Tuesday, December 24, 2019

World Series Preview - Simi Valley vs. Fleetwood

The 2019 BRASSball World Series featured the AL Champion Simi Valley Vikings against the NL Champion Fleetwood Walkers.

Simi Valley earned its way to the championship series by first beating the AL Central divisional champion Plaza Lions (88-74 record) in 5 games and then upsetting the AL West divisional champion Santa Barbara Outlaws (103-59 record) in 5 games.


Fleetwood, meanwhile, earned its berth by first defeating the NL Wild Card winning Brew City Warriors (97-65 record) in 4 games before then topping the NL East divisional champion -- and defending BRASSball champion -- Springfield Isotopes (108-54 record) in 5 games.


During the 2019 regular season, Fleetwood won 6 of the 7 head-to-head games against Simi Valley. Those were each team's opening games of the 2019 season (April 1 through April 7). The series was closer than those results would indicate, however, including three one-run affairs (April 1, 4, 6) and another extra-inning match-up (April 7; 13 innings).

WORLD SERIES TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEW


Simi Valley Vikings

Regular Season Record: 88 wins, 74 losses (.543 winning pct)
Runs Scored: 787 (4.86 per game); 7th out of 24 teams
Runs Allowed: 648 (4.00 per game); 5th out of 24 teams
Run Differential: +139; 6th out of 24 teams

Top players:

  • 3B Matt Chapman (6.3 Wins Above Replacement); .285 avg, 26 HR, 109 RBI, 1e23 defense
  • 1B Freddie Freeman (4.2 WAR): .267 avg, 25 HR, 100 RBI, 1e7 defense
  • RF Enrique Hernandez (4.2 WAR); .288 ave, 32 HR, 90 RBI, 3e3 (-1) defense
  • RHP Walker Buehler (5.8 WAR); 12-5 record, 2.39 ERA, 143 IP, 149 K
  • LHP Clayton Kershaw (4.1 WAR); 9-9 record, 3.41 ERA, 169 IP, 160 K
Other key facts:
  • 84.0% team stolen base average was highest in BRASSball
  • 20 shutouts thrown was most in BRASSball
  • 78.4% of x-chart (fielding) chances converted to outs was highest in BRASSball
Post-Season History:
  • Simi Valley earned its 10th playoff appearance in 2019. Its first two were Wild Card appearances in 2009 and 2010; it has since won its division in 8 out of 9 years, missing the playoffs only in 2018.
  • The Vikings reached the World Series only once before in 2016, when the team won the BRASSball Championship with a victory over the NL champion Metropolis Avengers.
  • Prior to relocating to Simi Valley beginning in the 2008 season, the franchise had reached the postseason five other times. The first three appearances were as the Minnesota Mudcats (divisional champions in 2000 and 2001 and wild card berth in 2003), with the team reaching the World Series in 2001 before falling to the Ocala Ocelots. The next two appearances were as the Windy City Slickers (wild card berth in 2005, divisional champion in 2006).

Fleetwood Walkers
Regular Season Record: 117 wins, 45 losses (.722 winning pct)
Runs Scored: 936 (5.78 per game); 1st out of 24 teams
Runs Allowed: 538 (3.32 per game); 1st out of 24 teams
Run Differential: +398; 1st out of 24 teams

Top Players:

  • CF Mike Trout (10.5 WAR); .310 avg, 36 HR, 79 RBI, 1e0 (-2) defense
  • RF Mookie Betts (7.7 WAR); .302 avg, 29 HR, 113 RBI, 1e1 (-4) defense
  • DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani (4.4 WAR): .293 avg, 20 HR, 2.92 ERA, 52 IP, 57 K
  • RHP Zack Greinke (5.5 WAR); 17-9 record, 3.27 ERA, 217 IP, 176 K
  • RHP Blake Treinen (3.1 WAR); 10-1 record, 30 saves, 1.42 ERA, 83 IP, 94 K
Other key facts:
  • Led all teams in doubles (357) and was second only to Parkland in homers (232)
  • Bullpen allowed only 21.6% of inherited runners to score, best in BRASSball
  • 78.3% of x-chart (fielding) chances converted to outs was second best in BRASSball, behind only Simi Valley.
Post-Season History:
  • Fleetwood earned its 15th playoff appearance in 2019. Four of those berths were as a wild card entrant (2001, 2007, 2008, 2012) and 11 were as NC Central divisional champions (2006, 2009-2011, 2013-2019). The 2019 season represents Fleetwood's 14th consecutive as a playoff participant.
  • The Walkers reached the World Series only once before in 2017, when the team won the BRASSball Championship with a victory over the NL champion Santa Barbara Outlaws.
  • Fleetwood reached the NLCS for the 10th time in 2019. It lost in its first eight NLCS appearances before finally ending that drought in its championship 2017 season. Fleetwood then fell short again in 2018 when it was swept in the NLCS by the eventual BRASSball champion Springfield Isotopes.
  • Prior to relocating to Fleetwood beginning in the year 2000 season, the franchise had reached the postseason two other times. These two appearances were as the Easy Indy Tiggers (divisional champion in 1996 and wild card berth in 1995).

Friday, December 13, 2019

NLCS - Springfield vs. Fleetwood

This year's National League Championship Series pitted the Springfield Isotopes (108 wins, 54 losses; NL East Champions) against the Fleetwood Walkers (117 wins, 45 losses; NL Central Champions).

