Baseball Tri-Weekly: The Cash Advantage

Shaddupu star Bryce Harper sports a team shirt supplied by a team sponsor during warmups against Rakeville this week. Weymouth dominates the East in team spending once again.

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EHSPN Fact or Fiction - Week 9

J.C. Stapleton hosts this week's podcast, featuring Dominican Today Editor Freddie May and a fan we wrangled from a local drinking establishment. They discuss the surprising start for the Hispanics, Freddie calls Kyle Schwarber an el pollo, and we come to grips with the fate of the SFV Jets.

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Sponsored by www.Joessportsbarandmovietheater.com

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Baseball Tri-Weekly 2017 Winter Meeting Double Covers

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Plaques Are Forever

A long awaited announcement was finally made from Las Vegas Doggs GM Howe Dogg, as he held a press conference earlier today to tell reporters and fans who would be leading the clubhouse into the 2017 season. Dogg announced the team had signed a three year contract with manager Hank Scorpio, who has been secretly running spring training in Reno under an alias for the past month, under the name Frank Scorpio. Very inconspicuous. 

Plaques Are Forever
By Max Powers / Reno Weekly Rag

"Frank, or Hank brings new life to this organization, along with a keen eye and calm demeanor. He doesn't crack under pressure and has proven he can handle anything thrown at him," Dogg told reporters this morning. 

GM Howe Dogg also mentioned that as part of Scorpio's contract he will receive equal power to negotiate trades and make roster moves as needed. 

"Hank is a great negotiator and we'd be fools not to utilize his talents in this area. I will have final say in all moves, but we trust his judgement already, based on multiple interviews. We're on the same page," Doggs said. 

Scorpio takes over a squad coming off an EHCC championship run that remains mostly intact. There's no word yet as to how Scorpio plans on building the roster, or if he plans on breaking it down and putting his own stamp on it. The new manager was not available for comment and has not returned calls as of press time. 

The shoes Scorpio is taking over are large to say the least. Retired manager Roger Lodge as lead the Doggs to a record 8 EHCC Championship series, winning half of them. Lodge will never buy a beer in Vegas again. Not to say many people actually pay for drinks in Vegas, but you get the idea. There aren't too many "going off into the sunset" stories in the EHCC, and the Las Vegas Doggs wrote two last season with their 4th championship run. Lodge announced his intention to retire in the final year of his current contract as manager of the Doggs, while David Ortiz, who started and ended his EHCC career in Vegas, left the sport a champion as well. Both will be honored in their Week 8 match up against the Quebec City Piglets. 

Scorpio has been quite so far, not making any moves on draft day, something GM Howe Dogg has been known to do in the past. Rumors have been swirling that talks have been happening with a few teams to see what teams might be looking to do before opening day, but as of now nothing has materialized with any real substance. 

For now, we'll wait and see to see what sort of style the new manager/acting GM will bring to Sin City's favorite franchise. 

Max Powers writes for the Reno Weekly Rag and contributes for Baseball Tri-Weekly on occasion. Throughout the offseason he enjoyed flying in hot air balloons while spitting on old people. Ya, he's kind of a jerk.  

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: Was Las Vegas the deepest champion?

Former Dogg Justin Turner is now destined to play for the worst team in the league according to the B3W Power Rankings. How it all went horribly wrong for him and wonderfully right for the people of Las Vegas. 

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Baseball Tri-Weekly Cover - 2016 Champions Las Vegas Doggs

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2016 EHCC Champions - Las Vegas Doggs

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2016 EHCC Finals Preview

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Change Is In The Air

"The more things change, the more things stay the same for the Las Vegas Doggs. Three years go by, and three different EHCC teams were able to raise the EHCC plaque in front of the Doggs' faithful. None of which were in orange and brown. "

Change Is In The Air

by Max Powers / Reno Weekly Rag

After fifteen seasons the EHCC is going through some major changes - with arguably the most influential rule changes made in the past two years since the league went to an unbalanced schedule - and all teams have been forced to make adjustments.  Waiver priority has become more valuable, as more and more young players are being protected until, their MLB debut. Hitters' are no longer second thought to pitchers with the roster expansions. Some teams have stayed stagnant in their approach, and others have embraced the changes. Only time will tell which will work out for the best. 

