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| Double Trouble: MLB's Greatest Double Play combination of Whitaker & Trammell. |
By the way, for those that were wondering the NXPL is a league without expansion, 8 teams in the American League, 8 teams in the National League, in which both leagues the pitchers bat. It is an APBA BBW (Baseball for Windows) League for computers.
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| Francona to part of strong 1984 bench. |
Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker really step up another level from 1982 to 1983, while Tom Seaver after a down-year in 82' is back in my rotation to go along with Mario Soto, Dan Petry, Joaquin Andujar & young Walt Terrell. Atherton will also go along nicely in the pen with Dave Tobik and Dave Rozema for now, while being a part of the pen for the future with Andy McGaffigan.
The season has started, we barely won a series against Minnesota, in which if it was not for a blown save, we would have won that series, 4-1, but instead 3-2.
The next series was against emerging Boston, who I see being a challenger to the pennant now after one series -- he has a tough lineup with players like Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Willie Upshaw & Ozzie Smith. I am not sure if their pitching can go head-to-head throughout the season, but he may do what I had to do with last year's bullpen & plug them in the right place & right time... but with a lineup like his, he should be tough. We lost the series, 4-1, my dependable bullpen which I upgraded on paper from last season has been a huge disappointment so far... We'll get to that in a bit.
Also there is the Baltimore Orioles, who I thought entering last season, would go wire-to-wire with us for that 1982 American League crown -- this year, they definitely will, they made a trade in which they acquired the #1 Overall Draft Pick from the Toronto Blue Jays in which they drafted Darryl Strawberry. They also have Cal Ripken & Eddie Murray, plus other strong vets in Doug DeCinces, Don Baylor, Bob Grich & Darrell Porter, with their usual good pitching, plus Atlee Hammaker. Baltimore just swept Seattle in 5 games, and is currently on a 6-game winning streak.
For me, my 4-6 start, is the worst start for any of my Tiger teams, this being my third year; We have started the previous seasons 7-3 & 8-2... definitely too early to push the panic button though.
My lineup overall should have a more consistent flow, but I definitely am lacking the bench punch that I had last season, that's really why I picked up Staub late in the draft, he really has no future value, but him along with Youngblood will be my go-to guys in hopeful clutch situations. Kirk Gibson has a down year in batting average, which will give Mookie Wilson more playing time, while Lance Parrish won't have the big year he did in 82' and is currently struggling for me (likely will be batting out of 5th spot for season, soon); Plus Jason Thompson & Ben Oglivie's HR numbers are down from last season, yet no one gave Thompson that memo, since he has 3 home runs early on for me through 10 games.
My drafting of George Wright in 82' will play a bigger impact in 1983, even though in many ways he played above & beyond for me in 1982 already, so that draft pick for me has paid dividends; He has an excellent OF arm that most teams will not want to tag up on from third, while he is out in left.
I'm hoping that this year's draft picks start paying off in the so-far/under-performing bullpen of the Tigers -- Keith Atherton (Grade 15-Y / equivalent to A-Y) is the early scapegoat, allowing 11 earned runs already in only 3.1 innings. Dave Tobik, Dave Rozema, Randy Moffit, Jim Slaton & Mark Thurmond plan to be huge factors in helping this bullpen round off nicely.
Our next opponent is another home series against the California Angels, who usually play pretty well against me with their hitting. Nothing is a given in this league, but I do think my team is still a title contender, despite my team not showing it at the moment.
The season has started, we barely won a series against Minnesota, in which if it was not for a blown save, we would have won that series, 4-1, but instead 3-2.
The next series was against emerging Boston, who I see being a challenger to the pennant now after one series -- he has a tough lineup with players like Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Willie Upshaw & Ozzie Smith. I am not sure if their pitching can go head-to-head throughout the season, but he may do what I had to do with last year's bullpen & plug them in the right place & right time... but with a lineup like his, he should be tough. We lost the series, 4-1, my dependable bullpen which I upgraded on paper from last season has been a huge disappointment so far... We'll get to that in a bit.
Also there is the Baltimore Orioles, who I thought entering last season, would go wire-to-wire with us for that 1982 American League crown -- this year, they definitely will, they made a trade in which they acquired the #1 Overall Draft Pick from the Toronto Blue Jays in which they drafted Darryl Strawberry. They also have Cal Ripken & Eddie Murray, plus other strong vets in Doug DeCinces, Don Baylor, Bob Grich & Darrell Porter, with their usual good pitching, plus Atlee Hammaker. Baltimore just swept Seattle in 5 games, and is currently on a 6-game winning streak.
My lineup overall should have a more consistent flow, but I definitely am lacking the bench punch that I had last season, that's really why I picked up Staub late in the draft, he really has no future value, but him along with Youngblood will be my go-to guys in hopeful clutch situations. Kirk Gibson has a down year in batting average, which will give Mookie Wilson more playing time, while Lance Parrish won't have the big year he did in 82' and is currently struggling for me (likely will be batting out of 5th spot for season, soon); Plus Jason Thompson & Ben Oglivie's HR numbers are down from last season, yet no one gave Thompson that memo, since he has 3 home runs early on for me through 10 games.
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| The Wright Man: Wright was excellent pickup prior to 1982. |
I'm hoping that this year's draft picks start paying off in the so-far/under-performing bullpen of the Tigers -- Keith Atherton (Grade 15-Y / equivalent to A-Y) is the early scapegoat, allowing 11 earned runs already in only 3.1 innings. Dave Tobik, Dave Rozema, Randy Moffit, Jim Slaton & Mark Thurmond plan to be huge factors in helping this bullpen round off nicely.
Our next opponent is another home series against the California Angels, who usually play pretty well against me with their hitting. Nothing is a given in this league, but I do think my team is still a title contender, despite my team not showing it at the moment.
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