May 2013 - Stats, Stories and Surprises

Brassball month two is in the books.  With that, some interesting stats and stories may be hidden by multiple months of results.  Thanks to Doug, I took a look at the stats for just the month of May to see which players and teams had the most interesting stretch of 28 games.  

• Fleetwood rookie Mike Trout led all of Brassball in hitting (.426), on base percentage (.522) and slugging (.734) and still couldn't win Strat-O-Matic's MVP voting.  He lost a close race to Metropolis's Andrew McCutchen (.333/.389/.642).  McCutchen did have more RBIs, which probably explains the vote.  He had 27 to Trout's 26.
• The Portland Steelheads were not quite ready for May, as they were one-hit by Simi Valley aces Clayton Kershaw and David Price in the first two games of the month.
• Parkland's Casey McGehee had himself quite a month - going .368/.467/.842 and also coming through in the clutch with two pinch hit home runs.
• Brooklyn won a 19 inning marathon game vs West Hills, but that couldn't match the 1-0 pitchers' duel (or batters' failure) that Simi Valley won in 20 innings at Metropolis.  
• Plaza was a scorching 25-3 in May and two of its losses were by a single run.
• Lancaster's Austin Jackson legged out seven triples in May.
• Outlaw Elvis Andrus got his bunting practice in, laying down 13 sacrifices in 14 attempts.  The only other team with more was Cook County, with 16 successful bunts in May.
• Metropolis pitchers and catchers shut down opposing base runners, allowing just one stolen base on three attempts.
• Butte County infielder Joaquin Arias was a threat off the bench, collecting five hits in eight pinch hit at bats.  
• On the other side of the coin, Plaza and California each had only three pinch hit attempts all month.
• Plaza hitters compiled an amazing .307/.373/.522 line on the month in nearly 1100 plate appearances.  
• With a batting line like that, Plaza should probably give up the bunt - they were successful in just half of their 10 attempts.
• Santa Barbara was by far the most reliable team in the field, making only five errors all month.  The next best was the Outlaws' long-time AL rival Cook County, with twice as many.
• The Outlaw bullpen was another key to their 19-9 month, as they allowed just six of 47 inherited runners to score (12.8%).
• Sacramento's Ross Detwiler had a fantastic month, going 4-1 in six starts with a 0.53 in 33 innings.  
• Detwiler didn't even get a vote SOM's Cy Young vote, however.  Plaza closer Wilton Lopez took home the hardware after recording 13 saves in 14 appearances.  
• Several pitchers had four wild pitchers (including staff anchors Felix Hernandez and Tim Lincecum), but Hophead Jason Marquis uncorked five.  
• On the other hand, no Avenger pitcher threw a wild pitch and the team had only one passed ball.
• SoCal's Ramon Santiago booted the most balls last month, totaling eight errors.
• Not surprisingly, Plaza had the most players on SOM's all-star rosters.Joe Mauer, Alex Rios, Wilton Lopez and CJ Wilson made the first team while Aaron Hill and Jarrod Parker on the second.
• Three batters went 5-5 in a game: Brandon Belt, Craig Gentry and Alejandro De Aza.
• Superior might be in the market for a new baserunning coach after getting thrown out 10 times in just 21 steal attempts.
• Amazingly, Portland was thrown out just once while stealing 24 bases this month.
• Here's a baserunning tip - don't run on Dwayne Wise or Josh Hamilton.  They both gunned down six runners.
• Only once did Metropolis allow more than five runs.  Glen Allen gave up 10 or more runs five times.
• North Georgia's Chris Davis struck out 43 times in just 117 at bats.  If he doesn't turn that around, he might be out of the league by this time next year.
• Latrobe rode their new ace, Justin Verlander, like a horse.  He went 4-2 in seven starts and tossed 60 1/3 innings.  No one else threw even 50 innings.
• Springfield "batters" compiled a .192 average in May, nearly 30 points behind Hessville's .227.

