Trav Fixes the Mariners (MLB11)

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TravTex

TravTex

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49-55 just after the trade deadline.

Steven Hill is actually listed in the conversation for rookie of the year, though he's competing in this year's class of rookies with Eric Hosmer, who's hitting over .300 with 19 homers.

We're stuck starting Jason Pridie in LF, with both Saunders and Snider on IR. Kind of typical M's luck, really -- Last assessment put the Mariners with the #2 pitching staff in all of baseball, so two of our best bats immediately go onto the 60-day DL. Will be lucky to see them again before next year, and they might've made the difference with getting a sniff at the playoffs.

Domonic Brown is a freak. He's at around .260 with 19 HR and 70 RBIs at present, after a bit of a slump. Ackley and Schumaker are now splitting time at 2B. Ackley's gotten his fielding up to even with Schu's, but Schu's got too good of a bat against right-handers to be kept completely out of the lineup. Makes for some weird lineups, though... Leading off, the Designated Hitter, your backup no-power second baseman.

Pridie and Isidro Ramirez (2011 1st round draft pick) are making good swings on the ball, but neither is a superstar just yet. Isidro might be taking over for McClouth next year, or at least splitting time.

Roy Oswalt put up a 4-hit shutout in his first start for the M's. Niiiiiiice.
 
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TravTex

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Mariners, I am disappoint.

The 2012 M's finish out the season lollygagging around. I even catch the team in the showers and throw bats at them. You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!

Nothing works.

74-88 on the season.

Oswalt keeps tearing it up, and finishes the year 18-9, wondering why the other guys keep whining about 'Run Support'. He also fires his agent for letting this stupid trade go through in the first place.

Steven Hill, in what strikes me as an amazing accomplishment considering the competition, is the AL Rookie of the Year. Hits about .270, knocks out about 15 homers, but mainly wins it through stamina and defense. I don't think the dude missed a game all year.

Detroit wins the 'series.

Miguel Olivo, C says to hell with it all and retires. My hitting coach and 1B Coach's contracts expire. I end up agreeing with Oswalt and firing my pitching coach.

The offseason so far has largely consisted of getting my expiring guys back under contract. Doesn't look to be any big free agent movement this offseason, and I'm backing up against the set salary budget so I don't expect that to change. Most guys are resigned; Perez, Brown, Pineda, Ackley... Most notable departure is RP Brandon League, who won't even -consider- my offers once Colorado makes a bid on him. Apparently he REALLLY likes Colorado.
 

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Are the trades done by you or are they sim'd?

I'm playing RTTS trying to get my CF outta Jackson and to Tacoma. I havn't had this much fun playing a baseball game since I created the 2001 Mariners in N64 Ken Griffey Jr Baseball. (In 2002)

I was surprised in a few moves the Mariners made in RTTS (year 1). Both Ackley and Franklin were immediately promoted to MLB and they traded Chone Figgins for 3B David Freese. The Ackley promotion wasn't that surprising but I think they moved Franklin up a little soon! Also James Paxton is the best pitcher in the league at AA at 10-1 with a 2.11 ERA.
 
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I'm doing all of my own trades, trying to play at least one game a week (Though will hit stretches where I just want to fast-forward the season a bit, and I'll sim through, pausing for injuries and roster assessments)-- Hmmm, I think everything else is set up on manual.

Yeah, I brought Ackley along a little more slowly. His 'overall' rating started out at the top of the list, but I didn't think his skillset at the time made him the 'best fit'. That's one occasional problem with the AI. I do think it's pretty solid in general, though.

Biggest problem for 2013 is going to be middle relief. It was -already- the weak link in my pitching staff, and got drastically worse when League flat-out refused to resign. Definitely going to have to pull a trade or two before spring training, as I'm wanting to make a run in '13.

If I can't manage to get the M's to the WS by '15 or so, I'll probably go back to RTTS for a while.

It's a great mode, but I do tend to get a bit bored doing JUST pitching, or JUST a 2B, etc.
 
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TravTex

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17-14 for the Preseason. Early overall rankings have the M's at 15th. Not overly promising, but better than they've been before. Opening day starts with a bang as Domonic Brown hits a 3-run jack in the top of the 1st. Felix promptly gives up 4 runs in the first two innings.

Sigh.

Split the series 2-2 with Cleveland, and then heading to Boston. Actually, I'll take a road split, but looks like it might be another one of them seasons. Felix has been underperforming since day one. By the third season, I'm thinking that's just what you get with Felix. For 13 million dollars, maybe we could do better? Stewart's in a contract year, already getting pestered with trade interest.

We'll see how things look at the break.
 
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TravTex

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SundayNiteBlackout":375qbrrd said:
How is Pineda doing in the new season?

Solid start: 7 IP, 4 H, 5 K. 1-0, 3.86 ERA

Split with the BoSox, as well. So coming back to start the home stretch at 3-3. I'll take .500 after a trip to Boston.
 
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2013 could have a few more pages written about it, but Fixing the Mariners is drawing to a close, so I'll stick with the pertinent bits.

At the All-Star Break, I was a bit down on the team, though starting to perk up as a pretty vicious winning streak had the M's at 47-45 at the break. Two Mariners graced the AL roster; Smoak and Chris Perez.

Zero trades were made in 2013, as we were pretty content with the roster if not altogether happy with the performance. Seattle clinched a weak division a couple weeks before the end of the season, and finished up with a 87-75 record. Playoffs.

The first opponent would be the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. As much as Seattle was seen as a general underdog in the playoffs, Tampa Bay was more so. We outclassed them in every department on paper. Still, the Rays fought feisty. Seattle made it through, scraping out a 2-1 victory to win 3 games to 2.

The ACLS looked a bit more frightening: Detroit was on a run, having just taken down Boston. Somewhat surprisingly, they put up less of a fight.

The 2013 Seattle Mariners defeated Detroit 4 games to 2, and prepared to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
 
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TravTex

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2013 Seattle

D. Ackley: .284, 13 HR, 37 SB
L. Chisenhall: .279, 28 HR
J. Smoak: .267, 36 HR
T. Snider: .275, 30 HR
M. Saunders: .238, 22 HR
D. Brown: .275, 23 HR

F. Hernandez: 15-10, 3.76 ERA
R. Oswalt: 12-11, 4.62 ERA
K. McClellan: 11-10, 3.40 ERA
Z. Stewart: 15-10, 4.78 ERA
M. Pineda: 13-9, 4.06 ERA
 
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TravTex

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Game 1: Seattle wins, 4-2. Zach Stewart winning pitcher.

Game 2: LA wins 4-5. Kyle McClellan losing pitcher.

Game 3: Seattle wins 8-3. Felix Hernandez winning pitcher.

Game 4: Seattle wins 6-0. Michael Pineda winning pitcher.

Game 5: Seattle wins 3-0. Zach Stewart completes a World Series MVP run, throwing a shutout.

-----------------

The M's win the World Series. LaRussa has a job for life.

I'm tempted to keep going, although technically at this point I'd say the Mariners are 'fixed'. Next year looks like it'll be a HUGE pain in the ass -- We didn't get much of a budgetary increase, despite winning the big games. Perez, Chisenhall, Stewart, Brown... everyone's contract is up, everyone wants to get paid, and there isn't any money. Might have to do one of those Marlins-esque roster blow-ups, get rid of some high dollar players, and start rebuilding. Urgh.
 
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