Posts Tagged ‘Sable/gerbl dynasty baseball league’

Sunday Morning Under the Fedora Media vs Brady, Kyrie addition by subtraction, Tampa Bay Lightning not striking twice, Betts as Ruth Redux and Games on paper vs games on paper

Posted: December 29, 2019 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, nba, nfl, nhl, Sable Baseball, Sports
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Are we still after last year seeing sports casters saying that even if the New England Patriots win against the hapless Dolphins today that the only question in the playoffs is: “Do the Patriots lose to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at home or in Kansas city?”

Now don’t get me wrong, Kansas City is a good team and as demonstrated earlier in the year they are quite capable of beating any team including the Patriots, but I can’t think of anything that is more likely to motivate an already great Patriots defense and Tom Brady back into “Deflategate revenge tour” mode than stuff like this.

It’s still very early in the season but I’d like to point out that last year the Brooklyn Nets finished the year at 42-40 with a .512 winning percentage without Kyrie Irving as the 6th seed while the Boston Celtics finished at 49-33 with a .598 winning percentage as the 5th seed in the east with Kyrie irving.

This year Irving left the Celtics and the team is currently the #3 seed at 22-8 with a .733 winning percentage and even with the #2 Miami Heat in the Loss Column. Irving signed with the nets who are currently 16-15 with a .516 winning percentage and 7th seeded in the conference, but more importantly is 12-8 with a .600 winning percentage since an injury sidelined Irving after a 4-7 start.

This man is the anti-Brady

Last year in the NHL during the Regular Season the Tampa Bay Lightning simply dominated the league in a way we hadn’t seen in years until the playoffs came around. I remember driving home after game one listening to sports radio as they declared that despite that loss Columbus had no chance right up until they finished the lightning off.

It’s a year later and the team that managed 128 points, a solid 20 above every other is now currently at 42 points five points behind the last wild card team. Now there are still 46 games to go but it’s an important reminder that you have to take advantage of any opportunity you have because you just might not get another chance.

Speaking of not getting another chance as the year ends and the 2020 season draws near we are still getting “the trade or don’t trade Mookie Betts” debate in Boston.

It’s been a pretty quiet off season for the Red Sox with three players from last world series win (Brock Holt, Mitch Moreland, Rick Porcello ) currently testing free agency and Catcher Sandy Leon traded to Cleveland for minor league pitcher Adenys Bautista. As of today their current offensive depth chart looks like this (via redsox.com):

With the exception of Pedroia this is pretty much the Red Sox offence that tore up the league last year but was betrayed by injuries in the rotation and weakness in the bullpen. Or to put it another way, this team is one closer and perhaps one healthy rotation away from fielding a team more than capable of dominating the American league with a monster offense, a zipper outfield and a rotation as good as any other in baseball.

So to those who say forget 2020 and trade Mookie let me remind all these people who have forgotten the lean times of a little history.

Exactly 100 years ago another Red Sox had an off season at 66-71-1 (one game called after 10 innings never made up) where they had dropped to sixth a year after winning the world series. They decided to get rid of their star right fielder, who could also pitch a bit, before the start of their next season selling him for a price higher than the entire payroll of the the previous year’s team. More money than the combined salaries of the top 8 players in the league.

That team had won five World series in the 20th century at that point, they would not win another.

Now Mookie Betts is no Babe Ruth but the point of the story is when you have a chance to win a World Series take it, because it might be another 86 years before you win another.

Finally as I mentioned before the old table top face to face fantasy baseball league that I started 32 years ago (the year before I got married) was revived this year. Going into Friday I had a record of 8-4 having won my 1st 4 series with a pair of series coming up against two relative newcomers with one season of experience between them both with losing records.

Over the next two days I lost 4-6 including a 9th inning blown save by Kimbrel, a 14th inning marathon, and had a team with Mookie Betts batting 1st and Anthony Rendon hitting 3rd shut out for the final 20 innings of the last two games against a sixteen year old kid who was playing in his 1st baseball simulation league 50 years after I had gotten my 1st baseball simulation game, Milton Bradley baseball for Christmas in 1969 (great game btw you can get it on eBay here) at the ripe old age of six.