Springfield earned its way into the NLCS by defeating the Phoenix Sun Devils (101 wins, 61 losses; NL West Champions), while Fleetwood advanced with a divisional series win against the Brew City Warriors (97 wins, 65 losses; NL Wild Card Series winner).

Springfield and Fleetwood also met up in last year's NLCS. Springfield swept Fleetwood 4 games to 0 in that series, before proceeding to beat the Plaza Lions in five games to win last year's BRASSball World Series.

Game 1: Springfield at Fleetwood
Justin Verlander (18-7, 2.84 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (17-9, 3.27 ERA)

To kick off this championship series, each team handed the ball to its most experienced ace pitcher: Justin Verlander for Springfield and Zack Greinke for Fleetwood. Both pitchers were sharp early, throwing three scoreless innings each to begin the game.

Springfield drew first blood in the top of the 4th when Whit Merrifield hit a two-out RBI double. But Fleetwood answered back quickly, scoring five runs in the bottom of the same frame highlighted by a two-run homer by Miguel Andujar.

Miguel Andujar: two HR in Game 1
The Isotopes clawed back with a run in the 5th, but the Walkers responded forcefully once again...this time by plating 4 more runs. Andujar was the star once more, this time collecting a three-run homer to give him home runs in back-to-back innings.

Springfield would score three late runs, but Fleetwood would hold on for the win.

Final score: Fleetwood 9, Springfield 5.
W: Greinke. L: Verlander. SV: None.
HR: Andujar 2, Hicks.
Fleetwood leads series 1-0.

Game 2: Springfield at Fleetwood
Blake Snell (16-6, 1.83 ERA) vs. Ryne Stanek (8-1, 2.25 ERA)

This game ended up being a classic post-season pitching duel. Blake Snell starred for Springfield (7 scoreless innings) while Fleetwood relied on opener Ryne Stanek (1.2 IP, 0 R) followed by a series of relievers in Jonathan Holder (3.1 IP, 0 R), Kirby Yates (1 IP, 0 R) and Eduardo Rodriguez (1.1 IP, 0 R).

Wellington Castillo 3-run HR in 11th
Springfield eventually managed a run in the 6th inning, but Fleetwood rallied to tie in the 8th. The game then headed to extra innings. Springfield finally took a commanding lead in the 11th inning when pinch-hitter Wellington Castillo crushed a three-run, two-out homer. Aroldis Chapman then closed out the win easily
for the Isotopes.

Final score: Springfield 4, Fleetwood 1 (11 innings).
W: Dominguez. L: Treinen. SV: Chapman.
HR: Ohtani, Castillo.
Series tied 1-1.

Game 3: Fleetwood at Springfield
Rich Hill (6-6, 4.58 ERA) vs. Carlos Carrasco (15-8, 3.58 ERA)

Shohei Ohtani 1st inning HR
The series now headed to Springfield, but Fleetwood showed no signs of jet lag early. The Walkers greeted host pitcher Carlos Carrasco rudely in the 1st inning, scoring three quick runs.. Shohei Ohtani keyed this early rally with a no-doubt two-run homer.

Springfield answered back with a two-run home run by Cody Bellinger in the 2nd inning. But Fleetwood added a run in the 4th inning on a Carlos Correa home run and another run in the 5th on a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly.

Each team's bullpen then settled in and the scoring would largely cease, resulting in a tight win for Fleetwood.

Final score: Fleetwood 5, Springfield 3.
W: Holder. L: Carrasco. SV: Treinen.
HR: Ohtani, Correa, Bellinger, Hicks.
Fleetwood leads series 2-1.

Game 4: Fleetwood at Springfield
Shohei Ohtani (3-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. Matt Strahm (1-2, 2.29 ERA)

Fresh off of hitting a big home run the day before, two-way star Shohei Ohtani took the ball as Fleetwood's starting pitcher in this one. Ohtani did not disappoint the Fleetwood faithful, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings while allowing only 2 hits, zero walks and striking out 11.

Shohei Ohtani: 6.2 scoreless innings, 11 K
While Fleetwood built to a 6-0 lead through 6 innings, the Walkers had bitter memories of facing this same Springfield team in this same stadium in a similar situation back on July 31 of this season. On that day, Springfield shocked Fleetwood by rallying for six runs in the final two innings to steal away a come-from-behind, walk-off win by the score of 9 to 8.

With that painful loss still in mind, Fleetwood clawed out an insurance run in the 7th on an RBI double by mid-season trade acquisition Justin Smoak. The Walkers then leaned on a trio of relievers in Kirby Yates (1.1 IP, 0 R), Scott Alexander (0.1 IP, 0 R) and Keone Kela (0.2 IP, 0 R) to close out the game for a win this time around.

Final score: Fleetwood 7, Springfield 0.
W: Ohtani. L: Strahm. SV: None.
HR: None.
Fleetwood leads series 3-1.

Game 5: Fleetwood at Springfield
Eduardo Rodriguez (12-5, 2.71 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (18-7, 2.84 ERA)

With their backs to the wall, the Springfield Isotopes turned once again to Justin Verlander while Fleetwood countered with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

Both pitchers were sharp, but Fleetwood plated the game's first run with an RBI double in the 5th inning. That lead did not last long, though, as Springfield tied the game in the 6th on a Max Kepler RBI single.

No more runs would score before the regulation 9 innings expired, resulting in the second extra-inning affair of the series.

