 32 0 152 648 170 48 24 0 .666 92
2023 HAV .293 5 45 0 148 552 162 62 26 0 .715 97
4 TOT .286 25 171 0 587 2458 702 236 109 5 .700 96

HURST, Don - shortstop
Born 1997. Career notes: Expansion (HAV) allocation draft: 2020.


Yr Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2020 HAV .277 11 57 4 146 555 154 65 23 6 .744 100
2021 HAV .319 12 50 1 150 648 207 98 27 6 .808 111
2022 HAV .222 8 27 1 112 413 92 40 13 3 .609 84
2023 HAV .284 2 19 0 77 116 33 13 4 0 .716 97
4 TOT .281 33 153 6 485 1732 486 216 67 15 .731 100

[egswanso]

Next, I’m completely restructuring my bench: I release of Ichiro Fujishima, if Coco Laboy, of Tony Toler, 3b Gregory Leibman, of Phil Ragan, and of Robin Abrams, all of whom have outlived their usefulness. I bring up a couple rookies who appear to be ready: of Yu’ichi Komaki and 3b Tony O’Reilly, and sign defensively specialist if Oriole McDevitt (200K for 5yrs)

McDEVITT, Oriole - infielder
Born 1992. Career notes: Drafted #2 by LOS: 2015; Sign by ATL as free agent: 2020.


Yr Team AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
2017 LOS .250 0 12 0 42 116 29 17 7 2 .653 87
2018 LOS .246 4 47 6 142 471 116 59 20 4 .663 88
2019 LOS .278 10 59 4 118 423 118 65 21 1 .761 101
2020 ATL .272 15 59 1 150 558 152 86 28 2 .747 101
2021 ATL .277 7 82 1 150 620 172 66 32 2 .710 97
2022 ATL .183 0 12 1 76 223 41 18 6 1 .470 65
6 TOT .260 36 271 13 678 2411 628 311 114 12 .693 93

Next to the pitching staff: as befitting one of the best staffs in the league, there is little that really needs improvement. Alex Kellner had a bad year, but I believe he can recover. rp Sylvester Long is released, as he has an arm like a leg, but otherwise, the staff remains the same.

Five rookies join the squad: 2b Glen EVANS, c Estin KARP, sp Hirokazu SAKUMA, rp Jose IBANEZ, and sp Jimmy GRADY. Again, now are ready for the big show, but might turn out well.

My goals for 2024:
1. Keep doing what worked in 2023. I want to win the Division again and this time get to the World Series!

[BubbaDrew]

this was a good read. nice to see someone so dedicated.

[egswanso]

After a bit of a lay-off, I'm starting the 2024 season shortly... so update, semi-soon.

[egswanso]

The Sugar Kings are off to a great start, at 21-6, in first place by two games over expansion Caracas (a surprise 19-8 in their first month). The hitting isn’t off the charts, although Ted Dihigo, Troy Drzaszcz, and Guerino Grosboll all have 5 homers each, leading the team.

Pitching is fantastic as always, with all of my starters except Alex Kellner with ERAs under 2 (and Kellner’s hardy a slouch at 2.26)

[egswanso]

The Sugar Kings continued their great play, with a 22-8 month, bringing them to 43-14 overall, and a sizable 7 game lead over Atlanta (with Miami and San Juan clipping at the Crackers' heels).

The offense has been good, but not great. Fionn Agler has been a disappointment so far, at 228/360/349, but Klein, Dihigo, Drzaszcz, and Grosboll have carried the load.

As always, pitching is where the team is really shining: Candy Cummings is 10-1, with a 1.15 in 108.2ip, Lee Richmond is 10-1, 0.45! in 98ip, Phil Collins is 8-3, 1.50 in 90ip. Jerry Robertson (7-2, 2.82) and Alex Kellner (4-6, 3.24) are the laggards, but hardly chopped liver. The bullpen’s been equally good, if underutilized, with Ken Aubameyang and Abimael Cecil the only ones in double figures in IPs (17.2, 15.1 respectively, with 1.52 and 0.00 ERAs).

[egswanso]

The Sugar Kings have another good month, going 19-8, and retaining 1st place with a 7 game lead over Atlanta (4 other teams are clustered between 3rd and 7th).

