Friday, December 26, 2008

C-Ram vs. R-Pod

He hasn’t pitched a single game professionally yet, but already Ricky Podsednik is drawing comparisons to Christopher Ramirez, arguably the best pitcher in the world. While such comparisons may be a bit premature – the 18-year old Podsednik most likely will not be ML ready for at least four seasons – it does pose an interesting debate. Will Ramirez eventually pass the torch of the World’s best pitcher to another player in the NL East? A look comparing the current ratings of Ramirez, to the projected ratings of Podsednik.

Stamina

Ramirez: 94

Podsednik: 84

Advantage: Ramirez

Control

Ramirez: 90

Podsednik: 97

Advantage: Podsednik, slightly

Splits

Ramirez: 95 vs LH, 93 vs RH

Podsednik: 91 vs LH, 77 vs RH

Advantage: Ramirez

Velocity

Ramirez: 91

Podsednik: 88

Advantage: Draw, Ramirez has a slightly better number, but three points is too close to call.

Pitches

Ramirez: 4 (84 4-Seam FB, 68 Curveball, 70 Change Up, 36 Cut FB)

Podsednik: 5 (83 4-Seam FB, 84 Slider, 66 Curveball, 83 Change Up, 44 Split FB)

Advantage: Podsednik

Of course all these projected numbers mean nothing yet. Ramirez is a 5-time Cy Young winner, and that number will most likely get higher before he’s ready for retirement. Podsednik also is seen by some as an injury risk who could fall victim to Mark Prior/Kerry Wood syndrome. But like all top prospects it will take a few years before we know just how good this young phenom will be.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

From the Onion News Network

At a press conference Wednesday, the San Francisco Sourdoughs and their absence from the World Series announced an agreement to a four-year contract extension, with an option for another six years. "The relationship between the Doughs’ and their Absence From The World Series is strong, as both sides have shown loyalty to each other for the past 6 years," Sourdoughs owner John Derasmo said. "It's something the fans have come to expect. Why, I remember sitting around the fire as a boy, talking with my grandfather about how that other team in that other league, the Cubs I think they called themselves, would never make it to another World Series.” Derasmo paused to chug a glass of water, which we later found out was Grey Goose, straight, in a tall glass. “I only hope my children and their children and their childdren's children have the same opportunity."

Despite rumors, Absence From The World Series would not admit to holding closed-door talks with the AltiDUDEs.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Power Rankings - December 11, 2008




Underachievers


1. New York Moon Shots: 3.42

2. Houston Aggies: 2.776

3. Indianapolis Racers: 2.322

4. Buffalo Thunderbolts: 2.18

5. Kansas City Shuffle: 1.604



Overachievers


1. Jacksonville Juggernauts: -3.327

2. Pawtucket Polythene: -2.18

3. Atlanta City Slickers: -2.037

4. Scottsdale T's: -1.923

5. Rochester Raging Rhinos: -1.48




Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Pawtucket Polythene17-30.7846
2Jacksonville Juggernauts16-30.737
3Norfolk Nomads13-60.7032
4Kansas City Shuffle12-70.6824
5Texas Tittyballs13-70.6746
6Fresno Fire Dragons13-70.668
7Charlotte knights13-70.635
8Scottsdale T's13-60.6234
9Atlanta City Slickers13-60.6198
10Tucson Turbocors11-80.582
11Trenton Tadpoles11-80.564
12Cleveland Steamers10-90.5554
13Colorado Springs AltiDUDES10-90.5494
14Cheyenne ChilliPeppers11-90.5398
15St. Louis Birdnals10-90.517
16Buffalo Thunderbolts9-110.5154
17Richmond Moonshiners II11-90.5134
18Memphis Hound Dawgs9-100.4926
19Fargo Nines8-110.4624
20Rochester Raging Rhinos10-100.4556
21Monterrey Cervezas9-110.4194
22Little Rock Big Rocks8-120.4192
23Salt Lake City Dodgers8-120.418
24New York Moon Shots6-140.4026
25Indianapolis Racers6-130.3892
26Detroit Tigers8-120.3598
27Huntington Cousins7-120.3404
28New Orleans Breeze6-130.3316
29Scranton Dunder-Mifflins7-130.3248
30Hartford Defenders6-140.3186
31San Francisco Sourdoughs5-150.2626
32Houston Aggies3-160.2456

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Season 8 Hall of Fame Ballot

Minor snafu in the voting this year, as nobody in the AL North wanted on the HOFC. Instead of figuring things out on the fly (since I realistically don't believe anyone will be enshrined this year anyway), I'm just going with 8 people voting, and lowering the required votes from 5 to 4 to make the ballot.

I'm going to keep the 8 people who voted (bader, bearclan, longday, johnderasmo, dubabe, dawgfan, pvc & myself) on the HOFC permanently. KRS & jtrueblue also showed interest in being on the HOFC. I want everybody's input on this, but since they're the only other people who showed interest, I'm thinking of just making them both members and going with a 10 person committee. Would anybody be opposed to this?

Anyway, on to the three person ballot for the Hall of Fame in season 8. Remember, 70% of votes are required to make the HOF. There are 28 eligible voters, but I'm not sure if everyone will vote in time.

The nominees are:


Steven Widger played 5 major league seasons for the Louisville Freezer Monkeys before playing a year at AAA for Jacksonville. He played 680 career games in the bigs, posting 512 runs, 762 hits, 173 doubles, 20 triples, 137 home runs, 482 rbi's, 103 stolen bases and a .298 career average in 2550 at bats. Widger made 2 all star teams, won 2 silver slugger awards, 1 gold glove, and was voted the Season 1 AL MVP.

Bubba Wall played 5 seasons, all with the Texas Tittyballs. In 613 career games, the catcher hit .293 with 382 runs, 627 hits, 91 doubles, 8 triples, 168 home runs, and 512 RBI's. Wall was a 3-time All Star, as well as winning one Silver Slugger award.

Jeremi Warden pitched 5 seasons with Cheyenne and Rochester, mostly as a closer. He pitched 349 innings in 299 games, posting 154 saves in 178 oppurtunities. He struck out 222 batters while posting a 1.25 whip and 2.99 era. He is the Sharkey's World single season saves leader, with 53 in season 5, his last year in the majors. Warden made 3 All Star teams, and won the Season 5 NL Fireman of the Year award.

I'll update this blog once a day with the results on the voting. The deadline is one week from now. 11:30 PM Eastern on Tuesday, December 16th.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

All-Division Teams

One man's opinion on the best players at each position in every division...

NL East:

C: Ross Bruske NOR
1B: Devon Decker NOR
2B: Bob Kennedy HUN
SS: Wes Robertson NOR
3B: Paul Reese PAW
LF: Ken Hill SWB
CF: Philip Hunter NOR
RF: Buzz Michaels HUN
SP: Christopher Ramirez PAW
SP: Charles Randall PAW
SP: Elmer Radmanovich NOR
SP: Stan Jenner PAW
RP: Henry Mackowiak PAW
RP: Jim Raines NOR
RP: Frank Harris PAW
RP: Turner Foster SWB
RP: Martin Baek SWB


NL North:

C: Howard Gardner ROC
1B: Ramon Jang ROC
2B: Jonathan Cummings ROC
SS: Enrique Montanez STL
3B: Brent Curtis ROC
LF: Steve Randolph STL
CF: Felipe Pujols ROC
RF: Phillip Franco CLE
SP: Santiago Crespo BUF
SP: Erick Appier ROC
SP: Jolbert Nunez BUF
RP: William Hobbes STL
RP: Pedro Nunez BUF
RP: Clint Berry CLE


NL West:

C: Chico Rodriguez SLC
1B: Vicente Gomez SLC
2B: Antone Robbins CSP
SS: Claude Nixon TUC
3B: Mark Abercrombie SF
LF: Tito Arnold TUC
CF: Louie Maxwell SF (probably won't play CF but weak spot in division)
RF: Haywood Karros TUC
SP: Trevor Miles CSP
SP: Lenny Winchester SF
SP: Armando Roque CSP
SP: Lenny Gilmore TUC
RP: Ricky Ellis TUC
RP: Stan Saunders CSP
RP: Terrence Westbrook TUC
RP: Brad O'Toole SF

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Hall of Fame Ballot Votes

Sharkeyke:
Yes to Jeremi Warden, Steven Widger, Bubba Wall, Philip Petrov, Mhoffa1382, RMKelley15

pvc4twenty:
Yes to none

longdayintro
Yes to Jeremi Warden, Steven Widger, Bubba Wall, RMKelley15

bearclan1

Yes to Jeremi Warden

dubabe401
Yes to Jeremi Warden, Bubba Walls

badercubed
Yes to Jeremi Warden, Steven Widger, MHoffa1382, RMKelley15

dawgfan1974
Yes to none

johnderasmo
Yes to Jeremi Warden, Steve Widger, Bubba Wall & Eugene Ryan

Player Nominees for Hall of Fame Ballot

Clarence Perez played 692 games for Santa Cruz, Louisville and Scottsdale over 5 seasons. He finished his career with 364 runs, 590 hits, 112 doubles, 20 triples, 52 home runs, 228 rbi's, 65 stolen bases and a .297 average. His best season was season 1, in which he scored 149 runs and batted .324 while posting the 5th highest single season doubles total in history, with 52. Perez made 2 All Star teams.

