OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

I do so enjoy the twist and turns everyone's individual leagues are taking. This is quickly becoming my favorite thread on OS outside of the NFL OT.

I think I'm going to start editing Adaptability and Controversy based on stuff like this.

Like Abreu and Jones would get more Controversy and maybe less Adaptability.

Maybe that might make stuff come alive even more.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Bobby Bradley Hits for Cycle
Highlight Moment in 29-3 Laugher

Michael Chavis did the talking, taunting the Rangers by saying he could have "hit the ball with his eyes closed" but it was Bobby Bradley who should have done the talking.

He continues to elevate his game and on this day, he hit for the cycle to further impress his team.

It also is just one more brick in the wall that's between Abreu and getting back to first base.

"I didn't believe I had done it. No one said anything about it. I had to see it in the papers the next day when they made a big deal about my five hits. Then I realized I hit for the cycle, " Bradley laughed, showing the cut out of the box score and new article.

"I'm going to frame it and put it on my wall. It's my biggest achievement yet, " Bradley continued.

Jahmai Jones, playing for the injured Vanderven, tied the AL record for runs scored in a regular season game with six as well.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Elbow Woes Continue
Kershaw Out 5-6 Weeks

Another scare for Kershaw as again his elbow is giving him trouble.

"It's getting frustrating. We're in great position and things like this happen, " Kershaw commented.

The Angels placed Kershaw on the DL and he's expected to miss around 5-6 weeks.

He's not the only injury to the Angels rotation. Alex Meyer is currently on the DL as well, and his recovery timetable is up in the air. He has some joint irritation and so far the cause has been hard to find.

That leaves it up to Ohtani to lead a young and unproven rotation. It is, quite literally, Ohtani and four rookies in the rotation.

"I'm up for it. We can do this. Play together and we'll be fine, " Ohtani spoke via translator.

[KingOfLanglade]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Bon retour, mon vieil ami (Welcome back, my old friend)
A Montreal Expo Revival
Montreal Logo 1.pngMontreal Logo 2.png

The Winter Meetings ALWAYS churn up juicy rumors. I mean what else is there to do? It’s usually cold outside for 75% of the baseball world, and this is a great smoke screen to keep loyal fans from realizing it will be another 3+ months before another meaningful pitch is thrown. Four days of talks between executives, their counterparts, and players. A who’s who convention of baseball people all looking for that final, or first, piece of the puzzle. But too often these meetings are just that, talks. Don’t get me wrong, the groundwork is laid for moves down the road, but these four days in early December are arguably the most overhyped days on the baseball calendar. That was not the case during the 2017 Winter Meetings, and it was all thanks to a man named, Mitch Garber.

Mitch Garber sat on his private jet headed towards those Winter Meetings of 2017. He did not represent some aging second basemen looking for one last dance in the show, nor did he hone in on data formulas that may unearth the next Jose Altuve. No, Mitch is a born & bred Canadian, and a wealthy one to boot. He had one thing on his mind once his bird touched down, bringing baseball back to Montreal.

As the meetings got underway it became very apparent there was one owner prime to sell. Like a lion on the plains stalks an ill gazelle, Mitch stalked Stu Sterberg, just waiting for his chance. Early on Monday Night, Mitch got his chance. He quickly courted Stu to his suite, and the two played revisionist history. Stu lambasted the local government for dragging their feet on a stadium deal, and how Major League Baseball allows for him to be a feeder team for the big boys. And don’t even get him started on the paltry attendance he has had to look at each home game. With every twist of the knife, Mitch knew he had his seller and it was time to talk to Rob.

