[08-02-10] SHOELESS JOE WORLD S8 ..... FINAL REGULAR SEASON LEADERS ..... BA ..... Tony Prieto (LV) .344 ..... Michael Butcher (PHI) .343 ..... Luis Trevino (SFE) .340 ..... Edwards Osik (LR) .329 ..... Jimmie Moreno (NY1) .328 ..... HOME RUNS ..... Nicholas Lanier (ARI) 55 ..... Luis Trevino (SFE) 54 ..... Gregg Davis (OK) / Bill Barkley (SAL) 47 ..... Pedro Jacquez (CIN) / Ewell Bierbrodt (SFE) 46 ..... RBIS ..... Nicholas Lanier (ARI) 158 ..... Luis Trevino (SFE) 146 ..... Bill Barkley (SAL) 132 ..... Tony Prieto (LV) / Ewell Bierbrodt (SFE) 129 ..... Geronimo Elcano (SAL) 128 ..... WINS ..... Aaron Porter (PHI) 19 ..... Jose Fernandez (BOS) / Emilio Mieses (NY1) 18 ..... Matt Perez (BOS) / Paul LeCroy (PHI) / Brady Darwin (ROC) / Vicente Trevino (STL) / Rod O'Leary (TRE) / David Pascual (VC) 17 ..... ERA ..... Terrell McCartin (PHI) 2.45 ..... Hal Bynum (SD) 2.63 ..... Stuart Murphy (SJU) 2.87 ..... Jose Fernandez (BOS) 2.91 ..... Aaron Porter (PHI) 2.92 ..... Danny Lukasiewicz (SCZ) 2.95 ..... SAVES ..... Hick Quinn (ROC) 56 ..... Darrin Baldwin (CIN) 51 ..... Lewis Knight (PHI) 46 ..... Russell Fitzgerald (LR) 45 ..... Tony Ferrer (PAW) / Teddy Hubbard (SAL) 43 .....


"SHOELESS" JOE JACKSON

.. was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the
early part of the 20th century. He is remembered for his excellent perform-
ance on the field and for his association with the Black Sox Scandal, when members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix
the World Series. Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball's first commissioner, banned Jackson from playing after the 1920 season due to
his alleged involvement in the scandal. But for nearly 85 years, fans have
argued as to whether or not the White Sox legend truly deserves such a
stiff penalty, especially when he was acquitted of any wrong doing.

This world is dedicated to Shoeless Joe.

OFFICIAL SHOELESS JOE WORLD COMMITTEE

reigny / m22pank / austinfan1 / rcktchamp / jstnklly

Saturday, October 31, 2009

PLAYOFF PREVIEWS - Wild Card Round





#3 NEW YORK NIPPERS v #6 PAWTUCKET BOMBERS

New York was 89-73 this past season, which was good enough to earn them the AL East Division Title. Pawtucket finished the season at 87-75, and squeaked into the playoffs by winning a tiebreaker with the Madison Wizards. New York won the season series with Pawtucket, 7-3.

OFFENSE

Both teams were average to above-average throughout the regular season, in terms of offensive output. New York proudly brings their top hitting duo, Jake Brantley and Alejandro Rivera. Both men were a combined 100+ HR, 200+ runs, and nearly 250 RBI. Pawtucket brings one of the world's all-time greats, Hector Rodriguez. With a .312 average, 55 HR, and 146 RBI, those numbers could be good enough to earn him an MVP award. Almost as important as Rodriguez's numbers, were those of other teammates. Three guys (Davis, Samuel, P. Rodriguez) hit at least 30 HR each, while 3 more (Portugal, Nieves, Ray) chipped in with at least 20 HR each.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PITCHING

If New York has a weakness, it's their pitching. They combined for a 4.72 team ERA, which placed them 7th to last in the entire ML. Their top hurler is Victor Baez, who had a 16-7 record, with a 4.05 ERA this past season. The team didn't have another starter with a lower ERA. Pawtucket was a hair above the league average, with a 4.49 ERA. The Bombers are led by Hank Hall, who's 20-9 record and 4.09 ERA could be good enough to net him the AL Cy Young Award. Pablo Ramirez proved to be a solid #2 starter this past season, as he went 13-6 with a 3.43 ERA. He's battling teammate Pedro Rodriguez among others, for the AL Rookie Of The Year Award.

ADVANTAGE: .....

DEFENSE

Pawtucket had a .987 team fielding average, which was good enough for a tie for 2nd in the entire ML. New York was .004 lower, but nearly 20 errors more.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PREDICTION: ..... IN 3 GAMES


#4 MONTERREY PING THE ROOKIES v #5 SYRACUSE IRIQUOIS

Monterrey was 84-78 this past season, good enough to earn them the AL SOUTH Division Title. Syracuse was 93-69, where they earned a Wild Card berth. Syracuse dominated the season series, winning 9 games out of 10 against Monterrey.

