1. Richmond - Brendan Lobstein - This was a weak draft. Lobstein is a top ten talent, but rarely would go #1 in most drafts. Splits look great...pitches not so much. Should be a good #2/#3 for many years, but probably not a true ace.
2. Toronto - Felipe Valentin - Valentin will be a lock down reliever for many seasons. There is always a debate about whether or not it makes sense to invest such a high pick in a reliever, but when the draft is so weak, you don't have many options.
3. Florida - Pinky Wood - Solid starting pitcher prospect. Should do even better in the comfy confines of Florida's home park.
4. Seattle - Victor Castillo - Another nice SP prospect. Either Wood or Castillo could have gone #1 in a draft like this. His best asset is his righty split, but also has three good pitches.
5. Pittsburgh - Don Grant - Great relief pitcher prospect. My scouts show him to be even better than Valentin who went #2. Grant should save many games for Pittsburgh in the future.
6. Syracuse - Flash Hamill - Hamill is being used as a starter right now in the minors, but probably will need to be a super reliever as he progresses. He doesn't seem to have the STA/DUR combo to pitch enough innings to be a starter. Solid pitching prospect though.
7. Columbus - Craig Tracy - Really nice SS prospect as long as his defensive ratings continue to progress. It is always nice to have a decent bat at a premium defensive position and Tracy seems to fit that mold.
8. Cheyenne - Bubba Lo Duca - Nice selection here. LoDuca should be ready sooner than later and boasts four good pitches to go along with decent splits. Should be a nice starter for the Gunslingers.
9. Los Angeles - Davey Tucker - If Tucker's defensive range and glove progress enough, he could be switched to CF which would increase his value. Even if he doesn't, he be a great defensive 2B with a nice bat.
10. Jacksonville - Tom Barnes - Another nice relief pitching prospect. As long as he stays healthy, he should be a nice piece to the bullpen puzzle, however his sub 50 health makes some scouts a little nervous.
11. Cincinnati - Pete Malone - Really nice value selection at #11. I'd be surprised if there weren't at least a couple teams in the top 10 that would like to have grabbed Malone. He should be a beast in the middle of Cincy's lineup for many seasons.
12. Montana - Glen Martin - Doesn't seem to be good enough defensively to play SS and scouts aren't sure he has a big enough bat to contribute daily at 3B or an OF position. Martin is probably a guy that should have dropped a little farther.
13. Arizona - Tyrone Neal - Another guy that probably won't cut it defensively at SS, so he'll have to be moved, but doesn't quite bring a big stick to the table. Neal might have to be used as a super utility guy.
14. Little Rock - Jackson Garcia - Garcia is probably good enough defensively to play LF as well as 1B. He has a good bat, specifically his splits. It will be interesting to see how he does with higher splits than his contact and power ratings while playing a premium power position.
15. Texas - Charlie Atkins - Yet another good relief pitching prospect although his righty split makes scouts a bit nervous. He should be a able to pitch a good amount of innings. All will depend on how high he can get his righty split.
16. Ottawa - Andrew Stevens - Great value in a weak draft. The only reason he dropped was his poor health rating, but in a weak draft, it makes sense to grab a good starting pitching prospect at this point. If he can stay healthy, he'll do some damage in Ottawa's rotation.
17. Rochester - Shawn Ledee - This is like the 5th good relief pitching prospect in the first 17 picks. Ledee is a step below the other guys due to his splits, but should be a serviceable bullpen arm.
18. Louisville - Quilvio Chavez - Not quite a starter and not quite a closer, but will be a good middle reliever for the Steamboats. Should eat up a good amount of innings between the 5th and the 8th over the course of the season.
19. Cheyenne - Santo Guerrero - If he can reach his defensive projections then he can be an ok 2B, but he may need to be moved to the OF. In a perfect world he'll be able to play 2B as his bat would fit nicely there.
20. Jackson - Walt Wulf - Another guy that needs to progress a good bit to hit his targeted defensive position (3B). If not, then he'll have to move to the OF. Has some nice splits with his bat.
21. New Orleans - Greg Gordon - Really nice value at #21. Should hit a lot of homeruns. He is struggling right now in rookie ball, but scouts are confident he is just adjusting to the professional game.
22. Charleston - Marcus Burns - Should be a really nice super reliever for the River Dogs. Has excellent splits and a good set of pitches. If his STA had been 10 points higher than he would have gone in the top 10.
23. Atlanta - Craig Miller - Almost certainly isn't a 2B once he gets to the bigs, but will hit a lot of homeruns playing OF for the Peach Pits. He'll also strike out a lot.
24. New York - Gary Gilkey - Gilkey might be a miss. He doesn't seem to be good enough defensively to play CF so he'll probably have to be moved to 2B, but he has some really goofy hitting ratings. Will be interesting to see how he progresses.
25. New Britain - Mo Ross - Solid starting pitching prospect to grab so late in a weak draft. Solid pitching ratings across the board. Some teams haven't had as much luck with others with starters only having 3 pitches, but the Rock Cats weren't afraid.
26. Toronto - Tony Yoshii - Should be a solid 2B with nice speed. Not much else to say.
27. Texas - Hasn't signed. Texas might have spent all of their money on Intl's. That would be a shame as Kirk is a nice pitching prospect.
