Power Pros Forum

[My wife and kids are visiting with grandma for a few days, so I've had some extra time on my hands...]

LAS VEGAS GAZETTE -- SPORTS --May 19, 2009

Well, sports fans, since we have a lot people tuning back in to see the local Bobcats now that they are winning, many are wondering what happened to that awful 2008 team that they stopped following last season. They did have a poor 2008, mainly due to an anemic offense that rarely scored more than 2 runs per game. They pitched surprisingly well, except for Huroki Kuroda, who was not the "stopper" the team hoped for, but even with their solid pitching, the team allowed an average of 4 runs per game. If you're any good at math, you'll know that allowing an average of 4 runs per game while you only score 2 runs per game is not a recipe for success!

There was some good that came out of the 2008 season. The Bobcats RF Rijo (EEDEEE) won rookie of the year, with a batting average of over 340, and LF Denham (FDEEEE) was one of the top defensive OF, although most claim that the award fails to penalize OF who lack range.

The team made a few odd decisions in 2008. One was to focus time and financial resources on improving the defense, which is not a poor decision in and of itself, but when you rank last in the majors in run-scoring, that does leave you open to second-guessing. The 2nd was in using their 2008 draft pick on a 3b. The 3b they selected, Erdos (ECEDEE), was clearly the most offensively-advanced player available, and his strong right arm absolutely made him an attractive pick, but it gave the Bobcats 5 3b (including starter, Suarez (EBEDED), who is becoming the face of the team and Brendan Harris, who can play 3 infield positions). What the Bobcats really needed, defensively, was better OF, as only their CF, Brian Barton, has a defensive range of D, and in the expansive Panpaka Park, that is just begging other teams to hit triples!!!

Many were upset that closer Kevin Hart (95 EE SL-4, CB-4, CH-3) was not given an award, as he led the league in saves with a team that had a losing record, but at least the Bobcats found themselves a young, solid closer!

So a lot of Las Vegas fans lost interest and tuned out while the Mohave Bobcats sputtered to a losing record. It was not the worst record in baseball, but the fact that 3 teams fared worse than the Bobcats was little consolation when fans saw the other expansion team - the Louisville Muskrats - win the world series with their talented lineup that included Carlos Beltran, Orlando Cabrera, Paul Konerko, and Dan Uggla.

In the 2009 off-season, the Bobcats had some trouble signing free agents, but did sign OF Eric Byrnes (DBCCBC). The Bobcats were negotiating with Byrnes and Carl Crawford - the premier FA OF of the offseason. It is not clear whether Crawford, who is faster and about 5 years younger than Byrnes, just preferred the Seattle Mariners or if the 'Cats were truthful when they said that they preferred that Byrnes can play LF or CF, and seems to hit better with 2 strikes than Crawford. Regardless, Byrnes has played well in the unfairly spacious Panpaka LF and has been excellent at the plate, batting 361 and leading the league in steals, although his 3 home runs is somewhat disappointing.

The Bobcats also signed Mike Redmond (DDFCCB). No one really questioned signing this older catcher to a reasonable $800,000, 1-year contract, but the Bobcats starting catcher, Grindel (ECFCCC) was great behind the plate, and catcher Josh Bard (DCFEDB) was solid behind the plate and while hitting, too.

Redmond, it turns out, has been an important piece for the current team, who is in 1st place over the Angels by 4 games. Redmond and Bard split time behind the plate, with Bard playing against teams without a lot of speed, or when the manager thinks he needs a little extra offense, and Redmond playing the other times.

What happened to Grindel? Well, during the offseason, the team took advantage of Grindel's athleticism and he started 2009 as the starting SS. Although he is slower than their 2008 SS, Stephen Drew, the Bobcats appreciate his fewer errors, and he improved his defensive ratings from CCC to BBC, giving him more range and a stronger arm than Drew (ECBCCD). Drew has mostly sat on the bench, but recently became the team's DH and has been doing well. However, he is furious at having lost his starting position. Word is that Drew has asked for his release and the team said it is willing to release him...after the season.

Another surprise at the start of 2009 was that neither Rookie of the Year OF Rijo or defensive standout Denham were on the ML roster, let alone starting. With Byrnes signed and CF Barton still on the roster, it was clear that only RF was open, but 2 of the Bobcats rookie 3b learned to play RF, and Condrey (ECECDD), who says his practice at shagging foul, fly balls at 3rd helped him understand the OF, was named the starting RF. He has played excellent defense and is hitting 363 with 18 RBIs, largely out of the 7th slot in the lineup.

