SimLab Today – June 23, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today.  The second half of the 1964 TFC season has started and the 2027 OTM regular season is now finished:

The Football Chronicle: 1964 Sim #8 (Week 8)

• We have a battle brewing in the AFL West between the Chargers (George) and the Raiders.  The two teams faced off for the first time this season and the Raiders came away with a 26-17 victory at Frank Youell Field in Oakland.  QB Carl August threw four interceptions; his last one was returned for a score by Otto Meyers, to put the Chargers behind, 16-7.  San Diego was losing 23-7 at the end of the third quarter.  An interception return by Louie Robinson, his third interception and second ran back for a score, brought the Chargers closer,   Speaking of interceptions, August’s four picks give him 12 on the season, tying him with Buffalo’s Nicholas Crawley for the most in either league.  However, August threw for 253 yards, putting him at the top of the yardage board among TFC quarterbacks with 2,275 yards, which is 30 more than Crawley.
• Minnesota (Michael) dropped in the pecking order of the NFL West, losing to Chicago in Week 7, 24-14, before playing archrival Green Bay at New City Stadium.  Minnesota seemed to have left its offense back in Minnesota, as the Vikings managed only 10 points in a 41-10 loss to the Packers.  Minnesota went up with a quick field goal just over three minutes into the game, but Green Bay scored the next 34 points before Minnesota scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter.  By then, the starting quarterback, Dom Olivieri (5/9, 64 yards), was knocked out of the game during the first series of the second quarter and remains questionable for next week with a finger injury on his throwing hand.  QB Robert Purvis (8/19, 112 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) came in and was sacked and threw a pick-six before completing his first pass.  He threw a pick-six in his next throw after his fourth-quarter touchdown pass. 
• Green Bay is the best team in TFC, as the Packers are 7-1 after defeating Minnesota in Week 8.  But, the next challenge is just around the corner with a matchup against Chicago at Wrigley Field.  The Bears (6-2) is the only team to beat the Packers (Week 3, 34-17).  The winner of the Packers-Bears tilt will be the odds-on favorite to win the NFL West.  Cleveland and the New York Giants are waging a nice battle in the NFL East, as both are 6-2 and two games clear of third-place St. Louis.  In the AFL, the Chargers still lead the West at 5-2-1, but Oakland is right behind, standing a half-game out at 5-3.  The third-place Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) would lead the AFL East, as the Oilers are in first place at 4-4.  Other big matchups in Week 9 are the Browns traveling to Busch Stadium to take on the St. Louis Cardinals and the AFL West matchups with the Chargers at Denver (4-4) while Kansas City (4-3) hosts the Raiders.

Over The Mound: 2027 Sims #25 and 26 (September 20-October 3, 2027)