The offense has started to pick it up a bit, and although it’s still not beating down the door, it’s doing fine. Fionn Agler is turning it around, and there are no real weak spots, although I’d like Rumen Blake and Calvin Chipowsky to turn it up a bit (neither are terrible, however).

Pitching remains utterly dominating. Candy Cummings is 14-3, 1.11 (161.2ip) and Lee Richmond is 13-2, 0.69 (143ip), while the other three starters all have ERAs under 3.00. The bullpen’s still under-utilized (unsurprising, considering the amount of innings thrown by the starters), but also pitching great.

[egswanso]

A big month. Went 25-5 (87-27 on the season) to open up a BIG lead over Atlanta (18 games). The offense is strong, although the injury bugs hit a bit. Pitching also remains powerful, with Candy Cummings hitting 20 wins (to go along with a 1.16 ERA). Bad news hit Alex Kellner though, who frayed his rotator cuff and is out for a year. That sucks.

[egswanso]

The Cuban Steamroller continues.

With yet another fantastic month, going 25-4 (112-31 on the season) and including a sixteen game win streak, the Sugar Kings clinched the division on August 24th and finish the month with a 30.5 game lead over Atlanta. The offense remains balanced, and the pitching staff includes three pitchers with at least 20 wins (including league leader Candy Cummings at 24-4, 1.17 (260.2ip).

As to who my opponent will be in the first round of the playoffs, it remains a close race over in the RL North, with Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia fighting it out.

[egswanso]

With the division wrapped up, we cruised to end the season on a high note, going 17-2 during the month and finishing the year with a league best record of 129-33, a whopping 40 game lead over second place Miami.

While the offense was certainly excellent, with all-star Ted Dihigo leading the way, it was the pitching that was truly outstanding. My four top starters all had at least 21 wins with ERAs often below 2.00 (Lee Richmond finished at 0.85!)

My playoff opponent for the first round are the Chicago Whales. They're a good team, not to be under-estimated, but my pitching and hot streak makes me the favorite.

Prediction: Havana in six.

[egswanso]

Game One in Havana saw a great pitcher's duel between Todd McCormick and Candy Cummings, with the former outpitching the latter just barely, and the Whales squeaking by with a 1-0 win.

Chicago leads RLCS 1-0

Chicago Whales at Havana Sugar Kings
October 1, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Whales (CHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 1
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .299
Reina (2B) 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 .248
Bowes (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
Rice (LF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .282
Pike (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 33 6 0 1 0 1 1 1

2B: Reina 2

CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
McCormick 9.0 6 3 0 0 0 5 131 2.46
TOTALS 9.0 6 3 0 0 0 5 131

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
Jung (SS) 4 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .329
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Blake (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .274
Agler (RF) 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .258
Guardado (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
TOTALS 33 6 3 0 0 0 5 0

2B: Drzaszcz

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Cummings 9.0 6 0 0 1 1 1 114 1.11
TOTALS 9.0 6 0 0 1 1 1 114

WP: McCormick
LP: Cummings

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 2:22

[egswanso]

Game Two. That's more like it. Our bats came alive and Lee Richmond pitched a brillant one-hitter. We win 8-0.

Series tied, 1-1

Chicago Whales at Havana Sugar Kings
October 2, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Whales (CHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Sugar Kings (HAV) 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 x 8 12 0

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
Reina (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
Rice (LF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .282
Pike (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 27 1 0 0 0 0 4 0


CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
MacLagan 7.0 9 3 1 5 5 5 117 2.69
Sakhayan 1.0 3 1 1 3 3 0 25 4.26
TOTALS 8.0 12 4 2 8 8 5 142

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 5 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .296
Jung (SS) 5 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 .318
Dihigo (CF) 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 .329
Stanley (CF) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257
Grosboll (1B) 4 4 0 1 1 4 0 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Blake (2B) 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .274
Agler (RF) 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258
Guardado (C) 4 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 .255
TOTALS 34 12 4 8 2 8 5 1

2B: Grosboll 2, Klein, Dihigo
HR: Guardado, Grosboll

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Richmond 9.0 1 0 0 0 0 4 105 0.85
TOTALS 9.0 1 0 0 0 0 4 105

WP: Richmond
LP: MacLagan

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 2:39

[egswanso]

To Chicago for game three and the pitching reigns supreme once again. The game is scoreless through 9. Scoreless through 10. Scoreless through 11. Scoreless through 12. Scoreless through 13.