The more things change, the more things stay the same for the Las Vegas Doggs. Three years go by, and three different EHCC teams were able to raise the EHCC plaque in front of the Doggs' faithful. None of which were in orange and brown. No other EHCC franchise can feel the pain that Las Vegas has in the past three years, except perhaps Bridgewater fans, who lived through four finals losses between 2001 and 2008, before finally taking home their first championship in 2009. LV and BRW are the only two teams to lose four separate EHCC finals since the league was founded in 2001. 

One major change has been announced for the Doggs however. Their manager, Roger Lodge, has announced he will be retiring from the EHCC at the conclusion of of the 2016 season. GM Howe Dogg announced the news at a recent press conference, stating, "We've been very fortunate to have a sports minded personality on our bench making game day decisions. Some teams are stuck with hot heads and others with micromanagers. Roger has shown us he can balance personalities in the clubhouse and bring a team together, even with major roster adjustments made without notice. He will be missed."

Lodge has been the Doggs' manager since 2003 and in his second season helped bring the EHCC plaque to Las Vegas for the first time in 2004. In an interview with reporters after the announcement Lodge had this to say about his time with the Doggs', "It's been an exciting time in my life to manage this club for the past thirteen seasons. I've had many discussions with my family and we feel this is the right time to step away. The league is going through so many changes, it's probably best I make a change as well." Lodge is under contract through the 2018 season, so he will leave some money on the table by retiring, but he has said he is sure of his decision. 

Las Vegas GM Howe Dogg has not announced a successor at time, though he did mention the club is looking at many options and will continue to do so throughout the 2016 season. 

"We will have someone to take Roger's spot on the bench before the end of this regular season. We are in a luxurious position in a way, where we can pick out someone to take his place and allow Roger to transition in the new manager before he leaves completely," Dogg told reporters at the recent press conference. 

Rumors have already begun to swirl on possible replacements including internal and external options, ranging from Bob Barker, to David Ortiz, to Michelle Obama. Stay tuned as we try to flush out the credible from the ridiculous. 

Max Power is a beat reporter for the Reno Weekly Rag. He likes to spend his Sundays writing online reviews of street intersections on Yelp. He believes his voice is important. 

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Baseball Triweekly Cover - Special Championship Edition

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Baseball Triweekly Cover: February 2015

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How The Mighty Have Fallen

The 3-time champions made a surprising playoff push in 2010, but 2011 hasn't been so lucky. The Las Vegas Doggs currently sit in 9th place in the standings, wondering how things got to where they are and contemplating how the rest of the season will play out.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

By Conor Intabedd; Reno Weekly Rag

The Las Vegas Doggs were once a feared opponent week in and week out, sporting a fearsome offense and a pitching staff that pulled things together just enough to win. Las Vegas held parades for the Doggs down the strip three times in 5 seasons between 2004 and 2008, but ever since the city has had to hold their hat on their basketball franchise, as the Doggs seems to have lost that luster.

Blame it whatever you want - unflattering production by star players like Hanley Ramirez, who is currently sitting on a .241 batting average, and Alex Rios who's barely hitting over the Mendoza Line, injury bugs to Buster Posey and David Wright, or mismanagement on the part of Roger Lodge, who's consistently fallen asleep on the bench when it was time to put new pitchers on the mound - the Doggs have turned into a team that opponents look forward to playing. They've split their match ups this year (6-6-1), but the losses have come at a much steeper price, including the team's first 0-10 loss in franchise history.

"We've just hit a slump we just can't seem to break out of," Doggs' All-Star first baseman Joey Votto told reporters, "it's been very frustrating to see production go untapped. I hope something changes soon."