28. Honolulu - See Texas...although the prospect isn't as good as the Wildcats selection.
29. Cleveland - Is Daal still holding out for more money? He is "looking to be signed" so he should sign soon. The Gunners are hoping so anyway!
30. El Paso - Renyel Fernandez - Decent OF prospect who can really hit righties.
31. Chicago - Ricardo Mercedes - Really nice value at #31. Once we're this late in the draft, you take what you can get and Mercedes is a nice catch. He should be a solid power hitter and can play a couple different positions.
32. Las Vegas - Victor Lunar - Nice selection to round out the first round. Lunar should progress to be a solid closer for many seasons for the Bookies.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Getting to know bighead34
Who is bighead34?
28 year old operations manager for a golf course in Connecticut.
How did you get into HBD?
I was playing fantasy baseball and wanted something more. Did a google search and found HBD and immediately knew it would be perfect for me.
Interests and hobbies?
Playing golf. I'm also a bit of a political junkie.
Favorite team(s)?
NY Yankees, UConn Men's Basketball, NY Football Giants
Suggestion/Tip for HBD?
Be patient. As fast as the game moves at times, I've always found it easier to recover from a non-move than a hasty decision you made because you felt like you needed to do something.
Important individual rating for performance?
I'm probably pay more attention to Makeup than the average HBD owner.
Best move you've ever made in HBD?
Going into Season 13 of Maris, i was fully prepared to offer a max contract to Hipolito Sosa. Just before free agency started I changed my mind and determined that I was more than just one player away from becoming an elite team. Instead of committing at least 95.5M to one player, I ended up signing 5 players (Danny Jackson, Alex Andujar, Wilfredo Sosa, Ken Rapp, and Vic Weathers) for 180.6M. In addition to signing multiple type A's in a single year (a strategy I wholly endorse) I signed players who were all going to age well. Despite never making it to a World Series with this team, I think that had I signed Hipolito Sosa I would have ultimately been worse off and limited the flexibility I've enjoyed in putting together the rest of the team.
Worst move you've ever made in HBD?
In my first season i signed 16 marginal IFAs for 12.4M instead of signing 1 or 2 future MLers for the same amount. (Only 1 guy eventually made the ML and he became a backup/defensive replacement I signed for 5M)
Favorite HBD player?
Probably Einar Limon, who was my first ever draft pick and who just became my first player to win a Cy Young or MVP. Walt Waters and Tarrik Anderson are also very special to me.
Top prospect you are excited to call up in Billy Beane?
Walt Burke, who if he progresses like I hope will be the best pure hitter I've ever had on any team.
28 year old operations manager for a golf course in Connecticut.
How did you get into HBD?
I was playing fantasy baseball and wanted something more. Did a google search and found HBD and immediately knew it would be perfect for me.
Interests and hobbies?
Playing golf. I'm also a bit of a political junkie.
Favorite team(s)?
NY Yankees, UConn Men's Basketball, NY Football Giants
Suggestion/Tip for HBD?
Be patient. As fast as the game moves at times, I've always found it easier to recover from a non-move than a hasty decision you made because you felt like you needed to do something.
Important individual rating for performance?
I'm probably pay more attention to Makeup than the average HBD owner.
Best move you've ever made in HBD?
Going into Season 13 of Maris, i was fully prepared to offer a max contract to Hipolito Sosa. Just before free agency started I changed my mind and determined that I was more than just one player away from becoming an elite team. Instead of committing at least 95.5M to one player, I ended up signing 5 players (Danny Jackson, Alex Andujar, Wilfredo Sosa, Ken Rapp, and Vic Weathers) for 180.6M. In addition to signing multiple type A's in a single year (a strategy I wholly endorse) I signed players who were all going to age well. Despite never making it to a World Series with this team, I think that had I signed Hipolito Sosa I would have ultimately been worse off and limited the flexibility I've enjoyed in putting together the rest of the team.
Worst move you've ever made in HBD?
In my first season i signed 16 marginal IFAs for 12.4M instead of signing 1 or 2 future MLers for the same amount. (Only 1 guy eventually made the ML and he became a backup/defensive replacement I signed for 5M)
Favorite HBD player?
Probably Einar Limon, who was my first ever draft pick and who just became my first player to win a Cy Young or MVP. Walt Waters and Tarrik Anderson are also very special to me.
Top prospect you are excited to call up in Billy Beane?
Walt Burke, who if he progresses like I hope will be the best pure hitter I've ever had on any team.
Friday, May 28, 2010
More Trade Analysis by tk21775
Trade #1
Jacksonville Receives: Chet Myers
Florida Receives: Maicer Reyes
Analysis: Jacksonville Gators and the Florida Tropics engaged in talks to deal 27 year old SP Maicer Reyes and 19 year old SP Chet Myers. Jacksonville looks to get younger with this trade, allowing Myers to start out in Low A while the Tropics get a pitcher in Reyes who will be able to help out in the majors right away. If Myers can reach his projections he’ll end up the better pitcher out of the two but it also looks like it will be at least 3-4 more seasons before he’ll be called up.
Owner drichar138 on the trade: “Sure, we are in rebuilding mode in Jacksonville and this offer from Florida fit our needs. Reyes is 27 and probably wasn't going to make our big league rotation, so we figured it was a low risk gamble to bring in the 19 year old Myers and see if he can develop into a ML pitcher in 3-4 seasons.”