Jay Starr played 445 games over 4 seasons with Cheyenne. He scored 292 runs, had 546 hits, 90 doubles, 8 triples 90 home runs, 314 rbi's and a .315 career average. He had a 30 game hitting streak in season two.

Ben Diaz played all 709 games of his 5 year career with the Santa Cruz/Scottsdale/Salem franchise. He's the Sharkey's World career leader for fewest strike outs of all players with at least 2500 plate appearances, having struck out only 216 times in 2304 official at bats.

Jeremi Warden pitched 5 seasons with Cheyenne and Rochester, mostly as a closer. He pitched 349 innings in 299 games, posting 154 saves in 178 oppurtunities. He struck out 222 batters while posting a 1.25 whip and 2.99 era. He is the Sharkey's World single season saves leader, with 53 in season 5, his last year in the majors. Warden made 3 All Star teams, and won the Season 5 NL Fireman of the Year award.

Steven Widger played 5 major league seasons for the Louisville Freezer Monkeys before playing a year at AAA for Jacksonville. He played 680 career games in the bigs, posting 512 runs, 762 hits, 173 doubles, 20 triples, 137 home runs, 482 rbi's, 103 stolen bases and a .298 career average in 2550 at bats. Widger made 2 all star teams, won 2 silver slugger awards, 1 gold glove, and was voted the Season 1 AL MVP.

Eugene Ryan played parts of four seasons with the Texas Tittyballs. He played 505 games while posting 350 runs, 594 hits, 103 doubles, 14 triples, 130 rbi's, 393 rbi's, and a .312 average in 1904 at bats. He made one all star team and won one silver slugger award.

Bubba Wall played 5 seasons, all with the Texas Tittyballs. In 613 career games, the catcher hit .293 with 382 runs, 627 hits, 91 doubles, 8 triples, 168 home runs, and 512 RBI's. Wall was a 3-time All Star, as well as winning one Silver Slugger award.

Phillip Petrov played 6 seasons with Santa Cruz/Scottsdale, Cleveland, Salem & New Orleans. In 684 games, he had 2294 at bats, hit .282 with 377 runs, 647 hits, 114 doubles, 19 triples, 146 home runs, 477 rbi's, and 29 stolen bases. Petrov made one all star team and won one gold glove.

I will now trade chat all those involved in the HoFC and ask them to vote on these players as well as the previously mentioned owners. I understand it is a relatively weak class and odds are against anyone actually being inducted this season, but we are still a relatively young world.

Catching Up With The Offseason

First off, I apologize about not getting any HOF ballots out. It should have been out day 1 of spring training, but as you all know, that was Thanksgiving. Seeing as how I had to cook for 30+ people, WiS wasn't a priority. Also, no one sent in any players. This is likely because no one truly historic has retired yet, but I still want the oppurtunity to go through the retired list for each of the last 7 seasons to make sure we're not missing anyone before I post the official ballot.

Until then, here's a quick post capping each teams biggest move(s) or lack thereof this offseason. No commentary or anything on the moves, just an easy way to catch up on all 32 teams.

*The Atlanta City Slickers signed Willie Tapies to a 4 year, $36 million contract, with a $2 million signing bonus, a no trade clause, and a team option for a fifth year.

*The Buffalo Thunderbolts signed Joel Daniels to a 3 year, $15.6 million contract.

*The Charlotte knights promoted Kevin Stone to the big league level.

*The Cheyenne Chilipeppers signed season 7 MVP Jose Rodriguez to a 5 year, $53.3 million contract extension.

*The Cleveland Steamers signed Scott Brosius to a 4 year, $18.4 million extension.

*The Colorado Springs AltiDUDES signed Tomas Hernandez to a one year, $1.8 million deal.

*The Detroit Tigers traded for pitcher Guy Jones.

*The Fargo Nines resigned season 6 AL MVP Darin Kingland to a four year, $25.2 million extension.

*The Fresno Fire Dragons acquired Darren Vina, Freddy Baines, and Achilles Mitchell in three seperate trades.

*The Hartford Defenders promoted Dario Welch to the big league level.

*The Houston Aggies promoted Bucky Perez and Luke Romero to the big league level.

*The Huntington Cousins traded for LF Del Cortez.

*The Indianapolis Racers resigned pitcher Rogers Marshall to a one year deal, while more importantly significantly cutting the team budget.

*The World Series Champion Jacksonville Juggernauts inked Julio De La Vega to a five year, $46 million extension.

*The Kansas City Shuffle resigned 1B Timothy Moore to a one year, $2.6 million deal.

*The Little Rock Big Rocks acquired Andrew Connelly via trade.

*The Memphis Hound Dawgs resigned 1B Victor Ozuna to a two year, $10.4 million contract.

*The Monterrey Cervezas signed P Harold Kingland to a three year, $17.4 million contract.

*The New Orleans Breeze signed free agents Seth Pierce, Howard Young, Archie Burke, and Orlando Javier.

*The New York Moon Shots promoted William Martin, Mule Einertson, and Brent Canseco to the big league roster, as well as signing free agent Trever Farley to a two year deal.

*The Norfolk Nomads signed Vinny Valentin, as well as resigning Bernard Jamison to a three year deal.

*The Pawtucket Polythene signed free agents Theo Lamb and Woody Key.

*The Richmond Moonshiners II signed 10 players in the arbitration period, most notably Jason Randall.

*The Rochester Raging Rhinos acquired Trenidad Alicea and Earl Mulder via trade.

*The Salem Dodgers moved to Salt Lake City, and then signed free agent Edgard Amaral.

*The San Francisco Sourdoughs acquired Nate Salmon and Louie Maxwell in two seperate trades.

*The Scottsdale T's signed a S.W. record 47 free agents, most notably Max Cortes, Mark Nation, and Norman Swann.

*The Scranton Dunder-Mifflins signed P Damion Lee to a three year, $18 million contract.

*The St. Louis Birdnals signed P Cy Patrick to a two year, $7.6 million deal with a team option for a third year.

*The National League Champion Texas Tittyballs acquired Willie Garcia and Footsie Burnett in a trade with the Big Rocks.

*The Trenton Tadpoles signed free agents Willie Osborne and Damon Foster.

*The Tuscon Turbocors promoted infielders Desi Maranon and Mark Jung.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Owners Up For Hall of Fame Induction

I've decided to put all new HOF Posts on this blog, in order to keep the HOF less cluttered. Once this years voting is over, I will delte the posts that are already on there. The HOF Blog will be reserved only for bios of players in the HOF, as well as details of each seasons voting history.

Here's the first post pertaining to the potential Class of Season 8. The following managers were in our league at some point in the first seven seasons, and I have decided they warrant discussion about a potential spot on the ballot.

Even I do not believe all of these members are deserving of making the HoF, but that decision is not up to me alone, so therefore the list is a little longer than who's qualified, and the HOFC will narrow it down even more, and then the entire league will make the final decision.

Gregg21: Chicago Smooth Horses, Seasons 1-6
498-474 record
3-7 playoff record
1 Division Title
1 Wildcard Berth
Finished over .500 in first 5 seasons as team manager.