This demonstrates a sports rule that extends even to games on paper. No matter what the betting line or the prognosticators say there is a reason why you actually play the games.

Sable/Gerbl day 15: Scherzer Rules the Roost, Sale K’s 10 Dodgers Juneau makes it 5 straight. Texas takes Boston in extras.

Posted: October 9, 2019 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, online gaming
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Vikings 3 Washington 1

Max Scherzer gave up 4 hits over nine innnings and scored a run as King Ragnar’s Vikings outlasted Washington 3-1.

With the excepton of Anthony Rendon (2-4 2 2b) Scherzer (W 3-1) kept Washington batters off ballance and even when they managed a bit of a rally such as in the 6th when Trevor Story doubled with two outs and Josh Reddick walked he was able to bear down and end the inning without damage.

His counterpart Sean Newcomb (L 0-2) for a time managed to do the same, pitching out of a man on 2nd no out situation in the 1st, a bases loaded two out jam in the 2nd and another bases loaded jam in the 4th until he finally cracked in the fifth. Juan Segura and Kentel Marte walked to start the inning and Eduardo Escobar singled to left scoring Segura for a 1-0 game. Wilson Ramon singled to right loading the bases and after Ramon Laureano K’d Elias Diaz hit a ball back to the mound that Newcomb was able to stop but couldn’t make a play on. That single socred Marte and made it 2-0 befor Newcomb retired Rizzo and Scherzer to stop the bleeding.

Those two would be all Max would need as he killed another potential rally with a pickoff of Billy Hamilton after a leadoff walk in the 7th and by the time Washington finally got on a board with a solo Shot by Josh Reddick to start the 9th the Vikings had already added a run off of reliever Brad Hand on a two out Whit Merrified double scoring Scherzer making it too little much too late.

Notes: Scherzer walked twice along with a hit raising his batting avg to .300 this season. Bobby Poyner came out of the game after 2/3 of an inning of perfect relief complaining about arm soreness and was subsequently sent to the minors. The Vikings went 4-15 with runners in scoring position while Washington went 0-6. It will be Noah Syndergaard (0-2) vs Carlos Martinez (1-0) for Washington to finish.

Rivertown 6 LA 2

Rivertown struck for 3 in the 1st and Chris Sale struck out 10 in 9 innings as Rivertown defeated LA 6-2.

Clayton Kershaw (L 1-3) troubles began right away with a leadoff double to Lorenzo Cain followed by a one out walk to Paul Goldschmidt. After Nelson Cruz forced Goldschmidt Marcell Ozuna fly to left carried just far enough to clear the fence and Rivertown was up 3-0.

LA got one back of Christ Sale (W 3-1) David Freese singled and Kike Hernandez was grazed by a sale fastball. With one out Matt Kemp delived a single to left scoring Freese and sending Hernandez to 2nd. It looked like a big inning was brewing but Max Muncy’s liner was right at Ozuna and Chris Taylor’s fly to left was just a few feet short of the wall so the game remained 3-1.

In the 3rd Rivertown struck again. Goldschmidt walked again and this time Cruz drove a ball to left center scoring him all the way from 1st. After a pair of gournd outs Yadier Molina doubled almost to the same spot scoring Cruz from 3rd easily and Rivertown was up 5-1.

Kiki Hernandez struck back at once in the bottom taking Sale deep to left center to make it 5-2 but that would be as close as they would get as LA would only manage two hits and one walk for the rest of the game off Sale whose fastball and changeup baffled LA’s bats to the point where Matt Carpenter’s 6th inning single scoring Lorenzo Cain who doubled with two outs off Ross Stripling was just window dressing.