It's been cries like that that have put manager Roger Lodge on edge.

"There's been plenty of guys I've benched who would have hurt us if I had let them take the mound," Lodge said as he defended his recent hiccups.

Many within the organization have wondered exactly where Lodge's head has been at. Many assume he's been drinking more often as cases upon cases of free have been found in his office on a weekly basis.

"It's one of the perks of the job, but it has never influenced how I manage the team," Lodge said.

Former player Jose Reyes noted that he can remember seeing cases of beer in Lodge's office ever since the 2008 championship.

"I just assumed it was for us to use in the locker room after the [2008] championship. I didn't think much of it until I was traded," Reyes told reporters during the recent Doggs, Piglets match up.

Lodge was given a raise after the 2010 playoff push, and with it a stipulation in his contract was hit - one that gave Lodge even more free beer from the team's official beer sponsor.

With what seemed like such a promising team after the 2010 playoffs, Rodger Lodge has dug quite a hole in 2011. Fans will have to wait and see how GM Howe Dogg reacts as the trade deadline approaches.

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New for the 2011 season, the Peoria Free Press is launching a new section called, "Grade The Trade", which will highlight all of the major (and not so major depending on how busy the market is) trades throughout the year in the EHCC. First up is the recent trade between the Las Vegas Doggs and Peoria Cardinals.

Needing to fill a hole left behind by Rafael Soriano's sudden refusal to close games, the Cardinals have locked up one of the most dominant closers in the game in Carlos Marmol, while also swapping two OF's hoping that a change of scenery can rejuvenate their young, but established careers.

So. How do YOU grade this trade?

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Place Your Bets

As the 2010 Playoffs start off one has to ask oneself if this is what was to be expected going into the 2010 season: Rakeville on top of the East, Las Vegas in the playoffs at all, only two Western Division teams represented, and the defending champs in the 6th seed. Let's see what we can expect from the playoffs themselves...


Place Your Bets
By Max Powers; EhSPN


Ok, so it was probably a safe bet that Quebec City would run away with the regular season championship and we all probably saw Tokyo making the leap to the top of the overall standings from a mile away. Most of us probably expected perennial playoff contender Weymouth to finally miss out on post-season glory and we weren't surprised to see Arlington and Tijuana to fight it out for the best draft picks in the 2011 drafts. But there's a few things most of us didn't see coming and wish we had put money on at the start of the season.

Lady Luck Hits Rakeville

I think its safe to say that no one expected to see the Rockets sit above not only the defending champion Weasels but above the entire Eastern Division, capping off the season with not only the Eastern Division crown, which they have publicly announced is the only award they care about, more so than the EHCC Championship, but also to grab the 1st round bye a free pass to the second round of the playoffs. Were they the best team in the division? I'm sure even they would agree that's debatable, but they pulled it off in the end with a little help from lady luck and the self destruction of eastern division rival Peoria. Whatever the case, the Rockets sit safely on top of the East ready to face off against either the defending champs or the surging Omyoujis in the second round. Hopefully for their sake their luck doesn't run out there.

How the West Was Won

Considered by many to be the premier division going into the 2010 season, the western division only has two representatives in this year's playoffs, granted they have the two best records in the EHCC regular season. Having three teams' rosters locked and then contracted around the trade deadline didn't help perhaps. The Piglets were able to run away with the division, going undefeated against Western Division opponents (their only 4 losses came against eastern Division opponents), and easily clinching the top seed in the division. They'll face off against the winner of Peoria v Las Vegas. What will be the most surprising storyline here is if Quebec City can actually find a way to not screw themselves out of the playoffs once again. This is the 4th time the Piglets have earned a first round bye in the playoffs, and the 9th straight playoff appearance, and they've only made the finals once (losing to Arlington in 2007).