Canes628: Santa Cruz Bay Kings, Seasons 1-2
169-155 record
6-4 playoff record
1 Wildcard Berth
Signed Troy Harper to the largest contract in SW History in Season 1
Advanced to season 1 NLCS


mhoffa1382:
Iowa City Kaysons, Seasons 1-7
644-490 record
9-18 playoff record
3 division titles
2 wildcards
Won the season 2 ALCS over Kansas City, losing in 5 games to Texas in the World Series

rmkelley15: Charleston Rebels, Seasons 1-6
569-403 record
23-23 playoff record
5 division titles
1 wildcard
Finished over .500 every season in career
Won 5 straight division titles (2-6)
Advanced to ALCS in seasons 5 & 6 (both losses to KC)
4th All-time in SW history with 23 playoff wins


landmanatee:
Louisville Freezer Monkeys, Seasons 1-5
439-371 record
15-13 playoff record
2 division titles
1 wildcard
Finished .500 or better in every season
Advanced to Season 4 ALCS (lost to Kansas City)

If there are any other managers that you think at least deserve a chance to be voted on by the HOFC, please post them in the comments section of this post, or in the league chat.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Catching up with season 1 stars

It’s been seven seasons since Sharkey’s World began, and we are starting to get to a point where some of the stars from early seasons are starting to age and retire and being replaced by players who weren’t even in the game when this world was created. Here’s a look back at the MVP and Cy Young winners from season 1 and where they are now.

Season 1

AL MVP: Steven Widger. Widger had five more seasons playing with the Freezer Monkeys until new owner kjmulli moved him down to the AAA level. He played one season in the minors, batting .283 before retiring after season 6.

NL MVP: Troy Harper. Harper, who hit 73 home runs back in season 1, is now 37-years old and seeing his ratings quickly fall, but still has a significant roll with Pawtucket. While he’s no longer an everyday player, he still has hit .283 in 233 at bats over the past two seasons. The Polythene extended his contract during the regular season and he will return to Rhode Island for season 8.

AL Cy Young: Willie Tapies. Still a one of the top pitchers in the game, Tapies has moved around multiple times since being named the AL’s top pitcher in season 1. His latest stop is in Iowa City, where he’s pitched two straight years with an ERA under 3. In season 6 behind a 20-3 record he took his second Cy Young award at the age of 37.

NL Cy Young: Gary Wood. Wood was unable to get back to the 20-win plateau after season 1, and by season 3 was out of the Pawtucket rotation. Before season 4 he was traded to Tucson where he spent 3 season before the Polythene resigned him before this season to pitch out of the bullpen. This season Wood made $705,000 in contrast to the $15.5 million he made in seasons 2, 3 and 4.

List of other season 1 All-Stars who no longer on a Major League roster:

AL

Jeremi Warden (Retired)

Lorenzo Gardel (Norfolk AAA)

Wally Collins (Retired)

Dwight Weaver (Retired)

Curtis Cook (Retired)

Trevor Bradford (Retired)

Philip Ramirez (Retired)

Stevie Mateo (Retired)

Juan Johnson (Retired)

Michael Morris (Free Agent)

NL

Fausto Fernandez (Retired)

Billy Philips (Free Agent)

Joe Baldwin (Free Agent)

Julio Servet (Retired)

Rich Roosevelt (Free Agent)

Justin Krause (Retired)

Happy Kirby (Free Agent)

Nolan French (Retired)

Willie Brown (Free Agent)

Mike Gardner (Colorado Springs AAA)

Bubba Wall (Retired)

Jesus Soto (Retired)

Clarence Perez (Retired)

Johnny Linden (Retired)

Eugene Ryan (Retired)

Phillip Petrov (Retired)

A shift in the balance of power...

Through the history of Sharkey's World, there have been two undeniable truths. Kansas City is the best team, and the National League is the best league. KC has won 4 world series and 5 pennants in 7 seasons. It's closest competitor in championships is Texas with 1 world series & 3 pennants.

One argument that hasn't been so cut & dry, though, is the best league. While the AL racked up 4 of the first 6 World Series, the NL dominated interleague play every year. And in most years, while the case was made that KC was the best team that season, and equally compelling case could be made for some variation of Rochester, Pawtucket, Scranton, Texas, San Francisco & Colorado Springs rounding out the Top Five.

Then two things happened in Season Seven that may forever change the perception of this world. The first was the rest of the American League remembered how to play baseball. Let us not all fool ourselves into thinking KC tooka step backwards, and thats why they only won 107 games, as opposed to their normal 115-120. In years past there were usually 2 other good teams in the AL. Two of Fargo, Iowa City & Charleston. This year, his entire division, as well as Jacksonville, joined Fargo & Iowa City in the "good teams" list.

Don't let KC's 20-10 divisino record fool you. He went on a tear at the end of the season that made it look much more impressive. For the longest time all 4 teams in the division had at or near .500 division records.

The NL still won division play, but you could no longer make the argument that it had over 50% of the leagues Top 10. And in fact, the NL has recently fallen into what hindered the AL for years. A top heavy/bottom heavy league. Going into season 7, you can clearly say right now that Rochester, St Louis, Pawtucket, Norfolk, Texas, Memphis, Richmond, Colorado Springs & San Fran can make the playoffs. And you can clearly say that Cleveland, Vancouver, Scranton, Huntington, New Orleans, Salem & Tuscon will not make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, in the AL, the # of teams that won't make the playoffs is 5: Detroit, Atlanta, Hartford, Houston & Little Rock. The other 11 teams can all make the playoffs this year.

OK, 11 & 9 aren't convincing arguments. But who are your top dogs? Texas & Pawtucket in the NL. Rochester looks like they're coming on strong. Norfolk has made 2 of the last 4 NLCS's. Colorado Springs has not proven they can do anything in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, in the AL, would it surprise you to see any of Fargo, Iowa City, Jacksonville, KC, Fresno, Cheyenne or Scottsdale in the world series?

The league parity has shifted to the AL. The World series rings are piling up over there. And I expect in season 8, for the first time in SW history, the final interleague standings to show the AL being the better league.

A crossroads, we've reached.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Sharkadamus?

32 bold predictions revisited:

AL North

Prediction: The Detroit Tigers come in last place for the 6th straight season.

Result: Winner! Detroit was 15 games back of 3rd as of today’s PM game.

Prediction: Kevin Tracy and his .266 average of last season are missed more than anyone would think is possible.

Result: Push. While New York’s offensive numbers were down slightly (28 runs less) it wasn’t enough to say Tracy was the cause.

Prediction: *Darin Kingland makes a serious run at the single season RBI record.

Result: Loss. Kingland’s nerve damage in his forearm caused him to miss over 125 games. Look for him to be back in a big way for season 8.

Prediction: *The Iowa City Kaysons, the only AL team to beat KC in the playoffs, hit the 100 win mark for the second time in history, and once the playoffs come. . . .

Result: Loss. 91 wins wasn’t enough for Iowa to make the playoffs.

AL East:

Prediction: *The Chicago Lollygaggers ride their rookie owner to a success (gasp) possibly similar to the success rookie owner JohnDerasmo gave San Fran in season 1. . . .

Result: Loss: A 24 game drop in wins for the Chicago team was a large disappointment. However, they have the tools to turn it around in season 8.

Prediction: *The Charlotte knights, 81-81 in each of the last two seasons, finally win 82 games in a season, but don't stop there.

Result: Um, can you say dead on the money? The Knights had 82 wins at press time and are going to the playoffs!

Prediction: *The Atlanta City Slickers, whose AA, High A, Low A, nor Rookie teams have ever had a .500 season, finally snap that streak, as all the young talent starts contributing in some way.

Result: Loss. I am not really sure what RockyBill’s long term plan is or if he even has one.

Prediction: *The Hartford Defenders improve on their 62 wins of last season... and still come in last place in the division.

Result: Push. Didn’t improve their win total but they did finish last.

AL South

Prediction: *The Jacksonville Juggernauts, baseball's best young team (although Charlotte may steal that crown) avoid a season ending 7 game losing streak, get more than 95 wins, and have a better than .500 record in this years playoffs.

Result: Win. 97 wins and a head of steam into the playoffs makes Jax a very dangerous team.

Prediction: *The San Juan Sharks are grateful to escape the "kjmulli" era unharmed, and while don't seriously compete, play good enough ball to stay competitive while their new owner learns the ropes.

Result: Win. San Juan was very competitive and gave Jax a run for their money most of the season.

Prediction: *The Houston Aggies improve for the 3rd straight season, but still aren't close to a playoff team.

Result: Push. Same ole Houston.

Prediction: *The Little Rock Big Rocks continue to not matter in the ML, but that minor league system continues to get scary good. "Let KC win now while no one has a chance and then dominate seasons 10-20" looks like a pretty damn smart strategy from the outside.

Result: Win. Little Rock added Turner Ramsey with the 8th overall pick and pulled down a solid starter in Octavio Gonzo in the INT market.

AL West

Predictions:

*The Kansas City Shuffle do not make the World Series.
*The Fresno Fire Dragons finish within 10 games of KC for the division crown...
*In fact, no one has ever finished closer than 17 games out in the AL West, and Cheyenne will also finish closer than that this season...
*Scottsdale... won't.

