Arena The Baseball Draft Four - (Literally) Out of the Park

Sound the foghorns, fire up the lighthouses. Its opening day and the lake it is said, never gives up her dead, when the skies of November turn gloomy.

 

If I knew what our lineups were I might want to change them, but apparently I "can't be trusted" with "important decisions" or "money".

 

Let's go! Best of luck, cubby!

 

Oh cool Opening Day! Good luck to--

*sees opponent*

 

opening dayyyyyyy



gl tunes!

 

The good sportsmanship on display sickens me. I wish nothing but ill fortune on all of your fake players.

Amazing.

 

Alright. I cleared my calendar for the evening, so all Opening Day games will get simmed and posted tonight.

this is your last chance to adjust team strategy until after 40 games of the season. I will close this option at 4:00 pm eastern. I have two of you who have sent me tweaks that I need to put into your strategy, but if anyone else wants to, this is your last chance for some time.

After this, my hope is to get through about 2 weeks in game per 1 week in real life. What I'd like to do is post the 7-day matchups and anticipated starters, give you 2 days to adjust, then sim and post, and do that all again. Posting this now so you've got a heads-up that you'll have 48 hours to make adjustments (lineups, pitching matches, activating/de-activating players) during most of the season.

Edit: Oh, and I'm happy to share the FODEUSS blog login credentials if anyone wants to do some guest writing things like Stephen A Smith or Alex Rodriguez or Joe Posnanski reactions to the ongoing season.

 

OPENING DAY
Amazings at Every City Bandwagoners
Clear Skies, 90 degrees, wind blowing out to left a 8 mph

In front of a capacity crowd of 10 fans, Every City Bandwagoners were out to see if their Spring Training pitching dominance would translate into regular season success. Amazings, meanwhile, were looking for some sparks to see if they could prove the prognosticators wrong.

Bob Feller - starting for the Bandwagoners - gave them an emphatic yes to their question.

Feller tossed eight innings in this one, giving up one run on three hits, while striking out thirteen and walking just one.

It didn't take Feller's teammates long to give him some offense to back him up.

After Lefty Grove retired the first two batters he faced, he fell behind 3-0 against Mickey Mantle. Judge Judy gave Mantle the "go" sign, and go he went, swinging away on a 3-0 fouled away, then coming back and hammering the 3-1 pitch 433 feet for a home run and a 1-0 lead for the Bandwagoners.

Grove would settle in and a pitching duel would ensue, with that 1-0 lead carrying until the fifth inning. With one out in the fifth, Cal Ripken Jr. would smack an offering from Feller 380 feet, tying the game at one.

But, in the bottom of the fifth, the Bandwagoners would strike back. Nolan Arenado drew a one-out walk, and Bret Boone hit a two-run homer to make it 3-1 to the Bandwagoners.

Grove would get pulled after six innings, ending the night with six innings pitched, three runs allowed on just two hits, five strikeouts and one walk. Tom Henke and Francisco Rodriguez would each pitch a scoreless inning, sending us to the ninth still with that 3-1 scoreline.

Judy would go to her bullpen at this point, calling on John Smotlz.

Smoltz got Jackie Robinson to ground out to short to open the inning, capping an 0-for-4 day for him at the plate. But, Ty Cobb singled off of Smoltz with one out, bringing up Turkey Stearnes to the plate, representing the tying run, and putting hope into the Amazings' dugout. That hope, though, was fleeting, as Smoltz induced a groundball from Stearnes. The groundball was fielded by Boone, tossed to Phil Rizzuto, and then relayed to Albert Pujols for a game-ending double play, giving the Bandwagoners the win in their opener.

Final Score: Every City Bandwagoners 3, Amazings 1
Win: Feller (1-0)
Loss: Grove (0-1)
Save: Smoltz (1)
Player of the Game: Bob Feller

 

Amazing.

 

Bold strategy to alienate deGrom by not having him pitch Opening Day... wonder if that will affect his disposition in the clubhouse...

 

OPENING DAY
Northern Shores Gales of November at Newport Beach Motherboys
Clear Skies, 72 degrees, wind blowing out to left a 7 mph

It was a beautiful day for baseball at the Colony. The 100 fans in attendance ... didn't get to enjoy a great performance from the home team.

Bob Gibson demonstrated that he's likely to be every bit the ace the Gales of November want - and need - him to be.

Smoky Joe Wood ... didn't.

Gibson tossed seven-and-two-thirds shutout innings, giving up just three hits, walking two and striking out six.

