Go Crazy Folks…
posted by jeff at 4:44 PM
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Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Monday, September 09, 2013
How The EHCC Will Be Won
On Aug 15th, Tijuana traded Ryan Zimmerman to Santo Domingo for a 1st round pick, and in Week 22 the 3B made them regret it by slugging 5 home runs off his former squad.
How The EHCC Will Be Won
By Skip Clifton, San Diego Chronicle
Back on March 31st, I made my preseason EHCC predictions. Some were good (Dublin making a huge leap from 2012 and making the playoffs) and some were horrible (Tokyo winning the West). Here's a recap:
Eastern Division
1. Weymouth
2. Las Vegas (wild card)
3. Rakeville (wild card)
4. Bridgewater
5. San Juan
6. Augusta
Western Division
1. Tokyo
2. Dublin (wild card)
3. Quebec City (wild card)
4. Tijuana
5. Santo Domingo
6. Rio de Janeiro
Yikes.
However, my Uncle Ray once said, "Those who dwell on their mistakes are doomed to drive off a cliff in their underwear" (he was a drinker). So, rather than analyze the terrible, TERRIBLE preseason picks, we will move on to this year's playoff predictions...
Quarter-Finals: #6 Weymouth @ #3 Dublin
Back on June 1st, Dublin was living large; 7-1-1, first place in the EHCC, and a pitching staff that was unstoppable. Then came their second matchup against Tijuana, and everything went wrong in a 9-1 drubbing. The pitching staff was pedestrian, the offense was streaky, and the Snake Chasers finished the regular season 3-2-1. Weymouth, on the other hand, was practically done around the trade deadline, and even made some deals that hinted they were giving up on 2013. But they finished the season 8-1 and grabbed the final playoff spot with confidence.
Prediction: The Shaddupu are on a hot streak and playing well, and Dublin's thin-yet-stacked pitching staff is full of guys with potential innings limits. Weymouth in the upset, 6-4.
Quarter-Finals: #5 San Juan @ #4 Tijuana
What happened to the Hispanics? They were the biggest thing since loafed bread for most of the season. Their churning pitching staff strategy helped them most of the time, but not so much against teams with stud hurlers (Las Vegas, Dublin). And in Week 22, the ridiculous offense of Santo Domingo cost Tijuana a first-round bye. San Juan has been slow-and-steady, never challenging Las Vegas for the East title, but never falling out of a playoff spot. Their offense has been pedestrian, but the pitching staff has carried the Guerites all year.
Prediction: Tijuana's pitching staff is based on Wins and Strikeouts, San Juan's on ERA and WHIP so that's a relative wash. However, the Hispanics offense has the perfect balance of speed, power, and average to take at LEAST 3 categories. Tijuana takes it, 7-2.
Semi-Finals: #6 Weymouth @ #2 Las Vegas
Las Vegas was spoiled this year. Sure, they finished tied with the best record in the EHCC, but you don't need any sabermetrics to see how bad the East was in 2013. The Doggs took advantage, going 10-3-2 (89-53-8) against their division foes. Weymouth wasn't as great, going 9-5-1, but 4 of those were to San Juan/Las Vegas so they beat the teams they were supposed to. The Shaddupu's pitching staff is very top heavy (Jose Fernandez, Sonny Gray, Ricky Nolasco) but lacks depth to keep up with the Doggs who have 8 starters with 140+ strikeouts. The offense is even better, with Las Vegas in the top 4 in 4/5 offensive categories.
Prediction: Just too many great acquisitions at the deadline for Las Vegas, who epitomized "The Rich Get Richer" from June 15th on. The Doggs win big, 8-2.
Semi-Finals: #4 Tijuana @ #1 Santo Domingo
Who, outside of the Dominican Republic, saw the drubbing that the All-Star Factory gave the Hispanics in Week 22? 9-1 is easy to see, but Santo Domingo absolutely humiliated their opponent on offense: .312, 18 HR, 41 RBI, 44 Runs was just too much for the Hispanics to handle. The Tijuana pitching staff also came out flat, although 5 wins, 8 saves, and 73 strikeouts would usually look good against most teams. But the SD staff, like their offense, came to play in a big spot to clinch the #1 overall seed. Ian Kennedy, Cliff Lee, even Big Fat Bartolo Colon made noise, and should continue their dominance in the playoffs.
Prediction: Don't let the regular season finale fool you, this All-Star Factory offense is not THAT good... that being said, this All-Star Factory offense is pretty good. If Wil Myers and David Ortiz can continue their dominance, they'll be looking at a trip to the finals. However, if the Tijuana pitching staff can get back to their regular season ways and put up big Win/Strikeout numbers, Santo Domingo could get surprised. 5-5 tie will be the finish in this one, with Santo Domingo moving on due to their regular season matchups.
