OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

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  • KBLover
    Hall Of Fame
    • Aug 2009
    • 12172

    #601
    Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

    Originally posted by WaitTilNextYear
    Nice to see it's 2043 and the Angels are still winning 100 games per annum. I think the Yankees of the 20th century have been supplanted by a new "it" franchise. A paragon of winning baseball.



    I think it's going to get harder sooner than later.

    If the records of our farm teams are any indication...there's a whole lot of nothing down there.

    If there's one thing OOTP could get better at, it's hyping up prospects from around the league all year. The Dodgers have some monster CF with 80 Contact, 80 Gap, 75 Power, 70 Eye, 75 Speed, and 75 defense... a guy like that would get so much attention from baseball media even in the minors, much like when Bryce Harper was a big deal when he was 18 and MLB ready.
    "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

    Comment

    • KBLover
      Hall Of Fame
      • Aug 2009
      • 12172

      #602
      Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

      New NPB Pitching Star Emerges
      The World Cup of Baseball is a chance for players from various nations to shine, especially those of international major leagues.

      The Nippon Professional Baseball League has been putting out talent for a while now with the so-called "Japanese Invasion", and perhaps the newest pitcher for everyone to drool over makes his name known as he leads Japan to a World Cup victory.

      Rikiya Toguchi broke former NPB star Shojiro Hatakeyama's WCB record for strikeouts, racking up a total of 37 and beating Hatakeyama's mark of 30. The styles for the two pitchers couldn't be more different. Hatakeyama is a classic knuckleballer while Toguchi is a flamethrowing sidearmer that devastates hitters with an insane change up. He also works a slider that gets extra sweep and bite from his arm slot.

      "He's been building himself a reputation already in the NPB, even at just 25, but the world outside of Japan got their first real look at him in this year's World Cup. Now, his name will be going to foreign lands after the showing he put on, " one scout commented.

      Toguchi went 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA in the World Cup. Those 37 strikeouts came in just 27 innings of work.

      This is in line with his four years as a starting pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions. He is 70-33 with a 3.13 ERA (140 ERA+) and has 1,175 K's in just over 1,000 innings of work.
      "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

      Comment

      • KBLover
        Hall Of Fame
        • Aug 2009
        • 12172

        #603
        Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

        2044 Angels




        The 2044 season has arrived and BNN is as optimistic as always with how the Angels will fare. What's interesting is that the Mariners are expected to win nearly 100 games, so they should be tough competition, at least in BNN's view.

        As usual, pitching is the strength of the team. Gone are Micciche and Saiki along with stand out closer Ben Vaughn, but BNN thinks nothing will change. Kamo moving up to 3rd starter shouldn't be a problem and rookie additions Nojima and Silverstein should at least hold their own. Of course, this also assumes Hatakeyama, a virtual father-figure given his age (39) versus the rest of the staff in their 20's, will continue to be productive at this late stage in his career.

        The bullpen will be a man short for a while as free agent signing Chris Baker recovers from a spring training injury. Once he returns, he'll head up what should be a solid group. Sergio Betancourt emerged as a high-endurance reliever, throwing over 100 innings from the bullpen. He'll be given plenty of opportunities for a similar performance this season.

        Offense is where BNN thinks the team has improved most. Moats, and perhaps anyone with a pulse, should be an improvement at catcher while Stafford should bring in some veteran stability that the lineup lacks. Both also bring high-contact approaches at the plate which should go well with the rest of the lineup and Moulin's aggressiveness.

        Moats also brings a very strong arm behind the plate. The rest of the defense should also be dynamic, one of the consistent and overlooked part of the squad's stability is being able to field a high quality defense.

        What the Angels do still lack is power. The team is projected to be at the bottom of the home run rankings, and not much in the way of improvement even. Ishida, it is implied, will continue to disappoint with his pedestrian home run production and Davies isn't expected to be high rated in that regard either, which would also be disappointing.

