Blazing Glory: A RTTS Dynasty (MLB 09: The Show)

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 15, 2014 -

We get swept by the Red Sox ending any realistic shot at the WC. We are now 8 games back with 2 weeks to go.


Sep 16, 2014 -

Tonight, I go for win #15 against Toronto at their place. They are starting Dstin McGowan who is 9-16 with a 4.65 ERA. We are 81-69. They are 57-93.

Struck out Urban looking with a 2-2 slider across the outside corner for the 2nd out of the 1st. Struck out Berkman with a 0-2 fastball to end the 1st.

Struck out Lind with a 3-2 fastball to start the 2nd. Great movement on my fastball today.

Saucedo with 2 RBI's and Santana with 1 in the 3rd. 3-0 lead.

After allowing 2 singles to start the 5th, I get Rolen to pop to 3rd and then Nunez to hit into a 4-6-3 DP.

Struck out Lind with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner to end the 6th.

We score 3 in the top of the 8th thanks to RBI's by Saucedo and Betemit. 6-0 lead.

I'm definitely losing the heat on my fastball and my control, but I still manage a 1-2-3 8th.

Berkman with a hard liner to left to start the 9th, but Pie with a nice running catch to put away the 1st out. Pie with a running catch on a shallow flare to left for the 2nd out of the inning. A 1-2 outside fastball gets the 3rd strikeout of the game on Lind.

6-0 complete game shutout! That is win #15.

9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 22, 2014 -

The dream is over. We are 83-72 and are now mathematically eliminated from the Wild Card. Boston has taken over the AL East lead at 92-63. It is going to be a battle to the finish between TB, Bsoston, and the Yankees for the Wild Card. The Rays are 91-64 and the Yankees are 91-65.

Tonight, I start the 1st game of a 4 game series at TB. Ryan Dempster is starting for them tonight.


Struck out Carlos Pena with a 2-2 fastball to start the 2nd inning.

Struck out Darnell Buscher with a 2-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 3rd inning. Navarro with an epic at bat.. 14 pitches before he finally grounded a 3-2 slider to 1st for the 3rd out.

Struck out Pena again for the first out of the 5th. After walking a batter, I strike out Nady with a 0-2 inside fastball. Struck out Joyce with a high 1-2 fastball. Dempster and I both have no hitters going through 5.

We got 2 hits off Dempster in the top of the 6th but still no runs.

With 2 outs in the 6th, B.J. Upton catches a low fastball and hits it over the left field wall. No-hitter and shutout gone in 1 second. Flores with a throwing error allows another base runner with 2 outs in the 6th. Longoria is up. Shit! Flores with another throwing error. Men on 2nd and 3rd. Pena grounds to Kennedy to end the inning.

Sigh. Mike pulls me after that inning. I had at least 1 more good inning in me. We lose the game 3-0. My record drops to 15-9.

6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 22, 2014 -

After the game, Rusty tells me I just passed 150 strikeouts in a season for the first time in my career. I have 152. I also passed the 200 IP mark this game (2nd time in my career doing that.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 27, 2014 -

My final start of the year is vs Dustin McGowan and Toronto at home. I'm hopeful that I'll get win #16. We are 86-74. They are 60-100.

Bad start to the game as Berkman gets a 2 out single and then Mike Jacobs drives the ball over the head of Markakis for a RBI double.

Pie knocks in Flores in the 2nd. Tied at 1.

Tovar, their young 2B, hits a 1-2 fastball to deep right field for a no-doubt homer.

Flores with another error in the 5th inning. He just bobbled a routine grounder with 2 outs. I still get out of the inning by striking out Berkman with a 2-2 outside fastball.

Pie with a solo homer in the 5th to tie it at 2.

Struck out Nunez with a 2-2 high fastball for the 2nd out in the 7th.

Mike turns to the pen after that. Our pen gives up a run in the 8th and we lose it 3-2.

7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 30, 2014 -

We finish the year with a 86-76 record. I lead the league in WHIP with a 1.19. Here are my final stats on the year as I prepare for likely salary arbitration:

33 GS, 15-9, 3.31 ERA, 23 QS, 2 CG, 2 SO, 212 IP, 209 H, 95 R, 78 ER, 19 HR, 43 BB, 154 K, 1.19 WHIP, .224 vs RH, .288 vs LH.



Boston won the AL East. The Yankees won the Wild Card. The Angels and Cleveland are also in the AL playoffs. The NL playoffs feature SD, Atlanta, Chicago, and the Dodgers.

The Yankees beat the Red Sox in 6 games in the ALCS.

The Cubs beat SD in 7 games in the NLCS.

The Cubs win the World Series in 5 games!

Adrian Gonzalez in the WS MVP. He hit .402 with 1 HR and 4 RBI's.

Donald Davila, Cleveland, won the AL MVP with .344, 51 HR, and 132 RBI.

C.C. Sabathia won the Cy Young with a 2.87 ERA, 20-6 record.

Albert Pujols, Angels, won the Silver Slugger with a .349 avg.

Reinaldo Cortez won the Rolaids Relief award for with 50 saves! He did a great job for us this year when we could get to him.

Titus Crudale, Oakland's CF, won AL Rookie of the year with .311, 22 HR, and 100 RBI.

My new teammate, Ubaldo Jiminez won a Gold Glove. My catcher, Saucedo, also won it. Too many passed balls I thought.


Oct 30, 2014 -

Notable retirements:

2B Adam Kennedy, Bal
CF Rocco Baldelli (due to injury), Boston
3B Mike Lowell, Boston
CP Kerry Wood, Boston
C Jason Kendall, Yankees
1B Lance Berkman, Toronto
RF Magglio Ordonez, Det
C Geovany Soto, Angels (due to injury)
LF Pat Burrell, Atlanta
LF Alfonso Soriano, Cubs
1B Lyle Overbay, Astros
CF Mike Cameron, Pirates

[Eaglesfan27]

The new Hall of Fame Class was announced:

SP Jamie Moyer, 260-195, 4.02 ERA, 2350 K.
SP Randy Johnson 307-166, 3.27 ERA, 4969 K.
SP Tom Glavine 305-203, 3.54 ERA, 2607 K.
RP Tom Gordon, 138-125, 158 S, 3.94 ERA, 1928 K.
SP Curt Schilling, 216-146, 22 S, 3.46 ERA, 3116 K.


Nov 8, 2014 -

Nick Markakis became a free agent

The club gave Adam Jones 17 million over 4 years to stay.

The Red Sox gave Pedroia 42 million over 3 years.

The Braves gave Joe Mauer 52 million over 4 years.


Nov 9, 2014 -

The club traded one of our trop pitches, Chris Young, for Gavin Floyd. I don't know much about Floyd, but I can't help but think this was financially motivated


Nov 12, 2014 -

The Orioles have offered me a 2 year deal worth 30.4 million dollars. I counter with 15.6 million over 1 year. They agree and we avoid arbitration.


Nov 13, 2014 -

Sigh. The club trades away 2 more starters who I know were quality for younger unproven (cheaper) guys: Jeremy Guthrie goes to the Phillies for Gregory Andrus, one of their prospects. Ubaldo Jimenez goes to the Indians for Mauro Montano.


Nov 15, 2014 -

CP Jonathan Papelbon gets the first really big contract of the year as he gets 71 million for 5 years from the Angels.

The Mets added Alex Rios for 5 years, 45 million.

The club re-signed LF Felix Pie! Hopefully, he'll play a bit more this year.