If there is one thing Rob Manfred cares about, (other than pace) it is how the game is perceived by those looking in. Seeing two teams in Florida draw combined attendance each night that is outmatched by the Milwaukee Brewers; has not sat well with the commissioner. So when Mitch Garber came into his office with his grand plan, Manfred could only smile. Might I add that Mitch was not so sure the commish was even going to give Montreal a second chance. So, for good measure he called in Vlad Guerrero, walking in behind the massive slugger like a conquistador rides a white stallion into battle, he ensured everyone in the room was feelin’ the good vibes. In return for Vlad’s Services, Garber promised Vlad a jersey retirement (more on this later) before the teams 2nd home game. As the logistics came clear, Miami was moving to the AL East with the hopes that 18 games of Sox & Yanks in town would help the Fish with attendance, and would allow Miami to follow Houston’s Championship Blueprint to a T. Montreal, in the NL East, could rekindle those old rivalries while also locking in an annual interleague matchup with fellow “we the northers” Toronto. The deal was done, and Garber had his team.

Inheriting the entire TB Roster as is, Garber and staff had their work cut out for them. Instead of going with a fellow Canadian to head up his front office, Mitch chose up and coming American, Brian Boyd. His (Mitch’s) thinking behind this was that a sudden move like this is hard enough, and another American Voice (who had never been to Canada even for vacation) would sympathize with the organization as they go through inevitable growing pains. As of this writing, it is unclear what the first-time owner, and GM have planned for this revival.

Montreal will open on the road with 3 against the Bucs, and then 3 against the Mets. Fate would have it that the 1st game back on Montreal Soil is against the Washington Nationals. An interesting tidbit from the sale was that Montreal was unable to reclaim their own history from Washington. Manfred was adamant that the GREAT Rays History not go unclaimed. Mitch did not put up too great of a fight, I mean, who in Montreal wants to think about Rick Monday anyway….

Check back in as this story unfolds, and feel free to chime in with suggestions! I have attached photos for your viewing experience.

montreal_2018-03-08_17-10-59.jpg
montreal_2018-03-08_17-11-36.jpg

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Ohtani won his 20th game as the win officially crowns the Angels as the AL West champion for the 11th time in their history.

The Angels can now prepare and maybe give a little rest and a look at some other players as they get set to make another postseason run.

Ohtani's 20th win was a masterful one. He through 7 1/3 shutout innings, giving up just five hits along the way. He lowered his ERA to 2.56. Hitters are batting just .196 against him with a .266 BABIP.

"He's just been amazing to watch. Now he adds 20 wins to his career history. I wonder if he'll be able to add AL Cy Young as well? He already has Rookie of the Year and World Series Champion. Just unbelievable, " Mike Scoiscia commented.

Many think Ohtani will get a break from pitching for the rest of the year, or perhaps some occasional work out of the bullpen to keep sharp. Scoiscia also indicated this, saying that Ohtani will stay on his hitting routine but pitching will be "scaled back" until the postseason or late September.

Clayton Kershaw is set to return soon, barring any last second setbacks. Alex Meyer will also be scaled back. He returned to action and will be handled carefully as concern for his health continues.

Bobby Bradley won AL Player of the Month for August. He batted .385 with 10 home runs in the month.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

The Angels have their playoff roster set (see attachment).

GM Yarrow, when asked about what's gotten his team going, credited an unexpected player.

"Zach Britton, " Yarrow answered, "He's locked down so many of our leads he's been handed. A couple years ago, we lose games we led much more often. Since bringing Zach in last season, we have a much higher chance of holding on when he's handing the final inning or so."

Inning-or-so is accurate as Britton has averaged more than an inning per appearance since arriving. He's worked 168 innings in 151 outings. He picked up 5 WAR last season, he's a 4.6 WAR this season. He's picked up 95 saves in 104 attempts.

The Angels will hope Britton's postseason success will continue. He was practically perfect last season, 6-for-6 in saves, 1-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 0.41 WHIP.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Angels Fall Short of Three in a Row
Dodgers Get Revenge, Defeat Angels 4-1 to Win
2020 World Series

"Winning a World Series is always great, but to do it off these guys is twice as sweet. Now they can't hold that over my head when trying to talk about me, " Justin Upton commented.

The Dodgers are the ones to celebrate as they overthrew the Angels 4-games-to-1 in the World Series. Dodgers pitching caused the Angels to suffer from a familiar weakness: a shortage of run production.

"We just didn't hit, " a dejected Mike Trout spoke, "This is our fault, the bats' fault. We didn't support our pitchers. We have to remember this and do better going forward. Clay [Kershaw], Sho [Ohtani], all those guys, they did what they could."

