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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
This victory felt so rewarding I had to post. I go into the " Boogey Down" to take the Mets. Who are up 3.5 on me in the NL East.
SP Siroka(6-8) answered the bell going 7.1IP,5H,0ER,0R,1BB & 7K on 94 pitches. He out dueled Zack Wheeler who was 12-6. We chased him after 6.0IP,3ER,3R,0BB&6K.
Offensively my game-plan was to be aggressive on the base paths (2 for 5) SB's. It helped in the 1st inning. Albies got a 1B, he promptly stole 2nd and the next batter Heyward singled him home. Giving me 1-0 lead. I gave Acuna off he has been struggling at dish during the 9 game home stand and I got a message "looks like he needed a rest"! So I did and replaced him with Adam Duvall. Duvall went 2 for 4, 3R HR, 1B,1R & 4RBI's......
We won 5-0. The last time I played the Mets, which was 9 days ago. I beat them 5-0, but they won 2 out of 3. Up next a battle between 2 lefties, Newcomb vs. Matz.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE
June 8, 2020
All of a sudden the Pirates are the hottest team in baseball. The Buccos engineered a clean sweep of a 6-game homestand against the Reds and Cardinals. Our NL-worst pitching staff is starting to shape up, allowing just 16 runs in the series.
Chris Archer seemed to figure something out. In 14 starts this year he is 7-1 with a 3.74 ERA. Rookie southpaw Brandon Waddell has been a godsend, winning his last 2 starts and posting a 2.78 ERA over his first 22.2 innings in the majors.
The Pirates are a season-high 9 games over .500 at 37-28. A week into June, we are faced with the real possibility of being wild card contenders in 2020. 2 weeks ago the Reds held a 10.5-game stranglehold on the division. That lead is now 5.5, and the Pirates hold sole possession of the top Wild Card spot in the NL. Nothing is guaranteed - 7 teams behind us are within 4 games or less.
About 5 weeks until the all star break. The next month will be huge in determining whether we are buyers or sellers at the deadline. To stick in the race, we would certainly need to hold our impending free agents (Archer, Kela). The fact that we had such a good draft takes a lot of pressure off our farm system. However, deciding to go for it and missing the playoffs anyway could mean a lengthier rebuild than I was planning. It’s going to be a tough decision.
Josh Bell leads all NL first basemen in the early stages of all-star voting. He’s been a top offensive player all year, slashing .302/.395/.613 with a monster 1.008 OPS.
Keone Kela is second in voting among NL relievers to Kenley Jansen. Kevin Newman trails Ozzie Albies among second basemen and Adam Frazier is right behind Nick Castellanos among left fielders.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Not just your ordinary Extra Inning's
I must say I have never played a 3 hour game before. I have played extra inning game's before, but not the equivalent of 3 regulation games.
The pitching match-up of lefties: Newcomb(ATL) vs. Matz(NYM) did not disappoint. Both starter's game their perspective teams something to talk about. Going 6.0IP(Newcomb) & 6.1IP(Matz) Newcomb gave up 2R,2ER,2BB & 7K. Matz gave up 1R,0ER,0BB & 6K.
Mets had the 2-1 lead in top of the 9th and brought in their CL Edwin Diaz. Acuna drew a walk and they decided to pitch to Donaldson. Well he lived up to his nick name, "the bringer of rain". He blasted a 2R HR to left-center. Giving us a 3-2 lead. I brought in CL Kimbrel to close it out. But no dice! Nimmo hit 2B & we pitched to Alonso. He singled him singled home. Game tied 3-3.
The game went 26 inning's!! I used SP Teheran for 2.0IP & Folty for 3.0IP both of them earned team morale bonus by taking the ball and holding NYM scoreless. I also discovered that INF/OF Culberson can pitch. He only has two pitches 4SFB & CHG, but if you keep it low in zone it's serviceable in a pinch. NYM LRP O'Donnell went 12.1 IP,11H,0R,0ER,3BB & 8K. I got men to third a few times, just could pushed thru the New York morning. We lost 4-3, off a GW hit by OF Nimmo(6 for 11), almost hit for the cycle missing a 2B. It hurted to lose, so badd!Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE
June 14, 2020
3-3 road trip through the Western division. Pirates had ripped off 9 straight wins before getting stopped dead in Colorado and getting swept by the last place Rockies. At 40-31, we’re in second place and 4.5 back of the division-leading Reds.
