Astros Franchise-MVP Baseball (World Series!)

[jonthefon]

Stupid sim-engine. Played a game in my stacked dynasty, lead 8-0 after four (including a Marquis three-run shot, since I disabled DH in both leagues), while Marquis is firing away and gives two hits in four innings. So obviously, get bored and sim the rest.

And of course, the bad long reliever (stats were something like four pitches in the 70s) holds my booming offense for four shutout innings and five K's and they score four of their own runs in the fifth, chases Marquis who doesn't get the decision, and stays at 0-4 for the season. Still win 8-4, but I find the engine crap.

[JT_55]

lol that sounds pretty stupid indeed. Make sure Marquis pitches 5 before you sim
next time

[jonthefon]

Torii Hunter and Linebrink signed. Hunter signing stupid, unless it's in some sort of trade (a 10m outfielder in Matthews Jnr.), Linebrink, I'm not sure about. He sure wasn't as good this year as in 05 or 06.

Torii Hunter and Linebrink signed. Hunter signing stupid, unless it's in some sort of trade (a 10m outfielder in Matthews Jnr . Linebrink I'm not sure about.

Can't tell if I was lucky or unlucky not to win 1-0 in a game I played today. I stranded a stack of runners on base, had ten hits (several of them extra-base) and grounded into an innings-ending DP with bases loaded. Meanwhile, I throw a runner out at first from right field with Drew as a runner on third heads home, Byrnes tosses out Miguel Cabrera at home and Papelbon saves after a lead-off ground rule double by Cabrera. Could've got a couple of insurance runs if it had not been for Young stealing pinch-hitting Wilkerson's steep shot to right after Valentin's lead-off double top of the ninth. Then Wright is caught on the left-field wall and Papelbon has to save.

Oh yeah, Santana was the one pitching, but I only got four SO's with him (thanks to his deadly changeup) since they were mostly grounding out on the first two pitches.

[JT_55]

I hate that. Getting robbed and flying out to the wall. Good thing it didn't cost you the game.

The more people the Angels sign, the more scared I am. Even though as you said, Hunter is creating a logjam at centre.

[jonthefon]

Astros sign Kaz Matsui? Not sure about this. I mean, talking of the Coors split, of Burke still having more upside, of Kaz being 32 and having an assortment of injuries...

EDIT: Baseball is a funny game. I was totally shut down for six innings by Mathieson or someone, (has a 95mph fastball, and I struggle with heat, a two-seam with a little bite and a deceptive slider). He dominates, Ortiz is 0-for-4 during this time including two DPs involving Wright.

Marquis has technically a perfect game over five (he gives up a single to Dunn who gets thrown out going for second), gets in trouble with runners on the corners before Grudzielannak is caught stealing second.

Top of the seventh, Byrnes triples in Wilkerson, Valentin is walked and I pinch-hit Marquis with two outs for none other than JD Drew, who hits a three-run homer. Next innings, Byrnes hits another two-out three-run shot and it's suddenly 7-0. Top of the ninth, bases are loaded, Ortiz singles to drive in two. Then Luke Scott hits a grand slam and I win 13-0 after struggling into the seventh. Marquis finally gets a win, Ayala saves his sixth game (Papelbon has seven.)

[jonthefon]

Eric Byrnes is officially awesome. I pitch really badly with Santana for five innings, giving up eleven hits (although about three were bloopers barely missing the infield), which includes a three-run shot to Burrell and the score goes to 5-4 to the Red Sox (Victorino had hit a solo homer and three doubles and a single in the first gave me the scoring.)

Then, bottom of the fifth, Wilkerson cracks a solo dinger, Pratt (hey, hits lefties pretty well) drives in Drew for a 6-5. Bring on Lowe, he pitches four strong innings for a save. Byrnes comes up, two-outs, hits a GRAND SLAM and the game ends up 10-5. Two homers and eight RBI's in my last two games by Byrnes (he has about 5HR and 30 RBI) on this fantasy Mariners dynasty. I'm playing it too much, but it's so damn fun.

[JT_55]

And I thought my franchises were rigged. 13-0 and 10-5. Is this on the hardest mode?

Too bad Byrnes only is 70-70 in MVP 03. Two grand slams. Nice. You probably won't believe me, but I only have maybe one or two grand slams ever. Sort of because I hit the homer before the bases get loaded .

I haven't been playing much of baseball games these days, a bit busy this past while. And a bit tired of the game.

[jonthefon]

Nah, it's on All-Star since I get absolutely killed on MVP. And usually, when playing with un-rigged teams, All-Star is pretty difficult, especially when my pitching is generally terrible and I can't steal bases if I had a five-second head start.

I've only hit three grand slams: previously, it was with Abreu in Detriot on the original MVP 05.

Right now, MVP 07 is pretty much the only game interesting me since Live 08 sucks hard and PES6 and Live 05 are getting a bit stale. And of course, since my exams are over.

[jonthefon]

Holy cow, the Cabrera and Willis trade combined into one. Never heard of the prospects, but I assume they're very good.

