We’re up to September 11 and the fat lady not only has NOT sung, they haven’t even cleared the stage for her.

Like many observers, I figured the playoff races were all but decided. Boy did that change this sim. Jersey City held a five-game lead over Gainesville coming into the sim. However, Jersey City dropped two of three to New York to start the sim, while Gainesville took two of three from Seattle. That left the lead at four as the two teams squared off for a short two-game series, their last head-to-head action for the year. Gainesville pulled out two one-run wins, closing the gap to just two games with seventeen to play. Looks like we have a close race on our hands.

But, the more astonishing turn of events may have occurred in the Platonic League. While Pittsburgh continues to take September off (3-7 this month) with its massive division lead, it appeared Miami’s 10-game lead over Cairo meant no playoff excitement this year. But, Cairo hosted Miami and swept the Masters in a three-game series to start the sim. Cairo then travelled to Maryland and won the first two games of a series while Miami returned home and dropped two to Stockholm. As a result, Miami now leads by just five games, an imposing lead but clearly not insurmountable. Miami will host Cairo the last three games of the season. Could the wild card berth come down to that series?

A fair number of injuries this sim. Day-to-day maladies were suffered by Stockholm’s Timothy Williams, Maryland’s Alex Rolfes, Seattle’s Bill Auld, Stockholm’s Mark Peters, and Jersey City’s Basil Gomez. Gainesville lost reliever Richard Balsamo for the rest of the season to a strained elbow ligament.

Stockholm’s George Mullikin and Marietta’s George Cue were named Players of the Week.

League file is updated and uploaded. The web pages will be updated this morning too.

The next sim will be Monday by Nate. Will the races continue to tighten, or can Miami and Jersey City recover their mojo? Stay tuned!

Another sim come and gone and the suspense is draining out of the league.  With about a month to go the two league leaders are set and the wild card in the Platonic League is set with Miami moving into a 10 game lead in that chase.

In the wild card spot in the Socratic League what seemed like a tight race is loosening faster than Bud Abbott’s belt at an Atlantic City buffet table.  Jersey City, recently down in the pack with the rest of the hoi polloi is now up by five games on Gainesville and by seven on Brooklyn.  That’s beginning to look pretty good for a playoff spots for the boys in pastel and stubble.

Only one injury this sim.  Ramapough’s left fielder Agustin Morales tore a muscle running one down and will miss the remainder of the season.

The other sad news is the breaking Skeeter outfielder Paul Caldwell’s 25 game hitting streak.  Good luck with the next one, Paul!

The next sim is Friday by Mack.  He’ll take us into mid-September and we’ll see how this thing plays out!  Be there!

We have the first champions of the 2006 season, as the minor leagues have begun wrapping up play. Here are the results:

AAA: The Nyack Rocklands (JCY) and the Sarasota Soup Nazis (MIA) are squaring off in the AAA Championship Series. Nyack beat the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (NYK) 8-1 in a one-game playoff to advance to the title.

AA: The Peerskill Highlanders (JCY) defeated the Charlottesville Hoos (BRK) 6-5 in the decisive Game Five to win the AA championship three games to two. The Jersey City high minors appear loaded.

A: The Bloomington Troopers (JCY) rolled to a three games to one victory over the Las Vegas Low Rollers (NYK). Just what the heck is Paul doing with all of this talent, anyway?

SA: The Niagara Noodly Appendages (RAM) swept the Clearwater Close Talkers (MIA) in three straight games, claiming the title. A bit of bright news for the Ramapough Mountain organization in an otherwise long year.

R: There is one game left in the regular season, but it’s clear that the Jacksonville Junior Mints (MIA) will square off against the Flagstaff Flagellum (RAM). (Is Flagellum the appropriate plural form of the word? Inquiring minds want to know.) Jacksonville’s remarkable 55-6 record (.902 winning percentage) has raised eyebrows in league offices as the Deputy Commissioner suspects the Miami organization of either doping the entire roster or stocking the team with talent that really ought to be at higher levels.

So, congratulations to Jersey City, Jersey City, and Ramapough Mountain on their titles and good luck to the teams still squaring off.

So, while minor leaguers now have the joy of beginning offseason vacations, some may want to put those plans on hold. Rosters have expanded for the final month of the regular season. Here are the results of our seven-day super-sim.