Brassball NLCS Stats and Stories

The Metropolis Avengers (111-51) defeated the Springfield Isotopes (97-66) in seven games in the Brassball National League Championship Series.  They advanced to the Brassball World Series to face the Santa Barbara Outlaws (127-35).  Here's a closer look at the series by digging into the teams' stats:

• Springfield outscored Metropolis 33-23 in seven games.  Over 162 games, a team with that run differential rate would be expected to go 109-53.
• Andrew McCutchen was named NLCS MVP.  He hit a homer in each of the first three games and totaled .292/.379/.792 with nine RBIs, two stolen bases and two outfield assists.
• Jose Bautista gave McCutchen a run for the MVP crown.  He hit .304/.467/.696 with two homers and eight runs scored.  Despite those gaudy numbers, he drove in only three runs, mostly because leadoff man Jose Reyes hit just .192/.300/.192.  In the end, it may have been the fact that McCutchen drove in the series-winning run that sealed the MVP vote for him.  Of course, it was Bautista that scored the run after putting himself in scoring position with a double. 
• Metropolis beat Springfield on the bases, stealing nine bases without getting caught.  Matt Wieters kept the Isotope runners from even attempting a single stolen base.  Springfield also had two runners thrown out at the plate, one in game seven.
• Both teams had 31 at bats in clutch situations.  Springfield hit .258/.343/.419 while Metropolis hit just .097/.237/.129.
• Isotope relievers allowed just one of 12 inherited runners to score (8.3%).  Avenger relievers allowed seven of 18 (38.9%).  That said, the one inherited runner Springfield allowed to score just happened to be the series winning run in the eighth inning of game seven.
• In addition to shutting down the running game, Wieters also started three double plays in the series.  
• Isotope center fielder Nyjer Morgan did a great job setting the table with a .393 OBP.  Part of that was due to his willingness to take one for the team, as he was the only hitter to get hit by a pitch twice.  Despite being on base all series, Morgan only scored four runs, partially because the team's second spot hitters combined for just a .540 OPS.
• Metropolis defenders committed nine errors in seven games, leading to nine unearned runs.  Springfield allowed just two unearned runs on the team's six errors.
• Metropolis traded for two power relievers in July.  Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen more than proved their value in the NLCS, combining for 19 innings pitched with just 10 hits and 23 strikeouts.  They did allow eight walks (seven by Jansen) but allowed just one earned run.  Jansen also won two games in the series. 
• Springfield mid-season acquisition hitters, Melky Cabrera and Todd Helton, combined to go .245/.269/358 with one homer and eight RBIs.
• Former Isotope CC Sabathia won his NLCS only start against his former team, allowing five runners and no runs in his five innings.
• Another former Isotope, Alex Gordon, didn't have as much luck.  In 26 at bats he hit .192/..241/.192.
• Former Avenger Ryan Zimmerman was his team's best hitter.  He hit .423/.483/.654 and had 11 hits, four more than any other hitter.
• This was not a series of small ball.  The teams issued just one intentional walk and attempted just one sacrifice bunt, but they came on consecutive batters.  Springfield's Marco Scutaro bunted runners to second and third in the seventh inning of game seven.  Jansen then intentionally walked Lance Berkman to load the bases, in hopes of a double play.  That's just what he got from Hunter Pence to end the inning, strand three and keep the game tied at 2.
• Designated Hitter was a misnomer for Avengers Travis Hafner and Jonny Gomes.  The two combined to go 0-20 in the series.
• Alexi Ogando had some tough luck for Metropolis.  He pitched 10 2/3 IP and allowed just one earned run, but was rewarded with a no decision and a loss in his two starts.
• Doug Fister is in line to start game one of the World Series, but the team has to be concerned.  He started three games in the NLCS and compiled a 7.94 ERA with 20 baserunners and two homers in just 11 1/3 inning of work.  If Fister gets passed over, the team would likely start Sabathia.
• Had Springfield won game seven, Tim Lincecum may have been the MVP.  He went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his three starts and allowed just 10 hits in 20 innings while striking out 17.  
• Left handed hitting Robinson Cano feasted on lefty pitchers, going 3-7 and adding two walks.  He also had three hits against righties, but those were in 20 at bats.

Primary Player Statistics For 2012 Metropolis Avengers Totals After 7 Games

NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E

I.Rodriguez       .500   3   2   1   1  1  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0

J.Bautista        .304   7  23   8   7  3  0  2   3   7   7  0  0  0   0  0  0

A.McCutchen       .292   7  24   4   7  1  1  3   9   4   8  0  0  0   2  0  0

M.Wieters         .250   7  16   1   4  3  0  0   2   4   4  0  0  0   0  0  1

R.Cano            .222   7  27   3   6  0  0  1   3   2   6  0  0  1   0  0  0

J.Reyes           .192   7  26   2   5  0  0  0   0   4   3  0  0  0   4  0  3

A.Gordon          .192   7  26   2   5  0  0  0   1   2   6  0  0  2   0  0  1

L.Duda            .167   5  12   1   2  1  0  0   0   0   2  1  0  0   0  0  1

C.Hart            .136   7  22   1   3  2  0  0   3   5   5  0  0  1   0  0  0

J.Guzman          .125   5  16   0   2  2  0  0   0   2   5  0  0  1   0  0  1

J.Gomes           .000   4   8   0   0  0  0  0   0   2   3  0  0  0   0  0  0

T.Hafner          .000   7  12   0   0  0  0  0   0   2   3  0  0  1   0  0  0

J.Sands           .000   2   2   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0

