Friday, April 16, 2010

WORLD SERIES RECAP


Game 1: New Orleans 4, Burlington 2
WP: John Stokes (1-0)
LP: Ruben Ramirez (0-1)
Save: Jeremi Gant (1)
HR: New Orleans - Sun Liang (1), Fred Butcher (1)
Player of the Game: John Stokes - 7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 4 K
NOTE: Burlington outhit the Flashers 11 to 6. But only one of the eleven went for extra bases.

Game 2: Burlington 3, New Orleans 2
WP: Rafael Castro (1-0)
LP: Marc Foster (0-1)
Save: Arthur Booker (1)
HR: Burlington - Santos Lopez 2 (2); New Orleans - Rick Wakeland (1), Allen Ruffin (1)
Player of the Game: Santos Lopez - 3 for 4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR, triple
NOTE: Lopez broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 7th with a 2-out, 2-run HR off Marc Foster.

Game 3:  Burlington 12, New Orleans 2
WP: Ruben Ramirez (1-1)
LP: Brad Grudzielanek (0-1)
HR: New Orleans - Rick Wakeland (2)
Player of the Game: Horacio Martin - 2 for 3, 4 runs, RBI, 2 BB
NOTE: New Orleans made four errors, had a passed ball, and gave up four unearned runs.

Game 4: Burlington 4, New Orleans 3
WP: Alving Guevara (1-0)
LP: Walter Sweeney (0-1)
Save: Arthur Booker (2)
HR: Burlington - Horatio Martin (1), Julian Alcantara (1)
Player of the Game: Alving Guevara - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K
NOTE: Only once in 11 games this postseason has a team scored more than 4 runs vs. MAPS.

Game 5: New Orleans 4, Burlington 1
WP: John Stokes (2-0)
LP: Rico Macias (0-1)
Save: Jeremi Gant (2)
HR: New Orleans - Allen Ruffin (1)
Player of the Game: John Stokes - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 5 K
NOTE: With three hits in Game 5 New Orelans rookie catcher Rick Wakeland breaks the league record for hits in a single playoffs with 34.

Game 6: Burlington 9, New Orleans 8 (13 innings)
WP: Andrea Dodd (1-0)
LP: Javy Guerrero (0-1)
HR: New Orleans - Sun Liang 2 (3), Allen Ruffin (2); Santos Lopez (3)
Player of the Game: Kevin Houston - 1 for 6, 2 RBI; drove in the game-tying and -winning runs in the 13th.
NOTE: One batter before Houston ended the game, New Orleans' Albert Ferrell made a two-out error on a routine groundball.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

WORLD SERIES

 BURLINGTON MAPS vs. NEW ORLEANS FLASHERS  
  • For the third time in 8 seasons the MAPS and Flashers face off in the Fingers League World Series.
  • MAPS took the title both times. The first was in 6 games. The second in seven games.
  • MAPS going for 8th WS title in 8 tries.
  • Flashers have no titles in 2 previous tries.
  • MAPS are the first team in league history to win every playoff game on the path to the WS.
  • On their road to the WS, the Flashers became the 5th team in league history to win two series in one and done scenarios.
 ***STARS TO WATCH***
3-0 / 1.71 ERA / 21 IP / .181 OAV
.388 / 26 for 67 / 3 HR / 16 RBI / 10 R 
.452 / 14 for 31 /  2 HR / 7 RBI / 7 R / 7-game hit streak
2-0 / 3.04 ERA / 26 2/3 IP / 26 K / .242 OAV
.333 / 10 for 30 / 3 HR / 10 RBI / 7 R
1-1 / 6 SV / 2.08 ERA / .200 OAV / 0.69 WHIP
.429 / 9 for 21 / 8 R / 5 SB / .519 OBP
.367 / 26 for 67 / 3 HR / 10 RBI / 7 R

Sunday, April 11, 2010

League Championship Series



ALCS
Dover Dozers vs. Burlington MAPS
The #1 seed vs. the #6 seed. Truly David and Goliath in the American League. 32 wins and seven World Series trophies seperate them. The Dover franchise is playing in its first postseason. The MAPS on the other hand have won 105+ games in ten straight seasons. These two franchises are as far apart as you will find in all of HBD. And yet here they are playing for a World Series berth.

History:  Dover standing four wins of the World Series because of a trade these two teams made in S13. neldozer shipped uber-pitching prospect Mariano Perez to froidl for catcher Crash Purcell and pitchers Cliff Dessens & Carlos Nunez.