Lemahieu's opposite-field RBI single in 10th
In the top of the 10th, Fleetwood put its first two batters on base. After seeing Miguel Andujar retired on a flyout, Fleetwood gambled on a risky one-out hit-and-run play with two runners on. The gamble did not pay off, as D.J. Lemahieu missed on his swing resulting in a caught stealing by Shohei Ohtani. But Lemahieu quickly atoned for his mistake by dropping a looping two-out single into right field, plating the go-ahead run.

Having already used closer Blake Treinen to get out of a jam in the 6th inning, Fleetwood called on Jonathan Holder in the 10th to attempt to close out both the game and the series. Holder surrendered a lead-off single to Aaron Hicks, but then retired the heart of Springfield's order in the form of Christian Yelich, Kris Bryant and Whit Merrifield to secure the win.

Fleetwood will now advance to the BRASSball World Series to face the American League Champion Simi Valley Vikings. Congratulations to Springfield and all of our BRASSball playoff teams on their great seasons.

Final score: Fleetwood 2, Springfield 1 (10 innings).
W: Minter. L: Dominguez. SV: Holder.
HR: None.
Fleetwood wins series 4-1.

Series MVP: Shohei Ohtani (batting: 4 for 12, 2B, 2 HR; pitching: 6.2 innings, 0 runs, 11 strikeouts).

__________________________________________________________________

BOXSCORE: 2019 Springfield Isotopes At 2019 Fleetwood Walkers      10/21/2019

  Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Realmuto C        3  0  1  1 .467     T.Pham LF           4  0  0  0 .133 
C-W.Castillo PH,C     2  1  1  0 .143   A-K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .286 
  C.Yelich RF,LF      4  0  1  0 .250     M.Trout CF,LF       5  0  0  0 .211 
  W.Flores 1B         3  0  0  0 .000     M.Betts RF          4  2  3  0 .316 
D-C.Villanueva PH     0  0  0  0 .250     S.Ohtani DH         2  2  1  0 .333 
E-M.Kepler PH,RF      1  0  0  0 .231     K.Suzuki C          4  1  1  1 .421 
  K.Bryant 3B         3  1  2  0 .350     J.Smoak 1B          3  1  1  0 .222 
  W.Merrifield 2B     4  0  1  1 .167     C.Correa SS         4  1  1  2 .353 
  C.Bellinger LF,1B   4  0  1  0 .250     M.Andujar 3B        4  2  4  5 .500 
  J.Segura SS         4  0  0  0 .273     D.Lemahieu 2B       4  0  1  0 .227 
  J.Bour DH           1  0  0  0 .154                                         
B-C.Seager PH,DH      2  1  1  0 .500                                          
  A.Hicks CF          4  2  1  2 .136                                         
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      35  5  9  4                 Totals      35  9 12  8

A-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Pham In 6th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Bour In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Realmuto In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Flores In 8th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Villanueva In 8th Inning

Isotopes........ 0 0 0  1 1 0  0 1 2  -  5  9  1
Walkers......... 0 0 0  5 4 0  0 0    -  9 12  0

Isotopes (4-2)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
J.Verlander LOSS(1-1)     3 2/3   6   5   5   2   3   1  69   3.86
M.Strahm                  1 1/3   3   4   4   2   3   1  36   9.64
B.Morrow                  1       2   0   0   0   1   0  14   0.00
C.Carrasco                1       1   0   0   0   1   0  13  13.50
L.Trivino                 1       0   0   0   0   1   0  12   2.25
Totals                    8      12   9   9   4   9   2

Walkers (5-0)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
Z.Greinke WIN(2-0)        7 1/3   4   2   2   1   6   0  94   2.84
A.Minter                  0       2   1   1   0   0   0   6   9.00
K.Kela                    1 2/3   3   2   2   0   2   1  33   5.79
Totals                    9       9   5   5   1   8   1

ATTENDANCE- 46,946 DATE- Monday, October 21st 2019 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
T- 3:10
LEFT ON BASE- Isotopes: 5  Walkers: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Isotopes: 1  Walkers: 0
ERRORS- K.Bryant
DOUBLES- J.Realmuto(2nd), K.Bryant(2nd), W.Merrifield(4th), C.Bellinger(2nd),
         C.Seager(1st), M.Betts(2nd), K.Suzuki(3rd), M.Andujar(2nd)
TRIPLES- M.Betts(1st)
HOME RUNS- A.Hicks(1st), M.Andujar-2(3rd)
RBIs- J.Realmuto(3rd), W.Merrifield(1st), A.Hicks-2(3rd), K.Suzuki(9th),
      C.Correa-2(4th), M.Andujar-5(9th)
WALKS- J.Bour, M.Betts, S.Ohtani-2, J.Smoak
HIT BY PITCH- K.Bryant
STRIKE OUTS- J.Realmuto, W.Castillo, W.Flores, M.Kepler, C.Bellinger,
             J.Segura-2, A.Hicks, T.Pham-2, M.Trout-4, J.Smoak, C.Correa-2
GIDP- K.Suzuki
WILD PITCHES- M.Strahm, K.Kela
2-out RBI- W.Merrifield, J.Realmuto, M.Andujar-3, A.Hicks-2
RLISP 2-out- J.Segura, M.Andujar, C.Bellinger, C.Seager, D.Lemahieu,
             W.Merrifield
TEAM RISP- Isotopes: 2 for 10  Walkers: 4 for 9
__________________________________________________________________