        What the Angels should have is a lot of base hits and a lot of walks with more than their share of doubles (thanks mostly to Maeda, Misato, and Guardado). It's worked time and again, so BNN thinks this year will be no different.

        For now, the farm is highly rated; however, Nojima and Silverstein will come off the list as they gain too much MLB experience to be on prospect lists. That will leave Tim Tuggle, the 14th ranked prospect in the league, who is coming off a torn UCL and surgery that cost him most of 2042 and the entirety of 2043.

        Beyond him, the two in-the-top-100 prospects are deep in the low minors while the remaining high minors prospects are nothing to be excited over at this point.
        Last edited by KBLover; 03-06-2019, 08:36 PM.
        "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

        Comment

        • WaitTilNextYear
          Go Cubs Go
          • Mar 2013
          • 16830

          #604
          Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

          KBLover, how has the NPB posting system been working for you in your save? I know for a fact that you have been gobbling up talent from Japan for 25 years now, but I wonder if you've made any adjustments to how posting works or if you have a system for "manually" posting players, perhaps via the editor? I suppose it would be easy enough to take control of a NPB team and post a guy, then switch back to your MLB club to sign him.

          The reason I ask is because in the combined 6-7 seasons I played with various expansion teams in OOTP 19, I can't recall a single NPB player ever being posted. I'm certain that I had posting set to on so it's curious to me. I got established IFAs (some from NPB), youngster IFAs, indy league players for purchasin', but no postings from Japan.
          Chicago Cubs | Chicago Bulls | Green Bay Packers | Michigan Wolverines

          Comment

          • KBLover
            Hall Of Fame
            • Aug 2009
            • 12172

            #605
            Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

            Originally posted by WaitTilNextYear
            KBLover, how has the NPB posting system been working for you in your save? I know for a fact that you have been gobbling up talent from Japan for 25 years now, but I wonder if you've made any adjustments to how posting works or if you have a system for "manually" posting players, perhaps via the editor? I suppose it would be easy enough to take control of a NPB team and post a guy, then switch back to your MLB club to sign him.

            The reason I ask is because in the combined 6-7 seasons I played with various expansion teams in OOTP 19, I can't recall a single NPB player ever being posted. I'm certain that I had posting set to on so it's curious to me. I got established IFAs (some from NPB), youngster IFAs, indy league players for purchasin', but no postings from Japan.

            I've had quite a few postings and otherwise established players coming from the NPB. Everything is organic. I forced or made none of these moves.

            Lately, the posting has been quiet and I'm not sure what governs it, but established NBP players are entering as free agents...that hasn't slowed down.

            C Tomoya Mori (Twins, posted in 2021) - solid 14-year MLB career. After Ohtani, Mori generated an immense amount of buzz when he signed on. The soft-spoken leader fit in very well and was highly regarded all around baseball.

            P Shintaro Fujinami (White Sox, left NPB in 2026) - not a post, per se, but he left the Hanshin Tigers and joined MLB. Played for 8 years, in NPB Hall of Fame.

            2B Tetsuto Yamada (A's, posted in 2022, signed as FA in 2023) - initially went unsigned then entered MLB as a free agent from NPB the next season when the A's picked him up for $16 million per year.

            SP Takahiro Norimoto (Tigers, posted in 2019) - Came in highly touted but spent a short, injury-plagued stint in the MLB before becoming an indy league journeyman until retirement.

            SP Mitsuhito Beppu (Cardinals, signed as FA in 2034) - Another talent walking from NPB after getting a fat offer from a MLB team. Didn't work out too well for the Cards, though. Beppu couldn't stick/earn consistent playing time in the 5 years he was on the team.

            SP Ryujiro Kinno****a (Rockies, signed as FA in 2031) - Rockies took a gamble on him, but it all came to a halt in 2034 when a bone spur, led to a torn flexor tendon, which then led Tommy John surgery, which failed to help him recover and Kinno****a decided to retire from the game as a result.