Notes: Dodger Ace Clayton Kershaw’s 5 earned runs in 3 innings raised his ERA to 6.64. The team has a winning record in games he hasn’t started. Ozuna’s homer was his 1st of the season. Dodger Reliver Stripling came to the plate for the 1st time this season and singled off Sale Lorenzo Cain went 4-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. The Dodgers will throw Walker Buehler (0-1) in the finale He will face Aaron Nola (2-0 )

Juneau 8 NY 1

Mookie Betts hit two home runs and Miles Mikolas went all the way as Juneau crushed the NY Yankees 8-1 for their fifth straight win.

Luis Severino (L 1-2) Got deep in a hole three batters in. Andrew Benintendi led off the game with a triple Andrelton Simmons singled to drive him in and Mookie Betts hit the 1st fastball he saw 478 feet to right center and the score was 3-0

The Yankees couldn’t answer till the 4th Gleyber Torres singled to start things off and was erased on a force play on Aarond Judge. Didi Gregorius singled to right and Judge raced to 3rd ahead of the thow allowing Gregorius to reach 2nd and giving the Yanks two men in scoring position with only one out and the tying run at the plate. Alas for the Yanks while Giancarlo Stanton’s grounder to short scored Judge, Miles Mikolas (W 1-2) struck out Neil Walker to keep the lead 3-1.

It didn’t stay that way long, Benintendi walked to start the fifth, Simmons singled and Mookie Betts Doubled to left scoring Benintendi and getting Simmons to 3rd with nobody out but Shohei Ohtani fly to center turned into a double play when Brett Gardner’s bullet to the plate beat Simmons keeping the score 4-1.

This was Boston’s big chance and it looked like they would take advantage of it. With one out in the bottom of the fifth Austin Romine doubled and Greg Bird singled to right sending him to 3rd. Once again the tying run was at the plate with only one out and once again Mikolas came through k’ing Aaron Hicks and coaxing a force out from Torres to end the inning.

They might have come back but with Matt Chapman on 3rd (single) and Harrison Bader on 2nd (walk) and two outs their defense failed him. Torrez booted a grounder that Benintendi hit off Zach Britton scoring Chapman and sending Baider to 3rd and Britton and Romine allowed a passed ball scoring Bader making it six to one.

At that point it didn’t matter Mikolas would retire the last 12 in a row so solo shots by Betts and Othani were just afterthoughts.

Notes: In addition to his solo shot Ohtani stole his 1st base after a walk in the 7th. Yankees relieveers Dellin Betances (Ohtani) and Zach Britton (Betts) both gave up solo shots for their only earned run Betances ERA went up to 0.66 but Britton’s DROPPED to 16.20 Benintendi and Betts combined for 4 hits 4 runs 4 RBI’s 2 walks 2 homers and a double. The series ends tomorrow with David Price (1-0) against J.A. Happ (0-1)

Texas 5 Boston 4 (10 innings)

Michael Brantly hit an extra inning homer and Keone Kella pitched two scoreless innings for the win as Texas won for the 3rd time in four extra inning games with a 5-4 victory against Boston.

The Thunder stuck in the 1st off of Justin Verlander who after striking out the 1st two batters gave up a single to Mike Trout, a double to Freddie Freeman which scored Trout and a Triple to Javier Baez scoring Freeman to make it 2-0.

In the 2nd Boston came back Alex Bregman singled. Corey Kluber retired the next two the 2nd on a fielder’s choice that replaced Bregman with Ronald Acuna Jr. for J.T. Realmuto who took a ball over the green monster to tie things up.

In the 3rd the Thunder hit Verlander again, Trout walked with one out and with two outs Javier Baez doubled him in and Francisco Lindor followed with a Triple and it was 4-2 while in the bottom of the inning Christian Yelich hit a solo shot to center and the lead was 4-3.

There it stayed until the eighth when again with two out Alex Bregman hit a shot out to center off of Raisel Iglesias tying things up at 4 and taking Verlander off the hook. Verlander retired the 1st two in the 9th before giving way to Brandon Morrow L (1-1) who would retire the final man in the innings before giving up that shot in the 10th.