BOXSCORE: 2019 Springfield Isotopes At 2019 Fleetwood Walkers      10/22/2019

  Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  J.Realmuto C,1B     4  1  1  0 .421     C.Correa SS         5  0  0  0 .273 
  W.Flores DH         5  0  1  0 .077     M.Trout CF,LF       5  0  0  0 .167 
  K.Bryant 3B         4  0  0  0 .292     M.Betts RF          2  0  0  0 .286 
  C.Yelich LF,RF      4  0  0  1 .214     R.Zimmerman 1B      2  0  1  0 .333 
  W.Merrifield 2B     5  0  1  0 .172   D-R.O'Hearn PH        1  0  0  0 .143 
  C.Bellinger 1B,LF   4  1  1  0 .250   E-K.Kiermaier CF      0  0  0  0 .286 
  J.Segura SS         5  1  1  0 .259     K.Suzuki C          4  0  0  0 .348 
  J.Marisnick RF      2  0  0  0 .000     T.Pham LF           3  0  0  0 .111 
A-C.Villanueva PH     1  0  0  0 .200   F-J.Smoak 1B          1  0  0  0 .200 
B-M.Kepler RF         1  0  0  0 .214     M.Andujar 3B        4  0  0  0 .417 
G-W.Castillo PH,C     1  1  1  3 .250     D.Lemahieu 2B       4  0  0  0 .192 
  A.Hicks CF          5  0  1  0 .148     M.Davidson DH       2  0  1  0 .333 
                                        C-S.Ohtani PH,DH      2  1  1  1 .375 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      41  4  7  4                 Totals      35  1  3  1

A-Pinch Hit For Marisnick In 7th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Villanueva In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Davidson In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Zimmerman In 9th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (CF) For O'Hearn In 10th Inning
F-Subbed Defensively (1B) For Pham In 10th Inning
G-Pinch Hit For Kepler In 11th Inning

Isotopes........ 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 0  0 3 -  4  7  0
Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 -  1  3  2

Isotopes (5-2)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
B.Snell                   7       2   0   0   3   8   0 104   1.71
R.Rodriguez BS(1st)       0 2/3   1   1   1   0   1   1  14  13.50
O.Perez                   0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
S.Dominguez WIN(2-0)      2       0   0   0   0   1   0  23   0.00
A.Chapman SAVE(1st)       1       0   0   0   0   2   0  11   4.50
Totals                   11       3   1   1   3  13   1

Walkers (5-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
R.Stanek                  1 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0  21   0.00
J.Holder                  3 1/3   2   0   0   0   2   0  42   0.00
A.Minter                  0       1   1   0   0   0   0   8   9.00
K.Yates                   1       0   0   0   1   1   0  21   4.50
E.Rodriguez               1 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0  16   1.69
B.Treinen LOSS(2-1)       3 1/3   3   2   2   2   5   0  53   2.16
S.Alexander               0 1/3   1   1   1   0   0   1   9  18.00
Totals                   11       7   4   3   3  11   1

ATTENDANCE- 36,451 DATE- Tuesday, October 22nd 2019 TIME- Day WEATHER- Bad
T- 3:36
LEFT ON BASE- Isotopes: 8  Walkers: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS- Isotopes: 1  Walkers: 0
ERRORS- C.Correa, R.Zimmerman
DOUBLES- J.Realmuto(3rd), W.Flores(1st), C.Bellinger(3rd)
HOME RUNS- W.Castillo(1st), S.Ohtani(1st)
RBIs- C.Yelich(4th), W.Castillo-3(3rd), S.Ohtani(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING- W.Merrifield
WALKS- J.Realmuto, C.Yelich, C.Bellinger, M.Betts-2, R.Zimmerman
HIT BY PITCH- K.Bryant
STRIKE OUTS- W.Flores, K.Bryant-2, C.Yelich-3, W.Merrifield, C.Bellinger,
             J.Marisnick-2, A.Hicks, C.Correa-3, M.Trout-4, K.Suzuki, T.Pham,
             M.Andujar, D.Lemahieu-2, M.Davidson
GIDP- R.Zimmerman
WILD PITCHES- B.Snell-2
2-out RBI- W.Castillo-3
RLISP 2-out- M.Andujar, W.Flores, T.Pham-2, A.Hicks, J.Segura-2, K.Bryant
TEAM RISP- Isotopes: 1 for 10  Walkers: 0 for 3


__________________________________________________________________

BOXSCORE: 2019 Fleetwood Walkers At 2019 Springfield Isotopes      10/24/2019

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  T.Pham LF           3  0  2  0 .190     C.Villanueva DH     1  0  0  0 .167 
B-R.O'Hearn PH        1  0  0  0 .125   A-J.Bour PH,DH        1  0  0  0 .143 
C-K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .250   E-W.Flores PH,DH      1  0  0  0 .071 
  M.Trout CF,LF       4  1  0  0 .143     C.Yelich LF         4  0  1  0 .219 
  M.Betts RF          3  1  2  2 .333     W.Merrifield 2B     4  0  1  0 .182 
  S.Ohtani DH         4  1  1  2 .333     K.Bryant 3B         4  0  0  0 .250 
  K.Suzuki C          3  0  0  0 .308     M.Kepler RF         3  0  1  0 .235 
  J.Smoak 1B          4  0  0  0 .143   F-C.Seager PH         1  0  0  0 .333 
  C.Correa SS         4  1  1  1 .269     J.Segura SS         4  1  2  0 .290 
  M.Andujar 3B        3  0  0  0 .370     C.Bellinger 1B      4  1  1  2 .250 
  D.Lemahieu 2B       4  1  2  0 .233     J.Realmuto C        2  0  0  0 .381 
                                        D-W.Castillo PH,C     1  0  0  0 .222 
                                          A.Hicks CF          3  1  1  1 .167 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      34  5  8  5                 Totals      33  3  7  3

