ATL UPDATE III: The League Rolls Onward

Note: if you haven't read any of the previous posts setting out the background, rules, and team rosters in the All-Timers League, click here and start from the bottom post if you want the full details. Click here for the ATL Message Board, which provides constant updates on the standings, along with the daily games being finished and any injuries or roster changes that occur.

I wish I could have taken more time to pound this out earlier, but final exams just kept dragging me away from my focus on the ATL. The third segment was filled with some great comebacks and otherwise great games & performances, most of which were lower scoring. Here's some of the main points I took away this time around the league:

• I was particularly impressed at the outfield play. I noted numerous spectacular catches and plays by the legends, some of which were certainly not recognized as elite fielders at any point in their careers. Names I listed for great catches: Hank Aaron, Duke Snider, Pete Rose twice, and even both Ted Williams & Manny Ramírez. Ken Griffey Jr. gunned a man out at home to record the final out in one game.
• No lead appears to be safe. During this time, the Worcester Ruby Legs were the main culprit in stealing away a number of wins where they trailed entering at least the 8th inning. Not all the comebacks resulted in wins, but there were numerous instances of 9th inning, game-tying HR to send games into extras.
  
• More of the best players will be seeing the field, as players are returning from early season injuries while only one significant injury occurred in this period (to 3B Brooks Robinson).
  

Here's your star players & standings so far. I changed my report style just slightly.

MVP:



Albert Pujols of the Providence Reds has been hitting legends like he hits anyone that pitches in the majors today. Batting Line: .377/.433/.610, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 3 SB. In addition, virtually all of the defensive statistics point to Pujols being far & away the best fielding full-time first baseman in the ATL through 43 games. Most notably during this period, he racked up 4 RBI in an 8-6 win over Jigger, and he became the first to hit 10 HR in a 3 for 5 performance during a 9-1 win over Funkstown.
My first experience with Pujols was not any of the times I visited PNC Park to watch Pujols bash the life out of balls thrown by Pirates pitchers. Instead, it was adding him as a free agent onto my first ever fantasy baseball team, which was about 2 weeks into his prodigious rookie year; I can actually pat myself on the back for that one. I have the utmost respect for Pujols not only because he combines legendary strength with keen coordination, plate patience, the ability to avoid strikeouts, & a solid fielding presence, but also because he has the character becoming of an everyday type of Hall of Famer. I never hear him disrespect any opponents or teammates, and his care for others is always on display, such as when he gave his full assistance to a Cardinals fan who went face first into the dirt going for a foul ball at a Pirates game. What a man. Why does he have to be a Cardinal?!

The Standings:

1. Providence Reds 29-14: The Good: The Reds' offense is hitting at a torrid pace, and just about everyone seems to be pulling their weight. They're still managing a team OPS over .800, and by being in the top half of the ATL in all of the listed offensive categories, they seem able to manufacture runs in all sorts of ways. They have also managed to deal well with the adversity that comes with a lengthy season; after losing 8 of their first 10 games in May, including being swept by the Ruby Legs with 2 games being blown in the 9th, they finished this stretch of games by triumphing in 5 straight. The bullpen still ranks as the best in the ATL in most categories. Also, with stellar performances like Bob Feller's 4 hit, 11 K shutout of the Funk & Cy Young's 85-pitch, 8 inning outing, and the overall ability to strike out batters while limiting the longball, the entire pitching staff has been very successful.
The Bad: Brooks Robinson provided some surprising thump in the lineup to go with his legendary glove, but he is now sidelined for 6-7 weeks with a fractured rib. Outside of Zone Rating, the defense appears to rank as a middle-of-the-road defense in the ATL. With performances like those against the Ruby Legs not long ago, the pitching staff has shown itself to be vulnerable to poor and surprisingly unclutch performances; even in one victory against Jigger, I noted a shaky bullpen. Manny Ramírez has not produced acceptable results (.211/.275/.351), out of the 4th spot in the lineup and may well have to be moved down for a while; maybe it's the mysterious groin injury bothering you, Manny?
Best hitter: 1B Albert Pujols. It's nice to see a contemporary player showing the old-timers how much stronger & more athletic players are today, albeit in virtual form. Honorable mention to Honus Wagner, Yogi Berra, & Jackie Robinson.
Best pitcher: Cy Young (5-1, 2.94 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 40 K in 67 2/3 IP). Had he not been smacked to the tune of 6 runs in 2 1/3 IP, Walter Johnson would have likely claimed this spot. Young has been a model of consistent big-time performance, much like he was in his illustrious career. Multiple relievers had better numbers, but I nearly always give deference to starters for putting up their stats over many more innings of work. Honorable mention to Walter Johnson, Bruce Sutter, Dan Quisenberry, & Bob Feller (RIP).

2. Worcester Ruby Legs 27-16: The Good: There's two places you don't want to put this team if you face them: at home (fewest losses) and in close games (best record in 1-run games). Fittingly, their success starts with their starting pitching; as you can see, they collectively have a fantastic 2.99 ERA so far. You'll find 3 of their 5 starters leading categories below, and none of them was the one I picked as the best of the bunch. The offense may be just OK, but with legendary hitters Ty Cobb & "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, there will almost always be someone on base to at least move around the bases & produce runs. I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of teamwork in the power hitting department: 3rd in the ATL in HR, but no one has individually more than four. 3B George Brett just returned to the lineup to provide even more offensive firepower. If the season were to end today, the Ruby Legs would easily feel confident in their chances of winning, as they have taken five of six from the 1st place Reds, including two crazy late-inning comeback wins.
The Bad: An alarming pitching statistic moving forward is the Ruby Legs' 5th place standing in walks. It would not be unreasonable to think that opponents may start converting more of their walks into runs in upcoming games. John Smoltz has not given the Ruby Legs any confidence lately in finishing out games, as his early success has turned into what is now four blown saves. The defense seems uninspiring so far, with no one very close to leading its position in many defensive metrics. The league seems to be very much in line with this past year's production (see the link in the notes below), but if the hitting decides to pick up, I would worry that this team may not have the pure power to catch up in runs to opponents that rely more on the longball for success.
Best hitter: CF Ty Cobb (.350/.399/.454, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 13 SB). Two-time winner of the ATL Player of the Week during this segment. Cobb just keeps working hard & plugging along at his highest of echelons. C Bill Dickey was possibly the most clutch despite being otherwise poor with the stick, hitting two very big HR to win games for Worcester. Honorable mention to Joe Jackson.
Best pitcher: Lefty Grove (5-1, 2.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 50 K in 56 2/3 IP). The fireballer is 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his last 6 games, including a 8 1/3 IP, 0 R, 11 K masterpiece vs. Jigger. Honorable mention to Mordecai Brown & Bob Gibson.