            SP Takahide Tomita (Diamondbacks, signed as FA in 2034) - This ill-advised signing did nothing to help the D-backs in their bullpen. Eventually, he became a MiLB journeyman before going back to the Japanese indy leagues to retire.

            RP Hirozaku Sawamura (Angels, posted in 2019) - One of the bets on Japanese talent that failed for the Angels - Sawamura suffered a season-ending injury in spring training 2020 and was ineffective in 2021 when he was optioned to AAA. He was injured again in 2022 and the Angels released him as a minor league free agent. He played for the Yomiuri Giants for two years before retiring.

            SS Hayato Sakamoto (Pirates, signed as FA in 2019) - Yomiuri didn't re-sign Sakamoto despite winning awards. The Pirates took a chance on him and kept him until it was time for arbitration. The organization did not offer arbitration and Sakamoto spent 2023 getting signed to minor league deals and getting released. The Rays first, then the Samsung Lions, and then the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, each signing and releasing him. He landed in the indy leagues in Japan before retiring.

            LF Yo****omo Tsutsugo (Twins, posted in 2023) - Enjoyed a decent 8-year MLB career, pretty much being a tick above average at the plate. When back to Japan in his final season when he signed with the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

            CF Hisato Muraoka (Rays, signed as FA in 2032) - Muraoka was known more for his leadership than his skills, but that leadership let him enjoy four years in the MLB. Sadly, his career ended in pain as his torn back muscle developed complications and he could never recover. A four month injury timetable turn into a career-ender and presumably a life of chronic back pain.

            SP Yuki Matsui (Giants, posted in 2020) - The Giants picked up Matsui and moved him to the bullpen where he had a decent career. Shoulder issues flared up after those eight years, likely cutting his career short at just 32 years old.

            SP Shojiro Hatakeyama (Angels, posted in 2033) - The Angels followed Hatakeyama for years, and they weren't the only ones. When the knuckleball ace finally posted, the Angels had to fight off serious competition in a highly active bidding war. The result was an astronomical price tag. Some might say the Angels overpaid (and continue to do so) for a solid-but-not-ace type pitcher.

            SP Toshiharu Iwaki (Dodgers, posted in 2041) - At 36, many wondered if a team would take a chance on Iwaki. The Dodgers did and last season, at 38 years old, Iwaki led the NL in ERA. He, like Hatakeyama, will enter the 2044 campaign at 39 years old, the oldest starting pitchers in the league.

            RP Tanzan Muramoto (Angels, posted in 2039) - Another attempt at a reliever and another flop. In fact, he's still flopping...just on the A's now after the Rays signed him and then realized he was a flop and pawned him off on the A's.

            CF Tsuneteru Nojima (Angels, signed as FA in 2042) - Angels paid quite a bit for a backup outfielder but he's still around and plays decently when he gets a chance. Nojima wants to start so it might be interesting to see how long he sticks with the Angels with Maeda entrenched.

            SP Terukiyo Yamada (Indians, signed as FA in 2041) - The Indians signed him on the cheap and he's been useful filler at the bottom of their rotation


            As far as changes, I haven't made any. I've considered doing a few:


            -Increase NBP player quality a bit. Better players might make stronger demands and that could get the players to be posted, especially since they'd be attractive to foreign leagues.

            -Lower service time to 6 years (match MLB), I thought less team control might spur more posting and more players in their primes. Combined with the above - might increase salaries. Irony of course is that my MLB has evolved closer to NPB instead (8 years team control)!
            "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

            Comment

            • KBLover
              Hall Of Fame
              • Aug 2009
              • 12172

              #606
              Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

              Hatakeyama Signs
              Misato, Harada Playing Hardball



              The Angels signed Shojiro Hatakeyama to a 4-year extension with an average value of $24 million per year. This will keep the knuckleballer signed through his age-43 season.

              As expected, some questioned the wisdom of such a deal.

