Posts Tagged ‘dynasty baseball’

The first round of our 1972 league playoffs kick off this week in a best of three series between the 2nd and 3rd wild card teams. The winner will face the top seeded NY Yankees in the Division series in round two (Best of 5):

California Angels 82-80 2nd in AL Alpha 29 GB 3rd wild Card

Offense: The Angels played pretty much .500 ball this season with a team that didn’t scare many people with their bats hitting .241 as a team despite Manny Mota being 2nd in the AL in hits (202) and hitting .314 (6th in the league) and walking even less (16th out of 20 MLB teams) hitting only 75 Home runs all season and finishing 14th in slugging although they had three players in the top 8 in the AL for Triples Mota with 10 (8th), Jerry Moralas 12 (tied 3rd) and Tommy McGraw who was 2nd with 13 and also 7th in OBP .374. Their most dangerous offensive player being Jose Cardinal who finished the season at .288 17 HR 107 RBI (4th in league) and 39 doubles (tied 5th) and 95 runs scored (7th)

Defense: A team with little offence needs solid defense and California certainly qualified in that score their .986 fielding percentage was tied for 5th in the majors and only .001 off the MLB lead and their 89 Errors were 6th in the majors. Bobby Valentine at 2nd (.984) Don Money at 3rd (.980) and Dave Concepcion (.980). The two weak links. 2nd Catcher Bill Plummer who let 10 of 11 baseruners steal on him and Cardinal whose 5 errors in right and .978 fielding percentages were a problem.

Pitching: Clay Carrol was lights out in the pen saving 28 in 31 chances with a WHIP of .092 (2nd in AL) but the starters ran hot at cold. Tommy John’s 2.46 ERA in 248 innings only produced a 15-14 record. Another innings eater was Tom Bradley who pitched 275 1/3 innings (6th in AL) but at a cost of 18 losses (tied 3rd in AL) against only 10 wins. The Ace of the team was Clay Kirby who led all American league pitchers with a .193 Avg against finishing with a 18-12 Record with a 3.33 ERA

Red Sox 86-76 3rd in AL Beta 14 GB 2nd Wild Card

Offense: Boston’s .256 avg and .326 OBP were both 3rd in the Majors and 2nd in the AL led by Carl Yazstremski whose .335 led the AL. Yaz also led the Majors with a .431 OBP and his .519 Slugging pct was good enough for 4th in the AL and top 10 in the majors. He was helped by Vada Pinson whose .311 avg (7th in AL (37 doubles (6th in AL) did their job and Rookie Carlton Fisk who managed 39 doubles of his own and Willie Davis whose 97 walks led the AL and Rico Petrocelli whose 24 Home Runs led the team (yet only drove in 67). Despite playing in Fenway they only managed 96 round trippers although their 244 doubles, no doubt aided by the green monster were good enough for 6th in the Majors and 2nd in the AL.

Defense: Boston .987 fielding percentage was part of a 4 way tie for the best in the majors and their paltry 83 errors were part of a 3 way tie for 2nd in the Majors (and 2nd in the AL) Fisk’s arm discouraged base stealing as he threw out 5 of the mere 12 who attempted to steal. Boston was one of three teams who allowed less that 10 SB all season (9). In the rest of the field things were just as good. Wes Parker only committed 4 errors in 1389 1/3 innings while helping to turn 100 DP getting to balls most fielders would not be able to touch while Rick Petrocelli only committed 7 errors at 3rd in 537 chances for an .987 fielding percentage while Vada Pinson committed only a single error in the OF primarily in Right while Willie Davis in center threw out 12 runners this season. One surprise down side was Left Fielder Carl Yazstremski who managed 6 errors as age seemed to catch up but was perfect at 1B when spelling Wes Parker.

Pitching: Boston’s team era of 3.52 was decidedly middle of the pack (0.02 behind California) Gary Nolan (16-9 2.72 ERA in 254 1/3 innings) Claude Osteen (16-18 3.72 ERA in 276 innings) and Rick Wise (17-14 3.11 in 272 1/3 innings) carried the workload with a rotation by committee Tom Timmerman, Lynn McGlothen, Ken Bret and John Curtis carrying the rest of the load. Boston lead the AL with 51 complete games. Nolan did lead the league with a 1.01 WHIP and was top 10 in avg against and was top 10 in ERA but the Bullpen as a whole managed only 24 saves in 35 chances with an aging Joe Horlen demoted to the pen with only a single start managing 8 saves in 10 chances (10th in league) but on the whole the bullpen was unremarkable.