If I Was A Gambling Man

The Las Vegas Doggs made no secret of their intention to rebuild during the 2010 season, shipping off most notably Albert Pujols, Roy Halladay, Ricky Nolasco, Adam Dunn, Aramis Ramirez, and Jose Reyes for the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Pedro Alvarez, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Joey Votto, Jordan Zimmerman, Rick Porcello, and Mat Latos before the start of the season. Ownership was ready to finish just outside the playoff bubble, ready to compete heavily during the 2011 campaign. Things change sure, but not many expected the Doggs' roster, as constructed at the start of the season, to conceivably compete for a solid playoff spot, never mind the top of the Eastern Division or even possibly the EHCC title. Vegas ownership saw an opportunity in the division - as Peoria was starting to slump and the Weasels were playing below expected - and decided they were in a position to compete, and not just in 2011. Along came Carlos Gonzalez, Billy Wagner, and Jair Jurrjens (at the cost at many of their 2011 and beyond pieces). Buster Posey taking over the starting catcher duties didn't hurt either. They set two weekly offensive records this season and are the favorites to take home the 2010 Offense of the Year award. They may be the lower seed facing off against the 2009 eastern Division champion Cardinals, but anyone that's been paying attention probably doesn't see it that way.

How to Weasel Yourself Into The Playoffs

Ask any fan in Bridgewater if they saw themselves as the lowest seed in the 2010 playoffs after finally walking away with the championship in 2009 and they'll all tell you the same thing, "What? The 2010 season has started?" Not one Weasels' fan has come down from the 2009 championship high to realize they barely made their way over Weymouth for the final seed in the 2010 playoffs. Weymouth on the other hand is finally getting the experience of witnesses the EHCC playoffs from the outside looking in, missing the playoffs for the first time in team history, breaking a 9 year streak of competing for the EHCC crown.

2010 Playoff Predictions (1st Round)

4 Peoria Cardinals
vs
5 Las Vegas Doggs

Dogg's offense has carried them all season, finishing the regular season first or second in R, HR, RBI, and SB. Peoria has beaten the Doggs 7-12 in the 2010 regular season, but I'd expect the Doggs to pull it out this week
Prediction: Doggs 7, Cardinals 3

3 Tokyo Omyoujis
vs
6 Bridgewater Weasels

Just in time for Weasels' fans to notice they made it into the playoffs, the defending champs have to face off against the second best team (record-wise) in the league. Tokyo and Bridgewater split their season series 1-1, but the Omyoujis outscored the Weasels 12-7. I don't see an upset here, but I do expect the champs to keep it close.
Prediction: Omyoujis 6, Weasels 3

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The City of False Hope

The Las Vegas Doggs have dropped from supremacy in the EHCC after not making the 2009 playoffs, but was hope restored after a huge victory at the hands of the Arlington Warriors? David Wright isn't quite sold yet, but it doesn't mean he won't enjoy the after-win party.




The City Of False Hope
By: Conor Intabedd/Reno Weekly Rag



Congratulations go out to the Las Vegas Doggs for shutting out the Arlington Warriors 10-0 in their Week 6 match up. This instance was the 8th time the Doggs have scored 10 points on their opponent in team history, an EHCC record. As the team traveled from Virginia to Mexico to face the Hispanics, team manager Roger Lodge tried to keep his players from getting too excited.

"I just told them they need enjoy the win but reminded that their performance against any other team would have brought a completely different outcome. You don't beat many teams when you put up a .237 team average," Lodge told reporters when the team landed in Tijuana on Monday morning.

Many managers and owners realize that the Warriors have a way of giving their opponent a sense of false hope. Take a look at the defending champion Bridgewater Weasels for example, who beat the Warriors in Week 1 by a score of 6-3. Since then the Weasels have only won 1 game, being outscored 20-28 since the Warriors left.

"We were in a good place," Weasels' slugger Ryan Howard told the EhP, "We had just received our rings. We won our home and season opener, we were riding high. I guess we just forgot who we were dealing with."

In 2009 the Doggs faced off against and easily beat the Warriors in Week 16. They were riding high on top of the Eastern Division standings after a solid 7-2-1 road win, but they may have let the win against the Warriors get them too comfortable. The Doggs lost their next 5 games and ended their season on the wrong side of the playoff bubble.

