Arena The Baseball Draft Three - Baseball Dynasty

I believe that's "Mr. Bender Bending Rodriguez" to you...

 

Game Six
Sunday, Novembtwits 9th
stone temple seattle pilots at A Shaq of Their Own

Petco Park; San Diego, California
First Pitch: 2:37 PM Eastern
National Anthem Sung by: The Crowd at the Q
Weather at First Pitch: 71 Degrees, Slight breeze, no precipitation

Win, and it's over - simple enough for A Shaq of Their Own.

Win, or else it's over - simple enough for stone temple seattle pilots.

After a bizarre pre-game interview where he suggested the earth was flat, Jake Arreitta went to work and got a quick first inning, getting all three batters to ground out, sending up his team with a chance to take the early lead in a potential title-clinching game.

With one out in the bottom of the first, a Nap Lajoie error would open the door for A Shaq of Their Own to do just that, with Shoeless Joe Jackson reaching base on the error. Jackson stole second, and when Ted Williams hit a single to right, Jackson sped through third base and went home, giving his team the early 1-0 lead. Matt Harvey would get a fielder's choice from George Sisler and then Sisler would get caught stealing, leaving just that one unearned in the opening frame.

Arrietta made it five ground outs to open the game, before a a George Brett line out finally added some variety. Hanley Ramirez drew a leadoff walk in the third, but a Willie McGee fielder's choice, Harvey pop out, and McGee caught stealing ended any idea of a threat from the pilots, while Harvey got his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning to put one-third of this game in the books, with the Big Dieselers up 1-0.

The pitchers would continue to be the story, with Arrietta getting another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, and Harvey working around a two-out, ground-rule double from Sisler (only the second hit of the game, both of them from A Shaq of Their Own) to send us to the fifth.

The first batter up in the fifth for stone temple seattle pilots was Lou Gehrig, and he would end Arrietta's bid for a no-hitter as well as the shutout, hitting a towering homer to left. Jocko Milligan would then step up and make it back-to-back homers, and give the pilots a 2-1 lead. Arreitta would allow nothing more in the inning, getting ground outs from George Brett and Willie McGee around a pop out from Hanley Ramirez.

Harvey got another 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Arrieta worked around a two-out error and a two-out single, retiring Gehrig with two on and two out in the top of the sixth, and the bottom of the sixth saw a one-out single from John McGraw erased when McGraw was caught stealing, sending us to the seventh inning, with the pilots still clinging to a 2-1 lead.

The top of the seventh would see Arrietta get another 1-2-3 inning and the bottom would see Harvey doing the same.

In the eighth, though, the pilots would get the insurance run they craved.

Willie McGee singled to open the series, boosting his case for an unlikely World Series MVP award should the pilots win. A Matt Harvey fielder's choice followed, as did a Bill Lange fielder's choice. With two-on and two-out, Arrietta had a chance to escape, but I spoiled this for you with the sentence before this paragraph, so you know he didn't. Lange stole second base, and a Nap Lajoie singled brought him home, before Lajoie was caught stealing to end the inning.

Still, now the pilots had a two-run lead, and were just six outs from forcing a game seven.

Arky Vaughan grounded out to open the inning - meaning the pilots were five outs away from a game seven. Jack Clements singled, but a Roger Connor 3-6-3 double play ground ball ended the inning, and put the pilots three outs away from forcing game seven.

Hugh Duffy singled to open the top of the ninth, as the pilots looked to add another insurance run. with one out, he stole second, and with two outs, George Brett joined him on base via a walk. But, Arrietta retired Hanley Ramirez to send us to the bottom of the ninth.

With Arrietta due up and a rally needed, Ramirez would be the final batter Arrietta would face in the game. His final line was nine innings pitched, three runs allowed on just six hits, three walks and two strikeouts.

With Eric Gagne warm and ready in the pen ... Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan let Harvey talk him into trying to finish the complete game.

Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Dugan went to Dan Brouthers as the pinch hitter, and Harvey walked him. Harvey got the first out of the inning, getting John McGraw to hit into a fielder's choice. But, Shoeless Joe Jackson ripped a double off of Harvey, sending McGraw home, and bringing Hanks-Dugan out of the Hanks-Dugout.

Harvey tried - again - to talk him into finishing the game, but this time Hanks-Dugan remembered what Pointy told him, and summoned Gagne to try to get two outs and get them to game seven.

Gagne heaped more pressure on himself, walking Ted Williams and George Sisler to load the bases. With one out and the bases loaded, Wee Willie Keeler stepped in to face Gagne.

And here are the calls.

National Call (Joe Buck): Keeler hits a line drive base hit to left-center, and Lange fields it. He has no play on the lead runner as Jackson scores to tie the game. Ted Williams is going to try to score as well. Lange throws it into the relay man, Ramirez, who sends it home, but it's late, and just like that, A Shaq of Their Own have won the World Series.
Home Call (Thom Brennaman): I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I'm so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there's a drive into left-center field by Keeler and that'll score Jackson to tie the game and the relay is late and that will score Ramirez. And so that'll make it a 4-3 ballgame. I don't know if I'm going to be putting on this headset again. My career might be over, just like this game.
Alt-Home Call (Tom Hamilton): Keeler swings and it's a line drive to left-center that drops in for a base hit. Jackson is going to score easily to tie the game, and WILLIAMS IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE. Lange fires to Ramirez, Ramirez with the relay throw ... it is NOT IN TIME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? A SHAQ OF THEIR OWN ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! HOW ABOUT THAT!
Road Call (Rick Rizza): Keeler connects on a base hit, that'll tie the game ... oh no, oh no ... Williams is rounding third, the relay throw is going to Ramirez at short, but he has no shot. oh no, oh no ... so close again, but frustration again for the pilots, left to wait for next year once again.

