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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Baseball Triweekly Cover - 2015 Champions Weymouth Shaddupu

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Baseball Triweekly Cover - Special Championship Edition

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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 Season Review: Weymouth Shaddupu

The self appointed "team of the decade" has not fared well the past few seasons. For a franchise that is used to winning championships, anything else is failure.


2009 Season Review: Weymouth Shaddupu
By: Nick Bruce; Owner Weymouth Shaddupu


With a post-season berth every year, to include four championships thank you very much, hard times have fallen on the team from the Island and 2008 was no different. GM Yukon Cornelius tried to spark the franchise back to the winning ways by trading away a cornerstone OF in Bobby Abreu (for Homer Baily) and an elite relief pitcher (Joe Nathan for OF Nelson Cruz and draft picks) and punting saves.

Analyzing the team on paper leading up to Opening Day, the natives were excited. They looked like a favorite to get back to the promised land. The offense was loaded with slugging Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton and up and coming prospect Nelson Cruz, making up a formidable outfield. They were hoping for a bounce back year from the best catcher in the EHCC, Victor Martinez, as well as SS Stephen Drew to draw from his 2008 coming out party. Filling out the roster with speedster and run machine 2B Chone Figgins, one can see why Weymouth was excited about this offense.

From a pitching standpoint, they were top heavy with starters. That’s the way they were built going into the season while throwing saves out the window. With aces Johan Santana and Dan Haren front and center, anybody would be scared to face this 1-2 punch. Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana were prepared to take off and land in the upper echelon of pitchers after coming off of promising 2008 campaigns. Jeremy Bonderman, coming back from off-season surgery, and new-comer Homer Bailey figured to round out a pretty decent rotation heading into Spring Training.

So, what happened you ask? Well injuries and poor performances happened. It seems like the injury bug is in the water in Weymouth, as I wrote a similar article this time last year. Bonderman never came back to form, Hamilton was in and out (mostly out) of the lineup and never got going, Johan was never himself and shut it down in early August, Drew crapped the bed and E. Santana took a step, but it was not forward.

I’m not here to talk about the past…I’m here to be positive about this subject. Heading into the winter, GM Yukon Cornelius has vowed to get this franchise back to continuing its legacy of winning, and winning championships! They have several chips they are looking to move, including ace Johan Santana and elite closer Huston Street. His top priority is to improve the first base position as that has never been a cornerstone of this proud franchise. With a full and extremely talented roster of uber-prospects in Nantucket, this team could be major players in the trading carousel.

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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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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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Baseball Tri-Weekly: August Cover 2008

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 21

Marco Sanchez carries a cardboard cutout of Johan Santana to the register at the Weymouth Shaddupu Team Store at Brotherhood Park. Weymouth responded to the fans outcry last week, but will it be enough to earn them a home playoff game?





Around The Bases: Week 21
By Listen Deplayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

They are hanging onto the playoffs by their fingertips. A team of veterans so used to winning that their current batch of losing has simply slipped under the radar.

"We take the regualr season for granted sometimes," said firstbaseman Carlos Delgado. "It is like an extended spring training in Weymouth. The fans come, the players play, but everyone seems to know that it is just a warm-up for the playoffs."

That has been the attitude in Weymouth for years. Shaddupu has never won a division championship, but has sold out every game since 2002 despite the lack of passion for regular season rivalries. They even go so far as selling "Got Playoff?" shirts in the team store next to cardboard cutouts of Johan Santana hoisting the EHCC Plaque. The team and city are focused on the playoffs from the start of spring training.

"Taking the ferry to Weymouth in June and taking it in September are two completely different experiences," said Bridgewater's Marcus Giles. "The fans recognize you, but they don't really say much. Some actually great you warmly. When we played Weymouth in the championships though, it was like getting food into Berlin.”

A week ago things changed on the island. As the playoffs inched closer and the team began a 3-week, season ending road trip, folks began to realize that if the Shaddupu remained near the bottom of the playoff hunt, they would not get a home playoff game. It would be the first time in EHCC history that Brotherhood wouldn’t host a life-or-death series.

“To think that there would be no baseball played in Weymouth in September really struck a nerve with a lot of fans,” said Yukon Cornelius. “This town lives for the excitement. We understand that we have to play on the road to win it all, but to have them all on the road is unbearable.”

Perhaps word spread, because a week after being on the fridge of the playoffs, Weymouth has vaulted themselves up into the fourth spot in the standings thanks to a 7-2 win over Tijuana. They now find themselves on top of four teams vying for three playoff spots. More importantly, they hold the coveted home field advantage in the first round.

“Yeah, it means we have to put on our playoff faces a little earlier if we want to stay ahead,” said Delgado.