Although the Sugar Kings threaten, they fail to score in the top of the 14th. The first batter for the Whales is Lipman Pike, a free-agent to be who had a disappointing season. Pike's a average-driven hitter with little to no power. He puts the ball into play, but doesn't take a walk easily.

On the mound for the Sugar Kings, Abimael Cecil, veteran fireman, who had a great 2024, finishing the year with an ERA below 1.00.

And what happens? First pitch Home run. Pike's first of the year in over 600 ABs. A friggin' Scott Podsednik moment.

We lose 1-0. Chicago leads RLCS, 2-1

Havana Sugar Kings at Chicago Whales
October 4, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 1
Whales (CHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296
Jung (SS) 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .329
Grosboll (1B) 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 6 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 .294
Blake (2B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .274
Agler (RF) 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .258
Guardado (C) 5 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
TOTALS 50 12 0 0 0 0 6 0

2B: Drzaszcz

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Robertson 10.0 4 0 0 0 0 2 123 2.38
Aubameyang 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 26 0.93
Cecil 1.0 1 0 1 1 1 0 16 0.97
TOTALS 13.0 5 0 1 1 1 4 165

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .299
Reina (2B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
Rice (LF) 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .282
Pike (3B) 5 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 .281
TOTALS 45 5 0 1 1 1 4 0

2B: Chouinard
HR: Pike

CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Carsey 9.0 7 0 0 0 0 2 104 1.95
Button 2.0 4 0 0 0 0 2 32 2.12
Wolf 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 26 1.50
Stephens 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 1.28
TOTALS 14.0 12 0 0 0 0 6 176

WP: Stephens
LP: Cecil

Attendance: 109,276
Time: 3:28

[egswanso]

Not good. Down 2-1, we really need a win to get back on track. So-far, the series has been pitching rich, with only one game with a offensive punch-out.

Not to be in Game Four. Whales young ace Akinobu Okada shuts me down, and Phil Collins merely pitches well, not fantastic.

We lose 3-1, and fall behind 3-1 in the series.

Havana Sugar Kings at Chicago Whales
October 5, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2
Whales (CHI) 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 x 3 8 1

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .296
Jung (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .329
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Blake (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .274
Agler (RF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258
Guardado (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
TOTALS 31 5 4 1 0 1 2 0


HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Collins 6.0 7 2 0 3 2 0 100 1.97
Forte 2.0 1 1 0 0 0 1 31 0.77
TOTALS 8.0 8 3 0 3 2 1 131

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 5 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
Reina (2B) 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
Rice (LF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .282
Pike (3B) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 .281
TOTALS 34 8 3 3 0 3 1 1

2B: Adriano 2

CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Okada 9.0 5 4 0 1 1 2 128 2.84
TOTALS 9.0 5 4 0 1 1 2 128

WP: Okada
LP: Collins

Attendance: 109,276
Time: 2:50

[egswanso]

My back's to the wall. Game 5 is a must-win situation. It's times like this I'm glad i have a 27 game winner to hand the ball to.

In a re-match of Game One, Candy does not disappoint and shuts out Chicago, 3-0. We stay alive.

Chicago leads 3-2. Back to Havana for Game Six.

Havana Sugar Kings at Chicago Whales
October 6, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 7 2
Whales (CHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .296
Jung (SS) 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .329
Stanley (CF) 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .257
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Blake (2B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .274
Agler (RF) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258
Guardado (C) 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .255
TOTALS 33 7 2 3 0 2 1 0

2B: Jung, Stanley

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Cummings 9.0 5 0 0 0 0 0 108 1.11
TOTALS 9.0 5 0 0 0 0 0 108

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
Reina (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
Rice (LF) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .282
Pike (3B) 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 31 5 0 0 0 0 0 0


CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
McCormick 9.0 7 2 0 3 2 1 125 2.46
TOTALS 9.0 7 2 0 3 2 1 125

WP: Cummings
LP: McCormick

Attendance: 109,276
Time: 2:34

[egswanso]

It's always nice, when you team remains in a do-or-die situation, to be able to hand the ball to a pitcher with a season ERA below 1.00.

Mr. Richmond does not disappoint. Pitching a 2-hitter, my bats provide enough offense to eke out the win.

