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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Rakeville Times: The Battle for the Skies Above Rakeville

Rakeville slugger Eric Thames has been the talk of the EHCC since opening day, but is he a pawn in a battle between billionaires?

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Rakeville Times: Bring on the Bats

Keon Broxton joins Jose Abreu and ByungHo Park as Rakeville's recent second overall all draft picks in recent years. The Rockets 2017 season hinges on their combined performance if they are going to return to the playoffs.

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By The Numbers: First and Worst Edition

With the EHCC trade deadline looming and the season only having 5 weeks left of the regular season, it's time to look over the numbers that make us think long and hard about whether life is just worth living without fantasy baseball or not. This installment is our First and Worst edition with all the stats having to do with 1st place, championships, and pink jerseys. Enjoy. 

By The Numbers

By Max Powers

The Dublin Snake Chasers joined the EHCC in 2011, bringing the sweet sound of the crack of the bat to the home of the Blarney Stone. They've scraped by for 5 years to finally get to position of power, of fear. They are currently in the drivers seat for the top seed in the EHCC and have a clear path to a first round bye. Sure they may have lost their best player (but not best player in baseball), and sure their owner is a self admitted drunk who rarely knows what time it is - but they've got spunk!

The Rakeville Rockets helped create the EHCC (or ACC) back in 2001. They've had some best of times (2012 EHCC Champions; 4 time Eastern Division Champion) and they've had some worst of times - namely, right now. Rakeville currently sits in last place with 5 weeks to go and their only goal is to not be wearing the pink jersey to the Winter Meeting this January. They still have a chance as they sit only 4 games back from the coveted 11th place seed currently held by newcomer San Fernando Valley. If this doesn't make Rakeville a buyer at the trade deadline, I don't know what will. They just need that extra something to get them over the hump. 

Rakeville has now won the least amount of match ups since they won their 2012 EHCC crown, with 20. Next least is Bridgewater with 21. 

Of those 20 wins, only 1 has come in 2016, in week 10 against their new rival San Fernando Valley. 

Dublin currently is averaging 6.6 wins per week.

Rakeville is averaging 7 losses per week. 

These stats will come in handy later. 

Dublin has just 1 loss on the season and 1 tie. The last (and only) time a team ended with 1 loss and 1 tie was in 2006 (Las Vegas). 

Dublin's only loss in 2016 came against Rio de Janiero in Week 5 and their tie came against Bridgewater in Week 14. 

The 2006 Las Vegas Doggs's only loss of the season came against Golden Gryphons in Week 5 and their only tie came against Weymouth in Week 14. (Note. the Golden Gryphons sold their team to the Brazilians in 2011). 

Creepily similar. 

The Rockets has yet to win the Saves stat category this year. We all heard Quebec City is selling closers at the deadline. Get on that Rakeville.


For The Record...

The following teams currently lead the lead in each statistical category. Here's the list, and what they need to break the currently held record in each category.

Runs
Las Vegas - 664
Record: 782 (Las Vegas - 2006)
LV Needs 119 to break (23.8/week)

Homeruns
Rio de Janeiro - 201
Record: 241 (Golden - 2006)
RIO needs 41 to break (8.2/week)

RBI
Rio de Janeiro - 650
Record: 791 (Rakeville - 2006)
RIO needs 142 to break (28.4/week)

Stolen Bases
Las Vegas - 111
Record: 173 (Winston-Salem - 2007)
LV needs 63 to break (12.6/week)

AVG
Dublin - .294
Record: .302 (Weymouth - 2006)

Wins
Quebec City - 96
Record: 142 (Rio de Janeiro - 2012)
QC needs 47 to break (9.4/week)

Saves
Las Vegas - 108
Record: 143 (Quebec City - 2011)
LV needs 36 to break (7.2/week)

Strikeouts
Quebec City - 1376
Record: 1830 (Quebec City - 2008)
QC needs 455 to break (91/week)

ERA
Weymouth - 3.57
Record: 3.28 (Dublin - 2013)

WHIP
San Juan / Weymouth / Dublin - 1.19
Record: 1.15 (Dublin - 2013)

Magic Numbers

To Clinch a Playoff Spot...

RIO - 49 (9.9 wins per week)

QC - 48 (9.6 wins per week)

SJ - 43 (8.6 wins per week)

WEY - 38 (7.6 wins per week)

LV - 35 (7 wins per week)

DUB - 31.5 (6.3 wins per week)

To clinch a first round bye...

LV - 47.5 (7 wins per week)

DUB - 40 (8 wins per week)

To clinch the top seed...

DUB - 47 (9.4 wins per week)

And, everyone's favorite, the cursed numbers....