Nov 25, 2014 -

SOB!!! The Orioles continue to dump salary and traded me out of the blue! I've been sent to the White Sox. I didn't see that one coming. The White Sox finished 84-78 last year. At least, I won't have to face the Yankees and Red Sox so often.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nov 26, 2014 -

I was traded for a decent cheap starter, Oliver Perez. I guess they knew there was no chance I was going to sign with them once I became a free agent.

The Orioles re-signed Markakis the same day I was traded for 4 years and 29 million.

The White Sox have been busy, they re-signed SS Alexei Ramirez to a 3 year deal worth 24 million. I don't know much about him, but I think he will be a better defender than Flores was. They also re-signed Adam Dunn to a 3 year deal worth 17 million. They also have acquired Chris Young, who was my favorite among my fellow starting pitchers. I like the directions the moves they are making.


Today was also a big deal for the Twins. They re-signed Morneau for 5 years and 74 million dollars.


Nov 29, 2014 -

The White Sox re-signed LF Carlos Quentin for 2 years and 15 million.

The Reds with a fairly big signing - SS Hanley Ramirez for 3 years and 55 million.

Dec 1, 2014 -

The Orioles gave Lacey a 6 year 60 million dollar extension.

The Red Sox traded Daisuke Matsuzaka to the Diamondbacks for Brandon Webb.

The White Sox signed FA SP Kelvim Escobar to a 2 year 15 million dollar deal. They also re-signed SP Edinson Volquez to a 5 year 44 million dollar deal.

Dec 5, 2014 -

The Dodgers with a big FA signing as they get LF Matt Holliday for 6 years and 75 million.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 15, 2015 -

The White Sox signed about 5 bench/role player type guys. I hope they are being smart with this money. They are certainly being aggressive. The most notable of these players signed is CF Tony Gwynn, Jr.

Feb 28, 2015 -

It's only been a few days, but I can honestly say that this team is the most talented team I've ever been on! It's built to win big. Hopefully, we can do it. My thoughts about some key players on the team after watching them the first few days of spring training:

1B Tyron Whaley is 24 and nasty. Best power hitter I've ever had on my team. He has a great eye and is a solid fielder as well. Should bat 3rd every night of the year. He hit .280 with 29 homers last year, his 2nd in the majors. He is primed for a breakout year.

CP Bobby Jenks is 32 and is the best closer I've ever had on my team. He is 32 and is in the prime of his career. He has had 45 plus saves each of the last 4 years. Nasty stuff.

SP John Denks is 28 and will compete with me for the Ace of the staff. Has a nasty 4SFB as well as a cutter. Had a down year last year, but has been sub 4 ERA every year and had almost 200 K's 2 years ago. Makes 14 million.

SP Chris Young is 34 and was my teammate in Baltimore. He has a top quality 4SFB. He had a career year last year with a 15-10 record. I expect him to do better than that with the talent around us. Makes 12 million.

SP Edinson Volquez is 30 and has had close to 200 K every year in the majors. Great at changing speeds, has a top tier change and a very good fastball. 3.05 ERA last year. He is making around 8 million.

SP Kelvim Escobar is the old veteran in the group at 37. He has 5 averge pitches and mixes them well. His ERA was over 4 last year for the first time in 7 years. Hopefully, age doesn't hit him too hard this year. However, he is a great option as a number 5. He makes 7 million this year.

All together, the starters make 55 million this year. Big things are expected of us by the management.

Other key position players:

LF Carlos Quentin has very good power although he strikes out a fair bit. He is good for 30 homers a year. He is an above average fielder in left. He is 31 and making 7 million this year.

RF Adam Dunn is 34 and is making just over 5 million this year. He has had 46 and 48 homers in the last years. He loves this ball park and has great power, although he strikes out a lot. As age is catching up to him, he has become a slightly below average fielder but he has a gun of an arm.

SS Alexei Ramirez is 32. He is about average as a fielder, but is a definite upgrade from Flores. Furthermore, he is a good hitter who has hit around .280 with 20-25 homers each of the last 4 years. He is making just over 7 million this year.

3B Ty Wigginton is 36 and age might be catching up to him as he dipped below 30 homers for the first time in 5 years. Unfortunatley, his fielding is below average and a definite downgrade from where Lacey was at the end of the year.

RP Jong-Chih Kuo is a quality set up man. He has a terrific fastball. He has had an ERA around 3 every year and usually has about 100 K's per year.

CF Jerry Owens is 33 and still has near elite speed. He'll bat leadoff and cover a lot of ground out there even though his instincts aren't always great.

2B Chris Getz isn't much of a hitter, but he gets put out there consistently for his top quality defense. He has great reflexes and some slick moves. I'll love it if he stays in the lineup most of the year.

This team has me excited. Hopefully, that excitement will last through this year..

Oh yeah, the new pitching coach worked with me in the offseason and taught me a splitter. I'll be working hard this spring to refine it and make it an effective pitch.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 1, 2015 -

I had an excellent spring. Despite working on my splitter and giving up some big hits from it, I was 4-1 in the spring with a 2.56 ERA. I'm ready for the season to start. The splitter is definitely going to take some time to master, but I'll be working on it during the season. I imagine I might be a bit hesitant to throw it with men on base until I get better control if it.


April 6, 2015 -

I've been named the opening day starter and we start the year in Oakland. I'm as jacked as I've ever been for a season.

A look at our starting lineup:

CF Jerry Owens
SS Alexei Ramirez
1B Tyron Whaley
RF Adam Dunn
3B Ty Wigginton
C Ronny Paulino
DH Erick Aybar
LF Carlos Quentin
2B Chris Getz - YES!

Their lineup:

LF Chadwick Lovallo
C Kurt Suzuki
3B Garrett Atkins
DH Jack Crust
RF Brad Hawpe - still need to be careful with him
SS Young-Ho Chung
2B Jeff Baker
CF Titus Crudale (won rookie of the year, will be careful with him)
1B Lazaro Gomez


Owens starts off the game with a double. Dunn knocks him in for a RBI. 1-0 lead.

Good defensive play by Wigginton to get the 1st out. Maybe, he isn't as bad as I first estimated. Struck out Suzuki with a 1-2 slider. Struck out Atkins with a 0-2 fastball.

Struck out Cust with an outside 0-2 fastball to begin the 2nd inning. Titus comes to the plate with men on 1st and 2nd (walk and a single), but I strike him out with a 1-2 low fastball.

Struck out Gomez with a 2-2 fastball to start the 3rd. After giving up a single, I give up another hit to center, but Owens throws out the runner going to 3rd.

Cust starts off the 4th inning by hitting a very good low fastball to very shallow center for a single. I walk Hawpe to put men on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Chung hits into a 5-4-3 DP. Wigginton handles a hot grounder to end the inning.

Ramirez with a 2 run homer in the top of the 5th. 3-0 lead.

Titus starts of the bottom of the 5th with a double down the right field line. Wigginton handles a hard grounder, looks Titus back, and then airmails it. Oakland has HUGE foul ground to cover and Titus easily scores. Gomez on 2nd with 0 outs. A very good 2-2 slider gets Chadwick for the 1st out of the 5th. Paulino throws out Gomez attempting to steal 3rd.

Struck out Cust with a 3-2 fastball to start the 6th. Getz with a true web gem on a hot grounder by Hawpe. He gets to his knees and throws him out! Chung hits a 2-2 fastball that wasn't quite far enough inside down the left field line for a homer. Barely out of the shortest part of the park. 3-2. I respond by striking out Baker with a 2-2 splitter! My first strikeout with the new pitch.

