The real sim, taking us up to June 10, has now been run. Jersey City has won seven in a row, apparently realizing it’s not September yet. They’ve closed to 1.5 behind Maryland and 4.5 behind Pittsburgh. Seattle now leads Miami by 5.5 and Marietta by 6. New York is now 2.5 behind Marietta.

Pittsburgh’s Randy Carman and Miami’s Richard Vuong are players of the week. No major transactions. Notable injuries to Gainesville’s Reinaldo Salerno (2-3 months) and Seattle’s Charles Fordyce (4 weeks).

League file posted. Next sim is Friday by Nate. Sorry for the mix up, as Nate and I lost track of who was doing which sim.

A misunderstanding between Mack and I leads to later sim than realized. It’s up now. Enjoy.

I’ve had it with AAA infield prospect Maximo Rodriguez. He’s 23 years old, and my scout gives him 1.5*/2.5*. He’s also in his third year of AAA and is really frustrating. He’s a solid defender at third, can play short a little, and I’ve been teaching him second this season. He’s killing my AAA squad this year, hitting below .200 and playing bad defense (albeit while learning second base).

I want him gone. I’ll deal him for a sixth round pick to whoever contacts me first. The sixth round is full of 1*/1* guys, so I’m basically willing to take a flyer on anyone else, because he just drives me nuts. (Plus, I want to promote someone from AA.) I think he should be good and he’s not. At least, not yet.

He’s angry. I’m angry. I want him gone. So, he’s available to anyone with more patience than me.

Well, not technically, but it’s June! That’s summer for most of the Western Hemisphere, or at least everywhere outside Seattle where summer doesn’t hit until July 5 most years. When summer ends in the real world, it starts in the OEL. Hurray for perpetual summer. Also, new scouting reports in the game. Wooo!

The league leaders appear unchanged, as Pittsburgh still leads Maryland by 3.5 games in the Platonic League. Jersey City is now in third, 3.5 games behind Maryland and a half-game ahead of Brooklyn.

In the Socratic League, Seattle is still five games ahead of Miami. Marietta is still a half-game behind Miami, although its lead over fourth place New York has stretched from a narrow single-game margin to a massive 1.5 game chasm.

Monthly and weekly awards were handed out. Weekly winners were Stockholm’s Horace Lawson and Tupper Street’s Ted “Yuni” Corns. Monthly winners for top hitter, pitcher, and rookie in the Platonic League were Pittsburgh’s Alberto “Nutso” Jimenez, Maryland reliever Jeffrey “Tornado” Snyder, and Brooklyn’s Benjamin Beshears. In the Socratic League, the big honors went to Miami’s Ben “Sugar” Towell, Marietta’s Willie Gowans, and Seattle’s Wayne Jones. No major transactions.

In injury news, it was a bad sim. New York lost reliever Ariel Santos for 12 months to a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. Miami outfielder Calle Bengtsson will miss six weeks with a quad strain. Seattle catcher James Dominy fractured a rib somehow running the bases and is out five weeks. Pittsburgh outfielder Amberto Ramos is out four weeks with a fractured foot sustained when he was hit by a pitch. Maryland shortstop Felix Seda will miss 5-6 weeks with a fractured finger. Tupper Street third baseman Robert Judy is out one week with back soreness. Plus some day-to-day stuff. Ugh.

In college baseball, the Georgetown Hoyas have claimed the national title, defeating Florida four games to one. In high school baseball, the Ridgemont Wolves are champs with a four games to two victory over Glen Rock.

In game action, lots of teams won, lots of teams lost, and several players were good. Unfortunately, you’ll have to find that data yourself, as I’ve got to head to my daughter’s soccer practice (sign #12 that summer is ending in the real world).

League file is posted. I’ll try to get the web pages updated tonight too.

