So, digging away at this game. Anyone playing it?

I created a virtua-Trav from my baseball playing days (I last played about ten years ago... My men's league went bankrupt, haha). Starting pitcher with weak heat but a scary monster-break 12-6 hook and decent accuracy.

Started out drafted by the Tigers, and spent the majority of the year languishing in the Long Relief role for the AA Erie Seawolves. Had a really rough beginning to the season, though there was slow and steady improvement.

Then out of the blue, I got my butt traded to Baltimore. Ended the season in the same role, and throwing pretty well, for the abyssmal Bowie Baysox. A month or two into the second season, still with Bowie... still in the Long Relief spot. Probably going to start earning some starts, though. Virtua Trav finished 2009 with a 4.25 ERA, and is starting strong in 2010 at around a 2.35.

The Baysox still suck.

I played last years version. I think it's the best baseball game since MVP 05. I want Konami to release Baseball Spirits with MLB license as soon as 2K's contract runs out.

Playing as a pitching is the best...except when your fielders blow and lose a game for you.

Nothing like striking out the side...even at the Single-A level.

I drifted away from the RTTS mode to the Franchise. I'd forgotten how excellent The Show's franchise mode is. Started a trial run with the latest roster M's. We sucked out loud. Had an 0-7 start, dropping every single road game in our first trip.

Ichiro and Griffy both hitting over .350, but... they can't do it by themselves. I didn't make a great deal of roster changes -- The bullpen looked a little green, so I signed on Bill Bray for a couple seasons. Also brought up Mike Carp and dropped Sweeney down to what'll probably be the rest of his career in AAA ball.

Jakubauskas showed promise. Other than that, the pitching staff needs to run a WHOLE lotta laps. Starting off the season with a 7.03 ERA. Doug Fister looks like a mutant. 6'8", 185lbs?

Bill Hall has been surprisingly useful with his versatility. He's getting a lot of playing time in the 'This guy needs a game off, Bill... wanna play Center Field, today?' role.

However, I think I'm going to fire up a franchise with some dudes a little closer to home and take my Rangers for a test drive. (And probably immediately start marketing Young. Love his bat, but the team has a lot of holes I can fill with 13 million bucks... Or maybe I'll just dump Blaylock.)

I love the M's, but have to say... It's one hell of a lot less frustrating playing with the Rangers. Came out of the gate after Spring Training 3-0 after slapping around Cleveland. I could tell this was a profoundly different team when Kinsler jacked a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the season.

Meanwhile, Millwood threw a 7-hit shutout.

Only change I've made so far is signing Greg Smith to try and give a little more strength to the starting rotation. The pitching staff's quality is hit or miss... luckily the offense is more hit than miss, so it's a little less of a problem to give up three or four runs when every bat in the lineup can do damage.

I think I have a couple of overpriced players... I'm looking quite intently at Omar. I have a rookie who could be doing his job, but it's hard to bench a guy pulling down 9 million dollars for the year. Doubt I could get much if anything in trade for him. Who wants a 40 year old 9 million dollar defensive shortstop?

So, ten games into the season and we're sitting at 4-6. I've had to make a few minor roster tweaks, but nothing dramatic. Picked up another middle-tier reliever for just under 2 million a year. Keep eyeballing Sheets on the Free Agent list, but... well, we have the money, I just don't care to get locked into the kind of contract Unemployed Boy is demanding. 4-6 years at over 15 million per? Meh. I have to resign Hamilton, I'll pass.

Team is playing a little better than their record at the moment. A lot of the damage has been coming from erratic middle relief and inconsistent bats. Two of our Big Three have had slow starts -- Kinsler and Hamilton both hitting under .250, but things should level out soon enough.

Games of the Year so far: Tie: Blasting the crap out of Detroit 10-1, or Millwood's 7-hit shutout against Cleveland.

So, the 2009 Rangers ended up bringing the suck pretty strongly. 66-96. It's pretty painful watching the Rangers miss the playoffs every year -- Kindred souls to the Mariners, being two of only three teams to never even sniff the WS. Rangers have the added knock of only winning one playoff game in franchise history.

BUT... 2010 seems somewhat promising.

The major bad news is that we lost Hamilton. Not so much 'bad' as in 'how could this happen to us' -- We did voluntarily trade him away -- But more a Potential Problem.

I like the lineup at the start of the season, though, and we had a semi-decent draft. While the first rounder doesn't seem to have a great deal of potential, we did find a couple of Grade A-potential relievers in the later rounds. Between the draft, the hurlers we've retained, and a significant acquisition here and there... The bullpen is going to be a major strength for the team over the next few years.

Here's what we're looking at:

C: Taylor Teagarden (Middle-of-the-road catcher, makes up for it by having a great name.)
1B: Hank Blalock (Sharing time with Chris Davis)
2B: Ian Kinsler (All-Star ability)
SS: Elvis Andrus (In the 'okay' range. Solid defender, meh bat.)
3B: Michael Young (All-Star ability, part II)
LF: Carl Crawford (A free agent actually wanted to come to Arlington for a change.)
CF: Greg Golson (Weak link. Didn't resign Byrd or Jones to save money elsewhere... See Crawford, Carl.)
RF: Andre Ethier (Takes away the sting of trading Hamilton)

Starting pitching is a mixed bag. Millwood is still around, though his effectiveness seemed to drop a touch. Also added to the rotation was Jason Marquis. New acquisition Joey Devine is set to dominate out of the bullpen. The pressure isn't all on him, as Frank Francisco, CJ Wilson, and Darren O'Day are looking solid. Neftali Feliz is improving swiftly... AND I have two A-potential relievers in development should anyone need a break.

Not bad!