In the Platonic League, the Pittsburgh Pisces lead the division by 18 games over the Miami Masters of Their Domain. Pittsburgh has a 27-game lead over third-place Cairo though and, with 27 games left, the Pisces magic number for clinching a playoff berth is down to one. In other news, Stockholm, Maryland, and Ramapough Mountain now have the three worst records in the OEL, with Ramapough Mountain having claimed a six-game “lead” for the first pick in next June’s amateur draft.

In the Socratic League, the New York Knights have an 11 game lead on the Jersey City Skeeters. The Skeeters have reversed course, winning five of six this sim and opening up a five-game lead over the Gainesville Purple Porpoises. Seattle, Brooklyn, and Marietta have faded a bit, and stand seven, eight, and eight games back, respectively.

In injury news, Marietta lost Charles Fordyce for two weeks to a hyperextended knee, Brooklyn lost Brandon Millette for three weeks to a hyperextended elbow, Stockholm will be without Robert McCree for three weeks to a damaged meniscus, and New York’s Joseph Prosperie will only look on for the next two weeks due to a torn hip muscle. Good things rosters are expanding!

Lots of league news. Jersey City’s Paul Caldwell has a 22-game hitting streak going. Pittsburgh’s Moises Dominguez and Jersey City’s Tobias Rosado threw four-hit shutouts. Cairo’s Tory “Tornado” Chavez and New York’s William Cook took home Player of the Week honors. Pittsburgh swept the monthly awards with Gary “Tiny” Croce, Richard “Buck” Ro, and Danilo “Spike” Henriquez earning honors as top batter, pitcher, and rookie. In the Socratic League, Seattle’s Myles Horne doubled up as best hitter and rookie while New York’s Daniel Nicholes was the best pitcher in August.

Since there were seven days, I’m not going through all of the games. You’re on your own for that one.

Don’t forget to call up those promising youngsters tempting with potential, those endearing minor league veterans looking for their big break, and the honored old-timers seeking one last day in the sun. League file is updated. Web pages will be up when I’m home and remember. Nate’s got the next sim, on Wednesday, when we’re back to the standard five-day schedule.

Did you readers out there in baseball-land know that the letter ‘k’ represents a strike out because the batter has strucK out?  Sadly for those liking consistent symbolism, it’s true.

And K is the word for the sim, players!  Not one, but TWO pitchers strucK out 15 batters in a game this sim.

On Sunday, August 15, Pittsburgh’s Tsukijirou Tashiro struck out 15 Skeeters in routing the Jerseyites 6-2.  Tashiro’s struck out 15, walked none, and allowed six hits in getting the win.

On the final day of the sim, August 24, Miami’s James Pilla sat down 15 Seattle Pilots in winning 6-0.  If anything his line might have been slightly better with 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk and 15 strikeouts.

That’s some crazy pitching, guys!  Do it again!

In the one playoff spot still in contention things changed but a little.    Seattle lost a little ground but Gainesville made it up.  Jersey City now leads in the wild card race by only three games.  That’s one-half game less than when we went into this sim.   Still, only six games seperate Jersey City from bottom dwelling Brooklyn so anything can happen.

The next sim, let me remind you, is a longer-than-usual one to allow Mack to take us to the roster expansion date of September first.  Let’s take this one home and see who takes home the hardware!

It’s August 20 now. Pittsburgh is fairly safely ensconced in one Platonic League spot and, although Miami’s lead over Cairo slipped this sim to 8.5 games, it would still take a heck of a comeback by the Leveemen to unseat the Masters from the wild card. In the Socratic League, New York now has a 9.5 game lead and the Knights seem destined to have the chance to defend last season’s championship.

However, the Socratic League wild card race appears increasingly murky. Jersey City still holds the spot, but leads the Seattle Pilots by a mere 3.5 games. Gainesville, Marietta, and Brooklyn follow, in that order, and even the last-place Bombers are only 6.5 games from the wild card spot. Any one of those teams, if they catch fire, could claim the fourth and final playoff berth.