In coming action, this Friday’s sim will take us up to June 15. That means that the draft will be next Monday. So, get your draft lists ready in the game. (At least, those of you who are better positioned than my Pisces and pick before #37 should get lists together. I may just hit snooze on the alarm clock.) After that, short-season A and Rookie league ball will start during next Friday’s sim (the June 25 sim).

Another sim closer to the draft and eventually expansion, boys. Keep prepping for what’s to come!

In the Platonic League Pittsburgh maintains their 3.5 game lead over second place Maryland. Brooklyn is now 5 games out of the wildcard and needs to make up some ground fast.

In the Socratic League Seattle remains on top but is now being chased by Miami five games behind. Marietta, once in second, is now 1/2 game out of the wild card. New York is one game behind Marietta.

On the injury front we see that Pittsburgh lost Gary Croce for 1-2 weeks with a strained quad and, more devastatingly, Brooklyn lost right fielder David White to a strained hamstring for 6-7 weeks. Tough break.

In game action:

…Seattle broke a 7-all tie in regulation with 5 runs in the top of the 10th to beat Cairo…
…Pittsburgh defeats Brooklyn in a game which changed leads four times in the last two innings…
…on May 29th every interleague game was decided by 1 run…

Everyone go get your upgrade to the new and final edition of OOTP 11. Next sim is Monday by Mack!

Now that the expansion draft has been worked out, Nate and I have started discussing the other issues tied up in expansion. First on the block is realignment. Since not all of the new owners have been added to the blog, we’ll probably discuss this one mostly by email. (Although, I am posting this to the blog too, so you can comment there as well if you like.) Everyone is invited to chime in, whether you’re currently running a team or just eagerly anticipating one.

So, we’ll have a 16-team league for the 2010 campaign. The two leading options are a 4×4 alignment, that is, four divisions of four teams each and a 2×8 alignment, two leagues of eight teams each. I suppose some sort of three division mess similar to the current NL is a possibility, but that’s too awful in my opinion. Some notes about each alignment:

4×4

1. Game-generated schedule has 16/17 games against each team within the division, 10 games against each team in the same league but other division, and 9 games against each team in the other league. We obviously could also come up with a different schedule, but this is the easiest option.

2. Playoff options include only division winners (4 teams in playoffs) or division winners plus two wild cards per league (8 teams advance). It doesn’t look like one wild card team per league (6 teams advance) is an option.

2×8

1. Game generated schedule has 16/17 games against each team within the division and six games against each team in the other league. Again, a custom schedule is also an option.

2. Playoff options include only division winners (2 teams in playoffs) or division winner plus one wild card per league (4 teams advance).

So, what are people’s thoughts about the alignment? Nate and I are leaning toward 4×4, but don’t have a strong opinion on the number of playoff teams.

Thanks to hot streaks, the division leaders have started to separate a bit. In the Platonic League, the Pittsburgh Pisces have run off nine straight wins and have opened a 3.5 game lead over the Maryland Poedamnedmonium. Maryland has been hot as well, winning eight of their last ten. Brooklyn is in third, nine games behind Pittsburgh and 5.5 behind Maryland. Jersey City is a half-game behind Brooklyn. Gainesville has won four straight and is two back of the Skeeters while Stockholm has a three-game hold on the cellar.

In the Socratic League, the Seattle Pilots have won 13 of their past 14 and now have a 3.5-game lead of their own. The young Marietta Mammoths are in the wild card spot, 1.5 games ahead of Miami and New York. Tupper Street and Cairo are both reeling. No major transactions.

In league news, New York’s Erwin Herrero ran his hit streak to 35 games, only to see it snapped by Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s Joseph Yagi and Seattle’s Wayne “Snapper” Jones took home Player of the Week honors.

In injury news, Jersey City outfielder Gonzalo Fernandez fractured a finger when hit by a pitch and will miss 6-7 weeks. New York closer Paul “Rockin” Rollison is out for two weeks due to a hamstring strain.

In game action, on May 21, Stockholm used two home runs by Horace Lawson and 8.2 innings of two-hit shutout baseball by David Liriano to beat Marietta 11-0.