"We won't ever let that happen to us again, "team captain David Wright commented at the after-win party, "We now realize that a win against Arlington is just a win, regardless of the score. It doesn't mean anything more than any other win. Not to take anything away from us, we put up OK numbers last week, but against most other teams...let's just say I feel lucky. Now if you excuse me, I'm next for Karaoke."

The Doggs have been rumored to already be playing for the 2011 or 2012 EHCC title. They've reportedly shopped the likes of Carlos Lee, who isn't helping his trade value with his early season slump, Alfonso Soriano, Barry Zito, who have been a pleasant surprise, and Ben Sheets, all veterans who would like to rack up another title for themselves. One must wonder if after a big win they might feel as though they can compete for the 2010 crown instead, as they currently sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Division standings.

"I mean, it would obviously be nice, but we have to be realistic. There are some very good teams out there. Peoria has put themselves above all others in the East, and just about everyone in the Western Division is a championship contender. I expect we'll compete all year long, and we very well might make the playoffs, but we will need a lot more luck if/when we make it," commented GM Howe Dogg.

The Las Vegas Doggs currently sit in 5th place overall in the EHCC standings, .5 game under .500 with an overall record of 29-30-1. They are 1-1 within their division.


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Las Vegas Doggs' Team Notes


-Roger Lodge is well aware that not making the playoffs two years in a row for a team that has made the playoffs 8 straight years would not only be a tragedy for their fans, but possibly also for his job. "I'm well aware of the situation. I plan to do just enough to not get fired," Lodge told reporters. Probably not the most endorsing phrase he could have used.

-The Doggs signed minor league pitcher Andrew Cashner to a EHCC contract yesterday. They are hoping to give Cashner the call sometime soon. To make room on the their EHCC roster the Doggs' waived part time closer Jose Contreras, as the team feels as though his birth certificate, which states he is 38, is false. Team officials believe him to be 62, and they don't expect him to produce past the end of May.

-Gordon Beckham continues to be benched for Rickie Weeks has he battles a case of "being a huge disappointment".

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2009 Season Review: Las Vegas Doggs

The defending champs didn't even get the chance to defend their title in 2009, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in team history. The season was more than just a disappointment to their fans, it was also a wake up call to team management. As fans grieve over the lost season, management now need to figure out where the team is going next.





Wasn't Meant To Be (The Story of the 2009 Las Vegas Doggs)
By: Max Power

On that opening day, no one could quiet any piece of the crowd. The Vegas fans cheered louder with every anticipating moment. They've been here before but it never gets old. The crowd never sat down as each ring was awarded to the 2008 championship squad. Some say it was the highlight of the 2009 season. Others agree. The fact remains, the team has never won back to back championships, and 2009 would be no different. This scene was ultimately the beginning of the end of the Las Vegas Doggs' 2009 season.

The 2009 season for the Doggs can easily be broken up into the 5 stages of grief. The first 5 weeks the team was in denial that fate had knocked them out of contention for the 2009 championship. They went on to to dominate their opponents, receiving stellar outings from the likes of Chris Young, David Wright, and Aramis Ramirez. They felt they still had a shot, that they could break fate's will.

The next few weeks showed a side of the Doggs no fan wanted to see. They were angry with themselves after losing to Weymouth in Week 6 and ended up losing the next two weeks. They should have been undefeated going into their match up against the Piglets in Week 9. It should have been the match up of the season.

Over the course of the next 8 weeks the team, and its fans bounced around, winning a majority of their games and feeling as though they could elongate the season, just a little bit. If they could just win the next match up, things would be better and they'd be OK, They went on to win 7 out of their next 8 match ups.

Then the inevitable happened. The Doggs went on to the lose their next 5 match ups, slowly but surely dropping closer and closer to the rest of the Eastern Conference. It was depressing. Players didn't even seem to care anymore. Even powerhouse Albert Pujols seemed lifeless at the plate at times. It was a sad time as a Vegas fan.