Rijo and Denham did not make the ML roster (although they have been called up when a replacement starting OF was needed) because OF Bridges toiled in the minors last season, and although he still does virtually nothing at the plate, his level D speed and level C defense make him a better defense replacement than either Rijo or Denham.

In addition, [color=#00BFFF]SS Dawley (DECCCE) learned 2b in the offseason and won the 2b job from Brendan Harris[/color]. Dawley's average is hovering around 300, which is about 50 points better than Harris did last season, and Dawley's speed (he is 2nd in the league in stolen bases, behind LF Byrn), improved range and arm are the reasons cited by the Bobcats for the change. Harris is a great utility player to have on the team, but he is reportedly unhappy and will likely be granted his release after this season.

2008 #1 draft pick, Erdos, meanwhile, improved his defensive ranking from DED to CEC, learned to play 1b, and is now the primary backup 3b and 1b.

How do all these changes result in a team going from worst to first? Well, the teams power numbers are actually DOWN this year, which most thought was not possible, as Byrnes, Suarez, and Kotchman, the only players on the team with level B power, account for only 12 home runs 45 games into the season. The team's 21 home runs is the fewest in the majors by far, and the teams middle relief has been less consistent than in 2008, but the improved defense (CF and 1b are the only spots where the players there have the same defensive rankings as in 2008) has helped allow a league-low 165 runs this season. The teams 190 runs scored makes the Bobcats one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league, but they are using their speed to put runners in scoring position and make up for a lack of home runs and extra-base hits.

A team official who asked to remain anonymous said the team will likely go into the 2009 draft looking for the best player available because they have had a lot of success converting players to other positions, as needed. This means that they will probably pick a SS or another 3b, as we expect those players to be the most advanced in this year's draft. The team's biggest need is improved offense and OF defense. That team official says that the team has been focusing on team speed, which helps defense and offense so far, but at some point, will switch to a focussed training to improve power at the plate. As for improved OF defense, Byrnes is under a 2 year contract, and the team will try to sign another FA OF with solid range this offseason. It is not clear if the Bobcats will be able to compete for the premier FA OF, like Andruw Jones, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, but Emo Brown (DDCDBC) and Willie Taveras (CEADCC) could be available upgrades, and if Jason Bay (DCBDAB) is available, he might be the perfect signing, as Byrn could slide over to center, giving the team 2 great fielders to cover their expansive left and center fields.

Awesome, I really love your logs!

Lol, Emo Brown.

It's actually Emil. But great update!

2009 MLB DRAFT

The 2009 draft concluded and with the fourth pick, the Bobcats took a solid player who should be able to contribute for a number of years, but not provide help in their current season.

SS Ruggiano, at age 25, is "middle-aged" on the Bobcats roster, but with rankings of 6, 110, 8, 9, 10, 7 – 1, he should be able to make the jump to the majors with relative ease. Ruggiano entered the draft as a potential five tool player, meaning he is expected to develop decent power and speed, and already is solid with the glove, although his level seven error resistance was a concern for the teams picking before the Bobcats. An official with the Bobcats agreed that the error ranking was a concern for a potential shortstop, but with Ruggiano's rankings, they project him as a centerfielder, for which that error ranking is less of a concern.

Ruggiano probably will not see any time on the major-league roster this year – not even when the rosters are expanded in September. With Grindell and Stephen Drew as the first and second shortstops on the roster, and Dawley, Brandon Harris, and minor-league midfielder Dailey all able to man shortstop, Ruggiano will not fill a need in 2009, and the Bobcats are likely to want to preserve his eligibility for the rookie of the year award in 2010.

With their second-round pick, the Bobcats chose a 21-year-old pitcher. At 93 EC CU – two, CB – two, FO–3, Chiasson does not project to develop the stamina needed to start, but could be valuable out of the bullpen. The Bobcats are also taking a chance on undrafted free-agent pitcher Sears. The 19-year-old hurler was not drafted due to control concerns (94 GC SL – two, CB – three), but the Bobcats want to see how he develops, and are anticipating him learning a splitter next spring.

