I finished the season 85-77. I play 2 games and simulate 1 to get through the season a little quicker. I had the best hitting team in the AL batting .305 for the season. However, my pitching was the 27th best ERA.
I led the division pretty much from end of May to the end. I was chased by the Indians, but they fell off in the last 3 weeks of the season.
I earned the #3 seed (worst record of the division winners in the AL) but was forced to play the #1 seed TB Rays because the AL wild card of course also came out of the East.
The big trade during this season was the Rangers sending R. Smoak and another prospect to the Cards for PUJOLS believe it or not.
So I open the playoffs by surprising the Rays and winning both games in the Trop, but my pitching lets me down and I drop both coming back to Target Field.
So game 5--winner advances. I brink back Antonio Garza from Game 1. I know you are thinking "who!?" I called Garza up in July and he is awesome. He throws 97 and has a nice little sinker as well.
First off about the playoffs, the atmosphere is ELECTRIC! The tension is PALPABLE! You will feel your palms sweating as you bring your closer in the 9th to protect a 1-run game.
I hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning with Morneau, Cuddyer and Young to get out to an early 4-run cushion. Those 3 homers in a row were something I had never done in a baseball game before and I go back to Tony Larussa Baseball on the Genesis!
Of course the CPU had a run in them and I hold on for a tense 7-6 series clinching win! J.J. Hardy had yet another error in the 9th, but luckily Nathan broke a bat to end it on a Pena ground out.
The CPU did something dumb in this series. They had lost BJ Upon for the season in September, so they played Pat Burrell in CF!? Crawford in CF and Burrell in left would have made a lot more sense, but hey, the CPU usually knows the right thing to do.
So, I win it and my guys come out of the dugout and dogpile near the mound. Cuddyer would probably be the series MVP considering he hit .370 with 3 bombs.
Now it is on to the ALCS against the aforementioned Rangers and their Murderer's Row line-up of Hamilton, Pujols, Kinsler, Cruz & Vlad. I will keep you updated.
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