JUDGEMENT DAY

Well, it's here. For the first time in Second City History (I think - too lazy to look), all 4 wild-card series are headed to game 5. A brief re-cap of how we got there.

Baltimore jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the road, bombing 2 Fightin Friar starters including Chico Molina (gm 1 8-3, gm 2 18-1). By the Friars came back on the road behind 8 innings of one-hit ball from Dude Wheeler in Game 3 and a 4-HR attack in Game 4. The road team in 4-0 in this series, which returns to SF for it's thrilling conclusion.

Scranton got 3 in the 9th on a Joe Clarke HR and stranded the potential tie run at 3B in Game 1 against Monterrey. 3 of the first 4 hitters homered in the 2nd as Monterrey cruised to a game 2 win over Neil Henderson. Game 3 dragged on for a grueling 13 innings with only 3 extra inning base runners until Jorge Torres got his first hit of the night, a 2-run, walk-off HR allowed by the creatively named Brad Bradley. Game 4 saw Monterrey escape elimination in a thrilling come-from-behind win with PR Andrew Boyd just beating a throw home to score the go-ahead run on PH Tito Kwon's double. Kudos to manager Brandon Taylor for those two substitutions.

In the NL, San Juan peppered Cheyenne with 19 hits to win gm 1 8-4. Then backup C Willard Hitchcock homered 3 times to secure 7-5 victory in game 2. But, Cheyenne battled back at home winning game 3 8-7 with the despite the potential tie run reaching first with nobody out in the 9th. Game 4 was a Seminole game all the way with Gergie Regan and Adam Henry combing to allow just 1 run on 8 hits.

Perhaps the wildest series has been between Helena and Sioux Falls. The exhausted Dakota sent 36-year old Bartolo Gonzalez to the mind in Game 1 and he rewarded them with shut out innings in a 5-0 win over 3-time Cy Young Rafael Aguilera. The Dakota took a 4-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th in Helena in game 2 before D'Angelo Castillo's 2-run, walkoff HR. Sioux Falls trailed 5-1 in game 3 before a furious comeback, topped off by a 4-run 8th to win 5-4. CF Alex Bennett made consecutive errors in the 9th to bring the tie run to the plate before Victor Chavez redeemed himself by escaping the jam (he had blown game 2). Game 4 once again saw Aguilera on the hill, but he left with the Dakota leading 4-3. However, back-to-back HR's in the 8th and a 3-run 9th salted away the win for the Hound Dogs. Sioux Falls ace, Paul Rhodes takes the hill for the first time in a win-or-go-home game 5 in Helena.

Playoff Preview Season 13

Well, an exciting finish to the regular season saw Mexico City sweep San Juan amidst calls for better insurance to secure a bye and the #2 seed in the NL. Meanwhile, Las Vegas, Helena, Sioux Falls, and Cheyenne all won must-win 162nd games. This completed 6 game streaks to finish the season for both Cheyenne and Sioux Falls. The upshot was that Las Vegas was eliminated on a tie-breaker yielding these first round matchups.

Odds are to win league pennant, all rankings are within league unless otherwise noted.

American League
#6 Scranton Nittany Lions 10-1
Record: 95-67 (AL 2nd wild card)
Offense: 8th: 962 R, .265 Ave (2nd fewest SB)
Defense: 8th: 868 R, 4.89 ERA (244 HR allowed worst of AL playoff teams)
History: 5th consecutive and 6th overall appearance, best finish: WS loser in Season 11
vs.
#3 Monterrey Conquistadors 12-1
Record: 97-65 (winner AL South)
Offense: 7th: 963 R, .295 Ave (.364 OBP trails only KC)
Defense: 6th: 841 R, 4.77 ERA (tandem rotation rocks conventional wisdom)
History: 12th appearance, 9th division title, best finish, WS loser in Season 6

