Thursday, April 30, 2009

CHICAGO MAULERS AT SCRANTON SCRUBS 4/29PM2










4
16


Scranton, PA (7M7AP): The Scranton Scrubs took advantage of young reliever Jonathan Hansen's inexperience, tagging him for six runs in one inning, on their way to routing the Chicago Maulers, 16-4, at Lackawana County Stadium, Thursday night.

Hansen, only 23 years old, has been tagged for the second time this season. Not known for his control, Hansen struggled in his only inning of the game. He gave up a three-run double to Scrubs left fielder James Anderson in the fifth inning and a three-run home run to second baseman Alex Caufield in the sixth.

Hansen wasn't the only Maulers reliever who struggled. Sean Lukasiewicz gave up six runs in his three innings as well.

"Our relievers have to wake the hell up," said irritated Maulers coach Steven Ledee. "Not that Duran did much to help out, but our relievers gave up twelve runs in four innings. That's not going to help you win ball games."

"Yeah, I flat out stunk tonight," said a dejected Lukasiewicz. "What I did tonight was embarassing."

Caufield went 3-for-4 in the game with a triple and a home run, while knocking in five runs.
Anderson went 4-for-5 for Scranton with a double, a home run, and a stolen base. In the game, he scored two runs and knocked in five.

"We were seeing the ball really well at the plate," an elated Anderson commented.


NOTES: James Anderson is 6-for-10 in his first two games back in the majors... Sean Lukasiewicz has given up six runs in an appearance twice this season... Scranton scored three runs in five out of eight innings in the game... After the game, the Maulers demoted Hansen to AAA.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

OWNER PROFILE - SharkyAZ - Chicago Maulers

This will be a weekly installment, hoping it will give us all a chance to get to know each other a bit and create sort of a tight knit league.

Rocky Mariners 2

Screen name: sharkyaz

Real name: Nick

Age: 32

Current Residence: Oklahoma City, OK

Born in: Lansdale, PA

Occupation: Director of Merchandise for the Oklahoma City Thunder (contracted through XP Events)

Single? Married? Kids? - Have a girlfriend back in Seattle

How long have you been in HBD? Third season

What season did you join 7Mickey7? Season 8

What drew you to HBD? I saw it the year it started, but I was working for an expansion hockey team... I wouldn't have the time to devote to it, so I didn't join. Last season, when the Sonics had left, we had nothing to do. I saw HBD again and decided to join.

What condition was your team in when you took over? The team had a decent minor league system, but the team hadn't had a winning season 3. I had a pretty harsh learning curve, but I feel like I'm getting much better at managing my team. I had only done one trade since I started, but this season, I've done two or three. I feel like I made smart trades, and my team has started out 12-5. I'm hoping they can keep it up!

What are your plans for your team this season? I have a lot of superstars in the making that are starting to be called up to the majors. I brought up Spud Daly and Phil Beckett to start out with, and Daryl Lockwood will make it up at some point this season. I made a free agent acquisition in Louis Bieser, an absolute speedster, and I'm hoping to get him up here as well.

By no means did I think my team would start how they are, but I'm hoping they'll keep it up!

Prediction for your team? Wild Card, won't make it past the first round.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Pitcher of the Week

Rangers Starter Named Pitcher of the Week
Omar Campos
Anaheim
Rangers
Age: 26B/T: L/L
Born: Oakley, CA
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Anaheim, CA (7M7AP): Rangers starter Omar Campos today was named the 7Mickey7 pitcher of the week for week 1.

Campos has given up only four runs in his first five appearances this season, striking out 23 batters and walking only nine over 37 innings. Campos' season era is .097, and he has earned four wins in five appearances.

"We're excited that Campos has earned this great honor," said Rangers manager Troy Waters. "He's off to a career start this season, and we're excited to see how he will do the rest of this season."

The Rangers will travel out to Santa Fe to take on the slugging Slammers for four games before traveling to Huntingdon to take on the Healeys for a three game set.