Owner ajwalton was unavailable for comment.
Trade #2
Little Rock Receives: Sal Latham
Syracuse Receives: Sting Powell , Mendy Kojima , Mendy Kojima , and 5 million cash
Chicago Receives: Alfredo Candelaria
Analysis: Little Rock/Syracuse/Chicago makes first 3 team trade of the season. The Swapfire receive 28 year old Sal Latham who will immediately be put in the 2B roster spot with his solid defense and bat, along with great speed. In exchange they send 19 year old LF Sting Powell, 23 year old P Mendy Kojima and 22 year old Alfredo Candelaria to Syracuse. Kojima looks to fill in a long relief role for the Orange with very solid control and splits although durability will limit his innings and Powell will begin in Low A where he looks to be more of a LF than 2B with a below avg. bat. Candelaria didn’t even have time to unpack his bags before he was back on a plane heading for Chicago where the LF looks to finally have found a spot in AA ball with a solid bat. The Black Sox send over 32 year old SP Ezdra Cruz and his 4 yr. $6M contract. Cruz will fill in the #2 SP spot for the Orange and has posted a 4.88 era in 5 games so far. He should be producing better numbers than that as the season goes on although health could play a factor in the 32 year olds career.
Owner mcbain10 on his side of the trade: “I had too many 2B/CF, so it was exchanging him for some minor league talent. I like the young pitcher I got, and I turned Candeleria around for a ML SP, which I needed, so it worked out. Basically traded an excess 2B/CF for a ML SP, a minor league SP, and maybe a useful bench player.”
Owner mamidu on the trade: “I'm happy with the trade. I expect Alfredo Candelaria to be a starter in the next year or so that hits for avg & power. To me, Cruz was expendable with his high salary for the next 4 years, age and I needed a COF in return.”
Trade #3
Florida Receives: J.D. Dixon and Jose Hernandez
Columbus Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Ruben Morales
Analysis: Florida pulls off its 6th and final trade so far this season, this time pairing up with Columbus. The Tropics receive 20 year old SS Jose Hernandez and 23 year old SP J.D. Dixon in exchange for 23 year old Cl Ruben Morales and 24 year old 1B Bingo Jepsen. Jepsen goes straight to the bigs where he’s hitting .341 early in the season with 21 rbis (EDIT: Jepsen gets traded before he plays a game for the Aeros); Morales will begin in AAA where he looks like he’ll be a dominant closer although he’s struggling to begin the season. Hernandez starts the season for the Topics in High A where he looks to be more of a 3B player with an avg. bat while Dixon heads straight for the majors and into the starting pitching rotation where his 6.44 era should settle down as the season progresses.
Owner anml34 on the trade: “Ajwalton drives a hard bargain. We liked Morales as another cornerstone of our bullpen in the coming years with the huge bat that Jepson provides but to give up Dixon made us think more than twice about making this deal."
Trade #4
Richmond Receives: Wandy Park and Alvin Browne
Colorado Springs Receives: Mark Iannetta and Miguel Mesa
Analysis: The Richmond Rebels and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox have agreed to a deal that will send 22 year old SS Miguel Mesa and 22 year old P Mark Iannetta to Colorado and 23 year old RF Wandy Park and 21 year old C Alvin Browne to Richmond. Brown will start out in AAA where he will crush the ball against left-handed pitchers and Park will join him in crushing right handers. Iannetta will also begin his career in AAA where he will develop into a solid #3 pitcher for the Sky Sox and Mesa will look to take over the SS in AAA with a solid bat.
Owner joekendall on the trade: “We really felt the need to improve our pitching for the future. By adding Iannetta, we feel we have added a future guy to our ML rotation. We parted with a couple of good players, but we felt it was a great opportunity to add to the organization.”
Owner train on the trade: “Joe had made a few inquires on Iannetta but we didn't seem to match up 1 for 1. We ended up expanding the deal to what you see now. I was reluctant to include Mesa but ultimately that's what got it done.”
Trade #5
New Britain Receives: Tyler Higgins
Los Angeles Receives: Glen Dimaggio
Analysis: New Britain’s back to the trading table, this time sitting with the Los Angeles Tiger Sharks as they make their first trade of the season. The Rock Bats will receive 25 year old Tyler Higgins who starts out in LF for the major league squad, hitting a solid .333 so far this season with 19 rbis. The Tiger Sharks will let 19 year old Glen Dimaggio (no relation to Joe) begin in High A where if he can stay healthy he’ll develop into a nice long relief pitcher that will be excellent against righties when he get the call up.
Owner crb2 on the trade: "We'll miss Higgins, but we got a nice prospect at Starting Pitcher and feel like we can replace his contribution in the lineup with a number of guys. And nobody will miss his personal hygiene habits"
Trade #6
New Britain Receives: Joseph Lee
Atlanta Receives: Willie Hernandez
Analysis: Already at the trading table, New Britain didn’t bother getting up, allowing Atlanta instead to sit down with them and strike a deal. The Rock Cats get 31 year old closer Joseph Lee who’s much better than his 8.44 era in 5 games this season and 3 year $5.6M contract shows. Atlanta sends 20 year old Willie Hernandez to High A ball to develop into a 2B for the future, although he’ll more than likely take over LF. No matter where he plays, his bat will be dangerous to opposing pitchers although his durability will limit the number of at bats he gets.