Finals: #2 Las Vegas @ #1 Santo Domingo
Chalk. After analyzing the matchups over and over, I just couldn't find any obvious upsets (really struggled with the Weymouth/Dublin game, but either team I had losing to Las Vegas). But then again, what's wrong with picking the 2 best teams in the regular season to meet in the championship? Not everybody can be a George Mason. Las Vegas looks good on paper across the board, but that Santo Domingo offense is sneaky good. Ryan Zimmerman, Will Middlebrooks, David Ortiz, and Brandon Phillips are studs, and their pitching staff (led by Yu Darvish) is built to strike people out. On the other side, Las Vegas has absolutely no holes: Buster Posey, Joey Votto, Pedro Alvarez, Hanley Ramirez Yoenis Cespedes... all MVP caliber. And with 5 closers and a plethora of winning starters, it'll be very tough to keep up. Prediction: Injuries might hurt the Doggs in this one. Carlos Gonzalez and David Wright are still not game-ready, Tim Lincecum is reverting into Tim Lincecum, and Lance Lynn has been awful lately. On the other side, Santo Domingo is hot at the right time. The All-Star Factory could easily hit the 10 win/100 strikeout plateau, and one or two solid starts will keep the ERA/WHIP down...
Back on March 31st, I made my preseason EHCC predictions. Las Vegas over Dublin looks completely possible, and if it happens, I'll look like a genius. However, as my Uncle Ray used to say, "That's why they made erasers: So you have something to stick in your nose when its running." I'm pretty sure he meant that changing our minds is human nature, and should be fully embraced by our closed-minded, cantankerous society... or at least, that's what it sounded like.
Santo Domingo over Las Vegas, 6-3.
Skip Clifton is a columnist for the San Diego Chronicle. He once hit 5 home runs in a T-Ball game at the age of 26.
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posted by Keith at 11:14 PM
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Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Set The Record Straight
Some records were meant to be broken - just not all of them it seems. 2006 was a magical year for offenses across the league and for seven years now the records set have gone untouched.
Set The Record Straight
By: Conor Intabedd / Reno Weekly Rag
In the 6th season of the EHCC offense was king. Four different teams set year-long statistical records in 4 of the major 5 categories (the other was set the following year). Las Vegas scored the most runs the league had ever seen, and has yet to witness (Vegas went on to win their 2nd championship that year). The Golden Gryphons may always have their name in the EHCC books after they hit 241 home runs in 2006, a feet no other team has even come close to matching. After spending a few years trying to out pitch and out steal the rest of the league in a misguided attempt to win playoff games, the Rockets of Rakeville showed some power by driving in 791 RBI. Weymouth, the three time champion, became the first, and still only, team to hit over .300 on the season. Oh ya, let's not forget that these four teams finished with the top 4 seeds in the playoffs that season as well. Coincidence?
Going into the final week of the 2013 season not one of these offensive records is set to be challenged, never mind broken. Dublin currently sits 95 runs shy of LV's mark and 134 RBI's off Rakeville's, while Rakeville sits 56 home runs away from Golden's record and Las Vegas would need to hit above .850 in the final week over the coarse of 175 at bats in order to challenge Weymouth for the 2006 record.
On the flip side, EHCC pitching records change almost yearly. Each of the five categories have annual records set as early as 2012, with the longest standing record only going back to 2008. Granted, Quebec City's strikeout record stands as strong as any of the offensive records, but each of the other categories are always in fear of being broken. This year alone Dublin looks poised to set new records in both ERA and WHIP, knocking Detroit out of the record books for good, besides stating that they did in fact exist. Las Vegas needs 11 saves in the final week to tie the Piglets, which stole the record from Tokyo, who stole the record for Tijuana (all within a 4 year span). Rio de Janeiro, who set the new Wins record in 2012, should hold onto their record for one more year as the closest staff going into 2013's final week is Weymouth with 123 wins, who had traded away all their chances of breaking the record at the deadline. It's only a matter of time before this record is broken however.
Weekly records seems a bit stronger than they once were, as 2013 only saw one record tied (Rakeville, RBI, 57, Week 19) and none broken. Though the season did see the most 10-0 shut outs since 2009 with 3 (LV over BRW, RIO over SJ, and LV over RAK) and the first time since 2007 one single team has records two such feats in the same season. Las Vegas extended their lead for most such victories with their 9th and 10th shut out in 2013.
As the regular season comes to a close we'll see Las Vegas try to sure up their 4th Eastern Division crown, which would separate themselves for most East titles ever, while Dublin and Santo Domingo fight for their first Western Division title. Quebec City still owns a commanding lead for most division championships in their division with 7.
Conor Intabedd is a beat writer for the Reno Weekly Rag. He recently found that adding Jamison to his coffee was a much easier way to get through watching tapes Bridgewater Weasels games and recommends it to all their fans.