A-Pinch Hit For Villanueva In 5th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Pham In 7th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (CF) For O'Hearn In 7th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Realmuto In 7th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Bour In 7th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Kepler In 9th Inning

Walkers......... 3 0 0  1 1 0  0 0 0  -  5  8  0
Isotopes........ 0 2 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  -  3  7  1

Walkers (6-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
R.Hill                    4 1/3   4   3   3   1   5   2  63   6.75
J.Holder 
WIN(2-0)         1 2/3   2   0   0   0   0   0  21   0.00
A.Minter HOLD(1st)        1       0   0   0   0   0   0   9   4.50
B.Treinen SAVE(1st)       2       1   0   0   0   1   0  21   1.74
Totals                    9       7   3   3   1   6   2

Isotopes (5-3)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
C.Carrasco LOSS(0-2)      4       6   5   5   1   6   2  67  12.38
O.Perez                   1       0   0   0   0   1   0  16   0.00
B.Morrow                  1       0   0   0   0   2   0  20   0.00
S.Dominguez               1       1   0   0   0   1   0  13   0.00
R.Rodriguez               1       0   0   0   0   2   0  11   9.82
C.Kimbrel                 1       1   0   0   0   0   0  17   0.00
Totals                    9       8   5   5   1  12   2

ATTENDANCE- 47,695 DATE- Thursday, October 24th 2019 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
T- 2:38
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Isotopes: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 0  Isotopes: 0
ERRORS- J.Segura
DOUBLES- M.Betts(3rd), W.Merrifield(5th), M.Kepler(1st), J.Segura(2nd)
HOME RUNS- S.Ohtani(2nd), C.Correa(2nd), C.Bellinger(2nd), A.Hicks(2nd)
RBIs- M.Betts-2(7th), S.Ohtani-2(3rd), C.Correa(5th), C.Bellinger-2(4th),
      A.Hicks(4th)
STOLEN BASES- M.Trout(2nd)
CAUGHT STEALING- J.Segura
SACRIFICE FLIES- M.Betts
WALKS- M.Trout, C.Villanueva
HIT BY PITCH- K.Suzuki, M.Andujar
STRIKE OUTS- T.Pham, M.Trout, M.Betts, S.Ohtani-2, K.Suzuki-2, J.Smoak-2,
             C.Correa, M.Andujar-2, C.Yelich, K.Bryant, M.Kepler, C.Bellinger,
             J.Realmuto, A.Hicks
WILD PITCHES- R.Hill
2-out RBI- C.Bellinger-2, C.Correa
RLISP 2-out- S.Ohtani, W.Merrifield, C.Bellinger, K.Bryant-2, D.Lemahieu
TEAM RISP- Walkers: 2 for 7  Isotopes: 1 for 5
WEB GEMS- Top 7th: Max Kepler robbed Ryan O'Hearn of an extra base hit.


__________________________________________________________________

BOXSCORE: 2019 Fleetwood Walkers At 2019 Springfield Isotopes      10/25/2019

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  T.Pham LF           4  1  1  1 .200     J.Realmuto C        4  0  1  0 .360 
B-K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .222     C.Yelich RF         4  0  0  0 .194 
  M.Trout CF,LF       3  2  0  0 .129     W.Flores 1B         3  0  1  0 .118 
  M.Betts RF          4  2  1  1 .321   E-C.Villanueva PH     0  0  0  0 .167 
  R.Zimmerman 1B      1  0  0  1 .300   F-M.Kepler PH         1  0  0  0 .222 
A-J.Smoak PH,1B       2  0  2  1 .250     K.Bryant 3B         3  0  1  0 .258 
  K.Suzuki C          4  0  0  0 .267     C.Bellinger LF      4  0  0  0 .222 
  M.Davidson DH       3  0  2  2 .444     W.Merrifield 2B     3  0  0  0 .167 
C-A.Hechavarria PR,DH 0  0  0  0 .667     J.Segura SS         2  0  0  0 .273 
  C.Correa SS         3  0  0  1 .241   D-C.Seager PH,SS      1  0  0  0 .250 
  M.Andujar 3B        4  1  1  0 .355     J.Bour DH           3  0  0  0 .118 
  D.Lemahieu 2B       4  1  1  0 .235     A.Hicks CF          1  0  0  0 .161 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      33  7  8  7                 Totals      29  0  3  0

A-Pinch Hit For Zimmerman In 5th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Pham In 6th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Davidson In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Segura In 8th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Flores In 9th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Villanueva In 9th Inning

Walkers......... 0 0 5  0 1 0  1 0 0  -  7  8  1
Isotopes........ 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  0  3  1