3. Newark Legion 23-20: The Good: The Legion have been playing more consistent baseball than anyone in the ATL, taking two of three in all five of their series during this segment. The hitting has been excellent, and they have received support from every spot in the lineup at some point in the season. Collins & Speaker have generated hits & stolen bases, while Gehrig, Aaron, & Mays have provided the brunt of the decent power even when the leadoff spots lack production. They've also received a little luck lately, such as when Derek Jeter's nubber rolled far enough to get a winning run across in the 10th, and winning on a Ruby Legs error. However, they're still underperforming their 25-18 Pythagorean projection. Nearly all the defensive metrics point to the Legion as the best defensive team in the ATL, and yes, even thanks to the guy who's the subject of this hit-filled Google search. While not flashy, the pitching has done well enough to keep the team afloat & fighting near the top of the standings.
The Bad: For a team with only one strong strikeout starter, the Legion pitching staff can not be surrendering the most home runs in the ATL and still expect to make a long run toward the championship. Supposed closer Hoyt Wilhelm still sports a 10.45 ERA, a 3:2 save to blown save ratio, and a walk rate of over one per inning. Plenty of workhorses compose this rotation, but more of their horses need step up their performance level another notch, rather than hovering below league average in many categories. Jeter & Eddie Mathews have been somewhat disappointing in their lack of hitting output. I also find their being 4th in HR slightly disappointing for a team that plays in a "homer dome."
Best hitter: Tris Speaker (.410/.464/.545, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 8 SB). The Grey Eagle has been whacking the ball over the place and wreaking total havoc with his ability to combine great bat-to-ball skill with fast baserunning. However, some may not personally enjoy knowing that he may have been a KKK member. Honorable mention to Lou Gehrig & Hank Aaron.
Best pitcher: Ed Walsh (4-4, 2.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 30 K in 70 IP). Big Ed just continues to pitch long into games & get out of innings unharmed. Warren Spahn provided the best-pitched game of the ATL so far according to Game Score: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K. Honorable mention to Don Sutton.

4. Jigger Bushes 21-22: The Good: There's not much left to say about how great Christy Mathewson has been for the Bushes that hasn't been said already. His great performances alone are helping to carry this pitching staff to being 3rd in ERA thus far, although he has cooled down slightly in his last two starts. Both Goose Gossage & Tom Henke have provided tremendous work as 7th & 8th inning options out of the bullpen, which is a valuable resource in close games when the non-Mathewson starters have been just mediocre. Jimmie Foxx has been the model of both power & consistency in the middle of a struggling lineup. Duke Snider (.300/.350/.500) has returned from an injury flawlessly, even hitting a walk-off tater in the 11th against the Reds. Being 2nd at hitting the long ball has helped Jigger greatly, considering their otherwise struggling offense; they won multiple games on entirely home runs.
The Bad: I can only imagine that Jigger's manager wore his Brad Eldred jersey (note: I'm upset I didn't find a single image of him in #51) in front of the team one day, and they have been inspired to play just like Brad Eldred did for the Pirates ever since: plenty of HRs, but an absurdly low average coupled with ridiculously high strikeout totals. Four of the top six strikeout victims play for Jigger. A-Rod has struggled mightily of late, while Schmidt, Yastrzemski, & Iván Rodríguez all are swinging well below .200 at the moment. Outside of outdueling Pedro Martínez once, Sandy Koufax has yet to live up to the expectations placed upon someone meant to be an ace on an ATL team. Mariano Rivera has been surprisingly unreliable in tie games, as he has surrendered the winning run twice in his last three outings.
Best hitter: Jimmie Foxx (.305/.379/.497, 7 HR, 29 RBI). Double X has just mashed the ball in a similar fashion to his glory years dominating the hitter-friendly early '30s. Babe Ruth is quietly starting to catch or surpass him in some stats. Honorable mention to Babe Ruth.
Best pitcher: Christy Mathewson (7-0, 2.07 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 35 K in 74 IP). No-decisions in his last two starts keeps his undefeated streak going. Minimal walks will always help to keep that ERA microscopic. Honorable mention to Rick Gossage, Rollie Fingers, & Tom Henke.

5. Funkstown Funk 17-26: The Good: Stan Musial & Ted Williams are shouldering a heavy load on this offense. Both have OBPs over .450, as their great eyes are the primary reason why the Funk are leading the ATL in walks. Johnny Bench, who was barely cracking .100 as of the last update, now is even at the Mendoza line, and he cracked a walk-off homer to beat the Sedohcs. Despite still maintaining a high WHIP, Nolan Ryan has been getting out of innings and sports one of the better ERAs in the ATL. Greg Maddux has been coming around from a slow start, especially after firing a 5-hit shutout. The back end of the bullpen has remained steady, as Eck has become a reliable & durable closer for the Funk. Moving forward, Nap Lajoie returns soon from injury, which is a welcome sign for a lineup which has sported a noticeable hole at second base for the past couple weeks.
The Bad: Despite leading the league in walks, the Funk are fourth in slugging % & last in stolen bases, helping them fall to last place in runs scored. At best, they've been scoring in bunches; they managed only 3 runs in a recent 4-game losing skid. Especially in the infield, there has been a clear lack of hitting production on the days Musial doesn't play 1B, as Alomar, Reese, & McCovey are all ice-cold over the past couple weeks. On the fielding side, only Joe DiMaggio has been excelling at his position, and the Funk are dead last in fielding range as a team. So far, the pitchers stepping up with big performances out of this righty-heavy staff are few & far between. No one is pitching overly poorly so far, but their level of play has to jump a notch or 2 if this team wants to bail out the offense more & win some more games.
Best hitter: Stan Musial (.386/.488/.629, 8 HR, 25 RBI). I very well could have made Musial MVP once again with his still superior statistics, but that wouldn't have been near as fun. Honorable mention to Ted Williams.
Best pitcher: Dennis Eckersley (0-2, 4 SV, 2.93 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 24 K in 27 2/3 IP). One of my favorite pitchers to watch & try to emulate in my younger years (the pitching style, not his one-time alcoholism). 1.17 ERA in last 10 games gives him the nod over middling at best starters. Honorable mention to Nolan Ryan.