SD - 49.5 (9.9 losses per week)

TIJ - 33.5 (6.7 losses per week)

BRW - 27.5 (4.9 losses per week)

TKO - 27.5 (4.9 losses per week)

SFV - 16.5 (3.3 losses per week)

RAK - 12.5 (2.5 losses per week)

To clinch first overall 2017 MaDP, and of course the admired Pink Jersey...

RAK - 46.5 (9.3 losses per week)

Hope that holds you over until after the trade deadline. 

Max Power is a beat writer for the Reno Weekly Rag and contributor for Baseball TriWeekly. He once caught a foul ball in his cap but was forced to throw is back when he was reminded it was his daughter's softball game. 

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Rakeville Times: The Hero of Rake City

Rakeville's Miguel Cabrera watches one of his nine playoff homeruns sail over the wall at Reed Field during the EHCC Championship game against Rio.

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Rakeville Times: Rakeville's Secret Weapon

Jack Reed is man behind one of the most active seasons in EHCC history.  But despite all the trades, he never sacrificed what has made the Rockets a model franchise.

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Making A Case

The votes are in, well, most of them. The EHCC Awards are set to be officially announced at the end of the season including Rookie of the Year, Offense and Pitching Staffs of the Year, GM of the Year, and the All-EHCC Roster. With Offense and Pitching Staffs being pretty obvious choices, at least according to the voting (and the stats), GM of the Year has been a tight race thus far. Let's break apart all those who received votes.


Make A Case
By Max Powers; EhSPN


Jack Reed, Rakeville Rockets

His History
Mr. Reed has not been shy to voice his GM strategy over the years: build from the ground up, showing loyalty to players and hoping they produce on the field. For a few years the Rockets have struggled to really put forth a true championship caliber team, usually making the playoffs, only missing out in 2004 and 2009, but never making the finals. They'd stayed true to their strategy, growing talent from within and bringing up the best of each crop of talent. 2010 has been no different, as Reed only made one trade since the start of the 2009/2010 Off Season through the August 1, 2010 trade deadline, trading for 3B Scott Rolen. He's also made the 3rd least amount of overall roster moves of all non-contracted team, with only Arlington and Tokyo having less.


His Moves
With the lack of transactions during the season the Rockets have been able to form one of the tightest clubhouses in the EHCC. Former captain Pedro Martinez still makes frequent visits to Rakeville, quoting strong bonds he formed with both players and management over the years, even when he was struggling. "We never really have a fear of losing our jobs," current starting catcher Joe Mauer told reports, "I'm not sure if he [Jack Reed] is just lazy or really likes us all. Either way, it's comforting to know the name on our lockers aren't going anywhere."


His Take
The Rockets finished 2008 in 4th place, then 10th place the following season. After allowing their young talent to make their way up they've climbed back up to championship contention and clinched the 1st round bye and the Eastern Division crown. Some criticize the Rockets, saying they don't deserve the award because it's not a "most improved" award, and that it should be based on the moves the GM made to better their squad (ie: trades, add/drops, etc). Reed has a different look on it stating, "I rebuilt this team," commenting on his General Managing ability. He continued with, "I better win GM of the year, considering all the moves I made - last year's trades plus my rookies coming up."

Apparently last year's trades should be considered in this year's award.


Patrick Renaud, Quebec City Piglets


His History
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride: story of Patrick Renaud's life. Since 2005, the first year the GM of the Year Award was given out, Renaud has not finished higher than 2nd in the GMotY voting, despite never missing the playoffs and grabbing the Western Division crown all but once [2006] in that time frame. He finished 2nd to Arlington's Matt Skinner in 2007, the same year the Warriors beat the Piglets in the EHCC Championship (perhaps that had something to do with the voting), and he finished second to Peoria's Dave Grubb in 2009.


His Moves
During the 2009/2010 offseason Renaud was desperate to upgrade his offense since he had solidified the league's best pitching staff for the past two seasons. He brought in perennial MVP contender Albert Pujols as an upgrade over Justin Morneau and Andrew McCutchen to give life to his aging outfield. Closer to the deadline Renaud pulled off a blockbuster with Weymouth, brining in powerhouse pitchers Johan Santana and Roy Halladay, further solidifying his strong pitching staff. All these moves, along with the day-to-day activity (3rd most in the league) brought Quebec City their 3rd straight, and 4th overall regular season crown.


His Take
His ability to keep his team in annual contention is Renaud's logic behind why he should win the award stating, "No one does more to build their team year in and year out than me and I"ve never won it," Renaud told reporters, "I get no respect there because I never have an off year. It's always most improved."

Every GM to win the GMotY award without winning the EHCC Champoionsip in the same season had increased their team's winning percentage by at least .100 from previous season.



Yukon Cornelius, Weymouth Shaddupu

His History
Cornelius, who has never won the award, perhaps because the award wasn't given out until 2005, the last time team Shaddupu won the EHCC crown, wasn't shy to the trading table this season, as they barely squeaked into the 2009 playoffs and knew there was room for improvement.