Walkers (7-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
S.Ohtani WIN(1-0)         6 2/3   2   0   0   0  11   0  79   1.74
K.Yates                   1 1/3   0   0   0   1   1   0  20   3.38
S.Alexander               0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   4  13.50
K.Kela                    0 2/3   1   0   0   0   2   0   9   5.06
Totals                    9       3   0   0   1  14   0

Isotopes (5-4)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
M.Strahm LOSS(0-1)        2 2/3   3   5   2   4   1   0  55   8.59
C.Carrasco                1 1/3   1   1   1   0   2   0  20  11.57
B.Morrow                  1       2   0   0   0   0   0  13   0.00
L.Trivino                 3 1/3   2   1   1   1   2   0  40   2.45
A.Chapman                 0 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.38
Totals                    9       8   7   4   5   7   0

ATTENDANCE- 47,016 DATE- Friday, October 25th 2019 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
T- 2:20
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 4  Isotopes: 5
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Isotopes: 3
ERRORS- K.Kela, J.Segura
DOUBLES- J.Smoak(1st), D.Lemahieu(1st), J.Realmuto(4th), W.Flores(2nd)
RBIs- T.Pham(3rd), M.Betts(8th), R.Zimmerman(5th), J.Smoak(3rd),
      M.Davidson-2(2nd), C.Correa(6th)
WALKS- M.Trout-2, R.Zimmerman, M.Davidson, C.Correa, A.Hicks
HIT BY PITCH- K.Bryant, A.Hicks
STRIKE OUTS- T.Pham-2, K.Kiermaier, M.Trout, K.Suzuki, M.Andujar-2,
             J.Realmuto-2, C.Yelich-3, M.Kepler, K.Bryant-2, C.Bellinger-2,
             W.Merrifield-2, J.Bour, A.Hicks
GIDP- K.Suzuki, C.Correa, C.Bellinger
2-out RBI- M.Davidson-2, C.Correa
RLISP 2-out- M.Andujar-2, C.Bellinger-2, W.Flores
TEAM RISP- Walkers: 2 for 7  Isotopes: 0 for 5


__________________________________________________________________

BOXSCORE: 2019 Fleetwood Walkers At 2019 Springfield Isotopes      10/26/2019

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  T.Pham LF           4  0  1  0 .207     C.Villanueva 1B     1  0  1  0 .286 
C-K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .200   A-A.Hicks PH,CF       2  0  1  0 .182 
  M.Trout CF,LF       3  0  0  0 .118     C.Yelich RF,LF      5  0  1  0 .195 
  M.Betts RF          4  0  1  0 .313     K.Bryant 3B         4  1  0  0 .229 
  R.O'Hearn 1B        2  0  0  0 .100     W.Merrifield 2B     5  0  1  0 .171 
B-R.Zimmerman PH,1B   1  0  0  0 .273     M.Kepler CF,RF      4  0  1  1 .227 
D-J.Smoak PH,1B       1  0  0  0 .235     J.Segura SS         4  0  0  0 .243 
  K.Suzuki C          4  0  0  0 .235     C.Bellinger LF,1B   4  0  1  0 .225 
  S.Ohtani DH         4  1  1  0 .313     C.Seager DH         4  0  1  0 .250 
  C.Correa SS         3  0  0  0 .219     J.Realmuto C        3  0  0  0 .321 
E-V.Caratini PH       1  1  1  0 .333                                         
F-A.Hechavarria SS    0  0  0  0 .667                                         
  M.Andujar 3B        4  0  1  1 .343                                         
  D.Lemahieu 2B       4  0  2  1 .263                                         
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      36  2  7  2                 Totals      36  1  7  1

A-Pinch Hit For Villanueva In 5th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For O'Hearn In 6th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Pham In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Zimmerman In 9th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Correa In 10th Inning
F-Subbed Defensively (SS) For Caratini In 10th Inning

Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  1 -  2  7  0
Isotopes........ 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 0  0 -  1  7  1

Walkers (8-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
E.Rodriguez               2 2/3   2   0   0   1   3   0  42   1.13
K.Kela                    1 1/3   0   0   0   0   3   0  18   4.05
S.Alexander HOLD(1st)     0 1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   7  10.80
K.Yates HOLD(1st)         0 2/3   1   1   1   1   1   0  19   4.50
B.Treinen BS(1st)         3       2   0   0   1   3   0  49   1.35
A.Minter WIN(1-0)         1       0   0   0   0   1   0  13   3.00
J.Holder SAVE(1st)        1       1   0   0   0   1   0  14   0.00
Totals                   10       7   1   1   3  12   0

Isotopes (5-5)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA
J.Verlander               5 1/3   4   1   1   1   7   0  79   3.18
O.Perez                   1       0   0   0   0   0   0   5   0.00
A.Chapman                 1 2/3   1   0   0   0   2   0  26   2.08
S.Dominguez LOSS(2-1)     2       2   1   0   0   1   0  23   0.00
Totals                   10       7   2   1   1  10   0

