LA Strengthens up their OF to put pressure on the Zotti League leading Sternwheelers

DATELINE - LOS ANGELES

LA and Cleveland (Covington) have just announced a big trade to help both teams in the near future. Heading to Los Angeles is the reigning player of the month LF George Aguinaldo, CF Samuel Santos who is enjoying arguably his best season yet, and SP Andrew Weimer. GM Michael Weintraub was excited about the additions. "My OF was really falling apart with some under performers and now with the addition Aguinaldo who started the season in River City and Santos, Nate [Wooley] and the Sternwheelers don't stand a chance."

In return the Covington 'Cleveland' Steamers have added LA's 1st round draft pick in 2011 SP Cesar Almendarez , CF prospect Monte Goss, and 2B prospect Lorenzo Juhasz. In addition, the Steamers are going to get $2M in cash. Cleveland GM Jeremy Goldman was overheard complaining before this trade that the names on his team were way to easy to pronounce. After the trade he said, "now with a Juhasz, Almendarez and Goss no one will be pronouncing our player's names correctly. They sound more like ball players than Moore, Sanders, Mitchell and John that are in our system already."

Will this trade put LA over the top in Zotti League...Is front runner River Cities worried more than they were before? What moves will happen next? The rest of the season will tell...

Another Cross-Cascades Trade

Seattle Monarchs Director of Player Personnel Michael Shultz today announced a trade with the Walla Walla Federal Duck. Seattle sent long-time Monarch reserve infielder George Wilde and its sixth round pick in next year's draft to the Duck in exchange for outfielder Raymond Rosato.

"Daddy let me make this trade," six-year-old Michael explained, "because I told him that Mr. Rosato hit 61 home runs last year. Daddy got very excited about that. Of course, I didn't tell him that it was in A-ball at age 24, but I thought that might just upset him."

"I made the deal because I felt bad for those nice Duckies east of the mountains. They were playing that awful Leonard Allen at second base and Mr. Wilde has to be better than that. If nothing else, he'll steal lots of bases for them." Despite never having a starting gig, Wilde has stolen 112 bases in his career, getting thrown out only 21 times.

Rosato is expected to report to AAA Tacoma and immediately begin learning to play left field, as part of his exciting future as a fifth outfielder.

Cleveland Fire Sale...It is now or never!!!

Are you in need of that one or two players to put you over the top...to help you win that title this year or next?????

Well, I have what you need!!!!!

The whole roster it up for trading...

All-Time HR leader Russell Powell...the rumors of his demise are greatly over stated...10 HR and 40 RBI for a horrible team...he can do more for your good team.

All pitchers are up for trade including Duane Doyle and All-Star Closer Curtis Barksdale who is pitching as the kids say off the chains (2.14 ERA and 11 saves on a bad team).

I may even have a prospect of two that I can unload if the deal is right.

I am ready to deal before the deadline!!!!!

Contact me first before your opponents take advantage of the crazy deals about to go down.

Respectable Reliever Available for Cheap

Looking for a little help in the bullpen, but don't want to pay much for it? I'm offering 2.5-star reliever George Quinn for trade. He's put up stellar numbers in AAA for me the last two years and has earned his rating, but there's no spot for him in the crowded Monarchs bullpen. He is 2.5 stars in both the web ratings and in the game, so it's not just a mirage. He's also dirt cheap and would be on a minimum contract for three years. Quinn is available for a low to middling prospect or draft pick. Contact me if interested.

Sim 7 Done

I completed Sim 7 last night, but did not post who uploaded. I'll edit this post tomorrow night to include that.

Two quick points regarding last nights sim:

1. Jeremy brought to my attention that the TV contracts for his team expired back in 2004. Further investigation revealed that this was the case for *all* the expansion teams. I extended all the TV contracts for the expansion teams by another two years (to 2013).

2. Please keep in mind that the trading deadline (July 31) is coming up - so, if you want to make any deals, now is the time to do it.

Edit: Teams that uploaded:

Houston
Seattle
River Cities
Los Angeles
New York
Walla Walla

No sim last night.