Outlook: Monterrey's tandem rotation meets surprising entrant, with 8th ranked O & D. WCM PICK: Monterrey
-----------
bye
#2 Kansas City Blues 5-2
Record: 102-60 (winner AL North)
Offense: 2nd: 1056 R, .305 Ave (207 HR fewest of playoff teams)
Defense: 3rd: 800 R, 4.56 ERA (.422 Slg allowed & 1123 K's best in AL)
History: 2nd consecutive division title (5 overall), 6 total appearances, best finish: lost ALCS season 11
----------
#5 Baltimore Dead Homies 8-1
Record: 99-63 (AL 1st wild card)
Offense: 6th: 986 R, .282 BA (219 SB 2nd in AL)
Defense: 4th: 820 R, 4.59 ERA (20 Blown Saves worst among AL playoff teams)
History: 5th consecutive wild card, 10th overall appearance, best finish: WS loser, seasons 2 and 12
vs.
#4 San Francisco Fightin Friars 3-1
Record: 94-68 (winner AL West)
Offense: 5th: 991 R, .293 Ave (hardest AL team to K - 904)
Defense: 1st: 771 R, 4.40 ERA (fewest HR all)
History: 2nd consecutive division title, 2nd appearance, best finish, lost in ALCS Season 12

Outlook: San Fran's excellent pitching and defense meet the speed of Baltimore WCM Pick - Baltimore
----------
bye
#1 Richmond Confederates 3-1
Record: 107-55 (winner AL East)
Offense: 3rd, 1050 R, 2.83 Ave (337 HR lead league)
Defense: 2nd, 774 R, 4.44 ERA (53-64 SV, tops in AL)
History: 5th division title, 8th consecutive appearance (8 overall), best finish: WS Champs season 9
----------

National League
#6 Sioux Falls Dakota (15-1)
Record: 89-73 NL 2nd wild card by virtue of tie-breaker over Las Vegas
Offense: 3rd: 831 R, .263 Ave (129 SB 2nd among NL playoff teams)
Defense: 11th: 751 R, 4.30 ERA (219 HR allowed 3rd worst in NL)
History: 1st wild card after 12 consecutive division titles, best finish: WS Champs in Season 7 and 10
vs.
#3 Helena Hound Dogs 9-1
Record: 90-72 Winner NL North
Offense: 11th: 735 R, .265 Ave (193 HRs last among playoff teams, and better only than Pittsburgh)
Defense: 5th: 673 R, 3.73 ERA (172 HR allowed, best in NL)
History: 1st division title, 4th playoff appearance, best finish: never won a division series

Outlook: Exhausted Dakota rotation takes on best pitcher in the game in Aguilera. WCM PICK - Helena
----------
Bye
#2 Mexico City Bandejos 2-1
Record: 95-67 Winner NL South
Offense: 1st: 869 R, .275 Ave (255 HRs 18 better than any other in NL)
Defense: 2nd: 654 R, 3.68 ERA (.240 OAV tops in NL)
History: 7th straight division title, 10th straight appearance, 10 overall appearances, best finish: WS Champs seasons 4, 5, 6, and 11
----------
#5 San Juan Crownrificos 5-1
Record: 94-68 1st NL Wild Card
Offense: 12th: 714 R, .257 Ave (25 SB half the next worst team in NL)
Defense: 3rd: 657 R, 3.69 ERA (1184 K's led NL)
History: 11th appearance (6 division titles, 5 wild cards), best finish: WS Champs SEason 1, 2, and 8
vs.
#4 Cheyenne Seminoles 5-1
Record: 90-72 Winner NL West
Offense: 10th: 750 R, .259 Ave (202 SB, 2nd in NL and tops in playoffs)
Defense: 1st: 638 R, 3.63 ERA (172 HR, 452 BB, .383 SLG all led NL)
History: 5th consecutive division title, 6th straight appearance (9 overall), best finish: Lost NLCS seasons 1 and 9

outlook: battle of bad hitting/great pitching teams comes down to the little things, injuries undermine experienced Crownrificos WCM PICK - Cheyenne
----------
Bye
#1 Burlington Bulldogs 3-1
Record: 98-64 Winner NL East (first non-NL South team with #1 seed in NL)
Offense: 8th: 776 R, .250 Ave (only Pawtucket had worse BA)
Defense: 4th: 666 R, 3.73 ERA (56 SV led NL)
History: 7th straight division title, 7 overall appearances, best finish: WS Champs Season 12

Playoff Position

Well as the season approaches the home stretch there is very little drama left in the AL and gobs of drama in the NL.

