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Hammer Time

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Diego-Leal-2.png


Helsingborg Hammers thread.
 
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Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Made two minor moves last night.

Sent Bill Dickey to the 'murricans for a 5th rounder. The 5th round is the wildcard round for me. Every now and then you can grab a guy who can turn into a solid player. If I can get a player that turns into Bill Dickey, but at a position of need I would be happy. Dickey is a guy who is just completely blocked in Helsingborg, but is a player I liked and wanted to see get a shot full-time. Lloyd was looking for a DH and Dickey can fit that bill for a lot cheaper than other options. This deal is a lot like the Tom Zhong deal I made with Yankee.

Sent a 6th and 10th to Gooksta at Key West for SP Valcourt and INF Jameel. Gooksta was just trying to clear roster space for some guys he liked in AAA it seems. Both players are on minimum deals, so the risk for me was low. Valcourt could be a solid 'pen arm and emergency starter. Jameel has the potential to be a solid starter if he gets the chance for a full season. At worst he is a great utility player and I just cut a couple of mine that had used up all their chances.

One we get to ST, I'll probably post a breakdown of my roster and my predictions for the year for the Hammers and the WBL.
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
Your first prediction should be to turn a profit. Gon' be tough in the North though, it is like the ENE up in here
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
I'll get more detailed later, but I think we got a good shot at the WC. I have a pretty young squad looking to break out. Its a tough division though.

Attendance should be up, so turning a profit should be pretty realistic.


Needs:
Some 'pen help
A good CF on minimum, or a good prospect
A good SS on minimum, or a good prospect
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2041 Amateur Draft

Round 1: CF Dennis Weber
Based on my draft position, Weber was the highest upside player available. He is already an elite defender at all three outfield positions with great speed and an above average arm. He could also be an adequate 2B or 1B based on he infield ratings. He has elite power potential and I believe he is a candidate to increase his contact rating over time. Happy he fell to me.
Outlook: Potential All-Wizard and Glove Wizard in CF, with rare power for the position.

Round 2: CF Tommy Perkins
Tommy is basically a worse version of Weber.He can play all three OF positions adequately and had the potential to play 1B or 2B. He has decent speed as well.
Outlook: Solid big league utility player, with a chance to be a starter if he exceeds potential.

IFA Signings

OF/IF Jose Tapia $810k
Tapia could potentially play all four corner spots. He is a hard worker and if he reaches potential, he should hit a lot of extra base hits and for decent average. He is a snail though.'
Outlook: Potential everyday player or valuable utilityman/bench bat.

OF/IF Marvin Turner $182k
Much like Tapia, Turner can likely play all four corners and is slow as fuck. My scout grades him as an elite power hitter, but I am skeptical. I meant to pull back his offer, but didn't. Not a huge investment, but Helsingborg is strapped for cash.
Outlook: Pinch hitter.
 
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Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2041 Helsingborg Hammers Roster

My roster is basically set heading into spring training. I have no real battles other than who will start at 2B and SS and whether or not the Alchemist can play 1B

Starting Rotation
RHP George "Silky" Keyworth
Silky is a key acquisition from last season who didn't quite pan out. He didn't seem happy with the move to Helsingborg, but an offseason surrounded by Swedish women has changed his mind. He is the ace of this staff and a K-machine with 4 plus+plus pitches, including a 100+ MPH fastball and a devastating changeup. I expect him to lead the league in most categories.

RHP Gerardo Infante
Infante is an ace for most teams in the league. Despite his fragile status, he has thrown over 200 innings while striking out over 200 in all but one season. Much like Silky, he has a fastball with good velocity (97-99 MPH) and a wipeout slider and change up.

RHP Jonathan "Music Man" Pettersen
Music Man is an innings eater who throws a 95 MPH sinker educing a lot of ground balls (74%). He complements the sinker with 3 other plus pitches, but his defense seems to fail him at times as a lot of those ground balls go for hits.

RHP Leo Morales
The had throwing (96-98 MPH) Morales had a break out year in his sophomore season at age 23. Leo uses five above average pitches and great control to get groundball outs. His efficiency allows him to pitch deep into games including 4 complete games last season. He averaged 7 1/3 innings per start in 2040. His stuff and control still have room to develop. I see him taking a step forward in both this year.

LHP Drsadvata Puskara
Puskara is a power lefty who has never quite met his potential. He shows flashes of greatness, but hasn't been able to develop his slider to its full potential. His stuff may be better suited for the bullpen since he throws two fastballs and a slider, but he is the only lefty on the staff and has been reliable in the rotation. He is a fine #5.

RHP Trail Due will get some starts in spring for a chance to be a spot starter or replace Puskara if he is needed in the bullpen.

Bullpen
Closer
Ragheb "Pasta" Fahd - Pasta did a great job closing after acquired. No need for a change here.

Key Relievers
Burks, Wifstrand, Valcourt and Zumaya

Position Players
C Ramelan Mollema
Wendell, where are you? I got my own Romulan now. Mollema is actually a 1B with a decent bat who was blocked in the WBL. To revive his career he moved behind the dish and did a decent job in 2040 (.276/.335/.416 in 243 AB). Im hoping he will pick up a catching rating in ST.