His Moves
In an attempt to give his pitching staff the boost it needed, Cornelius promptly jumped on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes when las Vegas put the ace on the block, sending away young gun Mat Latos and stud prospect outfielder Andrew McCutchen in the process. It was needed after sending away Dan Haren for the bat of Pablo Sandoval and the hard throwing Max Scherzer. Youkon knew when to call it quits though, realizing his attempt at a 5th EHCC Championship was going to fail this season, he found a way to rebuild for the future, shipping away Halladay, Johan Santana, and Josh Hamilton for a slew of prospective all-stars, including Jesus Montero, Jenry Mejia, Mike Minor, and Starlin Castro, not to mention a bundle of draft picks from both Tokyo and Quebec City. Considering all three players were never going to sell for more in the future and the standings in the playoff picture, Weymouth probably made the right move at the time.

His Take
When asked why he thought he should win the award Cournelius was quoted to saying, "I think that's a fair vote considering what i did in the offseason as well as at the trading deadline."

Perhaps recognizing the moves you made to start the season weren't working and cutting your losses at the right time is worth consideration.

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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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2009/10 Off Season Review (Part 1)

As most owners realize, the baseball season doesn't end in September. It was an active off season for most teams in the EHCC, either building for the future or trying to add the missing piece to make their roster a contender for the 2010 crown, as seems to be the case with the EHCC's newest team, the Woodland Park Wops, as they traded away Pedro Alvarez for established talent. How did your team utilize their off season?





2009/10 Off Season Review (Part 1 of 4)
By: Conor Intabedd / Reno Weekly Rag

Below is part one of a four part series which reviews exactly how the off season was used by each team in the league. Enjoy.


WOODLAND PARK WOPS

Gave Up...

Kevin Youkilis (1B,3B - BOS)
Cole Hamels (SP - PHI)
Rick Porcello (SP - DET)
Gio Gonzalez (SP - OAK)
Pedro Alvarez (3B - PIT)*
2nd Round MaDP (2010 - WP) - R2P4 [Ryan Rowland-Smith (SP - SEA)]
1st Round MiDP (2010 - WP) - R1P7 [Player TBD]
2nd Round MiDP (2010 - WP) - R2P10 [Player TBD]

Took On...

Dustin Pedroia (2B - BOS)
Scott Kazmir (SP - LAA)
Frank Francisco (RP - TEX)
Stephen Drew (SS - ARI)
Ted Lilly (SP - CHC)
Aramis Ramirez (3B - CHC)
Adam Dunn (1B, OF - WAS)
3rd Round MaDP (2011 - LV) - R3P? [Player TBD]


The league's only rookie owner tried to make up for the team's former owner's lack of movement all before his first regular season match up. Right out of the gun the Wops went after their targets: Pedrioa, Kazmir, Drew. They knew what they wanted and were willing to pay for them. Filling out the roster came later, with additions of Dunn and Aramis Ramirez. Their offense is considerably better, no question. It may have come at the expense of their pitching and future however, as they shipped off young, talented starters in Porcello and Hamels, only adding on Scott Kazmir and Ted Lilly and their injury baggage. Can't fault them for being aggressive however.
Grade: B


SOUTH CAROLINA FIGHTING WRENS

Gave Up...

Joey Votto (1B - CIN)
1st Round MiDP (2010 - SC) - R1P10 [Player TBD]
4th Round MaDP (2011 - SC) - R4P? [Player TBD]

Took On...

Ricky Nolasco (SP - FLA)
Carlos Beltran (OF - NYM)
4th Round MaDP (2010 - ARL) - R4P5 [Matt Guerrier (RP-MIN)]

The Wrens made no secret of the availability of their two young first baseman. The only issue they had is that no one needed them as much as they wanted to get rid of them, that is until the dust settled on the Las Vegas off season trading frenzy. Bringing on a solid arm in Nolasco was a good move for the Wrens, even if Votto may have been worth more. It was simply a situation of supply and demand. South Carolina had the supply, but there was just a lack of demand as the majority of the teams out there were satisfied with their first base situation. The Wrens probably did the best they were going to do considering the market. Grabbing Carlos Beltran as a veteran presence in their outfield doesn't hurt either.
Grade: B+


RAKEVILLE ROCKETS

Gave Up...

3rd Round MaDP (2010 - PEO) - R3P8 [Gil Meche (SP - KC)]
4th Round MaDP (2010 - RAK) - R4P11 [Joe Nathan (RP - MIN)]

Took On...

