Johnson League Roundup Sim No.5

[Fat Nige]

As we reach the mid-point of the third month of 1995, two of the JL divisions are led by the team that finished 1994 there while in the third, the 1994 winner is 2 ½ back.

ISSUE 5: June 1st – 14th

Louisville finally draw level with Bobwhites, Midwest starts to take shape as top two pull away while Valencia pull clear and Vancouver must look to 1996.

Atlantic Division Round-up

Louisville could only record a 6-6 record in sim 5 but that was enough to pull level with Bobwhites at the top of the division. Series losses at home to Pacific top two, Valencia and California were balanced by a 3-1 series win at Baltimore. Only a 2-0 shutout loss at home to Washington in the sim’s final game stopped them from leading the Atlantic outright. Steve DiBartolomeo continues to impress, his two starts yielding two complete game wins whilst David Smurf sent four over the outfield fence and Akiru Matsumoto hit .434 in his 53 AB’s.
Washington’s form switched from 10-3 to 4-9 and that cost them the division leadership. On June 3rd a two-out single in the top of the 1st scored the only run in a 1-0 win at Chicago and five days later Bobwhites blanked Madison 8-0, unfortunately those were the only wins in their first 11 games this sim. Two wins in the final two games helped them to hang on to Sluggers. Ken Howell was their star, going 3-0 while striking out 27 but special mention must be made of Shane Christen who despite owning a 0-2 record in three starts pitched 24 innings, striking out 28 with just a 1.12 ERA. Ramon Echague launched six long balls for the offence.
Greenville’s 7-6 record gave them their second successive sim over .500 and enabled them to catch up three games on second place. It started badly as Moonshiners lost four straight and were out scored 4-19 but a 5-1 road trip to Washington and Baltimore rescued the sim and possibly the season. Closer George Fagg did his bit going 1-0 with five saves and a 1.86 ERA but Garlands P Gumdrop owned a 0-2, 8.27 ERA record from his three starts.
Baltimore remained firmly detached in the division basement with a 3-10 sim record. A 2-1 series win in Madison was the highlight of their sim as they finished with just one victory in their final nine games. Trevor Heath had two saves and a 1.35 ERA but that was the exception in a staff ERA of 6.79 while Kevin Reimer sparked the offence with four long bombs.

Midwest Division Round-up

Madison’s 8-5 sim kept their 100% record as division leader. A 2-1 home series loss to Baltimore was followed by series wins at Washington (2-1) and Omaha where their only loss in four was a wild 11-13 reverse in which Barnstormers scored in each of their first seven innings. Robert Walton’s 3-0 record included a complete game shutout for a 2.05 ERA and Corbin Anderson might have only had 14 AB’s but he hit three of them for home runs.
Chicago remained 2 ½ games back with a 9-5 sim. Just one loss in a six game homestand with Washington and Baltimore was the basis of their success this period. Bjorn Nepal (3-0, 1.14 ERA) and Jeff Kiplinger (2-0, 1.64 ERA) carried a pitching staff that only allowed 51 runs while Resurrection Santos hit three over the wall.
Omaha recovered from last times disastrous 3-12 to go 6-7 but Barnstormers now are beginning to look detached as they trail by nine now. A 2-1 series win at hapless Vancouver was their only series success in the sim as they just picked up a few crumbs of comfort in each series, failing to win more than once in a row for the rest of the sim. Russell Vanness was the pick of a struggling staff, going 2-1, striking out 22 with a complete game and a 2.59 ERA while Taberous Green and Lance Pere stuck three each over the wall
Phoenix fell ½ game back of Barnstormers with a 5-8 sim. Shutout in their first two games they recorded their first success in the fifth game of the sim but then only lost once in the next four games. Finishing the sim 1-3 sent them to the bottom of the division. Andy Nebraska went 0-3 but with an ERA of only 1.96; reliever Steve Olin went 1-0 with an ERA of 1.12 from eight starts. The offence struggled hitting only .242 overall with just 5 home runs.

Pacific Division Round-up

Valencia accelerated away with a 12-2 sim to open a commanding seven game gap over the chasing pack. Stars first reverse of the sim was at Louisville in the eighth game where a single run in the home half of the fifth innings was enough to win the game. Six of their twelve wins saw Valencia shutout their opponents, three by the score of 1-0 and three in a four game home sweep of Vancouver. Nate Hollins and Devon Hyngary went 3-0 as all five starters had an ERA under two and the overall staff ERA was 1.40 as they allowed just 24 runs. DeMario Davis was the offensive star with four round-trippers.
California went 7-6 as they watched Valencia vanish in the distance. A 2-1 series win in high flying Louisville was followed by a disappointing 2-2 split in Greenville and a 3-1 loss in Hawaii. Two game sweep of the Mounties saved their sim. Chip Foodie went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and a complete game Billy Wilson added four long balls.
Hawaii have had more mood swings than anybody in the JL. Their last three sims record reads 10-4, 4-10 and now 10-4 again. In a 12 game homestand they swept Phoenix and lost one game to each of California, Chicago and Omaha before splitting their only two road games with leaders Valencia. The Tropics four man rotation stars were Todd Swader (3-0, 1.99 ERA, 22 K’s) and Ramon Cisneros who also went 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA but struckout 30 and had a WhIP of just 0.76.
Vancouver continue to plumb the depths with a 2-11 sim leaving them 5-23 in the last two sims. A 4-1 home win over Barnstormers and a 3-2 success against Talons were their only successes, Mounties losing their last six on the trot. Allen Bartlett (2-1) got their only two wins with a 2.66 ERA but the offence stank, hitting .195 overall and scoring just 27 runs.

Unhittable ? Valencia and Phoenix pitchers gave up less than 100 hits


High Scoring ? Washington scored just 46 runs while Vancouver crossed home plate only 27 times.

Who stole my bat ? After last times power, four teams failed this time to hit double digit HR's

[PlinyTheElder]

Love these, great addition to the league.

[Afino]

I got pissed when I saw the Sim Results email and noticed we went 6-6.....and then saw that we were leading the division and smiled. Didn't know Washington would fall apart like that.