              "I know he's good, and I know he's a knuckleballer so they tend to last longer, but still, we're talking about someone who's about to turn 40. I think this was quite the risk, especially with Misato unsigned, " one analyst commented.

              Indeed, Kei Misato has been driving a hard bargain in early talks. The Angels aren't ones to usually draw out contract drama, so this cloud might hang over Misato if he let's it distract him.

              Losing Misato, should it come to that, would be a blow to the offense. Granted, not much has derailed this team, especially if the pitching continues to hold up, but this might be the crack the rest of the AL West is looking for to slow the halos down a bit.

              Yuuji Harada, a corner outfielder, is also giving the Angels some fits in early talks. The Angels will likely have to decide between Tsuneteru Nojima and Harada for who splits time with Davies and his two-way usage, assuming that continues.
              "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

              Comment

              • KBLover
                Hall Of Fame
                • Aug 2009
                • 12172

                #607
                Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                2044 Report





                The Angels got a taste of life without Misato as he missed the second half of the season with an injury that will likely keep him out of the playoffs as well.

                From the results - the offense seemed fine and, as usual, the pitching did a lot to keep the team steady.

                Shojiro Hatakeyama put up his worst ERA since being with the Angels, but considering he had a horrendous first half, his ending result isn't all that terrible. In addition, his struggles were offset by McGlauflin just dominating in the second half to drop his ERA below 2.00 for the first time in his career, besting his 2.17 ERA in put up in 2039.

                Kano, Silverstein, and Barker also suffered injuries during the season. In Silverstein's case, it interrupted a season that might have made him a contender for Rookie of the Year. Nojima's rookie campaign was decent, working out to a 120 ERA+.

                The bullpen did the job overall, though there were moments, and certain pitchers, who struggled. Zach Crail, getting a chance for consistent work, struggled at times, while Josh Griggs did himself no favors with his performance.

                Offensively, the squad held up, thanks heavily to Maeda's excellent campaign. He finished second in batting average and first in win probability added, doubles, and on-base percentage. The winner of the AL batting crown was former Angels prospect Ismael Lemus, who was selected in the expansion draft by the Avatars. Lemus batted .380 on the campaign. Luis Amarante continued to provide a steady, quality level of play. His 27 home runs tied a career best and he again provided capable defense.

                On the contract front, the team failed to come to an agreement with Misato or Harada. It's not likely that there will be any talks until after the playoffs, and the Angels may well take their chances without him after the way the team responded in his absence.

                The Angels would find themselves with a sizable amount of money to play with should Misato indeed walk.


                Angels Win 3rd Straight Championship
                But Lose Manager


                Andy Moulin quite possibly has been the best move GM Xander Yarrow made. Taking a chance on a quirky, unorthodox manager that is a mix of "old school" manager involvement and starting pitchers taking innings and "new school" tactics like the shift proved to be a genius idea.

                Under Moulin and the organization aligning to his approach, the Angels won 64% percent of their games and several World Series berths, winning seven times in his 19 years with the team, including this year's World Series after surviving a scare in a seven-game ALCS against the Indians.

                But, after this success, he wanted to move on to another challenge, or perhaps to retirement.

                "It's been great. I love these guys and they made my time in their dugout a sheer blast. We laughed, we won, we worked things out like adults, it was all a manager could ask for, " Moulin commented.

                The players had nothing but good things to say about Moulin. Guardado said that he "credits Andy [Moulin] with his career" because he "took a chance on a light-hitting and slow DH". Meanwhile Hatakeyama called Moulin a "true professional that brought honor to the position and his organization".

                It seems uncertainty is increasing in Anaheim, something that's been anything but the norm in the last nearly two decades. Whoever the new manager is will have some gigantic shoes to fill.

                Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what Moulin's plans are, now that he's opted to seek another team to try to transform.

                "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                Comment

                • KBLover
                  Hall Of Fame
                  • Aug 2009
                  • 12172

                  #608
                  Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                  Got two posted players this offseason.