Only one injury this sim, although it’s one that in the opinion of this humble scribe really, really bites. Pittsburgh lost star centerfielder Oscar Woodworth for the season to a fractured ankle, thus ending the idyllic 25-game run when the Pisces actually had their starting line-up on the field together. It also appears that Woodworth is two plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting title at the end of the year, which renders his .356 batting average nice, but pointless.

In game action, Seattle and Miami went deep into the night on August 15 before the Pilots prevailed 10-9 in 14 innings. The winning run scored on a balk by Miami reliever Martin Hernandez.

On August 16, Seattle again played extra frames before defeating Stockholm 7-3 in 13 innings. Pilot pitcher Juan Moncayo got the win by throwing 5.2 innings in relief, sparing the already exhausted bullpen. Seattle third baseman and young stud Myles Horne drove in the winning run with a double to left field off the previously dependable Lyman Grimm. Also, Maryland defeated Jersey City 4-3 in 10 innings. The winning run scored courtesy of a two-out walk, a stolen base, and an RBI single by Alberto Santoyo.

On August 17, in the game of the sim, Brooklyn topped Ramapough Mountain 16-12. Brooklyn scored 10 times in the first two innings, and then withheld a furious rally by the Indians, who scored five in the ninth. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh won when outfielder Tracy Snider threw out the game-tying runner at home plate, ending a 2-1 victory over Marietta.

On August 18, the much beleaguered Ramapough Mountain pitching staff stepped up and delivered a 3-1 win over Brooklyn, outlasting star starter Tyler Conn and prevailing in the tenth inning on a two-out, two-run home run by Nathan Sanchez. The Indians survived the heartbreak of giving up a one-run lead when the Bombers scored in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. Pittsburgh scored two in the ninth to finish a sweep of Marietta, 6-4. Seattle prevailed by one run, 4-3, when Stockholm stranded the tying run at third base in the ninth inning.

On August 19, Stockholm used two home runs by George Mullikin and eight shutout innings from Tim Nosal to beat New York 4-1. Maryland scored two in the ninth to beat Brooklyn 5-4, with the winning run coming home on an infield single by Brian Staudt.

The next sim is Friday, by Nate. For those of you who haven’t paid attention to the schedule, be aware that next Monday’s sim by me will be for seven days, rather than the usual five, to bring us up to September 1 and expanded rosters. League file is posted and I’ll try to get web pages updated tonight.

Yes, my friends, it’s another sim.  Almost like it’s been no time at all since the last one this sim takes us to August 15.  With six weeks or so to go in the regular season the drama is beginning to melt away for most teams.  It’s time to move on and plan for next year in the Platonic League except for Pittsburgh and Miami.  Those two teams seemed destined for a clash in the post-season!

In the Socratic League there’s still a little drama to be had.  With New York firmly in control of the league leading position the volatility in the wild card race keeps fans fixed!  Jersey City is still in the lead for the second playoff slot but Marietta, of all teams, is now the chaser!  Only four and one-half games back Marietta is in turn chased by Gainesville and Seattle one-half game behind and the last place team, Brooklyn, is still only seven games out of the playoffs!  Any truly hot streak by any of these teams could tip the balance!

Several 1-2 week injuries this sim.  Maryland’s Atlas, Jersey City’s Acevedo, and New York’s Waite were all injured in one manner or the other during the course of this sim.  Even an injury at the wrong time could tip the balance!

The standout game this sim, at least to this reporter, is the August 13th game between Marietta and Ramapaugh Mountain.  In it, the Mammoths put up and amazing 23 runs against the home town heroes.  It’s not often a team can give up 7 runs yet never be seriously threatened for the win!

On the Rule V draft Mack and I have decided that the wonky and incorrect way in which it is implemented in OOTP9 makes the clear choice to do away with it for this version.  It will not be a part of the league set up during the next offseason.  The league will examine the new implementation of Rule V when and if we upgrade to OOTPX in the future.

The next sim in Wednesday by Mack.  He’ll take us to August 20 and I expect you all to be there!

Before I begin the recap, I want to ask everyone to please offer your opinion on the Rule 5 issue here, as Nate and I will have to make some decisions soon.

We’re up to August 10. And, with the heat of summer, has come some hot hitting.

In the Platonic League, wild card holder Miami ran off a 4-1 sim, only to lose a half-game in the standings to Pittsburgh. Although Miami now stands 14.5 games back, they do lead Cairo by 8.5 games in the wild card race.