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Set The Record Straight
By: Conor Intabedd / Reno Weekly Rag
In the 6th season of the EHCC offense was king. Four different teams set year-long statistical records in 4 of the major 5 categories (the other was set the following year). Las Vegas scored the most runs the league had ever seen, and has yet to witness (Vegas went on to win their 2nd championship that year). The Golden Gryphons may always have their name in the EHCC books after they hit 241 home runs in 2006, a feet no other team has even come close to matching. After spending a few years trying to out pitch and out steal the rest of the league in a misguided attempt to win playoff games, the Rockets of Rakeville showed some power by driving in 791 RBI. Weymouth, the three time champion, became the first, and still only, team to hit over .300 on the season. Oh ya, let's not forget that these four teams finished with the top 4 seeds in the playoffs that season as well. Coincidence?
Going into the final week of the 2013 season not one of these offensive records is set to be challenged, never mind broken. Dublin currently sits 95 runs shy of LV's mark and 134 RBI's off Rakeville's, while Rakeville sits 56 home runs away from Golden's record and Las Vegas would need to hit above .850 in the final week over the coarse of 175 at bats in order to challenge Weymouth for the 2006 record.
On the flip side, EHCC pitching records change almost yearly. Each of the five categories have annual records set as early as 2012, with the longest standing record only going back to 2008. Granted, Quebec City's strikeout record stands as strong as any of the offensive records, but each of the other categories are always in fear of being broken. This year alone Dublin looks poised to set new records in both ERA and WHIP, knocking Detroit out of the record books for good, besides stating that they did in fact exist. Las Vegas needs 11 saves in the final week to tie the Piglets, which stole the record from Tokyo, who stole the record for Tijuana (all within a 4 year span). Rio de Janeiro, who set the new Wins record in 2012, should hold onto their record for one more year as the closest staff going into 2013's final week is Weymouth with 123 wins, who had traded away all their chances of breaking the record at the deadline. It's only a matter of time before this record is broken however.
Weekly records seems a bit stronger than they once were, as 2013 only saw one record tied (Rakeville, RBI, 57, Week 19) and none broken. Though the season did see the most 10-0 shut outs since 2009 with 3 (LV over BRW, RIO over SJ, and LV over RAK) and the first time since 2007 one single team has records two such feats in the same season. Las Vegas extended their lead for most such victories with their 9th and 10th shut out in 2013.
As the regular season comes to a close we'll see Las Vegas try to sure up their 4th Eastern Division crown, which would separate themselves for most East titles ever, while Dublin and Santo Domingo fight for their first Western Division title. Quebec City still owns a commanding lead for most division championships in their division with 7.
Conor Intabedd is a beat writer for the Reno Weekly Rag. He recently found that adding Jamison to his coffee was a much easier way to get through watching tapes Bridgewater Weasels games and recommends it to all their fans.
Labels: Intabedd, Records, Reno Weekly Rag
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posted by Howe at 3:09 PM
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Tuesday, September 03, 2013
2013 EHCC Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
Who were the Winners and Losers at the EHCC Trade Deadline? Click to find out!
2013 Trade Winners and Losers
By: Max Powers and Skip Shadeless
The EHCC trade deadline, one of the most active days of the season for the league, has come and gone for the 2013 season. This season's deadline was the most active since 2010 when the highlight ended up being Arlington being involved in 3 transactions at the deadline, and the eventual champion Weasels not being involved in any.
2013 has seen the league become very top heavy, making it easy to determine the buyers and sellers weeks prior. At the top of the Eastern division no one was surprised to see Las Vegas make a move, as they've been part of at least one trade on deadline day for 8 of the past 10 seasons. Sellers were the most active, with both Tokyo and Weymouth selling off star players for multiple prospects and future considerations with multiple teams looking to make a run. Let's take a look at exactly what each team did for themselves, either for 2013 or beyond...