Result: Three wins and a TBD. Shark’s best division will be sending three teams to the playoffs including the top two teams with the major’s best records. The Shuffle not making the World Series has yet to be determined.

NL North

Prediction: *Rochester, in a rebuilding year last year, entered the final game of the season with a shot at the outright division crown. This year, they'll have it clinched by then.

Result: Dead on.

Prediction: *St. Louis, last year's "next big thing," becomes so last year, and misses the playoffs.

Result: Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Sharkadamus is on fire.

Prediction: *The Vancouver Greens, who finished below .500 for the first time ever last year, do not make a habit of that aberration.

Result: Loss. Vancouver took a nose dive.

Prediction: *The Cleveland Steams have won 64, 66, & 68 games the last three seasons. This year, they decide to improve by more than 2 games. They finish 71-91.

Result: Winner. Cleveland had 74 wins at press time. Nice job.

NL East

Prediction: *The Pawtucket Polythene start looking forward to Texas in the NLCS around game 15.

Result: Win. Shark’s always chomping at the bit for some Texas. We’ll see if he gets his wish in the NLCS.

Prediction: *The Norfolk Nomads join the rank of "90 win teams to not win the division."

Result: Winner. 95 wins and no title, makes teams not named Cheyenne and Fresno sad.

Prediction: *The Huntington Cousins continue a proud tradition by finishing with a .420 winning percentage for a 3rd straight season.

Result: Win .447 is close enough.

Prediction: *The Scranton Dunder-Mifflins make up for last years debacle by winning more games, missing the playoffs again, and having a mid-teens draft pick instead of top 5.

Result: Loss. Scranton is picking 5th in season 8. Better luck next year.

NL South

Prediction: *The Texas Tittyballs join the Durham Savage (LR Big Rocks), Kansas City Shuffle & Pawtucket Polythene on the small list of teams to league the league in wins. And they do it convincingly. Bonus Prediction: Enrique Infante runs away with the ROY, and in a vote split halfway between "he deserves it" and "screw Chris Ramirez," he becomes the first non-Polythene to win the NL Cy Young.

Result: Loss. KC has most wins and it looks like Mr. Ramirez will be taking home another CY.

Prediction: *The Memphis Hound Dawgs become the second 90 win team ever to miss the playoffs.

Result: Push. Over 90 wins and a playoff birth.

Prediction: *The Richmond Moonshiners II do something unspectacular (it's late and my creative juices are dwindling!)

Result: Winner! I didn’t know Richmond was even in the league. (I’m half kidding).

Prediction: *The New Orleans Breeze can't possibly be as bad as they were last year...

Result: Winner. A 13 game turnaround. Nic job Vlady.

NL West

Prediction: *The Colorado Springs AltiDUDES edge out Pawtucket for a first round bye... then lose to Pawtucket in the NLDS.

Result: Loss. Pawtuckett wasn’t giving himself enough credit for once!

Prediction: *The San Francisco Sourdoughs become the first ever 100 win team to finish 2nd in the division.

Result: Way off. JohnD watches San Fran go down the drain as he plans for his wedding.

Prediction: *The Tuscon Turbocors decide midseason that their 6 year rebuilding plan is now a 7 year rebuilding plan.

Result: Winner. Tuscon’s motto: There’s no year like next year!

Prediction: *The Salem Dodgers just say F it, as long as CSP & Sf win, we're going to lose. We're following Little Rock's lead.

Result: Winner. #1 overall pick says you are right.

The final tally: 18-9-5

Looks like Shark knows his league. A couple of those pushes could come true in the playoffs which would make his record even better. Nice job Shark, I know we all enjoyed those predictions.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Computer Rankings - September 25th 2008




Underachievers


1. Atlanta City Slickers: 4.68

2. Richmond Moonshiners II: 4.55

3. Hartford Defenders: 4.32

4. Cleveland Steamers: 3.585

5. Kansas City Shuffle: 2.2



Overachievers


1. Memphis Hound Dawgs: -7.243

2. Houston Aggies: -6.162

3. Iowa City Kaysons: -3.975

4. Tucson Turbocors: -3.84

5. Chicago Lollygaggers: -3.32




Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Kansas City Shuffle41-190.7052
2Jacksonville Juggernauts42-190.6686
3Cheyenne ChilliPeppers38-220.6474
4Texas Tittyballs40-210.6422
5Fargo Nines39-220.6402
6Norfolk Nomads39-210.6308
7Memphis Hound Dawgs40-210.5846
8Pawtucket Polythene35-250.5824
9San Juan Sharks35-260.5764
10Rochester Raging Rhinos34-270.5678
11Scottsdale T's34-260.5598
12Iowa City Kaysons36-250.551
13Charlotte knights32-280.5396
14Fresno Fire Dragons31-290.5362
15Huntington Cousins31-290.5218
16Richmond Moonshiners II29-320.52
17Tucson Turbocors33-270.5116
18Colorado Springs AltiDUDES29-310.4986
19St. Louis Birdnals30-310.4986
20San Francisco Sourdoughs28-320.4838
21Cleveland Steamers26-350.4614
22New York Moon Shots26-350.4392
23New Orleans Breeze26-350.4332
24Chicago Lollygaggers26-340.4
25Houston Aggies28-330.3984
26Scranton Dunder-Mifflins23-370.3866
27Detroit Tigers22-390.3784
28Vancouver Greens23-380.3746
29Little Rock Big Rocks22-390.3652
30Atlanta City Slickers18-420.3468
31Hartford Defenders15-450.2932
32Salem Dodgers17-430.2758

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Computer Rankings - September 18th 2008




Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Kansas City Shuffle27-140.6908
2Texas Tittyballs27-140.6602
3Jacksonville Juggernauts29-120.659
4Fargo Nines26-150.652
5Cheyenne ChilliPeppers26-150.6316
6Norfolk Nomads27-140.6266
7Pawtucket Polythene25-160.6256
8Memphis Hound Dawgs29-120.617
9Richmond Moonshiners II23-180.5934
10Rochester Raging Rhinos23-180.5514
11San Juan Sharks22-190.5502
12Iowa City Kaysons23-180.549
13Huntington Cousins22-190.5454
14Scottsdale T's22-190.5214
15Charlotte knights21-200.5138
16St. Louis Birdnals20-210.5132
17Fresno Fire Dragons21-200.503
18Chicago Lollygaggers22-190.4986
19Tucson Turbocors21-200.497
20New York Moon Shots19-220.4774
21Colorado Springs AltiDUDES18-230.4756
22New Orleans Breeze20-210.4742
23San Francisco Sourdoughs18-230.4324
24Houston Aggies20-210.4208
25Scranton Dunder-Mifflins16-250.4062
26Little Rock Big Rocks14-270.3914
27Vancouver Greens16-250.3696
28Detroit Tigers13-280.347
29Atlanta City Slickers13-280.3464
30Cleveland Steamers11-300.3268
31Salem Dodgers12-290.2822
32Hartford Defenders10-310.274





Underachievers


1. Cleveland Steamers: 4.006

2. Little Rock Big Rocks: 3.425

3. Colorado Springs AltiDUDES: 2.5

4. Richmond Moonshiners II: 2.215

5. Kansas City Shuffle: 2.192



Overachievers


1. Memphis Hound Dawgs: -6.163

2. Houston Aggies: -4.584

3. Jacksonville Juggernauts: -3.293

4. Chicago Lollygaggers: -2.607

5. Norfolk Nomads: -2.195

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

32 Bold Predictions

AL North:

*The Detroit Tigers come in last place for the 6th straight season.
*Kevin Tracy and his .266 average of last season are missed more than anyone would think is possible.
*Darin Kingland makes a serious run at the single season RBI record.
*The Iowa City Kaysons, the only AL team to beat KC in the playoffs, hit the 100 win mark for the second time in history, and once the playoffs come. . . .

AL East:

*The Chicago Lollygaggers ride their rookie owner to a success (gasp) possibly similar to the success rookie owner JohnDerasmo gave San Fran in season 1. . . .
*The Charlotte knights, 81-81 in each of the last two seasons, finally win 82 games in a season, but don't stop there.
*The Atlanta City Slickers, whose AA, High A, Low A, nor Rookie teams have ever had a .500 season, finally snap that streak, as all the young talent starts contributing in some way.
*The Hartford Defenders improve on their 62 wins of last season... and still come in last place in the division.