Player of the Week


Ariel Cervantes named 7Mickey7 Player of the Week


Ariel Cervantes
Chicago
Knights
Age: 26B/T: R/R
Born: Bonao, DO
Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Chicago, IL (7M7AP): Chicago Knights second baseman Ariel Cervantes was named the 7Mickey7 player of the week for week one of the season.

For the week, Cervantes batted .357 with six home runs, 15 RBI, and two stolen bases. Cervantes has it safely in 18 of 20 games, while hitting ten of his 15 RBI's within the first five games.

"We're very proud of Ariel and what he accomplished in the first week," Knights manager Tom Ensberg. "His contributions are a lot of the reason we are currently leading the division."

The Knights host the Kansas City Bo Knows starting tomorrow morning.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Injury Update

Tommy Kreuter Lost for the Season
Tommy Kreuter
Philadelphia
Wings
Age: 35B/T: R/R
Born: Seffner, FL
Position(s): 3B/1B/2B/COF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Philadelphia, PA (7M7AP): The Philadelphia Wings lost right-handed slugger, Tommy Kreuter, today in the sixth inning of their morning game against the Salt Lake City Utes, a game in which Philadelphia was victorious, 5-0.

"Tommy took a weird turn at first base on his flyout to left field," Philly coach Bernard Mullin explained. "It was a very strange injury, how he tweaked his neck, but we'll have to pick up and move on."

Kreuter hasn't been on the DL since Season 1 when he had shoulder surgery.

"This is a tough injury to swallow... especially since it happened in such an odd way," Kreuter lamented. "I battled back from my shoulder surgery in Season 1, and I'll do it again and be ready for Season 12."

"It will be hard to replace his leadership, but we will move on and continue to be successful," Mullin added.

Injury Update

O.J. Tracy placed on the 60-day DL
O.T. Tracy
Little Rock
Raiders
Age: 26B/T: R/R
Born: Fairless Hills, PA
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Little Rock, AR ( 7M7AP): The Little Rock Raiders lost a vital part of their pitching staff today when O.T. Tracy (1-0, 2.93ERA) went down with a shoulder ligament tear in the second inning of their game against the St. Louis Redbirds this morning. The Raiders placed Tracy on the 60-day DL.

"That's obviously a huge blow to our team," Raiders manager Red Nixon commented. "Any time you lose your number one starter, you know your team will have a tough time down the road."

Tracy was off to a great start this season, posting a 2.93 ERA in five starts and holding opponents to a .264 batting average.

"This is very disappointing for me, personally," Tracy said. "I've been feeling great all season long, and this injury came out of left field."

Tracy is slated for surgery on Tuesday and will be out for at least nine weeks.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

TOP 5 INDIVIDUAL PITCHING LEADERS

WINS
1)Robert Gil - Philadelphia (4)T-2) 10 players tied at 3


STRIKEOUTS
1)Robert Gil - Philadelphia (30)2)Alex Adkinson - Philadelphia (25)
3)Matthew Hamilton - Pawtucket (24)
T-4)Archie Hines - Albuquerque (22)
T-4)Joaquin Ayala - Philadelphia (22)


ERA
1)Eduardo Bennett - Washington D.C. (0.46)2)Sean Price - Scranton (0.60)
3)Omar Campos - Anaheim (0.93)
4)Don Aoki - Houston (1.00)
5)Mike Wagner - New York (1.04)


WHIP
1)Sean Price - Scranton (0.53) 2)Terrence Delaney - Las Vegas (0.60)
3)Bret Fisher - Chicago (AL) (0.76)
4)Gene Stockton - Hartford (0.78)
5)Eduardo Bennett - Washington D.C. (0.81)


SAVES
1)Gordon Richardson - Houston (6)T-2)Gary Koch - Arizona (5)
T-2)Micah Smith - Hartford (5)
T-2)Happy Traynor - Washington D.C. (5)
T-5) 2 players tied with 4


OPPONENT AVERAGE
1)Terrence Delaney - Las Vegas (.077)2)Sean Price - Scranton (.083)
3)Bret Fisher - Chicago (AL) (.111)
4)Gene Stockton - Hartford (.128)
5)Gerald Nation - Arizona (.145)