Boston vs Calif head to head.

Series 1:

The Angels visited Boston in May losing two of three. In game one the Redsox gave Jim McAndrew his first loss 5-1 with Hector Torres, Horace Clarke and winner Gary Nolan (3-1) all singling with 2 men on in the 4th to provide all they needed. In game two Tommy John broke an Angels four game losing streak holding Boston to one run while Jerry Moralas’ 2 run shot off of Tom Timmerman did the job with insurance added later and Clay Carroll closing it out. Boston won the series however with a 6-4 win with Clarke and Torres again doing the damage to give Boston the lead in the sixth. Rick Wise pitched a complete game for the win.

Series 2:

The Sox came to California in Junes and Swept the angels away starting with a 9-2 blowout with Six Redsox hitters driving in runs off of Tom Bradly including winning pitcher Claude Osteen. Game 2 was closer as the Angels bailed out Tommy John with 2 out in the 9th to tie the game but the Sox started the top of the tenth with four straight single to drive in 1 and a two out single by Bud Harrelson driving in two more for the 6-3 final. Game three was a dual between Rick Wise and Clay Kirby but despite a one out Leroy Stanton single in the 9th driving for the 2nd day in a row to narrow it to 4-3 Rick Wise held on to win the duel.

Series 3

For the 2nd Time Tommy John held the Redsox to a single run and Carroll provided the save as the Angles won 3-1 thanks to a Rusty Torrez Home run off of Ken Brett in the 7th but Boston answered back the next day at Fenway with a 5-4 win with doubles by Carlton Fisk and Hector Torrez making the difference. In game 3 Claude Osteen who like his foe Tom Bradly would lose 18 on the season shut out the Angels who would win 2-0 helped by a rare key error by shortstop Dave Conception which put Fisk on first. Yaz singled him to 3rd and Petrocelli fly to the warning track in the August night sent him home.

Series 4

The last visit meeting of teams in September was again good luck for the hard luck Osteen. Tommy John only gave up a single run through seven but John Rooker gave up 3 more in the 8th including a 2 run HR by light hitting Doug Griffin so that when the Halos finally got two off of Osteen in the 9th it wasn’t enough. Game two went worse as three Sox pitchers combined for a shutout meaning that the paltry two runs that Jim McAndrew gave up was enough to cost him the game. Finally the Redsox scored three solo runs in the 1st three innings off of Bradley and added three more to double up California 6-3 despite RBI triples from both Money and Morales which couldn’t overcome homers by Pinson and Petrocelli

Season Series Redsox win 7-2

Boston’s offense clearly give them the advantage as both teams have excellent defense and middling pitching staffs, Boston’s strength in the rotation while California has a shut down closer. The question is can the Angels score enough runs to get to the Sox mediocre bullpen. I think the series will come down to Tommy John and Clay Kirby vs Gary Nolan and Rick Wise. But with the Bats Boston has I can’t see the Halos managing to break through.

My prediction Boston wins series 2-1

Quick reminder: 30 Days ago Joe Biden was still the nominee of the Democrats and every MSM outlet out there INSISTED that if you suggested that he was in the slightest bit impaired you were a dishonest deep fake liar.

That it has been under a month since this moment is still a matter of wonderment for me.


The prime minister of Israel spoke to congress this Wednesday and as this happened a bunch of people who do not support Donald Trump for president stormed the capital and defaced a bunch of monuments in DC while burning American Flags and assaulted police

The press didn’t find any of this a problem and I predict the US government will not consider any of this stuff very insurrectiony. After all it’s not like they were Trump voters or doing anything REALLY dangerous like praying at an abortion clinic.

Well that’s what you get with stolen elections isn’t it?


This is how bad the gaslighting has become with the press.

Old friend Elizabeth Scalia is beside herself over the blatant in your face lies that the press is telling but I say the real issue here is lack of Christ:

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and you’d be surprised how a sermon on the dangers of hell heard when young might make a difference later in life.


