Beware of the Pigeon Poop!

I have got into making uniforms and logos for my Out of the Park and APBA Baseball projects. I fell upon a cool New York Pigeons logo, and clicked on it. The New York Pigeons universe is all detailed in this very interesting article on Uni Watch.

Apparently it all sprawled from a New York Lottery commercial, some of you New Yorkers may be quite aware of this creative & a bit humorous commercial. The details put into the foam fingers, buttons, jackets and venders' outfits are all simply amazing, which of course inspired nerds like me to get creative.

Here are some of the other things, that other people did...

Pigeons Pennants created by fans.

Pigeons Buttons for the fans.

Here is some of the stuff I came up with (below), thanks to the above inspirations.

I also did some pinstripes versions of the uniforms...

I hope that you enjoyed, I will also do another uniform post very shortly of some of my other creations inspired by other creative minds.

Forecast: Less Fight, More Losses (UAL Update)

The Traverse City Fighting Tigers are coming off a 101-59 record, finishing in 2nd place of the National League West. As a #4 seeded playoff team, we lost to the Crooked River Carp, 3-1, in a best-of-five series.

Jose Altuve

With so many down years (in the Majors) on my roster, two big injuries to my starting rotation, plus other subtractions, we may be looking down the barrel of a 100 loss season by season's end. The team is also getting no younger, with Jose Altuve and Buster Posey being the team's two best players, and co-captains of a team that's reshuffling the deck.

We should be in the hunt for the top 5-to-top 10 overall pick, plus we have three 2nd round draft picks to play with as well (acquiring two of those in trades during the 2019 UAL Draft).

Here is a list of the off-season action below...

Now you may have noticed that besides my 1st round selection of SP-Jack Flaherty at 16th overall (which is already looking like the steal of the UAL Draft), my draft choices kind of suck. Let me explain myself. Entering the 2019 UAL Draft, I had my 1st, 3rd & 5th Rd picks, but my 2nd & 4th round picks were already traded awhile back.

Buster Posey

I drafted Flaherty in the 1st round, but didn't have another pick until 3rd round. With 24 teams and 32 keepers, the talent really drops off after the 2nd round. By the time it got to my 3rd round pick, I was not feeling too good about my choices. The Ohio Cougars would make it easy on me, and would acquire my 2019 3rd Rd pick in exchange for his 2019 5th Rd pick, 2020 2nd Rd pick & utility player Kelby Tomlinson (for position coverage). The Cougars would select P-Felix Pena with that pick by the way.

I also acquired another 2nd round pick from the Seven Cities Yard Goats in exchange for shortstop Freddy Galvis. I already have a shortstop in Jean Segura, so Galvis was expendable, plus he's having a career year in the Majors, I can profit off that while his stock is up. It's funny, because prior to the draft no one wanted to take him for a 3rd round draft pick, but once the draft started, people came a callin'.

I also traded RP-Bud Norris for a 2020 5th Rd pick and no-card P-Aaron Brooks.

I released Yoenis Cespedes and his huge contract in the Waiver Draft and picked up Gorkys Hernandez for some 2019 UAL outfield coverage. I was within one pick from acquiring RP-Cody Allen, but someone took him, and with that I decided to pass on the remainder of the waiver draft.

Here is a list of our pitchers...

Now our hitters...

Next off-season will be my 1st real off-season, having all my 10 round picks, plus two 2nd round picks & a 5th round pick. Plus the fact, I should have early picks each round. The team will get younger and better in no time. I could see some success as early as two years from now, but I am banking more on the 2022 UAL Season.

We definitely got a lot of work ahead of us.

Boston Bullpen Stellar for Red Sox in 1978 A.L. Replay

During my 1978 A.L. Replay (which coincides with my brother Chris' 1978 N.L. Replay / Brothers in Dice), the Boston Red Sox are on top of the American League East with a 13-6 record, while winning 8 of their last 9 games. The big reason for this, is their lights out bullpen, led by closer Bob Stanley.

The Red Sox' bullpen have logged 46 innings of relief already, which is due to some of the starting pitchers (particularly Dennis Eckersley) have been under-performing.

Here is the bullpen, by the numbers...

• 46 innings of work.
• 26 hits allowed.
• Only 8 earned runs allowed.
• 18 K / 12 BB
• 3-1 record
• 5 for 7 in Save Opportunities.
• .826 WHIP [Walks + Hits / Per 9 Innings]
• 1.57 ERA

Stanley (2-0, 0.50 ERA & 3 Saves) has been incredible through 18 innings, while some of his teammates have not been too shabby as well...

• Bill Campbell: 2 SV, 0.00 ERA in 6 IP.
• Tom Burgmeier: 1.04 ERA in 8.2 IP.
• Dick Drago: 1-0, 2.79 ERA in 9.6 IP.

The team's lineup started off slow during the season, especially Jim Rice, who was batting .224 (11-for-49) with no home runs & 8 RBI through his first 10 games, and has since been batting .475 (19-for-40) with 5 HR & 14 RBI.

With the lineup coming around, Boston appears to be the team to beat at this moment in the East, and possibly the American League. Even though Eckersley (Grade A-YZ) has had nothing but bad luck so far (0-4, 4.58 ERA), it has all balanced out with Mike Torrez (Grade C-Y) overachieving with perfect 4-0 record & 0.97 ERA through 37 innings, including 2 shutouts.