Weymouth
Powers Statement: Less than one month after trading for the star lefty Cliff Lee, Weymouth had a bad case of buyer’s remorse as it became clear Lee wasn't going to be enough to push them into playoff contention. Luckily for Weymouth the deadline brings the value of older pitchers to their peak and they were able to recoup everything they initially gave up to bring in the lefty, and it could be argued they came out ahead after it was all said and done. Giving up Rick Porcello, Jarred Cosart, Leonys Martin on July 8, and taking on Allen Webster, Mike Zunino, Nick Castellanos in their replacement. Long term this has the potential of working out much better than their original threesome would have for the Poo of Shaddy. They bolstered their youth talent by bringing on pitcher Danny Hultzen from Tijuana and dumping veteran Jake Peavy. With these types of rebuilding trades only time will tell for sure how they will turn out, but considering whe Weymouth was going this year and the makeup of their current roster this may have been their best time to start thinking of 2015. Grade: B+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Weymouth are a bunch of idiots. They traded for Cliff Lee to try and make a run, then pussied out on making a run and traded him for a bunch of (Shaddy) poo. Martin and Cosart have set the EHCC on fire since the trade, while Porcello has continued a solid breakout season. Zunino? He’s J.P. Arencibia 2.0, but with more injuries. He could’ve got that off the wire for free. Webster? A bum. The new Derek Lowe, but with less talent and height. Castellanos? More like CastellaNO, am I right? And Hultzen is an injured bum, while Peavy has been spectacular for Tijuana, and might lead them to a playoff bye. Shaddypoo? After all that, those bozos will probably make the playoffs, minus a trio of aces in Peavy, Lee, and Weaver (generously donated to Las Vegas’s playoff run for a bunch of bullshit). Enjoy your 1st round exit, Islanders of Weymouth. Hope it was worth it. Grade: F+
Tijuana
Powers Statement: The Hispanics have never found themselves in quite this situation before: obvious buyers at the deadline. After making the playoffs last season the Hispanics have only gotten stronger and made strides this season in bolstering their lineup with the addition of Adam Jones and their pitching staff with Ryan Dempster and Kris Medlen earlier in the season. At the deadline they tried rounding out their bullpen with the addition of Jake Peavy from Weymouth and Rex Brothers from Quebec City. All in all, they only piece of real value they gave up was prospect Danny Hultzen, and for what they did for their roster in return, in the name of a championship run, may prove to be the best value overall of all the trades made at this year's deadline. If Peavy can tread water the rest of the way he adds stability, strikeouts, and wins to Tijuana's currently fluctuating rotation. Brothers fills the void left by Jose Veras in the closer role, and for a 4th round pick it's an easy pick up. Even if they don't take the gold this year, the Hispanics didn't lose enough for these trades to be considered a bust, but one has to wonder if there's more they could have done as most teams don't get into the position Tijuana is currently in, with one eye on the EHCC plaque and one eye on the rest of the league. Grade: B
Shadeless Rebuttal: Tijuana are a bunch of idiots. They wasted a 2nd round pick using a waiver claim on the corpse of Jayson Werth, then went out and gave away a better Util option in Ryan Zimmerman for a 1st rounder from a playoff team. What the hell, muchachos? Then they gave away a Johnny Cueto and Ryan Dempster and a some picks for Kyle “No MLB team wanted me in the offseason because they all know I’m not actually that good” Lohse and Huston “I’m not really that great, and also I play for a shitty team, so I don’t get a ton of save opportunities anyway” Street. Hey, you know what would’ve been great? If you hadn’t traded a 1st Rd. Minor league pick and an established closer in Jim Johnson for Ryan Dempster in the first place. Maybe then you wouldn’t have had to give him away for a new closer 3 months later. And don’t get me started on that Peavy trade. You traded a potential stud prospect in Hultzen plus what’s left of your picks for an injured bum like Peavy? Over/under until his arm falls off: 4 Tijuana starts. Take the under. Grade: F+
Quebec City
Powers Statement: Congratulations to the Piglets on their newly acquired 4th Round MaDP. There was a possibility they could have dumped Brothers on a team during the waivers trade period for a 2nd round pick, but really, who cares. Grade: C+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Quebec City are a bunch of idiots. They gave away Rex Brothers for nothing—literally, nothing. That guy is a lights out closer. QC brass will try and tell you that Rafael Betancourt was due back to take over as closer soon, so Brothers value was low, but everyone knew Betancourt’s arm was held together with silly putty and shoelaces, and now his career is just about over with news of Tommy John surgery, while Brothers racks up the saves for Tijuana. Nice job, you Canuck clowns. They also gave up a guy who hit 30+ homers last year for Anthony Rendon. Who? Exactly. Let me keep it simple for you—he sucks. Way to turn a championship team into a laughingstock. Grade: F+
Tokyo
Powers Statement: An obvious seller at the deadline as well, Tokyo added to their stash of 2014 MiDP's by dumping off former all star Josh Hamilton and Dexter Fowler for a pair of 2nd rounders. Hamilton could very well go on to pushing Rakeville into playoff contention, but he wasn't going to help Tokyo this year, and possibly ever again. Though it was an obvious sell low situation for both Fowler and Hamilton, Tokyo didn't want to have either of them go the way of Grady Sizemore or Carl Crawford, both highly sought after players who lost their way, and their value, earlier than expected. Grade: B-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Tokyo are a bunch of idiots. They gave away Josh Hamilton for basically nothing. What the hell? Did Enkidu Ishtar break into Hamilton’s stash when he made that trade? Ridiculous. And their return for Cliff Lee was pathetic. Martin and Cosart haven’t exactly set the EHCC on fire, and Rick Porcello has a long history of being sucky. The only trade worse would have been if they flipped him for, I don’t know, something like Mike Zunino, Allen Webster, and Nick Castellanos. Plus, they traded stud Adam Jones for stupid Gerrit Cole. Hey, next time try trading for a guy who knows how to spell ‘Garrett’, okay? The circus must have come to town, because Tokyo is full of bozos. Grade: F+
Augusta
Powers Statement: The Albatross lived up to their name this trade season by talking a big game in the early season, and then failing to live up to their self-imposed expectations. Under the pressure to perform caused by their owner’s early-season smack talk, they made a rash trade that sacrificed future flexibility in unloading their 2014 Minor League draft picks for the underperforming Nick Markakis and injured Brandon Morrow. At the time, it was expected that Morrow would be back shortly, but he ended up missing the rest of the season and Augusta went into a free-fall shortly thereafter. They tried to make up for that deal by shipping out beloved SP Adam Wainwright for a minor league pick, Yovani Gallardo, and prospects, but time will tell if that was enough. Grade: C-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Augusta are a bunch of idiots. They traded all kinds of good stuff for bums. That’s what happens when you put a junkie in charge of a baseball team. What’s that? He’s not a junkie? Oh, well, whatever. He’s bad at general managing even if he is drug-free.