AL South:

*The Jacksonville Juggernauts, baseball's best young team (although Charlotte may steal that crown) avoid a season ending 7 game losing streak, get more than 95 wins, and have a better than .500 record in this years playoffs.
*The San Juan Sharks are grateful to escape the "kjmulli" era unharmed, and while don't seriously compete, play good enough ball to stay competitive while their new owner learns the ropes.
*The Houston Aggies improve for the 3rd straight season, but still aren't close to a playoff team.
*The Little Rock Big Rocks continue to not matter in the ML, but that minor league system continues to get scary good. "Let KC win now while no one has a chance and then dominate seasons 10-20" looks like a pretty damn smart strategy from the outside.

AL West:

*The Kansas City Shuffle do not make the World Series.
*The Fresno Fire Dragons finish within 10 games of KC for the division crown...
*In fact, no one has ever finished closer than 17 games out in the AL West, and Cheyenne will also finish closer than that this season...
*Scottsdale... won't.

NL North:

*Rochester, in a rebuilding year last year, entered the final game of the season with a shot at the outright division crown. This year, they'll have it clinched by then.
*St. Louis, last year's "next big thing," becomes so last year, and misses the playoffs.
*The Vancouver Greens, who finished below .500 for the first time ever last year, do not make a habit of that aberration.
*The Cleveland Steams have won 64, 66, & 68 games the last three seasons. This year, they decide to improve by more than 2 games. They finish 71-91.

NL East:

*The Pawtucket Polythene start looking forward to Texas in the NLCS around game 15.
*The Norfolk Nomads join the rank of "90 win teams to not win the division."
*The Huntington Cousins continue a proud tradition by finishing with a .420 winning percentage for a 3rd straight season.
*The Scranton Dunder-Mifflins make up for last years debacle by winning more games, missing the playoffs again, and having a mid-teens draft pick instead of top 5.

NL South:

*The Texas Tittyballs join the Durham Savage (LR Big Rocks), Kansas City Shuffle & Pawtucket Polythene on the small list of teams to league the league in wins. And they do it convincingly. Bonus prediction: Enrique Infante runs away with the ROY, and in a vote split halfway between "he deserves it" and "screw Chris Ramirez," he becomes the first non-Polythene to win the NL Cy Young.
*The Memphis Hound Dawgs become the second 90 win team ever to miss the playoffs.
*The Richmond Moonshiners II do something unspectacular (it's late and my creative juices are dwindling!)
*The New Orleans Breeze can't possibly be as bad as they were last year...

NL West:

*The Colorado Springs AltiDUDES edge out Pawtucket for a first round bye... then lose to Pawtucket in the NLDS.
*The San Francisco Sourdoughs become the first ever 100 win team to finish 2nd in the division.
*The Tuscon Turbocors decide midseason that their 6 year rebuilding plan is now a 7 year rebuilding plan.
*The Salem Dodgers just say F it, as long as CSP & Sf win, we're going to lose. We're following Little Rock's lead.

Another Bonus Bold Prediction:

Texas Tittyballs are your Season 7 World Series Champions.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Goodbye Sam Davis


A moment of silence to remember what could have been....
Sluggin' Sammy Davis decided to forgo his baseball career to play QB for Penn State instead.
Just look at those potential ratings for Mr. Davis - he probably would have been the best player to ever put on a uniform in Sharkey World history if he took the bank vault full of money that krs tried to thow at him.
But alas it wasn't meant to be.
Joining Davis on the first round "thanks but no thanks" team were number 1 overall pick Frankie Lloyd (Detroit), Curt Beverlin (Memphis), and Harpo "don't call me Chris" Benoit (Texas). Once we roll to season 7 these players will vanish from memory except for those owners left holding their wallets open for them...

Fun with Math

Who was the most economical and who broke the bank and has nothing to show for it?

Fresno got the most bang for their buck with 92 wins and a payroll of just over $38 million for a cost per win of just $414,141.
Detroit spent over $92 million and only had 57 wins to show for it at a cost of $1,615,842 per victory.

Where does your franchise fall?
Cost per Win numbers below...


Franchise / Cost per win:
Fresno 414,141
Charlotte 595,778
San Antonio 606,527
Salem 608,125
Colorado Springs 655,644
Richmond 721,843
Atlanta 732,716
St. Louis 779,500
Little Rock 792,235
Fargo 805,642
Texas 844,990
San Francisco 851,281
Cheyenne 859,518
Iowa City 860,313
Kansas City 887,264
Charleston 905,224
Cleveland 983,706
Rochester 1,010,839
Pawtucket 1,017,855
Scottsdale 1,023,267
Hartford 1,033,129
New York 1,034,013
Memphis 1,040,583
Houston 1,046,541
Norfolk 1,046,602
Huntington 1,066,235
Tucson 1,070,625
Jackson 1,077,309
Chicago 1,194,066
New Orleans 1,285,983
Scranton 1,381,345
Detroit 1,615,842

Random notes/observations from season 6

The Blog is back baby!
Let's take a look at the plus/minus report card from season 6....


Biggest Surprises:
St. Louis improves by 22 wins over season 5 and wins the NL East with a final weekend sweep of Rochester.
Fresno also sees a 22 game improvement from last year and makes the playoffs.
Scranton falls apart in front of our faces after trading eventual NL MVP Steve Randolph and loses 23 more games in season 6 than they did in season 5.

Biggest not so surprises:
Pawtucket and Charleston win their divisions for the 5th straight year while KC tames the AL West for the 6th consecutive year.

Biggest stick in the bigs:
Darin Kingland blasts 71 HRs to go along with a .335 average and .410 OBP to win his first MVP award

Smallest stick in the bigs:
Brandon Varitek in 620 official ABs Varitek smacked a whopping 2 home runs. No one in the bigs had less home runs with as many plate appearances.

Biggest eyes at the plate:
Nicholas Bryant proves he does everything by drawing 143 walks this year - 47 more than 2nd place in the world

Biggest lug swinging a 10 pound bat (Adam Dunn memorial award):
Sherman Pierce of Jackson crushes 38 home runs while strking out a league leading 159 times. He doesn't get cheated when he takes his swings.

Fleetest of Feet:
Nicholas Bryant swipes a league record 178 bases while getting caught just 6 times. An amazing 97% success rate.

Biggest 2 left feet:
Fred Green of New Orleans attempts to steal 13 times. He made it twice. The New Orleans Post Gazette reports Green attempted to steal a loaf of marble rye bread when the season ended but tripped and was apprehended by my grandmother.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Computer Rankings - Pre Blackout - Posted July 18th, 2008

These were as of the "blackout".




Underachievers


1. Cleveland Steamers: 5.598

2. Scottsdale T's: 5.338

3. Hartford Defenders: 4.794

4. Richmond Moonshiners II: 4.188

5. Scranton Dunder-Mifflins: 3.888



Overachievers


1. Salem Dodgers: -4.16

2. St. Louis Birdnals: -3.834

3. Cheyenne ChilliPeppers: -3.504

4. New Orleans Breeze: -3.372

5. Texas Tittyballs: -3.258




Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Kansas City Shuffle85-410.6894
2Pawtucket Polythene84-420.6574
3Texas Tittyballs81-450.6274
4Iowa City Kaysons79-470.6258
5Colorado Springs AltiDUDES76-500.6162
6Charleston Rebels76-500.6
7San Francisco Sourdoughs74-520.5852
8San Antonio Border Jumpers74-520.5792
9Norfolk Nomads70-560.5728
10Fresno Fire Dragons71-550.5606
11Fargo Nines71-550.5594
12St. Louis Birdnals72-540.553
13Rochester Raging Rhinos68-580.534
14Memphis Hound Dawgs65-610.525
15New York Moon Shots63-630.5078
16Cheyenne ChilliPeppers66-600.5072
17Jackson Jaspers64-620.4972
18Charlotte knights61-650.4804
19Houston Aggies58-680.4732
20Chicago Smooth Horses59-670.4728
21Cleveland Steamers54-720.4554
22Scottsdale T's53-730.4462
23Tucson Turbocors55-710.4388
24Richmond Moonshiners II51-750.4248
25Little Rock Big Rocks51-750.405
26Hartford Defenders48-780.4038
27Huntington Cousins52-740.4016
28New Orleans Breeze51-750.3888
29Atlanta City Slickers48-780.3852
30Scranton Dunder-Mifflins45-810.3756
31Salem Dodgers47-790.3532
32Detroit Tigers44-820.346

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Nine votes this week. Not bad! Here's hoping we keep hovering around 10, and eventually consistently top 10.

For the first time ever one team received every single first place vote. Three teams received second place votes. Those three teams all got voted 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, and not a single voter had any other team in their top 4.