With the draft completed, here is a look at the Bobcat's other young players, and how they project into the Bobcats' plans:

Obradovitch (7, 94, 8, 10, 11, 9–2): the 19-year-old catcher has honed his defensive skills to the point where some expected him to jump from the third string catcher to the second string catcher this year after starting catcher, Grindell (ECEBBC), made the switch to SS, but the signing of Mike Redman resulted in this defensively-gifted player spending 2009 in the minors. The Bobcats are decided between having Obradovitch learn several infield positions this off-season to replace Brandon Harris as the team's main utility player in 2010, or stay solely as a catcher so he can improve further with his hitting this offseason.

Suárez (8, 142, 9, 10, 8, 9–4): the Bobcats 21-year-old starting third baseman is one of their top offensive performers and has improved his defense. He shows interest in stealing bases and may become a baserunning threat by the end of the season. He has the potential to develop into a perennial All-Star if he trains hard the next couple of seasons.

Borkowski (95 EB117 2SF – one, SL – two, CB – one, FL – one): the 22-year-old has pitched effectively out of the bullpen and has worked on his stamina to the point where he can regularly go five or six innings, although he does not have the breaking pitches to warrant a starting spot. The Bobcats are pleased with his development, but do not expect him to compete for a starting role before 2011.

Rosado (93 FC SL – two, SP – one, SK – two): the Bobcats believe this 22-year-old, who learned the split-fingered fastball last spring, can be an effective late inning reliever, but he lost his reliever's role this season because his breaking pitches simply did not have enough movement on them. The Bobcats hope he will be a contributor next season.

Bridges (6, 70, 9, 7, 10, 8–2): the 22-year-old did not get any playing time in his rookie season and while he does not project to be a starter, he made the most of his time in the minors, improving his fielding to the point where he can be defensive replacement. He learned to play all OF spots this spring and he is working on improving his speed to the point at which he might become a regular pinch runner. A bench player serving as a defensive or pinch running replacement is probably the most Bridges will be a will to do at the major-league level

Crabtree (85 EC 2SF – one, SL – three, CB – one, KN – three): another young pitcher that the Bobcats hoped would earn a relief role this season, the 23-year-old was sent back to the minors because even though his knuckle ball was solid, he just does not have enough giddyup on his fastball to overcome his lack of movement on his other pitches. That he is the only pitcher the Bobcats picked up who can't hit 90 mph on the radar gun does not bode well

Erdos (7, 131, 9, 10, 7, 11–2): the 23-year-old number one draft pick of 2008 could be a starter, but with the Bobcats star hitter, Suárez, entrenched a third, Erdos learned first, which means he has the unfortunate job of backing up the Bobcats to most offensively-powerful players, Suárez and Casey Kotchman. In limited duty, Erdos is hitting a solid 350 and has started stealing bases since upping his speed to level D, earning more playing time at 1st and pushing Kotchman to the DH spot, at the expense of playing time for Stephen Drew.

Dailey (8, 97, 10, 10, 11, 7 – one): the 23-year-old second baseman spent 2009 in the minors, trying to improve enough to push Brendan Harris out of the second baseman spot. In the off-season, Dailey learned to play shortstop, although that was just to add roster flexibility, but with Grindel taking the shortstop position, Dailey lost the 2b spot to Dawley, who has similar rankings to Dailey but is a better hitter. Dailey has better error resistance then Dawley, but Dawley has been playing a solid second base, making Dailey's future unclear. Recently, however, Stephen Drew has been making errors at SS in his limited opportunities, so when the Dog Days of summer hit the Bobcats and a lot of players in purple condition were rested, Dailey got some playing time and was solid in the field, though sporadic at the plate.

Rijo (7, 99, 11, 8, 8, 7–3): the 23-year-old 2008 rookie of the year was expected to start in right field again in 2010, but while he honed his defense, another Bobcat player honed his defense even more and took the RF job. If Rijo had learned to play both other outfield spots, he may have made the roster, but his inability to play left field has resulted in him toiling in the minors for most of 2009. When he has been brought in, he's hit under 200.

Pineda (95 DB SL – two, CU – two, CB – one, PA – one, FO – three): the Bobcats 2008 second round pick is 24 years old and has pitched great in the middle and a long reliever's role, and is expected to challenge for a starting spot in 2010 after, the Bobcats hope, he further develops his slider and cut fastball

Grindell (6, 123, 8, 12, 12, 11–2): the Bobcats 2008 starting catcher is the team's best defensive player and has made a seamless transition to shortstop. He recently increased his speed to level D and the Bobcats hope he will become a base stealer.

