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SpharV2 -> RE: What are you currently playing part 2 (7/5/2006 4:36:15 PM)
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I'm currently in the sixth year of my latest fictional association, and I'm thinking that this is the one I'm sticking with since I've gotten quite attached. I started with 20 teams and expanded to 24 before last season. I'm watching the games, but not managing, I play more as a GM type than a manager. I'm playing as the San Antonio Rock Cats in the AL, and have won the championship once, in the third season. We haven't had any repeat winners yet, but New York in the NL has gotten to the championship the past four times losing each one.
I'm starting to feel like the Braves, as I generally have a great regular season, including last year's league record 111 wins, but tend to collapse in the postseason. My lone championship came when I swept my way through. The past two seasons my nemesis has been, ironically enough, Atlanta, who has jumped out to 3-0 leads on me both years. Both times the team fought back to even it up at 3 apiece, then lost in game seven. Last year's was particularly painful as we had a 6-4 lead going into the 9th with my closer coming in who had converted 54 of 57 save opportunities on the year. Needless to say, he walked the bases loaded and then gave up the grand slam. That one hurt.
So far my teams record has gone:
Year 1: 76-86 22 GB
Year 2: 68-94 29 GB
Year 3: 90-72 Championship 4-0 over New York
Year 4: 97-65 Lost to Atlanta in LCS 4-3
Year 5: 111-51 Lost to Atlanta in LDS 4-3
My team started as a speed/defense squad, but my young RF changed that. I've had one very good cleanup hitter in SS Keith O'Toole, who started the league at the age of 32 and led the league in HRs with 48. He peaked in my championship year, hitting .321 with 63 HRs and 142 RBIs. He has begun to decline the past two seasons, but is still a great hitter, posting a .288 34 HR, 101 RBI year last season.
The young new star coming in is RF Michael Stokes. He spent one year in the minors, posting a .345 24 HR season in AAA. he got the call up in 2008 and ht the ground running. He was the 2008 rookie of the year and put up some monster numbers: .309 36 HR and 90 RBI. He had a bit of a sophomore slump, with a .280 avg and 27 HRs, but did pick up his first gold glove. Last season he really broke out when I moved him into the second spot in the lineup. He got his second gold glove, and the silver slugger award, and the MVP by posting a .321, 47 HR, 148 RBI year.
The most enigmatic guy I have is CF/LF Leonard Luse. This was supposed to be the guy I built my speed team around. He's been good, but still hasn't reached his potential. The guy has 9 CH, 3 PH, 9 EYE, nd 10 Speed. He's a freak, a big guy who can run like crazy. Seems like he should be the perfect leadoff guy right? Well, I've tried him there the past two seasons to start the year. In April, when I put him there, he's posting a .218 average with a .277 OBP. I get frustrated and drop him in the order, usually around the 7th or 8th spot and he picks it up (.241/.323 in May, .318/.375 in June) But if I move him back up, he immediately tanks again. I guess he's just not tempermentally suited to lead off. It's not a huge deal now since I'm hitting him 9th so he's leading off...I just have to go through the order once until he does.
My pitching has been good, but with a rotating cast of characters, as they're coming and going fairly regularly. The one guy who I drafted in my initial draft and has really turned himself into a good pitcher in the minors is Phillip Wickstrom. He spent the first 4 1/2 years in the minors, slowly getting ready, then got the call due to injury. He came up in 2009 and went 1-3 with a 8.53 ERA, but impressed me enough that I gave him a shot last year. It was a good idea, seeing as how he went 21-5 with a 2.55 ERA and an even 200 Ks. He won the Cy Young, and was elected to the All-Star game as a reserve. Unfortunately his tryout the previous year made him ineligible for the rookie pitcher award, but I think he'll get over it.
Well, that's about it, I'm hoping I can get over the hump and smack Atlanta around this year...it would help if I don't fall down 0-3 to start the series again. It'll be interesting to see how many championships New York can get to and lose in a row. Even if it's not the Yankees, it's still fun to see New York losing championship after championship. [:D]
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