3rd Round MaDP (2011 - WP) - R3P? [Player TBD]
4th Round MaDP (2011 - ARL) - R4P? [Player TBD]

Another boring off season in Rakeville. Draft day trades aside, the Rockets haven't made an off season trade since December 10, 2007 when they traded for BJ Upton. The off season prior they made only two trades, both of which sent away players for draft picks. Management might still be hurting for their terrible 2005/06 off season, as the team has become a big player at the trade deadline and appears to go into hibernation come the off season. They didn't hurt themselves, but didn't help themselves either, and with the majority of the teams in the EHCC getting better now or in preparation for the future, it doesn't help the Rockets to stand still. The lack of moves for a roster in need determines their grade.
Grade: C

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Rakeville Times: Not hot enough

Rakeville's Joe Mauer dives to tag a sliding Weasel at home plate but comes up short. The run turned out to be the winner as Bridgewater edges past the Rockets and into the championship series.




Not hot enough
By Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

Bridgewater’s juggernaut offense just couldn’t be controlled as the underdog Rockets fell once again in the semi-finals of the playoffs, losing to the top-seeded Weasels 6-4.

Rakeville entered the final day down 7-3, and a series of solid pitching performances helped close the gap, but wasn’t enough to hold off an unyielding Bridgewater attack. They combined for an amazing 11 runs, three homeruns and 12 RBIs on the final day to lift them to the championship game against Las Vegas.

“We felt so good heading into the playoffs this year,” said Pitcher Roy Oswalt, who provided three career performances in the first two rounds this season. “Sure, no one expected us to win against Bridgewater, but we knew we could if we just played hard. We’d done it all season. I’m so disappointed.”

Critics said they didn’t do enough to solidify their pitching staff at the trade deadline, but after winning the bulk of pitching categories in both matchups, that criticism was clearly off.

“We knew our pitching staff was struggling earlier in the season, but I saw the talent there,” said Rakeville General Manager Jack Reed. “We needed to be patient with the guys we had and we were. Roy (Oswalt) and Josh (Beckett) were brilliant for us the last two weeks. I’m very proud of them, and I’m very proud of our team. It is hard to go through a change of managers and turn it around to win the division. There is a lot we have to look at heading into next season, but we still have a group of players that can win a championship.”

Offense will surely be a focus of the team this offseason. Despite a deadline deal to bring in Manny Ramirez, the Rockets still couldn’t hit well enough to take a single category in the semifinals. Between injuries and ineptitude, the team needs to figure out who is going to deliver Rakeville to the EHCC finals.

“We walked the line this year trying to find the best balance of future potential and present-day product,” said Reed. “Our window remains small, so we are going to do all we can to win a championship for this city.”

Of course, that quest will begin anew next season as the players rode back to the stadium this afternoon.

“They’re still my heroes,” said Tommy Shepard, a young fan who was waiting outside of Reed Field for the team bus. “Yeah, they always lose. My mom said it is O.K. to lose. She said it builds character.”

“You’re mom’s a fucking idiot,” said a drunken fan standing next to him.

Clearly, the pain of another playoff loss will carry us all through the offseason.

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Rakeville Times: Judgement Day

Miguel Cabrera watches as his late game home run clears the right field fence to give Rakeville a 6-5 lead in homeruns over Winston-Salem. It was a crucial seventh day for the Rockets and they rose to the challenge.



Judgement Day
By Aviator McShadeless

What should have been a climactic moment in the career of Pedro Martinez turned into a sobering reminder of how good this Rockets offense can be at times. Miguel Cabrera and David Ortiz provided two booming home runs to lift Rakeville over Winston-Salem this week and force another face off against their archrival Bridgewater.

“It was back to Rockets baseball,” said Javier Vazquez. “Our pitching was strong and our bats mighty. It is how we won a ton of games the last few years. For some reason we went away from that this year, but it has been good to see us getting back into the rhythm at the right time.”

The Rockets took a 5-4 lead heading into the final day, but many felt the game was in hand early in the week.

“We knew we should win that game,” said Chase Utley. “Given our playoff history folks were nervous. Still, there is no reason we should have lost. This team is a great one, even if this season hasn’t been an example of our talent. In essence, we are the same team that dominated the league the last three years. Now, we have to finish the deal.”

The sentiment was carried by most as they boarded the bus to Bridgewater, a team that the Rockets have a compelling history against in the playoffs. In 2005, after a surprising romp through the regular season, Rakeville was upset by a vivacious Weasels team in the semi-finals. Bridgewater went on to meet Weymouth in the Championships, losing by the closest margin in EHCC history. The following year Rakeville got some revenge, trouncing their rival in the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champs Las Vegas. Now, on the heels of a blow out win in Week 21 and a shocking, come-from-behind Division crown, Rakeville has all the momentum in the historic series.

“They are the favorites,” said Manager Justin Fuller. “You can’t rattle off a season like they had and not expect to be the favorite. We’ve had some success against them, but that is all in the past. They are a great team. We are hitting our stride and I’m proud of what we’ve done, but they are still the favorites.”