Denham (5, 105, 9, 8, 8, 8 ): the 24-year-old won a defensive award last year, but has toiled in the minors for most of this year. Improved defense and run speed, and his learning the other two outfield spots has resulted in him seeing some playing time recently, and he has hit well when give the opportunity. Denham does not project to be a starting caliber outfielder in the short-term, but if he trains well, a starting spot might be in his future.

Dawley (8, 97, 10, 10, 11, 7 – one): the shortstop – turned, second baseman has played very well this season, both in the field and at the plate. The scrappy infielder has very little power, but has entrenched himself in the number two hole, making contact and being a base stealing threat whenever he is on first.

Swanson (6, 133, 8, 9, 8, 7–2): the 25-year-old 3b was in the minors for all of 2008, and after the Bobcats selected 3b Erdos, it was clear that if Swanson had a future with the team, it would be elsewhere. He learned to play right field, but was unable to beat out the current starting right fielder. Had he learned to play left field, he may have made the roster as a backup outfielder. As it is, he is competing with Bridges, Rijo and Denham for the fourth outfielders spot, but he is hurt by his ability to only play RF.

Condrey (7, 128, 6, 10, 8, 8–2): the 25-year-old third baseman spent 2008 in the minors and surprised everyone in spring training by improving his arm, defense, and error resistance to levels that made him the obvious choice for right field. Condrey has rewarded the Bobcats by hitting 335 with 22 RBIs, largely out of the seventh and eighth holes in the lineup, and is the early favorite to win the AL rookie of the year award.

Pineta (5, 109, 6, 6, 6, 10–3): drafted late in the fantasy draft, the Bobcats supposedly took a flyer on this 1st baseman because they liked his hitting potential, that if he got near the ball as a fielder, he could grab it, and he had a nice trajectory on his swing, but the 28-year-old 1b was considered a project who would probably not make it out of the minors. Pineta has learned the catching position and has improved, somewhat, but not enough to be considered a likely major-league roster invitee.

Cunnane (4, 113, 8, 8, 6, 9–2): the 28-year-old first baseman was selected one round before Pineta, and he is similarly viewed as a first baseman who would likely not make it out of the minors. However, he has improved his arm strength and speed to the point where he has been called up when the Bobcats starting first baseman, Casey Kotchman, or their primary backup, Erdos, has been in purple condition. He learned to play right field in the off-season, and is expected to learn left-field this upcoming off-season.

LAS VEGAS GAZETTE -- SPORTS - 6/23/2009

With 88 games remaining in the 2009 season, the Bobcats lead the AL West by four games over the Angels. Their 45 and 29 record is tied with the Dodgers for the second best record in baseball, behind the Yankees by two wins, and ahead of the 2008 World Series Champion Louisville Muskrats by three wins. With only 52 team homeruns, the Bobcats have about 20 fewer home runs than the Yankees and Dodgers, while the Muskrats lead baseball with 118 home-runs with their powerful lineup that includes Aubrey Huff, Carlos Beltran, Orlando Cabrera, Dan Uggla , Paul Konerko, and Kenji Johjima. The Bobcats, meanwhile, lead the league with 99 stolen bases, 30–40 more than the other teams mentioned.

The 'Cats seem to be making up for their lack of power by consistently getting runners in scoring position via the stolen base. We had an opportunity to sit down with the Bobcats baserunning coach, Jack McSlide, just before the Bobcats game with the Athletics in which two of the team's five stolen bases led to the Bobcats first two runs scored in this game – a game the 'Cats ended up losing because they left a lot of runners in scoring position and had a few miscues on defense – and asked Jack to share some tips on base dealing with us.

"Well, we do prioritize base stealing - we have to. It is very important in this League to be able to score without needing 3 hits. That is really why extra base hits are so valuable. Stealing turns singles into doubles and allows us to score with just 2 hits in an inning. That is why when we have players that can steal bases, we green light them all the time.

