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).
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!
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