Wood, however, found trouble right away. After striking out Ozzie Smith to open the game, he walked Richie Ashburn, who moved to third on a single by Jim Rice. That was followed by a homer from Josh Gibson. After Wood retired Tony Oliva, Jeff Kent launched a solo homer, and it was 4-0 at the end of the top of the first inning.

After Wood worked a 1-2-3 second, a two-out single from Gibson would put him back under pressure. Oliva drew a walk, and Kent delivered an RBI single, making it 5-0. Izzy Mandlebaum decided that was enough for Wood, sending in Gerrit Cole to relieve him, who retired Justin Morneau to end the inning.

Cole would give up a two-run homer to Ozzie Smith in the fourth inning, a bases-loaded triple to Oliva in the fifth, followed by a two-run homer by Kent to make it 12-0, before Mandlebaum pulled Cole and went to Cliff Lee.

An RBI ground out from Al Simmons after a triple from Keith Hernandez would provide a late run of little consolation to the Motherboys, denying the Gales of November a shutout in their league debut.

Final Score: Gales of November 12, Motherboys 1
Win: Gibson (1-0)
Loss: Wood (0-1)
Player of the Game: Jeff Kent



Win probability chart: this one was over before it started

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to inclement weather in Boston, the scheduled Performance Enhancers and Game of Throws game scheduled for April 1st has been postponed. The teams will now play a day-night doubleheader on April 2nd



@Point Given @RX_Sith

 

I love everything about this!

 

OPENING DAY
San Francisco Six Demon Bags of Chinatown at Let's Play Two
Clear skies, 40 degrees, wind blowing to left at 10 MPH

With a chill in the air, two aces matched up and turned in dominant performances, albeit both being a little shorter than anticipated.

Ron Guidry went seven strong innings, giving up no runs on five hits, walking none, and striking out eight. Greg Maddux was lifted after six-and-two-thirds innings, giving up one run on six hits, striking out five, and walking none.

The only run Maddux gave up was the result of pure hustle from one player - Christian Yelich. In the top of the second, Yelich singled with one out. Then, with Ivan Rodriguez at the plate, Yelich stole second on ball one, stole third on ball two, and then scored as Rodriguez doubled on the 2-0 offering from Maddux.

In the seventh, Maddux gave up a two-out double to Guidry, and an infield single to Jack Glasscock, prompting Joe Maddon to go to the bullpen, summoning John Franco. Franco repaid his faith, retiring reigning World Series MVP "Wee" Willie Keeler to end the inning and keep the game at 1-0.

Franco worked around a leadoff walk to Ed Delahanty - in part because Delahanty got caught trying to steal - to send us to the eighth with that scoreline still in place.

In the eighth, Wang Chi turned it over to the bullpen, handing the ball to Adam Wainwright. Wainright got a 1-2-3 inning, sending us to the ninth.

Maddon did another pitching change, sending in Rollie Fingers, who faced the minimum thanks to a single from Jimmie Foxx, a GIDP by Yelich, and a ground out from Rodriguez.

In the bottom of the ninth, Wang Chi called upon his closer - Ice Box Chamberlain - as Let's Play Two were still looking for their first run, and the game was at the slimmest of margins. Chamberlain got Roberto Alomar to ground out, Roberto Clement to fly out, and then struck out Ernie Banks - looking - to end the game, and give the opening game to the Demonbags.

Final Score: Demonbags 1, Let's Play Two 0
Win: Guidry (1-0)
Loss: Maddux (0-1)
Save: Chamberlain (1)
Player of the Game: Ron Guidry

 

OPENING DAY
stone temple seattle pilots at Reseda Free Fallers
Partly Cloudy, 61 degrees, wind blowing left to right at 9 MPH

On one hand, Pedro Martinez vs. Sandy Koufax.

On the other hand, the bandbox of a park the Free Fallers play in.

Would we get a pitchers' duel?

Yes, yes we would.

Both starting pitchers held strong through four innings, with a 0-0 scoreline, entering the fifth inning.

Koufax breezed through a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, but in the bottom of the inning, Chilli Davis swung freely on a 3-0 pitch, hitting a ball 391 feet for a 1-0 lead for the Free Fallers. Martinez would recover, and strike out the next three batters on just eleven pitches, sending us to the sixth with just the one run separating the teams.

In the top of the sixth, Billy Hamilton reached first base to lead off the inning, reaching thanks to an error by Dusty Baker. Hamilton moved to third on a single from Honus Wagner. A simple ground out to short by by Nap Lajoie was enough to score the speedy Hamilton, tying the game at one, but Koufax would escape further damage, and we'd head to the bottom of the sixth, tied at one.

