Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 4

Another year has begun and Mile High has still not figured out how to beat Chicago. The Tiger Army, aside from being the rivals of the Mackerel, are the only squad against which GM Jon Bielecki’s team has a losing record in the history of ECB. That trend continued in Week 4 with a 445-415 loss to Steve Adler’s Tiger Army.

“We put up 415,” Bielecki said in his Monday morning presser, “We do that every week, and we’ll be okay. We just can’t get past Adler for some reason.”

Bielecki hung the loss on sluggers Victor Martinez and Logan Morrison going on the DL before Wednesday’s games started. The Mackerel got only two points combined from them.

“Would that have made the difference? I don’t know. Even with Jhouls’ 5 points, we still had almost 200 points from pitching. We’ve got to point the finger at the offense this week.”

Andre Ethier led the way for the offense, putting up a steady 34 points while David Price won both of his starts for an output of 54 points for the week. Even after the loss, Mile High is still ahead of Chiaco, sitting in 4th place after four weeks. The Mack will take on New Haven (11-25) in Week 5.

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 3

Mile High continued their solid early season play and started its first winning streak of the young season by dispatching New Haven to the tune of 406-355.

Troy Tulowitzki took home HOTW honors with 50 points, joining Mark Teixeira as the second Mackerel to take home the honor in the season’s first three weeks. Mile High had 7 hitters score 22 points or more, putting up a season-high 263 points of offense. Jered Weaver  continued to not lose, racking up his fourth win in as many starts.

“So far, so good,” GM Jon Bielecki said, “Everything’s clicking right now. We’ve got a couple of concerns, but the rest of the squad is really firing right now.”

“Weaver has been unreal,” he said, “but the biggest thing last week was getting solid starts from Lester, Price, and Cahill. If we can get our pitching together, we’ll be really tough to beat.”

Mile High takes on rivals Chicago Tiger Army in Week 4 of ECB.

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Marshall Street

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

MARSHALL STREET MENACE
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Joe Mauer	2006	428
1B	Jason Giambi	2006	500
2B	Ian Kinsler	2008	510
3B	Troy Glaus	2006	478
SS	Derek Jeter	2006	509
CI	Troy Glaus	2005	430
MI	Robinson Cano	2010	501
OF	Carlos Lee	2007	516
OF	Andre Ethier	2009	507
OF	Ichiro Suzuki	2005	456
OF	Carlos Lee	2008	438
UTIL	Dustin Pedroia	2008	453
UTIL	Derek Jeter	2005	453
P	J. Broxton	2009	541.17
P	CC Sabathia	2008	534.84
P	Rafael Soriano	2010	532.17
P	CC Sabathia	2007	506.5
P	Roger Clemens	2005	508.16
P	Mariano Rivera	--	490.36

What I Learned:

1. Marshall St? In case you haven't noticed I've been going in the order of most playoff appearances. I didn't expect Marshall St to be ahead of Speedway. And they're not. It's a tie, but such is the magic of the almanac.
2. Yankees. Watts has taken advantage of the Yankee hatred in this league and benefited from great seasons from a variety of Yankees like Jeter, Rivera, Cano, Giambi, Sabathia, and maybe Clemens (can't remember which mercenary year that was).
3. SWA. BAT. Andre Ethier is the first Keene Swamp Bat to make our list (fittingly for a former GM who was also a SwaBat), but definitely not the last. Well, maybe he is for this go around, but hope to see some more when I update this list in a few years. Long live the Swamp Bats!

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 2

Led by Pitcher Of The Week Jered Weaver’s 60.7 points, the Mile High Mackerel rebounded from a Week 1 loss to Colorado by picking up 7 wins against the struggling Baltimore Devil Jays. Weaver and Troy Tulowitzki (34 points) accounted for almost a quarter of the Mackerel’s league leading 412.5 points and vaulted the Mack to first place atop the ECB standings.