Chadwick with a 2 out double off the left field wall in the 7th. Mike Scioscia pulls me after that. Interestingly, he is going to Bobby Jenks! Maybe he won't be our closer this year after all?

Wow. He is going to let our young phenom, Markus Groniga, close this game. Jenks pitches a perfect 1.1 innings and then Groniga pitches a perfect 9th. We win the game 4-2 and I have my 1st win.

I trust in Mike and this kid did have a tremendous spring as the closer.

6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 8, 2015 -

John Denks is lit up by Oakland. We lose the game 7-2.

April 9, 2015 -

Chris Young with 8 strong innings. Groniga gets his 2nd save of the year. We win the game 3-2. Dunn with a 2 run homer and Quentin with a RBI. I expected a bit more offense from this team, but hopefully this is just a slow start and that will come soon.


April 10, 2015 -

Our first series at home is vs Tampa Bay. Edinson Volquez gives up 3 runs in 5 innings. We lose the game 3-2.

April 11, 2015 -

Kelvim shows us how it is done as he pitches a masterful complete game gem. We win 5-1. Quentin with a 2 run homer in a 3 run 4th inning.

[Sun Tzu]

*is eagerly awaiting the next chapter*

[nfg22]

me too! tho I hope Mauer and Morneau light you up....but other than that may you dominate.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 12, 2015 -

Tonight, I start the final game of a 3 game series against Tampa Bay at home. We've split the series so far. Hopefully, the team can light up Ricky Nolasco tonight. 22 MPH wind blowing out to left center tonight.

Struck out Xavier Nady with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner for the 2nd out of the 1st inning. Struck out Evan Longoria with a 2-2 inside fastball to end the inning.

Struck out Matt Joyce looking with a 2-2 fastball across the inside corner to end the 2nd inning.

With 2 outs and a man on 3rd (after a double by Clint Barmes that was almost pushed over the wall by the wind) in the 3rd inning, a passed ball allows the run to score. A 1-1 slider just got away from John Buck who is catching tonight.

Long run by Jerry Owens to catch a Longoria line drive in the right-center gap for the 1st out of the 4th.

Struck out Matt Joyce with a 2-2 inside fastball to start the 5th inning.

Buck knocks in Aybar in the bottom of the 5th. Tied at 1.

Struck out Nieves with a 2-2 inside fastball for the 2nd out of the 6th. Struck out Xavier Nady with a 0-2 slider to end the 6th.

Evan Longoria starts off the 7th with a single to shallow left. That is only the 3rd hit I've given up today. Pena with a single to left and I worry that Mike is going to pull me.. which he does. So much for the win. Hopefully, Lance Cormier can get us out of this jam.

He doesn't do a good job at all. We give up 6 runs in the 7th inning. Our team finally scores in the bottom of the 7th on a grand slam by Dunn, but we lose the game 7-5.

My record drops to 1-1.

6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 17, 2015 -

We've lost 4 of our last 5 including 2 of 3 to Detroit and we are definitely starting to feel the pressure a bit. Tonight, I start the 2nd game of a series at Boston. We lost last night 16-0 as Youkilis had 6 RBI's. We need to bounce back in a big way tonight.


In the top of the 2nd, Aybar knocked in Dunn for our 1st run of the game. 1-0.

Absolutely terrific catch by Owens in left center for the 2nd out of the 2nd. I'm going to love having him out there every day. On the other hand, Alexei Ramirez shows his limited range in allowing the 1st of the game with 2 outs. Struck out Mohamed Fowler to end the 2nd inning.

Struck out Edgar Renteria with a 2-2 fastball to start the 3rd inning. Great movement on that pitch as it started out over the middle of the plate and moved inside off the plate. Paulino throws out the Julio Lugo attempting to steal 2nd. That is his 2nd runner gunned down this game. Carlos Gomez draws his 2nd walk of the game as he looks at a 3-2 slider that just misses the corner. Brian Roberts with a single to center that moves Gomez to 3rd. I get a needed popup by Jacoby to end the inning.

David DeJesus with a 1 out triple down the right field line in the 4th inning. Navarro with a chopper to short to knock in the run. Tied at 1.

Jacoby with a 1 out single in the 6th. He gets to 2nd on a wild pitch (a very high fastball) but Paulino throws him out attempting to steal 3rd. Konerko with a very tough at-bat before he finally draws a 2 out walk. He takes 2nd on a passed ball and then DeJesus draws 9 pitches before hitting a 3-2 change into right center for a RBI single. Navarro with a single to center that moves DeJesus to 3rd and I'm a bit surprised that Mike hasn't yanked me. I strike out Fowler with a low 2-2 slider to end the inning. Down 2-1 after 6 full innings.

We tie it in the 7th inning on a solo homer by Carlos Quentin (his 4th already), but Lance Cormier gives up the lead in the bottom of the 11th inning. We lose the game 3-2.

6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 22, 2015 -

Tonight, I get the start against the Tigers. We've split the first 2 games in this series against them.

In the 4th, I strike out Zapata with a 1-2 slider for the 1st out. I strike out Ryan, their catcher, with a 2-2 fastball to end the inning.

In the 5th, I strike out Boggs to start off the inning with a 2-2 fastball.

Our offense is no hit for 5 innings by Ryu. 0-0 game.

In the 6th, we get a run via a RBI double by Chavez who is playing in center tonight.

Mike lets me start the 8th as I pitched a strong 7th, but I give up a single to Figgins. Cabrera with a RBI double and I'm yanked with the game tied at 1. He brings in Jenks. Jenks gives up the inherited run before getting out of the inning.

We lose the game 2-1. My record drops to 1-2.

7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 27, 2015 -

Our team is really feeling the pressure as we lose 2 of 3 to the Royals.

April 28, 2015 -

We lost the 1st game of this series at home against my old team, Baltimore. We desperately need a win as we are 7-13 and 8 games behind the Indians. Lacey is clearly their best hitter. Baltimore is 8-12 so far.

2 great defensive plays by Getz to start the game before Lacey hits a good pitch to left field for a single. Struck out Chris Duncan with a 2-2 changeup to end the 1st.

Struck out Gustavo Flores with a 1-2 changeup to start the 2nd inning. Struck out Wes Helms looking with a 1-2 high fastball to end the 2nd.

Ramirez knocks in Dunn in the 2nd. 1-0 lead.

Struck out Pie with a 1-2 fastball to start the 3rd.

Markakis with a double down the left field line to start the 4th. Big strikeout of Lacey on a high inside 2-2 fastball for the 1st out. Markakis takes 3rd on a passed ball, a 2-2 changeup that was near the dirt. Struck out Duncan looking with a 99 MPH fastball across the inside corner. Flores flies out to Dunn to end the inning.

Struck out Lacey with a 2-2 change to end the 6th. 1-0 after 6.

Struck out Flores with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out in the 7th. Struck out Betemit with a 2-2 outside fastball to end the 7th. That tied my career high, 9 strikeouts.

1-0 lead as I start the 8th.

Struck out Pie with a high 1-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 8th. A new career high! 1-2-3 8th. 3 hit shutout intact here.

Murphy with a bunt single to start the 9th. Mike decides to go the pen after that. He gives the ball to our young closer, Markus Groniga. He has pitched 5 perfect innings for 5 saves. He makes it 6 of 6!

I get my 2nd win as we win it 1-0.

8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 1, 2015 -

A very rough for the team to start the year. We are 8-14 so far. Our offense is 24th in batting average, 26th in runs scored, 20th in homers (despite Quentin having a nice month with 7), and 17th in SB's.