6. Cumberland Sedohcs 12-31: The Good: Even on bad teams, individual positives can be found. Pedro Martínez and Rogers Hornsby are legitimate big-time players so far, while the Sedohcs have received great production from both of their catchers. With a high BABIP and low total walk numbers, if balls can just start finding more Sedohc gloves, the pitching stats could improve quickly. Griffey's multiple game-tying HR have shown the team has resiliency (though they did lose both these games). Morale is very low, but some pitching & timely hitting could get things turned around. Regaining Paul Molitor from injury will give the team some added hitting skill & speed.
The Bad: The story so far for the Sedohcs continues to be that of players not living up to their expectations. Only two of the regular starters has even managed a .250 average. For a team expected to have exceptional power, Cumberland currently resides in a last-place tie in HR; Ken Griffey leads with 5 but otherwise poor numbers, while Barry Bonds sits at a 99 OPS+ (just below league average OPS). "Leading" the worst rotation in the ATL, Roger Clemens has been downright awful with a 7.46 ERA in 9 starts, getting both hit around and walking batters. Lee Smith's performance at the other end of the pitching staff has been far below that expected of one of the best closers ever. The fielding has been expectedly poor.
Best hitter: Rogers Hornsby (.345/.399/.494, 3 HR, 17 RBI). Old school classic. Hitting like the consummate professional hitter that he was in real life, though he also looks like the not-so-great fielder that he was in real life. A weak honorable mention to Mike Piazza.
Best pitcher: Pedro Martínez (2-5, 2.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 52 K in 61 IP). Someone needs to help poor Pedro get some well-deserved wins; he most notably lost lately while Sandy Koufax blanked the Sedohcs' offense. No one else pitched well enough to earn an honorable mention from me.

Big Bombs (longest HR)
#5 Bill Dickey, WOR 433 ft.
#4 Frank Robinson, WOR 437 ft.
#3 Joe Morgan, WOR 439 ft.
#2 Mickey Mantle, PRO 443 ft.
#1 Babe Ruth, JIG 444 ft.

Stat Zone (category leaders)
AVG: Tris Speaker, NWK .410
OBP: Stan Musial, FUN .488
SLG: Musial .629
OPS: Musial 1.117
H: Honus Wagner, PRO 66
R: Wagner 38
HR: Albert Pujols, PRO 10
RBI: Pujols 45
SB: Eddie Collins, NWK 14
wOBA (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Musial .479
VORP (hitting value over replacement player): Musial 28.7

ERA: Mordecai Brown, WOR 1.88
W: Christy Mathewson, JIG 7
L: Roger Clemens, CMB; Lee Smith, CMB 6
SV: Bruce Sutter, PRO 12
IP: Mathewson 74
K: Bob Feller, PRO;Bob Gibson, WOR 62
WHIP: Jim Bunning, WOR 1.10
K/BB: Robin Roberts, CMB 4.75
FIP (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Cy Young, PRO 2.83
VORP (pitching value over replacement player): Mathewson 23.0

Some last notes:
1. For your reference, the league batting average currently stands at .258, OPS is .719, and league average ERA is 3.91. Teams are averaging 4.38 runs per game. You can compare these to what they were in 2010.
2. I don't recall any pitchers batting in situations when they obviously should have been pulled for a pinch hitter, but I still think the computer manager substitutes way too often & forces itself to put players in awkward fielding positions.
3. Expect the next segment of games to move much quicker.

Until next time, take care!

ATL UPDATE II: Never-Ending Innings and No-Nos

Note: if you haven't read any of the previous posts setting out the background, rules, and team rosters in the All-Timers League, click here and start from the bottom post if you want the full details. Click here for the ATL Message Board, which provides constant updates on the standings, along with the daily games being finished and any injuries or roster changes that occur.

I had a great deal of fun carrying out this session of the ATL regular season, which consisted of games 14 through 28 for all of the teams. A great deal of highly impressive feats occurred during this period, and some of these will likely not occur again during this season. Let me present them to you in fancy bullet points:

• Three players, Ryne Sandberg of the Jigger Bushes and Stan Musial & Joe DiMaggio of the Funkstown Funk, had five-hit games. Sandberg & DiMaggio each hit a homer as one of the five.
• The Jigger Bushes & Newark Legion combined for seven home runs in an 11-8 slugfest.
• Had this game taken place in the National League, the Cumberland Sedohcs & Providence Reds would have the set a new NL record for runs in the 2nd inning with 15 (Sedohcs 8, Reds 7). The Reds shockingly came back from being down 8-0 to win that game 9-8.
• Five pitchers tossed shutouts during this time period. Warren Spahn, Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove, & Robin Roberts all had phenomenal outings, but they paled in comparison...
• ...to Nolan Ryan's NO-HITTER for Funkstown against Jigger. In true Ryan Express fashion, he struck out 10 Bushes batters, while issuing 5 walks. I can't believe all those great hitters would let something like that happen to them.
  

MVP:
Stan Musial of the Funkstown Funk. Batting Line: .424/.518/.620, 3 HR, 14 RBI. The Man is doing all he can to carry a weak Funk offense, from a 5 for 5 game that included the walk-off hit, to providing clutch run-scoring hits that led to multiple victories during this time period. He's hitting lefties as well as his righties. He's even "slumped" a bit in the latest week with a .278 AVG & .825 OPS. You will see in the Stat Zone section below the dominance he's asserted over the entire ATL.
Musial may be the quietest superstar Major League Baseball has seen. Like the majority of the ATL's managers, he was born in Western Pennsylvania. He posted a career average of .331, had 3,630 career hits, 475 HR, & a career OPS+ of 159 (15th best all-time), all of which are ridiculously great numbers. Once he finished his lengthy Cardinal career, he became President Lyndon Johnson's physical fitness advisor, helping to improve the fitness of America's youth. He's married with four children. At Hall of Fame induction ceremonies & other events, he's known for playing tunes on his harmonica. Anything controversial about him arise out of any of those facts? I couldn't find anything either; he really is a true athlete/role model. Stan is approaching his 90th birthday, and here's to still many more.

The Standings:

1. Providence Reds 22-6: Honestly, I solemnly swear that I'm not fixing this to give me this kind of outcome. Overall dominant hitting led the way, followed by some extremely effective pitching, especially out of the bullpen. Having an team OPS north of .800 is quite the team accomplishment. The only regular truly struggling is Manny Ramírez, and he already has 6 HR & 20 RBI. Roberto Clemente did an admirable job as the main replacement for the injured (and now just returned) Mel Ott. My rotation and bullpen have both collectively done well so far; with a bit of a surprisingly high BABIP (batting average on balls in play) of .310, I think this a very hopeful sign moving forward that the pitching can sustain its high level of performance.

Best hitter: Albert Pujols (.339/.424./.652, 8 HR, 33 RBI). Although his strikeout number is unusually above his normal level, Phat Albert is exhibiting the same dominance we've all grown familiar with over the past decade. After a bit of a slow start, basically all of his at bats resemble the ones you will traditionally see out of him as a St. Louis Cardinal. Honorable mention to Yogi Berra, Jackie Robinson, & Honus Wagner.
Best pitcher: Bruce Sutter (2-0, 0.47 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 16 K in 19 1/3 IP). I surprise even myself by picking my best pitcher to be the late-inning shutdown man. Even still, he's been a near given to give the Reds at least one shutout inning, and his WHIP indicates that he's not putting many baserunners on in the process. Being able to consistently hold onto leads when starters run out of gas, as well as having a fabulous beard, is crucial to winning a few more of the closely-decided games. Honorable mention to Walter Johnson & Dan Quisenberry.