Sorry, PTA meetings took longer than I thought and I didn't get back until late. I'll run the sim tonight.

Zev

Sim 6: Who uploaded?

Hickory
Houston
Saskatoon
Seattle
River Cities
Los Angeles
New York
Covington

Trade: River Cities and Walla Walla

Dateline: Marietta June 10, 2011

In a move predicted by this reporter as fallout from the Sternwheelers acquisition of Starting Pitcher Ed Scull today River Cities dealt Starting Pitching prospect Pedro Marez and MR Fletcher Mahurin to Walla Walla for RF prospect Santiago Salazar and Walla Walla's 1st round pick in next year's amateur draft.

Marez, drafted in the third round by River Cities in the 2007 draft, is a four star starting pitcher just breaking into the majors this year. He currently is the #5 starter for the River Cities squad and goes to a Walla Walla club who recently lost #3 starter Jeremy Brunton to injury.

"Well, I'm sorry to leave the banks of the Ohio", said Marez, reached at his home on Harmar Hill, "But I'm glad to be going to a team with a great young talent core and that has a shot at winning soon. With luck I'll be beating my old teammates in River Cities soon!"

Mahurin, a talented middle reliever who had yet to break into the majors said, "Well, at least I'll get a chance this way. I'm as developed as I'll ever be and I just never got the call. The team Scouting Director kept promising me he'd sent emails to Mr. Wooley saying that I was ready and should be called up but neither of us ever heard back. I bet he never even checks that email address. Probably some dumb old guy who has Prodigy or something."

River Cities owner Wooley responded, "I'm sorry that Fletch feels that way. I do have a laptop and all the accountrement. Heck, it even comes with a cupholder right there on the side. How sweet is that? Anyway, we needed to move someone out and Pedro was the right fit for Walla Walla. We wish him all the best there. And we always love to pick up prospects under 22 and picks. It's a fetish of mine."

Salazar, the 6th pick overall in this year's amateur draft, is a right fielder with the potential to be a powerful offensive force, even if, in this reporters opinion, he shouldn't be allowed to wear a glove and take the field.

Sim 5: Who uploaded?

Seattle
Hickory
Los Angeles
River Cities
New York
Walla Walla
Covington

NY Players on the trading block

I'm still looking to make some moves...

Among the players I can move are SP McGreevy, SP Spellman (now at AAA), 1B/3B Palazzo, LF/SS Bingham, SS Raglin, 2B prospect Lorenzen.

Looking for a bat, bullpen help or prospects.

Drop me a note if you're interested!

Seattle-Covington Trade

May 27, 2011: SEATTLE

Nearly going into withdrawal after several days without making a trade, Seattle Monarchs Owner/GM Mack Shultz today announced a deal with the Covington "Cleveland" Steamers. Seattle sent away prospects Jeff Flory and Clarence Horta in exchange for shortstop Lincoln Rossetti and first baseman Stanley Raabe.

"I had to do something," Shultz explained. "I had the shakes, real bad. So, I started contacting people, hoping that someone, anyone, would make a deal with me. Luckily, Jeremy answered."

Flory was a seventh-round pick this year who has shown flashes of ability as a closer for the A-ball Kent Kings. Horta was acquired in an off-season trade with Los Angeles and had killed the ball for the Kings, hitting .301 with a .888 OPS. "Man, I just signed a lease here too," grumbled Horta.

"We were looking to add a little depth to the roster and some pop off of the bench," explained Seattle manager John Willer. "Linc and this new guy, Raabe, may be able to help us there. God knows, Bill Johnson hasn't been doing the job."

Rossetti, carrying a hefty $9.4 million contract, has hit a miserable .208 this year. His trip out of town may have been foreshadowed when he suddenly was hit with a giant pay cut by the Commissioner, a shadowy figure known only as "The Man."

"The Man just came and cut me down," Rossetti complained last week in a ten minute rant to reporters that required this scribe to delete several words in order to make the quote fit a family-friendly newspaper. "What did I ever do to him? Nothin', that's what. I mean, my collection of Ferraris requires some upkeep. So, if he's gonna cut my salary, then maybe I'll cut my production. Know what I mean?"