"Our base stealers generally include anyone with a running speed level D or higher, but of course it also depends on who is pitching and who is catching. For the most part, we consider ourselves to be running against the catcher, so if a catcher has a weak arm – level E or lower, the pitcher does not matter to us that much. Once the catcher's arm as level D or higher, however, then we look at how fast the pitcher throws. For example, if we have a catcher with a level C-arm and the pitcher throws a high 90s fastball and a slider, with nothing else, we will be more hesitant to run. Similarly, if a pitcher with a high 90s fastball also has a curve and we choose to run but the picture throws a fastball, we will generally have our batter take a swing to try to protect the runner. "

Jack, is there any secret to how your runners seem to get such good jumps?

"Well, we try to decide pretty early on whether we are going to run or not, and if we plan to run, it is easier if the pitcher holds the ball for a while so we can get the steal sign down a few times and get a bigger jump. The best is if the pitcher takes a look at our baserunner before we decide to run and then he holds the ball. The pitchers don't generally look at first, then hold the ball, then look again, so once they look at first and then look back for the signal from the catcher, our guys start to get their jump."

Thank you, Jack. Good luck with the rest of the season.

Mike Redmond got the "good catcher" ability today. He previously failed to get "great catcher." I'll definitely need to resign him this offseason!

Anyone know when he generally starts to decline?

Those "see you"s and "if I would"s are especially nasty in this game

No clue on Redmond, sorry

Well, Redmond was 37 at the time so I imagine it would only take a few years and then he retires.

Ugh! I missed those! The "see you" is a cut fastball (that's what happens when I dictate "C U." Not sure what the "if I would" is, and I don't feel like searching for that player right now - maybe the "F O" for forkball?

Thanks. Yeah - he might be the oldest catcher in the game right now. I am pretty sure that he will not retire as long as he is on my major-league roster. I think the way the game works is that at some point, older players skills start to decline, but they do not retire until they spend a full season without being on any team's major-league roster.

Without going back into my game to check, I believe Redman's current rankings are DDFCCB. I imagine that if I keep re-signing him, one spring (maybe next spring) he will show up with E power, G speed, and D defense. I would probably still use him with those rankings in a similar way to how I use him now – when the opposing team has a significant number of speedy players, and now that he has the good catcher ability, I'll use him when my starter as a lower stamina.

Josh Bard (DCEEDB, I think) is my other catcher, and he is also trying to learn the good catcher ability after failing to get "great catcher."

So… I recently played the 2009 All-Star game and for the second year in a row, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were not voted in. Since they have been there in every season mode All-Star game I ever played before, I have to assume that they're not being on the Yankees (because I did a fantasy draft) has a lot to do with their not being All-Stars.

It is particularly noticeable with Derek Jeter because I always felt the computer sort of increased his odds of being named All-Star game MVP because he was usually the only shortstop on the roster so he would need to play the whole game.

8/4/5/09: The first two games of the Bobcats – White Sox series were quite exciting.

In game one, the Bobcats Franklin Morales (94 EB SCB – five, CH – three) faced off against the White Sox Tim Wakefield (77 CB DCB – one, KN – five). Wakefield normally frustrates young batters, but the Bobcats showed good patience and actually scored a run in 3 of the 5 innings Wakefield threw, but after a terrible third inning from Morales, the White Sox held a 6–2 lead that seemed to be safe. The 'Cats chipped away at that lead and ultimately tied the game at six all in the 6th. Both teams scored additional runs, but the ninth inning ended in a tie, sending the game into extra innings where the White Sox won, 11–10.

While game one had 21 runs of offense, White Sox starter Roy Oswalt (96 BA SL – four, CB – three, SP – three, CH - three) was outstanding, pitching a five hit shutout through eight innings. Fortunately for the Bobcats, number six starter John Lannan (90 EB SL – two, CB – four, CH - two) matched Oswalt through eight innings, also allowing no runs and only three hits in that time, with the help of some very solid defense. Both pitchers tired in the 8th, and the Bobcats took advantage of Oswalt in the 9th, as Byrns led off the inning with a double and scored when Casey Kotchman, who hit the ball hard in his prior at bats, singled to left field. Said the Bobcats baserunning coach "I knew that Carlos Lee runs relatively slowy, and with his level D arm, we were going to send Byrns home even though it was a shallow single. Fortunately, he was safe." The White Sox then brought in Tyler Yates, but he allowed Kotchman to score when Erdos and Condrey singled, bringing up the ninth-inning which Bobcats closer Kevin Hart saved by retiring the White Sox in order. Final score: 2-0, Bobcats

Why are you using so many different colors?