• The Heinhsohn Division came down to the very end of the season to determine the division winner.  The New York Gothams and Lowell Knights were tied at 91-68 entering the series.  The teams split the first two games of the series, so it came down to game number 162.  The final game of the year was tied after seven innings in an improbable pitching matchup between 20-game winner Dane Buchanan (20-8, 2.75) against 24-year-old recent call-up Adrian Vazquez (0-1, 9.39).  The game was scoreless through four and New York picked up three runs in the fifth on a two run double by Jerry May and a sacrifice fly by Jaime Diaz.  Vazquez held Lowell down for five innings before the Knights broke through with two runs in the sixth to cut the New York lead to 3-2 on a Jordan Whitman home run.  Vazquez left with a 3-2 lead, but reliever Cisco Gonzalez coughed up the tying run, as Lowell deadlocked the game at three in the seventh on another homer, a solo shot by Whit Waters.  But, the game, series, and division was decided by New York in the top of the eighth.  The Gothams loaded the bases with no one out against Buchanan, who pitched the entire game, on a Ty Chapman double, Diaz intentional walk, and Pat McGowan infield single.  Cisco Ordonez hit a sacrifice fly to center and T.J. Gallagher doubled home Diaz for the final margin of victory, 5-3.  These two teams will battle it out in one Eastern League Division Series.  The other Eastern League Division Series will also be a battle of divisional foes, but the Brooklyn Hoodrats (87-75) finished 31 games behind the team with the best record in the OTM, the Boston Ninja Black Sox (118-44).
• The Western League was not as balanced, as the Duffy Division was home to three of the four postseason entrants from the West.  The Ruston Rabbits (101-61) had the best record in the league, finishing eight games in front of Wild Card winner Helena Bobcats (93-69) and 13 games in front of the other Wild Card entry, the Portland Beavers (88-74).  The only representative from the Battisti Division is the Guelph Royals (97-65), as the Royals finished 12 games in front of second-place Mexican Hat and 15 in front of third-place Omaha.  Guelph will take on the Wild Card team with the best record, Helena, while Ruston and Portland make up the other half of the Western League draw.
• Locally, at least you could say that Mexican Hat (Michael) and Omaha (George) were the only two teams over .500 in the Western League, and two of three teams in all of the OTM, not to make the postseason.  But, Mexican Hat won 85 games after winning 93 games last season.  The fortnight started off well, as the Wild Burros stayed alive for the division by winning two of three at Guelph.  However, the Wild Burros lost on Friday at Chicago, 2-1, and even though Guelph dropped a 4-0 decision at Omaha, Guelph clinched the division.  Over the last two weeks, Mexican Hat was 6-7, but lost the last four games of the year, including a sweep at the hands of Duffy Division winner Ruston.
• Omaha was 9-3 in the final two weeks of the year, including a spotless 6-0 final week to finish above .500 for an 18-game improvement over 2026 and the first .500 season in six years (83-79 in 2021).  Still, Omaha finished 15 games behind Guelph and six games out of the Wild Card.  However, the 6-0 record was against last-place Chicago and fourth-place Toronto, but Omaha is used to being at the bottom of the division, not finishing in the bottom two of the division for the first time since 2019.  Doug Samuels finished the season leading the league in ERA (2.50) and tied for the league lead in wins (22-9) with Helena’s Donnie Curtis.  Samuels will be in the conversation for the Rockett Award, given to the league’s best pitcher.  24-year-old Wally Hughes completed a great rookie campaign and might be in the running for Rookie of the Year consideration.  Hughes was called up on June 7^th and finished third on the team in home runs (22) and fourth in RBI (65).  Hughes batted .295/.347/.517 and was named the Western League Rookie of the Month in September (.320-7-21) and promised even more to come with a 7-for-12 final series against Toronto with three homers and four RBI.

Since neither local OTM team made the playoffs, we’ll have a playoff recap after all is said and done in the 2027 OTM Playoffs, which will have Wild Card entries for the first time.  Follow the Over The Mound website for the latest playoff news.

SimLab Today – June 22, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today.  June has sprung in The Baseball Chronicle (TBC), as we are about 60 games into the 154-game schedule:

The Baseball Chronicle: 1932 Early June Sim (June 1-15, 1932)

• Both the Cubs (George) and Dodgers (Michael) improved in late May, but they are far back in the National League picture.  The Boston Braves are 2-1/2 games better than Cincinnati, four up on the improved New York Giants, and seven ahead of both Keystone State teams, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.  The Cubs and Dodgers make up two of the bottom troika in the NL, as they were joined by defending the World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The Cubs had a .500 sim (8-8) and sit at 19-28, 13 games in back of Boston.  But, the Cubs are at the league scoring average of 4.5 runs a game and allowing 4.7 runs a game.  Based on their Pythagorean record, the Cubs should be 23-24, four games better of where they are now.  But, alas, the Cubs are playing .404 baseball.  The Cubs outscored their competition, 76-68 over the fortnight with a 5-2 record on Pittsburgh and took two of three from NL-leading Boston.  1B Dave Buford had a much better sim, as he batted .373/.422/.508 with a homer and 8 RBI.  SP Earnest Tharp (4-3, 6.19) had arguably the ugliest pitching line in a victory, lasting 7-2/3 innings against Pittsburgh on May 31^st, allowing four runs on four hits, but he walked nine without striking out a batter.
• The Dodgers took a game from each series in late May, except for a one-game series against Boston on May 31^st that resulted in an 8-5 loss.  Brooklyn took one game each against Cincinnati, St. Louis, and the New York Giants in three-game series, while winning two of five against Philadelphia.  The five wins during the sim were split among Hal Manville, who went 3-1 in late May, and staff ace Fred Apselm, who was 2-2.  Overall, the 5-10 record in late May moved Brooklyn to 10-36 and May ends with the Dodgers 21-1/2 games behind Boston and 8-1/2 games deep in the NL cellar.