The Angels scored just 16 runs in the five games, with 11 of those runs coming in the first two games.

The Angles thought they could fight back as, down 2-0 in the series, Ohtani gave up just one run in seven innings for a 3-1 win.

But the Dodgers clamped down after that, holding the Angels to just two runs in two games to finish off the defending champions.

Corey Seager was named World Series MVP, but Justin Turner was disruptive, if not more so, posting a .458 OBP and leading the team in World Series hits with seven in 20 at-bats.

"We got one, too, " Upton commented, "We got one, too, and now they know how it feels. Now we can rub it in their faces when we start this next season. The real L.A. team is on top now. Funny how both my rings come from the real L.A. team. Not the one that just took the name to try to be relevant."

Upton won the World Series in 2018 with the Dodgers. He was traded back there in 2019 and was beaten by the Angels.

"Not sure why he's mouthing off, " Wil Myers commented when asked about Upton's remarks, " Did he even play? He had, what, eight at-bats in five games? He like .190 in the season? Way to get carried, I guess."

Looks like the Dodgers-Angels rivalry will only get more heated from here.

(Playoff Tree attached)

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Benintendi Out in Boston

The Red Sox pulled a major trade, acquiring SS J.P. Crawford from the Phillies for Benintendi and P Gabriel Ynoa.

The Red Sox were wanting to upgrade at shortstop and pulled the trigger.

When you had a season like ours, it's time to shaking things around and try new faces in new places, "GM Dombrowski commented.

Boston had a very disappointing season, winning just 75 games on the season.

Ohtani Unanimous AL Cy Young Choice

Shohei Ohtani was named first on all third AL ballots as we walks away with the AL Cy Young Award.

Teammate Zach Britton was third, sandwiching Cleveland's Corey Kluber between the Angels pitchers.

Ohtani went 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 211 innings of work. He struck out 256 batters.

Zach Britton took the AL Reliever of the Year Award for his tremendous 54 saves on the season.

Rival Managers Both Win Award

Managers Mike Scoiscia and Dave Roberts faced each other in the World Series.

Now they also won Manager of the Year for their respective leagues.

The managers are both seeing their reputations skyrocketing after their teams' recent years of success.

Ohtani Walks Away With MVP Award

Ohtani's season keeps getting rewarded with hardware. After taking the Cy Young Award, he picks up a surprise nod in the MVP Award.

Not only that, it was a unanimous decision.

"I am greatly honored by the awards I have been given. I hope to always be worthy of such support and I thank the fans and my team for every success I am able to enjoy, " Ohtani commented via translator.

In addition to his pitching line, he hit .317 with 28 HR and 91 RBI. He posted a .394 OBP and a .982 OPS. He also stole 15 bases (17 attempts) and earned 4.6 WAR for his hitting.

Combined, his season was worth 11.6 WAR.

Jose Altuve of the Astros (8.7 WAR) and teammate Mike Trout (7.0) WAR rounded out the top three.

Debate will rage as to if Ohtani got credit for being a so-called two-way player, and if so, should that be the case, or if only his hitting should have been considered.

[KSUowls]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Angels Fall Short of Three in a Row
Dodgers Get Revenge, Defeat Angels 4-1 to Win
2020 World Series

"Winning a World Series is always great, but to do it off these guys is twice as sweet. Now they can't hold that over my head when trying to talk about me, " Justin Upton commented.

The Dodgers are the ones to celebrate as they overthrew the Angels 4-games-to-1 in the World Series. Dodgers pitching caused the Angels to suffer from a familiar weakness: a shortage of run production.

"We just didn't hit, " a dejected Mike Trout spoke, "This is our fault, the bats' fault. We didn't support our pitchers. We have to remember this and do better going forward. Clay [Kershaw], Sho [Ohtani], all those guys, they did what they could."

The Angels scored just 16 runs in the five games, with 11 of those runs coming in the first two games.

The Angles thought they could fight back as, down 2-0 in the series, Ohtani gave up just one run in seven innings for a 3-1 win.