By the time the final week came the Doggs had already been knocked out of the playoff contention as they faced off against the Rockets of Rakeville. They held their heads up high as they had finally accepted their fate. It would be their first time looking upon the EHCC playoffs from the outside. A bitter pill to swallow, but one they had been anticipating all season, whether they knew it or not.

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: October Cover 2008

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EHSPN: One Sided Affair

As the first week of this year's EHCC Championship Series unfolded, fans - on both sides - are wringing their wrists. The score (7-3), which puts Las Vegas at a clear advantage heading into the second and final week of play, has Weasels fans nervous while keeping Doggs fans in anticipation.




One Sided Affair
By Max Powers; EHSPN


The home field advantage that the Bridgewater Weasels earned by just a half game over the Doggs has yet to aid the regular season champ in the 2008 EHCC Championship Series. The Weasels have yet to lead at any point during the series, trailing by as much as 8-2 at one point to the two time champion Doggs. The Doggs, who have not lost in Bridgewater since Week 8 of 2005, and have an overall record of 5-2 at The Concrete Jungle, have been impressive all week, putting up powerful numbers in all aspects of the game.

"We're just putting everything together as a team. When one of us struggles one day, someone else picks up the pace," says starting shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes may have been referring to his hot start this week when he started 8 for 24 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, and 2 SB while teammate David Wright struggled going just 5 for his first 27. On Sunday Reyes went 0 for 5, while Wright went 2 for 3 with a 2 run homerun, while scoring 3 runs on the day.

"We all know we're going to have to pick each other up at some point so no one gets down on themselves when they struggle," commented Wright after Sunday's performance.

On the other side, Weasels fans have to be worried about the play from EHCC All-Star Lance Berkman, who has recorded only two hits during the first week of play.

"Luckily I have guys like Ryan [Howard] and a Derek [Lee] around me to pick up my slack, but I know I'm going to have to perform the way everyone expects me to next week if we want a chance to win this thing," Berkman told reporters after going 1 for 4 on Sunday, "Believe me, no one wants this more than I do. This is my fourth trip here [the finals], I really don't want to leave empty handed again."

Unofrtunatly for Berkman, and the Weasels, Derek Lee's hot bat may be out of the line up spratically in the coming week. Lee, along with Doggs' hitters Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez, has reportedly come down with a very rare sickness. It is said to come and go randomly, without warning. Each of the three players have been listed as day-to-day, and could miss playing time at any point this week, depending on team doctors' recommendation one hour before game time. All three players sat out play this past Sunday and it is unknown when, or if, they will play again this season.

"It's really fustrating. Yesterday I felt fine. Today I could barely move. Right now I feel great. Who knows what I'll be like tomorrow," Ramirez told reporters regarding his current condition.

For most of Week 1, pitching has been a pretty lopsided afair, with Doggs starters dominating the mound. Going into Sunday play only three Weasels starters had an ERA of 3.00 or lower. Three starters actually had ERA's over 14.00 and WHIP's over 2.00. This was far from what GM Nastra Diggus was hoping for.

"We're better than this, and I think our pitching on Sunday will show that," Diggus told EHSPN prior to Sunday play.

Bridgewater pitchers John Lackey and Jamie Moyers went on to prove Diggus right, combining for 12 innings of work, 20 strikeouts, 2 wins, and just 1 earned run between them. Both pitchers were making up for a less than stellar performance earlier in the week.

"We were embarrased, simply put. We had to make up for the hole we helped dig for this team," said Moyer."

"Hopefully their performance on Sunday is a good sign of things to come this week and the rest of the staff will feel motivated by their success," GM Diggus said of his pitchers' Sunday performance, "It's the perfect set up. Everyone likes a big comeback."

Well, not everyone.