2. Worcester Ruby Legs 17-11: They've slipped slightly in the last few games at the end, but the Ruby Legs are still managing to get it done in a little bit of the "smoke & mirrors" fashion. Despite low power & average numbers, Phil's bunch is scoring many of their runs by way of doubles, triples, & stolen bases. With old-timers Cobb & Jackson mostly carrying this offense so far, the team could transform into a formidable offense once Joe Morgan & Barry Larkin get out of their funks (no pun intended), and Frank Robinson decides that perhaps a .147/.257/.189 line doesn't quite work for an everyday cleanup hitter. For the most part, the pitching has been superb. Four of the five Ruby Leg starters boast ERAs below 3.50 (the league average is exactly 4.00); CC Sabathia has struggled mightily in his past few outings. As long as the starters can keep getting at least seven innings, the starter-turned-reliever combo of Santana & Smoltz has shut down teams late in games with plenty of success. If the offense can get going, perhaps the team won't have to rely on their tenuous pitching stats to carry them to more wins.

Best hitter: Ty Cobb (.370/.412/.520, 1 HR, 20 RBI). Tyrus Raymond's stats so far are very intriguing to me. He's been able to show thus far how well his century-old style of play can translate to modern conditions batting against more strikeout-oriented pitchers (check out his batting stance). He's stealing bases well, and he's hitting for his legendary high average and solid power (more in the form of doubles & triples) that's made him a great fit for the 3 spot in the Ruby Legs order. Honorable mention to Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Best pitcher: Mordecai Brown (2-0, 1.35 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 17 K in 46 2/3 IP). Although Jim Bunning has mostly better peripheral numbers (e.g. BABIP, WHIP, FIP), He of the Three Fingers will get the nod for now due to his miniscule ERA and two extra starts. Brown is yet to give up more than two earned runs in a start, two of which he didn't allow a single run, and has been essentially the ideal model of consistency on the best staff in the ATL so far. Honorable mention to Lefty Grove (who fired a shutout on the Reds during this period) and Jim Bunning.

3 (tied). Jigger Bushes 13-15: Ah, the power of instant offense via the longball. Seth's team ranks at or near the bottom in all of the rate-based hitting statistics, but his larger number of home runs buoy his total runs up to a tie for third place. It's amazing that they're even at 13-15 with big stars like Pudge Rodríguez, Mike Schmidt, & Carl Yastrzemski hitting well below the Mendoza Line. Although his bat has nearly warmed up to its full potential, Babe Ruth is still hitting at an un-Ruthian .784 OPS. Christy Mathewson has single-handedly brought the Bushes' ERA from an unreasonably high number to 3rd in the ATL; Koufax, Marichal, Palmer, & Hubbell are all pitching at unsatisfactory paces so far. The back of the Jigger bullpen has been extremely good. Henke, Gossage, & Fingers are all doing great work, with the Sandman being able to shut the door all but one time.

Best hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.267/.356/.515, 7 HR, 19 RBI). This one was very close, though it was not because multiple players were completely dominating the competition. As someone with a general distaste for batters with high strikeout totals, it was a bit difficult selecting the man with the second most in the ATL, behind Manny. However, A-Rod has done well at putting runs on the board quickly, as well as playing a solid shortstop (most double plays turned, 3rd highest Range Factor, though he has the most errors at SS). Honorable mention to Jimmie Foxx.
Best pitcher: Christy Mathewson (6-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 25 K in 50 IP). Say what you want about the value of pitcher wins (I'll probably agree), but Matty has been extremely dominant so far even when not considering record. He has just 5 walks in those 50 innings, and none of his peripheral stats seem to indicate that he's lucky to be situated with a sub-2 ERA. If he's trying to bring back the Dead-ball era to games played in a modern environment, he's doing a darn good job. Honorable mention to Goose Gossage.

3 (tied). Newark Legion 13-15: The Legion have very nice, balanced lineup that's done the most to lead the team to this point. Speed, power, and the ability to get on base are all noticeable in this lineup. Even still, with regulars like Jeter & Eddie Collins hitting well below their career averages, there may be room to improve this already stellar unit. On the mound, the Legion staff has been a bit of a mess. "Ol' Pete" Alexander, the subject of one of the worst sports movies I've ever seen (look at who plays him!), missed some starts with an injury; although Don Drysdale dominated in his two spot starts, stars like Spahn & Carlton have yet to find much consistency in the ATL thus far. Hoyt Wilhelm & Jeff Reardon have been disastrous out of the 'pen so far, and this team needs them to step up and hold leads that this excellent offense will create.

Best hitter: Lou Gehrig (.339/.383/.620, 7 HR, 24 RBI). He continues his fantastic start. His latest big feat is a home run of Ruby Legs closer John Smoltz in the 9th that turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead & 7-5 win. Not only is he hitting the cover off of the ball, but defensive metrics like Range Factor & Zone Rating show that he has also been an above-average first baseman in the ATL. Honorable mention to the Legion outfield: Tris Speaker, Willie Mays, & Henry Aaron. Try pitching around Gehrig with Mays & Aaron ready to strike right behind him.
Best pitcher: Ed Walsh (3-3, 3.48 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 19 K in 44 IP). As the not-so-great statistics indicate, Big Ed earns this honor by being the workhorse on the staff. Although he had one poor start in this period, he has generally been an automatic old school, 8-inning, low runs scored guy who has received little support in his last 3 starts (3, 2, 0, respectively). Honorable mention to Don Drysdale & Don Sutton. Warren Spahn's 4-hit shutout of Cumberland was the ATL's best pitching performance according to Game Score until Ryan's no-hitter.

5. Funkstown Funk 11-17: Having a more pitcher-friendly home park in Hagerstown Municipal is certainly no excuse for this team to be struggling as it has in producing power numbers. Only Musial & Ted Williams have three HR. Their ability to be in the middle of the pack in most other hitting stats shows that they're neither providing big multi-base hits nor are they stringing together singles into runs. Starters like Maddux & Blyleven are off to slow starts. GM Barlow's expanding the pitching staff from 9 to 10 proved to be a wise move, as his newer relievers, Roy Face & Robb Nen, have provided effective relief work.

