The Daily Ticker
An conduit of news and opinion for Nostalgia Sim Baseball's Cooperstown league
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JULY 8, 2007. Season 14 Preview.
A.C. East Stickball Remnants: Last year’s division champ returns some key players, but they will need plenty of favorable randomizations to beat the Trolley Dodgers. Michael Hind’s offense will be decent, not great, but the infield is excellent particularly in the middle. Trolley Dodgers: Jim Grubbs has made some key additions this offseason, and his strengths will be offensive firepower and his bullpen. The Trolley Dodgers have no weaknesses on offense but the rotation is a potential weak link. Pilots of the Caribbean: Peter Scougale’s successor inherits a competitor with plenty of star power, especially on offense. The pitching might not be strong enough to win this tough division, but the Pilots of the Carribean have a decent shot. Meteors: Jonathan Hollingsworth has a good core of superstars and a deep rotation. His offense has the potential to be outstanding, and catching is a strength.
A.C. West Walloping Argyles: The pennant winner from last season has the best team in the conference on paper. The offense will be as good as ever, especially with Brent’s new outfield. The rotation quartet of Walsh, Grove, Joss and Clemens is stellar, maybe the best foursome in the league. What is Hep: Last year’s wildcard may have trouble getting that again this year. Jim Heppner still has his smallball lineup, but the pitching staff is not what it once was. Shaolin Rogues: Dru Himes brings back an okay rotation led by Bob Gibson and Dave Stieb, but the offense doesn’t look strong enough yet. They are a long shot to make the playoffs this year, but they could be a threat. Monumentals: Matt Waddle has assembled a good-looking squad whose strength will be the offense. If the pitching holds up and Matt makes a few waiver acquisitions during the season the Monumentals will be a long shot for the playoffs.
N.C. East Notorious Nine: The defending Cooperstown champs return almost all their regulars from last year. There are no holes in the batting roster, and once Chief Bender is called up the Nine will have a four-man rotation to rival that of the Argyles. SS Killebrewers: Steve Sain has once again quietly put together a very good team. The offense is balanced with an excellent outfield, and his pitching staff is pretty good. Clements Crazies: The Crazies sport a solid but not special offense. John Seaton’s starting rotation is one of the better ones. With a little luck, this team could compete for the division title. Dukey’s Oldtimers: Formerly the legendary franchise The Brotherhood, this club still has many familiar faces. The offense will be above average and the pitching staff has the potential for greatness. Good randomizations will be crucial, however.
N.C. West Trojans: They missed out on the playoffs last year, but will challenge again this season with a good infield and Willie Mays in center. There are some question marks on the pitching staff. Dirt Dog Central: The Trojans’ biggest rivals didn’t do much in the offseason, but still have an okay offense featuring an above-average outfield. Drew Rossman’s rotation isn’t bad at all. Penbrook Pops: Soupbone’s club could be the surprise of the season. A smart draft has left them with plenty of stars and a tremendously powerful infield that will have to carry the offense along with Manny Ramirez. There are options in the rotation. All the type 3 contracts will lead to lots of units paid in salaries, but the Penbrook Pops are my upset pick to win the N.C. West. Memphis Blues: Chris McCaig still has plenty of holes, but he’s the fourth best team on paper in this division that still is pretty weak.
My projected finishes:
A.C. East A.C. West 1. Trolley Dodgers 1. Walloping Argyles 2. Stickball Remnants 2. Monumentals 3. Meteors 3. What is Hep 4. Pilots of the Caribbean 4. Shaolin Rogues 5. Sultans of Swat 5. Mr. October 6. Jignesh 6. Beach Grove Yankees N.C. East N.C. West 1. Notorious Nine 1. Penbrook Pops 2. SS Killebrewers 2. Trojans 3. Dukey’s Oldtimers 3. Dirt Dog Central 4. Clements Crazies 4. Memphis Blues 5. Mid-Ohio Medics 5. Natures Force 6. North Jupiter 6. Artesia Atoms
Best of luck to all this year! Luke Notorious Nine
JUNE 9, 2007. The Cooperstown league completed its 13th regular season with a spit shine.
Two tight divisional races came down to the final week. In the A.C. East, the Stickball Remnants edged the Pilots, who sported a 50-31 second-half record but failed to win either the division crown or a ticket to the playoffs. The Dirt Dog Central overcame the Trojans in the N.C. West for their third division crown. The Walloping Argyles, who generated an obscene 1040 runs on 323 team homers, will try to defend their title after running away by 13 games in the A.C. West. The Notorious Nine, operated by the son of the Argyles’ owner, outpaced their nearest competitor in the N.C. East by 21 games. After earning their byes, this father-son tandem can face each other in the championship if they each win their divisional series.
Down the stretch, two sluggers put on a home run clinic for the fans. Dave Kingman, who once was heard to say “I swing hard just in case I hit the ball,” punched out 66 homers for the season, 45 of them in cozy Sportsman’s Park. And Mark McGwire, of recent fame we need not rehearse, finished the season with 65 for the SS Killebrewers. The Kingman-McGwire tandem slugged 131 homers—the best one-two finish ever recorded in Nostalgia Baseball history. The tandem also drove in 331 runs. McGwire’s 168 RBI total puts him 2nd on the all-time Nostalgia list (Babe Ruth holds the record at 177), while Kingman’s 163 RBI’s ties him for 5th on our all-time list.
Pete Alexander became the first-ever 30-game winner in our history, notching 31 wins in 43 starts for A.C. wildcard winner What is Hep. Whit Wyatt held the old record at 29 wins. Alexander also recorded 8 shut outs, one shy of the all-time Nostalgia record set by Hideo Nomo, and led the league with a stalwart 334 2/3 innings pitched.
The 1920 White Sox and the 1971 Orioles are the only teams ever to do it in real life—showcase four twenty-game winners on the season. The Argyles became the first team ever to do it in Nostalgia Baseball. Addie Joss, Roger Clemens, Ed Walsh, and Lefty Grove all had 20 or more wins, accounting for half of the league’s 20-game winners.