Notes: Keone Kela (W 1-1) retired all six men he faced for the win. Verlander struck out 15 fifteen texas batters in his no decision. 8 of the games nine runs were scored with two outs. This was Texas’s 4th extra inning game this season. Texas has played as many extra inning games as any other two teams in the league combined this season. It will be the battle of the even records in the finale as 1-1 Zach Grenkie of Texas faces the 1-1 Blake Snell.

Last Chance to Join Fitchburg MA Face to Face Dynasty Baseball league before Next Week’s Draft Tomorrow Zeda’s Pizza from 1-5 PM

Posted: September 20, 2019 by datechguy in gaming, Sable Baseball
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Tomorrow I will be at Zeda’s Pizza in Fitchburg MA to finalize rules for the Sable/Gerbl face to face Dynasty baseball league.

If you are a fan of Baseball and boardgaming come on down, I’ll demonstrate the game.

The Draft is scheduled for Sept 28th, the tentative opening day is Oct 18th and we will be playing 3 games on alternative Saturdays.

Come on down and find out why Dynasty Baseball is not only the best baseball simulation on the market but one of the best board game for a baseball fan.

Sable/Gerbl Day 12 : Red Sox win the battle of the Bullpens, Juneau sweeps Texas. Goldschmidt unhorses Sir Anthony , LA Hangs on for split.

Posted: August 16, 2019 by datechguy in fun, gaming, Sable Baseball, Sports
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Red Sox 7 Yankees 6

Boston managed 12 hits and Brandon Morrow held a lead when no other reliever could giving Boston a their 4th straight win and NY their fifth straight loss by a score of 7-6.

NY starter JA Happ proved hapless in the 2nd as JD Martinez singled to right and went to 3rd on Aaron Judge’s error. Alex Bregman followed with a single to center sending Martinez to 3rd. He came home on Kris Bryant’s single to left. After Ronald Acuna Jr. walked to load them up JT. Realmuto drove in both Bregman and Bryant on a single to left and Sending Acuna to 3rd where he would score on a Nick Ahmed double play making it 4-0.

After pitching around another error in the 3rd Happ was tagged again. Acuna singled and Realmuto walked. Another fortunate double play left Acuna on 3rd with two outs but Jose Altuve double to left making it 5-0.

Meanwhile Jameson Taillon pitched 5 strong innings before getting into trouble in the 6th. Aaron Hicks singled and Gleyber Torres followed suit but Hicks went for 3rd and Acuna gunned him down leaving Torres on 2nd with one out. That would be critical as Aaron Judge would take the next pitch over the left field wall making it 5-2 instead of 5-3. Taillon would load the bases with a pair of walks surrounding a hit batsman and a K before getting Austin Romine to fly out keeping the defect at 3.

In the 7th Greg Bird would chase Taillon with a leadoff blast to right making it 5-3. Corey Knebel (W 1-0) could come in and walk Hicks and Torres before surrendering a one out Blast deep into the seats beyond the bullpens in right making it 6-5. The Yanks had a chance to do more damage as Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk and Brett Gardner did the same with two outs but Romine struck out swinging keeping the lead at 1.

They would again miss that run as Jonathan Holder (L 0-1) wasn’t up to the task of holding a lead either. he gave up a lead off double to Altuve and then with one out a Double to Christian Yelich to tie the game. while he managed to get the dangerous JD Martinez Bregman would follow with a two out single driving in Yelich and Boston was back up 7-6.

That when Brandon Morrow (S1) came in and did what no other reliever to that point had done, hold a lead he would retire the side in order in the 8th and while he allowed a one out walk to Gregorius fanned Stanton and coaxed a game ending grounder from Neil Walker to earn the Save for himself and the win for the Sox.

Notes: 3 of the Yankees seven hits and all of their runs came on home runs. None of the Redsox 12 hits left the yard but six of them came with runners in scoring position out of an incredible 17 chances. Only Ben Zobrist went without a hit or a walk for Boston (0-5). Despite Boston and NY combining for 3 errors in the game all of the runs were Earned. NY finally heads home to open against the Texas Thunder while Boston’s long homestand continues as they welcome the Juneau Muffin men.