Pitching was the key to victory for the Mack, who got a total of 183.5 points from their six pitchers. “It could have been more than that if it weren’t for the Red Sox being so friggin’ terrible,” skipper Jon Bielecki said, “but overall, I was very happy with the pitching staff we went with last week.”

The Mile High offense contributed a stellar 229 points, which is somewhat impressive considering they got their first double of the season on Wednesday. “It was a team effort on that side of the ball,” Bielecki said, “No one person carried the team. That being said, we’re still looking for more from Uggla and (Austin) Jackson.”

Mile High takes on New Haven in Week 3 without the services of Ryan Zimmerman. “We should be okay,” Bielecki said, “but we’re really going to need Buster and Vladdy to pick up the slack this week.”

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Baltimore

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

BALTIMORE DEVIL JAYS
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Joe Mauer	2009	454
1B	Prince Fielder	2009	570
2B	Dan Uggla	2010	482
3B	Michael Young	2009	443
SS	Michael Young	2005	484
CI	Prince Fielder	2007	543
MI	Michael Young	2006	474
OF	Grady Sizemore	2008	553
OF	Grady Sizemore	2006	538
OF	Grady Sizemore	2007	524
OF	Adam Dunn	2007	522
UTIL	Adam Dunn	2009	516
UTIL	Adam Dunn	2006	510
P	Chris Carpenter	2005	551.66
P	Johan Santana	2007	508.5
P	Felix Hernandez	2010	505.66
P	F. Rodriguez	2007	493.84
P	Chris Carpenter	2006	448.67
P	Brad Lidge	2008	416.84

What I Learned:

1. Dunn and Dunn. What were the rest of us thinking? Every year Grashow throws Dunn back in the redraft pool, and every year we all pass on him, looking for sexier picks. Until Watts took him this year. Well played Watterson.
   
2. A Man Named Grady. Almost forgot how great that guy was. Pretty incredible to see the production that Baltimore received from Grady and Dunn. Too bad for Cleveland, Baltimore, and baseball fans in general that he has been beset by injuries the last couple years.
   
3. Obvious. This team more than any that I have done so far I felt like I would have been able to fill in without even looking at the almanac, even more than Woosta. Michael Young falls in the same group as Dunn who Baltimore has redrafted frequently. Carpenter was a mainstay for many years and the new Baltimore generation of King Felix, Prince, and Joe Mauer have started to leave their mark.

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Mile High

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

MILE HIGH MACKEREL
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	R. Hernandez	2005	182
1B	Derrek Lee	2005	602
2B	Robinson Cano	2009	453
3B	R. Zimmerman	2009	497
SS	Jimmy Rollins	2007	565
CI	Mark Teixeira	2009	526
MI	Hanley Ramirez	2007	553
OF	V. Guerrero	2007	519
OF	Bobby Abreu	2005	518
OF	Nick Markakis	2008	516
OF	V. Guerrero	2006	512
UTIL	Hanley Ramirez	2008	535
UTIL	Hanley Ramirez	2009	526
P	Roy Halladay	2008	628.99
P	Tim Lincecum	2009	609.17
P	Bobby Jenks	2007	499.83
P	Tim Lincecum	2008	479.67
P	Mariano Rivera	2006	457.83
P	Mariano Rivera	2008	443.34

What I Learned:

1. There Is More Than One Way To Win. Woosta and Chicago were heavy on OF and 1B types, but Mile High has made 8 playoff appearances in 10 years as well and they have done it with tremendous strength up the middle with the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, and Robinson Cano to the extent they filled his UTIL spots as well.
2. DRAFT A CATCHER! Ramon Hernandez ranks as the lowest all time player thus far. It looks like GM Bielecki was at least subliminally aware of this as he drafted both Buster Posey and Victor Martinez this year.
3. Keepers. The one that first comes to mind is Adrian Gonzalez after the 2007 season, but it seems guys like Robinson Cano, Roy Halladay, and Adrian Gonzalez (again) took great offense to being thrown back into the non keeper pool (Get it? MACKEREL!).