Player of the Game, Brought to you by The Ultimate Warrior: Wee Willie Keeler
Final: A Shaq of Their Own 4, stone temple seattle pilots 3
Win: Arrietta (1-0)
Loss: Gagne (0-1)


A Shaq of Their Own win the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Series MVP: "Wee" Willie Keeler

A Shaq of Their Own are WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

 

ugggggghhhhhhhhhh.



gg lloyd, well-deserving champs. and thanks as always for all the work you put into this inty.

there's always next year!

 

Both my terrible strategy and tom's abuse of the simulator was no match for the best pitcher in the league, and the best #2 pitcher in the league... congrats Shaq!

 

yeah, doc white had a solid case for mvp in the series, and ol' charlie bender managed to pitch his way out of a keeper slot in both of his matchups against him. other than that the series couldn't have been closer.

 

I very nearly gave the Series MVP to White ... And then Keeler walked it off and I couldn't not give it to him, with his play throughout the series

 

I'm always sad when a season ends


But then I'm always really excited that the next one is going to start



How many virtual days until fake Spring Training?

 

i honestly can't believe harvey went that deep in the game. he pitched 7 innings once in all of his regular season starts and that was his max. when i chose him as the starter i was trying to make it a bullpen game, but you were right pg. somehow you knew.

 

oh i knew the reference. i just never thought it would happen... here.

 

Favorite thing about that game is Kazaam in as Ted Williams which means the winning run was 7'1", 350-pound Shaq rumbling around the bases in a genie costume.

A great series @tom, glad it didn't come down to another extra innings or Pedro/Addie battle. Two of the greatest in the (pre-OOTP) game.

Thank you to @DarthIntegral for running everything (it literally took a year wtf), @Juliet316 for providing motivation to Addie, @Point Given inspiring the path of the Jedi/Baseball double, and everyone else collectively helping prevent @dp4m from winning. I have no idea what we're going to do in quarantine now.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE PARTY!

 

we're gonna do it again!

 

Might take the next one off to recap and photoshop.*

Also some of my strategy was basically based on an old Pete Rose FS1 segment with A-Rod and the Big Hurt, and early returns from Inty's practice sim say it does not translate well. That or it just randomized all my guys to HATE PLAYER MANAGER SHAQ WTF

*only assuming Addie joins me as a correspondent. I will literally play vs. a .000001% chance dp could draft him

 

Congrats, Lloyd! Helluva win. Would've been kinda cool to see a it go to a game seven for a third World Series in a row, but this was still a great series and a great ending.

Thanks again for running this, Inty (as well as all the other re-cappers (yes, even you, dp4m)). It was a blast from start to finish. But my quest for vengeance now begins....

 

Still a walkoff! Three straight of that.

Also someone please acknowledge that I snuck Jocko into the background of one of those images.

 

I noticed him on Iggy right away and laughed. But I just saw Roger Connor in the champagne celebration and laughed way too hard.

I'll get a wrap on this season this afternoon and get the ball rolling on next season.

@mnjedi I believe expressed interest in an expansion team ... What if he bought and relocated Lloyd's team?

 

Your 2020 Silver Sluggers:

C: Jocko Milligan (stone temple seattle pilots)
1B: Jeff "bag and a half" Bagwell (Sudden Valley Cornballers)
2B: Marlon from Finding Nemo (All-Start Short sEason Supremes)
3B: Al Rosen (Performance Enhancers)
SS: Arky Vaughan (A Shaq of Their Own)
OF: Kenny Lofton (Incheon Hash Slingers of New York)
OF: Hank Aaron (Acuña Matata)
OF: Carl Yastrzemski (Game of Throws)
P: Mike Scott (Reseda Free Fallers)




And your 2020 Gold Gloves:

C: Joe Mauer (Performance Enhancers)
1B: George Sisler (A Shaq of Their Own)
2B: Ryne Sandberg (Let's Play Two)
3B: Brooks Robinson (Acuña Matata)
SS: Cal Ripken, Jr. (Amazings)
OF: Kenny Lofton (Incheon Hash Slingers of New York)
OF: Stan Musial (Every City Bandwagoners)
OF: Shoeless Joe Jackson (A Shaq of Their Own)
P: Bob Feller (Reseda Free Fallers)

 

My team absolutely positively should not have been on any GG lists! lol...

 

They weren't?

 

i wish i would have tracked the hitting stats for my pitchers. it wouldn't have been that hard and i would have had a more complete picture of my stats. also i think charles bender had a pretty good case for a silver slugger but i have no evidence.

inty, dh when we move to ootp or no? maybe you already addressed this but i forget.

 

Bender was my runner-up for the award. I used the forum search on this thread for use of the phrase "helped his own cause" and Bender, Scott, and Smoky Joe Wood showed up the most. But I felt like giving some love to Tunes, so I gave the nod to the man who gave us Threat Level Midnight

As to the DH, we can opt in or opt out of it, as long as we use 2019 settings (or earlier). I'm happy going with majority of GMs, and playing it season-by-season.

 

No I was agreeing with you. I'm glad they weren't there!