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Reno Weekly Rag: Weekend War

The Doggs/Shaddupu match up is too close to call heading into the final 3 days. The Doggs will be missing Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez from their line up for 2 days, with Coco Crisp, Jim Thome, and Mike Lowell taking their place. So with the game on the line, why have the Doggs decided to go without a live back stop during that time?




Weekend War
By Conor Intabedd; Reno Weekly Rag

The Doggs may be winning, but no one on the team feels like they've won. The 2nd round match up against the 6th seeded Weymouth Shaddupu has proved to be a bit more troublesome than most players, and fans, would have expected. The Doggs currently lead by a score of 5-4 thanks to a late night save by closer Kerry Wood, who has recorded the Doggs' only two saves of the week, and a early afternoon home run by outfielder Brad Hawpe.

"It's been a dismal campaign this week," so says Thursday pitcher Matt Cain, who lasted just 3.1 innings in yesterday's appearance. Cain relieved starter Ben Sheets, who went 6 innings, but allowed 5 earned runs on 9 hits and 3 walks, digging the Doggs in a ERA and WHIP hole they aren't expected to climb out of by the end of the week.

The Doggs' offense really isn't putting much together either, at least not by regular season standards. "The only positive thing we have to take away from this week so far, and the main thing keeping us alive is that Weymouth isn't doing too much at the plate either. As poorly as our rotation has been this week, they've done enough to keep their power at bay," commented Doggs' first baseman Albert Pujols.

The Doggs will be missing a few players for first few days of the weekend, as outfielder Alfonso Soriano, designated hitter Aramis Ramirez, and closer Kerry Wood have been trapped in their homes by Hurricane Ike. The Doggs also lost out on free agent starter Jason Marquis, who Las Vegas had been forced to drop due to his inability to start on Friday. The Doggs signed outfielder Coco Crisp and designated hitters Jim Thome and Mike Lowell to day-by-day contracts to fill in the voids left by the two missing sluggers. Matt Harrison and Bartolo Colon have been signed to hourly wages to spot start for Vegas this weekend.

"We are hoping that by signing them to hourly wages that they will last longer than some of our other starters have this week. We need them to come away with a win, and that just can't happen if they aren't pitching at least 5 innings," said GM Howe Doggs regarding the hourly wage contracts of Colon and Harrison.

The Doggs have designated catcher Nick Hundley and reliever Dan Wheeler for assignment. Both players are expected to decline the assignment, and look for work elsewhere once they clear waivers. In the mean time, the Doggs are expected to finish off the weekend without a back stop and down two closers, with Wheeler being waived and Wood missing from action. A strategy many are skeptical about going into the final days of such a tight match up.


"There are so many close categories, and though I understand Wins is one of them, saves is just as important. I'm nervous that this might come back to bite us come Sunday," long time fans and season ticket holder Chris Paul commented.

"We're really going to have to work hard this weekend. With no catcher we're just going to have to strike everyone out so that no one gets on base. If we let anyone get on base we'll lose steals for sure," said Saturday starter Joe Blanton.

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Other EHCC notes:

--Over on the East coast, Rakeville currently trails number 1 seeded Bridgewater 3-6. Most categories are close heading into the final three days. Bridgewater has 5 scheduled starters to Rakeville's 4.

--The Doggs were supposedly making phone calls to Byrd's home at 12:01 am (Pacific time), just after his waiver period had supposedly ended, only to get his voicemail stating that he was still on waivers. Doggs' brass decided to settle on signing starter Bartolo Colon instead and then headed to bed, only to awaken to the news that Byrd had signed with rival Weymouth. Byrd is schedule to pitch against Las Vegas on Saturday, while Colon is scheduled to make an appearance for the Doggs on the same day.

--The Doggs' line up isn't the only one affected by Hurricane Ike. The Weasels will be without sluggers Derek Lee and Lance Berkman for two days. Good news and bad news for Bridgewater fans, as Lee is a dismal 2 for 14 against Rakeville this week, while Berkman is 5 for 12, with 5 RBI and 4 runs scored this week thus far.

