Heading into Season 8 of Glavine 300, the writers at GSPN magazine decided to take a look at the franchises of seasons past. How have they fared? What path did they take to get where they are today? Have they been successful, or one of the dogs of the league? What GSPN has come up with is a cumulative Power Ranking system. Over the next few weeks all 32 teams will be combed over and ranked based on past success…and failure. Each franchise will be ranked based on all 7 of its previous seasons…so yes…if you picked up your team in season 5…you may not like the ranking. If this is the case, our advice to you is; a.) Work to raise the ranking b.) Start your own magazine. The rankings will take place over the next few weeks as we work our way through Season 8.
At GSPN, we decided to save the best for last, so our ranking system is going to work from the bottom up. First we will be looking at the franchises who, despite their efforts, have not been able to find any success. Team abandonment, mismanagement, injuries, bad trades and poor drafting are the hallmarks of these franchises.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Greatest Pitchers in Glavine 300 History
As we are a good 35 games into Season 7 it was time to reflect on who is the greatest pitcher in our league history.
I don't think anybody would argue who is No. 1 as Danny Cummings has won 131 games with a a career 2.10 ERA and five Cy Young awards, but who is No. 2 or 3 or 4?
It's like arguing who is the greatest quarterback in NFL history ... everybody has a different way they analyze the numbers or what is most important to them, and while this won't end any debates, this is one man's opinion based on a stastically formula.
The most important categories are listed below -- Wins, complete games, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, All-Star Games and Cy Youngs, each having a different weight.
Obviously winning awards and wins had the most weight of any category, while points were also awarded for WHIP and ERA -- the two most important stat-based number for pitchers. If your pitcher allows only 2 runs a game and only 1 baserunner per inning, every team in baseball would want that guy.
Complete games and strikeouts had the lowest point totals assigned to them. One can argue they are worthless, but if a pitcher can pitch an entire game, that's less need for a bullpen. Strikeouts keep the ball out of play of a crappy fielding team.
With a runner on third in a tie game with one out, would you want your pitching getting a strikeout or allowing a ball to go through the SS legs or a sac fly to get the run home? So Ks and CGs are taken into account, but by a very small amount (multiplied by .005, lowest of the categories).
| Player (Age) | W-L | CG | Ks | ERA | WHIP | AS | C.Y. | PTS |
| D. Cummings (32) | 131-30 | 44 | 1,599 | 2.10 | 1.01 | 6 | 5 | 75.295 |
| W. Stratton (32) | 100-51 | 37 | 1,321 | 2.80 | 1.11 | 4 | 2 | 45.455 |
| D. Hunter (35) | 111-52 | 25 | 1,179 | 2.31 | 1.01 | 3 | 1 | 40.245 |
| H. Hendrickson (33) | 107-61 | 36 | 1,343 | 3.78 | 1.28 | 5 | 1 | 40.215 |
| F. Matsui (32) | 94-45 | 3 | 1,140 | 2.83 | 1.07 | 2 | 1 | 32.250 |
| T. Cordero (27) | 89-41 | 6 | 1,097 | 3.15 | 1.15 | 4 | 0 | 30.685 |
| R. Hall (33) | 104-41 | 0 | 871 | 2.94 | 1.10 | 3 | 0 | 28.755 |
| E. Miller (27) | 75-24 | 1 | 761 | 2.96 | 1.12 | 4 | 0 | 28.355 |
| K. Service (35) | 101-52 | 5 | 1,026 | 3.37 | 1.17 | 3 | 0 | 27.480 |
| G. Bennett (34) | 99-59 | 44 | 1,203 | 3.67 | 1.28 | 2 | 0 | 25.115 |
Wins were counted as a tenth of the total. Example -- Cummings 131 wins were 13.1 points. ERA = 6 pts for ERA between 2.00-2.25; 5 pts for ERA 2.26 = 2.50; 4 pts for 2.51-2.75; 3 pts for 2.76-3.00; 2 pts for 3.00-3.25; 1 pt for 3.26-3.50. 0 pts for anything above 3.51. WHIP = 3 pts for WHIP between 1.00-1.09; 2 pts for 1.10-1.19; 1 pt for 1.20-1.29; 0 pts for 1.30 and above. Awards = 5 for Cy Young; 3 for All-Star (This are close to what baseball-reference.com uses to determine how good MLB pitchers are).