OFFENSE

Both of these clubs did not light the league on fire with their respective offenses. They both were a hair under the league average, hanging around the mid-.260's. Monterrey's main power source is Jim Kingston, who jacked 39 HR and 92 RBI. Roger Blake and Pat Chen both belted over 25 HR a piece. Syracuse was led by Richard Lee, who hit .289 with 45 HR and 102 RBI. Stephen Banks and Kenny Henderson each rocked 30 HR and at least 85 RBI a piece, but both struggled with .250 averages.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PITCHING

Monterrey has one of the world's top starters in Hi Priest. Priest earned 14 victories with an impressive 3.11 ERA. Alberto Carrasquel also added 14 victores as well, but was a full run higher in ERA. If the game is close, look for Nick Donovan to seal the win, as he nailed 36 of 39 save opportunities. Syracuse has an AL Cy Young Award candidate of their own, in Lewis Richard. His 16-2 record and a 2.97 ERA makes him one of the world's top starters. Brendan Buss and Rodrigo Mercado chipped in with 26 combined victories. And the Iriquois has a dominant closer of their own in John Zheng, who slammed home 44 saves.

ADVANTAGE: .....

DEFENSE

Syracuse has the better team fielding statistics, with a .985 team fielding percentage. Monterrey was .002 points lower, which equals out to about 10 errors more.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PREDICTION: ..... IN 4 GAMES






#3 ROCHESTER ROCKET LAUNCHERS v #6 BOSTON STRICKEN GODS

Rochester was 95-67 this past season, and they easily won the NL NORTH Division Title. Boston was 86-76, and they were good enough to get into the playoffs with a Wild Card berth. The season series was edged out by Rochester, as they had a 6-4 record against Boston.

OFFENSE

Rochester had a .272 team average, which was slightly above the league average. They didn't have one guy who dominated the stats. They had seven players who had at least 20 HR, six of them had averages over .280. Boston was one of the league's top hitting teams with a .285 average, which tied them for 2nd in the entire ML. NL MVP candidate Billy Lamb led the team in virtually every batting category, sporting a .355 average, 66 HR, and 169 RBI. Dennys Cheng and Walter Hemingway didn't do too bad themselves, both slamming home 30+ HR.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PITCHING

Rochester has three capable starters in Scot Milligan, J.P. Turner, and Cozy Murphy. Each rang up at least 14 victories and an ERA under 4.25. Bo Simpson is one of the NL's top closers, earning 34 saves out of 39 opportunities. Angel Ramirez led Boston with 14 victories, but struggled a tad with a 4.43 ERA. One to watch is Rolando Urbina, who was 12-5 and a 3.94 ERA this past season. Andrew Fick converted 22 of 32 saves for the Stricken Gods.

ADVANTAGE: .....

DEFENSE

Boston has a team fielding average of .987, which tied for 2nd in the entire ML. They committed 30+ less errors than Rochester, who sits at .982.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PREDICTION: ..... IN 5 GAMES


#4 SANTA FE SANTA CLAUSES v #5 LITTLE ROCK LIGHTNING

Santa Fe was 92-70 this past season, which was good enough to win the NL SOUTH Division. Little Rock was 88-74, and they earned a Wild Card berth. Santa Fe led the season series with Little Rock, winning 7 out of 10 games.

OFFENSE

Santa Fe was 1st in the entire ML in average, a hair under .290. They are led by Luis Trevino and Sparky Piazza, who had 40+ HR a piece while hitting at least .280 for the season. Charles Yeats and Pablo Montanez clubbed 30+ HR a piece as well. Little Rock hung around .025 lower than Santa Fe, sitting at .265. Look for Jimmie Moreno to lead the Lightning, as he pumped in 59 HR and 138 RBI, while hitting .293 for the year. Five other players hit at least 20+ HR for the Lightning, with averages ranging from .265 - .290.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PITCHING

Both teams hovered around the same mark in team ERA, Santa Fe at 4.19 while Little Rock was at 4.34. Santa Fe has NL Cy Young Award candidate Merv Hunter at the top of their rotation. He was 17-2 this past season, with a remarkable 2.76 ERA. If Santa Fe plans to advance, they need more production from fellow starters Cameron McFeely, Terrell McCartin, and Cole Davenport. Santa Fe lacks a dominant closer, as the title was shared by both Trevor Henderson and Lenny Neal. Little Rock is led by two quality starters, Charlie O'Keefe and Pedro Velazquez. Both men had at least 16 victories on the season, with 3.72 and 4.02 ERA, respectively. If the game is close, Matthew Tracy will seal the victory. He converted 47 out of 52 save opportunities, with a 2.23 ERA.