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EHSPN: 2008 Playoffs Round 1 Recap

Weymouth closer J.J. Putz put up two saves and a scoreless set of innings to help push Shaddupu past the Quebec City Piglets. Meanwhile, Rakeville closed out the Green Monsters to make it an all Eastern Division semi-finals.


East Coast Bias
By Max Powers, EHSPN


Week 1 of the 2008 playoffs brought fans everything they expected. Excitement, torture, and upset. With the wild card round now behind us fans can get pumped up for the real test. A test that will give just two teams a shot at the crown. One team will be fighting for their first, where another will be looking to tack on to championship total. One thing is for sure, the champion will represent the Eastern Division as all Western Division teams have been eliminated after the first week. Let's take a look at how the semi-final round match ups shaped up the way they did.

(4) RAK def (5) WS; 6-3

The Monsters kept their streak alive in 2008, losing their 3rd straight playoff appearance. The Monsters, who have never made it past the 1st round, had a lot of promise in 2008. They made quite the run at the end of the regular season, catapulting themselves into the 5th seed, the highest regular season seed the organization has ever had going into the playoffs. They were met by a retooling Rakeville squad which has always been known for its pitching, has been reworking their offense all season in an effort to compete for a chance at a championship.

Rakeville's newest offensive threat, Manny Ramirez, and long time Rocket third baseman Miguel Cabrera helped propel their team into the 2nd round with 5 home runs and 18 RBI's between them against a struggling Winston-Salem rotation. Roy Oswalt also stifled Monster hitters. His two wins gave the Rockets the category and also helped solidify Rakeville's hold on strikeouts, ERA and WHIP.

The Rockets proved to the rest of the league that their team has become one of the most well rounded rosters in the league and should be able to take any category in any given week. They travel on to Bridgewater to take on their Eastern Division rival Weasels in the semi-final round. The two teams have met twice before in the playoffs, once in 2005 when the Weasels beat the Rockets int he semi-final round, and once again the following year when Rakeville defeated Bridgewater in the first round. Rakeville battled Bridgewater during the 2008 season for the Eastern Division crown, a battle that the Rockets ended victorious.

(6) WEY def (3) QC; 5-5 by ERA tie-breaker

How many times can it be said - "It all comes down to pitching." For the second year in a row, the number 6 seed defeated the number 3 seed by a score of 5-5 by way of the EHCC ERA tiebreaker. The Piglets were the clear favorite going into the match up, regardless of how they finished the regular season. They defeated team Shaddupu twice in the regular season, including the most recent match up in the final week.

Quebec City was plaqued by not only injuries to their infield, but also by a string of bad outing by their record breaking pitching staff. Piglets' starters Randy Johnson, Ted Lilly, and Justin Verlander all had arguably their worst starts of the season. Such woeful starts that even masterful performances by starters Derek Lowe, Paul Byrd, and Chris Young could not dig Quebec City out from. Funnily enough, the Quebec City offense was the strongpoint for the team this week, taking 3 of the 5 categories from a struggling Weymouth line up, and even fought through the very last pitch for a 4th thanks to a pair of Carlos Delgado home runs. Unfortunatly for the Piglets' fans, the team fell one home run shy of winning the week.

Shaddupu now travels from Canada to the desert of Las Vegas where they will face off against their Eastern Division rival, the Doggs. The two teams have faced each other 4 times, with Weymouth being the victor in 3 of those match ups, including 2 semi-final round victories and 1 championship round victory. The Doggs have never beaten team Shaddupu in the semi-final round of the playoffs, their lone playoff victory coming in 2004, when the Doggs beat Shaddupu for the EHCC Championship. The two teams haven't met in the playoffs since 2005.

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This is the 2nd time in EHCC history that all four teams in the semi-final round have been representing the saem division. The last time it happened was 2005, when the same four teams, and same two match ups, made the semi-final round.

This is 3rd time in EHCC history that all four teams in the semi-final round were once of the original EHCC 6 teams. The only other seasons in which this was true was 2005 and 2001.

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