Our pitching staff has been equally disappointing. I'm the only starter with a ERA under 4. We are 17th with a team ERA of 4.16 despite my good start in this category. We are 10th in strikeouts which the only category we are in the top 10.

My stats for the month:

5 GS, 2-2, 2.14 ERA (5th in the AL), 5 QS, 33.2 IP, 29 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 30 K (5th in the AL), 1.01 WHIP (2nd in the AL), .188 vs RH, .286 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 4, 2015 -

We are now 9-16. Tonight, I get the start at Tampa Bay. They are 20-7 so far this year and their ace is starting tonight.

Struck out Nieves with a 1-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st inning.

Singles by Nady, Longoria, and then Matt Joyce who has a RBI single. 1-0. Men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out in the 2nd. A popup by Amezaga and then I strike out Tyree Chavis with a 1-2 change to end the inning.

Upton draws a leadoff walk in the 3rd and then steals 2nd. Struck out Nieves with a high 2-2 fastball (after throwing a nice splitter down low before that.) Upton moves to 3rd on a fly by Longoria to right field. Carlos Pena with a RBI single to center to make it 2-0.

Ramirez with an error in the 5th that costs us the double play and the out. Men on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs now and Longoria at the plate. Meanwhile our offense has been no-hit so far. Longoria lines out to Ramirez. Carlos Pena hits a 1-2 splitter that hung to the center field wall for a 2 RBI double. Struck out Nady with a 1-2 slider to end the inning.

Mike pulls me after that rough inning. We lose the game 4-1 and my record drops to 2-3.

5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 8, 2015 -

We win 3 straight until Kelvim Escobar is torched by Cleveland for 8 runs. We lose tonight 8-6, but we have scored 25 runs in our last 3 games. Hopefully, tomorrow night the club will keep scoring runs for me.

AL Central Standings so far:

Cleveland 22-8
Kansas City 17-13
Chicago 12-18
Detroit 11-19
Minnesota 7-23

[Eaglesfan27]

May 9, 2015 -

A must win start against Cleveland tonight as they are 22-8 and we are 12-18. They have good hitters throughout the lineup.

Corey Hart starts the game by hitting a 1-2 low slider into shallow center for a single. The next batter, Armand Lorenz, hits into a FC before Buck throws him out attempting to steal 2nd. I struck out Sizemore with a 1-2 fastball to end the 1st.

Darn. With 1 out and men on 1st and 3rd in the 2nd inning, Jhonny Peralta hit a chopper to Ty at 3rd. With no chance at the DP, he threw it home and Buck was run over Davila who knocked the ball loose. Both runners advanced and now I'm down 1-0 with men on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. Travis Haffner hit a hard grounder to short that scored a 2nd run, maybe I should have walked him instead of trying to strike him out. Bill Hall with a RBI single to left center off a 1-2 fastball. Buck throws out Hall attempting to steal 2nd to end the inning. I really need the offense to pick it up..

Struck out Travis Haffner with a 1-2 fastball for the 1st out of the 5th. Owens with a LONG run and catch at the track for the 2nd out of the 5th. Alexei Ramirez with an error allows Hart to get on base, but I get the next batter to ground to 1st for the 3rd out. Still down 3-0 after 5 innings.

Mike pulls me after I allow two 2 out singles in the 6th. Lance Cormier comes into the game and allows both runs to score and I have to stop myself from going and yelling in Mike's office after the game.

We lose 6-0. My record drops to 2-4.

5.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 14, 2015 -

Tonight, I get the 1st start of this 4 game series against the Yankees in New York. They are starting Chamberlain who is 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA.

Nice start to the game as I strike out Reyes with a 0-2 outside fastball. Chase Utley, who is hitting .300 with 12 HR's already, also strikes out on a 0-2 outside fastball. Mark Teixeira hits a 2-0 fastball down the right field line that clangs off the foul pole. That was his 10th homer of the year. 1-0. Nick Swisher and Vlad with singles. Men on 1st and 3rd. Cano flies out to Chavez in center to end the inning.

I cheer as Carlos Quentin hits a solo homer in the 3rd to tie it at 1.

A bad hop gets Ty to start the 3rd. It hits off his chest for a single for Utley. Mark hits into a 5-4-3 DP. Great handle by Ty.

Struck out Vlad with a 99 MPH 3-2 fastball to start the 4th.

Struck out Torrealba with a 2-2 high fastball to start the 5th.

With 1 out in the 5th, Reyes hits a grounder that barely gets by Whaley for a single. Utley fouls off a few pitches before hitting a 2-2 change into the right center gap for a RBI double. I get Mark to ground out to 1st and Swisher to pop up to me to end the inning. Down 2-1.

Vlad hits a hard grounder that Alexei just can't get to start the 6th. Vlad steals 2nd and then scores on a grounder by Melky Cabrera that just gets past Alexei. Ramon Hernandez with a single to right and I think I'm about to get pulled.. but I don't. I need to get out of this jam right now with Torrealba at the plate. Torrealba hits a low 0-0 fastball down the right field line for a RBI single. 4-1. That does it, Mike yanks me and I can't blame him. He gives the ball to Hong-Chih Kuo. Kuo allows both of the inherited runs to score.

We lose the game 6-1. My record drops to 2-5. I was happy with the quality of my work in my first 5 starts, but these last few have been rough.

5.1 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. I need to do much better.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 19, 2015 -

We are now 17-23. Tonight, I'm starting in Detroit against the Tigers who are 14-25 and last in my offensive categories. Should be a good game to get out of that slide..

We are up 1-0 before I take the mound thanks to a Whaley RBI single. He knocked in Owens.

Dunn with a nice catch at the wall for the 1st out. Figgins hit that very hard and it would have been a homer if there wasn't a stiff wind blowing in today. Struck out Miguel Cabrera with a 1-2 fastball to end the inning.

Men on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs in the 2nd. I get a needed strikeout of Gerald Laird with a 1-2 fastball at the knees. Freel grounds to 1st for the 2nd out, but the run scores. Bloomquist grounds back to me for the 3rd out.

Owen Budde with a 2 run homer in the top of the 4th. 3-1 lead.

Richar hits a 2-1 slider into right center for a triple to start the bottom of the 4th. Kubel hits a very good 2-2 fastball for a weak flare to right for a RBI single. Struck out Zapata looking with a 0-2 fastball just below the letters. Struck out Laird with a 3-2 fastball. Struck out Ryan Freel with a high 0-2 fastball to end the inning. 3 big strikeouts there.

Miguel Cabrera hits a first pitch fastball just barely over the left field wall to start the 6th inning. Tied at 3. I can only blame myself for not getting a win today if it doesn't happen.

Sheesh. Zapata with a 2 out double and then Laird hits a 2-2 slider that hung into right center for a RBI single. Freel with a single to center and I know I'm in trouble, but Scioscia leaves me in. Bloomquist hits it back to me and I make the throw for the 3rd out. Down 4-3 after 6.

We lose the game 5-3.

6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. My record drops to 2-6. Very disappointing.

[Ironhead]

This thread is the only time I have ever wanted to own a PS3.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 24, 2015 -

We've lost 4 of our last 5 games and tonight I'm starting the first game of a series vs the Yankees at home. We are 18-27. The Yankees are 26-20.

Struck out Utley with a 2-2 slider. I needed that as my confidence is very shaky coming into this game. Getz with a rare error allows Mark on 1st with 2 outs. Struck out A-Rod looking with a 3-2 fastball on the outside corner.