Obviously age plays a factor too, because the older a player is, the longer he has played and racked up wins, all-star games, strikeouts, etc. But for now this is a career comparison. We could always break the total point number by the numbers of years they played to get an average.
Some might say Hunter should be No. 2, but he was edged out because of less strikeouts, less all-star games and less Cy Youngs.
Harry Hendrickson is the only player in the Top 10 with an ERA above 3.70. He is third all time in wins, strikeouts and does have five all-star games. Just don't look at his season so far this year. Remember, this isn't the best pitcher in Season 7, its the best pitcher over the past seven seasons.
Despite Frank Matsui's bad year last year, he still has had an excellent career with a 94-45 record, ERA under 3.00, second-lowest career WHIP and a Cy Young award.
Look at the youngsters making the list -- Tony Cordero and Ebenezer Miller. Assuming these guys average 12 wins over the next 5 years, they could have more wins than Cummings had at 32 years old. Two stars to definitely watch.
As for the great Don Lee -- he had only 20.510 points. At 35, he has only 82 wins, 862 striketous and just one all-star game. The ERA and WHIP are very good, but the other numbers hurt him compared to the others. He has worse stats than almost everybody in the Top 10. Two other players that just missed out -- Socks Ferrell (24.195 points) and Al Corenjo (24.045 points).
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Who will dethrone the Orioles: The top candidates to end eryanf’s dynasty.
by eranyf
1. Honolulu Monk Seals (aka- Class of the AL): The Monk Seals had an absolutely dominant team last season, finishing with 115 wins. However, they were still no match for the Orioles in playoffs. The Orioles (healthy and rested for the first time all season) swept the Monk Seals and left a bitter taste in owner nadawg’s mouth. Nevertheless, the Monk Seals return this season with essentially the same dominant team in tact and they added talented pitcher Ivan Sosa through free agency, giving Honolulu the deepest starting pitching staff in Glavine 300. While Honolulu’s pitching is the team’s most prominent strength, the true secret to Honolulu’s success is their defense. The Monk Seals committed only 78 errors last season; the next lowest total in the AL was 91. Some more stellar defense combined with the acquisition of Ivan Sosa might be enough to fulfill nadawg’s dream of being the “class of the AL”. (Maybe even the “class of Glavine 300”.)
2. San Juan Warlords: For the last three seasons, coach jwinner5 has been stockpiling top prospects. He has finally decided to unleash those prospects on the ML stage. This team is loaded with future stars and the future is now. With the addition of Danny Cummings, Glavine 300’s first $30 million man, San Juan looks to make the jump from worst to first. It might seem a little far-fetch that a team full of prospects could take down the Orioles but these are no ordinary prospects. Several of these prospects will be all-stars and MVP candidates right out of the gate. In fact, based on ratings alone one could make the argument that San Juan is the most talented team in Glavine 300. That said, individual ratings do not always translate into ML league success. The fact is we haven’t seen most of these prospects play an inning of ML baseball so it remains to be seen how all this young talent will fit together. (My guess is that it is only a matter of time before San Juan emerges as the new Glavine Dynasty.)
3. Syracuse Fade to Black: (aka- the Dark Horse): Now that Cummings is no longer a Camp Disappointment, NL has more parity than ever. However, one young, talented team seems like a possible candidate to emerge from the pack and turn into powerhouse. Fade to Black finished as the #2 seed in the NL last season with one of the Youngest teams in Glavine. Those young players have all improved and Syracuse added the very talented SP Ira Spence to its roster via trade. Those two factors could allow Fade to Black to emerge as NL’s best team and give them an outside shot at ending the Orioles’ reign of terror.