But the Dodgers clamped down after that, holding the Angels to just two runs in two games to finish off the defending champions.

Corey Seager was named World Series MVP, but Justin Turner was disruptive, if not more so, posting a .458 OBP and leading the team in World Series hits with seven in 20 at-bats.

"We got one, too, " Upton commented, "We got one, too, and now they know how it feels. Now we can rub it in their faces when we start this next season. The real L.A. team is on top now. Funny how both my rings come from the real L.A. team. Not the one that just took the name to try to be relevant."

Upton won the World Series in 2018 with the Dodgers. He was traded back there in 2019 and was beaten by the Angels.

"Not sure why he's mouthing off, " Wil Myers commented when asked about Upton's remarks, " Did he even play? He had, what, eight at-bats in five games? He like .190 in the season? Way to get carried, I guess."

Looks like the Dodgers-Angels rivalry will only get more heated from here.

(Playoff Tree attached)

Atlanta in the NLCS in 2020? I'll take it.

Nice little rivalry brewing there.

[N51_rob]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Orioles May 2024


So we ended May at 42-11 to continue our blistering pace. The lead on the AL East is 10.5 games over Tampa Bay. Pitching was the biggest reason for the surge. I also got my 500th win on May 23rd a 4-1 victory over the Angels.

Spoiler

Offense: C Gary Sanchez was lights out in May. He hit .395 and had an OBP of .505 for the month. Following his lead RF Griffin Conine drove in 21 runs. 1B Jack Yallowitz taking advantage of being healthy and showing what he can do continued his hot start. His average came back a little bit his power continued to establish him. He hit .301 in May with 7 HRs and 17 RBIs. SS Adam Hall filled in for the injured Witt Jr and while he didn't knock the cover off the ball power wise he managed to hit .313 with a .380 OBP he scored 14 runs and stole 5 bases and had an admirable 11 RBIs. Rounding out the offensive production was 3B Ryan Mountcastle taking advantage of the Conine and Trea Turner getting on base in front of him, Mountcastle drove in 30 runs, hit .300 and hit 8 homers. Lastly LF Joc Pederson seems to have righted himself. After hitting .188 in April he bounced back with a .275 batting average 9 homers and 22 RBIs in addition to drawing 14 walks for the 2nd straight month. The O's scored 183 runs in May.

Pitching: For as good as the offense was the pitching might've been even better. Three Oriole starters ended the month with out a loss. SP Merandy Gonzalez bounced back from a rough April. His May was otherworldly in 6 starts he was 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA. He dropped his season ERA from 6.75 in April to 3.96. Gonzalez went from looking like a guy who might not even get a Free Agent qualifying offer to an integral part of the club. Lefty Gregory Soto came back from injury with avengeance, capitalizing on his great spring training. Soto was 3-0 in 6 starts with a 3.13 ERA in 31.2 innings he recorded 29 Ks. George Kirby kept the party going 5-0 in his 6 starts posting a 2.31 ERA, Kirby managed to keep the ball in the yard allowing only 1 HR in 35 innings. Two way pitcher Nick Storz appears to have had things click for him. His 4-0 May brought his record to 8-0 on the year. Not only did that but for the year in 9 ABs he's collected 5 hits and collected a HR. It wasn't all good news though. Luca Dalatri who struggled in April continued those struggles in May posting a 7.48 ERA. Dalatri did show mental toughness going 27.2 innings in 5 starts giving the bullpen what rest he could while trying to find his way. With Dylan Bundy coming back from injury and Jeremy Good posting good numbers (2-0 2.33 ERA in 19.1 April innings) in the pen time is running out for Dalatri to get it together or face demotion.

The Bullpen has been the best in the AL. Pete Merrill has taken the closer reigns and run with it, he has converted 18 of 19 save opportunities. Ryan Meisinger has been near untouchable and that continued in May. He has yet to allow an earned run and allowed only 14 hits in 15.2 innings.