Owner mr_gone on the trade: “It was hard to let Joseph Lee go. As far as closers go he was as much of a sure thing as my ex. But we could not turn down a shot to bring in a player like Willie Hernandez. He is going to be the cornerstone of our offense for a long time to come.”
Owner mikejuggalo on his two trades: “I needed a top of the order LF and a durable RP for my bullpen. It was worth giving up my last two good prospects in order to get them. I’m in win now mode so they do me no good if they are not major league ready now.”
Trade #7
Richmond Receives: Dwight Westmoreland and 1.5 million
El Paso Receives: Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey
Analysis: Not wanting to get outdone in the trading by New Britain, the Richmond Rebels ink another deal, this time letting the El Paso Sluggers get their feet wet in trading this season. The Rebels put 28 year old Dwight Westmoreland into their 3B spot for the season hoping he’ll knock the ball out of the park. The Sluggers will send 20 year old Bo Sewell to Double A where he’ll develop into 3B/RF player with a so-so bat and 23 year old Jim Dorsey to AAA where he takes over 2B for them.
Owner jwdavi01 on his trade: “Traded power hitting vet 3B Dwight Westmoreland for Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey....While Dwight is a great power hitter, we are trying to build a solid base for the future so adding Bo Sewell, a terrific SS prospect who is currently tearing up the AA league, was a great transaction. As an added bonus 2B Jim Dorsey was included and he is currently in AAA and we’re happy with his progress. We wish Dwight all the best but we really needed to free up the payroll.”
Owner train on his move: “I was in desperate need of a 3B and saw Westmoreland on the block. He fit two needs, as I also needed a power bat. So far he's supplied the power, but not much else (other than a ton of errors!).”
Trade #8
Cleveland Receives: Paulie Williams
Louisville Receives: Tomas Ozuna
Analysis: The Cleveland Gunners announced they will receive 31 year old Paulie Williams from the Louisville Steamboats in exchange for 19 year old Tomas Ozuna. Williams will patrol LF for the Gunners this season and that .144 batting avg. should jump up greatly as he goes along. Ozuna will start out in Low A where he looks to be a very nice pitcher who will be called up in the future.
Owner hurricane384 on the trade: "Paulie Williams was blocking some prospects and had to go, while Ozuna gives us a solid prospect who should be a good pitcher down the road."
Owner wvbucki: “Was looking for a quality OF to add some depth at first base as well.”
Trade #9
Columbus Receives: Piper Cambridge
Texas Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Peter Washington
Analysis: The Columbus Aeros send newly acquired Bingo Jepsen and 23 year old P Peter Washington to the Texas Wildcats. In exchange they receive 25 year old SS Piper Cambridge who immediately begins his career in the majors for the Aeros along with a solid bat although he may get moved from SS to 3B at some point. Jepsen will go ahead and take over 1B for the Wildcats while Washington gets sent to Double A ball where he’ll develop into a top closer someday.
Owner anml34 on the trade: "We have had our eye on Cambridge since spring training. We see him with Eddie growing into a nice 1-2 punch at 2B and SS. Adding Washington was tough but necessary with Jepson's health concerns.”
Trade #10
Texas Receives: Ethan Rocker
Louisville Receives: Arthur Boyd
Analysis: Texas wasn’t finished yet as they send 32 year old Arthur Boyd to Louisville where he will take over LF for the Steamboats and give them a home-run threat when he’s at the plate. In exchange the Wildcats receive 22 year old Ethan Rocker, a nice set-up pitcher who will begin his career in Double-A. The Wildcats will definitely be a tough team to compete against in the future as they have pulled off many deals for some very nice young prospects.
Owner hurrican384 on the trade: "Rocker is going to be a good pitcher, but we felt we needed another bat to compete this season and Boyd fit the bill.”
Trade #11
Colorado Springs Receives: Charlie Duffy and Mario Harper
Philadelphia Receives: Shou Zhang
Analysis: The Colorado Spring Sky Sox struck again, this time making a deal with the Philadelphia Freedom. The Sky Sox receive 29 year old Charlie Duffy who will take over SS where’s he batting a great .372 for the year (.477 for the Sox) and 20 year old C Mario Harper, who begins his career in Double-A and finds himself on the 60-day DL already. The Freedom bring over 20 year old Shou Zhang, a Vietnamese pitcher who will develop in High A before eventually being called up where he’ll be solid against both types of hitters.
Owner joekendall on the trade: “Our starting SS at the time just wasn't getting it done. He was hitting under the Mendoza line. We picked up a guy who can help us now at SS, and we were able to get a C who will be a cornerstone for the team if he can stay healthy. We hated to lose Zhang, but we feel this trade will help the team now and in the future.”
Owner TheJester74 on the trade: “I wanted to let this team on a hot streak know that the GM has their back so I traded away our starting SS for prospects and they responded by getting crushed by the competition since then. I still got their back, but more around season 3.”
Trade #12
Colorado Springs Receives: Eric Castillo and 2.75 million
Charleston Receives: Ricardo Aguilera
Analysis:
In the last trade to get approved so far in Season 1 of Billy Beane, the Charleston River Dogs welcome 23 year old Ricardo Aguilera, a AAA 3B who will be a force against left-handed pitchers. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox introduced 29 year old Eric Castillo to the majors where he’ll take over 3B for them, hitting a solid .355 since being traded.