Charlie Sawyer is killing me. He blows a 3-2 call on Nick Swisher allowing him to walk, then he fails to call a 2 out 2-2 slider that clearly caught the corner a strike. The next pitch is a RBI single by Torrealba. 1-0. I get Reyes to strike out on a 2-2 outside fastball to end the inning.

Chase Utley starts off the 3rd by crushing a 1-0 fastball over the left field wall. That is his 14th homer of the year. I respond by striking out Mark with a 100 MPH 1-2 fastball. With men on 2nd and 3rd, I strike out Swisher with a 2-2 slider to end the inning.

Ramirez with an error that allows Utley to reach 1st to start the 5th inning. Struck out Mark with a 0-2 fastball. A-Rod smokes the first pitch down the left field line for a double. Men on 2nd and 3rd as Quentin did a good job of getting it in quickly to prevent Utley from scoring. I tried to unintentionally intentionally walk Vlad but he hit a low 3-1 fastball into right center for a sac fly. Cano flies out to left to end the inning. Down 3-0.

Wow, Mike pulls me early tonight. We lose the game 3-2 as Sabathia pitched 7 scoreless innings.

My record drops to 2-7. 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 30, 2015 -

We've won 3 of our last 4. Tonight, I hope to keep it going against the Red Sox but it will be tough as they are starting Brandon Webb who is 6-0 with a 2.20 ERA.

After I get screwed by Dutch Nelson on a 2-2 call, I strike out Upton swinging with a 3-2 fastball for the 1st out of the 2nd inning.

Navarro with a 10 pitch at bat before he hits a 2-2 fastball down the left field line for a double. Quentin just missed making a diving catch on that ball. Fowler advances the runner with a grounder to 2nd. I intentionally walk Renteria to set up a double play. Then, I lose all command and throw 4 straight balls to Jacoby. Youkilis is up with bases loaded...

He hits a 0-2 fastball to deep center for a sac fly. Pedroia hits the ball hard to left, Quentin dives.. and it bounces off his glove. 2 RBI double. Upton flies out to left to end the inning. Down 3-0.

Struck out Fowler with a 2-2 slider to start the 5th.

Despite a 1-2-3 6th, Mike pulls me to start the 7th. I pitched a gem except for one horrid inning. We lose the game 4-0 as Brandon Webb pitches a complete game 3 hit shutout.

6 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Ironhead

This thread is the only time I have ever wanted to own a PS3.

This game was the major factor in me getting a PS3.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 1, 2015 -

We are now 21-31. After Boston beat us, they are now 43-9! I never expected our offense to be so lacking. We are 28th in batting average with Carlos being the only player hitting over .300. On the plus side, Whaley is getting hot and has raised his average by 40 points to .268 over the last month. We are 5th in Homers with Whaley hitting 4 in our last 5 games. He now has 12. Quentin has 13 and Dunn has 10. But, we are terrible at drawing walks and we are only 23rd in runs scored. We are 26th in SB's. We are last in drawing walks.

With my ERA skyrocketing, the rest of the team has brought theirs down. We are now 14th with a staff ERA of 4.15. We are 5th in strikeouts as Danks, Volquez and I are all over 50.


After my horrible month in which I only had 1 quality start, here are my stats: 2-8, 4.19 ERA, 11 GS, 6 QS, 66.2 IP, 71 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 5 HR, 13 BB, 53 K, 1.26 WHIP, .264 vs RH, .276 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 2, 2015 -

My agent has heard the White Sox are so disappointed in me and their team performance that they are shopping me around. Reportedly, the Mets are interested in me.

June 4, 2015 -

I have a very winnable start against the Royals who are starting Luke Hochevar tonight. He is 2-5 with a 8.23 ERA! I'm going to be pissed if my team doesn't light him up.

Carlos Quentin with a 2 run homer to start the game. We are up 2-0 as I take the mound for the first time.

Wigginton with a throwing error allows Collazo to get to 2nd with 1 out. Butler grounds up the middle, but Getz with a brilliant play to get the 2nd out. Miguel Olivo with a line drive to shallow left for a RBI single.

Struck out Mark Teahan with a 0-2 fastball to end the 2nd inning.

Struck out Tony Pena, Jr. with a 0-2 fastball to start the 3rd inning. Struck out Collazo to end the inning with a 1-2 inside fastball.

No! Alex Gordon hits a 3 run homer off me in the 4th. He caught a 1-1 fastball that had decent location (high and inside) but wasn't quite good enough. I respond by blowing 3 fastballs by Shealy for a strikeout and the 1st out of the inning. No. Enrique Manley hits a 3-1 slider to the same spot that Gordon did. Down 5-2 and my confidence is completely shattered again. The next 2 batters ground to Whaley to end the inning.

Ramirez with a RBI in the top of the 5th. Down 5-3.

Struck out Coco Crisp with a 3-2 fastball to start the 5th. 1-2-3 5th.

I'm pulled after 5. We lose the game 8-3 as they hit a 3 run homer off Lance Cormier in the 7th inning.

5 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. My record falls to 2-9. I'm in disbelief.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 8, 2015 -

We just lost 2 of 3 to last place Minnesota Our pen blew it both times as we lost 6-3 and 5-4.

June 10, 2015 -

Tonight, I'm starting at home vs the Tigers and the fans are turning on us. We are now 16 games behind Cleveland as we have a 24-36 record. Detroit is 21-36.

Struck out Richar with a 3-2 changeup to end the 1st inning.

Struck out Jason Kubal with a very low 1-2 fastball to start the 2nd inning.

Wildness costs me as I manage to walk the bases loaded in the 3rd with 2 outs and then Jason Kubal hits a 2 RBI single down the 1st base line. Zapata with a single up the middle and he knocks in another run. Laird hits a first pitch fastball up the middle by my feet for another RBI single. 4-0. What happened to when I was dominating the first month? Freel grounds out to Ty to end the inning.

A desperately needed 1-2-3 4th. Unfortunately, my guys are being no-hit (again) through 4.

Struck out Cabrera with a 1-2 outside fastball to start the 5th inning. 1-2-3 5th.

Mike pulls me after 5.

We lose the game 10-2.

My record falls to 2-10. This is disgusting. 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 14, 2015 -

A few things that have ruined us this year:

The injury to Bobby Jenks a few weeks ago. He tore his ACL and is done for the year.

- The injury to Kelvim Escobar last week. He'll be out 4-5 weeks. He hasn't done much this year, but he has kept us in games.

- Jerry Owens has been great in the field, but he is only hitting .239 and has a .286 OBP.

- Whaley is turning on the power, but is still only htting 250 and almost never walks.

- Dunn is even worse, he has 12 homers, but he is a strikeout machine. He is hitting .229 with a team high 63 strikeouts.

- Getz is brilliant in the field but is only hitting .220.

- Too many homers are solo shots.

- Lance Cormier and Denny Bautista (I can't believe I'm working with that jackass again) are killing us in middle relief. They both have ERA's over 5.

When we get to him, Markus Groniga has been lights out. He has 14 saves and still has a 0 ERA, but our pen without Jenks is a big disappointment.

I now have the worst ERA among starters with a 4.58. I need to do much better, but my confidence is terrible right now and I don't know how I'm going to get out of this spiral.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 15, 2015 -

Tonight, I'm starting at home vs the Brewers. They are starting Jorge De La Rosa who has a 2-5 record with a 6.13 ERA. Hopefully, the team will hit him well.. either way I need to pitch much better than I have the last 6 weeks or so.

Wigginton with a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 1st. 2-0 lead.