Best hitter: Stan Musial. If you didn't already read my bit about him in the MVP portion of this update, I'm not going to repeat it; to quote my Estates & Trusts professor, "Too bad so sad." Honorable mention to Ted Williams & Wade Boggs.
Best pitcher: Phil Niekro (3-1, 2.81 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 32 K in 41 2/3 IP). "Knucksie" has been working hitters over with that historically devastating knuckleball. Right-handed hitters are managing just a .193 AVG & a .569 OPS against him. His best performance came just in this last game, where he threw the complete game, surrendering 1 run, 8 hits, & 2 walks, and struck out 8. What a great performance so far by a Hall of Famer that pitched in the majors until he was 48 years old. Honorable mention to Nolan Ryan.

6. Cumberland Sedohcs 8-20: I thought they were going to start climbing up the standings a little bit after they swept the Funk, but five straight losses quickly silenced that thought. They've had some impressive victories, including a 5-run outburst in the 10th inning to win one. Unfortunately, their ridiculous losses are just as plentiful: losing after being ahead 8-0 in the 2nd inning and losing by way of a run-scoring error followed by a walk-off walk are two prime examples. As seen below, the Sedohcs really need to get their rough pitching on track if they even want to get out of the basement; having only one starter above league average in ERA just will not cut it.

Best hitter: Rogers Hornsby (.324/.397/.454, 3 HR, 12 RBI). Of the major hitting stars on this team, Hornsby is certainly shining the brightest so far. He provided a crucial RBI double in one of their wins, and his hitting has been present in nearly all of the team's 8 wins so far. If teammates hitting in front of him in the order, most notably Ken Griffey, Jr., can get on base with more frequency, I'd expect that seemingly low RBI total to start jumping in a hurry for him out of the 3 spot. Perhaps his harsh personality toward teammates is taking its toll on the other superstars. Honorable mention to Mike Piazza.
Best pitcher: Pedro Martínez (2-3, 2.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 33 K in 37 2/3 IP). I wondered how much Pedro would succeed in the ATL; his statistics are up there with the all-time greats, including the second-highest adjusted ERA+ of all time (minimum 1000 IP. Rivera is #1.). So far he's passed his early tests with flying colors, despite not getting a high amount of support at the plate from his teammates. I certainly would not be surprised to see Pedro maintain these numbers going forward. Honorable mention to Don Newcombe, a starter doing all of his work in the 'pen.

Big Bombs (longest HR)
There were a bunch of balls crushed out of the park during this segment, so I'll make this a top five instead.
#5 Mike Schmidt, JIG 438 ft.
#4 Manny Ramírez, PRO 443 ft.
#3 Lou Gehrig, NWK 446 ft.
#2 Ramírez 453 ft.
#1 Ernie Banks, CMB 455 ft.

Stat Zone (category leaders)
AVG: Yogi Berra, PRO .446
OBP: Stan Musial, FUN .518
SLG: Albert Pujols, PRO .652
OPS: Musial 1.137
H: Honus Wagner, PRO 47
R: Wagner 29
HR: Pujols 8
RBI: Pujols 33
SB: Wagner; Eddie Collins, NWK 11
wOBA (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Musial .491
VORP (hitting value over replacement player): Musial 21.9

ERA: Mordecai Brown, WOR 1.35
W: Christy Mathewson, JIG 6 (no one else has more than 3)
L: Carl Hubbell, JIG; CC Sabathia, WOR; Lee Smith, CMB; Warren Spahn, NWK 4
SV: Bruce Sutter, PRO 9
IP: Mathewson 50
K: Bob Feller, PRO; Tom Seaver, FUN 44
WHIP: Jim Bunning, WOR 0.92
K/BB: Mathewson 5.00
FIP (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Mathewson 2.68
VORP (pitching value over replacement player): Brown 18.4

Some last notes:
The stupid game still insists on batting the pitcher in the 9th inning when the team is down to its last out and position players are still available to enter the game. What are you saving those extra players for? If it weren't running the entire league, I'd fire this game as manager.
I might start trying to post full stat sheets of the league leaders in various categories onto the message board, so that you can see how the leaders come, go, or stay during days of play. If you want to see these, as well as all the box scores, you have to have an account on the ATL message board.

ATL UPDATE I: Wild Finishes & Old School Stars

Note: if you haven't read any of the previous posts setting out the background, rules, and team rosters in the All-Timers League, click here and start from the bottom post if you want the full details.

I've been pleasantly surprised that we've made it this far into the ATL, but the teams are now through 13 games of the 154-game regular season. Since the season's started, I started an ATL message board where all the day by day box scores are published (guests can't see the full box scores, so feel free to sign up if you want to see them), standings will be routinely updated, and injuries are reported and responded to by managers. Check it out!

Here's my structure to this & all future updates: MVP thus far, team by team standings/overviews, the period's biggest bombs, & the statistical leaders thus far.

MVP:
Actually, co-MVPs: Lou Gehrig (.345/.403/.655, 3 HR, 15 RBI) of the Newark Legion and Honus Wagner (.424/.469/.712, 2 HR, 10 RBI) of the Providence Reds. I tried not to be wishy-washy and pick just one person, but no one has completely distanced himself from the rest of the ATL through just 13 games.
When Eddie Collins & Tris Speaker get on base ahead of him in the order, Gehrig has driven them in regularly, and is a big reason why the Legion lead the ATL in runs scored. However, Wagner has been a major driving force for a Reds lineup that is only one run behind the Legion in runs scored; you'll find his name on the leaderboards for nearly every average, power, and speed category.

In subsequent updates, I'll be giving you interesting back stories on the MVPs. It's not that Gehrig & Wagner aren't fascinating players; I just wanted to get a nice setup for these updates and didn't want to use up a ton of space on an extremely early season update.

The Standings:

1 (tied). Providence Reds 10-3: My team's great early start can be attributed to an overall balanced effort; the Reds are 2nd in runs scored, while allowing the 2nd fewest runs in the ATL. At the moment, the offense has been led by three of the hottest hitters in the league: Wagner, Jackie Robinson, and Yogi Berra are all hitting over .400 thus far. Berra laid claim to the first ATL grand slam. They've made a couple of late-inning comebacks for victories. The two eldest (in terms of when they played) starters, Walter Johnson & Cy Young, are a combined 4-0 and have been absolute workhorses, pitching late into all of her games. The bullpen has generally not been a slouch either; Dan Quisenberry & Bruce Sutter lead an ATL-best group that has shut down opponents late and helped spark late-inning victories for my Reds. The Reds' first loss came in the form of a wild pitch allowing the winning run to cross. Ouch.