Raabe is a mysterious figure who suddenly appeared out of nowhere for Covington's AAA affiliate a few weeks ago. The 34-year-old has refused to discuss details of his past. Rumors of connections to the criminal underworld persist, despite the lack of hard evidence. His teammates have taken to calling him "The Silencer," a name Raabe has not discouraged.

"What the heck is he doing," complained an anonymous Monarchs player about Shultz. "I mean, haven't we won enough games? Why disrupt the clubhouse chemistry? The man's a lunatic. We need to take away his blackberry, for God's sake."

Sim 4: Who uploaded?

Hooray!! I finally got the sim done.

Here's who uploaded:

Seattle
Hickory
Saskatoon
Denver
Houston
Los Angeles
River Cities
New York
Walla Walla
Covington

It's a Crazy Week

I'm sorry guys, but after two hours, I'm calling it a night. Don't send any more updates via FTP, since those have been imported. You can, however, send instructions by email. I'll continue with the sim on Saturday night.

Cross-Country Blockbuster!

Dateline New York City:

New York and Seattle pull off a blockbuster trade today, as New York trades ace SP Ronald Placencia to Seattle, in exchange for three players - starter Isaac Diehl, middle reliever Harry Johnson and top prospect OF Mohammed Stelly.

Reached at a rest are on the New Jersey Turnpike after finalizing the trade, NY GM Paul Michael said "Well, I never thought I'd trade Placencia, after nurturing him since my team's inception, when he was my second ever draft pick. He's been great for us, and has all the potential in the world, but sometimes you have to move on."

"I've been after Mohammed Stelly for years now - he's as close to a can't miss prospect as there is. He'll be at home in center field in New York for years now, and getting him will let me move Kevin Rubio back over to left."

"Diehl's a young SP with success at the major league level, despite his struggles for Seattle so far this year. I'm sure he'll do his best to fill Placencia's spot in the rotation".

"Harry Johnson give me a young arm in middle releif, which is something new for me, I admit. I hope he gets along with the rest of my AARP crew in the bullpen".

"Plus, whenever you can pull off a trade for an Isaac and a Mohammed, how can you turn it down?"

The NY GM denied that he had any plans to go after Jesus Dones or Jesus Morales.

Saskatoon - Los Angeles trade

Saskatoon (CP)

The Los Angeles Scorpions inched closer to the Zotti League title today, as they picked up catcher/outfielder Carlos Barrera and closer Norman Fuentes from the Saskatoon Cossacks in exchange for catcher Ronald Sims and two prospects.

The Scorpions, who are one game back of River Cities, also sent their 1st round pick to Saskatoon in exchange for Saskatoon's 3rd round pick.

"It's been a great six seasons on the Canadian prairies," said Barrera, 31, a career .329 hitter and one of the few left-handed throwing catchers in the majors. "But let's face it: I was never going to star in a prime-time soap opera unless I moved a bit further south."

Both Barrera and Fuentes, who led the Adams League in saves in 2010, are slotted to become free agents after this year.

"I've got mixed feelings about leaving Saskatoon, the camaraderie, the after-game beer and nachos at Amigo's" said Fuentes. "I'm not going to rule out coming back next year just yet."

With the Seattle Monarchs off to a blistering 22-3 start that puts them eight games up on second-place Hickory, the writing was on the wall that it was time to think about rebuilding, said Cossacks' GM Trevor Pritchard.

"Our (darn) scout couldn't draft a (gosh darn) major-league caliber player if he was (having sexual intercourse with) Nostradamus," said an excitable Pritchard. "So we decided to go the trade route."

Sims, 24, is hitting .257 with one HR and will be part of a platoon behind the plate, said Pritchard. Saskatoon also picked up minor league outfielders Jose Diaz and Jonathan Boettcher in the swap.