TOP 5 INDIVIDUAL BATTING LEADERS

HOME RUNS
T-1 - Vladimir Sanchez - Arizona (7)T-1 Bruce Dickens - Dover (7)
T-1 Karl Martin - Norfolk (7)
T-1 Julius Lawson - Philadelphia (7)
T-1 Tim Stewart - Toronto (7)


BATTING AVERAGE
1) Bip Fisher - Monterrey (.428)2)John Keeler - St. Louis (.475)
3)Matt DePaula - Las Vegas (.444)
4)Dennys Cheng - Norfolk (.419)
5)Miguel Matos - Little Rock (.418)


RUNS
1)Brad Freeman - Philadelphia (22)2)Cyrus Snelling - Philadelphia (18)
3)Valerio Calderon - Alburquerque (16)
T-4) 7 tied at 15


RBI
T-1)Felipe Villafuerte - Norfolk (22)T-1)Albert Calles - Salt Lake City (22)
T-3)Vladimir Sanchez - Arizona (21)
T-3)Julius Lawson - Philadelphia (21)
5)Julio Henriquez - Chicago(NL) (18)


STOLEN BASES
T-1)Tito Aoki - Cincinnati (10)T-1)Craig Maduro - Pawtucket (10)
3)Omar Cross - Scranton(9)
4)Wesley Nation - Little Rock (8)
5)Sergio Sanford - Hartford (7)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

Matt Simon
Matt Simon
Santa Fe
Slammers
Age: 34B/T: R/R
Born: Islip, NY
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile
The Slammers lured Simon away from the Arizona franchise with a 4-year, $35.2 million deal, and who could blame them? Though Simon is not the pitcher he once was back in seasons 5, 6, 7, and 8, Simon is still a force to be reckoned with. Last season, with Vegas, he put up a 3.03 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .247 average. His velocity is not what it used to be, but Simon still has very good control of his pitches. The combination of his 4-seam fast ball and change-up will continue to stifle the opposition.



Clayton Surhoff
Clayton Surhoff
Buffalo
Bisons
Age: 30B/T: R/R
Born: Heidelberg, MS
Position(s): CF/CIF/2B/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile
After having spent ten seasons with only two teams in his career, Surhoff decided to bolt from the city of brotherly love out to Buffalo, having signed a five-year, $49.3 million deal with the Bisons. Averaging just under 28 home runs a year and 86 RBI over the last six seasons, Surhoff was sure to be a highly sought after free agents.

Philadelphia GM "robinhood410" commented on the loss of Surhoff:
" It is a sad day in Philadelphia, as management has decided not to match Buffalo's offer for long-time Wings centerfielder, Clayton Surhoff ," commented hood. "Surhoff has patrolled centerfield at Citizens Bank Ballpark for 5 years now and has been one of the best players in the history of the franchise. He will be missed, but the whole organization wishes him the best of luck on his new team."

Commented Buffalo GM "hooner65", "too bad, so sad."



Felix Floyd
Felix Floyd
Dover
Destroyers
Age: 31B/T: R/R
Born: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile
Much like the Seattle Supersonics, Floyd bolted from the Northwest for a better deal, joining the Dover Destroyers with a four-year, $32 million deal.

"After the Sonics left, I knew it was time to go", said sharkyaz... er... Felix Floyd. "There was more money to be made, and I had to make the best decision for my family."

Floyd pitches well against right-handed batters, and features a two-pitch arsenal. With his high durability and health rating, along with his almost superior control, Floyd is a welcomed addition to the Destroyers.



Antonio Holdridge
Antonio Holdridge
Salem
Sleepers
Age: 30B/T: S/L
Born: Tekonsha, MI
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Holdridge signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Salem Sleepers. Holdridge has held opponents to under .250 batting average in six of his ten seasons, After suffering an injury that put him on the 60-day DL, Holdridge is seeing some improvement in his 4-seam fastball. Holdridge will continue to work towards full recovery from his injury this season.