Tune in tomorrow on SimLab Today, where we recap the final regular season sim in the OTM and we start the second half of the 1964 TFC season.

SimLab Today – June 21, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today, as we kick off the week we close the month of May in The Baseball Chronicle (TBC) and hit the halfway mark in the 1964 season in The Football Chronicle (TFC):

The Baseball Chronicle: 1932 Late May Sim (May 16-30, 1932)

• Both the Cubs (George) and Dodgers (Michael) improved in late May, but they are far back in the National League picture.  The Boston Braves are 2-1/2 games better than Cincinnati, four up on the improved New York Giants, and seven ahead of both Keystone State teams, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.  The Cubs and Dodgers make up two of the bottom troika in the NL, as they were joined by defending the World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The Cubs had a .500 sim (8-8) and sit at 19-28, 13 games in back of Boston.  But, the Cubs are at the league scoring average of 4.5 runs a game and allowing 4.7 runs a game.  Based on their Pythagorean record, the Cubs should be 23-24, four games better of where they are now.  But, alas, the Cubs are playing .404 baseball.  The Cubs outscored their competition, 76-68 over the fortnight with a 5-2 record on Pittsburgh and took two of three from NL-leading Boston.  1B Dave Buford had a much better sim, as he batted .373/.422/.508 with a homer and 8 RBI.  SP Earnest Tharp (4-3, 6.19) had arguably the ugliest pitching line in a victory, lasting 7-2/3 innings against Pittsburgh on May 31^st, allowing four runs on four hits, but he walked nine without striking out a batter.
• The Dodgers took a game from each series in late May, except for a one-game series against Boston on May 31^st that resulted in an 8-5 loss.  Brooklyn took one game each against Cincinnati, St. Louis, and the New York Giants in three-game series, while winning two of five against Philadelphia.  The five wins during the sim were split among Hal Manville, who went 3-1 in late May, and staff ace Fred Apselm, who was 2-2.  Overall, the 5-10 record in late May moved Brooklyn to 10-36 and May ends with the Dodgers 21-1/2 games behind Boston and 8-1/2 games deep in the NL cellar.

The Football Chronicle: 1964 Sim #7 (Week 7)

• Minnesota (Michael) is in the middle of a breakneck two-game road trip against the other top teams in the NFL West, Chicago and Green Bay, and it did not start as the Vikings (5-2) expected.  The first game of the road trip ended in a Bears win, 24-14.  The Vikings made it a game in the fourth quarter, as the score was 17-0 after three quarters.  Two quick touchdown passes from QB Dom Olivieri, to WR Lyman Hirsch and WR Stephen Newman, in the span of less than four minutes early in the fourth quarter.  Oliveri is leading the league in passing yardage with 2,118 yards in seven games (302.6 ypg).
• The Chargers (George) continued their assault on the AFL and gained a measure of revenge on a team that gave San Diego (5-1-1) its only loss in the first half of the season.  San Diego defeated Houston on the road, 16-10.  Halfway through the year, San Diego only sits behind Green Bay in scoring and the Chargers are fifth in all of The Football Chronicle in offensive yards from scrimmage (2,453).  QB Carl August is the second of the two quarterbacks in the league to surpass 2,000 yards in the first seven games (2,022 yards for 288.9 ypg).
• Green Bay is the only team in TFC a 6-1, San Diego leads the AFL at 5-1-1, and there are four teams at 5-2.  All four of those teams are in the NFL with the NFL East leaders Cleveland and the New York Giants at 5-2 and Chicago and Minnesota in the NFL West at 5-2, only one game back of Green Bay.  But, Chicago owns the tiebreaker over Minnesota after the Bears’ Week 7 victory over the Vikings at Soldier Field.