Juneau 10 Texas 1

Bryce Harper had his 3rd homer in 2 two games and David Price gave up only run run in 6 2/3 as Juneau won it’s 2nd straight over Texas 10-1.

Juneau started right were they left off the previous day against Zach Greinke (L 1-1) with two outs Mookie Betts doubled and Shohei Ohtani drove him home with a single, not that it would matter as Bryce Harper would take a Greinke curve 418 feet to right for a 3-0 lead.

Yuli Gurriel would answer with a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the inning but it would be the only answer they would have all day as David Price (W 1-0) kept the Texas off balance most innings while taking advantage of fine defense like plays like Harrison Bader’s rocket throw that nailed Mike Trout at 3rd in the 4th when he tried to tag up on a fly to the warning track.

Meanwhile Juneau in general and Harper in particular continued to feast off Texas pitching in the 6th with Simmons on 3rd (HBP) and Ohtani on 1st (Single) Harper drove in his 3rd run of the game. Matt Chapman followed with a triple driving in Ohtani and Harper and scored off of Kolton Wong’s two run shot off of Jonny Venters making it 8-1 Ohtani’s one out double scoring Benintendi (single) and Betts (HBP) in the 9th gave Juneau it’s 2nd straight 10 run game and made Ryan Braiser’s 2 1/3 perfect innings a mere formality.

Notes: Ohtani and Harper both scored two runs while driving in 3. Ohtani on a 3-5 day Harper on 2-4 Despite sweeping Texas Juneau gave up 4 home runs in 2 games and have given up a home run in each of their last 5. Texas was 0-5 with runners in scoring position while Juneau was 5-10. Texas travels to NY for a rematch of their opening series while Juneau heads for Boston.
Meanwhile the

Rivertown 3 Washington 2 10 innings

Washington’s Bullpen wasted an excellent start by Carlos Martinez to blow a 9th inning lead and a single swing by Paul Goldschmidt finished the job as Rivertown swept Washington with a 3-2 win.

It was a game of pitching and close calls as Patrick Corbin for Rivertown and Carlos Martinez dueled. Corbin relying on the K striking out 10 Senators and Martinez aided by great defense

In the 1st DJ Le Mahieu turned a Jose Ramirez Liner that would have put him on 1st and Lorenzo Cain (HBP) on 3rd into an inning ending double play.

In the 4th with men on 1st (David Peralta walk) and 2nd (Jose Ramirez single and stolen base) with nobody out Ramirez struck out Goldschmidt and Before another LeMahieu turned a 2nd double play perserving a 1-0 lead.

That lead came in the top of the inning when Josh Reddick after a two out single beat a wild throw to the plate From Peralta on Anthony Rendon’s double off of Corbin. But over 6 2/3 innings that would be all he would yield.

Meanwhile the defense kept making the big play for Washington. In the sixth with one out Peralta singled and Goldschmidt doubled. Peralta held out of respect for the arms in the DC outfield. With one out and nobody on 1st the infield came in on Matt Carpenter who hit a shot toward first but despite being drawn in Jesus Agular dove to glove the ball in the air and managed to get the ball to LeMahieu before Goldschmidt could get back.

In the 7th the defense would do it again. After a Nelson Cruz single and one out Jeurys Familia came in relieving Martinez. He struck out Paul DeJong but Diego Castillo drove a changeup to left. Cruz didn’t hesitate for moment but neither did Corey Dickerson who fielded it and threw in a single motion nailing him at the plate.

In the ninth the Senators would add some offense Diego Castilo in his 3rd inning of work put a fat pitch over for Josh Reddick that the crosswind just blew into play for the 1st out. Rendon followed with a double and moved to 3rd on Billy Hamilton’s grounder and scored on Agular’s single. The lead was 2-0 Reliever Brad Hand had shut down a Rivertown rally in the 8th with a pair of K’s and Seranthony Dominguez (BS 1 L 0-1) was warned and ready to come if needed. It looked like it was all over.