In the Socratic League, New York has opened an eight-game lead over Jersey City. Jersey City leads third-place Seattle by five games, but even last place Brooklyn is only seven games behind Jersey City. So, possibilities are still endless in the Socratic League.

Only one injury, but it hurts as Miami loses promising young reliever Victor Pardo to a torn tricep muscle. The games says Pardo is expected to miss the remainder of the season, although it seems to me he might make it back in the playoffs.

Player of the Week awards went to Jersey City’s Rudorufu Tatsuya and Pittsburgh’s Danilo Henriquez. Henriquez went .556 with two home runs, 11 runs scored and a fairly remarkable 19 RBI in his seven games.

Now, on to the game action.

On August 5, the Pittsburgh Pisces offense had a reasonably good game, beating Ramapough Mountain 27-6. The Indians chased Pisces starter David Kirklin in the second inning to take a 6-3 lead, but then watched the Pisces score 24 runs. Surprisingly, the Pisces did all that damage without a single home run. As you might expect, Pisces hitters took all three performance of the day slots, but I personally liked outfielder Perry Hodgin’s line, as he walked all four times he came to home plate.

On August 6, Miami broke out the lumber in a 17-12 win over Stockholm. Former Slugger Ben “Sugar” Towell led the way with two home runs, 5 RBI, and 4 runs scored. I guess Towell may still end up as a 2006 World Champion. Meanwhile, Jersey City and Marietta notched road victories by scoring the winning run in the top of the ninth.

On August 7, Miami and Stockholm continued to bash each other, as the Masters prevailed 11-10 in 10 innings. Stockholm held one-run leads going into both the bottom of the ninth and the bottom of the tenth, only to see the game slip away. Gainesville also joined to bash parade, plating ten runs in a win over Jersey City.

On August 8, Stockholm’s Tim Nosal went the distance in an 8-2 win over Ramapough Mountain.

On August 9, two offenses that haven’t done a lot this year struck big, as Ramapough Mountain beat Stockholm 10-5 and Marietta thumped Gainesville 10-1.

Temporary difficulties are delaying posting the league file. I’ll post a comment to the blog when it’s up. In the meantime, I’m updating the league pages. Nate has the next sim, up to August 15, on Monday.

Here’s an updated schedule for the rest of the regular season. We’ll probably do playoff sims every day, as we have in the past.

7/17 (F) – Mack – Sim to August 10
7/20 (M) – Nate – Sim to August 15
7/22 (W) – Mack -Sim to August 20
7/24 (F) – Nate – Sim to August 25
7/27 (M) – Mack – Sim to September 1 (seven-day sim to roster expansion)
7/29 (W) – Nate – Sim to September 6
7/31 (F) – Mack – Sim to September 11
8/3 (M) – Nate -Sim to September 16
8/5 (W) – Mack – Sim to September 21
8/7 (F) – Nate – Sim to September 26
8/10 (M) – Mack – Sim to October 1 (last regular season sim)

Yes, dear readers, it is now August on the baseball calendar and you know what that means: hard plays, hot games, and the most grueling weeks of the season.  The rookies are beginning to wear down and the veteran’s are getting short tempered.

And the OEL moves past the trading deadline and into the stretch run.

In the Platonic League Pittsburgh remains on top despite a flurry of acquisitional activity from those teams fighting it out for the wild card.  Miami has opened a seven game lead now over Cairo.

In the Socratic League New York is up by five on Jersey City after tonight’s sim but surprisingly Jersey City is no longer alone in the wild card hunt! By reeling off a 4-1 sim Seattle is now only four and one-half games out of the playoff spot!

Injuries this time featured two of note and one minor one.  Ramapaugh lost Manuel Martinez for two weeks with a bruised wrist.  Brooklyn lost Ronald Gibby for a few days with a fractured finger.  Lastly, New York lost Paul Rollison for four weeks with a strained rotator cuff.  Ouch!

The dog days of August will continue on Friday with a sim by Mack unless he has another anniversary, or the dog eats his homework, or something.  Be there!

Old college roommates wheel and deal…

Maryland sends SS Fordyce to Marietta for OF Watson and an 8th round pick.