ADVANTAGE: .....

DEFENSE

Santa Fe was a solid fielding team this past season, earning a .985 average. Little Rock struggled with the glove, as they earned a .978 average. Biggest difference? Little Rock made 40+ more errors than Santa Fe.

ADVANTAGE: .....

PREDICTION: ..... IN 5 GAMES

Friday, October 30, 2009

S5 DIVISION CHAMPS! part 4

As of 10/30 PM Cycle, The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate the following teams...






NEW YORK NIPPERS (austinfan1)

..for winning the AL EAST Division.






SANTA FE SANTA CLAUSES (tisi29)

..for winning the NL SOUTH Division.



LITTLE ROCK LIGHTNING (m22pank)

..for securing an NL WILD CARD SPOT.


The Division titles are all wrapped up! We're down to the FINAL 2 WILD CARDS! Who will they be?

Thursday, October 29, 2009

S5 DIVISION CHAMPS! part 3

As of 10/29 PM Cycle, The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate the following teams...






TRENTON JOKERS (badooujack)

..for winning the AL NORTH Division.



SYRACUSE IRIQUOIS (egide10)

..for securing an AL WILD CARD SPOT.


We are down to TWO division titles! Who will win those respective division crowns? PLUS! Three more Wild Card spots need to be settled! Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- 10/19 - 10/26

PLAYER OF THE WEEK





Billy Lamb is the Player of the Week. He went 29/71 for a batting average of .408 and hit 11 homeruns in 20 games. Lamb also drove in 27 runs.


PITCHER OF THE WEEK





Alex Diaz is the Pitcher of the Week. He gave up 2 earned run(s) in 26 innings for an ERA of 0.69. He went 4-0 over a span of 4 games. Diaz struck out 22 while only walking 3.


S5 DIVISION CHAMPS! part 2

As of 10/27 AM Cycle, The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate the following teams...






SALEM LIGHTS (rootgargle)

..for winning the AL WEST Division.






PHILADELPHIA CHEESE STEAKS (brisque)

..for winning the NL EAST Division.


We are down to THREE division titles that have not been clinched yet! Those could go down to the wire! Plus 2 Wild Card spots in each league are left to be determined! Stay tuned!

Monday, October 26, 2009

S5 DIVISION CHAMPS!

The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate the following teams...






MONTERREY PING THE ROOKIES (jwelsh1023)

..for winning the AL SOUTH Division.






ROCHESTER ROCKET LAUNCHERS (tomhighway)

..for winning the NL NORTH Division.



ARIZONA GUNSLINGERS (redneck2)

..for winning the NL WEST Division.



Five division titles are still up for grabs, including 4 Wild Card spots. Stay tuned to see who gets these final spots!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Triple Crown Watch ***UPDATED!!***



NICHOLAS LANIER, ARIZONA

.323 avg (T-12th), 61 HR (1st), 149 RBI (1st)


Lanier has kept his hot start from earlier in the season, as he continues to pile on the Home Runs and RBIs. He has slowed down in Batting Average, dropping down in a tie for twelfth. The SJ Blog will continue to keep an eye on Lanier's performance, as he attempts to capture the Triple Crown.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- 10/12 - 10/19

PLAYER OF THE WEEK





Del Gutierrez is the Player of the Week. He went 26/67 for a batting average of .388 and hit 13 homeruns in 20 games. Gutierrez also drove in 28 runs.


PITCHER OF THE WEEK





Louis Bunch is the Pitcher of the Week. He gave up 7 earned run(s) in 32 innings for an ERA of 1.97. He went 4-0 over a span of 4 games. This included 1 complete game. Bunch struck out 22 while only walking 6.


Tuesday, October 6, 2009

WHOOPS! That's The Way The 'Cookie' Crumbles...



1300 AM The Zone out of Austin, Texas is reporting that Cookie Fox, the #1 overall pick in this season's past amateur draft, has rejected Austin's latest contract offer. This not bode well for the Austin franchise, who was looking forward to adding Fox's talent into their minor league system.

Cookie Fox has been debating back and forth between signing Austin's contract offer, and going to college on a baseball scholarship. With the latest contract rejection, it appears as though Cookie has made his decision.

It's not all bad news for the Austin franchise, as they will obtain a compensatory pick in next season's amateur draft.

ALL-STAR GAME STARS




BILLY LAMB
1-5, HR


EWELL BIERBRODT
1-3, HR


MERV HUNTER
2 IP, 0 R, 1 H






GROVER GARDNER
2-3, RBI


JAKE BRANTLEY
1-3, HR, 2 RBI


VICENTE TREVINO
2 IP, 2 K

 

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