Owner hopkinsheel on the trade: "This was a cost saving move for seasons 2 and 3 as management decided the 5.8 million per season could be better allocated elsewhere. Aguilera will hopefully be a decent utility player off the bench.”
Owner joekendall on the trade: “We felt like we were weak at 3B and could use a better hitter with a little more pop. We had to give up a decent prospect in return, but it was well worth it.”
Jacksonville Receives: Chet Myers
Florida Receives: Maicer Reyes
Analysis: Jacksonville Gators and the Florida Tropics engaged in talks to deal 27 year old SP Maicer Reyes and 19 year old SP Chet Myers. Jacksonville looks to get younger with this trade, allowing Myers to start out in Low A while the Tropics get a pitcher in Reyes who will be able to help out in the majors right away. If Myers can reach his projections he’ll end up the better pitcher out of the two but it also looks like it will be at least 3-4 more seasons before he’ll be called up.
Owner drichar138 on the trade: “Sure, we are in rebuilding mode in Jacksonville and this offer from Florida fit our needs. Reyes is 27 and probably wasn't going to make our big league rotation, so we figured it was a low risk gamble to bring in the 19 year old Myers and see if he can develop into a ML pitcher in 3-4 seasons.”
Owner ajwalton was unavailable for comment.
Trade #2
Little Rock Receives: Sal Latham
Syracuse Receives: Sting Powell , Mendy Kojima , Mendy Kojima , and 5 million cash
Chicago Receives: Alfredo Candelaria
Analysis: Little Rock/Syracuse/Chicago makes first 3 team trade of the season. The Swapfire receive 28 year old Sal Latham who will immediately be put in the 2B roster spot with his solid defense and bat, along with great speed. In exchange they send 19 year old LF Sting Powell, 23 year old P Mendy Kojima and 22 year old Alfredo Candelaria to Syracuse. Kojima looks to fill in a long relief role for the Orange with very solid control and splits although durability will limit his innings and Powell will begin in Low A where he looks to be more of a LF than 2B with a below avg. bat. Candelaria didn’t even have time to unpack his bags before he was back on a plane heading for Chicago where the LF looks to finally have found a spot in AA ball with a solid bat. The Black Sox send over 32 year old SP Ezdra Cruz and his 4 yr. $6M contract. Cruz will fill in the #2 SP spot for the Orange and has posted a 4.88 era in 5 games so far. He should be producing better numbers than that as the season goes on although health could play a factor in the 32 year olds career.
Owner mcbain10 on his side of the trade: “I had too many 2B/CF, so it was exchanging him for some minor league talent. I like the young pitcher I got, and I turned Candeleria around for a ML SP, which I needed, so it worked out. Basically traded an excess 2B/CF for a ML SP, a minor league SP, and maybe a useful bench player.”
Owner mamidu on the trade: “I'm happy with the trade. I expect Alfredo Candelaria to be a starter in the next year or so that hits for avg & power. To me, Cruz was expendable with his high salary for the next 4 years, age and I needed a COF in return.”
Trade #3
Florida Receives: J.D. Dixon and Jose Hernandez
Columbus Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Ruben Morales
Analysis: Florida pulls off its 6th and final trade so far this season, this time pairing up with Columbus. The Tropics receive 20 year old SS Jose Hernandez and 23 year old SP J.D. Dixon in exchange for 23 year old Cl Ruben Morales and 24 year old 1B Bingo Jepsen. Jepsen goes straight to the bigs where he’s hitting .341 early in the season with 21 rbis (EDIT: Jepsen gets traded before he plays a game for the Aeros); Morales will begin in AAA where he looks like he’ll be a dominant closer although he’s struggling to begin the season. Hernandez starts the season for the Topics in High A where he looks to be more of a 3B player with an avg. bat while Dixon heads straight for the majors and into the starting pitching rotation where his 6.44 era should settle down as the season progresses.
Owner anml34 on the trade: “Ajwalton drives a hard bargain. We liked Morales as another cornerstone of our bullpen in the coming years with the huge bat that Jepson provides but to give up Dixon made us think more than twice about making this deal."
Trade #4
Richmond Receives: Wandy Park and Alvin Browne
Colorado Springs Receives: Mark Iannetta and Miguel Mesa
Analysis: The Richmond Rebels and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox have agreed to a deal that will send 22 year old SS Miguel Mesa and 22 year old P Mark Iannetta to Colorado and 23 year old RF Wandy Park and 21 year old C Alvin Browne to Richmond. Brown will start out in AAA where he will crush the ball against left-handed pitchers and Park will join him in crushing right handers. Iannetta will also begin his career in AAA where he will develop into a solid #3 pitcher for the Sky Sox and Mesa will look to take over the SS in AAA with a solid bat.
Owner joekendall on the trade: “We really felt the need to improve our pitching for the future. By adding Iannetta, we feel we have added a future guy to our ML rotation. We parted with a couple of good players, but we felt it was a great opportunity to add to the organization.”
Owner train on the trade: “Joe had made a few inquires on Iannetta but we didn't seem to match up 1 for 1. We ended up expanding the deal to what you see now. I was reluctant to include Mesa but ultimately that's what got it done.”