Rakeville will kick off the epic series with veteran Javier Vazquez on the mound. Bridgewater counters with former Rockets farmhand Yusmeiro Petit. How fitting that that the best pitcher they have is a Rakeville castoff…

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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.

-----

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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2008 Playoff Preview

Not many expected to see Quebec City in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, as the dominated along with Bridgewater for most of the season, but Las Vegas forced the Piglets into a first round rematch with their Week 22 opponent Weymouth, a team they've faced plenty of times in previous playoff appearances.


2008 EHCC Playoff Preview By Max Powers of EHSPN writing for Baseball Tri-Weekly

Going into the final week of the season everyone knew who would be playing for a chance at the 2008 EHCC championship but no one knew who exactly they'd be facing off against. Now that it's finally all settled, let's take a look at the match ups that present themselves and who will come out on top.

Round 1

(3) Quebec City vs (6) Weymouth

Quebec City is has been tattered and tortured over the last week or so. Injuries have plagued their infield, taking hard hitting third baseman Evan Longoria and EHCC All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler of of the Piglets' line up. Even with the injuries, the Piglets managed a 5-3 win over Shaddupu in Week 22. That along with their decisive 9-1 victory in Week 11, and the first round home field advantage, makes them the clear favorite in this first round match up.

Weymouth, who contemplated dismantling their entire squad at the trading deadling, lost some big production when they traded away long time outfielder Manny Ramirez to Rakeville. With all the pressure on Ryan Braun and Josh Hamilton to keep the Weymouth offense on top, it should be a long week for team Shaddupu.

The Piglets have not lost to Weymouth in the playoffs since 2004, and have never lost in the first round of play against team Shaddupu. This will be the third straight year that the two teams have met in the first round of the playoffs.

Overall Playoff Records
Quebec City: 3-6 (2-1 vs WEY)
Weymouth: 12-3 (1-2 vs QC)

Prediction: QC 7, WEY 3

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(4) Rakeville vs (5) Winston-Salem

Rakeville earned themselves the Price Trophy last week, and deservingly so. They had been a formidable match up for any Eastern Divisional rival in 2008 and now they hope to bring that domination into the playoffs. The Rockets have everything going for them: momentum (they've won their last 4 match ups of the regular season by a combined score of 28-7, including a 9-1 win against top seeded Bridgewater and a 6-1 victory in the final week against the defending EHCC Champion Arlington Warriors), experience (the Rockets have only missed the playoffs once since the EHCC was created in 2001), and production (sat in the top 5 of four of the five offensive categories in the 2008 regular season). Chase Utley and company will need to compensate however for the ailing Rockets' pitching staff. With ace Josh Beckett and closer Billy Wagner on the shelf, look for starter Roy Oswalt to return to form and help set the example in the first day of play for the rest of the staff.

Winston-Salem's offense has been streaky all season. One week they seem like they'll be unstoppable against any opponent and others they seems as though they're all taking the week off. They'll have to turn it on this week if they wish to stay competitive against a strong Rockets' line up. Grady Sizemore and Carlos Quentin are the strong point in their line up and should provide the Monsters with the fire power they'll need to stay with Miguel Cabrera and the rest of the Rakeville bats. The Monsters will have to take advantage of the ailing Rockets' pitching staff this week. With Zack Grienke being their only scheduled two-start pitcher, they will have to rely of finesse to push past the first round.

This is the Monsters' third trip to the EHCC playoffs since being introduced to the league in 2004 and first since 2005. They have never made it past the first round. Rakeville has made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs in each of the past 3 years. Rakeville and Winston-Salem have never faced off in the playoffs.

Overall Playoff Records
Rakeville: 2-5
Winston-Salem: 0-2

Prediction: RAK 6, WS 3

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Round 2

(1) Bridgewater vs (4) Rakeville

Bridgewater has dominated all season. They've beaten every team in the league at least once (most of them twice) with the notable exception of Rakeville. They've faltered down the stretch, coming close to losing their number 1 seed to Las Vegas, but pushed through and should face off against the Rockets in the second round of play. The Weasels didn't sit on top of any single category this season, but overall were very well-rounded. Their bats came alive at opportunistic times during the season and, with the exception of starter Chien-Ming Wang, their arms in their rotation have been durable enough to endure the long season. They showed chinks in their armor in the final few weeks of play, faltering against two playoff teams (Las Vegas and Rakeville), and they'll be hoping that their poor play doesn't carry over into the playoffs.

Rakeville has done well against Eastern Division opponents all season and Bridgewater is no exception. They have not lost to them in their two match ups during the regular season, a statistic they won't be looking to change in the playoffs. Their pitching staff hasn't been as dominate as past seasons but should be able to hold off the majority of the Bridgewater hitters especially with three scheduled two-start pitchers, while Rakeville bats should be swinging away at a rusty Bridgewater staff that will have a week off before facing off against the Rockets' potent lineup.