Rio de Janeiro
Powers Statement: Rio was quiet at the deadline, only making a small move, giving up a 2nd Rd. Minor league pick in 2014 for Dexter Fowler. It was good depth at a reasonable price for Rio, who didn’t want to break the bank while they continued to evaluate whether or not they were a true contender this year. Grade: B
Shadeless Rebuttal: Rio are a bunch of idiots. Dexter Fowler sucks. A 27th round Minor league pick would’ve been too much for that piece of crap. Now they’re going to miss the playoffs and have nothing to show for it. I hope Fowler puts up huge numbers in the consolation bracket (spoiler alert: he won’t. Because he sucks). Grade: F+
Rakeville
Powers Statement: A year after winning a long-awaited championship, Rakeville found themselves in much different territory this year. Although they weren’t looking to be playoff-bound, they couldn’t pass up the once great Josh Hamilton at a bargain price of a minor league 2nd round pick. It all appears to be for naught, though, as Rakeville has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention at press time. That 2nd round pick could have been a key rebuilding piece. Grade: D
Shadeless Rebuttal: Rakeville are a bunch of idiots. Their complete mismanagement of a championship team has made Quebec City look like the class of the league. Who’s managing this squad, the douchebag who used to run Arlington? Give me a break. Anytime you can run a championship team into the ground and throw away a minor league draft pick for nothing at the same time, hey, you gotta make that move, right Jack Reed? Grade: F+
Santo Domingo
Powers Statement: The All-Star Factory decided to get serious about making a run after last year’s heartbreaking run at the playoffs ended with a spot in the consolation bracket. They gave up a number of promising prospects for stud SP Cliff Lee, and also gave up a 1st round pick for an aging Ryan Zimmerman. It’s a risky move, but the results are paying off in spades so far, as Santo Domingo closes in on the franchise’s first playoff berth. Grade: B+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Santo Domingo are a bunch of idiots. You can’t give up stud prospects like Zunino, Castellanos, and Webster for an old bum like Cliff Lee. Remember Cliff Lee? That dumbass who sucked for Cleveland for all those years? That guy stinks. I don’t buy this turnaround, I don’t care how many Cy Youngs he wins. Once a bum, always a bum. Just like the Santo Domingo GM. Enjoy your first round playoff loss. Hope it was worth it when Zunino and Castellanos are hitting bombs in Weymouth for years to come and Webster is firing no-hitters you dumbasses. Grade: F+
San Juan
Powers Statement: The Guerites made a calculated risk in upgrading their 3B by giving up young stud 2B prospect Anthony Rendon for Chase Headley. Headley has been a disappointment following last year’s breakout season, but the pedigree is there, and San Juan had a gaping hole at 3B. A calculated risk that could pay off big in the playoffs if Headley heats up. Grade: B-
McShadeless Rebuttal: San Juan are a bunch of idiots. Who gives up a stud, minor protected prospect for a piece of garbage like Chase Headley? They might as well change the name on his jersey from ‘Headley’ to ‘Fluke’ because that’s all last season was. He sucks, and so did that trade. Grade: F+
Dublin
Powers Statement: Dublin didn’t make any moves at the deadline, preferring to keep a 1st place roster built on youth intact for the playoffs. Is that the right move? Perhaps they learned how to play the trading game from ‘War Games.’ The only true way to win, is to not play at all. Grade: A
Shadeless Rebuttal: Dublin are a bunch of idiots. How do you not upgrade that pitching staff for the playoffs? That whole squad is built on young SP who are all going to hit their innings limits at the most crucial time for this squad. Enjoy watching all your SP sit on the bench while you lose in the championships, dummies. Grade: F+
Bridgewater
Powers Statement: As always, Bridgewater opted to stand pat at the deadline, refusing to unload veterans who might have brought in good young talent or picks to help stock the next Bridgewater champions. As it is, they’ll be wearing the pink jersey again at the Winter Meetings, with no end to the losing in sight. Grade: F
Shadeless Rebuttal: Bridgewater are a bunch of idiots. Unload your shitty veterans—god knows you have enough of them. Why stand around and watch your team suck for years when you can do something about it? They’re like the Mike Trout of terrible General Managers – they’re awful in all facets of the game. Grade: F+
Las Vegas