While she skipped the speech of Netanyahuโ€™ she had a private meeting with him away from the cameras and she came out of that meeting breathing fire:

This along with the ignoring of angry terrorist sympathizers in DC & NYC are the fulfillment of this statement that I made many years ago:

Right now the left has the Gays and the Transgenders and the Hollywood elites & media in which they are overrepresented and they figure thatโ€™s the best things to have, but in America Islam is a thing of the future. ย In 20 years the children of Muslims now being raised on the tenets of Sharia law in America will be old enough to vote and Democrats going to make sure they get those votes when the time come, not now but 10-20 years from now.

DTG 2016

If you’re an American Jew and you don’t take measures to defend or protect yourself now you’re going to doom yourself to a future where the days of Moses in Egypt are your best case scenario.

Ok that’s an exaggeration, but not by a lot


And to lighten this heavy move our 1972 Baseball league had an interesting twist.

Last years World Series Winning LA dodgers have fallen on hard times with the worst record in the league and were facing the Cleveland Indians deep in a fight for a wild card spot. They started Wayne Twitchell who came in with a 1-10 record vs the 8-10 Bill Stoneman.

And this happened:

That the thing about baseball you never know when something like this is going to happen.

It’s been an interesting season in our 1972 Draft league here is where we stand so far

Team AL Alpha DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
New York Yankees3614.720—-n/a
California Angels2519.5688+1 1/2
Cleveland Indians2723.5409+ 1/2
Kansas City Royals (Kansas shitty)1832.360188 1/2
Baltimore Orioles1334.27721 1/212

The Yankees hold the best record in baseball thanks to the 2nd best ERA in the AL (2.65) the 3rd best fielding percentage .986 and a team that leads the majors in slugging percentage by almost 40 points thanks for Bobby Mercer and John Mayberry California and Cleveland continue the fight for the wild card while last years top dogs KC & the O’s are both falling behind. Interesting stat KC while having a horrible record are 3rd in the AL and 4th in the league in walks

Team AL Beta DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
Milwaukee Brewers3215.681—-n/a
Boston Red Sox2522.5327—–
Minnesota Twins2324.48992
Oakland A’s2227.44011 1/24 1/2
Washington Senators2027.426125

Milwaukee leads the pack based on Pitching, Pitching and Pitching. Last years NL Cy Young winner Don Wilson (1.24) & Ken Holtzman (1.44) are 2nd & 4th in the Majors for ERA While leading the majors in doubles and sitting 3rd in OBP (.320) & 4th in OPS (.688). Boston hold the last wild card but is poised to advance leading the majors in OBP (.339) and just behind NY in OPS (.712) thanks in part to a rookie named Carlton Fisk. The twins remain in the hunt despite a -17 run differential. Oakland started strong but is fading thanks to an injury to ace Vida Blue. The Senators seem poised to take advantage to climb out of the cellar and back in the wild card race.

Team NL Alpha DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
St. Louis Cardinals2918.617—-n/a
Cincinnati Reds (cin city)2522.5324+1
Atlanta Braves (Bananas)2423.5115
Philadelphia Phillies2225.46872
New York Mets (Daytraders)2126.44783

The Cardinals hold a 4 game lead despite Bob Gibson’s complete inability to get run support in his starts (5-3 1.79 ERA ) fortunately the team 2.54 ERA has made the difference. Cincinnati has thrived under new management this year, of course Johnny Bench’s Major league leading 14 HR might have something to do with it. The Atlanta Braves (Bananas) Billy Williams is helping them keep a grip on the wild card. The Phillies with an off season from Torrie but a powerful rookie Named Luzinski are right there and with Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton going 1,2 the Mets (Daytraders) aren’t far behind. Both the wild card and indeed the division are wide open.