With 16 of 25 players 27 or younger it seems that many of the "Baby Birds" from the 74 win team who club officials admit were rushed to the majors took the hard lessons they learned and have unleashed their payback on the AL East and baseball in general. It will be interesting to watch how the club handles the early success as spring turns to summer. Bobby Witt Jr, should return in June and there is the question of Dylan Bundy's return from his rehab assignment. The hope is their return doesn't rock the boat or disrupt the positive moods in the clubhouse.

Orioles June 2024


Finshed the month of June 60-18 our lead in the division grew to 14.5 games, but the Red Sox are now in second place. The clubs strong performance wasn't missed by fans either. Gary Sanchez and Joc Pederson were fan voted All-Star starters for their positions and they were joined by teammates Geroge Kirby, Pete Merrill, Jack Yallowitz, Francisco David Sanchez and Griffin Conine.

Spoiler

Offense: SS Bobby Witt Jr came back from injury and it seems that he may have found his stroke in the majors. He posted .272/.318/.457 4 HRs 7 RBIs in 21 games. Clearly his best month as an Oriole. June was C Gary Sanchez' best month power wise. His 9 HRs helped him post a .763 slugging % whle driving in 25 runs. In 25 games Griffin Conine had 39 hits and was player of the Month hitting .394 with 8 HRs he also scored 29 runs. 2B Trea Turner had a rough month hitting just .196, he did manage to steal 7 bases and scored 10 times.

Pitching: The move was made to send Luca Dalatri to AAA on after his June 6th start a loss to Toronto in which he gave up 6 ER in 5 innings. He was 5-6 with a 5.79 ERA at the time. He has responded by going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA at Norfolk. He continues to show personal grit and determination that will have him back in Baltimore when another opportunity presents. Dylan Bundy was plugged into replace him, Bundy managed 3 good starts without registering a decision but his ERA was 2.93 in 15.1 innings. He only made it 2 innings on June 30th before an oblique strain sent him back to the DL. Luckily Goerge Kirby was back from his injury. The timing of the All-Star break allowed us to avoid having to pitch Se-Woong Park who last pitched in AAA on June 16th. He was called up to replace Kirby but will make his first start since April 10th on July 1st a good outing or two could keep him in Baltimore, but Luca Dalatri is right there if he struggles. SPs Merandy Gonzalez and [/b]Nick Storz[/b] both hit the 10 win mark in June (10-2 and 10-1 respectively) and Gregory Soto sits at 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA

The bullpen took some lumps in June, most notably [/b]Ryan Meisinger[/b] who's scoreless innings streak ended in his first action of June when he surrendered 2 earned runs without recording an out. For the month his ERA was 11.81 in 5.1 innings raising his season ERA to 2.12. Pete Merrill was 8 for 8 in save opportunities in the month.

There were some injuries of note as previously mentioned. Joc Pederson was lost for three weeks with a separated shoulder, George Kirby for 2 weeks with a calf strain and Dylan Bundy's oblique.

The draft wasn't a ringing success as the prospect that we coveted Andy Tarbox of Clemson went to division rival San Antonio. We went with 18 year old SP Juan Blanco who's three pitches all project to be plus or better in the first round. RF Chris Debaere another 18 year old who projects to have prodigious power but who's defense could see him as a career DH his swing and miss ability reminds some of Mark Reynolds. Starting Pitcher [/b]Ben Phipps[/b] had the potential to be a top of the rotation stater and was taken in the 4th round but when he asked for a signing bonus of $14.5 million we laughed in his face and walked away from the negotiating table. Pitcher Brad Cole features a cutter and curve that could make him a valuable addition to the back end of any bullpen.


[b]Draft Picks of Note[b]

Its been a crazy start to the season. I'm not sure if my team is this good or if there is a dangerous free fall coming after the All-Star break. I've enjoyed the run so far hope that we can get that division win. The downside is I'm not sure if I am going to get the money I need for the upcoming free agents. Merandy Gonzalez is asking for $23 million a season, Ryan Mountcastle has another year of arbitration coming up, Jose Torres wants $11 million. The "good news" is that SS Tim Anderson and his $14 million will fall off the books, but with us projected to finish $21 million in the red not sure if that will matter. The good news is that that in the red number keeps dropping, and I think I may raise prices a bit to capitalize on the early success, with the owner wanting $19 million in profits every bit helps.