Trade #5
New Britain Receives: Tyler Higgins
Los Angeles Receives: Glen Dimaggio
Analysis: New Britain’s back to the trading table, this time sitting with the Los Angeles Tiger Sharks as they make their first trade of the season. The Rock Bats will receive 25 year old Tyler Higgins who starts out in LF for the major league squad, hitting a solid .333 so far this season with 19 rbis. The Tiger Sharks will let 19 year old Glen Dimaggio (no relation to Joe) begin in High A where if he can stay healthy he’ll develop into a nice long relief pitcher that will be excellent against righties when he get the call up.
Owner crb2 on the trade: "We'll miss Higgins, but we got a nice prospect at Starting Pitcher and feel like we can replace his contribution in the lineup with a number of guys. And nobody will miss his personal hygiene habits"
Trade #6
New Britain Receives: Joseph Lee
Atlanta Receives: Willie Hernandez
Analysis: Already at the trading table, New Britain didn’t bother getting up, allowing Atlanta instead to sit down with them and strike a deal. The Rock Cats get 31 year old closer Joseph Lee who’s much better than his 8.44 era in 5 games this season and 3 year $5.6M contract shows. Atlanta sends 20 year old Willie Hernandez to High A ball to develop into a 2B for the future, although he’ll more than likely take over LF. No matter where he plays, his bat will be dangerous to opposing pitchers although his durability will limit the number of at bats he gets.
Owner mr_gone on the trade: “It was hard to let Joseph Lee go. As far as closers go he was as much of a sure thing as my ex. But we could not turn down a shot to bring in a player like Willie Hernandez. He is going to be the cornerstone of our offense for a long time to come.”
Owner mikejuggalo on his two trades: “I needed a top of the order LF and a durable RP for my bullpen. It was worth giving up my last two good prospects in order to get them. I’m in win now mode so they do me no good if they are not major league ready now.”
Trade #7
Richmond Receives: Dwight Westmoreland and 1.5 million
El Paso Receives: Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey
Analysis: Not wanting to get outdone in the trading by New Britain, the Richmond Rebels ink another deal, this time letting the El Paso Sluggers get their feet wet in trading this season. The Rebels put 28 year old Dwight Westmoreland into their 3B spot for the season hoping he’ll knock the ball out of the park. The Sluggers will send 20 year old Bo Sewell to Double A where he’ll develop into 3B/RF player with a so-so bat and 23 year old Jim Dorsey to AAA where he takes over 2B for them.
Owner jwdavi01 on his trade: “Traded power hitting vet 3B Dwight Westmoreland for Bo Sewell and Jim Dorsey....While Dwight is a great power hitter, we are trying to build a solid base for the future so adding Bo Sewell, a terrific SS prospect who is currently tearing up the AA league, was a great transaction. As an added bonus 2B Jim Dorsey was included and he is currently in AAA and we’re happy with his progress. We wish Dwight all the best but we really needed to free up the payroll.”
Owner train on his move: “I was in desperate need of a 3B and saw Westmoreland on the block. He fit two needs, as I also needed a power bat. So far he's supplied the power, but not much else (other than a ton of errors!).”
Trade #8
Cleveland Receives: Paulie Williams
Louisville Receives: Tomas Ozuna
Analysis: The Cleveland Gunners announced they will receive 31 year old Paulie Williams from the Louisville Steamboats in exchange for 19 year old Tomas Ozuna. Williams will patrol LF for the Gunners this season and that .144 batting avg. should jump up greatly as he goes along. Ozuna will start out in Low A where he looks to be a very nice pitcher who will be called up in the future.
Owner hurricane384 on the trade: "Paulie Williams was blocking some prospects and had to go, while Ozuna gives us a solid prospect who should be a good pitcher down the road."
Owner wvbucki: “Was looking for a quality OF to add some depth at first base as well.”
Trade #9
Columbus Receives: Piper Cambridge
Texas Receives: Bingo Jepsen and Peter Washington
Analysis: The Columbus Aeros send newly acquired Bingo Jepsen and 23 year old P Peter Washington to the Texas Wildcats. In exchange they receive 25 year old SS Piper Cambridge who immediately begins his career in the majors for the Aeros along with a solid bat although he may get moved from SS to 3B at some point. Jepsen will go ahead and take over 1B for the Wildcats while Washington gets sent to Double A ball where he’ll develop into a top closer someday.
Owner anml34 on the trade: "We have had our eye on Cambridge since spring training. We see him with Eddie growing into a nice 1-2 punch at 2B and SS. Adding Washington was tough but necessary with Jepson's health concerns.”
Trade #10
Texas Receives: Ethan Rocker
Louisville Receives: Arthur Boyd
Analysis: Texas wasn’t finished yet as they send 32 year old Arthur Boyd to Louisville where he will take over LF for the Steamboats and give them a home-run threat when he’s at the plate. In exchange the Wildcats receive 22 year old Ethan Rocker, a nice set-up pitcher who will begin his career in Double-A. The Wildcats will definitely be a tough team to compete against in the future as they have pulled off many deals for some very nice young prospects.
Owner hurrican384 on the trade: "Rocker is going to be a good pitcher, but we felt we needed another bat to compete this season and Boyd fit the bill.”