ATTENDANCE- 48,980 DATE- Saturday, October 26th 2019 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
T- 3:20
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 5  Isotopes: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Isotopes: 1
ERRORS- K.Bryant
DOUBLES- S.Ohtani(1st), M.Andujar(3rd), C.Bellinger(4th)
RBIs- M.Andujar(10th), D.Lemahieu(3rd), M.Kepler(4th)
CAUGHT STEALING- S.Ohtani
WALKS- M.Trout, C.Villanueva, A.Hicks, K.Bryant
HIT BY PITCH- J.Realmuto
STRIKE OUTS- T.Pham, K.Kiermaier, M.Trout, M.Betts, R.O'Hearn-2, K.Suzuki,
             C.Correa, M.Andujar, D.Lemahieu, C.Yelich-2, K.Bryant,
             W.Merrifield-2, M.Kepler, J.Segura, C.Bellinger, C.Seager,
             J.Realmuto-3
GIDP- R.Zimmerman, C.Bellinger
PASSED BALLS- J.Realmuto
2-out RBI- D.Lemahieu
RLISP 2-out- M.Kepler, T.Pham, C.Yelich, K.Bryant
TEAM RISP- Walkers: 2 for 6  Isotopes: 1 for 11

Sunday, April 01, 2018

Fleetwood 2018 BRASSball Draft Diary

Perhaps the most important way to build a successful team – be it Major League Baseball or BRASSball – is through the draft. Sure, free agency can bring stars...but it can also easily lead to overspending and budget issues. And trades are great...but, of course, one must already have players worth trading FOR to swing a deal!

And finally, unlike Major League Baseball, the BRASSball draft also provides a key opportunity to fill those last remaining roster holes, often at a very affordable salary.

With this background in mind, I thought it might be interesting to prepare this "draft diary" to let you into Fleetwood's "2018 draft room" this past March.

PRE-DRAFT PREPERATION:
Heading into the draft, I carefully reviewed my roster for needs...i.e. does my team have enough innings to complete the season? Does my team have enough at-bats at each position? Where is my roster already deep, and where is it thin (thus requiring more attention during the draft)? Upon completing this review, I came up with the following draft strategy:
  • Relief innings: My pre-draft starting rotation looked pretty set, as I had six starting pitchers that provided a nice blend of inning quality (Rich Hill, Zack Greinke, Drew Pomeranz) and inning quantity (Zach Davies, Eduardo Rodriguez). But what my roster lacked was a deep and effective relief staff. Specially, I realized my team would need about 200 total relief innings to complete the season, and a few relievers who could be effective against either left-handed or right-handed pitching in the late innings. This would likely be highest priority throughout the draft, as I have another window to complete in 2018.
  • Backup shortstop: My lineup was pretty set at most positions following free agency. However, one clear hole was help for Carlos Correa at shortstop. Correa would only be able to provide about 475-500 plate appearances, and I knew I would need closer to 675-700 to complete the season. As such, I needed about 200 more plate appearances here. Given that my third basemen were less-than-stellar with the glove (i.e. all have 4 range ratings!), I decided it would also be a nice "bonus" if this player could also provide an improved late-inning glove at the hot corner. Since this pick would be a role player, it was not a TOP priority for the early rounds of the draft...but nevertheless it was a MUST given our league rules on playing time and thus something I would need to monitor closely during the draft before all available options ran out.
  • AM players: I entered the draft with only 5 out of a maximum of 8 "amateur" (i.e. non-MLB) players. These types of players are vital long-term assets, and thus I would need to carefully select three of these players during the draft. Over the years, the members of BRASSball have become increasingly savvy about scouting and drafting AM players. As such, I would need to keep a very close eye on which AMs were picked, and jump at the right AM opportunity at the right time.
  • "Best Player Available": It is an old adage that the best draft approach is typically to pick the "best player available" (a.k.a. "BPA") at each slot. However, that is easier in theory than in practice (especially in BRASSball) as a team must of course field a full roster while respecting each player's playing time limits.
Finally, with respect to my draft pick slots, I had already traded away my 4th round and 8th round picks without acquiring any others...so I would need to be cognizant of those 'gaps' in my draft grid.

ROUND-BY-ROUND SUMMARY:

Round 1 (24th overall): Given my first priority of compiling an upper-echelon bullpen, I was fully prepared (perhaps even expecting) to draft a top relief pitcher here. My research had shown the best relievers to likely be Blake Parker, Matt Albers and Brandon Morrow. Parker was particularly intriguing to me, as he would only require a cheap "Y2" contract to sign. However, to my surprise, a player dropped to me that I had not anticipated in the form of Yankees third base prospect Miguel Andujar (as he was a consensus "top 50" minor league prospect entering the draft). Despite realizing that it would not fortify my 2018 active roster, the choice seemed clear. My pick: Miguel Andujar, 3B, NYY (MO). Others considered: Blake Parker, Matt Albers, Brandon Morrow.

Round 2 (49th overall): After passing on a high-end reliever in Round 1, the top options quickly started coming off the board in Round 2...Farmington unsurprisingly picked Blake Parker just a few picks after my Andujar selection, and Springfield scooped up both Matt Albers and Brandon Morrow later in the same round. Another quality reliever also came off the board in Round 2 when Brew City selected Anthony Swarzak. By the time my pick rolled around, the top two relievers on my draft board were Dominic Leone and Tommy Kahnle. While I was captivated by Kahnle's long-term upside, Leone had the clearly better card for my 2018 team as he was a more balanced reliever against both righties and lefties. I also considered Tyler Mahle here (a quality young starting pitcher for the Reds), but I had already gone with the "BPA" approach in Round 1 and thus could not afford to let this next tier of relief pitchers pass me by. My pick: Dominic Leone, RHP, TOR (Y2). Others considered: Tommy Kahnle, Tyler Mahle.

