Doubleday Series Preview: Brooklyn vs Mexico City

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Doubleday Series Preview: Brooklyn vs Mexico City

Post by 7teen » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:24 pm

Brooklyn Robins
After a 7 year layoff, the Brooklyn Robins return to the post-season. Since 2027, their last time in the post-season, the Robins have fluttered around the .500 mark nearly every season before last season's dropoff of just 68 wins. So a nice turn around by by Alan's bunch to go from 68 wins to the post-season. The Robins franchise is looking for its 3rd Landis title (1 was when the franchise was in Baltimore) and its first title since 2026. Brooklyn dropped game 2 in the Jacksonville series but that was it as the cruised to a 3-1 series win in the Geoghegan Series.

Mexico City Aztecs
Fresh off 4 straight losing seasons (that's what happens when you were in the Heartland all those years) the Aztecs look to take down the Johnson League in their first trip to the post-season in 8 years. The last time this team made the post-season was 2027 and the team was located in Omaha at the time. Appearing in the post-season for only the 14th time in the modern era, the Aztecs and this organization is still in search of its first Landis Title in the modern era.

The Offenses
The Robins offense relied heavily on base hits, getting on base, and then swiping some bases to score runs. Despite ranking 10th or worse in several categories, the 4th most hits and the 3rd most SB in the Johnson League led them to rank 7th overall in runs scored. Cisco Guerrero (.333/.393/.555, 34 HR, 109 RBI) and Mario Balderas (.286/.340/.492, 33 HR, 111 RBI) will have to have a huge series to help the Robins offense in the series. Chris Workman (.267/.387/.417, 12 HR, 38 RBI) and Tony Gustafsen (.258/.287/.345, 4 HR, 42 RBI) need to get on base and set the table for the offense and let their legs do the work. The two combined for 91 stolen bases this season. Against Jacksonville, Brooklyn didn't exactly light up the stats. Balderas and Cruz both hit 2 homeruns each while Balderas also swiped two bags and Workman added one. They were outhit by the Hurricanes in that round but still took the series.

The offense of the Aztecs is kind of all over the place. The team led the league with the fewest number of strikeouts but ranked dead last in walks. They were 2nd in batting average as a team but 11th in homeruns. When you put it all together, they ranked just 12th in runs scored in the Johnson League. Jose Estrada (.283/.322/.518, 40 HR, 110 RBI) was the main man in the middle of the offense, leading the team in homeruns and runs batted in. Willard Gagne (.312/.373/.540, 23 HR, 94 RBI) fell just shy of joining Estrada with 100 RBI. Both were helped in that category by two guys with high batting averages ahead of them, Augie Plascencia (.325/.371/.451, 14 HR, 89 RBI) and Mike Ellis (.356/.388/.529, 9 HR, 50 RBI) who led the team.

The Pitching
Pitching will be Brooklyn's strong point. Despite having a starting staff that ranked 8th in ERA, the staff as a whole ranked pretty well everywhere else and actually ranked 4th in runs allowed this season. Walks really plagued the Robins as a whole as they allowed the 13th most in the Johnson League this season. Juan Hernandez (14 - 6, 3.69 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 115 K) will likely get the ball in games 1, unless Brooklyn tries something out of the box to try and take down the Hurricanes. They'll need a a starter to come up big early in the series with Francisco Ruiz (11 - 9, 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 187 K) missing the post-season after shoulder inflamation late in the season will sideline him until 2036. But let's be real. Who knows what Brooklyn will do here. They aren't one to tinker and go with the matchups they think will win. Everything I predicted went out the window against the Hurricanes as the team opted to start Ryosei Akiyama (6 - 3, 2.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 77 K) andRobert Hansen (2 - 4, 4.97 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 24 K) in the 4 games, alternating them in starts. So I don't know what to think here.

Later in the season, Mexico City posted a trade block where they listed a whole slew of young pitchers and how they could survive to trade some of them. The block made many drool and it's the team's pitching that has carried them this far. They rank first in runs allowed and opponents average while tallying the 3rd most strikeouts in the Johnson League. Their one weakness is they are prone to give up a few walks. Scotty Pendleton (15 - 3, 3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 162 K) will likely go in game 1 and then it's anyone's guess after that who goes in game 2. They have several very close options, and may choose to go with the youngster Armando Rodriguez (7 - 3, 3.17 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 43 K) assuming going with a lefty is the route to go against Brooklyn. I'd go Rodriguez only because he was originally signed by Madison and I chose to let him go. You idiot!!

Head to Head
Mexico City won the season series 5-4.

Prediction
Your guess is as good as mine here. Is Mexico City for real? They are making a 25 win turn around after all. Didn't we all expect Vegas to be here? And what's up with Brooklyn? Can all of this micro managing and pitching hyjinx carry over and win another series? Great questions.

So here, I'm just going with a guess. Give me Brooklyn in 6. Why? The late season acquisition of Alfredo Salazar (.257/.370/.406, 14 HR, 52 RBI) pays off in this series (Yeah, I haven't forgotten ya you overpaid, wealthy individual you!)
Chris Wilson

LB Surfers 95-96
FL Pac Champs: 95

Madison Wolves 99-2039
JL MW: 99-2009, 17, 20, 21
JL WC: 12
JL: 01, 04, 09, 12
FL Heartland: 32
FL WC: 31, 33
BBA Champs: 04, 09

Portland Lumberjacks 2040-
FL Pacific: 50
FL WC: 49, 51
FL Champs: 49, 51

Vic Caleca TN of the Year 2046

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