The race for the final top 5 spot was a crazy mess.

RankLast WeekTeamFirst Place Votesstyle="font-weight: bold;">Points
1.1Pawtucket990
2.3Kansas City-78
3.2Texas-70
4.4Iowa City-68
5.7San Antonio-47
6.10Charleston-37
7.NRColorado Springs-27
8.6St. Louis-24
9.10Fargo-23
10.8Memphis-16


Other's Receiving Votes: San Francisco, Norfolk, Fresno

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Individual Season Records Watch

As we all observe Steve Randolph & Christopher Ramirez possibly have the two greatest seasons in world history, let's take a look at what single season records are within reach to be broken this season.

Sorry there are no links in this post, I'm short on time.

Batting Records

Julio Melendez of New Orleans is on pace for 710 At Bats, which would put him 13 short of Emil Ibarra's season two record.

Steve Randolph of St. Louis is on pace for a .380 batting average, which would put him .013 percentage points short of Roger Mottola's season five record.

Paul Reese of Hartford is on pace for 61 doubles, which puts him on pace to break Bret Kubenka's record of 57, which he set last season.

Woody Key of Scranton is on pace for 244 hits this season, and Darrin Kingland of Fargo is on pace for 240. Nicholas Bryant set the record in season 4 with 240 hits.

Darrin Kingland is on pace to hit 75 home runs, which would beat Troy Harper's season 1 record by 2.

Steve Randolph is on pace to have a .479 on base percentage, which is .002 points higher than Ramon Jang's season 3 record.

Steve Randolph is on pace to have a 1.249 on base + slugging percentage, which would fall 0.013 points short of Troy Harper's season 1 record.

Steve Randolph is set to finish the season with a 16.10 Runs Created per 27 At Bats mark, which would obliterate Ramon Jang's season 3 record of 14.06.

Nicholas Bryant is on pace for 190 Stolen Bases, which would beat the 168 he stole last season.

Nicholas Bryant is on pace for 139 walks, after he was walked a record 142 times last season.

Pitching Records

Chris Ramirez of Pawtucket is on pace for a .193 batting average against mark, which would beat teammate Henry Mackowiaks season 5 mark of .197.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 20 complete games, which would beat Ricardo Velasquez's season one record of 16.

William Hobbes is on pace for a 1.75 ERA, which would beat Henry Mackowiak's season 4 mark of 1.96. Hobbes is on pace for 164 IP this season, which just barely would top the 162.2 required to qualify for the ERA Title.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 314 Innings Pitched, and Dennys Shin is on pace for 302 Innings Pitched, both of which would top Shin's season 4 record of 295 IP.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 32 Quality Starts, and Willie Tapies of Iowa is on pace for 30 Quality Starts, both of which would top the 28 QS record shared by Christopher Ramirez, Dennys Shin, and Erick Appier.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 6 shutouts, which would break his record of 5, set last season.

William Hobbes is on pace for a .241 slugging percentage against, and Chris Ramirez is on pace for a .271, both of which would break Henry Mackowiak's .278 record. Again, Hobbes would fail to set the record if he didn't hit the minimum pitch requirement.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 301 K's, which would break his own record of 277 set last season, and make him the first member of the 300 K Club.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for a 0.96 WHIP, which would fall 0.07 points short of Mackowiak's season 4 record.

Chris Ramirez is on pace for 27 victories, which would tie Orlando Javier's season two record.

Team Records

The Pawtucket Polythene are on pace for a 3.26 team ERA, which would break their season 4 mark of 3.27.



And yes, I realize this looks like a post full of bragging rights. But I actually started off doing this because of Randolph & Ramirez both, who deserve the leagues full attention on their incredible seasons. I just didn't realize Ramirez was on pace to break basically every pitching record ever.

Computer Rankings - July 2nd 2008



Underachievers


1. Cleveland Steamers: +4.316

2. Scranton Dunder-Mifflins: +3.856

3. Norfolk Nomads: +3.053

4. Scottsdale T's: +2.406

5. Richmond Moonshiners II: +2.31



Overachievers


1. St. Louis Birdnals: -3.86

2. Cheyenne ChilliPeppers: -3.592

3. Salem Dodgers: -3.152

4. New Orleans Breeze: -2.148

5. Pawtucket Polythene: -2.119


Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Pawtucket Polythene65-260.7002
2Texas Tittyballs60-310.656
3Kansas City Shuffle58-330.643
4Iowa City Kaysons58-330.634
5San Antonio Border Jumpers53-380.5964
6San Francisco Sourdoughs53-380.5826
7Fresno Fire Dragons52-390.5788
8Charleston Rebels53-380.5778
9Memphis Hound Dawgs53-380.5742
10Norfolk Nomads50-410.5694
11St. Louis Birdnals53-380.5568
12Fargo Nines51-400.5558
13Colorado Springs AltiDUDES50-410.5514
14New York Moon Shots47-440.528
15Rochester Raging Rhinos48-430.5234
16Cheyenne ChilliPeppers48-430.5036
17Houston Aggies44-470.4882
18Jackson Jaspers44-470.481
19Charlotte knights43-480.4778
20Cleveland Steamers39-520.4572
21Scottsdale T's40-510.4556
22Chicago Smooth Horses41-500.4552
23Atlanta City Slickers38-530.4276
24Tucson Turbocors37-540.4094
25Huntington Cousins37-540.4004
26Richmond Moonshiners II35-560.4
27Scranton Dunder-Mifflins34-570.3992
28Detroit Tigers36-550.3948
29Little Rock Big Rocks36-550.393
30New Orleans Breeze36-550.3816
31Hartford Defenders31-600.3488
32Salem Dodgers33-580.342

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

All Star Break Top Ten

Only seven people voted this week, a drop of three from last week. Hopefully we can pick that number up this week.


RankLast WeekTeamFirst Place VotesPoints
1.1Pawtucket Polythene669
2.2Texas Tittyballs163
3.3Kansas City Shuffle-56
4.7Iowa City Kaysons-49
5.NRSan Francisco Sourdoughs-30
6.5St. Louis Birdnals-27
7.10San Antonio Border Jumpers-26
8.8Memphis Hound Dawgs-23
9.6Fresno Fire Dragons-18
10.5Charleston Rebels-8
10.NRFargo Nines-8


Other's Receiving Votes: Colorado Springs AltiDUDES, Cheyenne Chillipeppers, Norfolk Nomads

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Computer Rankings - June 25, 2008




Underachievers


1. Cleveland Steamers

2. Atlanta City Slickers

3. San Antonio Border Jumpers

4. Scottsdale T's

5. Detroit Tigers



Overachievers


1. Salem Dodgers

2. Cheyenne ChilliPeppers

3. St. Louis Birdnals

4. Fresno Fire Dragons

5. Little Rock Big Rocks




Computer Rankings



RankTeamRecordComputer Score
1Pawtucket Polythene50-210.6896
2Kansas City Shuffle45-260.6436
3Texas Tittyballs45-260.6298
4Charleston Rebels43-280.6192
5St. Louis Birdnals45-260.6058
6Iowa City Kaysons43-280.5994
7Memphis Hound Dawgs42-290.5908
8San Antonio Border Jumpers40-310.587
9Norfolk Nomads41-300.5842
10Fresno Fire Dragons42-290.5746
11Colorado Springs AltiDUDES40-310.5672
12New York Moon Shots39-320.5436
13Fargo Nines38-330.5296
14San Francisco Sourdoughs38-330.5272
15Houston Aggies38-330.523
16Rochester Raging Rhinos34-370.4958
17Jackson Jaspers35-360.493
18Charlotte knights33-380.4794
19Cheyenne ChilliPeppers36-350.4788
20Cleveland Steamers30-410.4614
21Detroit Tigers31-400.455
22Atlanta City Slickers30-410.4482
23Richmond Moonshiners II31-400.4388
24Chicago Smooth Horses30-410.4332
25Scottsdale T's28-430.4144
26Tucson Turbocors29-420.414
27Little Rock Big Rocks30-410.408
28Huntington Cousins29-420.4074
29Scranton Dunder-Mifflins27-440.392
30New Orleans Breeze26-450.3672
31Salem Dodgers27-440.3458
32Hartford Defenders21-500.3074

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Top Ten, Week Three

A record ten people voted for this week's Top 10. Awesome. Can we get 15 next week? The more people vote, the more accurate these may be.

Pawtucket remains in the top spot this week, having held it all season long. Texas & Kansas City remain in 2nd & 3rd.