Powers Statement: The Doggs tightened up their rotation in the weeks leading up to the deadline by bringing in Tim Lincecum, and then they upgraded again at the deadline and waiver deadline by bringing aboard Adam Wainwright and Jered Weaver. The Doggs once again look primed to make a run at the title. Grade: A-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Las Vegas are a bunch of idiots. They made a shit-ton of good trades though. Seriously, I got nothing. Grade: A+
Max Power is a beat reporter for the Reno Weekly Rag. He knows that there are three ways to do things--the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way (which is the wrong way, but faster). Skip Shadeless is a freelance reporter who has covered the EHCC at various media outlets for nearly a decade. He likes long walks on the beach, Tim Tebow, and of course, race-baiting.
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2013 Trade Winners and Losers
By: Max Powers and Skip Shadeless
The EHCC trade deadline, one of the most active days of the season for the league, has come and gone for the 2013 season. This season's deadline was the most active since 2010 when the highlight ended up being Arlington being involved in 3 transactions at the deadline, and the eventual champion Weasels not being involved in any.
2013 has seen the league become very top heavy, making it easy to determine the buyers and sellers weeks prior. At the top of the Eastern division no one was surprised to see Las Vegas make a move, as they've been part of at least one trade on deadline day for 8 of the past 10 seasons. Sellers were the most active, with both Tokyo and Weymouth selling off star players for multiple prospects and future considerations with multiple teams looking to make a run. Let's take a look at exactly what each team did for themselves, either for 2013 or beyond...
Weymouth
Powers Statement: Less than one month after trading for the star lefty Cliff Lee, Weymouth had a bad case of buyer’s remorse as it became clear Lee wasn't going to be enough to push them into playoff contention. Luckily for Weymouth the deadline brings the value of older pitchers to their peak and they were able to recoup everything they initially gave up to bring in the lefty, and it could be argued they came out ahead after it was all said and done. Giving up Rick Porcello, Jarred Cosart, Leonys Martin on July 8, and taking on Allen Webster, Mike Zunino, Nick Castellanos in their replacement. Long term this has the potential of working out much better than their original threesome would have for the Poo of Shaddy. They bolstered their youth talent by bringing on pitcher Danny Hultzen from Tijuana and dumping veteran Jake Peavy. With these types of rebuilding trades only time will tell for sure how they will turn out, but considering whe Weymouth was going this year and the makeup of their current roster this may have been their best time to start thinking of 2015. Grade: B+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Weymouth are a bunch of idiots. They traded for Cliff Lee to try and make a run, then pussied out on making a run and traded him for a bunch of (Shaddy) poo. Martin and Cosart have set the EHCC on fire since the trade, while Porcello has continued a solid breakout season. Zunino? He’s J.P. Arencibia 2.0, but with more injuries. He could’ve got that off the wire for free. Webster? A bum. The new Derek Lowe, but with less talent and height. Castellanos? More like CastellaNO, am I right? And Hultzen is an injured bum, while Peavy has been spectacular for Tijuana, and might lead them to a playoff bye. Shaddypoo? After all that, those bozos will probably make the playoffs, minus a trio of aces in Peavy, Lee, and Weaver (generously donated to Las Vegas’s playoff run for a bunch of bullshit). Enjoy your 1st round exit, Islanders of Weymouth. Hope it was worth it. Grade: F+
Tijuana
Powers Statement: The Hispanics have never found themselves in quite this situation before: obvious buyers at the deadline. After making the playoffs last season the Hispanics have only gotten stronger and made strides this season in bolstering their lineup with the addition of Adam Jones and their pitching staff with Ryan Dempster and Kris Medlen earlier in the season. At the deadline they tried rounding out their bullpen with the addition of Jake Peavy from Weymouth and Rex Brothers from Quebec City. All in all, they only piece of real value they gave up was prospect Danny Hultzen, and for what they did for their roster in return, in the name of a championship run, may prove to be the best value overall of all the trades made at this year's deadline. If Peavy can tread water the rest of the way he adds stability, strikeouts, and wins to Tijuana's currently fluctuating rotation. Brothers fills the void left by Jose Veras in the closer role, and for a 4th round pick it's an easy pick up. Even if they don't take the gold this year, the Hispanics didn't lose enough for these trades to be considered a bust, but one has to wonder if there's more they could have done as most teams don't get into the position Tijuana is currently in, with one eye on the EHCC plaque and one eye on the rest of the league. Grade: B