1. Honolulu Monk Seals (aka- Class of the AL): The Monk Seals had an absolutely dominant team last season, finishing with 115 wins. However, they were still no match for the Orioles in playoffs. The Orioles (healthy and rested for the first time all season) swept the Monk Seals and left a bitter taste in owner nadawg’s mouth. Nevertheless, the Monk Seals return this season with essentially the same dominant team in tact and they added talented pitcher Ivan Sosa through free agency, giving Honolulu the deepest starting pitching staff in Glavine 300. While Honolulu’s pitching is the team’s most prominent strength, the true secret to Honolulu’s success is their defense. The Monk Seals committed only 78 errors last season; the next lowest total in the AL was 91. Some more stellar defense combined with the acquisition of Ivan Sosa might be enough to fulfill nadawg’s dream of being the “class of the AL”. (Maybe even the “class of Glavine 300”.)
2. San Juan Warlords: For the last three seasons, coach jwinner5 has been stockpiling top prospects. He has finally decided to unleash those prospects on the ML stage. This team is loaded with future stars and the future is now. With the addition of Danny Cummings, Glavine 300’s first $30 million man, San Juan looks to make the jump from worst to first. It might seem a little far-fetch that a team full of prospects could take down the Orioles but these are no ordinary prospects. Several of these prospects will be all-stars and MVP candidates right out of the gate. In fact, based on ratings alone one could make the argument that San Juan is the most talented team in Glavine 300. That said, individual ratings do not always translate into ML league success. The fact is we haven’t seen most of these prospects play an inning of ML baseball so it remains to be seen how all this young talent will fit together. (My guess is that it is only a matter of time before San Juan emerges as the new Glavine Dynasty.)
3. Syracuse Fade to Black: (aka- the Dark Horse): Now that Cummings is no longer a Camp Disappointment, NL has more parity than ever. However, one young, talented team seems like a possible candidate to emerge from the pack and turn into powerhouse. Fade to Black finished as the #2 seed in the NL last season with one of the Youngest teams in Glavine. Those young players have all improved and Syracuse added the very talented SP Ira Spence to its roster via trade. Those two factors could allow Fade to Black to emerge as NL’s best team and give them an outside shot at ending the Orioles’ reign of terror.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Ideas for Articles?
If you have any ideas for postings, or you would like to contribute yourself, contact me via whatifsports sitemail so we can get it moving. I enjoy posting, but dont have the time to do it frequently. Help fill the void!!!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
PREVIEW - Baltimore Orioles
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Overview
The Baltimore Orioles finished the season by capturing their second straight World Series title. The Orioles cruised to 112 wins during the regular season, easily capturing the AL East and a #1 seed in the playoffs. However, things were not so easy for the Orioles once the playoffs began. The Orioles needed seven games in both the ALCS and in the World Series in order to reclaim their title. These ultra-competitive series appear to show that the talent gap between the Orioles and the other contenders is minuscule. As a result, the Orioles are going to need to continue to improve if they want to defend their title once again.
Key Changes
Orioles lost Glen Rhodes and Ray Gilmore to free agency. The Orioles also traded away Glaive 3000 all-time great Rico Estrada . In return for Estrada the Orioles received Bronson Stone , Jorge Lopez , and John Cain . The Orioles also decided to promote phenom Chris Camilli . In addition, the Orioles made a series of smaller moves to cut salary and bolster their bench.
Key Players
Edgardo Rosario 's break out season led the way for a dominant Orioles offense. Rosario will have to have another huge season if the Orioles have any chance of filling the void left by the trade of Rico Estrada.
Reginald Hall leads what looks to be Glavine 3000's deepest pitching staff. While there are teams that have more superstar pitchers than the Orioles no one has more talent top to bottom. However, Orioles depth took a significant hit when Jorge Lopez went down with a season ending injury in spring training.
Outlook
As a result of management's effort to maintain the Orioles success without sacrificing the future, the Orioles under went a tumultuous off-season. Consequently, there are more question marks surrounding this team than last season. Can young Chris Camilli fill the void left by Rico Estrada? Can the five rookies on the opening day roster equal or surpass the production of the veterans that they have replaced? Can the Orioles' bull pen continue their remarkable consistency? These are just some of the questions facing this Orioles squad that hopes to continue their remarkable championship run.