With only $1.69 million for international free agents, we took a flier on Jorge Karyabwite a 16 year old Catcher from Petare, Venezuela. Doubt we will get him, but he's got some potential.

[Qeltar]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Complete newbie here doing his first franchise, with some help from some folks here.

I decided to start with the Marlins because hey, why not. At least expectations will be low, right? Owner wants to see a .500 team this year. Sure dude.. you didn't hit .500 last year with half or more seasons of Stanton, Gordon, Ozuna, etc...

I'm trying to keep the budget pared, doing trades that are favorable without being abusive (I turned down the Yankees offer of Andujar for a couple of junk prospects...) and trying to keep the team somewhat competitive at the same time.

Most position players are terrible, starters are all 1.5 to 2 stars. Bullpen was actually the strong point with Steckenrider and Barraclough. Very careful managing has me currently at 6-5 after beating Thor and the Mets.. but it came at a cost. Bear Claw wrecked his elbow so now one of my two 4 stars guys is gone for a month. Weeeeee..

That leaves me with one 4 star, one 3 star, two 2.5 stars and the rest 2 or below. What a team!

I do like the challenge though. I hope I can figure out the draft without messing up TOO much.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Spoiler

Orioles May 2024


So we ended May at 42-11 to continue our blistering pace. The lead on the AL East is 10.5 games over Tampa Bay. Pitching was the biggest reason for the surge. I also got my 500th win on May 23rd a 4-1 victory over the Angels.

Spoiler

Offense: C Gary Sanchez was lights out in May. He hit .395 and had an OBP of .505 for the month. Following his lead RF Griffin Conine drove in 21 runs. 1B Jack Yallowitz taking advantage of being healthy and showing what he can do continued his hot start. His average came back a little bit his power continued to establish him. He hit .301 in May with 7 HRs and 17 RBIs. SS Adam Hall filled in for the injured Witt Jr and while he didn't knock the cover off the ball power wise he managed to hit .313 with a .380 OBP he scored 14 runs and stole 5 bases and had an admirable 11 RBIs. Rounding out the offensive production was 3B Ryan Mountcastle taking advantage of the Conine and Trea Turner getting on base in front of him, Mountcastle drove in 30 runs, hit .300 and hit 8 homers. Lastly LF Joc Pederson seems to have righted himself. After hitting .188 in April he bounced back with a .275 batting average 9 homers and 22 RBIs in addition to drawing 14 walks for the 2nd straight month. The O's scored 183 runs in May.

Pitching: For as good as the offense was the pitching might've been even better. Three Oriole starters ended the month with out a loss. SP Merandy Gonzalez bounced back from a rough April. His May was otherworldly in 6 starts he was 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA. He dropped his season ERA from 6.75 in April to 3.96. Gonzalez went from looking like a guy who might not even get a Free Agent qualifying offer to an integral part of the club. Lefty Gregory Soto came back from injury with avengeance, capitalizing on his great spring training. Soto was 3-0 in 6 starts with a 3.13 ERA in 31.2 innings he recorded 29 Ks. George Kirby kept the party going 5-0 in his 6 starts posting a 2.31 ERA, Kirby managed to keep the ball in the yard allowing only 1 HR in 35 innings. Two way pitcher Nick Storz appears to have had things click for him. His 4-0 May brought his record to 8-0 on the year. Not only did that but for the year in 9 ABs he's collected 5 hits and collected a HR. It wasn't all good news though. Luca Dalatri who struggled in April continued those struggles in May posting a 7.48 ERA. Dalatri did show mental toughness going 27.2 innings in 5 starts giving the bullpen what rest he could while trying to find his way. With Dylan Bundy coming back from injury and Jeremy Good posting good numbers (2-0 2.33 ERA in 19.1 April innings) in the pen time is running out for Dalatri to get it together or face demotion.