In the two seasons with Dover:
Purcell:  .312/.376/.568 - 85 HR, 232 RBI, 207 R - Season 13 AL ROY
Dessens: 31-22, 3.99 ERA, 80 GS, 527 IP, 349 K - won 4 rings w/ MAPS
Nunez: 69 SV, 12-15, 3.86 ERA, 152 G, 158 2/3 IP, 149 K - won 5 rings w/ MAPS

This Season: The MAPS took 8 of ten. Dover won the first two games and the MAPS finished with 8 straight over Dover. Santos Lopez crushed the Dozers. He batted .343 (12 for 35) with 4 HR, 11 RBI, 10 R. Lopez only had 2 hits in 12 at bats in the ALDS vs K.C.


Ruben Ramirez started two of the three games in the ALDS and won both. In 11 innings vs K.C., he only allowed 4 hits and 1 earned run. His numbers in two games against Dover during the regular season are very similar: 2-0, 10 IP, 7 H, 3 ER.

NLCS
Trenton Capitols vs. New Orleans Flashers
Although it has been awhile, these two franchises have faced off in the playoffs five times. Trenton walked away the victor in four of those five, including two NLCS matchups. dedelman's Capitols had its lowest winning percentage in 14 seasons but have found their way to within four wins of its record sixth NL pennant. New Orleans is looking for NL pennant number three.

This Season: New Orleans and Trenton split their season series 5-5. Pitching was the deciding factor in most of those games. Each team pitched two shutouts against each other. And nine times an opposing team was held to two runs or less.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Division Series

National League Division Series

Trenton Capitols vs. Charleston Men of Risk
Men of Risk won season series 7-3
The winner of this NLDS matchup will undoubtedly be the favorite to represent the NL in the World Series. In seven of the past nine seasons, including four straight, one of these two NL East rival franshises have made it to the WS. It's hard to think of reason why it won't happen again.

Who to Watch
Trenton: Kris Jones - Mr. Trentonian crushed the ball in the Play-in Series (but who on theCaps roster didn't crush?). He was 8 for 13 with 3 HRs, 6 runs and 6 RBIs in three games. But against Charleston this past season he only hit .260 (6 for 23) with 1 HR, 3 runs and 2 RBIs.

Charleston: Felipe Marquez - I think I could have chosen the entire Big Three in Charleston's starting rotation but Marquez is the marked man. Marquez pitched stellar in his seven starts in postseason13. He followed that up with 23 wins this past season. He went 2-0 vs Trenton in S14 and only gave up 1 earned run in 14 innings.

New Orleans Flashers vs. Colorado Springs Rainbow Trout
New Orleans won season series 6-4
More than likely this will be a very tight series. Both teams have similar statistics on offense, pitching and defense. We know both teams have big-time aces so this series will come down to the other pitchers on the rosters.

Who to Watch
New Orleans: Vicente Delgado - In Game One, the NL Cy Young Award winner in S13 will face off against Leonardo Walker, the likely NL Cy Young Award winner in S14.  Delgado will have to match Walker pitch for pitch to give the Flashers a chance to win. He didn't pitch against Colorado Springs this season but in the past has been very effective in the postseason (9-3, 3.10, 123 K in 136 1/3 innings). Personally I hope to see these two pitchers face off twice in this series.

Colorado Springs: Clarence Black - Black had a down year...at least by his past standards. He had career lows in runs (83), hits (159), HR (27) and RBIs (92) but this is a guy with 469 career HRs and two MVP Awards. He didn't hit particularly well against the Flashers this season (7 for 36, .194) but he has had success hitting in the playoffs (.315, 8 HRs in 92 AB). If he gets the bat going the Rainbow Trout are heading to the NLCS.

American League Division Series

Dover Dozers vs. Santa Cruz Spartans
Santa Cruz won season series 7-3
This series has a very MAPS feel to it. Both teams sport several ex-MAPS on their rosters, including three ace pitchers, Cliff Dessens for Dover & Nick Ransom and Tomas Armas for Santa Cruz. The latter two no doubt give Santa Cruz the edge.

Who to Watch
Dover: Cristobal Gabriel - Gabriel was the MVP for all four first round matchups. He almost single-handedly knocked out the defending champion Brewmasters himself. In those four games, he went 10 for 19 with 4 HRs, 7 runs and 13 RBIs. All this coming from the Dozers lead off spot. But in his S14 matchups with the Spartans Gabriel hit a meager .200 (7 for 35).

