Friday, August 10, 2007
Inactivity Makes for a Sucky Season
Well, we're into August and it's my first post this season. Maybe I'll do better next year. Maybe there won't be a league next year. What with two owners still looking to submit that first lineup sheet to both their teams, I'm not sure it's worth it. Still, you can't argue with the results of robo-management so far:
Team Vincent (NL version) sits a mere 3 games off the pace in the Kerfeld, behind the suddenly-tied Woofers and Gas Men. Team Vincent (NL) features a mighty lineup with little holes in it, despite Carlos Delgado's presence as an all-season backup fill-in. The rotation could probably have withstood a lineup change with Oliver Perez (3.00 ERA) only getting a few mop-up innings all season while Livian Hernandez and Jeff Suppan don't miss a turn with their 4.80 ERAs. A bullpen with no one above 3 saves other than the injured Bob Wickman might improve if they let Tony Pena and his 1.98 ERA over more than 60 innings off the taxi squad. By default, he's managed 3 innings for Team Vincent (NL). So, would these changes have resulted in a record 3 games better? You'd think so.
Team Jeffrey (NL version) led the Kruk much of the year, much to my chagrin. I don't like losing but losing to an empty manager's office is a little tough to take. It's hard to argue with the talent on his team. Jeff's lucky the players numbers for Roy Oswalt, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Hill, Ian Snell, and Tom Gorzelanny happened to be the lowest 5, not counting the early season departure of Freddy (5.90 ERA) Garcia. A pretty solid and well-drafted deep bullpen has done all right too. The offense? What does #1 draft pick Kelly Johnson (.298/.392/.492) have to do to get in the lineup either at second base or outfield? J.J. Hardy's (.268/.323/.449) been bad since the first month of the year, Freddy Sanchez (.302/.345/.417) has been merely adequate, Carlos Quentin (.208/.302/.343) has been a sinkhole, as has been Mike Jacobs (.246/.297/.399) and Brian Giles (.290/.379/.371). Also rotting on the bench: James Loney (.323/.379/.485) and Chris Duncan (.283/.379/.536). Possibly saving the default lineup are the injuries and demotions to Team Jeffrey (NL)'s "key" hitters. Still, he's only 5 games back. It's not too late. With identical run support/team ERA to the Cholesterol Kings, it's a wonder they are 8 games ahead of them.
In the AL, both Team Vincent (AL) and Team Jeffrey (AL) sit two digits worth of games off the pace in their divisions. Though, they've got good company as one of the two teams tied for best run differential (+98), the Fuzzy Puppies is somehow 14 games behind the Cursed Bambinos. Watching what might have been their future core of Josh Beckett, Vlad Guerrero, and Grady Sizemore lead their division rivals to the best record in the league would probably be pretty galling for Team Vincent (AL) if they were watching at all. At least their default lineup seems to be as good as it could be with their current roster.
After missing out on Dice-K, so they could hold on to the rookie rights for Andy Marte and Casey Kotchman (who has actually been decent), Team Jeffrey (AL) doesn't seem to stand to benefit from too much tending beyond the default. Swapping out Kevin Millwood's 5.98 ERA with Lenny DiNardo's 3.19 might help. Still, robots need to support their families too I guess. And it's a testament that Scoresheet has the tools in place to make absentee team owners still "competitive."
Well, we're into August and it's my first post this season. Maybe I'll do better next year. Maybe there won't be a league next year. What with two owners still looking to submit that first lineup sheet to both their teams, I'm not sure it's worth it. Still, you can't argue with the results of robo-management so far:
Team Vincent (NL version) sits a mere 3 games off the pace in the Kerfeld, behind the suddenly-tied Woofers and Gas Men. Team Vincent (NL) features a mighty lineup with little holes in it, despite Carlos Delgado's presence as an all-season backup fill-in. The rotation could probably have withstood a lineup change with Oliver Perez (3.00 ERA) only getting a few mop-up innings all season while Livian Hernandez and Jeff Suppan don't miss a turn with their 4.80 ERAs. A bullpen with no one above 3 saves other than the injured Bob Wickman might improve if they let Tony Pena and his 1.98 ERA over more than 60 innings off the taxi squad. By default, he's managed 3 innings for Team Vincent (NL). So, would these changes have resulted in a record 3 games better? You'd think so.
Team Jeffrey (NL version) led the Kruk much of the year, much to my chagrin. I don't like losing but losing to an empty manager's office is a little tough to take. It's hard to argue with the talent on his team. Jeff's lucky the players numbers for Roy Oswalt, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Hill, Ian Snell, and Tom Gorzelanny happened to be the lowest 5, not counting the early season departure of Freddy (5.90 ERA) Garcia. A pretty solid and well-drafted deep bullpen has done all right too. The offense? What does #1 draft pick Kelly Johnson (.298/.392/.492) have to do to get in the lineup either at second base or outfield? J.J. Hardy's (.268/.323/.449) been bad since the first month of the year, Freddy Sanchez (.302/.345/.417) has been merely adequate, Carlos Quentin (.208/.302/.343) has been a sinkhole, as has been Mike Jacobs (.246/.297/.399) and Brian Giles (.290/.379/.371). Also rotting on the bench: James Loney (.323/.379/.485) and Chris Duncan (.283/.379/.536). Possibly saving the default lineup are the injuries and demotions to Team Jeffrey (NL)'s "key" hitters. Still, he's only 5 games back. It's not too late. With identical run support/team ERA to the Cholesterol Kings, it's a wonder they are 8 games ahead of them.
In the AL, both Team Vincent (AL) and Team Jeffrey (AL) sit two digits worth of games off the pace in their divisions. Though, they've got good company as one of the two teams tied for best run differential (+98), the Fuzzy Puppies is somehow 14 games behind the Cursed Bambinos. Watching what might have been their future core of Josh Beckett, Vlad Guerrero, and Grady Sizemore lead their division rivals to the best record in the league would probably be pretty galling for Team Vincent (AL) if they were watching at all. At least their default lineup seems to be as good as it could be with their current roster.
After missing out on Dice-K, so they could hold on to the rookie rights for Andy Marte and Casey Kotchman (who has actually been decent), Team Jeffrey (AL) doesn't seem to stand to benefit from too much tending beyond the default. Swapping out Kevin Millwood's 5.98 ERA with Lenny DiNardo's 3.19 might help. Still, robots need to support their families too I guess. And it's a testament that Scoresheet has the tools in place to make absentee team owners still "competitive."
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