On May 22, Gainesville got two bombs from Kenrokurou Yoshii in a 9-6 win over Cairo. Ted Corns led Tupper Street to a win with two home runs of his own while Patrick Layfield went 5-5.

On May 23, Seattle scored five in the eighth to come back and beat Jersey City 8-4.

On May 24, Stockholm took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth only to see Pittsburgh score seven runs and hold on for a 7-5 win.

On May 25, Gainesville and Brooklyn busted out for 14 runs each, in 14-4 wins over Tupper Street and 14-7 wins over Marietta, respectively. Miami’s Richard Vuong went 4-4 with a two-run home run, but the Masters fell 3-2 to New York and ace Abe Nix.

The playoffs have begun in the college and high school ranks. The Georgetown Hoyas have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their opening round series with the two-time defending champs from the University of Washington. In the other series, the Florida Gators and Adams College Tri-Lambs are tied at one game each. The college home run champ was Iowa’s freshman sensation Wen “Big Thunder” Won, who clubbed 23 home runs in 46 games. Harvard senior Vincent Crabtree hit .443. Washington senior Max “Roach” Barnes led college baseball with a 33.6 pitching VORP and tied for the lead with a 2.42 ERA.

In high school, the Ridgemont Wolves lead 2-0 over the Glen Rock Panthers. The home run leader in the high school ranks was another freshman, North Springs first baseman William Garant, with 19 bombs. Ridgemont first baseman (and fellow freshman) Ernest Townsley hit .513 for the year. Although, with 100 ratings for infield range and infield error, one wonders why the heck he’s playing first base. Danville sophomore Hitoshi Sekine led all pitchers with seven wins in his ten starts.

Good luck to the amateur playoff teams. League file is posted. Nate has Friday’s sim.

Seattle sends AAA MR Ruiz to Jersey City for AAA CL Mariscal.

Offering OFs. Martin, Dehner, Frisina, Fernandez, Pullum definitely up for sale. Tilgham & Yorba untouchable. Ciprian if the deal is right.

Also available SS Hernandez, Gahagan, Walla, Morrow, Parson.

Just to covering a dangling thread: the last of the expansion owners has accepted our offer and should be introduced to the rest of the league shortly. Next steps will be forthcoming from Mack and I shortly.

In the Platonic league Maryland continues to chase the frontrunning Pisces and is now only 1 lonely game behind the leader. Jersey City, however, is now 6.5 games behind Pittsburgh and was as recently as two sims ago tied for the wildcard. Bad luck in Jersey!

In the Socratic League Seattle lengthened their lead for .5 games to 2 games and now New York is in second. Marietta is one half game behind NY and Miami is one half game behind Marietta. With four teams bunched up within three games of each other and more than four months to go there’s no telling how this will end!

In the news for this sim New York’s Edwin Herrero now has a 33 game hitting stread. Just 23 more to tie DiMaggio, Edwin!

In awards for this week we have Cairo’s Raul Zambrano, with his 12 hits in 25 at bats and 2 home runs in the SL. In the PL Brooklyn’s Benjamin Beshears took the award home with his .458 average and 8 runs batted in!

A small amount of injury news this sim as Gainesville’s Richard Balsamo aggravated his existing injury and will be hurt for an extra week. More seriously Stockholm has lost left fielder Ronald Veit for 2-3 months with a strained forearm. Tough luck!

In game action:

…Seattle’s Wayne Jones got his 10th home run of the year in a 9-7 win over Cairo…
…New York put up 5 in the bottom of the ninth to beat Marietta 7-5…
…Miami put up 14 against Stockholm the same day that Pitt put up 13 against Brooklyn…
…Stockholm got some payback the next day beating Miami 10-9 in 13 innings…
…Pittsburgh had an 11 run INNING against Brooklyn…

The next sim is Wednesday by Mack! Keep looking at those draftable players!