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

TEAM TOTALS       .194     216      42     1     21      52     0      6     9

                         7      23     13     6      34      1     6      0

NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO

A.Chapman         0.00  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   2.0   1   2   0  0   2   1

K.Lohse           0.00  0  0  ----   1  1  0  0  0   3.1   5   0   0  0   2   3

M.Rzepczynski     0.00  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   3.0   1   0   0  0   1   1

C.Sabathia        0.00  1  0 1.000   1  1  0  0  0   5.0   4   0   0  0   1   5

C.Kimbrel         0.00  1  0 1.000   4  0  0  0  1   6.2   3   1   0  0   1  11

K.Jansen          1.08  2  0 1.000   5  0  0  0  0   8.1   7   1   1  0   7  12

A.Ogando          1.69  0  1  .000   2  2  0  0  0  10.2   8   5   2  1   2   8

S.Santos          6.23  0  0  ----   5  0  0  0  0   4.1   4   4   3  0   4   4

S.Strasburg       6.75  0  1  .000   6  0  0  0  1   5.1   7   4   4  0   1   3

D.Fister          7.94  0  1  .000   3  3  0  0  0  11.1  16  12  10  2   4   7

D.Herndon        18.00  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   2.0   6   4   4  1   0   1

Team                                          0                   +0

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

TEAM TOTALS       3.48     3         7     0     2        62      24     25

                        4     .571      7     0     62.0      33      4      56

Primary Player Statistics For 2012 Springfield Isotopes Totals After 7 Games

NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E

R.Zimmerman       .423   7  26   4  11  4  1  0   4   3   6  0  0  1   0  0  1

J.Posada          .300   7  20   1   6  4  0  0   2   2   4  1  0  1   0  0  0

L.Berkman         .292   7  24   4   7  2  0  2   5   7   6  0  0  1   0  0  0

N.Morgan          .292   7  24   4   7  0  0  1   3   2   5  2  0  1   0  0  0

M.Cabrera         .280   7  25   2   7  1  0  1   4   1   7  0  0  2   0  0  0

J.Thole           .250   4   4   1   1  0  0  0   0   1   3  0  0  0   0  0  0

C.Quentin         .250   2   4   0   1  0  0  0   1   0   2  0  0  0   0  0  0

M.Scutaro         .250   7  24   5   6  2  0  0   2   4   3  0  1  1   0  0  2

T.Helton          .214   7  28   3   6  2  0  0   4   0   5  0  0  0   0  0  1

R.Doumit          .200   5   5   1   1  1  0  0   0   1   1  0  0  0   0  0  0

J.Hairston Jr     .200   7  20   2   4  2  0  0   3   0   7  0  0  0   0  0  1

H.Pence           .154   7  26   4   4  0  0  0   1   3   5  0  0  1   0  0  0

M.Downs           .125   5   8   1   1  0  0  0   1   1   1  0  0  0   0  0  1

M.Cairo           .000   5   3   1   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0  0   0  0  0

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

TEAM TOTALS       .257     241      62     1     30      56     1      0     6

                         7      33     18     4      25      3     8      0

NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO

S.Casilla         0.00  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   2.0   3   0   0  0   1   3

E.Mujica          0.00  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   8.2   4   0   0  0   2   5

A.Alburquerque    0.00  0  0  ----   4  0  0  0  0   4.0   0   0   0  0   2   4

T.Lincecum        2.70  2  0 1.000   3  3  0  0  0  20.0  10   6   6  2   9  17

T.Patton          2.70  0  1  .000   6  0  0  0  0   3.1   3   1   1  0   1   4

B.Bray            3.00  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  1   3.0   2   1   1  0   1   4

J.Axford          3.18  0  0  ----   4  0  0  0  0   5.2   6   2   2  1   1   6

C.Wilson          3.48  1  1  .500   2  2  0  0  0  10.1   8   4   4  1  12   9

F.Garcia          8.10  0  1  .000   1  1  0  0  0   3.1   4   4   3  2   2   0

R.Wolf           54.00  0  1  .000   1  1  0  0  0   0.2   2   5   4  0   3   0

Team                                          0                   +0

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

TEAM TOTALS       3.10     4         7     0     1        42      21     34

                        3     .429      7     0     61.0      23      6      52

Brassball NLCS Metropolis vs. Springfield - Game Seven

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In a back-and-forth series, the Springfield Isotopes won Game Six to force a Game Seven in its NLCS match up with the Metropolis Avengers.  The winner gets a trip to Santa Barbara for the first game of the Brassball World Series.  Tim Lincecum got the ball for Springfield and Doug Fister for the Avengers.  Lincecum won Games One and Four while Fister looked to avenge a Game Four debacle in which he gave up seven runs in just one inning.