I'm ready to strangle Ramirez as he bobbles a perfect double play ball and gets no one. We now have bases loaded with 1 out and Ja Casillas at the plate. He hits a hard bounce back to me, I fire quickly to 2nd, and we barely get the double play. 1-6-3 to get out of the inning.

Ramirez with a RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd and then Ty knocks him in. 4-0 lead.

Struck out Orlando Velez with a 1-2 slider to end the 3rd inning.

With men on 1st and 2nd, I get a crucial strikeout of Ben Francisco with a 99 MPH high fastball for the 2nd out of the 4th. Next batter grounds out to Getz to end the inning.

Whaley with a RBI in the 4th. 5-0.

Getz starts a very nice 4-6-3 DP to end the 5th inning.

I hit Braun to start the 6th and then Frank Keppinger hits a hard grounder that gets past Ty. Braun moves to 3rd. No outs. Gamel hits a line drive to shallow center for a RBI single that moves Keppinger to 3rd. The next batter hits a hard grounder at me that I field. We get the 1-6-3 DP and Keppinger stayed at 3rd! Fernandez with a RBI single just barely past a diving Getz.

Took 10 pitches, but I strike out Angel Salome looking with a 3-2 slider for the 1st out of the 7th. 1-2-3 7th.

I've thrown 105 pitches so Mike pulls me after that. The pen does their job as new call-up Rosario Pulido pitches a perfect 8th and 9th for a 2 inning save, his career 1st. He struck out 4 over the 2 innings.

7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Hopefully, this win can get me out of my funk.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 21, 2015 -

We are 29-41. Tonight, I start at Wrigley Field against the Cubs who are in 1st place in their division. Mark Pryor is on the mound for them and he is 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA. I definitely need to watch out for Adrian Gonzalez who is hitting .359 with 12 HR's and 51 RBI's.

We take a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st on a solo homer by Ramirez (his 12th.)

Milton Bradley gets their 1st hit of the game in the bottom of the 2nd with a flare to left field. Now up is my old teammate, Nate McLouth. He hits the ball to deep right but Dunn catches it at the wall. There is a 15 MPH wind blowing out to right center and it almost pushed that out of the park. Struck out Kelly Shoppach, their catcher, with a 1-2 low fastball to end the 2nd.

Unexpectedly during my 2nd at bat, I hit a 2-2 fastball into left field for a single! Ramirez ends up knocking me in! 2-0.

With 1 out in the 5th, McLouth draws a walk and then Hiram Nunez hits it down the right field line for a RBI double.

Struck out Ian Kinsler with a 1-2 slider to start the 6th.

My 3rd at bat, a throwing error by the pitcher leads to me getting to 2nd with 0 outs! I end up scoring again this time on a RBI double by Owens! 3-1 lead as I take the mound in the bottom of the 7th.

McLouth with a leadoff single to left field. Paulino throws him out on an attempt to steal 2nd. Struck out Shoppach with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner. Struck out Nunez with a 3-2 inside fastball to end the 7th.

Strike out Mike Fontenot, their SS, looking with a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner to end the 8th.

Mike turns the ball over to the pen for the 9th inning. We win the game 5-1.

My record rises to 4-10. 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 27, 2015 -

Tonight, we host the Reds. They beat us last night in the first game of the series, 6-1. They are now atop the Cubs in the NL Central with a 43-30 record. We are 32-43 and 16.5 games behind the Indians.

Chris Dickerson hits a long fly ball down the left field line to start the game, Endy Chavez is racing to it, dives, and has it bounce off his glove. Double to start the game. I accidently hit the next guy and they have men on 1st and 2nd with no outs for Hanley Ramirez. He hits into a 4-6-3 DP, nice play by Getz to start that. I get the cleanup hitter, Garza, to pop up to end the inning.

Struck out Cirillo with a 2-2 slider to end the 3rd inning. I feel in complete control of the game so far.

Struck out Emile Main with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 5th. Ty with a 2 out throwing error that puts men on 2nd and 3rd. Chris Dickerson at the plate. He has hits in both at bats.. I pitch him carefully and walk him on 4 pitches. I've had much better luck vs Tyson Cirillo.. he grounds it Ty to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 5th, Ramirez and Buck each have a RBI. 2-0 lead.

Ty with an error to start the 7th. That puts Main on 1st. I strike out Travis Buck with a 2-2 low fastball. The next batter almost hit into a 3-6-1 DP, but the runner just beat me to the base. 2 outs with a man on 1st and Chris Dickerson at the plate.. he hits a 3-0 fastball into shallow right but Dunn throws out Main going for 3rd to end the 7th.

Dunn with a RBI double in the 7th. 3-0 lead.

Struck out Hanley Ramirez with a 2-2 fastball for the first out of the 8th after giving up a leadoff single to Cirillo. With 2 outs, Votto hits the ball to shallow center for a single. Men on 1st and 2nd. Mike is going to let me have 1 last chance against Brandon Phillips.. He hits a 3-2 slider into right field for a RBI single. Mike takes me out after that. Come on, get the last out Kuo...

Yes! Kuo strikes out the batter to get out of the inning! Groniga pitches a perfect 9th for his 18th save on the year. We win the game 3-1.

My record rises to 5-10. 7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 1, 2015 -

We've just been swept by the Twins and fallen to 4th place behind them in the AL Central. Our playoff hopes seem like a very long shot now.

We are 27th in batting average. Carlos Quentin is the only batter hitting over .300. No one else is above .270. We are 6th in homers (Quentin leads the team with 20, Whaley with 17, and Alexei with 14.) We are 25th in runs scored. My old team, the Orioles are 10th .

Our staff is 20th in ERA with a 4.38. We are 4th in strikeouts.


A good month brings me back towards respectability:

5-10, 3.90 ERA, 16 GS, 9 QS, 99.1 IP, 100 H, 47 R, 43 ER, 7 HR, 21 BB, 73 K, 1.22 WHIP, .241 vs RH, .276 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 3, 2015 -

Tonight I'm starting at home vs the Rangers. They are 44-35. We are 33-47. Stanley Mudd is their best hitter and batting cleanup.

Struck out Saltalamacchia, their DH, with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st inning.

Terrible start to the 2nd inning, Mudd with an infield single as Ty dove but didn't get up in time to throw him out. Then, Hargrove hit the ball hard down the right field line for a double. Men on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs..

I walk Buddy Theriot to load the bases. At least, I have double play chances now. Taylor Teagarden hits a grounder but just beats out the 3-6-1 DP. Men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out and 1-0 lead. Freddy Sandoval pops up an inside fastball back to me. Corey Patterson with a hard line drive but it is right at Whaley who catches it to end the inning.

Joaquin Arias starts the 3rd with a grounder past Ty. Quentin horribly misplays a ball by their DH and it turns into a RBI triple. Scot Olson with a 12 pitch at bat, before he finally hits a 3-2 slider up the middle for a RBI single. Down 3-0 at the end of 3.

Taylor Teagarden starts off the 4th by hitting the first pitch to right field for a homer. The wind is blowing out to right at 21 MPH and that wouldn't have cleared the wall without the push. Struck out Hargrove with a 2-2 slider for the 1st out of the 4th. Paulino throws out a runner at 2nd to end the 4th. He has a gun of an arm.

Whaley with a 3 run homer in the 4th. Down 4-3.

I pitch a strong 5th and 6th inning, but Mike pulls me after 6. He gets in my face after pulling me as well, telling me that I need to do much better.

We take the lead in the 7 inning on a 2 run homer by Ty. We win the game 5-4. Kuo gets the win.