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Woosta

By Steve Adler

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

WOOSTA PIMP ROOSTAS
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Victor Martinez	2009	474
1B	Albert Pujols	2009	650
2B	Rickie Weeks	2010	474
3B	Alex Rodriguez	2007	653
SS	Jose Reyes	2006	520
CI	David Ortiz	2006	599
MI	Jose Reyes	2007	517
OF	Josh Hamilton	2008	543
OF	Vernon Wells	2006	519
OF	Manny Ramirez	2008	490
OF	Alex Rios	2007	462
UTIL	Albert Pujols	2006	541
UTIL	Albert Pujols	2010	566
P	F. Rodriguez	2008	654.68
P	Ubaldo Jimenez	2010	570.67
P	Roy Oswalt	2005	521.82
P	Josh Beckett	2009	461.34
P	D. Matsuzaka	2007	458.68
P	Cliff Lee	2008	452.62

What I Learned:

1. Rich Knows Pitching? I think everyone remembers/knows about Rich's love affair with K-Rod, but I never EVER would have guessed he was the all-time leader in single season points for a Roosta. It will surely help his MLB Hall of Fame resume.
2. Go Red Sox! Given that we have 6 years of data and only 4 spots for Pujols (if we went back further he could have gotten some of the OF spots I believe) I assumed he would sweep them. I didn't expect Ortiz to make it with his great 2006 season. As a side note Albert Pujols broke 500 points all but one year (when he had 490 points).
3. Strong Keepers. Many of the men on this list would likely wear a Woosta hat into the HOF as that is the team they would identify with and have spent the bulk of their career. It shows that Rich has identified and kept talent for a long time, likely leading to his 4 ECB titles.
4. BLUE JAYS! I will listen to Rich anytime he tells me a Blue Jay outfielder will have a great year, like Rios or Wells. So what's on tap for Adam Lind this year (fingers crossed)?

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 1

After months of anticipation, the 2011 Elm City Baseball season kicked off in abbreviated fashion last week. The Mile Mackerel welcomed the ECB’s newest member, the Colorado 470s, into the league in Leg 1 of the battle for The Shield Of Gratitude. Mile High finished just outside of the playoffs in 2010 and was looking to start the season off on a positive note for a potential playoff run. Colorado, under new ownership, has made no bones about the fact that their days of being the ECB doormat are over, and looked to prove their point by defeating their crosstown rivals in the Denver Derby.

In a week free of two start pitchers and very many closing opportunities, the focus was on hitting in Week 1, and the 470s answered the bell with a flurry.  Scanlan’s squad launched 11 homers as a team in just 4 days led by 3 from inaugural draft pick Ian Kinsler. Mile High kept pace with 10 homers of their own, putting both Colorado teams at the top of league in that category after Week 1. The 26-point win by the 470s can be attributed to the Mackerel’s all-or-nothing approach at the plate. As a team they registered exactly 0 doubles for the week (25 1Bs and 2 3Bs). Tack on an extra win late in the weekend for Colorado’s Gio Gonzalez, and the 470s ended the week winning their first ever series 5-4.

“Is was great to get our first series win,” Scanlan said, “but it was almost more important to make a statement coming into the league. Things worked out very well for the squad this week. Hopefully we can ride that wave into our first full week of action against the Tiger Army.”

Mile High GM Jon Bielecki spoke with a sense of subdued optimism after Week 1’s loss, “We’re not too worried about Week 1,” he said, “Lincecum could have gotten a win on Opening Day, and I’m fairly certain Tulo will get a few hits this year. Teixeira snagging Player Of The Week honors was huge after struggling early on last season. We’re pretty happy with the squad as-is for the moment.”

Mile High will take on Baltimore in Week 2 starting on Monday.