                  SP Ryuuko Takaki, $160,000,000 fee
                  CL Kazuki Tanabe, $90,000,000 fee
                  "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                  Comment

                  • KBLover
                    Hall Of Fame
                    • Aug 2009
                    • 12172

                    #609
                    Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                    Tatsuki Kuwahara Named New Manager
                    Makes Jump from the Baseball Challenge League


                    The Angels announced the signing of their new manager, Tatsuki Kuwahara, today. His previous experience is as a pitching coach where he worked for three seasons in the Baseball Challenge League for the Gumma Diamond Pegasus after breaking in with the Kagoshima Wolfhounds of the Shikoku Island League Plus.

                    With the Pegasus, his teams won their league championship once and produced a .550 or better winning percentage each season, making the playoffs twice.

                    He's known for his love of pitching and his passion for the craft. According to sources, he should have no problem adapting his skills to a major league pitching staff, and his overall humble teaching style and baseball knowledge should play well to vets and young players alike.

                    Where the issues might come, and this will bear watching, is how he brings hitters under his wing. Pitchers should immediately speak his language, so to speak, and they will welcome his insight. Hitters, however, might wonder how he could help them or worry that he favors one side of the roster over the other.

                    "It will be something to adjust to, seeing as I'm jumping from pitching coach to manager. It's a given it will take time, but I think I will find a way to reach the guys with the bats as well as the balls, " Kuwahara replied with a smirk.

                    When asked what made Kuwahara the winning candidate, G.M. Yarrow commented, "When we interviewed him about how he'd manage a game, he seemed the most like the way Andy [Moulin] ran a game, so I think the adjustment, both from the guys in the dugout and us in the front office, will be minimal."

                    Looking at his track record, one difference will be how he manages a staff. Moulin was all about leaning on the starting pitchers and giving them as much rope as possible to get out of sticky situations or turn around struggling outings. Kuwahara might be the exact opposite, and that could be one of the biggest adjustments on the field.

                    In any case, there's a new skipper and time will tell how well he can fill the enormous shoes left for him.

                    "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                    Comment

                    • KBLover
                      Hall Of Fame
                      • Aug 2009
                      • 12172

                      #610
                      Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                      Underrated No Longer
                      Jaheim Shabazz Storms into the Hall


                      One pitcher that seemed to do his work in constant obscurity is starter Jaheim Shabazz. He worked hitters for 15 seasons, and for most of those seasons, he did it with rarely an accolade or kudos.

                      To illustrate this: Shabazz posted a career ERA of 2.88...and won the Cy Young Award twice in 15 seasons. He would pick up several second and third place finishes, but rarely got the nod as the best despite consistently being the best pitcher in the NL.

                      In his age-39 season, he had a career year. He posted a 1.83 ERA, by far leading the NL. He won the Cy Young Award, and he decided to retire, literally at the top of his game. Most scouts and experts (and probably the Phillies GM) thought he would continue to play into his 40's, especially after the performance he turned in last season.

                      Speculation is that he had back issues crop up, and instead of risking harming his body or his team, he decided to walk away from the game on a high note.

                      In addition to the stellar ERA, Shabazz went 198-103 (235 no decisions!), striking out 2,909 hitters in 2,821 innings of work. His career ERA+ is 153 and he amassed 99.5 WAR, only once posting a WAR below 4.0, which was in his rookie year in just 84 2/3 innings, all out of the bullpen.

                      He played most of his career for the Padres, going 150-65 with a 2.79 ERA.

                      He wears a Padres cap into the Hall, and was inducted with 97.7% of the ballots in his favor on his first appearance on the ballot.
                      Last edited by KBLover; 03-12-2019, 11:15 PM.
                      "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                      Comment

                      • WaitTilNextYear
                        Go Cubs Go
                        • Mar 2013
                        • 16830

                        #611
                        Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                        Originally posted by KBLover
                        Got two posted players this offseason.