Another Interstate 5 Trade

May 13, 2011: SEATTLE

Earlier this morning, Seattle sent Kevin Stephens and minor leaguer Justin "Hanky" Pankey to Los Angeles in exchange for relief prospect Sidney Martone and a fifth round pick in next year's draft. Hopefully the players involved in today's deal will be able to make it to their new homes, despite the flooding in Southwest Washington that has closed Interstate 5.

"Kevin's been a part of our team that has taken the last two Cecil Cups," said Owner/GM Mack Shultz. "He's never really gotten the chance to start for us on a regular basis though and we know that's frustrated him. Michael [Weintraub, the LA Scorpion's Owner/GM] told me that he expects to get Stephens in the rotation soon. That was good enough for me to agree to send Kevin over. He deserves this shot."

"I'm thrilled," said Stephens as he cleaned out his locker room on the off day. "I've watched people come up from the minors and take spots that I thought I'd get, and that bugged me. Nothing against Izzie [Frau] or Isaac [Diehl], but I thought I deserved those chances. But then, when they signed Albert Garcia this offseason, that was the last straw for me. Albert's a great guy and all, but he's like 700 years old. Just give me a chance. That's all I'm saying."

Pankey was a second round pick by the Monarchs in 2005, but hasn't yet lived up to his initial promise. He had posted a 2.45 ERA this year though out of the Kent Kings' bullpen.

Martone was released by Covington earlier this season during the brief reign of HAL 9000 as GM, an experiment in artificial intelligence that the league mercifully ended when wheeler-dealer Jeremy Goldman took control.

"We offered a contract to Martone when he was a free agent, but he took Michael's offer," explained Shultz. "He claimed it rained too much here. Well, he's in our system now, so he'd better just buy a damn umbrella and shut up."

Let's try again for tonight...

.... sorry I didn't get to the sim last night. As it turns out, that's for the best as one owner might have a last minute move to make anyway. So, we'll try again for tonight.

Zev

Where did the top SDMB OOTP players come from?

Jeremy asked me an interesting question: what percentage of the top players were high draft picks and which developed on a more non-traditional path? I had to confess that I didn’t know. But now, at least, I have some data.

Note: The data below only applies to players which the GAME, not the web site, rate as 4.5 - 5 GOLD stars. I didn’t think it was fair to include blue star prospects as they’re graded differently.

Interestingly, the data showed an inverse curve with higher edges than middle.

Round	# of top players
1	8
2	3
3	0
4+	9
Unknown	7

Note: The seven players whose origin is ‘unknown’ are generally older players who, for whatever reason don’t have their introduction to the league recorded. If anyone has further data please write.

Note, also, that there’s actually MORE top players produced from rounds 4 and higher than in round 1. Odd, no? Though with the including of Rounds 1 and 2 together it’s clear that it’s more likely that a higher draft choice will produce a Hall of Fame caliber player it’s also true that such a play can come completely and unexpectedly out of nowhere. Those lower draft choices have value…but there’s a lot of chaff for all of the wheat.

And, for your continued edification, here’s a list of the players whom no one could predict would become top flight players. I’ve included their teams, names, Round chosen, and position.

Team	Player	Round Selected	Position
River Cities	Willie Egan	49	MR
River Cities	Harold Beeks	4	CL
River Cities	John Okane	6	SP
Saskatoon	Demarcus Ramirez	28	SP
Seattle	Gregory Mudge	19	1B
Seattle	Samuel Contreras	17	CL
Seattle	Willie Sewell	29	MR
Walla Walla	Chris Moss	42	LF

Note that many of them go back far enough to be in the initial league draft of 2002. But not all. And what it all means? You all tell me. But I thought it was interesting.

Los Angeles/Covington trade, part II

Mere hours after their initial deal, Los Angeles and Covington are pleased to announce a major blockbuster trade. Heading to Covington is prized SP prospect Anthony Koepp in exchange for rising 2B star Duane Gerhardt.

"We hate to lose a young arm like Tony's, but we're enamored of Duane's bat and glove," owner/GM Michael Weintraub stated. Thus far in 2011, Gerhardt is batting .359, with an OPS of .967. He also has 24 stolen bases. Koepp has made one major league appearance, and will report to Covington's minor league system.