Shadeless Rebuttal: Tijuana are a bunch of idiots. They wasted a 2nd round pick using a waiver claim on the corpse of Jayson Werth, then went out and gave away a better Util option in Ryan Zimmerman for a 1st rounder from a playoff team. What the hell, muchachos? Then they gave away a Johnny Cueto and Ryan Dempster and a some picks for Kyle “No MLB team wanted me in the offseason because they all know I’m not actually that good” Lohse and Huston “I’m not really that great, and also I play for a shitty team, so I don’t get a ton of save opportunities anyway” Street. Hey, you know what would’ve been great? If you hadn’t traded a 1st Rd. Minor league pick and an established closer in Jim Johnson for Ryan Dempster in the first place. Maybe then you wouldn’t have had to give him away for a new closer 3 months later. And don’t get me started on that Peavy trade. You traded a potential stud prospect in Hultzen plus what’s left of your picks for an injured bum like Peavy? Over/under until his arm falls off: 4 Tijuana starts. Take the under. Grade: F+
Quebec City
Powers Statement: Congratulations to the Piglets on their newly acquired 4th Round MaDP. There was a possibility they could have dumped Brothers on a team during the waivers trade period for a 2nd round pick, but really, who cares. Grade: C+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Quebec City are a bunch of idiots. They gave away Rex Brothers for nothing—literally, nothing. That guy is a lights out closer. QC brass will try and tell you that Rafael Betancourt was due back to take over as closer soon, so Brothers value was low, but everyone knew Betancourt’s arm was held together with silly putty and shoelaces, and now his career is just about over with news of Tommy John surgery, while Brothers racks up the saves for Tijuana. Nice job, you Canuck clowns. They also gave up a guy who hit 30+ homers last year for Anthony Rendon. Who? Exactly. Let me keep it simple for you—he sucks. Way to turn a championship team into a laughingstock. Grade: F+
Tokyo
Powers Statement: An obvious seller at the deadline as well, Tokyo added to their stash of 2014 MiDP's by dumping off former all star Josh Hamilton and Dexter Fowler for a pair of 2nd rounders. Hamilton could very well go on to pushing Rakeville into playoff contention, but he wasn't going to help Tokyo this year, and possibly ever again. Though it was an obvious sell low situation for both Fowler and Hamilton, Tokyo didn't want to have either of them go the way of Grady Sizemore or Carl Crawford, both highly sought after players who lost their way, and their value, earlier than expected. Grade: B-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Tokyo are a bunch of idiots. They gave away Josh Hamilton for basically nothing. What the hell? Did Enkidu Ishtar break into Hamilton’s stash when he made that trade? Ridiculous. And their return for Cliff Lee was pathetic. Martin and Cosart haven’t exactly set the EHCC on fire, and Rick Porcello has a long history of being sucky. The only trade worse would have been if they flipped him for, I don’t know, something like Mike Zunino, Allen Webster, and Nick Castellanos. Plus, they traded stud Adam Jones for stupid Gerrit Cole. Hey, next time try trading for a guy who knows how to spell ‘Garrett’, okay? The circus must have come to town, because Tokyo is full of bozos. Grade: F+
Augusta
Powers Statement: The Albatross lived up to their name this trade season by talking a big game in the early season, and then failing to live up to their self-imposed expectations. Under the pressure to perform caused by their owner’s early-season smack talk, they made a rash trade that sacrificed future flexibility in unloading their 2014 Minor League draft picks for the underperforming Nick Markakis and injured Brandon Morrow. At the time, it was expected that Morrow would be back shortly, but he ended up missing the rest of the season and Augusta went into a free-fall shortly thereafter. They tried to make up for that deal by shipping out beloved SP Adam Wainwright for a minor league pick, Yovani Gallardo, and prospects, but time will tell if that was enough. Grade: C-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Augusta are a bunch of idiots. They traded all kinds of good stuff for bums. That’s what happens when you put a junkie in charge of a baseball team. What’s that? He’s not a junkie? Oh, well, whatever. He’s bad at general managing even if he is drug-free.