The most interesting thing about this weeks poll was the lack of respect Kansas City got. Here's a team who not only has won three of five World Championships in league history, but also has, once again, the best record in the American League. Only three people (Pawtucket, Texas, San Antonio) voted the Shuffle into 2nd. Meanwhile, an astounding five teams didn't even include KC in the Top 3, when it's been painstakingly clear to anyone who's paid attention that this league has had three power players for three seasons now. One can only hope that the rest of the league isn't shocked when KC wins 105+ games and easily takes the AL's #1 seed again.

Onto the rankings. For whatever reason I can't for the life of me figure out how to make the rankings neat & columnized like telecasting does the computer rankings. I've played with everything, I'm just not getting it. So for now, until I get some help from someone (cough TC cough) smarter than I, you get an unorganized mess!


Rank (LW) Team (1st) Points
1. (1) Pawtucket Polythene (8) 97
2. (2) Texas Tittyballs (2) 89
3. (3) Kansas City Shuffle 76
4. (5) Charlestown Rebels 66
5. (9) St. Louis Birdnals 64
6. (-) Fresno Fire Dragons 40
7. (8) Iowa City Kaysons 38
8. (4) Memphis Hound Dawgs 26
9. (6) Norfolk Nomads 19
10. (-) San Antonio Border Jumpers 16

Others Receiving Votes: Colorado Springs AltiDUDES, San Francisco Sourdoughs, New York Moon Shots, Cheyenne Chillipeppers

Please vote next week!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Sharkey’s World Season 6 1st Round Draft Synopsis

Sharkey’s World Season 6 1st Round Draft Synopsis

First of all the computer ranking system I created to analyze our draft last year was complete, but my synopsis of the results was never written. Since the recent changes in the WIS simengine, I don’t think my ranking system for prospects was accurate anyway. So we will chalk up that effort to preparation for a new computer ranking system for drafting success for the current system. While I revamp the program to analyze the current draft, I am going to give immediate response on the 1st round picks of all the teams. Email any complaints with this analysis to Kevin-sharkey@hisemail.com.

Notes: All ratings are as I see them with my budget: 15 HS, 15 Col, and 16 Adv for signed guys. No links to teams, owners or players actually work, it was just to save time in creating this.

This draft analysis is sponsored by Labrot & Graham’s Woodford Reserve. Please virtually manage responsibly.

#1 DET peteskin– Frankie Lloyd – LF: I don’t see him. So I assume he is awesome. We will let his contract determine that.

#2 TUC hausenpfeffe – Rock Hurst – 1B: Wow monster bat. I assume you had an available spot at 1B in the future. It would be a stretch to put him in LF. He will be a great bat in your farm. No knock on him, but Sam Davis must not have appeared in your scouting. I guess that 1 in HS scouting didn’t pay off for you this year, sorry.

#3 CLE telecasting Ahmad Anderson – P: SP pitching is starved in this league so you can’t fault anyone with spending their first pick on a surefire ML pitcher. I think you got a top of the rotation guy here, but control might stop him from being a perennial Cy Young candidate. He is close to his numbers for his age and a safe pick as he as already signed. If he doesn’t pan out in your system, I will be waiting to trade for him.

#4 LR krs96 Sam Davis – OGRE: I am not sure how a 6’2” 194 lb guy could possibly hit like this guy is supposed to. He is only a teen, and is a long way from his projections. BUT, if he makes it in the neighborhood of his numbers, he will but the guy that pitchers as the night off when they have to face him.

#5 STL irishfury01 Andrew Connelly – P: Another owner who realizes that SP’s are a think of the past in this league. Connelly is a guy that is going to get you 7+ innings an outing when he grows into his body. He will run 3 plus pitches out there with great velocity and keeping the ball in the park. He might be susceptible to heavy righty loaded lineups, but as SP is going in this league, he could be a #1 on a lot of teams.

#6 RIC ripnsnort Derek Peters SS 18 HS: He is the first 5 tool guy taken off the board. He will be 30-30 for sure. Only question mark on him is if he will have the range for SS. If not he will be a GG quality 3b, 2b, or COF.

#7 HAR frog06 Josh McConnell P 20 JC: Hartford got a SP they can count on here. He will have great command of the strike zone and be your bullpen’s best friend. He has a good array of pitches, but doesn’t have a strikeout pitch. He will need his D to take do their work behind him, to put him in the 20 win category every year.

#8 HUN bearclan1 Freddy Ulrich P 19 JC: Ulrich is the tweener pitcher if there has ever been one. He has everything you want in a starter: good control, good splits, elite pitches. Only problem, he is only going to get you into the 5th. He can be a 100+ inning guy out of the bullpen and cleanup a lot of bases loaded jams with he 2 strikeout pitches.

#9 FRE nnurmo Ron Fisher SS 18 HS: Fisher is Derek Peters minus 8-10 SB’s. A little higher batting ave and less walks will equal the same obp. Solid pick here and he is in proportional range for all of his rating for an 18 year old.

10# HOU dubabe401 Shea Power RF 18 HS: Power is an interesting prospect. Think of Vladamir Guerrero, but faster. He will gun people down at 3B, swing at everything, and hit most of it. Just be happy he isn’t in your division.

11# SA kalikgod Neil Womack P 22 COL: A team desperate for SPs was just happy to land a MLer with the 11th pick. He should get around 200 innings at 4 era and 1.30 whipat the ML level with proper development and no visits from the grim reaper.

12# SAL benny_b_la Brian Adcock 2B 18 HS: He is your Craig Biggio of 2B. He will never get hurt, play every game and never complain no matter how many times hit gets beaned. He will put solid numbers up forever. Expect him to give your team problems until about season 27.

13# SCO jlinchec Jesus Bravo P 22 COL: The T’s preyed for their savior and they got Jesus. He probably won’t be outmatched and he knows the zone. If he can turn his pitches into wine, he could win a couple Cy Youngs.

14# NO vladyhop Bernard George CF 19 JC: He has a very good bat and great speed on the bases for a CF. Only trouble with George is he can’t roam a big CF. If he can learn to read the ball off the bat better he will be a very good CF, if not he will be a solid 2B at the ML level. He also lead is JUCO team is bats broken over the knee.

#15: NOR loganru Duane Lord LF 22 COL: I am not sure what position Lord is going to play, but I will guarantee that nobody who values their windshield will park just behind the fence in center. This guy will bury the ball to all fields. Oh yeah, and he is going to steal more bases than he hits home runs. This guy could really be a 50 hr – 50 sb guy while hitting a .265 that no one notices.

#16: 16 IA mhoffa1382 Michael Crudale 3B 18 HS: He will definitely spend years at the ML level, at what position we just aren’t sure. He projects as a great 3B, 2B, or GG RF with tremendous power. He may not hit for a great average, but he will be out there for 600+ abs every season.

#17: 17 SWB jtrueblue74 Domingo Beltre SS 18 HS: This young righty needs to defend the inside of the plate against the right handed pitchers better to become a .300 hitter at the ML level. He bring a solid glove and a excellent arm that puts him as a great defender at all the positions other than SS and CF. If the injury bug doesn’t bite too hard his hard work and patients will lead him to the big leagues.

#18 18 JAC kjmulli Tommy Spencer P 18 HS: After a run on position players a franchise takes a chance on the thin SP class in season 6. Somehow Tommy Spencer slipped by the radar on the top 17 teams that were looking for SPing. He won’t WOW you in any category, but he is solid across the board. This is a young kid that is showing good control with two plus pitches already. He has the potential to deliver 4 plus/elite pitches and dominate lineups 3 times through the order. Stamina and strong left handed bats may be the only thing stopping him from brass hardware on his mantle.

#19 CHA dawgfan1974 Dennis Jenkins P 18 HS: Charlotte picked up a horse in Dennis Jenkins. He will go out and get 220+ innings if he stays off the DL. He will own the strike zone and keep the ball in play. He is a solid addition to any rotation in the second half of the first round.

#20 MEM dave23 Curt Beverlin P 18 HS: Beverlin was not rated by my scout in that region. He is now fired and begging for money. I am going to make up the fact that he is a SP with mid range control and decent splits, but he possesses 2 plus pitches and will dominate my lineup every time he faces me. That is only based on dave’s staff from another world, so take it what its worth.