The same match up came about in the 2005 season, with the seeds being reversed. Bridgewater, then the 4th seed, upset the Rockets, who were dominate all throughout the regular season. Look for a similar outcome this year.

Overall Playoff Record (including 2008 previous round predictions)
Bridgewater: 6-7 (1-1 vs RAK)
Rakeville: 3-5 (1-1 vs BRW)

Prediction: RAK 5, BRW 4

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(2) Las Vegas vs (3) Quebec City

The Doggs are the story of the second half of the season. They ended up making up enough ground to push them from 8th place to 2nd by the end of the regular season, giving them the 1st round BYE all Doggs' fans thought they needed. The Doggs have made the playoffs every season since the EHCC was created but both of their championships came when they had a 1st round bye. Going into the playoffs, the Doggs have been arguably the best team in the league, defeating 10 of their last 11 opponents by a combined score of 73-23. Their only loss in that time coming at the hands of a 8-2 beating by Winston-Salem in Week 18. They stand in the top 5 of every offensive category, including top honors in Home Runs and RBI, and second in Runs and Stolen Bases. Their resurgent pitching staff has helped catapult them into the conversation of most improved staff since the beginning of the season. They ended the season with a top three finish in each pitching category except total Wins, where they finished in the middle of the road (6th). Many feel that the week off will hurt the Doggs' momentum but the players have all stated that they'll use the time off wisely.

Quebec City, hurt the most by the Doggs' second half domination, lost out on the first round bye but should find themselves an opportunity to avenge themselves in the second round against Las Vegas. The Piglets' pitching staff, the best in the league, should have little trouble against Doggs' hitters. The problem will arise if/when the Doggs' decide to bring in multiple free agents specialists to battle against the Piglets' dominate staff. The Piglets' hitters will have to step up against the Doggs' pitchers, an area that many feel as though the Piglets are simply just overmatched. If the Piglets are to win this match up they'll do it on the mound.

The Piglets have only made it to the final tound once since being brought into the EHCC in 2002, while the Doggs have been to the finals 3 times, winning the EHCC crown twice, both times with the first round bye. Quebec City and Las Vegas have never met each other in the playoffs.

Overall Playoff Record (including 2008 previous round prediction)
Las Vegas: 7-5
Quebec City: 4-6
Prediction: LV 7, QC 2

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2008 EHCC CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

(2) Las Vegas Doggs vs (4) Rakeville Rockets

These two teams, the top two teams in the East, are probably two of the most evenly matched teams in the EHCC. Both teams finished the regular season by winning their final four match ups. Both organizations have plenty of playoff experience. Both have above average hitters and rotations. This should make for an entertaining two weeks to say the least.

Las Vegas may have the edge in a tie breaking situation, finishing a whole 0.30 points above the Rockets in team ERA in the regular season.

The Doggs and Rockets have met twice before in the post-season. In 2003 the 3rd seeded Doggs defeated the 6th seeded Rockets in the 1st round of play. In the second round, Las Vegas was then beaten by a far superior Weymouth club who went on to win their 3rd straight championship. In 2006, 1st seeded Las Vegas defeated 4th seeded Rakeville in the second round on route to their second EHCC title.

According to my previous predictions, the 2008 playoffs look a lot like the 2005 version, with the number 2 seed facing off against the number 4 for the championship. I can't see it finishing off much differently.

Overall Playoff Record (including 2008 previous round predictions)
Las Vegas 8-5 (2-0 vs RAK)
Rakeville: 4-5 (0-2 vs LV)

Prediction LV 6, RAK 4 MVP - David Wright (3B-LV)


Disagree with Max Powers' predictions? Post your own on the comments page.

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Rakeville Times: Eastern Excellence

Chase Utley makes the final out to seal the Eastern Division title for the Rockets. Rakeville now heads into a tough playoff matchup with the Price Cup in their dugout.



Eastern Excellence
By Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

The Rockets are the best team in the Eastern Division, but you’d have a hard time convincing Rakeville fans of it. After a turbulent season that saw the best pitching staff in league history collapse, a prestigious head coach fired and a year long battle to keep the entire squad healthy, the Golden Arms in the bleachers would have been happy just to make the playoffs. Instead, they are proud holders of the team’s second Price Cup.

The crown is not undeserved. It was hard to argue that Rakeville was one of the best teams all season long. They ran into trouble, but no team handled injuries and underachievement better. While they didn’t have the initial success of Bridgewater and Quebec City, nor the hot streak that propelled Las Vegas, they grinded out win after win against tough Eastern Division opponents. No one could have predicted Bridgewater’s late-season collapse after their meteoric start, but Jack Reed did all he could to put his club into hunt.