6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 9, 2015 -

This will be my last start before the All-Star break. It's at the Twins. I'm going against Scott Baker who is 6-8 with a 5.04 ERA. Both clubs are 37-48. I definitely need to be careful of Morneau who is hitting .310 with 19 HR's on the year. We are wearing throw back jerseys tonight!

We are up 1-0 in the 1st on a homer by Alexei Ramirez.

I strike out Morneau with a 2-2 slider for the 1st out of the 1st. I strike out Wiki Macias with a 2-2 change to end the 1st. I threw 22 pitches that inning as both batters fouled off quite a few pitches.

I strike out Jason Pridie for the 1st out of the 2nd with a 2-2 fastball. Torrie Miller with a line drive to shallow center gets runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Juan Uribe is at the plate.. Miller steals 2nd on the 1st pitch, Buck is catching tonight and he definitely doesn't have Paulino's quality arm.

I strike out Uribe with an outside 2-2 slider for the 2nd out. Matt Tolbert grounds out to Getz to end the inning.

Owens knocks in Buck in the top of the 3rd. 2-0 lead.

Morneau with a man on 1st and 0 outs, he hits it hard down the left field line, Quentin with an ill-advised dive, he misses. RBI triple for Morneau. Jamison Gary, their catcher, with a hard grounder past Ty for a RBI single. Tied at 2. Macias crushes the ball but it is to dead center and Owens races back and catches it at the warning track. Sheesh, Quentin misplays a line drive that was just a bit to his left and it turns into a double for Cuddyer. Pridie hits a 2-0 fastball into left field for a 2 RBI single. My control is wavering as is my confidence. I walk Uribe. I just can't concentrate. Tolbert hits into a 5-4-3 DP to end the inning and I let out a big sigh of relief. 4 runs on 6 hits that inning.

Dunn horribly misplays a ball in the 4th that leads to a RBI double for Gary. Down 5-2 after 4 innings.

Quentin with a 2 run homer in the 5th. I guess that makes up a bit for his horrid play tonight. Down 5-4.

Getz with a rare error to keep the inning going in the 5th. Men on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs and Morneau at the plate. Morneau hits it to the track, but Quentin catches it.

Mike pulls me after 5 innings. A terrible outing by me yet we get the win as Quentin really makes up for his miscues with a 2 run homer in the 6th and the 9th innings. We win the game 8-7 on his last homer. Kuo gets the win again.

5 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 13, 2015 -

The Indians sweep us before the break. A completely disappointing season.

The Orioles have 2 starting pitchers named to the AL Squad as well as their closer, their catcher (Saucedo), and their 3B (Lacey.)

We get Whaley on the squad (.259 with 19 HR's and 47 RBI's), Alexei (.286 with 17 HR's and 60 RBI's), and Carlos Quentin (.311 with 25 HR's and 61 RBI's.)

The AL wins the All-Star Game.

July 17, 2015 -

I'm too depressed to journal in detail. Needless to say, the Angels lit me up for 5 runs in the 1st and 3 runs in the 2nd. I lasted 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, and 1 K. My record drops to 5-11.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 19, 2015 -

Our team traded away Buck for a RP Ian Devore. He should be a very good RP in a few years but not much help now.

I need to calm myself down and come back with a strong last 1/2 to 1/3rd of a season.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 23, 2015 -

During the break, my pitching coach really helped me with my arm angle of my slider. He also pointed out to me that I'm getting stuck in too many patterns and that I need to vary my location and pitches more. Hopefully, I can apply the changes tonight as I get start against a very good Tampa Bay team at their place.

Getz with a solo homer in the 2nd! That is his 3rd of the year.

Ty with a very nice dive, recovery, and throw to get the 1st out to start the 2nd inning.

Ty with a 2 RBI double in the 2nd inning. 3-0 lead.

Struck out Nieves with an outside 2-2 fastball to start the 3rd inning.

Whaley with a solo homer in the 5th. We are up 4-0.

It took 10 pitches, but I struck out Rivera with a 3-2 change for the 1st out of the 5th.

Things start falling apart in the 6th. After a walk to Pena, a single by Bay, Nady hits a line drive to right field for a RBI single. Men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Matt Joyce is at the plate. NO! A 2-2 fastball misses over the plate and Joyce crushes it to right field for a 3 run homer! I was in complete control until this inning. I get out of the inning but the damage was done. I cost myself the win tonight.

We lose the game 5-4 on a run in the 9th.

6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 28, 2015 -

Tonight I'm starting in Seattle. They are in last place in their division, I need to take advantage of their woes.

After allowing 2 singles to start the 2nd, I strike out Todd Helton looking with a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner. I strike out Geraldo Zavala with 3 straight fastballs, the last being outside. Enfield grounds out to Alexei to end the inning.

Struck out Brantley to end the 3rd with a 2-2 outside fastball.

Paulino with a RBI single in the top of the 4th. 1-0 lead.

In the 4th, men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out and Zavala at the plate. He chops it very weakly to Getz, no play but at 1st. Tied game.

Trouble in the 6th as they get 2 singles to start the inning, a hard hit to right, and a chopper in front of the plate. Chris Shelton is now up and I really need a strikeout.. He grounds out to Ty but the out is at 1st as the runner was running on contact. Todd Helton with a RBI single to right. 2-1. Zavala pops up for the 2nd out. Enfield grounds out to 2nd. At least, I limited the damage. Mike pulls me after that.

We win it in the 10th on a 3 run homer by Getz! 5-2 win.

6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (what happened to all of my strikeouts?)

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 1, 2015 -

The trade deadline has passed and I'm still in Chicago. We are 44-60 but the club didn't want to unload me unless they made a good deal and they didn't get any great offers. We are 26th in runs scored and 22nd in team ERA.

This is a disaster of a season as I was hoping to get a big raise from the 15 million I'm making this year. I should have taken the 2 year 30 million dollar deal that I was offered. Here are my stats:

5-11, 4.50, 21 GS, 10 QS, 124 IP, 145 H, 70 R, 62 ER, 28 BB, 85 K, 1.40 WHIP, .286 vs RH, .291 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 4, 2015 -

Tonight, I get the start at home vs the Royals. They are 55-50. We are now 45-61.

Struck out Billy Butler with a 2-2 inside fastball for the 2nd out in the 1st. Two 2 out singles have the bases loaded in the 1st. A 0-2 slider gets Ryan Shealy to fly out weakly to center.

With 2 outs in the 2nd, I field a bunt by Coco Crisp but overthrow the ball into right field. Men on 2nd and 3rd for Fidel Collazo as a result. He grounds out to Ty to end the inning.

Struck out Alex Gordon with an outside fastball to end the 3rd.

Struck out Miguel Olivo with a 1-2 inside fastball to end the 4th.

Struck out Coco Crisp with a 2-2 outside fastball to start the 5th. This is more like it. Collazo with a single to left. Then, he attempts to steal 2nd and the throw from Paulino sails into center. The runner advances to 3rd with 1 out. Butler hits a come back to me. I look back the runner and then throw it 1st for the 2nd out. Alex Gordon flares a 1-1 fastball into left field for a RBI single. It gets much worse as Shealy hits a high fastball into right center for a 2 RBI double. Down 3-0 after 5.

I give up a leadoff single to Teahan in the 6th and Mike pulls me. Franklyn German gives up the inherited run. We lose the game 7-0.

My record drops to 5-12. 5 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

August 9, 2015 -

Tonight's game is against the Twins in Minnesota.