Avenger catcher Matt Wieters tagged out Marco Scutaro
in a first-inning Isotope rally.

Springfield immediately pounced on Fister, who hit leadoff hitter Nyger Morgan with his second pitch.  Marco Scutaro then hit a double into the left-center gap, sending Morgan home.  However, Alex Gordon and Jose Reyes executed a perfect relay to nail Morgan at the plate for the first out and keep the game 0-0.  The great play helped Fister, but he had trouble helping himself.  He walked Lance Berkman and then misplayed Hunter Pence's comebacker to load the bases with just one out.  Todd Helton got a ball to hit, but he hit it right at Corey Hart for a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 Springfield lead.  Ryan Zimmerman followed with a single, but Berkman got a poor jump and couldn't score from second on the hit.  Melky Cabrera grounded out to end the inning and strand the bases loaded, leaving the Isotopes to wonder how they scored just one run on two hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and an error.  

Robinson Cano had struggled
in the playoffs, but put Metropolis
ahead with a two-run homer.

Metropolis was lucky to be down just one run, and they got it back right away.  In fact, they got more than one.  Lincecum walked Jose Bautista with one out in the bottom of the first and then grooved a change up to Robinson Cano, who launched a homerun into the right field stands.  Suddenly, the Avengers had the lead and the momentum despite looking like they might get blown out in the top of the first.

Nyjer Morgan tied the game with
a surprising second-inning homer.

Fister had a lead, but not his good stuff.  He gave up a leadoff single to Jerry Hairston, Jr. in the second.  Fister did get Jorge Posada to ground into an easy double play, erasing Hairston.  That was particularly lucky for Fister because Morgan surprised everyone by hitting a high sinker just over the right field wall and out of Hart's reach for a solo homer to tie the game.

With the game tied once again, the two starters seemed to settle down.  Fister and Lincecum began throwing strikes and retiring hitters, keeping the game 2-2 through the third and fourth innings.  Lincecum walked two Avengers with one out in the fifth, but got retired Bautista and Cano to keep the game tied.

Hunter Pence left the bases
loaded after hitting
into a double play.

Metropolis went to its pen first, calling on Kenley Jansen to start the sixth.  He got a double play to help him out of the sixth and Lincecum easily retired the Avengers to send the game to the seventh.  Jansen again got into trouble, walking the first two hitters.  Scutaro sacrificed them into scoring position and Metropolis intentionally walked Berkman to load the bases with one out.  Pence came to the plate but took a weak swing at a Jansen 98 mile per hour fastball, hitting it right to Reyes for an easy double play to end the inning.  

Lincecum stayed in for the seventh and looked strong in easily retiring Lucas Duda, Matt Wieters and Travis Hafner.  Jansen retired the favor in the top of the eighth, allowing a Zimmerman single but striking out Cabrera and Josh Thole to strand another Isotope runner and keep the game tied.

McCutchen's RBI won the game and
helped make him the NLCS MVP.

Lincecum gave way to reliever Troy Patton in the eighth.  Jose Reyes hit the third ball Patton hit hard, but directly to second baseman Miguel Cairo first out.  Jose Bautista hit the next pitch even harder, over Cabrera's head in left field for a double.  Suddenly, the Avengers had the go-ahead run in scoring position.  

Springfield had seen enough and called on closer John Axford to face the Avengers 3-4-5 hitters with the season on the line.  He got Cano to ground out, but the Bautista advanced to third on the out.  That brought up Andrew McCutchen, who was red hot in the first few games of the series.  Axford worked McCutchen inside and the two battled for six pitches.  On the seventh, McCutchen hit a clean single right through the box to that easily scored Bautista with the go-ahead run.  Axford retired Alex Gordon to end the inning, but the damage had been done and the Avengers were just three outs from eliminating the two-time Brassball champions and advancing to the World Series.

Strasburg finished off the save and the NL crown for Metropolis.