Let's start with the boring part. Kansas City is a lock to win the AL North. Monterrey is a heavy favorite to win the AL South. In the AL West, San Francisco holds a 3 game lead over Colorado. Colorado is also 3 games out of the wild card, where Scranton holds the final spot.
(Richmond leads Baltimore by 4 games in the AL East with the runner-up a veritable shoe-in for the wild-card. That means only 1 spot remains up for grabs with Scranton battling the AL West runner-up for the last spot.

Scranton has 7 games remaining with SF (3 road, 4 home), but does not meet Colorado again. Colorado and San Francisco meet by the bay for a 3 game set in the next-to-last series of the season.

Dandy Dozen - Rich Clarke

Rich Clarke Sioux Falls Dakota Age: 36 B/T: R/R Born: Washington, DC Position(s): 3B/1B/COF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Resume: Rick Clarke has been in the league since it's inception. In those 12 seasons, he's never failed to hit 30 HRs or drive in 100 runs. His career line includes a .300 batting average, 503 HR's, 1383 runs scored, and 1643 RBIs. He's a 6-time SS silver slugger, a 2-time gold glove 3B, and a 7-time All-star (including an All-Star MVP in season 11). Only 5 players have made more all-star teams; only 4 have won more Silver Sluggers; and only 3 have won more Gold Gloves.

He holds Baltimore Dead Homies (formerly WIC) franchise records for career: GP, AB, H, 2B, and RBI. League-wide, he's 3rd all-time in career RBI, and holds career records for games played, hits, and at bats.

His teams have made the playoffs in 10 of his 12 seasons (1, 2, 3, 5, 7 with Wichita, 8-9 with Mexico City, and 10-12 with Richmond). He recently signed with Sioux Falls hoping to raise this number. For his career, he's hit .283 with 29 HR's, 70 runs scored, and 80 RBI's in the playoffs (427 ABs). Interestingly, he's 5-5 on playoff SB attempts despite just a 61-137 career regular season stealing history.

In his 10 playoff trips, his teams have gone 12-10 in playoff series. In season 7, his Shocker squad lost a wild-card round game. He forced a trade to Mexico City during season 8. After losing the World Series to Richmond as a Bandejo in season 9, Clarke left via free agency and joined Richmond. The 'Feds reached the World Series (the 3rd of Clarke's career) only to lose Sioux Falls. Two season later, again a free agent, the ultra-competitive Clarke has joined the Dakota in a last-ditch attempt to add a World Series ring to his achievements.

The Rest of the Story: Clarke's up-bringing and identity have always been shrouded in mystery. He lists Washington, D.C. as his home-town but no local high school claims him as an alumnus. The Wichita Shocker scout that discovered and signed him, mysteriously disappeared mid-way through season 2. He was later found dead along the Mexican border though the Bandejo organization acknowledges no involvement.

Various internet reports have speculated that Richard A. Clarke is his father. Clarke himself has never called himself a Jr., but does insist that his middle name is Anonymous. The elder Clarke is a long-time government official, whose past roles include chief-counter-terroism adviser on the National Security Council under Bill Clinton.

When WCM reporter Scoop Raisin approached the younger Clarke about his lineage, he woke up two days later. The following day, he quit as his job as a WCM columnist "to pursue other interests." He never did explain the lump on his forehead.

Chase to the playoffs

As the season approaches its end, a number of tight races remain. A recap and brief preview follows.

In the AL North, Ottawa (79-73), Kansas City (78-74), and Tacoma (74-78) are locked in a tight battle, with just 4 games separating the teams. The Ottawa franchise has won the division 7 of the last 8 years, so the strong challenge bodes well for KC. KC remains 10 games out of the wild card.

In the AL East, the three best records in the AL are fighting it out. Scranton has a commanding 7 game lead on Richmond and 8 games on Baltimore. It appears likely that the runners up will win both wild cards, so this battle won't truly be decided until the playoffs. Richmond has made 6 consecutive playoff appearances and that streak does not appear likely to end.

In the AL South, Monterrey (83-69) holds a precarious 4 game lead over Texas with 10 to play. The teams meet in Texas for a 3-game set in the next-to-last series of the season. If Texas can narrow the margin, that series figures to decide the division which Monterrey has won 6 times while missing the playoffs just once. Texas is the defending division champ.