1 (tied). Worcester Ruby Legs 10-3: What Phil's Ruby Legs lacked in offensive power (3rd, but 14 behind #1), they more than made up with their superb pitching (1st, 12 runs clear of the Reds) and defense (top fielding %, good zone rating). Old-time names have provided the most offense for the Ruby Legs, with Shoeless Joe Jackson & "The Georgia Peach" Ty Cobb keeping the basepaths active with high averages & stolen bases. New school Vladimir Guerrero has also given Worcester some very timely hitting. Perhaps the greatest moment of the season so far came when the Ruby Legs stormed back from down 5-0 in the 9th to the Newark Legion to claim a 7-5 victory. On the bump, Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown (his pitching hand; warning: somewhat grotesque) & Jim Bunning have assumed the early roles of being shutdown starters; Brown trails ATL-leading Jim Bunning in ERA by 0.01. CC Sabathia is showing why he was drafted, while Lefty Grove & Bob Gibson have shown flashes of their greatness early on. Out of the bullpen, closer-again John Smoltz has been one of the biggest workhorses in the league, saving 6 games and having only 1 poor performance in his 8 games pitched.

3. Newark Legion 7-6: Despite hitting the fewest HR so far, Matt's Legion lead the ATL in runs scored. Co-MVP Gehrig may deservedly receive the most recognition for his success, but the whole lineup has certainly supported him in getting some early Newark wins. Eddie Collins (.400, 8 SB) & Tris Speaker are off to hot starts, as evidenced by their ATL-dominating 18 stolen bases, while Hank Aaron has managed to drive in 10 runs without providing his signature power. The pitching has been a little suspect, surrendering the 2nd most runs in the league. Once again, the pitchers from way back, Pete Alexander & Big Ed Walsh, are doing the best in the rotation at keeping opposing offenses at bay. Unfortunately, the late innings have been a bit of an adventure for the Legion; closer Hoyt Wilhelm currently sports a 10.29 ERA with more losses than saves, and the bullpen's total ERA is a half-run above the rest.

4 (tied). Funkstown Funk 5-8: The record for Andy's Funk pretty much illustrates the type of performance his team has exhibited so far. Despite hitting the first back-to-back HR in the league (the exact names currently escape me), their offense is currently the worst in the ATL with 45 runs scored. However, don't blame Ted Williams; his counting- & rate-based power numbers surpass his teammates, some of which have 20 at-bats more than the Splendid Splinter. Outside of Williams, Stan Musial, & Nap Lajoie, no one is regularly hitting or getting on base nearly enough just yet to give the offense some respectability. The starting pitching has gotten off to an OK start; Bert "Be Home" Blyleven has posted the lowest ERA of the five, while Tom Seaver has been confusing batters to the tune of the most strikeouts on the ATL. The bullpen has also been just OK, but it now has to deal with the loss of its biggest threat to opposing left-handed batters, Billy Wagner, for a large chunk of the season. Outside of one bad performance, Dennis Eckersley has done well in his opportunities to finish out games.

4 (tied). Jigger Bushes 5-8: Outside of 1B Jimmie Foxx, who has a very strong argument to be included as one of the MVPs so far, as well as Giant great Christy Mathewson, Seth's Jigger Bushes are off to a slow start. Right now, Foxx is the only regular hitter over .300 in this lineup (though A-Rod & Ryne Sandberg are close) which is 5th of 6. Babe Ruth has 2 lengthy HR, but has only driven in 3 runs; with where his OBP is at, I think he'll be hitting himself out of his bit of a weak start. The pitching has been all right overall, giving up the 3rd fewest runs in the ATL, and they've been hurt a bit extra by some poor fielding behind them. Mathewson & Juan Marichal have been fantastic so far, with Jim Palmer also doing well. The supposed ace, Sandy Koufax, has struggled out of the gate with his control and could really bolster the rotation once he rights himself. The stable of relievers in the Jigger bullpen is enjoying some early success. Mariano Rivera's ERA is high due to a badly blown save early on against the Reds, but it certainly has a chance of dropping soon.

6. Cumberland Sedohcs 2-11: Needless to say, slow starts & overall poor performance put Mike's Sedohcs in a deep early season hole. Their Pythagorean expected record is 4-9, showing that they've blown some leads & failed to succeed in close games so far. On their #5 offense, Rogers Hornsby & Mike Piazza are regulars both hitting well & over .300, but no one else is close to .300. Barry Bonds (who hit the first HR in the ATL), Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., & Ken Griffey Jr. are all currently fighting with the Mendoza line; getting these guys turned around would go a long way toward getting the Sedohcs moving toward the competition. In the impressive speed department, Tim Raines managed a bunt single against Jigger, then proceeded to steal 2nd, then 3rd base. Only Pedro Martinez is off to a very serviceable start out of the rotation, and the Sedohcs lost Dizzy Dean for the season with a torn labrum. Don Newcombe has been the best out of Cumberland's pen, while Trevor Hoffman has gone 2 for 3 in his obviously limited save opportunities.

Big Bombs (longest HR)
#3 Jimmie Foxx, JIG 430 ft.
#2 Joe Morgan, WOR 443 ft.
#1 Jeff Bagwell, WOR 444 ft.

Stat Zone (category leaders)
AVG: Yogi Berra, PRO .475
OBP: Stan Musial, FUN .528
SLG: Berra .725
OPS: Berra 1.237
H: Honus Wagner, PRO 25
R: Wagner 17
HR: Jimmie Foxx, JIG; Lou Gehrig, NWK; Rogers Hornsby, CMB; Ted Williams, FUN 3
RBI: Foxx, Gehrig 15
SB: Eddie Collins, NWK 8
wOBA (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Berra, .528
VORP (hitting value over replacement player): Wagner, 11.6

ERA: Jim Bunning, WOR 1.13
W: Christy Mathewson, JIG; Ed Walsh, NWK 3
L: Warren Spahn, NWK 3
SV: John Smoltz, WOR 6
IP: Mathewson 26
K: Tom Seaver, FUN 23
WHIP: Bunning 0.88
K/BB: Jim Palmer, JIG 7.00
FIP (advanced statistic, click on it to see what it calculates): Carl Hubbell, JIG 2.23
VORP (pitching value over replacement player): Mordecai Brown, WOR; Walter Johnson, PRO 9.9

My one gripe about the system so far: the computer loves to keep relievers in to bat, despite BEING DOWN IN THE 9TH INNING WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN. It might have cost the Funk (I'm pretty sure) one win.

The best part about this first update? It's likely bound to look extremely silly even by mid-season. Thus, I hope you continue to keep up with the league!

Upcoming Matchups, Other Notes

Note: if you haven't read any of the previous posts setting out the background, rules, and team rosters in the All-Timers League, click here and start from the bottom post if you want the full details.