Next up we’re back in Pittsburgh for some interleague action against the Yankees (41-31) and Blue Jays (26-45).
The NL is super tight this year. We’re a rough patch away from slipping back into the middle of the pack. As of now, were in the second wild card spot with the Cubs 1.5 behind. Exactly 4 weeks until the all-star break. With the trade deadline looming, these next 20+ games are crucial as this team figures out whether or not it is ready to stay in the race.
Veteran catcher John Ryan Murphy has been clutch since getting the call from AAA. Platooning with Jacob Stallings, he’s batting .316 with 3 HR’s in 38 AB’s.
Mitch Keller has been the weak link in the rotation of late. He’s improved a ton over 2019, but if this team is going to attempt a run he may need a move to the pen. In 66 innings he has a 4.91 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 5.11 FIP. Way too many baserunners, and it’s a struggle to get through 5 innings.
Spring training waiver claim Lucas Sims is starting to put it together, lowering his ERA by more than 1.5 runs over the past month. Overall he’s appeared in 30 games, posting a 4.12 ERA and whiffing 38 over 39.1 IP. We’ve kept him mostly in a mop-up role, but he should be ready for higher-leverage situations soon.
Down on the farm, #2 prospect OF Travis Swaggerty hasn’t missed a beat since returning from a broken leg. He’s batting .323, slugging over .500, and has stolen 7 bases in 24 games. He’ll most likely stay in Altoona all year.
SS Oneil Cruz, our #1 prospect, is also tearing up AA. My pre-season plan for him was to give him the bump to AAA at the mid-point of the minor league season, which is next week. We’ll see. He’s clubbed 8 homers and 42 RBI’s, and stolen 14 bases. He’s also made 8 errors at short. His defensive tools are improving, but not as quickly as I’d hoped. Still, the bat is legit. He’s on the 40-man roster and I’d like him to be prepared to compete for a job on the big club in 2021.Comment
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MLB: Texas Rangers
Soccer: FC Dallas, Fleetwood Town
NCAA: SMU, UTA
NFL: Dallas Cowboys
NHL: Dallas Stars
NBA: Dallas Mavericks
I own a band check it outComment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Series finale in New York vs. the Mets
SP Fried a 17 game winner vs. journeyman SP Vargas a 6 game winner. Both pitcher's pitched like no.1's of the rotation guys. Both went a strong 7.0IP. Fried gave up a 2R bomb to CF Lagrares in the bttm of the 7th. Vargas only gave up 1ER & had 9K's. Giving him the 4-1 victory.
I am now 74-59, 4.5GB of the Mets(77-53). I have to the 2nd seed of WC behind the hott D-backs. The Nats & Cardinals are in hot pursuit trailing by 1.5GB. Trying to push me out of play-off contention all together.
A day off is up next! 2 game series vs. the Blue Jays. I must sweep them before headed back home to face the White Sox. 29 games remaining on the reg. season. One more 3 gm series vs. the Mets in NY, but will it matter!
Sent from my LM-X210(G) using Operation Sports mobile appLast edited by decga; 05-31-2020, 07:51 AM.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Yes sir, i found that out. We played the next game @1. The cool thing about it they're guys who played like Ramos, Conforto, Cespedes & Alonso didn't play in the series finale. Luckily I had an off day following the series finale.
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE
June 22, 2020
Pirates put together another winning homestand, splitting a 2-game set with the Yanks and taking 2 of 3 from the Jays. At one point we were 9 games under .500 at PNC Park - now holding a much-improved 18-19 home record. The team is 43-33 overall and continues to play like a winning ballclub. A month ago we held a -30 something run differential, now we’re +6. A testament to some improvements to the pitching staff. We continue to lead the NL in batting average (.280) and doubles (167). We have the fewest strikeouts (486), fewest errors (25), and highest fielding percentage (.991) in the majors. No doubt, this team is exceeding expectations in many many ways.
The Cubs have caught fire behind us, and we now sit dead even with them in both the division (2nd place) and the 2nd wild card spot. The Reds are 4 games ahead in the NL Central. The D-Backs hold the top spot in the wild card by a game. A little more than half the season to go so there is still a lot of baseball to be played.