In the AL West, Salem and San Francisco are separated by just two games. Salem is one of only 2 franchises to have won their division in every season, so the streak is very much non the line. Despite their 81-71 record, the Salamies are actually 2 games UNDER .500 at home where they meet SF on the final weekend of the season.

Sioux Falls has a 5 game lead over Helena in the NL North with 10 to play as they attempt to extend their division championship streak to 11 years. Helena is in a 3-way wild card tie with Las Vegas and Cheyenne at 85-67. Three other teams, including Toledo from the North, are within 4 games.

Burlington has stomped the rest of the NL East, leading by 27 games and long ago clinching their division. This will mark the Bulldogs 5th consecutive division crown and they appear likely to receive the 2 seed and a first round bye.

Mexico City once again has the best record in the NL at 102-50. They've also clinched their 5th straight division crown. Fellow Southerns San Juan is 4 games out of the wild card, placing their 10 season playoff streak in jeopardy. Nashville needs a ton of help to make the wild card for the 4th time in its history.

Las Vegas and Cheyenne are deadlocked at 85-67. Whoever loses the division is well-positioned for the wild card. Arizona (82-70) sits three games back of both the division and the wild card. Lucky for the Isotopes, they close with 17 consecutive home games, including their final six against Las Vegas and Cheyenne. Las Vegas recently took 2 of 3 from Cheyenne and are done with them in the regular season. They face defending champion Sioux Falls 4 times followed by their showdown with a hungry Arizona team. The Double Downs narrowly missed out on wild card berths while losing the division to Cheyenne in each of the past two season.

NKOtB Part Two: Sacramento Shockers

The History: Boy is there history. bigking founded the Wichita Shockers and operated the franchise successfully for its first 8 seasons. The Shockers of Wichita finished below .500 just once, made the playoffs in 5 of their first 8 seasons and represented the American League in the World Series in Season 2.

After Season 8, mr_orange and his crew muscled in on the Wichita franchise. Unconfirmed reports had bigking behind on a loan he used to finance a free agent spending spree in Season 4. When mr_orange threatened to cut off his ear, bigking went to the authorities. He was immediately place in the witness protection program.

However, mr_orange legally acquired the franchise in bankruptcy proceedings after bigking changed his name and was re-located to Sacramento. After hiring defense attorney Clarence Darrow on the advice of Mexico City Bandejos owner dyuen, mr_orange was acquitted. The Federal Marshalls released bigking from witness protection after his testimony failed to convict mr_orange. King stayed in Sacramento, re-built his fortune as a traveling mascot and TV commercial star, and bought the team formerly in Oklahoma City at a steep discount.

The Outlook: King is the 4th owner is as many seasons for a franchise that has never made the playoffs. However, the team has won exactly 72 games in 3 of the past 5 seasons, so the cupboard isn't bare. Livan Suarez (.296, 41 HRs) returns to lead the offense. His brother Jose Suarez returns as leadoff man after stealing 76 bases last season. Edgar Romo had a breakout season at age 30 interrupted by elbow trouble, but returns. Former Wichita SS Walter Kingston was brought in to stabilize the IF. Finally, a bevy of young prospects litter the minors and could help in the coming years.

The Name - Well, this one comes as no surprise - see the picture.

Playoff Previews (AL)

As the playoffs approach - a quick preview of each team:

1-Richmond (115-47) - The top team in the AL leads the way with pitching. They allowed the fewest runs in the AL by a wide margin. The solid offense relies on speed, with a league-high 263 SBs and power (324 Hrs).
Key Player: 60-60 man Julio Nunez hit .330 while stealing 67 bags and pounding 62 HRs.
Weakness: Tough to find one on a team that won 115 games, plays good defense, and had their closer go 37-38 in save opportunities. Three starters did strike out 100+ times so we'll go with that.
History: 4th straight year in the playoffs but they've never been to the World Series.

4-Monterrey (89-73) - They rank 8th in the AL in runs scored, 7th in runs allowed, and 9th in fielding. At 211 their HR total was the 3rd lowest in the AL. How is this team the 4 seed? Creative managing and a non-traditional 3-man tandem rotation have meant wins.
Key Player: Catcher Carson Sherman leads the way with .325 average and 49 HRs.
Weakness: Closer Ned Rivera saved just 20 of 34 attempts and threw over 100 innings in 75 appearances
History: One of just a handful of franchises never to miss the playoffs, the the 'Quistas have made just 2 LCS and 1 WS appearances in 8 seasons.