I've been informed that I made one naïve mistake in my team previews. I mentioned in the Funkstown Funk team preview that this was the only team situated in a fictional city. However, as manager Andy Barlow informed me, Funkstown is an actual town just a short drive from Hagerstown and Municipal Stadium. He's been there and everything, while I had no idea it existed even after visiting Hagerstown once.

As I publish this post, I'm waiting on a couple of managers to approve how their lineups are set going into Opening Day of ATL action. Once they're ready, I'm ready to get the ball rolling and get all the teams out on the field; I'm extremely excited!

If I have not mentioned it already, I'll be giving updates after the ATL gets through each set of 14 games, so there will be 11 regular season ATL updates filled with stories & stats from that time period. Here are the series matchups for the first 2 weeks of games:

Opening Day (4/1)-4/2: Bushes at Sedohcs, Reds at Legion, Funk at Ruby Legs
4/3-4/5: Reds at Bushes, Legion at Funk, Ruby Legs at Sedohcs
4/6-4/7: Ruby Legs at Reds, Bushes at Legion, Sedohcs at Funk
4/8-4/10: Legion at Sedohcs, Funk at Reds, Bushes at Ruby Legs
4/11-4/13: Ruby Legs at Legion, Funk at Bushes, Sedohcs at Reds

Yeah, I realize that's only 13 games, but April 14 happens to be an off-day for the ATL, so I'll make that extra game up in the second update. Let's get this going!

ATL Team Preview: Funkstown Funk

We've reached the last but not least, though the standings could prove otherwise, ATL team preview. The Funkstown Funk, managed by Andy Barlow, had the final pick of the first round, and thus the first pick of the next round. This is the only team from a fictional city, so they'll be playing in Hagerstown, MD, where Mr. Barlow spent plenty of time this summer. I have to give major kudos to him for making all of his own picks throughout the very long draft process.








A Google image search succeeded greatly here. You may recognize this lovable creature as Woolie, the Hagerstown Suns' mascot.
Team Colors: Purple Mountain Majesty, Gold, and Silver. Though it's listed as the 3rd color, I had plenty of difficulty trying to work in silver to the team's color scheme.
Home Stadium: Hagerstown Municipal Stadium. Why yes, I did just link to my own blog post! It's as good as any at showing what the stadium looks like.

The position players: (click on picture to enlarge)
(Note: if you didn't read the team preview for any of the other teams, please disregard the stars on the right side; they're part of the game's internal "scouting" and should have no in-game effects)
Between the pitchers & fielders, I had to rearrange a bunch of these guys' uniform numbers.
Now that's a stable of outfielders. It's one of two bold moves Andy made that perhaps the rest of us were afraid to attempt. Stargell and Musial should split some time with McCovey at first so a big-time left-handed bat is always there. In general, the Funk should have constant lineup/position rotation based on matchups and the team's own needs. A power-centric lineup would feature Jackson, Williams, DiMaggio, & Stargell/McCovey. Musial, Boggs, & Lajoie are certainly no hitting slouches either. However, Andy can trot out Rickey Henderson at any time to dominate the basepaths. Glove masters like Reese, Alomar, Rolen, & Puckett can also be sent out with confidence. If healthy, Bench will get the vast majority of starts at catcher and be a dominating force hitting & receiving. Even in a pitcher-friendly ballpark like Hagerstown Municipal, if this team were to fail at being a hitting monster, it would lead to a disastrous season.

The pitchers:
Projected Rotation: Seaver, Ryan, Maddux, Niekro, Blyleven
Here's bold move number two. In older eras of the game, your manhood was questioned when you couldn't finish a game you started on the mound. This may come back into play with this staff of more modern hurlers being supported by a very shallow bullpen. There's major heat and big curveballs surrounding a legendary precision pitcher and a knuckleballer; an intriguing test for the opposition. With how often he pitched for the Bucs, Tekulve should be very prepared for the small bullpen challenge. Wagner & Eckersley form a good 1-2 punch at the back end of the 'pen that will be tough to overcome. But will the small pitching staff be able to hold up for the entire 154-game schedule, or will the Funk soon be on the free agent market looking for more arms?

ATL Team Preview: Newark Legion

The Newark Legion, managed by Matt Alphin, had the 2nd pick in the draft, leaving him with first pickings over everyone not named Babe Ruth. I should point out that this is Newark, DE (pronounced "New ark") as opposed to Newark, NJ. The nickname is both unique and an inside joke. Although Matt may not be quite as much of a sports nut as the rest of us in the ATL, he had the baseball knowledge to make some good picks. Also, I auto-drafted about half of his team.








This logo is very similar to one I used for our intramural basketball team's Facebook page a while back to add even more hilarity to our team. I'm rather pleased with my work here.
Team Colors: Blue and Gold
Home Stadium: YYCnasium. Don't bother asking where that came from; it's yet another joke within friends that made it into the ATL. All you need to know is that it's an homer-friendly stadium with a turf surface.

The position players: (click on picture to enlarge)
(Note: if you didn't read the team preview for any of the other teams, please disregard the stars on the right side; they're part of the game's internal "scouting" and should have no in-game effects)
This group of position players possesses good skill at every non-pitching aspect of the game. There should be power to go around on this team, Mays, Aaron, Gehrig, & Mathews likely will all hit more than enough longballs to strike as much fear as possible into ATL hurlers. There are no prolific base-stealers among this bunch, but Collins, Jeter, & others will do enough to have opposing teams respect their speed. Especially when Santo is playing, the infield defense is solid, with perhaps Jeter (sorry to Yankee fans, but I'm going by the numbers & metrics here) as a weaker link. Mays & Speaker should cover so much ground in the outfield that even a good outfielder like Aaron will have his workload lightened. Although they don't represent the best fielding tandem in the ATL, the Fisk/Simmons pair behind the plate should produce reliable hitting stats. Finally, as mentioned previously, Matt's home stadium should lead to more higher scoring affairs than usual.

The pitchers:
Projected Rotation: Alexander, Spahn, Walsh, Carlton, Perry
Another 11-man staff. Matt's the only Phillie phan out of the 6 of us, and he managed to choose the two best pitchers in the team's long history for his solid rotation. The Legion has probably the most finesse staff in the ATL; multiple pitchers on this team led their league in strikeouts, but without blazing speed on their fastballs, with the exception of probably Drysdale. Pirate Wilbur Cooper is faced with the task of being the primary arm used to shut down opposing lefties late in games. Looking at the bullpen, it might be a bit of an adventure trying to sustain leads into the 9th inning, but Wilhelm's amazing array of pitches should get the vast majority of those leads to hold up when they make it there. The Legion will be the opposite of the Sedohcs: should this team make it far, it will be on the shoulders of the old-timers in doing so.