SimLab Today – June 20, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today, as we kick off the week with the second sim of the season in The Baseball Chronicle (TBC) and Week 6 in The Football Chronicle (TFC):

The Baseball Chronicle: 1932 Early May Sim (May 1-15, 1932)

• It has not been an auspicious start for either the Cubs (George) or Dodgers (Michael).  The Cubs are 11-20 and already 12-1/2 games behind the 23-7 Boston Braves.  The Dodgers are making last year’s 48-106 season record look like the upper limit for this team, as the Dodgers have only won five of their first 31 contests (5-26, .161).
• The Cubs slightly improved from a 5-12 start with a 6-8 sim during the first half of May.  While RF Joe Hirsch (256-0-13) and 1B Dave Buford (.256-4-23) are off to subpar starts, a star may be born in CF Johnnie Ratliff.  Ratliff (.339/.382/.559, 5 HR, 21 RBI in 118 AB) had a fantastic April, batting .385 with four home runs and while he has slowed down a bit in early May, Ratliff is trying to build on career highs set last season in just about every offensive category (.315/.390/.498, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 90 runs scored, 36.2 VORP).
• The Dodgers were also marginally better in early May as compared to late April.  The 3-12 early May showing was a little better than the 2-14 start for Brooklyn.  For the season, Brooklyn is 1-9 in series with its only win coming in a 1-game “sweep” of Philadelphia at Ebbets Field, 6-1, on April 26^th.  The highlight for the most recent sim was the 15-8 laugher of a win at the Baker Bowl, which is affectionately known as the “Cigar Box”.  Incidentally, only one of the Dodgers’ 18 hits went over the fence as catcher Archie Whitman kicked off the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning.

The Football Chronicle: 1964 Sim #6 (Week 6)

• Minnesota (Michael) was in a three-way tie for first in the NFL West when Week 6 began, but Chicago lost and Minnesota kept pace with Green Bay to form a duo at the top of the standings.  Minnesota beat the Rams with a dramatic 20-yard field goal as time expired by kicker Tony Alessandrini to come from behind and win the game, 15-13.  Although scoring was at a premium in the game, Minnesota had its passing offense working.  QB Dom Olivieri completed 22 out of 33 passes for 332 yards, but only threw for one score.  Los Angeles was up 10-0 in the first quarter, but Minnesota fought back to tie the game after three quarters.  A safety early in the fourth gave Minnesota a 12-10 lead that lasted until 2:26 left in regulation, which Los Angeles went ahead on a John Charles 32-yard field goal that was set up by an Olivieri interception.  Olivieri made up for the pick with a quick drive to set up the winning score, in which the Viking quarterback went 3-for-3 for 41 yards.
• San Diego (George) had perhaps their most dominating win of the season to move to 4-1-1 and stay in first place in the AFL West.  The Chargers defeated Denver at Balboa Stadium, 31-17, and the Chargers had both the AFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.  QB Carl August exploded for 351 yards on 18-of-29 passing, reaching the end zone three times, including two to speedy WR Richard Robinson.  August captured AFL Offensive Player of the Week honors.  CB Louie Robinson was the AFL Defensive Player of the Week, running back an interception back for 59 yards to help stake the Chargers to a 17-3 halftime lead that would evaporate before the end of the third quarter.  August had two scoring strikes in the fourth quarter to provide the margin of victory.

SimLab Today: Weekend – June 18-19, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today, where we have news to report on the only online league that has a Saturday (and this week, a Sunday) sim, which is the Over the Mound (OTM) Baseball League:

Over The Mound: 2027 Sims #23 and 24 (September 6-19, 2027)