“I had thought the Price Cup was lost to us,” said Reed. “Every season we build our team to be the best in the East, but after losing to Weymouth a month ago, My staff and I began focusing solely on the EHCC playoffs.”

Rakeville then went on to sweep their last three division opponents, including the Weasels with a decisive 9-1 win in week 21. After tying Bridgewater earlier in the season, the Rockets had the tie breaker if fate was on their side.

“It just snuck up on us,” said Gavin Floyd, who supplied two wins in the final game of the season. “After we beat Bridgewater, Coach Fuller said we had a chance to do something special. We had a team meeting before our flight to Arlington and decided to win.”

A 6-2 win against Arlington and a Bridgewater loss to Las Vegas sealed the deal.

“The East is full of tough teams,” said Reed. “It seems like our team has always gotten up for division games. This year is a perfect example.”

Critics suggest Rakeville’s success in the East has a lot to do with the strategy implemented by former manager Tom Seaver at the start of the season. Rockets players seemingly took off games against western conference teams. In arguably a weaker division, Rakeville stumbled.

“I’m not going to speculate on what Tom’s plan was heading into the season,” said Manager Justin Fuller. “He never indicated that he placed more importance on Eastern Division games. I did question his use of the bullpen at times, and I could see why some might think he mailed in Western Division games to keep players fresh, but I don’t think it affected our standing in the EHCC.”

Whatever the methods, the Rockets are now the proud owners of their second division crown in four years. They now prepare for a difficult first round matchup against Winston-Salem, a team that bested them twice in the regular season.
“There is no easy road to the EHCC championships this season,” said Fuller. “Teams that we though would be a sure-fire champ have faltered, and low ranked teams now have a history of success. The playoff pool is too deep to predict.”

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Rakeville Times: Upton-o good?

Rakeville opens Spring Training in Pensacola today and B.J. Upton has brought a shot of energy to the Rockets camp, but will Cock Gate, veteran cuts and manager Tom Seaver get in the way of another successful season?

Upton-o Good?
By Hernandez Firstname, Rakeville Times

The players arriving at the Rockets Spring Training home in Pensacola, Fla., couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming season. Despite a heartbreaking loss in the Semi-finals last season, the loss of their manager, and the scandal surrounding their Hall of Fame leader, Rakeville’s elite are embracing this spring as a rebirth.

“It took all of us a long time to get over last season,” said Javier Vazquez. “It hit everyone hard. This is one of the few times where the distractions have actually helped us.”

New Rakeville manager Tom Seaver held a close-door meeting with the players earlier today, laying out his plans for the spring and his goals for the upcoming season.

“These boys have done a lot in the EHCC,” said Seaver, “but we all know what is expected of us. We need to win a championship. It is politically correct to say we just need to win the next game, or we are just looking to be competitive, but that is all horseshit. We need a ring and we need it this year.”

Seaver’s straightforward approach with the media was why General Manager Jack Reed hired him. On the first day of camp, Seaver held few punches talking about his ace and his off-season escapades.

“This ‘Cock Gate’ thing is foolish,” said Seaver. “Is cock fighting any worse than Irish fighting? I think not. It doesn’t matter what you throw in the ring, as long as you still have your fastball the next day. I told Pedro he had nothing to worry about from us, as long as he doesn’t throw Phil Hughes into a ring anytime soon.”

Seaver also confirmed Pedro will be the honorary referee during his off days this season, presiding over grown men dressed in chicken suits fighting on the Reed Field infield. The Rockets events staff is dubbing the between-inning spectacle as Pedro’s Proving Ground. Winners will go on to fight again, with the winner of the 64-man tournament earning season tickets next year.

In other, more baseball related matters, Seaver has some tough decisions to make this offseason. The acquisition of young superstar B.J. Upton has made for a very crowed outfield, and some long-time Rockets may be on the chopping block come March 9th.

“Having a player like B.J. in camp this season has made a lot of us very excited,” said second baseman Chase Utley. “I don’t think we’ve ever had such a talent group of players in camp. There is a good chance we are going to be cutting 2 or 3 first round picks in this years draft.”

While three top picks may be a stretch, Rakeville will be forced to trim one of the most complete teams in the league.

“I have no idea who I plan to let go,” said Seaver. “Ask me that after they play a few games, idiot.”

In other Spring Training news, Omar Quintanilla reported to camp a day early. He may not get a lot of playing time over the next three weeks, but the team is working on signing him as a spring training coach, allowing him to say with the club past the 20-man roster deadline.

The Rockets are scheduled to play Rakeville University, Stackerville Flames, Weymouth, Arlington and Peoria this spring.

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Rakeville Times: Rockets say adios to O'Leary

Troy O'Leary will no longer be setting the course for the Rockets. How will the man with the nicest kicks rebound?