It wasn’t. Nelson Cruz singled off Hand and was pulled for pinch runnier Ender Incirte. After Yadier Molina was retired on a foul ball Trey Turner walked and when Jose Martinez was announced as a pinch hitter Mgr Ingemi went to the mound. Dominguez was ready but Ingemi decided to stick with Hand. Martinez singled loading the bases and Dominguez came in to face Lorenzo Cain. Cain worked the count to 3-2 and Dominguez threw a ball that most batters in the league would chase, Cruz didn’t and it was 2-1.

With a stikeout pitcher on the mound and fearing a game ending two run single the infield remained back but Washington which had turned so many key double plays that night could only manage one on Ramierz grounder. Turner scored and the game was tied.

Jose Alvarado (W 1-0) came in unwarmed from the pen with a new defense behind him but it didn’t matter, Dominguez, LeMahieu and Dickerson all went down on strikes in the 10th clearing the way for Paul Goldschmidt to win the game with a single swing.

Notes: Rivertown only managed to go 1-11 with runners in scoring position but the senators only had four chances (1-4) None of Washington’s pitchers were pinch hit for in this game while Rivertown sent 3 pinch hitters to the plate (1-3).  Washington travels to LA for a pair while Rivertown will host King Ragnar’s Vikings

Dodgers 6 Vikings 4

Kike Hernandez and Chris Taylor went back to back and the four LA pitchers were able to hold onto the lead they gave them to earn a split of their series with King Ragnar’s Vikings 6-4.

The Long ball came early for the Dodgers as Manny Machado took Ryan Stanek (L 0-1) yard with two outs in the top of the 1st. Jean Segura came right back with a one out blast against Rich Hill (W 1-0) to tie the game before Hernandez and Taylor’s back to back blasts to start the 2nd making it 3-1 The Vikings got on back in the bottom of the 2nd on a Juan Soto single followed by a Eduardo Escobar double with nobody out. When Hill retired Rosario and Culberson the Vikings took a chance and pulled Stanek for pinch hitter Mallex smith Hill coaxed a grounder to keep the game 3-2.

Hill helped his own cause in the 4th off Craig Stammen in the 4th by drilling a two out double to the gap in left center driving in Taylor who walked with one out making it 4-2 and after after a pair of singles by Soto and Escobar put two in in the bottom of the inning again struck out a pinch hitter batting for the pitcher stopping the rally which was key because in the fifth Whit Merrifield’s took him over the left field wall to make it 4-3.

That wasn’t much breathing space for Hill but with one out Justin Turmer pinch hit for him driving a single to left. Cody Bellinger followed with a double and Matt Kemp Crushed a fly ball to center that stayed in the part but was deep enough to score Turner to get the lead back to 5-3.

It looked like LA would break the game open in the 8th off Arodys Vizcaino when after a Yasiel Puig double and a Yasmani Grandal single, Hernandez drove a sinking liner to left but Merrifield made a diving stab that while allowing Puig to tag up for a 6-3 lead kept Grandal on 1st and Hernandez off back allowing Vizcaino to get out without further damage.

That would matter when Jean Segura doubled to start the bottom of the inning and was driven in by a one out double by Wilson Ramos getting the lead back to two and putting the tying run at the plate without on and a man on 2nd off Josh Fields. Pat Venditte came in and walked Soto before Escobar hit into a fielders choice for the 2nd out putting men on 1st and 3rd. Kenley Jansen (s4) came in and retired Matt Kemp to preserve the lead. While he would give up a Whit Merrifield two out double in the 9th he followed it by striking out Segura to perserve the win and the save for LA.

Notes: the Dodger victory evened their record at 6-6. Viking pinch hitters went 0-5 in the game. Machado’s RBI puts him one behind Paul Goldschmdit of Rivertown with 15 while Jansen save ties him with Rivertown’s Edwin Diaz in that category. The Dodgers head home to play the Senators while King Ragnar Vikings head to Pittsburgh to raid Rivertown.

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