• The pennant race is winding down and there is only one divisional race not well-in-hand by the first place team.  In the Eastern League’s Heinhsohn Division, the New York Gothams is the only first place team in any of the league’s four divisions with a lead of less than nine games.  New York leads Lowell by 2-1/2 games and they finish the season playing a three-game series in Lowell.  The other divisions are not nearly as close.  In the Raht Division, the other division in the East, Boston has an extraordinary 26-game lead over Brooklyn.  In the West, Guelph has opened up a 10-1/2 game lead in the Battisti Division on Mexican Hat and Ruston leads the Duffy Division on Helena.  Lowell (Magic Number: 5), Brooklyn (Magic Number: 8), and Helena (Magic Number: 9) are in position to capture Wild Card berths.  Portland (Magic Number: 11) has the last of two berths for the Western League Wild Card with Mexican Hat sitting only 2-1/2 games out with two weeks left.
• Mexican Hat (Michael) was 9-5 over the last two sims.  Guelph’s Magic Number to clinch the Battisti Division is only three, so the chances of Mexican Hat taking the division is quickly slipping away.  And, though Mexican Hat is 2-1/2 games back of Portland for the second Wild Card spot, Mexican Hat (79-70) does not have any games remaining against Wild Card holders Helena and Portland.  Mexican Hat will have to win two of three against Guelph this week just to stay alive for the division.
• Omaha (George) dropped to nine games back in the Wild Card race with two weeks left and does not have any games remaining against the three teams ahead of them in the Wild Card chase (Helena, Portland, Mexican Hat).  Omaha (73-77) was 6-7 over the last fortnight, which covered the last two sims.  Omaha played its final five road games of the season this week in games against Evansville (2-0) and Mexican Hat (1-2).
• In the personal milestones category, Omaha’s Doug Samuels won his 20^th game when he went eight innings and allowed only one run on three hits in a 4-1 win over Portland on September 10^th.  Omaha centerfielder Brendan Aitken surpassed the 30-HR and 100-RBI plateaus and has 29 stolen bases on the year, needing one stolen base in the final 11 games to be the second player in franchise history to have 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season (Art Roberts, 34 HR/32 SB in 2015).  For Mexican Hat, 23-year-old star catcher Hector Alonso did not suffer a sophomore jinx, following up a .341/.393/.603, 28 HR and 102 RBI rookie season with a second straight 100 RBI season (106) and stands very close to another .300 campaign (.296).

SimLab Today – June 17, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Welcome to SimLab Today, where we have news to report on two online leagues, one in baseball (TBC) and one in football (TFC):

The Baseball Chronicle: 1932 Late April Sim (April 14-30, 1932)

• The Cubs (George) and Dodgers (Michael) take up the bottom two spots in the National League after April, 1932 and no team in the American League is worse than either club.  The NL is led by the Boston Braves, who are a game-and-a-half in front of Cincinnati.  The defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals are off to a rough start at 7-10, six games in arrears of Boston.  There is a three-way tie for first in the American League, with Washington, the New York Yankees, and the Chicago White Sox in a flatfooted tie at 10-6.  No team is more than five games off the lead in the AL, while St. Louis (6 games back), Chicago (8), and Brooklyn (10½) have more catching up to do in the NL.
• The Cubs started the season in deflated fashion after a great 1931 season by going 5-12 in April despite negative run differential of only six runs (90 runs scored, 96 runs allowed).  Staff ace Elmer Froelich (0-3, 2.74 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) lasted only four innings in his April 22^nd start at Pittsburgh and was diagnosed with a torn labrum.  Froelich will be out through August.  Add starter Lou McCauley (2-0, 4.67, 1.67) to the infirmary, as he left an April 25^th start at Pittsburgh with shoulder tendinitis.  McCauley will be out five weeks.  With Queeg already on the shelf, the starting pitching depth of the organization will be tested.  Look for PCL Golden Ticket pick Earnest Tharp and spot starter Mike Drummond to slide into the rotation.  The saving grace for the Cubs has been their hitting, as they are first in the National League in home runs (17), tied for first in stolen bases (15), and second in hits (171) and slugging percentage (.433).
• The Dodgers only won two of its first 16 games, equally challenged at Ebbets Field (1-6) than they are away (1-8).  Not even a new powder-blue logo introduced in 1932 could save a team that is coming off a 106-loss season.  “Long Lew” Lydell (.350/.400/.550, 4 HR, 13 RBI) is pacing the squad, as he is off to his usual fantastic start.  In late April, he walloped his 200^th career home run on April 26^th against Philadelphia.  The clout was a two-run shot in the first inning that proved to be the game-winning hit in a 6-1 win over the Phillies.  But, even with Lydell’s mastery of NL pitching, the Dodgers are last in every major offensive category in the league, except for stolen bases where they are next-to-last and home runs where they are tied for next-to-last.