Martinez started the sixth and struck out Adrian Beltre, but that was apparently a bad sign for Tom Selleck as Mr. Baseball, as he pulled Martinez and went to Kirby Yates. Yates gave up a single, but retired the other two men he faced, keeping the game deadlocked at one.

Martinez' final line: five-and-a-third innings pitched, one run allowed on three hits, with eleven strikeouts and no walks.

In the top of the seventh, the pilots squandered a runner-on-second, nobody out situation, with Koufax retiring Dan Brouthers, Jocko Milligan, and Bill Lange to escape the jam, created by a single and stolen base by Mookie Betts.

In the bottom of the seventh, Mr. Baseball went to Edwin DIaz. Chili Davis doubled with one out, then scored on a single by Dave Henderson. before retiring Ken Griffey Jr. and Koufax to end the inning, limiting the damage to juse one run.

Fernando Valenzuela - oddly ,perhaps showing he's still learning the ropes as a manager - let Koufax face just one batter: Billy Hamilton, who he retired on a fly out. From there, the ball was given to Takashi Saito, who gave up a single to Honus Wanger and walked Wllie Mays, but retired George Brett to end the inning.

Koufax's final line: seven-and-one-third innings pitched, one unearned run allowed on four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

Jake McGee worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, giving his team a chance to win it in the top of the ninth.

Valenzuela would turn the ball over to ... *checks notes* ... himself.

Betts would get a leadoff single, and Brouthers would single to put runners at first and second with nobody out. But, Valenzuela would get Milligan to hit into a double-play, moving Betts to third. With the tying run 90 feet away, Mr. Baseball sent up Jose Ramirez as a pinch hitter. But, Valenzuela needed just three pitches to strike him out, and seal the game for the Free Fallers.

Final Score: Free Fallers 2, pilots 1
Win: Koufax (1-0)
Loss: Diaz (0-1)
Save: Valenzuela (1)
Player of the Game: Sandy Koufax

 

Gutsy win, boys! Great start, but don't get complacent.

 

OPENING DAY
Planescape Tormentors at A Shaq of Their Own
Clear Skies, 55 degrees, wind blowing out to left at 7 MPH

A Shaq of Their Own - in their new stadium - were ready to celebrate their championship.

But, Planescape Tormentors wasted no time throwing a wet blanket on the party.

King Kelly connected on Deacon Phillippe's fourth pitch of the game, hitting the ball 381 feet to deposit a souvenir in the stands and give Planescape a quick 1-0 lead. Pete Browning doubled, but Phillippe struck out Tip O'Neill and Harry Heilmann to give himself a chance to exit the inning with no further damage. That, however, was not a chance he could take advantage of, as Lou Boudreau singled to make it 2-0, before Snuffy Stirnweiss flew out to end the inning.

We would stay at that 2-0 game until the bottom of the fourth inning. Ross Barnes tripled to open the inning, and on the first pitch he faced, Ted Williams homered to tie the game at two. Shoeless Joe Jackson then reached on an error by Stirnweiss, and another error by Stirnweiss let George Sisler reach first and put Jackson on third. Arky Vaughan struck out for the first out of the inning, but an infield single from Tris Speaker ... loaded the bases, as Jackson was held at third. Deacon White then stepped up and hit into a fielder's choice, with Speaker retired at second, and Jackson scoring to make it 3-2, with Phillippe striking out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, A Shaq of Their Own would get an insurance run. Williams would draw a one-out walk, and Jackson would single, moving Williams to second. Sisler would single as well, scoring Williams to make it a 4-2 game, before Vaughan flew out to end the inning.

That would do it for scoring against the starting pitchers. Phillippe would go seven-and-one-third innings, giving up just those two runs on six hits, striking out three and walking none. Phil Douglas would relieve with one out in the eighth and work around a walk to exit the image with no damage done. Walter Johnson would go five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts against one walk. Dennis Eckersly, Sean Marshall, Mark Melancon, and Dellin Betances would combine for three shutout innings, sending us to the ninth with the Tormentors trailing 4-2.

In the top of the ninth, Shaq as Barnes as Dugan went to his closer - Rob Dibble - and a pair of defensive subs: Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, and Billy Hamilton at centerfield. Dibble walked Lou Boudreau to start the inning, but struck out George Davis to put his team two outs from victory.

But, before he could get those two outs ... Bill Joyce hit a game-tying, two-run homer to make it 4-4. Bill Terry struck out for out number two, a walk to the pinch-hitting Ricky Henderson put the potential go-ahead run on first, and Dibble retired Kelly to send us to the ninth, tied at four.