Trade #11
Colorado Springs Receives: Charlie Duffy and Mario Harper
Philadelphia Receives: Shou Zhang
Analysis: The Colorado Spring Sky Sox struck again, this time making a deal with the Philadelphia Freedom. The Sky Sox receive 29 year old Charlie Duffy who will take over SS where’s he batting a great .372 for the year (.477 for the Sox) and 20 year old C Mario Harper, who begins his career in Double-A and finds himself on the 60-day DL already. The Freedom bring over 20 year old Shou Zhang, a Vietnamese pitcher who will develop in High A before eventually being called up where he’ll be solid against both types of hitters.
Owner joekendall on the trade: “Our starting SS at the time just wasn't getting it done. He was hitting under the Mendoza line. We picked up a guy who can help us now at SS, and we were able to get a C who will be a cornerstone for the team if he can stay healthy. We hated to lose Zhang, but we feel this trade will help the team now and in the future.”
Owner TheJester74 on the trade: “I wanted to let this team on a hot streak know that the GM has their back so I traded away our starting SS for prospects and they responded by getting crushed by the competition since then. I still got their back, but more around season 3.”
Trade #12
Colorado Springs Receives: Eric Castillo and 2.75 million
Charleston Receives: Ricardo Aguilera
Analysis:
In the last trade to get approved so far in Season 1 of Billy Beane, the Charleston River Dogs welcome 23 year old Ricardo Aguilera, a AAA 3B who will be a force against left-handed pitchers. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox introduced 29 year old Eric Castillo to the majors where he’ll take over 3B for them, hitting a solid .355 since being traded.
Owner hopkinsheel on the trade: "This was a cost saving move for seasons 2 and 3 as management decided the 5.8 million per season could be better allocated elsewhere. Aguilera will hopefully be a decent utility player off the bench.”
Owner joekendall on the trade: “We felt like we were weak at 3B and could use a better hitter with a little more pop. We had to give up a decent prospect in return, but it was well worth it.”
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Getting to know tk21775?
Who is tk21775? 28 yr. old insurance agent, father of 4 kids
How did you get into HBD? Started playing HD and then found HBD
Interest and hobbies? Watching sports, playing with my kids, reading
Favorite team? Michigan Wolverines
5 people for roundtable discussion? Michael Jordan, Julius Ceasar, Warren Buffet, Bo Schembechler, and Jesus
Question/Tip that has something to do with HBD (How to you allocate your budget, draft, etc.) I like to pencil in my rosters for the next 3 seasons. This way I have an idea of who I have coming up to fill holes for my ML roster, who I could let go in free-agency, and where I have multiple players at one position to try and trade. Looking towards the future always helps in budget during the current season as well.
Important individual ratings for performance? Control for pitchers
Best move you think you've ever made in HBD? Joining NCAA world, I was in public worlds to begin and this was the one world where I saw how much fun HBD could be with no drama and immaturity; set the standards for what worlds I look to play in now.
Worst move you think you've ever made in HBD? Probably any of the first trades I made in my first season
Favorite HBD player?
In Billy Beane: Wendell Matusz hits a 2 run walk off home run in the first game of Las Vegas Bookies history in the bottom of the 9th to record 1st win for the franchise.
In rest of HBD: Ching-Lung Komatsu
Top prospect that you're excited to call up in Billy Beane? - Alan Sherman - if this kid can reach his projections then he'll be a dominate #1 SP for the Bookies for many seasons to come.
How did you get into HBD? Started playing HD and then found HBD
Interest and hobbies? Watching sports, playing with my kids, reading
Favorite team? Michigan Wolverines
5 people for roundtable discussion? Michael Jordan, Julius Ceasar, Warren Buffet, Bo Schembechler, and Jesus
Question/Tip that has something to do with HBD (How to you allocate your budget, draft, etc.) I like to pencil in my rosters for the next 3 seasons. This way I have an idea of who I have coming up to fill holes for my ML roster, who I could let go in free-agency, and where I have multiple players at one position to try and trade. Looking towards the future always helps in budget during the current season as well.
Important individual ratings for performance? Control for pitchers
Best move you think you've ever made in HBD? Joining NCAA world, I was in public worlds to begin and this was the one world where I saw how much fun HBD could be with no drama and immaturity; set the standards for what worlds I look to play in now.
Worst move you think you've ever made in HBD? Probably any of the first trades I made in my first season
Favorite HBD player?
In Billy Beane: Wendell Matusz hits a 2 run walk off home run in the first game of Las Vegas Bookies history in the bottom of the 9th to record 1st win for the franchise.
In rest of HBD: Ching-Lung Komatsu
Top prospect that you're excited to call up in Billy Beane? - Alan Sherman - if this kid can reach his projections then he'll be a dominate #1 SP for the Bookies for many seasons to come.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Other Rankings by hurricane384
Most Talented
1. Florida & New Britain 98 pts
3. Seattle 51 pts
4. Rochester 49 pts
5. Philadelphia 46 pts
Most Players Ranked #1
New Britain with 3
Most top-3 players
Florida with 5
Most top-10 players
New Britain with 9
Multiple top-10 players at one position
Florida had the top 2 relievers
Rochester had the 7th and 8th best shortstops
Cincinnati had the 9th and 10th best left fielders
New Britain had the best and 10th best third basemen.
Atlanta is the only team without a top 10 player. But they have 5 players in the top 20 of their positional group.