Round 3 (76th overall): Showing that others were operating off of similar draft lists as me, both Kahnle (Butte County) and Mahle (Springfield) were off the board before my 3rd round pick. I still felt my bullpen lacked top-end depth, so I was looking at the best available relief pitchers again here. In particular, I was looking at Danny Barnes (Blue Jays), Trevor Hildenberger (Twins) and Scott Alexander (Royals). Barnes in particular was tempting, as he would be dominating versus left-handed hitting. However, he seemed prone to giving up homers to right-handed hitters, and my ballpark would not help hide that weakness. Instead, for better or worse, I went with the player most likely to drive my uniform embroidery department to fits given his long last name. My pick: Trevor Hildenberger, RHP, MIN (Y1). Others considered: Danny Barnes, Scott Alexander.

Bonus Round (101st overall): My picks of Leone (71 innings) and Hildenberger (42 innings) filled much of my bullpen needs, but I still needed another 90-100 innings. As such, I decided to pick another young reliever here. I was also short on left-handed pitchers in my pen (with no "reverse lefties" at all), so that would be a nice benefit as well. I really liked the upside of Atlanta reliever A.J. Minter here, but he didn't have enough innings to immediately help my 2018 roster. My pick: Scott Alexander, LHP, KC (Y1). Others considered: A.J. Minter.

Round 5 (149th overall): I did not have a 4th round pick, so I had to wait a long time for this pick. In the meantime, a lot of quality players were picked...including a few of the last remaining players on my ever-shrinking list of backup shortstops (Giovanny Urshela, Ehire Adrianza, J.T. Riddle). Jace Peterson was a remaining option for that role. However, a couple of other players caught my eye in young Marlins reliever Drew Steckenrider and Cardinals-via-Japan starting pitcher Miles Mikolas. But a player I had considered two rounds earlier was still on the board, and that's where I went. My pick: A.J. Minter, LHP, ATL (MO). Others considered: Jace Peterson, Drew Steckenrider, Miles Mikolas.

Round 6 (173rd overall): At this point, I still had that gaping hole at backup shortstop, and options were running very, very low. As such, I decided I had waited as long as I could to fill this slot. Jace Peterson was still there, and he provided both the at-bats I needed (213 plate appearances) and also had a 3 range at third base (not dazzling, but better than all the 4 range players already on my roster!). My pick: Jace Peterson, IF, ATL (Y3; claim from Portland). Others considered: None.

Round 7 (197th overall): While I had not necessary planned on waiting so long for my first AM player, it just seemed like the better values through this point at each of my picks were carded players. That said, I knew I did not have my 8th round pick...so it would be a full two-round wait until I picked again in Round 9. To this point, I had done an admirable job filling my needs for relief pitching, backup shortstop and "BPA" players. As such, I considered a top college starter in Casey Mize, a hot-shot high school shortstop in Nander de Sedas, and the latest Cuban import in outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez. My pick: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn (AM). Others considered: Nander de Sedas, Julio Pablo Martinez.

Round 9 (244th overall): Alas, both de Sedas (Parkland) and Martinez (Springfield) were picked before I could select again. And having filled my obvious roster holes, I decided to go back to the "best player available" plan here and wait on my last two AM slots. I was surprised that Miles Mikolas remained available (as I had been eyeing him for most of the draft), and Kyle Crick was yet another young relief pitcher that could contribute immediately. But in the end, I went with a "post-hype" closer prospect that entered 2017 with big potential before struggling during the regular season. Hopefully he finally finds major league success in 2018! My pick: Joe Jimenez, RHP, DET (MO). Others considered: Miles Mikolas, Kyle Crick.

Round 10 (266th overall): Despite having him on my relief pitcher list all through the draft, I had not really paid much attention to this next pick...probably due to his non-discript pedigree and his obvious 2017 "homeritis" issues. But upon seeing his 2017 strikeout numbers and reading up on him a bit more after my prior pick, I decided this next selection was a player I just HAD to have...and I must say, I was thrilled that nobody else scooped him up in this round before I did. An added benefit would be that he would provide yet another 57 innings, which would surely give me plenty to complete the 2018 BRASSball campaign. My pick: Kirby Yates, RHP, SD (Y1). Others considered: Kyle Crick, Wilmer Font.

Round 11 (283rd overall): I was not thrilled to have not filled my AM slots earlier, but there were still some intriguing prospects on my list. The main problem with waiting this long to select an AM is the extreme risk, as the remaining players I liked were so very young...and thus so very far from big league relevance. With this next AM pick, I selected the player who I thought had the most offensive upside among the remaining AM players. My pick: Jhailyn Ortiz, OF, PHI (AM).

Round 12 (297th overall): With one more AM slot to fill, I decided to go with the highest-ranked AM player left on my draft list. It did not hurt that he was also perhaps the highest-upside AM pitcher remaining either.  My pick: Freicer Perez, RHP, NYY (AM). 


Round 13 (309th overall) and Round 14 (320th overall): I had hoped someone might take on one of these two high-salaried players, but no such luck this year. As such, back on my roster they go! Frankly, both have been on my team roster for awhile -- especially Cabrera -- so I am happy they are both returning for another season. My picks: Garrett Richards, RHP, LAA and Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET.

Overall, I think my draft went well and I had a lot of fun doing it...which is the entire point of Strat-O-Matic anyway, right? I look forward to revisiting this "draft diary" in 3-5 years to assess how it all worked out!

Best of luck to each of you in 2018. May all your prospects pan out.  :-)