Team NL Beta DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
Pittsburgh Pirates2918.617—-+5
San Francisco Giants2918.617—-+5
Montreal Expos2126.44783
Chicago Cubs1829.38311 6
Los Angeles Dodgers1430.31813 1/28 1/2

Pittsburgh and the Giants are locked in a battle for 1st. The Pirates trying to make up for a disappointing 1971 and the Giants trying to return to the world series winning glory of 1970. Gaylord Perry (Pit) & Jim Palmer (Giants) leading the fight. The Montreal Expos despite having issues holding managers have been a surprise only 3 out of the wild card thanks to Lou Brock’s hitting and speed. The Chicago Cubs are top 5 in the majors in OBP (.315) & top 10 in slugging (.351) but are dead last in ERA (4.85). The Champion Dodgers have two great arms in Nolan Ryan (ERA 1.63) 2nd in NL and Wayne Twitchell (ERA 1.72) 3rd in NL but nothing else.

Tonight is game three of the series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat which is a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final.

The Celtics were widely expected to sweep but after an embarrassing loss at home in game 2 they shut down the depleted heat in a defensive clinic that was a sight to behold. One might thing this would make tonight’s game a must win for Miami but I’m thinking it’s a must win for Boston.

On paper these two teams aren’t on the same planet but the Heat are one of the best coached teams in the game and have a never say die attitude. If they manage to steal game 4 at home all those old questions about the Celtics heart will return and it will mean that the Celtics will need to win at least one more at home where the Heat dominated them last year in the playoffs.

As they say, that’s why they play the games.


Speaking of playing the game the Boston Bruins are in almost every measurable sense worse than last year. Last year they set a record for regular season points, this year they finished 2nd in their division two Bruins greats retired.

Yet they now have a 3-1 advantage going into game 5 on Tuesday.

It would be quite an irony if their lesser team made the greater run this season. The real question however is will they return to their rotation at Goalie or will Swayman who has played in all of Boston’s wins get the call and Ullmark who lost game 2 remain on bench?

The media have a whole day to discuss it.


To say this young Boston Red Sox team has been a surprise is a understatement and a half

Despite trouble vs a good Cleveland team they managed to not only sweep a decent Pirates team in Pittsburgh but take two of three from a first place Cubs team even going so far as to put a 17-0 drubbing on them.

And this from a team whose disabled list is a who’s who of their opening day roster.

The young kids have delivered and now sit in 3rd place just 3 out of first and a 1/2 game behind in the wild card. All without spending tens of millions on free agents

Off in St. Louis I suspect Chaim Bloom is watching the team he built win and smiling.


There is a ton of talk about the Patriots drafting Drake May with the 3rd pick of the draft, and a lot will be written about him, but did you know the Pats picked up a second QB in round 6?

New England picked up QB Joe Milton III from Tennessee with the 193rd pick of the draft which they picked up from the Jaguars.

Jordan Schultz says this about the pick:

Milton checks in at an impressive 6-5, 235 pounds with an incredibly strong arm. Big time sleeper for me in this draft.

It may be insurance with their current crop of QB (except May) all free agents after this year, he may be converted to another position by the time he hits the field but historically New England has had a lot of luck with 6th round quarterbacks who had six or more QB’s picked ahead of him.


Finally my Dynasty face to face league opens up this weekend.

I should be more excited by this team. I have both Othani & Acuna Jr and more importantly an infield of Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez not only all returning from last season but all with A ratings for durability meaning that none can be injured for more than 3 games at a shot.

Yet for some reason I’m ambivalent about them.

I have no such qualms about my online squads. My 1997 Reds who just missed a playoff spot last year are running wild on the bases, which is to be expected on a team with Rickey Henderson and Lance Johnson in the outfield and despite Wade Boggs spending three series on the DL are tied for 1st place.

Meanwhile in 1972 my judicious trades for both draft picks and prospects has paid off big. Doug Rader my 1st pick in round one may have been my third choice to fill my 3B slot but he leads the team in HR & RBI and is fielding up a storm. Much to my shock my late first round picks turned into last year’s Cy Young winner Don Wilson (15th pick) and Blue Moon Odem (18th pick) and together with Ken Holtzman, Al Downing and Mike Torrez who retuned from last year have been putting up numbers to be proud of. Meanwhile Ken Berry is catching anything near him in center with 2nd year man Caesar Geronimo doing the same in right while Pete Rose is hitting anything that comes near him and old friend Ron Fairly his playing like there is someone out to take his job (Mike Jorgenson). All that adds up to first place.

A seven game lead with 123 games to go doesn’t mean a lot but it beats trailing the pack.