The Bullpen has been the best in the AL. Pete Merrill has taken the closer reigns and run with it, he has converted 18 of 19 save opportunities. Ryan Meisinger has been near untouchable and that continued in May. He has yet to allow an earned run and allowed only 14 hits in 15.2 innings.

With 16 of 25 players 27 or younger it seems that many of the "Baby Birds" from the 74 win team who club officials admit were rushed to the majors took the hard lessons they learned and have unleashed their payback on the AL East and baseball in general. It will be interesting to watch how the club handles the early success as spring turns to summer. Bobby Witt Jr, should return in June and there is the question of Dylan Bundy's return from his rehab assignment. The hope is their return doesn't rock the boat or disrupt the positive moods in the clubhouse.

Orioles June 2024


Finshed the month of June 60-18 our lead in the division grew to 14.5 games, but the Red Sox are now in second place. The clubs strong performance wasn't missed by fans either. Gary Sanchez and Joc Pederson were fan voted All-Star starters for their positions and they were joined by teammates Geroge Kirby, Pete Merrill, Jack Yallowitz, Francisco David Sanchez and Griffin Conine.

Spoiler

Offense: SS Bobby Witt Jr came back from injury and it seems that he may have found his stroke in the majors. He posted .272/.318/.457 4 HRs 7 RBIs in 21 games. Clearly his best month as an Oriole. June was C Gary Sanchez' best month power wise. His 9 HRs helped him post a .763 slugging % whle driving in 25 runs. In 25 games Griffin Conine had 39 hits and was player of the Month hitting .394 with 8 HRs he also scored 29 runs. 2B Trea Turner had a rough month hitting just .196, he did manage to steal 7 bases and scored 10 times.

Pitching: The move was made to send Luca Dalatri to AAA on after his June 6th start a loss to Toronto in which he gave up 6 ER in 5 innings. He was 5-6 with a 5.79 ERA at the time. He has responded by going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA at Norfolk. He continues to show personal grit and determination that will have him back in Baltimore when another opportunity presents. Dylan Bundy was plugged into replace him, Bundy managed 3 good starts without registering a decision but his ERA was 2.93 in 15.1 innings. He only made it 2 innings on June 30th before an oblique strain sent him back to the DL. Luckily Goerge Kirby was back from his injury. The timing of the All-Star break allowed us to avoid having to pitch Se-Woong Park who last pitched in AAA on June 16th. He was called up to replace Kirby but will make his first start since April 10th on July 1st a good outing or two could keep him in Baltimore, but Luca Dalatri is right there if he struggles. SPs Merandy Gonzalez and [/b]Nick Storz[/b] both hit the 10 win mark in June (10-2 and 10-1 respectively) and Gregory Soto sits at 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA

The bullpen took some lumps in June, most notably [/b]Ryan Meisinger[/b] who's scoreless innings streak ended in his first action of June when he surrendered 2 earned runs without recording an out. For the month his ERA was 11.81 in 5.1 innings raising his season ERA to 2.12. Pete Merrill was 8 for 8 in save opportunities in the month.

There were some injuries of note as previously mentioned. Joc Pederson was lost for three weeks with a separated shoulder, George Kirby for 2 weeks with a calf strain and Dylan Bundy's oblique.

The draft wasn't a ringing success as the prospect that we coveted Andy Tarbox of Clemson went to division rival San Antonio. We went with 18 year old SP Juan Blanco who's three pitches all project to be plus or better in the first round. RF Chris Debaere another 18 year old who projects to have prodigious power but who's defense could see him as a career DH his swing and miss ability reminds some of Mark Reynolds. Starting Pitcher [/b]Ben Phipps[/b] had the potential to be a top of the rotation stater and was taken in the 4th round but when he asked for a signing bonus of $14.5 million we laughed in his face and walked away from the negotiating table. Pitcher Brad Cole features a cutter and curve that could make him a valuable addition to the back end of any bullpen.