Chicago leads RLCS, 3-2

Chicago Whales at Havana Sugar Kings
October 8, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Whales (CHI) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 x 2 5 0

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .308
Smith (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .299
Reina (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .255
Rice (LF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .282
Pike (3B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
TOTALS 29 2 0 0 0 0 3 0

2B: Smith

CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
MacLagan 8.0 5 3 1 2 2 4 112 2.69
TOTALS 8.0 5 3 1 2 2 4 112

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 .296
Jung (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .318
Dihigo (CF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .329
Stanley (CF) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257
Grosboll (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .294
Blake (2B) 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .274
Agler (RF) 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .258
O'Reilly (3B) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .275
Guardado (C) 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .255
TOTALS 26 5 3 2 1 2 4 1

HR: Klein

HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Richmond 9.0 2 0 0 0 0 3 108 0.85
TOTALS 9.0 2 0 0 0 0 3 108

WP: Richmond
LP: MacLagan

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 2:25

[egswanso]

Game Seven.

It's the ultimate do-or-die time in Havana. Win and you're in. Lose, and the season's over.

But a costly error does me in. 3 unearned runs in the 2nd. Against the Whales' closer, Blair Button, I get one back, but it's not enough. For the second year in a row, I'm out.

For the second year in a row, as well, I end up losing to the World Champion; and I give them a much more difficult task then their World series opponent, Guadalajara, who are done in 4.

Chicago Whales at Havana Sugar Kings
October 9, 2024



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Whales (CHI) 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0
Sugar Kings (HAV) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 2

CHICAGO ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Adriano (DH) 5 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 .308
Smith (C) 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .299
Reina (2B) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .305
Chouinard (RF) 4 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 .294
Yazhgur (CF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .248
Bowes (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .321
Weaver (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .255
Rice (LF) 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 .282
Pike (3B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .281
TOTALS 35 7 2 3 0 3 4 0


CHICAGO ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Carsey 8.0 4 2 0 0 0 1 100 1.95
Button 1.0 2 1 0 1 1 1 22 2.12
TOTALS 9.0 6 3 0 1 1 2 122

HAVANA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
Klein (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .296
Jung (SS) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .318
Dihigo (CF) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .329
Grosboll (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
Drzaszcz (DH) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .294
Blake (2B) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .274
Agler (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .267
Chipowsky (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258
Guardado (C) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
TOTALS 31 6 3 1 0 1 2 0


HAVANA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
Robertson 7.0 7 2 0 3 0 2 106 2.38
Cecil 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 25 0.97
TOTALS 9.0 7 2 0 3 0 4 131

WP: Carsey
LP: Robertson
SV: Button

Attendance: 107,982
Time: 2:35

[egswanso]

Record: 129-33, 1st place, 40 games ahead of MIA.
Pythagorean Win-Loss: 133-29
SD: 2.55

2024 saw a historically good year by the Sugar Kings; marred only by their early exit from the playoffs. Still, it’s hard to consider a year with almost 130 victories to be a failure. With back-to-back division championships, the Sugar Kings have definitely hit the big time. My only goal was to repeat, and I did. Success.

Offensively, the team did great. No-one (including the bench players) performed worse then league average, with all-star Ted Dihigo leading the pack, and Drzaszcz, Grosboll, providing able supporting cast. Fionn Agler too demonstrated a sign of two things to come.

Pitching, as well, fantastic. There’s just nothing more that can be said. Lee Richmond, Candy Cummings, Phil Collins, and Jerry Robertson were all all-stars, and one of the four-some is sure to win the Cy Young.



2024 Batters AVG HR RBI SB G AB H R 2B 3B OPS OPS+
Dihigo, Ted .329 26 99 0 161 592 195 96 31 7 .948 135
Sander, John .328 0 14 0 35 125 41 10 6 0 .739 105
McDevitt, O. .322 3 6 0 39 62 20 11 3 0 .898 128
Jung, Hyuk .318 4 66 9 159 682 217 106 25 6 .753 107
Klein, Chuck .296 15 51 2 147 638 189 88 29 8 .790 112
Drzaszcz, Troy .294 24 103 0 154 597 176 84 36 0 .849 121
Grosboll, G. .289 35 118 0 155 626 181 91 20 0 .836 119
Komaki, Yu'ichi .277 1 4 0 15 54 15 10 5 1 .800 114
O'Reilly, Tony .275 0 4 0 39 29 8 4 5 0 .811 115
Blake, Rumen .274 21 72 0 152 580 159 69 26 0 .769 109
Agler, Fionn .267 15 43 0 118 400 107 59 25 0 .827 117
Chipowsky, C. .258 19 66 0 159 577 149 63 21 2 .723 103
Stanley, Martin .257 10 34 0 108 233 60 30 14 0 .742 105