5- Baltimore (99-63) - They're sortof like Richmond-light, with 326 HRs and 231 SBs to go with a staff that allowed the 2nd fewest runs in the AL.
Key Player: A trio of players hit 50+ HRs and drove in over 140 runs but ace hurler Rico Lecuona might be the key to the Homies hopes.
Weakness: Their baserunners have been caught stealing a league-high 142 times.
History: The franchise has missed the playoffs just 3 times in 8 years, but they've made it out of the division series just once, a season 2 trip to the World Series.

2- Salem (103-59) - This team trailed only Colorado in hitting .308 for the season. However, pitching and defense both ranked 8th in the AL. The offense defined balance with 9, count 'em 9 players hitting 20+ HRs.
Key Player: Free agent addition Carl Brooks was brought in to closer the door and he has, 49 of the 55 times he's been asked. Does the 35-year old have enough gas in the tank for the playoffs?
Weakness: Only Memphis had more - plays in the field and only Houston had fewer plus plays in the AL than this defense. They're also one of the worst in the league at throwing out base stealers.
History: Bossmao's boys have never lost the division and have made an AL-high 4 trips to the World Series. They've been there before.

3- Cincinnatti (96-66) - The Great Americans scored fewer runs than any other AL playoff team and only Monterrey slugged for a lower percentage. On the flip side, they finished 4th in the AL in runs allowed and posted a solid 67 quality starts. Seven players stole 20 bags or more.
Key Player: 33-year old Max Molina is the best starter on the staff (13-6 3.10 ERA), but he pitched into the 7th just 4 times on the year and has been battling a tired arm. Will he step up in the playoffs?
Weakness: They lack the offensive firepower of the rest of this bracket and will have to rely on gritty pitching, manufactured runs, and solid bullpen work to succeed.
History: After cincyredlegs took the franchise to its first playoff birth last year, he orchestrated the first division title in franchise history this year. A first playoff series win would be a great achievement.

6- Scranton (97-65) - This team of extremes has the most HR's, fewest SB's, and highest ERA of any team in the AL field. No doubt, the cast of the Office will be in the stands.
Key Player: C.C. Morgan hit .328 as a rookie but his biggest contribution in the playoffs might be made with his arm where he's led the Nittany Lions to the best CS% in the entire AL.
Weakness: The pitching staff has the highest walk rate of any in the AL playoffs and the hitters tied Cincy's for the most strikeouts of the playoffs teams.
History: Scranton set a franchise record for victories but finished just third in their division. This is their second appearance in the playoffs.

Bold Predictions:
Scanton nips Cincy in a series that goes the distance. Monterrey proves scrappy but not enough to take down Baltimore. Powerful Richmond bests a surprising Scranton team to take the pennant.

Dolphins swim to 'Frisco

Much like the Colts fleeing Baltimore by cover of darkness, the Dolphins fled Honolulu for San Francisco. In a scene eerily reminiscent of the Colt affair, rumors of the move caused a near panic across the state of Hawaii. In fact, the state legislature was in the process of passing a law allowing the state to seize the team by eminent domain if they tried to relocate off the islands.

Dolphin owner dsphalinger, being a sharp cookie and aware of the past, turned to a proven resources. When the Colts fled Baltimore, they contracted Mayflower moving company and accomplished the move by dark of night, thus avoiding similar eminent domain legislation in Maryland before it could take effect. So, when the Dolphins got wind of a similar plan in Hawaii, they called in Mayflower. "Hey, the Mayflower is a proven ship, even if it has been around for 500 years. I mean, if it's good enough for the pilgrims, why not for the Dolphins?" said the enigmatic team owner.

Unfortunately for dspalinger, Mayflower is a truck moving company. They expeditiously packed up the team offices and stadium and had everything on trucks the same day. Unfortunately, trucks don't float. When the Mayflower caravan was lined up at the dock, the state threatened to re-posses the team. That's when Second City Commissioner jwendt stepped in. The state agreed to allow the Dolphins to leave as long as another team took over their lease. mesco12, the new owner was looking to escape Kansas City for well, pretty much anywhere. The commish promised the team to Honolulu, and all lived happily ever after ... so far anyways