                        SP Ryuuko Takaki, $160,000,000 fee
                        CL Kazuki Tanabe, $90,000,000 fee
                        I will have to double check my settings when I fire up OOTP 20. It's hard for me to explain the differences in posting we're seeing.

                        Do you think Takaki is worth that big of a posting fee? (I take it you don't use the $20M cap)
                        Chicago Cubs | Chicago Bulls | Green Bay Packers | Michigan Wolverines

                        Comment

                        • KBLover
                          Hall Of Fame
                          • Aug 2009
                          • 12172

                          #612
                          Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                          Originally posted by WaitTilNextYear
                          I will have to double check my settings when I fire up OOTP 20. It's hard for me to explain the differences in posting we're seeing.

                          Do you think Takaki is worth that big of a posting fee? (I take it you don't use the $20M cap)



                          No, he is not and on top of that, he shot himself in the foot (literally!) like 3 days before getting posted.

                          He went unsigned by MLB teams and he's sulking back on his NPB team.

                          Tanabe got picked up by the Phillies.

                          I'm not sure why the posting fees are so high, honestly. I never changed them. I reset set them $20,000,000. They might go up due to inflation (not to those levels any time soon I hope), but should be more "regular".
                          "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                          Comment

                          • KBLover
                            Hall Of Fame
                            • Aug 2009
                            • 12172

                            #613
                            Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                            2045 Angels





                            BNN has become less bullish on the Angels, though they still feel that the team is the class of the AL West.

                            The big drop comes in the offensive expectation. The Angels run production is expected to fall to 11th in the AL, barely breaking over 700 runs on the season. BNN doesn't see Ishida or anyone else stepping up to do anything exciting in support of Maeda, who's still expected to be a force.

                            Sources say that there's still real concern about how the new manager will handle the offensive side of the game and get the hitters going. Moulin was a master at getting hitters going and utilizing their strengths. Of course, Moulin also had Misato, every bit as good as Maeda. Now he's departed via free agency.

                            Ishida is still expected to be an offensive disappointment, though the Angels remain with him. His defense at first base is unquestioned, however.

                            One constant remains the dominance of the pitching staff, and that's the reason the Angels are still expected to be a first-place squad. Not only does Kuwahara have a reputation to work of pitchers, being a former pitching coach, the Angels continue to get top-tier production from McGlauflin and steady-as-always Hatakeyama should continue to do what he does, now officially 40 years old.

                            The rise of Kamo and Nojima will also keep the Angels staff steady if they play up to expectations. Nojima in particular is a curious case as he has very drastic splits. Against right-handed batters, Nojima is very strong, posting a .536 OPS allowed, while versus lefties, he allowed over .800 OPS and a 5.77 ERA.

                            The bullpen is an unsung strength most of the time. Officially, the Angels are continuing with a no set closer approach, though Sergio Betancourt is probably the one who will get a lot of the opportunities, if he's not called upon earlier in the game.
                            "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                            Comment

                            • KBLover
                              Hall Of Fame
                              • Aug 2009
                              • 12172

                              #614
                              Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                              Buzz in Angels Land as Team Signs
                              "Young Ohtani" to International Complex



                              The Angels are usually active in the international signing period, but this time, they landed a highly coveted young pitcher from Japan.

                              But the reason Kazuo Goto is creating buzz is the fact scouts are dubbing him "young Ohtani" because of the perceived two-way potential.

                              "If he gets the chance, and in the Angels system he probably will get plenty of chance, he could refine his hitting and be a top-level two-way threat. Yes, he's a long way off and a lot can happen, but I think that's the ceiling, " one league scout commented.

                              On the mound, Goto throws 90-92 MPH on his fastball and relies on change of speeds and tight spin on his breaking pitches to get strikeouts. He does have a change up, but it's very rudimentary at this point.

                              At the plate, scouts think he'll go into increased power and he shows positive habits for pitch selection. The thinking is that he'll begin to hone in on the strike zone and that will earn him better pitches to hit. When that happens, his mechanics with the bat could produce hits with damage.