Rio de Janeiro
Powers Statement: Rio was quiet at the deadline, only making a small move, giving up a 2nd Rd. Minor league pick in 2014 for Dexter Fowler. It was good depth at a reasonable price for Rio, who didn’t want to break the bank while they continued to evaluate whether or not they were a true contender this year. Grade: B
Shadeless Rebuttal: Rio are a bunch of idiots. Dexter Fowler sucks. A 27th round Minor league pick would’ve been too much for that piece of crap. Now they’re going to miss the playoffs and have nothing to show for it. I hope Fowler puts up huge numbers in the consolation bracket (spoiler alert: he won’t. Because he sucks). Grade: F+
Rakeville
Powers Statement: A year after winning a long-awaited championship, Rakeville found themselves in much different territory this year. Although they weren’t looking to be playoff-bound, they couldn’t pass up the once great Josh Hamilton at a bargain price of a minor league 2nd round pick. It all appears to be for naught, though, as Rakeville has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention at press time. That 2nd round pick could have been a key rebuilding piece. Grade: D
Shadeless Rebuttal: Rakeville are a bunch of idiots. Their complete mismanagement of a championship team has made Quebec City look like the class of the league. Who’s managing this squad, the douchebag who used to run Arlington? Give me a break. Anytime you can run a championship team into the ground and throw away a minor league draft pick for nothing at the same time, hey, you gotta make that move, right Jack Reed? Grade: F+
Santo Domingo
Powers Statement: The All-Star Factory decided to get serious about making a run after last year’s heartbreaking run at the playoffs ended with a spot in the consolation bracket. They gave up a number of promising prospects for stud SP Cliff Lee, and also gave up a 1st round pick for an aging Ryan Zimmerman. It’s a risky move, but the results are paying off in spades so far, as Santo Domingo closes in on the franchise’s first playoff berth. Grade: B+
Shadeless Rebuttal: Santo Domingo are a bunch of idiots. You can’t give up stud prospects like Zunino, Castellanos, and Webster for an old bum like Cliff Lee. Remember Cliff Lee? That dumbass who sucked for Cleveland for all those years? That guy stinks. I don’t buy this turnaround, I don’t care how many Cy Youngs he wins. Once a bum, always a bum. Just like the Santo Domingo GM. Enjoy your first round playoff loss. Hope it was worth it when Zunino and Castellanos are hitting bombs in Weymouth for years to come and Webster is firing no-hitters you dumbasses. Grade: F+
San Juan
Powers Statement: The Guerites made a calculated risk in upgrading their 3B by giving up young stud 2B prospect Anthony Rendon for Chase Headley. Headley has been a disappointment following last year’s breakout season, but the pedigree is there, and San Juan had a gaping hole at 3B. A calculated risk that could pay off big in the playoffs if Headley heats up. Grade: B-
McShadeless Rebuttal: San Juan are a bunch of idiots. Who gives up a stud, minor protected prospect for a piece of garbage like Chase Headley? They might as well change the name on his jersey from ‘Headley’ to ‘Fluke’ because that’s all last season was. He sucks, and so did that trade. Grade: F+
Dublin
Powers Statement: Dublin didn’t make any moves at the deadline, preferring to keep a 1st place roster built on youth intact for the playoffs. Is that the right move? Perhaps they learned how to play the trading game from ‘War Games.’ The only true way to win, is to not play at all. Grade: A
Shadeless Rebuttal: Dublin are a bunch of idiots. How do you not upgrade that pitching staff for the playoffs? That whole squad is built on young SP who are all going to hit their innings limits at the most crucial time for this squad. Enjoy watching all your SP sit on the bench while you lose in the championships, dummies. Grade: F+
Bridgewater
Powers Statement: As always, Bridgewater opted to stand pat at the deadline, refusing to unload veterans who might have brought in good young talent or picks to help stock the next Bridgewater champions. As it is, they’ll be wearing the pink jersey again at the Winter Meetings, with no end to the losing in sight. Grade: F
Shadeless Rebuttal: Bridgewater are a bunch of idiots. Unload your shitty veterans—god knows you have enough of them. Why stand around and watch your team suck for years when you can do something about it? They’re like the Mike Trout of terrible General Managers – they’re awful in all facets of the game. Grade: F+
Las Vegas
Powers Statement: The Doggs tightened up their rotation in the weeks leading up to the deadline by bringing in Tim Lincecum, and then they upgraded again at the deadline and waiver deadline by bringing aboard Adam Wainwright and Jered Weaver. The Doggs once again look primed to make a run at the title. Grade: A-
Shadeless Rebuttal: Las Vegas are a bunch of idiots. They made a shit-ton of good trades though. Seriously, I got nothing. Grade: A+
Max Power is a beat reporter for the Reno Weekly Rag. He knows that there are three ways to do things--the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way (which is the wrong way, but faster). Skip Shadeless is a freelance reporter who has covered the EHCC at various media outlets for nearly a decade. He likes long walks on the beach, Tim Tebow, and of course, race-baiting.
Labels: Deadline, EHCC, McShadeless, Powers, Reno Weekly Rag, Trades
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posted by Pawtucket Pat at 3:02 PM
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