A daunting stat for Shaddupu fans as we head into the final stretch. At least one bye team has made the EHCC championship game every year, and bye teams have always won it all. Despite all the upsets we've seen in the playoffs, there has yet to be one in the final.

Matchups

Both have pretty much locked in their byes, but a rare late season matchup between two elite teams has some serious implications. Both teams have sneaked up on Las Vegas for the Eastern Division title and now the winner of this week’s matchup is in line for a face off for the crown (Bridgewater would have to beat Weymouth in Week 22 to earn a playoff game). Beyond the division, the game could very well be a preview of the championship game a month from now.

Rakeville has won eight straight games while Bridgewater has gone 6-2-1 in the same span. Despite two season-ending injuries on their pitching staff, the Weasels have kept pace with the Rockets most of the season. And though Bridgewater sometimes falters on offense, they were able to pry three of the categories away in the first matchup.

The Rockets are playing so well right now, it is hard to bet against them, but Bridgewater is posed to give the top team a wakeup call this week with their bats leading the way.


The Warriors and Green Monsters were coasting to playoff appearances just a week ago, but now both teams are staring at .5 game buffer and wondering what happened. Arlington was the victim of a superb performance by the Piglets, drubbed by the resurgent team 10-0. Winston-Salem limped their way to a loss in Bridgewater. Neither showed any urgency and now one is facing absurdity.

Despite the tough loss, The Warriors offense was still effective. Surprising fill-in Ryan Theriot has earned his axe and team stud Magglio Ordonez countinue to put up good numbers. They will have to beat Paul Maholm, Shawn Hill and a interesting cast of hurlers who posted a .97 WHIP against Bridgewater’s offense.

They proved me wrong in their game against the Piglets, but I have to go with the Green Monsters track record once again. Not only do they need to win, but win big, as they will host Rakeville in the final game of the season while Arlington plays at home against Tokyo.

League Notes

-- A 10-0 win wasn’t enough to move Quebec City up in the playoff standings, but it was enough to earn them a new fan. Nick Lachey from the band 98 Degrees was seen waiting outside of the Piglets locker room after their game against Arlington, but wouldn’t say who he was waiting for.

-- Angered by the team’s recent woes, Gryphons fans had a Coors boycott Sunday. Unfortunately, the Drunken Nest only sells Coors beer at its concession stands, so everyone was very sober for their 2-6 loss to Tokyo.

-- Santo Domingo officials announced that the team plans to raise enough money to hold a night game next season, though a deal still needs to be worked out with the Island Electric Company for reduced rates.

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Rakeville Times: Rockets lose 5-3

Roy Oswalt led the Rockets with a 1.08 ERA in two starts last week against Weymouth, but the Rakeville ace's effort wasn't enough to lift his team past the island hippies.

Rockets lose 5-3, but O’leary finds no faults.
By Hernandez Firstname, Rakeville Times

Troy O’Leary looked solemn after the game, slipping through the clubhouse like a man who found out his father died. At a later press conference, he would take all the blame, but if you could have seen him in the minutes after a tough loss to Weymouth, the words would not have been necessary.

“I can’t find any fault with the way we pitched this week,” said O’Leary. “We had an exceptional week. They just had the home field advantage. Three or four of their top guys pitched again at the end of that game, and we couldn’t do anything about it. Felix was ready, but he never got the chance.”

Rakeville had a 4-0-1 lead heading into the weekend, only to have the game slip away when Johan Santana and company stepped up and pitch their way into a 2-1-2 pitching victory.

“We hit Santana hard in his first start,” said O’Leary, “but you can’t give a guy like him a second chance. You aren’t going to get two bad starts in a row from him, or Zambrano. It is the same way with our pitchers, but we just weren’t able to use them. I should have gone to Jack Reed and told him we needed more pitching for the weekend. It has always been Rockets policy not to churn, but this game was a perfect example of when an extra start or two would have made a huge difference.”

Weymouth joins Las Vegas on the top of the East, with both pulling out last minute wins over their opponents. Bridgewater is also tied for first, but their win was a blow-out of Peoria.

“It is a step in the wrong direction,” said Rockets first baseman David Ortiz, who belted two homeruns in the final day to secure the category. “We are lucky we get to face another East team this week so hopefully we can make up for the loss.”

After an impressive 12 strikeout, shutout performance earlier in the week, Felix Hernandez is expected to start again Tuesday. “I tried like hell to get back in that game. If I had gotten a shot, it would have been different. There is nothing worse than sitting there, unable to help your team when they need you.”

The Rockets did get an impressive two-start performance from Roy Oswalt, and single game studs Josh Beckett, Javier Vazquez and first round pick Rich Hill. Miguel Cabrera was the catalyst on offense, batting .500 for the week.

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