Shortstop Cole Tucker is enjoying a breakout season, slashing .306/.360/.441 with 17 doubles and a team-leading 9 stolen bases.
His double-play partner Kevin Newman has found another gear as well, slugging .545 (.100 pts higher than 2019) and batting .305. His 12 HR’s are second on the team to Josh Bell. He’a got a good chance to be an all-star and trails Ozzie Albies in the fan vote by a slim margin.
Halfway through the minor league season now, which is where I usually take some time to comb through the farm and make some promotions and cuts. Nothing too crazy this year.
We’ve released veteran IF Sherman Johnson from AAA. He was serviceable, but ultimately a placeholder for higher-ceiling guys.
We promoted current #1 prospect SS Oneil Cruz from AA to AAA. Cruz will finish the season in AAA and look toward competing for a big league job in 2021.
At this point I’ve got a logjam of high-ceiling infielders. Tucker and Newman are emerging as cornerstone big leaguers and Ke’Bryan Hayes looks like he’s here to stay at third. #10 prospect Kevin Kramer is having a solid year with the bat in AAA, and would be up with the big club if we had a spot for him. Cruz is nearly ready for the majors and none of these guys can be moved to the outfield defensively. Newman is decidedly the best hitter of all of them but also by far the worst defender.
We promoted current #8 prospect SS/2B Ji-Hwan Bae to AA (yes, another middle infielder climbing the ranks). Bae is an international signee out of South Korea, who is still just 20 years old. He offers double-plus speed and a polished glove that’s already borderline MLB-average He’s got some work to do with the bat and doesn’t project for much power, but if he can make contact he profiles as a top-of-the-order hitter who can pick up slap hits and steal bases.
Big road trip coming up for the Pirates: a 4-game series in Washington (38-39) then 3 in Milwaukee (38-38). Both of them trying to chase us down in a tight wild card race.Last edited by MightyMaxxx13; 05-31-2020, 10:02 PM.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
TRUE TO THE BLUE
Mariners Miserable Start to the 2020 Season Sunday, April 5th, 2020
The M's string of nine straight losses to begin the season is the longest losing streak the franchise has had to start a season since they dropped five straight out of the gates in 2004. They have been outscored 32-60 during this stretch and have allowed the most home runs in the league (26). Despite their disappointing performance even by a rebuilding team's standards, the youth on the roster has provided a source of optimism about the future of the franchise.
Rookie first baseman Evan White, who spent all of 2019 in AA, has also been streaking. Having hit safely in the first nine games of his career, White is slashing .364/.382/.485 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 0 strikeouts. This performance has placed him in early conversations for Rookie of the Year and the 6-year/$24M contract he agreed to last winter is starting to look extremely prudent.
Across the diamond, Kyle Seager is one of several M's veteran sluggers who has struggled since Opening Day. Seager, catcher Tom Murphy, and outfielder Mitch Haniger have combined for a .198/.257/.470 slash line. If this level of production continues, it will be difficult for the Mariners GM to flip any of them for pieces that could accelerate the rebuild.
In addition, two-time All-star Dee Gordon has seen his role with the club completely diminished due to the breakout performance of second-year second baseman Shed Long. Batting leadoff, Long has reached base safely in all but two games while posting a .333/.350/.444 line. Long and the aforementioned White are currently tied for the team lead in hits (12) and may develop into franchise cornerstones for years to come.
The struggles experienced by the M's pitching staff are too numerous to expand upon; however, Rule 5 draft pick Yohan Ramirez will be tasked with preventing their losing streak from doubling the franchise's previous worst one to begin a campaign. In his debut, Ramirez was issued a loss after allowing 3 runs in the first inning followed by five innings without a runner reaching base. If he can turn in another quality start, the Mariners may be able to pick up their first win of the season.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Juan Fabregas turns down Cardinals, accepts Indians offer
Juan Fabregas turned down the Cardinals offer of 5 years at $100MM to accept an offer from the Indians of 5 years at $95MM.