ATL Team Preview: Worcester Ruby Legs

The Worcester Ruby Legs, managed by Phil George, had the 5th pick in the draft. Phil's the only manager to go with a full vintage baseball team name, based on this team that played in the National League in the early 1880s. I caught Phil off-guard when the draft got underway. He was not in a position to do a little research on his first pick, so he selected Frank Robinson, a phenomenal player, but a player he probably could have selected a round or two later. Nevertheless, I think he made out all right.








Originally blue, I put in a little work on this old logo and made it very fitting for Phil's team.
Team Colors: Ruby and White
Home Stadium: Worcester Driving Park Grounds. Obviously, because of its age, I had to take some educated guesses as to its dimensions and park factors.

The position players: (click on picture to enlarge)(Note: if you didn't read the team preview for any of the other teams, please disregard the stars on the right side; they're part of the game's internal "scouting" and should have no in-game effects)
Phil came out of the draft with quite the stable of position players. He has as many left-handed hitters as he does righties, so he should be well-prepared for all sorts of pitchers. This isn't the best power-hitting team in the league, despite having some big-time sluggers like McGwire and Robinson. However, with premier hitters like Cobb and Shoeless Joe joining other players who can get on base often, Phil might be able to produce some quality runs without having to lean on the long ball. Behind the plate, Dickey and Campanella form a good hitting platoon; Campanella should still get the majority of games played due to being a little better at handling pitchers. With Ty Cobb and Joe Morgan leading a full cast of players, getting that extra base on a hit or via the stolen base is definitely not an issue with the Ruby Legs. The Driving Park Grounds is not conducive to home runs at all, so hopefully the speed will help give Phil an extra built-in home field advantage.

The pitchers:
Projected Rotation: Grove, Gibson, Brown, Sabathia, Bunning
It should be interesting to see if this rotation will hold up for Phil to make a run to the championship series. Undoubtedly, well-known legends like Grove & Gibson should be effective for the Ruby Legs, but plenty of question marks remain in the back end of the rotation and in the bullpen. As the only lefty in the bullpen, Santana has a very important role to play, and he does have plenty have of actual experience pitching in relief. The closer should be another pitcher with mostly starting experience but major success finishing games: John Smoltz. Overall, there's a good blend of both historical flamethrowing strikeout artists and finesse out-makers that ought to make for a decent staff.

ATL Team Preview: Cumberland Sedohcs

The Cumberland Sedohcs, managed by Michael Miller, had the 3rd pick in the draft. Cumberland, MD, represents Mike's original home. The Sedohcs part? I'll let you figure that out on your own. Due to the "mystical" nature of his team nickname, Mike chose an orange & white cat as his logo/mascot, so I did my best to accommodate this wish:








I know, this logo (designed by the same person who designed the one I'm using for my own team) is supposed to be a tiger, but there's enough non-black in the face to do the job.
Team Colors: Orange and White
Home Stadium: Kingdome

The position players: (click on picture to enlarge)
(Note: if you didn't read the team preview for any of the other teams, please disregard the stars on the right side; they're part of the game's internal "scouting" and should have no in-game effects)
What's immediately noticeable is Mr. Miller's draft style, which focused on more contemporary players over players from long ago (Hornsby, Cochrane, & Banks being exceptions). Mike definitely has an enviable outfield not only for its superior power, but also for its dominance on the basepaths. My one concern with his position players is how his defense will hold up behind his pitchers; although the hitting should be there, there's a lack of premier glove talent among a few regulars in his lineup. Both of Mike's catchers should be serviceable on defense while providing top-notch hitting for the position. Overall, if his bunch can hit for average to accompany the noticeable power, the sky's the limit on offense. I would not expect playing in the turf-laden Kingdome to have a significant effect either way on his hitters' total numbers.

The pitchers:
Projected Rotation: Martinez, Clemens, Roberts, Dean, Plank
Luckily for Mike and a couple others, I reasonably deemed it necessary to keep everyone's career numbers as they actually compiled them, rather than punish certain players (you know who you are) for their possible use of performance-enhancing drugs. There are more hard-throwing pitchers in the rotation than in the bullpen, so other teams' hitters may be befuddled by the finesse stuff when they enter the game. As the only left-handed arm in the bullpen, Rube Waddell's success may be crucial to the Sedohcs' success due to the high number of left-handed power hitters in the ATL. Should his games require reaching deep into his roster, Wes Ferrell could be a valuable resource for Mike as both a durable arm and a very effective hitter. Like the offense, if the modern guys can lead the rotation, Cumberland should be in it for the duration.

ATL Team Preview: Jigger Bushes

The Jigger Bushes, managed by Seth Thompson, had the advantage of having the #1 overall draft pick, and thus could stake claim to The Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth. Evidently, Jigger is a town in Louisiana, and will be easily the southernmost city ATL teams will play in this season. If you're unsure how Seth came up with this name for his team, then you're probably not from western Pennsylvania.








Putting a vintage picture of Donnie Iris in a black background may have been my favorite part of constructing any of the teams.
Colors: Black and Gold
Home Stadium: Fair Grounds Field (Shreveport, LA)

The position players: (click on picture to enlarge)(Note: if you didn't read the team preview for my own team, please disregard the stars on the right side; they're part of the game's internal "scouting" and should have no in-game effects)
In a funny coincidence, A-Rod can't wear #3 on this team either because Babe Ruth occupies it.
There's power to spare in this lineup, and there's a very good chance multiple players on this team will be up near the top of a number of power hitting categories. Even with the obvious power, there's some sneaky good average hitters on this team such as Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx, as well as some good fielding throughout the regular lineup in the form of Mike Schmidt and Ryne Sandberg. Although I don't consider Thurman Munson and Pudge Rodriguez to be the most premier duo of catchers in the ATL, they should be a serviceable offensive and defensive pair for this team. There's no major terrors on the basepaths on this team, but players like Sandberg and A-Rod should get their share of stolen bases. The Bushes' home stadium of Fair Grounds Field is a classic pitcher's park, so despite the glut of power on this team, don't expect their power numbers to be too overwhelming. Perhaps the power will travel to other parks well.

The pitchers:
Projected Rotation: Koufax, Mathewson, Hubbell, Marichal, Palmer
Seth constructed his pitching staff a bit differently compared with the rest of the managers, going with a vast majority of closers to shut down teams late in games. His 6th starter, Curt Schilling, should serve a long relief and spot starter role on his team. The rotation features plenty of power arms, but his best pitcher may be a finesse pitcher and a first employer of the screwball, Christy Mathewson. If Seth's starters can regularly get to the 6th or 7th inning with leads, teams will likely have a great deal of difficulty recovering; Gossage, Fingers, and Rivera compose probably the best back end of a bullpen in the ATL. This team should be a good test of whether the total reliever route is favorable over having other starters serve most of the relief roles.