#21 ATL rockybill1 Don Hartgraves P 18 HS: The pitcher run rolls on. Only this time we have our first relief pitcher on the board. Yes, this is high school version of Josh Fields in digital form. He has ELITE stuff. He can strike you out with any pitch, even the first one. He is effectively wild, BUT scott boras wants him to think about college before he signs. Good luck rocky, unfortunately in WIS if you don’t sign him, we never see him again. (no pressure)

#22 CHY Snarfuller Dave Roosevelt 2B 22 COL: Cheyenne took the best available stock piling move here. Not like they need more young bats, but hey, who is going to turn down an surefire MLer at #22.

#23 NY1 hallgren Dante Terry SS 18 HS: New York looks to fill their future infield here. He may not continue to play his high school SS position, but he should slide over to 3B and be a Robin Venture type contributor for years to come. He doesn’t stand out anywhere other than arm strength, but he has no weakness.

#24 KC pvc4twenty Curtis Blalock P 18 HS: Blalock is the 2nd RP to go off he board. He may not pitch two innings or run out there 3 out of 4 days like Hartgraves could, but Curtis will slam the door. As a high schooler his is featuring above average control, matchups, and 3 plus pitches. These project into borderline elite control to dominate righty’s and three amazing pitches, two considered as out pitches. He is both patient and fiery creating a great composition for a closer.

#25: SF johnderasmo Michael Zhang CF 18 HS: Zhang that is a great defender! He may not anchor your offense, but he will sure make your pitchers love you. He has elite range even in HS and should develop the glove to back it up. His offense won’t hurt you and when he does reach base he is an absolute menace on the base path. His defense will lead his path to the ML, as long as his work ethic doesn’t lead him astray.

#26: CSP ohiopirate Francisco Pascual 2B 19 JC: The pirate robbed a ship here late in the 1st round. Pascual is definitely a ML offensive force. He may have to follow Soriano and move to LF, but nobody will notice when he carries the top of the lineup for a couple weeks. He may also follow Alfonso to the DL a couple times a season.

#27: FAR dupala Mateo Vidal C 20 JC: We have our first C off the board in an extremely shallow class at the position. Vidal looks like Pizza at the plate, but better on the base path. Unfortunately, he may even be worse than Mike behind the dish. He will probably fit better in the DH spot and fill in as a fill in C on doubleheaders.

#28: CHR rmkelley15 Malcolm Huff P 18 HS: Kelley goes back into the pitcher bin here. Out of the hat, I see a rabbit. My scout in there area missed his games also. You can find him at your local soup kitchen. If you trimmed your HS scouting budget this year, he is looking for work.

#29: TEX longdayintro Harpo Benoit P 21 COL: Texas looks to get relief quickly to their ML team to aid the playoff runs with this pick. Beniot is solid but not shining across the boards. He is pretty polished for a draft pick and should fast track well to the majors. He should fill in well in the Long A/ Setup B slot as long as his BB don’t mount.

#30: CSP ohiopirate Brady Walton CF 21 COL: The pirate takes his scond pick of the first round and goes defense this time. My scout in the area was too busy ice fishing to notice this lefty in CF. Pencil him for a 30 sb guy that can cover center. He might not see the zone will or have big pop, but he will be on base enough to cause havoc.

#31 ROC badercubed P.J. Ellis SS 18 HS: Ellis has great speed and solid offensive numbers. He will be more of a contact hitter than extra base guy. He will move from his HS SS position to any position outside the middle of the field when he reaches the upper levels. His intangibles will keep him on track for a regular position on the 25 man roster.

#32 KC pvc4twenty Albert Jackson P 18 HS: The rich find a way to pull a SP with lower ML rotation potential with the last pick of the first round. If Jackson’s makeup and patients keep him following the trainer’s advice, he should turn his average numbers into several productive seasons behind the high powered KC offense.

Supplement yourselves. (my rocks glass did)

#33 CSP ohiopirate Chris Cooke P 18 HS: Somebody stop this pirate. He looted us again. Does he have every other pick? Cooke is just a teen, but he projects to being an elite control pitcher matching up well against rightys and having two plus pitches. He is a rare species this late in the draft.

#34 PAW sharkeyke Cristian Stone CF 20 JC: Sharkey searches for offensive help for his dominate staff here. He finds a 2B borderline CF here disguised as a LF. A guy that will make contact and headaches on the basepath. If he platoon’s against lefties, he will hit .300, everyday he will be .270. He should steal 35-45 bases either way. Only problem with Stone, is its brittle.

#35 ROC badercubed Scot Herzner 2B 19 JC: Elite speed is taken again in the bonus area of the first round. Scot will find his way on base and make you pay. He will either post up in LF or drive his pitching staff nuts at 2B. Either way, he will find playing time as a MLer.

#36 KC pvc4twenty Butch Scheffer P 18 HS: Who let this happen? There is no need for KC to retool while they are on top. He posseses decent control, solid splits and two plus pitches. Scheffer won’t be a closer, but he can definitely setup Blalock as KC designs their future bullpen.

#37 ROC badercubed Terry Restovich P 20 JC: And the rich continue to oppress. The Rhinos pick up a guy with ML control and three plus pitches, one being of the strikeout variety. This guy also is borderline starter stamina. He will probably be Long A with spot start ability to support a durable 4-man rotation.

#38 KC pvc4twenty Bruce Acker C 20 JC: Pinch me, wake me up. Why are these top teams still taking quality players. Acker won’t dawn the gear at the all star game, but he can defend the dish and call a great game. He will also contribute to the offense against rightys. He may get spelled against the southpaw’s, but every grunt behind the plate needs a day off.

#39 RIC ripnsnort Denny Walker 3B 18 HS: Richmond’s scouts weren’t distilling the night they saw Walker. He is a solid addition at the plate with exceptional speed and the arm to keep his position at 3B. He is a free swinger at the plate and brash on the bases, but several years in the minors may polish those flaws.

#40 HOU dubabe401 John Wiggins 2B 18 HS: Houston dips into the 2B well and strikes oil. They get a offensive threat both with the bat and on the bases. His hands are a little hard for 2B, but his range should make up for it. He will live on base, hit for extra bases show up everyday ready to play. He is a definite gem at this slot, even at a deep position.

#41 SA kalikgod J.T. Rhodes P 18 HS: The Boarder Jumpers go against their nature and take a snowbird. Rhodes may not be an everyday guy, but he should get the job done patching the 6th and 7th innings up. Top of the line control, domination of rightys and three plus pitches should push him into ML service.

#42 SAL benny_b_la Luis Merced LF 21 COL: Another northerner heads to Salem with this pick. He has exceptional power a very good eye and deceptive speed on the bases. He won’t graduate above his LF position and hopefully doesn’t decline to 1B/DH otherwise he may lose ABs.

#43 NOR loganru Julio Ortiz P 22 COL: Finding SPing here is tough. Ortiz almost fits the bill. He is great against lefties and has two strikeout pitches. Unfortuantely his control and inability to get through the lineup a third time will probably prevent him from being a SP at the ML level. He should rack up the wins as a mL pitcher.

#44 JAC kjmulli Ted Aspromonte RF 20 JC: Mulli’s searches for a platooner here in his first bonus round in Sharkey’s world. Ted has very good speed and incredible prowess on the bases. He is an uncanny lefty that can only hit left handed pitching. He defines the true essence of “strange southpaw”. He is probably better fit as a pinch runner when other teams run their big right hander out.

#45 MEM dave23 Pat Burnett P 21 COL: Dave again finds my nemesis 25 picks later. Typical solid control mediocre splits with 1 strikeout and 3 other plus pitches. He will shut me out 3 times a season. Write that down.

#46 CHR rmkelley15 Luis Javier RF 21 COL: Kelley in the bonus round takes another player that his scouts watched while my guys decided to stay a Waffle house chugging bottles of syrup. For the record Kelley has 12 HS/ 12 COL splits, so these guys are productive, unlike my henchmen.

#47 ROC badercubed Roy Ford P 18 HS: Bader drafts a Model T here. He somehow finds a ford that will run forever match any road and stay on the ground. Unfortunately the steering is a little loose, but it makes up with that in the “stuff”.

#48 SAL benny_b_la Todd Sheffield P 21 COL: Salem got an everyday reliever at the very end of the first round here. He has elite control, plus ability to get lefties out and two plus pitches, one of the strikeout variety.

#49 49 HAR frog06 Sarma Buck C 18 HS: Mr. Irrelevant of my analysis is not irrelevant at all. Buck not only has a baseball name, but has a bit time baseball bat. He should prove to be a .290 - .300 hitter with 25 hr power. He will probably have to fill the DH spot as his work behind the plate leaves much to be desired.

That is all for now on this draft. I hope to provide computer analysis later. As picks get signed and my algorithm get refined, we should get some unbiased numerical draft data.