Rockets say adios to O'Leary
By Hernandez Firstname, Rakeville Times

He brought the franchise back from the brink of mediocrity in 2005, taking a group of young offensive players and seasoned pitchers and got them to play as a team. In three seasons, Troy O'Leary led the Rockets to two regular season titles, but that wasn't enough to keep his job. Yesterday, all the rumors proved true as the Rakeville front office made the firing of their manager official.

"The Rockets organization is grateful for everything Troy has done for the team," said Jack Reed. "He was the perfect manager for a team with young, up-in-coming players, but now we must look to build on our success. We feel a move in a different direction is needed."

Despite his regular season success, O'Leary has only won a single playoff series. In three seasons, his teams posted a combined 402-216-42 record. They were the only team to score at least 130 categories during that span and won an Eastern Division title. Having arguably the best team in the EHCC during his reign, the Rockets inability to make the championship game, much less win the title, has been his biggest criticism.

"The Rockets are a classy organization," said O'Leary during a conference call. "When I left Bye Week, I thought my career was over. I thank the team for giving me a chance and I hope that my work in Rakeville will warrant a position elsewhere in the EHCC. Preferably someplace indoors or with a turf field so I don't dirty my new shoes."

No word on possible replacements for O'Leary. Longtime Rakeville Pitching Coach Justin Fuller is a top candidate, along with Las Vegas Pitching Coach Chet Steadman and Tijuana's Bench Coach Ernesto Gonzalez.

"We will be talking to a bevy of candidates," said Reed. "I don't want to tip our hand, but I think we have a good idea of what we are looking for and the candidates that best fill those needs."

Reed also announced former Interim General Manager Rich Garces has been brought back into the fold as a special consultant, and is expected to take the role of assistant general manager after his fail bid to return to baseball as a player.

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Rakeville Times: A moment of silence

Felix Hernandez sits at the end of the Rockets bench after losing to Quebec City in the second round of the playoffs. Hernandez, along with a majority of the team, did not speak with the media after the devastating loss.


A moment of silence
By Aviator McShadeless

We all knew it could happen but nobody wanted to admit it, and now no one in Rakeville can believe their beloved team is out of the playoffs. Rakeville fell to EHCC's hottest team, the Quebec City Piglets 6-4, thanks to an offensive explosion in the final day.

After the game, the Rockets locker room was closed to media for nearly an hour, and when it did open the players were as speechless as the fans.

"I just don't want to think about it right now," said Josh Beckett. "I can't think of anything I could say that would give you any insight. Everyone here feels terrible."

Many attribute the loss to a poor pitching strategy going into the series and the team's inability to hit for power. As the Piglets carry the torch into the championships, Rakeville fans will have a long offseason to analyze the team's faults.

"We all had a chance to win this game for us," said First baseman David Ortiz, who flied out with the bases loaded to end the game. "Sometimes the hitting works, and the rest of the time it doesn't. I don't think it will work this bad next year."

Jack Reed and the rest of the front office would not comment on the loss. It is the third year in a row the Rockets have lost in the second round of the Playoffs.

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Rakeville Times: The Knight of Rakeville

Pedro Martinez is interviewed by the media at Reed Field in Rakeville a day after his start in ESSEC Stackerville. Martinez look healthy and primed to lead the Rockets to glory.




The Knight of Rakeville
By Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

In February, months before he threw anything that resembled a pitch, Pedro Martinez found his way to the big league side of the Rockets' sprawling complex in Pensacola, Fla., and delivered a state-of-the-comeback address. "Hold 'em for me and I'll push 'em back," he said.

As the EHCC playoffs begin, Pedro held true to his word. The long-time Rakeville ace was declared eligible to play by team trainer Lance Armstrong Sunday, but rather then join the big league club during their brief, bye-week vacation, Martinez chose to take on one of the best ESSEC teams this season with the Stackerville Flames.

The first inning was a bit rocky, as the Eagle County Kobes put up two runs on Pedro. Like a veteran, Martinez struck back, pitching five innings, giving up only five hits. He struck out four including Kobes star Jay Bruce on a fastball that couldn’t break 90 mph.

"If I'm throwing between 85 and 88 [mph]," Martinez said Friday, "and I have command of my pitches, I'll get anybody out." His performance Monday supported that brash statement, and the Rockets will really need Pedro to perform as rosters expand.

"Most teams will be adding 3-5 pitchers to their rotation when they face us," said Troy O’Leary, team manager. "The advantage we’ve had all season almost dissolves in the playoffs. We have been trying to set ourselves up for this for he last month and I think Pedro is better than anyone we could bring in."

Martinez looks at it differently. He did not fight back from injury to be a supplemental player. He came back to be a leader.

"The guys have worked so hard to get us here, and now I’m here to help take them home."

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