In a somewhat surprising move, Metropolis called on Stephen Strasburg to start the ninth and not the dominating Craig Kimbrel.  Strasburg quickly retired the first two Isotopes but then gave up a single to Scutaro and walked Berkman to put the tying run in scoring position.  Hunter Pence, who stranded the bases loaded in the seventh, came to bat with a chance to redeem himself and tie the game, or more.  Strasburg got ahead on two 99 mph fastballs and then threw a curve that Pence somehow took for the first ball.  Strasburg threw another heater, this one at 100 mph, which Pence hit into right field which Hart caught for the out to seal the game and the National League crown for Metropolis.   

Next, the Avengers will travel to Santa Barbara to open the World Series against Justin Verlander and the American League champion Outlaws.  The Avengers have won back-to-back seven-game series and hope their good fortune will hold against the Santa Barbara juggernaut that went 127-35 in the regular season.

BOXSCORE: 2012 Springfield Isotopes At 2012 Metropolis Avengers    10/28/2012

  Isotopes           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG

  N.Morgan CF         3  1  1  1 .280     J.Reyes SS          3  0  0  0 .263 

  M.Scutaro SS        4  1  2  0 .255     J.Bautista 3B       3  2  1  0 .326 

  L.Berkman DH        2  0  1  0 .255     R.Cano 2B           4  1  1  2 .167 

  H.Pence RF          5  0  0  0 .222     A.McCutchen CF      3  0  1  1 .275 

  T.Helton 1B         3  0  1  1 .224     A.Gordon LF         4  0  0  0 .164 

  R.Zimmerman 3B      3  0  3  0 .420     C.Hart RF           3  0  0  0 .213 

  M.Cabrera LF        4  0  0  0 .271     L.Duda 1B           3  0  0  0 .205 

  J.Hairston Jr 2B    3  0  1  0 .176     M.Wieters C         3  0  1  0 .211 

B-J.Thole C           1  0  0  0 .375     T.Hafner DH         2  0  0  0 .188 

  J.Posada C          2  0  0  0 .310                                         

A-M.Cairo PR,2B       0  0  0  0 .273                                          

C-R.Doumit PH         0  0  0  0 .385                                         

D-M.Downs PH          1  0  0  0 .105                                         

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

         Totals      31  2  9  2                 Totals      28  3  4  3

A-Pinch Ran For Posada In 7th Inning

B-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Hairston Jr In 7th Inning

C-Pinch Hit For Cairo In 9th Inning

D-Pinch Hit For Doumit In 9th Inning

Isotopes........ 1 1 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  2  9  0

Avengers........ 2 0 0  0 0 0  0 1    -  3  4  1

Isotopes (7-6)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

T.Lincecum                7       2   2   2   4   7   1   5.79  A1 C9

T.Patton LOSS(0-1)        0 1/3   1   1   1   0   0   0   7.20  D1 D2

J.Axford                  0 2/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   4.32  D3

Totals                    8       4   3   3   4   7   1

Avengers (8-6)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

D.Fister                  5       6   2   1   1   3   1   6.26  A1 C4

K.Jansen WIN(3-0)         3       2   0   0   4   3   0   1.80  C5 D8

S.Strasburg SAVE(1st)     1       1   0   0   1   0   0   4.66  D9

Totals                    9       9   2   1   6   6   1

ATTENDANCE- 45,329 DATE- Sunday, October 28th 2012 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good

UMPIRES- Brian Gorman, Bruce Dreckman, Sam Holbrook, Gerry Davis

T- 3:14

LEFT ON BASE- Isotopes:11  Avengers: 5

DOUBLE PLAYS- Isotopes: 0  Avengers: 3

ERRORS- D.Fister

DOUBLES- M.Scutaro(2nd), L.Berkman(2nd), T.Helton(4th), R.Zimmerman(7th),

         J.Bautista(3rd), M.Wieters(4th)

HOME RUNS- N.Morgan(1st), R.Cano(1st)

SACRIFICE HITS- M.Scutaro

SACRIFICE FLIES- T.Helton

WALKS- N.Morgan, L.Berkman-3, R.Zimmerman, J.Posada, J.Reyes, J.Bautista,

       A.McCutchen, T.Hafner

HIT BY PITCH- N.Morgan

STRIKE OUTS- N.Morgan, L.Berkman, H.Pence, M.Cabrera, J.Hairston Jr, J.Thole,

             R.Cano, A.McCutchen, A.Gordon, L.Duda, M.Wieters, T.Hafner-2

GIDP- H.Pence, M.Cabrera, J.Posada

2-out RBI- N.Morgan, A.McCutchen