"I'm disappointed to be leaving a potential winner like Los Angeles," Koepp said. "But, I'm glad to be wanted by Covington."

Also heading to Los Angeles is southpaw starter Andrew Crank, who recently shut out River Cities in his last start. Covington also received minor league catcher John Clawson and reliever Fidel Padilla, and Los Angeles's second round pick in next year's draft.

Trade: River Cities and Covington/Cleveland

5/13/11
Dateline: Marietta, Ohio

A late breaking trade was announced today by River Cities owner Nate Wooley. River Cities sends a package of players, prospects, picks, and payola to Covington/Cleveland in return for Starting Pitcher Ed Scull and LF Tony Demiras.

In return for Covington/Cleveland's two players River Cities is sending up I-77 these players: LF Greg Aguinaldo, A-ball Starting pitchers Isaac Moore and Andres Higa, AA Catcher Joan New, a 2012 2nd round pick, and three million dollars in cash.

"Anytime you get an opportunity to acquire a player of Scull's caliber it's worth paying a premium", said Sternwheelers owner Wooley. "Ed played in our minor league system for a year or so many years ago and I always knew it was a mistake to let him go. I'm glad we have a chance to set that right."

Reached in his cheap 2nd Street home in downtown Marietta, Aguinaldo said "Hey, I figured something like this was coming when I saw how stocked the OF was this year. At least I just have to head up I-77 to get to my new team. Maybe I can stop at the NFL Hall of Fame in Akron on the way."

The other players leaving the River Cities system were contacted earlier at the park in Beverly, Ohio about 10 miles from Marietta. They were last heard trying to find the change to pay for a cab to Cleveland.

A LOOGY for Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Scorpions announced a trade that will help bolster the team's bullpen, today acquiring left-handed reliever Nathan Lirette from Covington.

"I spoke to Nathan before pulling the trigger on this one," owner/GM Michael Weintraub announced to a hastily-gathered press conference at the Scorpion Pit this evening. "He understands that he's a one-out guy, and not a one-walk, or one-homerun guy. We have a big series coming up against River Cities, and they have a lot of lefty bashers. This is our guy to counter them."

Lirette has a 3.24 ERA for Covington this season. In exchange, AA reliever Bruce Hansford, a southpaw, heads to Covington. The Demons also received Los Angeles's 4th round pick in next season's amateur draft.

Weintraub declined to state whose spot on the roster Lirette will take. "We're in serious talks with several teams to complete deals before the River Cities series, so I can't promise anything."

Cleveland (or Covington) looking to deal

In order to turn this team around we are looking to moves some of the very valuable veterans on the team. On the trading block are all players on the active roster especially:

1B Russell Powell
SS Lincoln Rossetti
CF Samuel Santos
SP Ed Scull

Others on the team can also be dealt in the right deal.

I am looking for young prospects and draft picks so lets start taking so you can take home the Cecil Cup this season and beyond. I am here to help you. Phone lines are open now (so is the e-mail and the instant messenger) so call quick before everyone that can help you win the Cup is gone!!!!! (There has already been interest in many of the players on the roster)

e-mail: jgoldman99@yahoo.com
AIM: jsg3c
Yahoo! Messenger: jgoldman99@yahoo.com

And Covington is moving to...

CLEVELAND!!!!!! The home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is soon to be the home of the Cleveland Steamers. (The official move will not take place until the end of the year, but you can call my team the Steamers now if you want)

The people of Covington seem to be ambivalent about the move, when asked most reply, "We had a baseball team, I did not know that."

The people of Cleveland are much more excited about the move. One resident commented, "I thought it was horrible when they took the Browns away from us, it will be nice to finally get a replacement team."

The new owner and GM Jeremy Goldman was reached at his mansion outside of Atlanta and said, "It is a new day for the team in Covington. It has been a long road in making this team into what it is today, and now with this new direction in Cleveland, look for the franchise to make history in the near future."

It is time to look towards the future and turn this team around, and the start is with the new management and new location.