The Football Chronicle: 1964 Sim #4 (Week 5)

• How can a tie give a team the best record in the league?  When the 3-1 Chargers (George) tied the Boston Patriots, 26-26, and the only other team in the AFL that started 3-1, Oakland, bowed to the Jets, 30-24, the Chargers kept first to themselves at 3-1-1.  There were many chances for either the Chargers or the Patriots to win.  Both teams missed extra points on first quarter touchdowns.  Each team had four turnovers, with Charger quarterback Carl August throwing three interceptions and running back Keith Cool losing a fumble in overtime, while the Patriots fumbled three times and signal-caller Frank Smith threw a pick.  After a 13-13 first quarter, the teams traded identical scores the rest of the way, touchdown for touchdown and field goal for field goal, punch and counterpunch.  San Diego went ahead three times and Boston tied it.  In overtime, the teams combined with three turnovers and Boston kicker Luis Harriman missed a gimme 31-yard field goal.
• Meanwhile, in the NFL, Minnesota (Michael) won its third in a row with a 20-7 victory at San Francisco.  Minnesota had a 20-0 lead after three quarters.  This was a story about the Viking defense more so than the offense.  The Vikings held the 49ers to 152 yards passing, as Sal Greco was only 12 out of 26.  One of his passes was run back for a 65-yard touchdown by Harold Criswell, which was the second touchdown in less than five minutes in the second quarter to stake the Vikings to a 17-0 lead.  The Vikings’ hopes for a shutout were dashed with 13 minutes left in the game when “The Raven” Edgar Poe punched in a one-yard score.  The win allows the Vikings to keep pace with the Bears and Packers in the NFL West, who won their games to also move to 4-1.  The Vikings will visit the Bears in Week 7 and the Packers in Week 8 as the race will get interesting.

SimLab Today – June 16, 2011

"SimLab Today" is a daily (or at least a multi-weekly) update on our different simulation "experiments", as well as the different online simulation leagues in which we play.  For an explanation on this series of updates and these experiments and leagues, read the "Introducing: SimLab Today" blog post.

Today, there was news in all three online simulations:

Over The Mound: 2027 Sim #22 (August 30-September 5, 2027)

• Mexican Hat (Michael Josephson) is falling fast from a contender in the Battisti Division of the Western League to four games out of third place.  Mexican Hat was 0-6 as its losing streak extended to nine games.  It did not help that division-leading Guelph had a 6-0 week and the perennial division winner doubled its winning streak, which is now at 12 games.  Guelph is now tied with Ruston for the best record in the Western League at 83-54 (.606).
• Omaha (George Stathopulos) has played very well since being left for dead in July.  Omaha is 19-13 since August 1^st and stands at 67-70 with a positive run differential for the season of 19 runs, earning a Pythagorean record of 70-67.  Thanks to the introduction of two Wild Card spots this year, Omaha is tied for fourth in the Western League Wild Card standings, six games back of Portland, who has the second Wild Card spot.
• Top performances for the week include a great week for CF Brendan Aitken OMA, who was .345-3-7 (1.077 OPS), and SP Doug Samuels OMA, who is now one win shy of his first 20-win season in six years.  Samuels is now 19-8 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP after a sim where he beat Toronto and Bryan.  Aitken’s three bombs give him 30 home runs for the year and he is four stolen bases away from a 30/30 season.  This has been a breakout season for Aitken, who is in his second full season and hitting .290/.367/.518 with 97 RBI.