The Nameless One turned it over to Andrew Miller to try to keep it tied and send us to extra innings, also putting in Chuck Knoblauch at second base. Denny Lyons was hit by a pitch (the second pitch Miller made) to open the inning, and a Tulowitzki single put Lyons on second. With Ross Barnes batting, Lyons stole third, putting the potential winning run on third. Miller struck out Barnes, bringing up Ted Williams.

With a 2-1 count on Williams, Miller ... threw a wild pitch, Lyons dashed home, and we had a walk off winner on a wild pitch!

Final Score: Shaq 5, Tormentors 4
Win: Dibble (1-0, Blown Save)
Loss: Miller (0-1)
Player of the Game: Deacon Phillippe

 

Do I want to know what happens in the top of the ninth?

 

yes! you do!

(But probably not the bottom of the ninth)

 

Bob Gibson can’t be good it goes against everything this league is built on!

 

Kimbrel gets a save, but his arm falls off and slams into Walter Johnson breaking his leg too?

 

STANDINGS

SANDLOT Division

Demonbags 1-0 1.000
Game of Throws 0-0 .000
Tormentors 0-1 .000
pilots 0-1 .000
Amazings 0-1 .000
Motherboys 0-1 .000

Accurate Length of a Star Destroyer Division

Gales of November 1-0 1.000
Bandwagoners 1-0 1.000
Free Fallers 1-0 1.000
Shaq 1-0 1.000
Enhancers 0-0 .000
Let's Play Two 0-1 .000

Rest of Week's Schedule

Enhancers at Game of Throws

April 2nd: Radbourn (R) vs. Hecker (R) AND Alexander (R) vs. Vance (R)
April 3rd: Gooden (R) vs. Arrietta (R)

Amazings at Bandwagoners

April 2nd: Paige (R) vs. deGrom (R)
April 3rd: Nichols (R) vs. Donaldson (L)

Tormentors at Shaq

April 2nd: Mathewson (R) vs. Tannehill (L)
April 3rd: Kershaw (L) vs. Driscol (L)

Demonbags at Let's Play Two

April 2nd: Hernandez (R) vs. Young (R)
April 3rd:Kluber (R) vs. Spahn (L)

pilots at Free Fallers

April 2nd: Harvey (R) vs. Scott (R)
April 3rd:Syndergaard (R) vs. Scherzer (R)

Gales of November at Motherboys

April 2nd: Johnson (L) vs. Brown (R)
April 3rd: Plank (L) vs. Ramsey (L)

Bandwagoners at Tormentors

April 4th: Clemens (R) vs. Fernandez (R)
April 5th: Halladay (R) vs. Price (L)
April 6th: Beller (R) vs. Johnson (R)

Let's Play Two at Amazings

April 4th: Verlander (R) vs. Marichal (R)
April 5th: Brown (R) vs. Bieber (R)
April 6th: Maddux (R) vs. Grove (L)

Shaq at Enhancers

April 4th: Sweeney (R) vs Carlton (L)
April 5th: Phillippe (R) vs Waddell (L)
April 6th: Tannehill (L) vs TBD

Free Falleres at Gales of November

April 4th: Leiter (L) vs Santana (L)
April 5th: Valenzuela (L) vs Blyleven (R)
April 6th: Koufax (L) at Gibson (R)

Demonbags at pilots

April 4th: Newhouser (L) vs. Sale (L)
April 5th: Guidry (L) vs. Martinez (R)
April 6th: Hernandez (R) vs. Harvey (R)

Game of Throws at Motherboys

April 4th: Drysdale (R) vs. Lincecum (R)
April 5th: Ruth (L) vs. Seaver (R)
April 6th: TBD vs. Wood (R)



Note: for my sanity, I'm going from 7-days to two series. It'll be easier to manage.

Please note these instructions:

if you want to change a starter and/or standard line-up to face a starter, please QUOTE the matchup (with date) you are changing and post the change in thread. You have ~48 hours to get this done, and then if not I'll go with defaults. If pitching match-up says TBD, if you don't state a desired starter, I'll go with manager's recommendation.

EDIT:

FYI - it looks like barring weather changing the schedule, all teams will have off days on Saturday the 13th and Friday the 26th of April, if that impacts your decision making at all.

 

Welp, looks like the ALoaSD Division is going to be a bloodbath, whereas we will clearly run away with things over in the SANDLOT. Mark that frame an 8, Dude.

Also, I just got off the phone with Stephen A. and he'd be happy to contribute to the blog from time to time.

 

Not that we're not getting enough detail, but can you post the full 9 inning line score too?

Amazing.