For the second offseason in a row, the Cardinals have lost a potent bat in their lineup to another squad even when offering similar, or in this case, more money than the accepted offer. Patrick Wisdom turned down the Cardinals last year to join Baltimore and now Juan Fabregas has turned down the Cardinals to play elsewhere.
The Cardinals were reluctant to offer a big contract to Fabregas due to his injury history the past two seasons, but when the saw the market for the 30 year old, they decided they would get into the bidding process and fight to keep one of their most potent bats in the lineup. Unfortunately they failed to keep him around.
Now the Cardinals must decide what direction they want to go after this, as the plan was if Fabregas resigned, they would trade Jo Adell. Now its likely that Adell will stay with the team and be in right field, with Carlson taking over left and of course Bader in center.
Tough pill the swallow but the Cardinals need to shift their focus on keeping this team a postseason contender.I can't shave with my eyes closed, meaning each day I have to look at myself in the mirror and respect who I see.
I miss the old days of Operation Sports :(
Louisville Cardinals/St.Louis CardinalsComment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Starting a Jays franchise saw interesting idea earlier in this thread. Spring Training trade:
Jays: Sal Perez, Whit Merrifield
Royals: Randall Grichuk, Reece McGuire, Woods-Richardson
Anything else needed?Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
Yes. Not having Grichuck in the trade.
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE
June 29, 2020
Pirates drop 3 of 4 to the Nationals and win 2 out of 3 against the Brewers to conclude a tough road trip at 3-4. Losing a 4-game set against a wild card competitor is a tough pill to swallow but the team bounced back in Milwaukee. Treading water for now, the Buccos are in third place - 0.5 back of the Cubs for the second wild card spot and 6.5 behind the Reds in the Central Division. Our record is 46-37 with two weeks to go until the All-Star Break. We’ll try to rattle off another winning homestand as two sub-.500 teams come to town next in the Rockies (35-48) and Red Sox (39-45).
We had our first significant injury at the major league level this season, losing second baseman Kevin Newman to a torn finger ligament. Newman is our leadoff hitter and is having a career year, slashing .294/.359/.517 with 12 dingers and 7 stolen bases. He had a good chance of making the All-Star Game as a reserve, but now will miss 1-2 months. Not a death knell for our lineup, but we will definitely feel this one.
To replace Newman, we recalled 2B/SS Kevin Kramer from AAA Indianapolis (#10 prospect). Kramer was hitting the ball well in AAA and will get a chance to play every day at second. He’ll bat 7th and the red-hot Cole Tucker will slot up to the leadoff spot in Newman’s absence.
Giving Kramer the immediate starting nod is a tough call. In 79 MLB at-bats between 2018 & 2019 he’s batting .152. By all accounts Erik Gonzalez deserves a shot. He’s been on our bench all year and is batting .330 in a reserve infielder / pinch hitter role. Ultimately, Kramer offers a better defensive package and a good deal more power with the bat. He’s shown enough improvement in AAA this year for me to believe he will hit. Kramer gets the first shot but will be on a short leash with Gonzalez waiting as a viable safety net.
We’ve also optioned 1B/OF Jose Osuna to AAA and recalled OF Guillermo Heredia. Heredia will be the primary pinch hitter against lefties, a role we’ve struggled to fill so far this season. He’s also a true outfielder, which we need. JT Riddle has been serving as our de-facto fourth outfielder since we cut Jarrod Dyson, but is better suited to a multi-position utility role.
We bumped OF Chris Sharpe (#9 prospect) up to AAA. His bat is still a work in progress but he is the best defensive outfielder in the organization.
We bumped OF Cal Mitchell, our 2nd round pick in 2017, up to AA. He got a brief internship in Altoona earlier this season as an injury fill-in but should stick and stay this time.
BIG CONGRATS to Altoona Curve LHP Zach Logue, who pitched a no-hitter on June 25 against the Erie Seawolves. The 24-year-old Logue had been acquired from Toronto just a month prior for cash considerations and currently ranks as our #11 prospect. Logue struck out 12 and walked 4 in his dominating performance, and actually allowed a run via a sac fly. It was the third no-no in Altoona Curve history.Comment
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Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
In the MLBTS, do you see the contract's bid being offered by the other team?
I wandered if you'd offered him a 4yr/80M, with a player option for the 5th yr. Would the outcome be different?
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