The Baseball Chronicle: 1931 Offseason

• The Chicago Cubs (George Stathopulos) enters 1931 on a high not seen since after the 1903 season.  Chicago (88-66 in 1930) finished above .500 for the first time in seven years and the 88 wins were the second-most in franchise history (101 wins in 1898).  The Cubs have risen to its recent heights on the strength of its pitching staff.  Elmer Froelich (14-17, 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), Nate Cobb (21-16, 3.98, 1.44), and last year’s rookie sensation, Willie Dodge (14-9, 3.53, 1.43) start the season in the rotation, but a starter who could be considered the Cub ace, Fred “Cap’n” Queeg (8-4, 2.75, 1.09) will miss the first half of the season with a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow.  The key for the Cubs will be to stay in contention until July when Queeg is expected back.
• The Brooklyn Dodgers (Michael Josephson) are on the other end of the spectrum.  After winning the National League pennant in back-to-back seasons in 1925 and 1926, the Dodgers lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history in 1930 (48-106).  The team revolves around its outfielders with big bopper Lew Lydell and Alfred Smallwood.  Lydell (.374/.460/.634, 40 HR, 114 RBI, 143 R) has won the National League MVP Award an astounding five times in the last six seasons, including the last three years (1925, ’26, ’28, ’29, ’30).  Smallwood is starting to wind down in his career, but finished with a solid season (.337/.453/.446, 82 RBI, 34 2B, 110 BB).  The pitching staff “boasted” two 20-game losers Fred Apselm (15-23, 4.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), who is the ace of the staff, and 39-year-old Leo Geer (13-20,4.47, 1.68).  Both are back in 1931 and while Geer is hanging on to a job at the Major League level, Apselm is 27 and should come back to his career numbers of a 3.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
• The 1931 Player Draft was kicked off by Brooklyn and the Dodgers may have a replacement for Smallwood in outfielder Crenshaw Holcomb.  Holcomb’s potential ratings are off the charts and, at 26 years old, may be ready to step into the lineup immediately.  The Cubs picked 13^th in the 16-pick first round and wanted to select a pitcher to either slot in for Queeg in the first half of the season or prepare for Queeg’s brittle nature that has seen him go down with two separate 12-month injuries.  But, after six pitchers went in the first 12 picks, the Cubs selected first baseman Eugene “Mean Gene” Pulliam.  Pulliam is blocked at the Major League level by Dave Buford (.324/.384/.517, 12 HR, 107 RBI in 1930) and Claude Strickland (.303/.358/.485, 5 HR, 24 RBI in 165 AB in 1930), but Buford is 33 and Strickland, who has never had more than 253 at-bats in a season, is 32 years old.  Now might be the time to plan for the future.  In the second and final round of the draft, Brooklyn selected SS Jerry Cantwell, who is the grandson of former Dodger 1B Sam Cantwell (1886-92).  Chicago picked 18-year-old high school senior 3B Elmer Rue, who hit .448/.474/.695 with 30 RBI and 12 SB in 22 Oregon high school league games.

The Football Chronicle: 1964 Sim #4 (Week 4)

• Just four weeks into the season, all teams have at least one loss, but all teams have at least one win.  There are five teams at 3-1 in the NFL (Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota) and two other 3-1 teams in the AFL (Oakland, San Diego).
• Both “local” teams are among those 3-1 teams with Minnesota (Michael Josephson) and San Diego (George Stathopulos) on multi-game winning streaks.  After a 1-1 start, Minnesota has won two straight: a 15-14 nailbiter against Baltimore before a 30-21 win at Detroit this past week.  Minnesota’s 15-14 game was a comeback win and the Vikings Week 1 19-16 victory in Dallas against the Cowboys was in overtime.
• For defending champion San Diego, the Chargers followed a disappointing home opener in Week 1 with three straight wins.  The total margin of victory in these last three wins for San Diego is 11 points on the wings of great fourth quarter play.  In Week 2 against Boston, the Chargers scored 16 points in the final stanza to win 22-19.  Week 3 was a close one that the Chargers held on against Buffalo, 23-20.  In the most recent game, the Chargers turned a 24-15 deficit with under 13 minutes left in regulation to a wild 29-24 win, with the final points coming for San Diego in a 57-yard punt return by CB Gary Roy, which is his second touchdown of the season.  Roy returned an interception for a score in the fourth quarter of the victory over Boston to give the Chargers a lead they would never relinquish.