[b]Draft Picks of Note[b]

Its been a crazy start to the season. I'm not sure if my team is this good or if there is a dangerous free fall coming after the All-Star break. I've enjoyed the run so far hope that we can get that division win. The downside is I'm not sure if I am going to get the money I need for the upcoming free agents. Merandy Gonzalez is asking for $23 million a season, Ryan Mountcastle has another year of arbitration coming up, Jose Torres wants $11 million. The "good news" is that SS Tim Anderson and his $14 million will fall off the books, but with us projected to finish $21 million in the red not sure if that will matter. The good news is that that in the red number keeps dropping, and I think I may raise prices a bit to capitalize on the early success, with the owner wanting $19 million in profits every bit helps.

With only $1.69 million for international free agents, we took a flier on Jorge Karyabwite a 16 year old Catcher from Petare, Venezuela. Doubt we will get him, but he's got some potential.

Very nice. Winning a lot of games, Angelos is deceased, team's clicking in all phases...what's the catch? lol. Maybe keeping the team together after this season? Congrats on your 500th win as OOTP 19 GM/manager.

Better bring that 'ship back to Birdland while your team has got it going on.

[N51_rob]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Very nice. Winning a lot of games, Angelos is deceased, team's clicking in all phases...what's the catch? lol. Maybe keeping the team together after this season? Congrats on your 500th win as OOTP 19 GM/manager.

Better bring that 'ship back to Birdland while your team has got it going on.

Honestly that is the best part of them being so young. Outside of Jose Torres and Merandy Gonzalez the rest of the key contributors are under contract. Pederson can opt out, and Mountcastle is due for another bump through arbitration. Been working to secure Gonzalez, but its been a slow process.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Carolina Knights Update

Well this is surprising, lol...


PRESS RELEASE

Major League Baseball expanded very suddenly at the beginning of the 2018 season, adding both the Montreal Expos and the Carolina Knights. Apparently, MLB has become totally drunk off expansion and decided to add another pair of teams in time for the 2019 season (I left the 'expansion' checkbox checked for automatic league evolution and the AI wants to expand). Now at 34 teams, MLB will probably look to grow to 36 at some point in order to have 6 divisions of 6 teams each.

Franchises 33 and 34 are set to be the Portland Timberjacks and the Salt Lake City Alpines. Portland will play in the AL West, where it'll do regional battle for hearts and minds with the Seattle Mariners. The minor league affiliates for Portland will be thus:

Dayton Derbies (AAA, International League)
Wichita Warriors (AA, Texas League)
Palo Alto Redwoods (A+, California League)
Baton Rouge Red Sticks (A, South Atlantic League)
Oregon Timbers (A-, Northwest League)
Allentown Fleetwings (R, Appalachian League)
Anchorage Kodiaks (R, Pioneer League)

The newest entry to the senior circuit is the Salt Lake City Alpines; they will join the NL West and engage in pitched battle with Colorado for Rocky Mountain supremacy. In a bit of a surprise, Salt Lake City and its rock solid business community beat out other contenders like San Antonio, Las Vegas, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, and Indianapolis in brutal, cutthroat negotiations with MLB. The minor league affiliates for the expansion Alpines will be thus:

Hot Springs Bathers (AAA, International League)
El Paso Texans (AA, Texas League)
Tijuana Potros (A+, California League)
Annapolis Admirals (A, South Atlantic League)
Ogden Trappers (A-, Northwest League)
Jackson Cottons (R, Appalachian League)
Cheyenne Coyotes (R, Pioneer League)

Let's just say the Alpines have an interesting player progression track. Their lowest rookie league being in sparsely populated Cheyenne, the next level being in the deep south with a slightly triggering team nickname, then off to rugged Ogden, UT, before playing near the United States Naval Academy, then...Tijuana, Mexico to see the, umm, donkey shows...before making stops in Texas and Arkansas before finally settling down in the Mormon stronghold of Salt Lake City. I'm guessing a certain type of player will try to 'repeat the level' at high A ball for some reason or other.

The Expos and Knights just friggin built their inaugural rosters and now they have to submit expansion draft protection lists to the MLB office. It's good to be alive.

PORTLAND

Spoiler

SALT LAKE CITY

Spoiler

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Wow WTNY!

Inb4 we read about you have a 50-team league in a few years