2024 Pitchers W L SV ERA G GS IP H ER K BB PR ERA+
Forte, Jeff 8 0 0 0.77 20 0 35 21 3 11 15 11.2 475
Richmond, Lee 24 2 0 0.85 27 27 242 152 23 51 35 75.6 431
Aubameyang, Ken 3 0 34 0.93 50 0 48 34 5 44 11 14.6 394
Cecil, Abimael 5 2 0 0.97 43 0 46.3 25 5 40 12 13.8 377
Cummings, Candy 27 4 0 1.11 33 33 297.7 205 37 6 17 84.3 330
Nolan, Carl 3 0 0 1.39 18 1 19.3 12 3 10 8 4.9 263
Collins, Phil 21 7 0 1.97 33 33 255 179 56 41 60 47.9 186
Robertson, J. 23 4 0 2.38 32 32 245.7 182 65 97 99 34.9 154
Feldstein, J. 1 1 0 2.57 7 3 28 26 8 13 7 3.4 142
Kellner, Alex 9 8 0 2.81 18 18 137.7 100 43 43 54 13.0 130
Harrington, Tom 0 0 0 4.02 9 2 15.7 14 7 15 9 -0.6 91
Molander, A. 4 5 0 4.07 12 12 88.3 72 40 34 37 -4.0 90

[egswanso]

This is my first big free-agent year, with eleven free agents, including some of my team’s biggest names. Chuck Klein ($5.8M for 5yrs) and Troy Drzaszcz ($8.9M for 5yrs) are productive and integral parts of my offense, and both will be back. Martin Stanley and Bill Harbidge are minor parts of the team, and neither will be back.

My top four pitchers are also free agents. Candy Cummings ($25.5M for 6yrs) and Lee Richmond ($24.8M for 6yrs) want a lot of money, but pitchers of their caliber are hard to come by. Jerry Robertson ($12.9M for 3yrs) is a talented pitcher, but as the oldest member of the rotation, I deem him expendable. Kellner or Molander should be able to step up in-house, or I should be able to find someone on the market for less then Robertson’s salary. Phil Collins ($16.9M for 5yrs) is a talented number 2, and while not quite as valuable a quantity as Cummings or Richmond, given his age and dependability, he’s worth keeping.

Harder choices come when it’s time for the bullpen. Ken Aubameyang is asking for a lot ($5.5M for 4yrs). He’s a great pitcher, but I find it hard to justify spending quite that much on a closer. With a heavy heart, I must bid him adieu.

Carl Nolan, on the other hand, is asking for less ($2.3M for 4yrs) and has shown he’s more then capable of stepping into Aubameyang’s shoes as closer. He’ll get that chance. Last but not least, Tom Harrington’s ($730K for 3yrs) has been the last man in the bullpen for a couple of years. He’s nothing special, and shan’t be back.

[egswanso]

With the re-signings, there is not much need to go crazy on the free agent market. The 2024-25 off-season may be one of the last with numerous big market signings, as the league has instituted a new policy to force teams to budget out their cash surplus (next year, it'll be back to earth for the small market teams, who'll have to choose between funding the farm or paying the stars).

The big signing, to replace Jerry Robertson with someone with more quality, is Callum LaRue (9.8M-5yrs), the Southern Gentleman has spent the last five years in Cincinnati, where he's labored for terrible teams. He's been a great pitcher despite the bad teams though, so he should be a great pick-up to what's already the best rotation in the league.

I also signed a couple backups, James Frazier (1.2M-4yrs) to come off the bench and sub in the outfield, and Rusty Morrales (1.2M-3yrs) as a set-up/middle reliever.

I also release some garbage players, Evans, Grady, and Karp, who just sucked it up in the minors.

My goal for 2025 is a simple one: win. win it all, ideally.