I get a huge boost as the team scores 4 runs in the top of the 1st on a 3 run homer by Ty.

They get 1 one back with a leadoff double by Pridie and 2 ground outs by Morneau and Gary.

Owens and Chavez with RBI's in the 2nd. 6-1 lead.

Dunn with a 2 run homer in the 4th. 8-1 lead.

Struck out Gary with a 1-2 fastball to start the bottom of the 4th. Struck out Casilla with a 0-2 fastball to end the inning.

9-1 lead after the top of the 7th.

I'm very disappointed that Mike pulled me after 7 innings. I only threw 80 pitches. We win the game 9-1.

My record rises to 6-12. 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 15, 2015 -

Tonight I'm starting in Kansas City. They are 60-55. We are 47-68.

I strike out Flores with a 3-2 change to end the 1st.

I strike out Aviles with a 0-2 fastball for the 1st out of the 2nd. I strike out Mark Teahen with a 2-2 change for the 2nd out.

Coco Crisp starts off the 3rd with a double down the left field line. Struck out Collazo with a 2-2 outside slider for the 1st out. Butler hits a 3-1 low fastball into left center for a RBI single. Flores hits into a 5-4-3 DP to end the inning.

Whaley and Ty with RBI's in the top of the 4th. 2-1 lead.

I give a leadoff walk in the 7th and get pulled. Mike goes to Kuo who pitches a perfect 7th and 8th. Groniga gets his 26th save in the 9th. He has a 1.14 ERA! We win the game 4-1.


My record rises to 7-12. 6 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 21, 2015 -

Tonight we host the Angels. Hopefully, this start will go better than my last vs them. They are 80-40. We are 50-70. They have a bunch of great hitters in the heart of their lineup with Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Carlos Lee. They are surrounded by excellent complimentary players and their offense is 1st in the majors. Whaley is hurt for and won't be starting tonight.

Pujols is hitting .306 with 28 HR's and 85 RBI's. Despite having 2 outs and no men on, I approach him very carefully. He manages to lace an inside fastball to left field for a single. Hamilton is hitting .296 with 30 HR's and 101 RBI's. I'm going to approach him even more carefully, but they have 2 more very good hitters behind him.. I strike him out with a 2-2 change!

Carlos Lee is hiting .313 with 23 HR's and 88 RBI's. I get him to ground to Ty. 1-2-3 2nd.

Struck out Cesar Izturis with a 2-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 3rd. 1-2-3 3rd.

1 out, no men on as Albert comes up in the 4th. He hits a 1-2 fastball to right field for the fly out. I strike out Hamilton with a 1-2 slider to end the inning.

1-2-3 5th. I'm feeling great tonight.

Struck out Wilson with a 1-2 change to start the 6th. I strike out Placido Cavazos with a 1-2 inside fastball to end the 6th. That was my 100th strikeout of the year.

1 out and no men on as Albert comes to the plate in the 7th. Still a scoreless game. He weakly grounds a 1-2 slider to 1st for the out. Hamilton beats out a slow grounder deep in the hole for Ramirez. Carlos follows that with a first pitch line drive down the left field line for a double. Men on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Wilson Cotts is at the plate. Cotts flies out to Chavez in left field for the 3rd out. Whew.

My counterpart finally leaves the game, but their pen pitches a perfect 8th. Still a scoreless game.

I strike out Wilson with a 2-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 8th. 1-2-3 8th.

We fail to score in the bottom of the 8th and Mike decides 110 pitches is enough for me. They score in the top of the 10th off of a new callup Ruddy Velasquez. We lose the game 1-0.

8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. I wish I got the win, but I feel great about that effort against this lineup. Hopefully, this can be a launching pad for a great last month.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 26, 2015 -

Tonight, I'm starting in Detroit. They have lost the first game of this series to us.

We are up 1-0 in the 1st on a RBI by Alexei.

Big strikeout of Miguel Cabrera with a 3-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st with a man on 1st.

Struck out Gerald Laird with a 100 MPH 3-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 2nd inning.

Dunn with a RBI single in the 3rd. 2-0 lead.

Struck out Chone Figgins with a 3-2 fastball to end the 3rd.

Struck out Jason Kubel with a 1-2 fastball to start the 4th.

I just shake my head as Gerald Laird hits a 3-2 changeup for a 3 run homer in the 4th. They take a 3-2 lead.

Dunn with 1 RBI and Ty with 2 in the top of the 5th. 5-3 lead.

I strike out Kubel with a 2-2 fastball to end the 5th.

Big 6th inning as we score 4 more runs, mostly by the heart of our order. 9-3 lead.

Bad start to the 6th as I let 2 hits get guys on 2nd and 3rd. However, I get Zapata to pop up to 1st. Then, Laird hits it to shallow right. Dunn gets it lined up, catches it and immediately unleashes a strong throw home. It gets Cabrera by a step to end the inning!

Owen almost makes an amazing catch, but the dive misses and Brandon Boggs gets a 2 out triple in the 7th. Mike pulls me after that.

Kuo allows the inherited run to score but pitches the rest of the game perfectly. We win the game 9-4.

My record rises to 8-12. 6.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 1, 2015 -

The club is 56-74, 21 games back behind the Indians and I imagine we are going to play some young guys this last month. We are 26th in batting average at .259 as a team. We are 26th in runs scored at 541. We are 6th in homers with 166.

We are 19th in ERA at 4.33. We are 9th in strikeouts with 744 as a staff.

A good month has redeemed my season slightly: 8-12, 4.14 ERA, 26 GS, 13 QS, 156.2 IP, 177 H, 80 R, 72 ER, 11 HR, 31 BB, 106 K, 1.33 WHIP, .282 vs RH, .285 vs LH.

[Sun Tzu]

What are your thoughts on resigning with Chicago? Actually I guess a better question is are you still arbitration eligible?

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm fairly sure I'll have approximately 5 1/2 years of service after the season. Therefore, I believe I'll be arbitration eligible for 1 more year. If so, I definitely won't sign more than a 1 year deal with them as I could see the offense outside of Whaley getting old in the next year or two.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 1, 2015 -

Tonight, I start against the indians who are 77-53. We are 56-74. They have the #3 offense in scoring, #4 in batting average, and #3 in HR's so they will be very challenging. However, I feel like things are all on the verge of clicking for me.


Struck out Armand Lorenz with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st inning. Sizemore grounds to Getz to end the inning. 1-2-3 1st.

Donald Davila is hitting .316 with 36 HR's and 116 RBI's. He grounds down the third base line. Ty dives and gets it, but his recovery and throw are late. Infield grounder. With 2 outs, Travis Hafner comes to the plate and Donald at 2nd. He is hitting .291 with 26 HR's and 75 RBI's. I pitch him very carefully, but he chases pitches and I strike him out with a 2-2 outside fastball to end the inning.

I strike out Asdrubal Cabrera with a 2-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 3rd. Corey Hart draws 11 pitches before I walk him with a 3-2 curve.

Struck out Kelvin Dittfurth with a 0-2 outside fastball to end the 4th.

Struck out Bill Hall with a 3-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 5th.

I make 2 very good defensive plays on grounders back at me in the 6th. I've become much better at reacting once I finish my release over the last year.

0-0 as I take the mound in the 7th. I walk Davila on 4 straight pitches that all barely missed. Sandoval gets a ground ball in between Ty and Alexei. That is only the 2nd hit I've allowed but Mike pulls me!

We win the game 1-0 in the 10th inning. Kuo gets the win. Groniga gets his 30th save.

6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.