                              Yarrow is trying to keep expectations tempered.

                              "We realize the potential, of course. However, we want to stress that it will be years before we see how he'll begin to develop, let alone what he'll become. We welcome the excitement around Goto, just keep the reality of how hard it is for any 16-year-old to become a major league player in mind, " Yarrow commented at the press conference.
                              "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

                              Comment

                              • KBLover
                                Hall Of Fame
                                • Aug 2009
                                • 12172

                                #615
                                Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

                                2045 Report





                                It will look like the Angels had things in hand from start to finish. Not the case.

                                The Angels got off to a ridiculously hot start and then things reverted back to something somewhat sane.

                                The injuries came and went - nothing super long term but enough to be annoying and keep a few positions without starters. That wasn't too bad, but as July moved on, the Angels flat lined, dropping all the way to second place as the Mariners looked to finally take over the division.

                                The two teams were nearly tied as the trading deadline arrived. The Mariners got a starting pitcher, Saiki, whom they traded to the Angels years back. The Angels stood pat.

                                The faith would pay off as the Angels ramped back up as the dog days rolled on, gradually pulling away into the lead they would end up with at the end of the season.

                                "It was an up and down year, but we pulled together and pulled through. As we always do, " Maeda commented.

                                Maeda was a giant part of things. His offense at the top of the lineup kept the team going. The emergence of Ishida finally showing his power potential on the field also contributed tremendously to the offensive cause. The Angels ended up third in the AL in runs scored - without those two, it would have been much worse in all likelihood.

                                One constant was the rotation. McGlauflin had a minuscule ERA in the early going and leveled off to "only" elite at 1.86. McGlauflin's season also netted him the pitching triple crown in the AL. Hatakeyama had one of the best years of his career, even as he turned 41, by posting a 2.48 ERA. Whether or not that's partly Kuwahara's doing or just his knuckler was just dancing like mad this year is up for debate.

                                The bullpen initially struggled during the first half of the year, ranking just 13th in ERA. Part of that was injuries, but some was attributed to the new usage pattern by Kuwahara. The Angels' new manager likes to involve the relievers early if it comes to it and use them often. Again, whether it was that, the injuries, or just a slow start is a topic for debate.

                                The Angels were 62-19 at home. No doubt that was the difference maker.


                                2045 Playoffs

                                In the postseason, the Angels made quick work of their division rival Mariners in the ALDS, winning in a 3-0 sweep. Maeda led the charge at the plate, batting .600 for the series. His attack helped the Angels to the sweep after McGlauflin threw a zero in game one.

                                However, in the ALCS, the Angels had a tougher time of things. The Yankees, still swinging potent bats, pressured the Angels pitching, and especially the bullpen, all throughout the ALCS. The teams traded wins through the first five games, which left the Angels down 3-2 heading into game six. There, Kamo collapsed and the Angels found themselves eliminated.

                                The World Series came down to the Yankees against the Reds.

                                The Reds were baseball's best team, winning 109 games on the season, and they stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

                                The Yankees got two back-to-back exceptional starts to pull even at 2-2. From there, it was a battle of big bats. Game 5 went to the Reds as they countered the Yankees taking the lead with a 4-run 7th with a 3-run top of the 8th. The Yankees plastered the Reds in the following game 16-7. Yankees Greg Neumann continued his red hot postseason with two more home runs in the game.

                                Game seven was a close affair to start. The Reds were up 4-2 after single runs were scored by both teams sprinkled through the first four innings. Then, the Reds exploded for five runs in the fifth. Sergio Garza, one of the best contact hitters in the game, delivered in the clutch with a 3-run double to cap off the rally. The Reds held on to win 9-6 and claim the 2045 World Series crown.




                                Last edited by KBLover; 03-16-2019, 07:59 PM.
                                "Some people call it butterflies, but to him, it probably feels like pterodactyls in his stomach." --Plesac in MLB18

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