[JT_55]

Yikes. Mo Town looking for a second serge after their WS loss to the Cards. They would be pretty scary to face, they'll have one of the best power hitter to go along with Magglio, Pudge and co. But as long as they don't win the whole thing or knock off the M's, I could care less.

And the Bo Sox might end up with Santana. Now this is the one time I'm glad the Yankees have so many great propects and a huge salary cap, although they still might not get him.

[jonthefon]

Gaaaaaaaah, I absolutely do not want anything to do with the sim engine of 05 anymore.

I play a game against Giants on my real Astros dynasty. Playing on All-Star, but I play against Kim, who throws an 88mph fastball and pretty dead sliders and curveballs. Plus half the pitches are hung high in the zone. Biggio nearly hits a homer off the second pitch of the game, only for Bonds, despite his 'roids, to leap up on the Crawford Boxes wall and grab the ball. Top of the third, Pence drives in Ausmus, then Berkman gets a hanging fastball and deals it 426ft back into the Boxes for a three-run homer. Carlos Lee then hits an inside-the-park-homer thanks to an error on Tal's Hill (funny thing: Lee owns both of the inside-the-park homers I've hit in this game: one in the All-Star Game after a glitch involving Ichiro running constantly into a wall, and this one.) 5-0, Wandy Rodriguez cruising, I let it sim the rest of the way.

Nuh-uh. They score one next inning, then in the ninth, Wandy gives up two, and the computer brings in Trevor Miller instead of Lidge to close it. He gives up two hits, Lidge gets the two remaining outs but gives up a hit to score the two tying runs, blowing the save. Orlando Palmeiro draws a walk and Biggio triples him home to win it 6-5, but that's a sign of things to come.

That was yesterday. I play again today against Zito, who throws stuff which makes me yawn (slow, looping curveballs are seriously underrated in the game and they throw the fastball too often...meaning I get easy fastballs about 40% of the time). The Giants defence turns two freakish double plays to keep them in the game, but Loretta, Scott and Backe all hit doubles to make it 2-0. A couple of innings later, Brad Ausmus of all people hits a two-run shot making it 4-0 again. Inning after that, Ty Wigginton smashes a linedrive which hits Zito in the face, deflecting to Vizquel for the out. Zito is off injured, I decide that the computer should be able to beat Giants bullpen especially since Backe has one hit (a solo homer by Bonds) over five innings. Unfortunately, I get screwed over again on sim. They rally back the deficit in the ninth again (this time, Lidge didn't even pitch) and then a homer in the 11th gives them the win. GAWDDAMMIT! Gotta manage next time. Learnt my mistakes. At least Zito is out for 64 days with a pretty bad concussion.

And about the Santana issues? Lester, Crisp and somebody else looks too good a trade for the Sox, though I suppose money is still an issue.

[JT_55]

That is horrible. 03 doesn't even have this mid-game sim feature, so no problem here, although it is a pretty big pain in the ass to have to play 9 whole innings when I'm winning 7-0 in the first. One question: Can you at least coach when you sim? If not, might want to try using all bench and bullpen guys except for Lidge and Wheeler. Cause then the CPU has absolutely no choice at all and has to bring either one of them in to pitch.

Bonds actually made a few great catches in real life, but I don't think he could've made that one. Although I would be suprised if he could actually leap an inch off the ground. Would've been funny if he pulled off a Canseco (BOINK! ).

I hate when guys keep running into the wall. Good thing it was Ichiro who was playing against you.

[jonthefon]

Remember, this is using a roster after the Wheeler trade (hence Wiggy?) I'll just manage from now on.

Jose Canseco was a funny guy. The time he needed Tommy John surgery after pitching an inning? And I did read his autobiography (about the only baseball book they have at the local library along with another good one on the 1986 New York Mets.)

EDIT: Hooooooooooooooooooooly shit. Just hit a two-out, grand slam in the bottom of the seventh with JD Drew. Tulowitzki hits a homer and Victorino gets a sacrifice RBI afterwards, but...wow. Game 6, 2007 ALCS deja vu. And I K'd nine over this game, the most I think I've had . I had to pinch-hit Pettitte after five despite his six strikeouts, but he was sitting about 50% by then as well. Papelbon gave up two homers in the ninth to Manny (stupid occurrence: he was on the bench instead of Pat Burrell) and Mike Lowell, both of mistake fastballs intended to be out of the zone.

[JT_55]

Got 'roids? Wow, the report came out, and Miguel Tejada is on it? Not that I'm suprised he's on the list, but what bad luck for the Astros if he has to serve a lengthy suspension. No wait, it's not bad luck. WTF were they doing trading for him in the first place anyway?

Somehow I know most of the guys on there. Almost all of them are low-rated, 30+ guys in MVP 2003. Like Segui, Bigbie, Cust, Franco, Knoblauch, Zaun, Villone, Franklin, Pratt, McKay, ect...

I kind of laughed when I saw Mo Vaughn on the list. Always hated the guy, not because he's fat, but somehow always hits against me in MVP. Probably because I aim high and inside . Crowds the plate, tries to jam him with an inside fastball and turns on it for a homer. From that point on, it was HBP's for Vaughn.

[jonthefon]

Don't bother me.

I'm still crying over the disgusting Tejada trade.