PREVIEW - Honolulu Monk Seals
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Overview:
The Honolulu Monk Seals coasted into the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons last season, securing the # 1 wild card spot well before the season was over. They were eliminated by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round. In Honolulu, however, their sights are set higher for Season 5. They want to retake the AL West Division Pennant as they did in Season 4 and are looking to make it further than the second round of the playoffs for the first time in team history.
Changes from Last Season - The Honolulu squad is an amalgamation of returning veterans and hot young stars. Most of last years squad is returning with exception of grizzly vets Morgan Tyson and Archie Houston who were both signed in Free Agency by Washington D.C. (The Monk Seals were awarded the 19th, 35th and 43rd overall picks in the Amateur Draft for these signings.) Other than those two, the core of the Monk Seals squad will be returning with the addition of hot prospects slugging left fielder Julio Pena and set-up pitcher Placido Cordero who are currently in the minors but will be brought up to the ML squad in the coming weeks.
Key Players:
Season 4 Rookie of the Year, Glendon Carter, will be returning to play his first full major league season, he is looking to improve on his stellar .385 avg, 40 HRs and 128 RBIs in 390 at bats last season. Rookie of the Year finalist, Melvin Zhang is also looking to improve on a fantastic rookie year and to round out the young core of offensive talent, the Monk Seals are guessing that left fielder Julio Pena will be in the running for ROY this year as well.
The pitching staff for the Monk Seals looks very much the same with the starting 5 of last year returning for another season. Jumbo Cruz, Benj Purcell and Tony Jackson all won 15+ games last year and are looking to repeat those successes. The most questionable part of the Monk Seals squad last season was the bullpen and they are looking to bolster it with the addition of hot young pitching prospect Placido Cordero, an international signing who will be making his Major League debut in the coming weeks.
Season Outlook:
Season 6 looks to be another successful one in Honolulu as the team seeks to improve on its 98-64 record last season. The core squad remins the same with a couple of additions that should help them improve on this record and take them to their second division title in 6 years.
Prediction: 102 - 60 -- 1st place AL West -- Advance to AL Championship Game
Saturday, January 3, 2009
PREVIEW - Las Vegas Dealers
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Overview:
The Las Vegas Dealers were able to retake the division title in season 5 after lossing it for the first time in history to their top division rival, the Honolulu Monkseals in the season prior. After finishing the season strong to earn the #2 playoff seed in the final week, the Dealers were chased from the playoffs in 5 games by the Toledo War Kittens. Despite the playoff loss, the season was considered successful, accumulating a franchise high 106 wins.
Changes from Last Season - A veteran team, the Dealers had most of their players tied up to long term contracts. Only two key members were lost, RF Vern Cole and reliever F.P. Flanagan. To bolster the pen and fill the void left by Flannigan, the Dealers signed free agent Willie Miranda to a three year deal, their only free agent signing. Coming off a successful season, the Dealers feel this is all that is needed to continue their success.
Key Players:
Offensively, reigning AL MVP [URL=http://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=1311311]Manny Lewis[/URL] will continue to lead the offense, hoping to build on his 58 HRs and 153 RBIs from season 5. Other key players include slugging third baseman Chris Wayne, who hopes to rebound from a down year and SS Chad Forbes who lead a defense near the top of the league in defense.
Pitching is still a strength of the Dealers with their entire rotation returning. Season 1 Cy Young winner Harry Hendrickson leads the staff, picking up at least 16 wins and 200 Ks in each of his 5 seasons. Ace closer Darryl Fassero comes off a career high 45 saves and looks to equal or better his career 1.06 WHIP and 2.35 ERA.
Season Outlook:
Season 6 looks to be another successful one in Las Vegas as they return most of the players who led the team to 106 wins in Season 5. The division should be more challanging with division rivals Honolulu and Colorado Springs both making significant offseason improvements. Despite this, Las Vegas hopes to again take the division title and enter the playoffs as no less than a three seed.
Prediction: 100 - 64 -- 1st place AL West -- Advance to AL Championship Game
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