Top Ten Hitters
1. William Randall
2. Manny Raben
3. Harry Darwin
4. Andres Tabaka
5. Louis Byrne
6. Scott Maurer
7. Bret Maas
8. Bud Sobolewski
9. Ryan Laxton
10. Matty Bailey
1. Florida & New Britain 98 pts
3. Seattle 51 pts
4. Rochester 49 pts
5. Philadelphia 46 pts
Most Players Ranked #1
New Britain with 3
Most top-3 players
Florida with 5
Most top-10 players
New Britain with 9
Multiple top-10 players at one position
Florida had the top 2 relievers
Rochester had the 7th and 8th best shortstops
Cincinnati had the 9th and 10th best left fielders
New Britain had the best and 10th best third basemen.
Atlanta is the only team without a top 10 player. But they have 5 players in the top 20 of their positional group.
Top Ten Hitters
1. William Randall
2. Manny Raben
3. Harry Darwin
4. Andres Tabaka
5. Louis Byrne
6. Scott Maurer
7. Bret Maas
8. Bud Sobolewski
9. Ryan Laxton
10. Matty Bailey
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Top Players - RP - by hurricane384
*STA less than 60
1.
Alfredo Miranda is 29-years old. Great control, great velocity, two "out" pitches, including a cut fastball that destroys righties. The drawback here is a starter's durability combined with a long reliever stamina. Should see between 60-70 innings if managed properly.
2.
Abdul Helton is 30-years old. Another Florida pitcher with a less than desirable durability/stamina combo. Should again see between 60-70 innings. Great control, great velocity will lead to a lot of strikeouts when combined with a great 4-seam fastball and average slider and circle change. Should induce a lot of ground balls as well.
3.
Spud Clarke is 31-years old. Another pitcher lacking the stamina/durability combination to be really special. Clarke should strike out plenty with his blazing 4-seamer, backed up by 3 average to above average pitches. Will induce a lot of groundballs. Should make lefties and righties fear him while at bat.
4. P.J. Swann
5. Caleb Duran
6. Robb Stahoviak
7. Omar Calvo
8. Steve Gonzales
9. Michael Fischer
10. Randy Murray
1.
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Alfredo Miranda is 29-years old. Great control, great velocity, two "out" pitches, including a cut fastball that destroys righties. The drawback here is a starter's durability combined with a long reliever stamina. Should see between 60-70 innings if managed properly.
2.
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Abdul Helton is 30-years old. Another Florida pitcher with a less than desirable durability/stamina combo. Should again see between 60-70 innings. Great control, great velocity will lead to a lot of strikeouts when combined with a great 4-seam fastball and average slider and circle change. Should induce a lot of ground balls as well.
3.
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Spud Clarke is 31-years old. Another pitcher lacking the stamina/durability combination to be really special. Clarke should strike out plenty with his blazing 4-seamer, backed up by 3 average to above average pitches. Will induce a lot of groundballs. Should make lefties and righties fear him while at bat.
4. P.J. Swann
5. Caleb Duran
6. Robb Stahoviak
7. Omar Calvo
8. Steve Gonzales
9. Michael Fischer
10. Randy Murray
Top Player's - SP - by hurricane384
1.
Kenshin Ogawa is 30-years old. Great stamina and durability means he'll contribute 35 starts and 210+ innings per season. Below average velocity means a lack of strikeouts. 2 "out" pitches and 2 above average pitches may offset the lack of velocity. Will induce a good amount of groundballs. Will make righties cry.
2.
Pep Huang is 30-years old. Average stamina and great control could lead to about 190 innings and 35 starts. Great velocity along with 1 "out" pitch and 3 above average pitches should lead to a lot of strikeouts. Dangerous against lefties and righties.
3.
Willie Oliva is 25-years old. Above average stamina with great stamina should lead to 35 starts and 200+ innings each season. No real out pitch to go along with excellent velocity, but 4 above average pitches should see a good number of strikeouts. A flyball pitcher shouldn't see any adverse ballpark effects in New Britain. Has the potential to dominate against righties and lefties.
4. Norberto Dotel
5. Alex Vizcaino
6. Danys Miranda
7. Hiram Sanders
8. Dan Pritchett
9. Valerio Nunez
10. Geraldo Morales
**Quick note: top 5 were separated by 2.1 points.**
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Kenshin Ogawa is 30-years old. Great stamina and durability means he'll contribute 35 starts and 210+ innings per season. Below average velocity means a lack of strikeouts. 2 "out" pitches and 2 above average pitches may offset the lack of velocity. Will induce a good amount of groundballs. Will make righties cry.
2.
 |
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Pep Huang is 30-years old. Average stamina and great control could lead to about 190 innings and 35 starts. Great velocity along with 1 "out" pitch and 3 above average pitches should lead to a lot of strikeouts. Dangerous against lefties and righties.
3.
 |
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Willie Oliva is 25-years old. Above average stamina with great stamina should lead to 35 starts and 200+ innings each season. No real out pitch to go along with excellent velocity, but 4 above average pitches should see a good number of strikeouts. A flyball pitcher shouldn't see any adverse ballpark effects in New Britain. Has the potential to dominate against righties and lefties.
4. Norberto Dotel
5. Alex Vizcaino
6. Danys Miranda
7. Hiram Sanders
8. Dan Pritchett
9. Valerio Nunez
10. Geraldo Morales
**Quick note: top 5 were separated by 2.1 points.**
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