Santa Cruz: Nick Ransom - What a shocking pick! This quite as easily could have been Armas but of the two, Ransom had more success vs Dover this season. In 3 appearances, he went 2-0 with an ERA of 2.12. He pitched 17 innings and gave up only 10 hits while striking out 20. Total Domination.

Kansas City Fountainheads vs. Burlington MAPS
Kansas City won season series 6-4
I was shocked to see that KC had won the season series against the MAPS. With 118 wins, I assumed that no team took a season series over them. Four of the ten games these two played were decided by one run (each won 2). This series has the potential to be alot tighter than we might think by just looking at records.

Who to Watch:
Kansas City: Bullpen - 10 players recorded a save for KC in S14. So this truly is a bullpen by committee. And every guy in the bullpen will be needed in this series because when you get a lead on the MAPS you can't let them back in the game. In 10 games vs MAPS, the KC bullpen pitched 37 1/3 innings. They allowed 36 hits and 22 earned runs (5.30 ERA).

Burlington: Andrea Dodd - Dodd easily posted the best season of his career in S14. He had career highs in wins, innings pitched and starts. He also had career lows in ERA and OAV. But a side from all the critical talk of his control, the one thing lacking with this guy is postseason experience. He has pitched exactly six postseason innings in only one career start and that was way back in S5.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Playoffs

National League
1. Charleston - 10th playoff appearance, defending NL Champions
2. Colorado Springs - 3rd playoff appearance
3. New Orleans - 11th playoff appearance
4. Chicago - 2nd playoff appearance
5. Trenton - 14th playoff appearance
6. Colorado - 9th playoff appearance

3-6 Matchup
Colorado won season series 6-4
Seven of 10 games decided by 2 runs or less
Jacob Wells vs New Orleans in S14 - .463 (19 for 41) 4 hr, 9 runs, 11 rbi, 2 bb, 9 k 

Orlando Bennett vs Colorado in S14 - 4 games, 1-1, 6.14 era, 7 1/3 ip, 10 h, 5 er, 2 hr

4-5 Matchup
Trenton won season series 6-4
Nive of 10 games dcided by 3 or more runs

Juan Henriquez vs Chicago in S14 - .200 (5 for 25) 2 hr, 7 runs, 5 rbi, 7 bb, 6 k
Mike Parnell vs Trenton in S14 - .325 (13 for 40) 4 doubles, 2 hr, 9 runs, 5 rbi, 3 sb

American League
1. Burlington - 11th playoff appearance
2. Santa Cruz - 9th playoff appearance
3. Milwaukee - 4th playoff appearance, defending WS Champs
4. El Paso - 4th playoff appearance
5. Kansas City - 6th playoff appearance
6. Dover - 1st playoff appearance

3-6 Matchup
Season series tied 5-5
Eight of 10 decided by 3 or more runs
Cliff Dessens vs Milwaukee in S14 - 3 starts, 0-2, 7.41 era, 17 ip, 22 h, 14 er, 8 k, 6 bb
Boomer Charles vs Dover in S14 - 3 starts, 1-1, 5.51 era, 16 1/3 ip, 24 h, 10 er, 11 k, 3 bb

4-5 Matchup
Season series tied 5-5
Five games decided by one run or less
Chuck Moore vs. KC in S14 - .316 (12 for 38), 6 hr, 9 runs, 12 rbi, 4 bb, 3 k
Zephyr Casian vs El Paso in S14 - 1 start, 0-0 6.43 era, 7 ip, 9 h, 5 er, 4 hr, 6 k, 1 bb

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Congrats to Sante Fe's Pat Rivera on breaking the single season hits record.

Best Defensive Catcher in League History

Wins 5th Gold Glove Award

Greatest Collection of MVP Candidates Ever
Four of the five AL MVP Candidates are future Hall of Famers: (Santos LopezHoracio Martin, Chuck Moore, Louie Ma)
Four were top-5 draft picks: (Julian Alcantara, Lopez, Moore, Ma)
Two are former #1 draft picks: (Lopea, Moore)
Three will battle for highest career SLG%: (Ma, Moore, Lopez)
Two will battle for highest career batting average and OBP: (Ma, Martin)
Two will battle for most career home runs: (Lopez, Moore)

International Signings
Three international players were given bonuses of $18 million and over. There's a poll above with the question: Which of the four players will have the best ML career?