1B Henny "Alchemist" Cotterell & Marvin Tomkinson
I am moving the Alchemist to 1B this spring because he is just too slow. He has decent fielding ratings, but his ZR suffers in the OF and the Helsingborg OF is crowded anyway. He is still just 22 and poised to have a break out season with the bat. Marvin is a switch hitter with good power who had a solid first full season in 2040 with 32 HRs and 106 RBI. He is good depth for the roster.

2B Jesus "Flat Tire" Bernal
Acquired last offseason, Flat Tire had a break out year in his first with the Hammers (.998 OPS). He has elite power in the middle infield and will get reps at SS this spring.

3B Robbie "Doodles" Farr
The former #1 overall pick in 2033 has entrenched himself as the starting 3B. He plays great defense with solid offense. I do have concerns about keeping him long term.

SS This is really the only position battle for spring training. Despite his excellent defense and large number of extra base hits, Boris Ailamazyan hasn't found consistent success at the WBL level. As a solution, Bernal will get time at SS to see if his ratings boost there and Yaseen bin Jameel was brought in from Key West to provide competition.

LF Juan Gomes
Gomes is one of the best bats in the league. He is solid at either corner, but he spent a lot of time in CF last year. He is a terrible defender in CF. He and Farren are basically interchangeable in the corner spots.

CF Adrian Gutierrez
I acquired Gutierrez from Vegas a couple seasons back. He is still very young, but I think he has basically reached his rating potential. He should be a solid hitter if things pan out, while playing great defense in CF. I'll probably start him all year.

RF Nessan Farren
When healthy, Farren was the second best hitter on the team. He may have been a lock for New Wizard had he stayed healthy. He needs to stay on the field this year.

DH
Hank Turner will spend most the year at DH with the Alchemist and Tomkinson taking turns there as well for platoon reasons. Might use it to rest players like Bernal and Farren as well. Turner is a power/OBP bat that cant play anywhere on the diamond. He is a switch hitter and was a perfect fit for DH when we introduced the rule. He hit .266/.344/.473 with 17 HR and 29 doubles last year in about 2/3s of a season. He was a 13th rounder.
 
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Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2041 WBL Season Goals
  • Fight for a playoff spot/win over 90 games
  • Increase attendance
  • Turn a profit
 
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Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2041 WBL Predictions

Hammers
93-69

NL
Tulips
Hammers
Vegas
Moscow
Seoul
Dublin
Berlin
Istanbul

SL
All Whites
Gauchos
Pirates
Saints
Flying Whites
Murricans
Kabul
Cairo
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
On Friday, July 19, 2041, the Helsingborg Hammers bypassed total attendance for 2040. Attendance is up 56.6%.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Mid-season Musings

As far as my seasons goals, we are on track to meet all three. A profit and an increase in attendance is guaranteed. We are fighting for a playoff spot and on our way to 90 wins.

My top two draft picks have both had good runs in the minors. Weber is carrying the 70-29 Pori offense and Perkins is holding his own in AA.

In regards to my off-season moves, my take with @Gooksta was 50/50. Valcourt has been a very solid addition to the bullpen. I feel I do a Kevin Towers type job of digging through the dumpsters to put together a 'pen. bin Jameel has been garbage. that hasnt been a completely bad thing though because it seems the competition got Boris to step his game up and he is hitting just fine for a SS.

My club has performed about as I expected apart from my rotation. I thought my rotation would keep me competing with @OU11 and the Tulips for the division, but it just hasnt been good enough. Silky, Infante and Puskara have been inconsistent and Morales has been a major disappointment. He was recently sent down to AAA to get his shit together and Hercules was brought up to see if he could hang in the WBL. Music Man has had a career year though. Hopefully he keeps it going. Should be a contender for the Arm Wizard.

My bats have hit as expected though. The only problem is we really arent scoring runs despite leading the league in power numbers. It is likely a result of our poor team OBP and poor speed. I really don't have a complaint in the lineup though. It is dangerous top to bottom. The only hole in the line-up was catcher, but I picked up Skid Row off waiver from @doh and I am hoping he has a revival with my team. Ramelan was hitting just ok.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Deadline Deals

Sent Silky Keyworth to Key West for a couple future first round draft picks and catcher prospect Pei Wong. This was not a move I meant to do, but it was one I had to do based on gooksta's persistence. Silky is the most dominant pitcher in the league when he is on. I think he will kill it back in the SL. Eventually he offered me a package I couldnt refuse. Wong has the potential to be a good to great catcher and the two draft picks could help me keep the train going. I felt I had enough depth at SP to do the trade.

Sent Pasta Fahd to Key West for Jorge Martinez. This was basically a trade a top closer for a potential closer in the future situation. Gooksta is all in this year and Fahd sets up his 'pen nicely. At 21, Martinez has the potential to be a back of the bullpen arm, but his development has been slow.

Sent the Tulips a second rounder for MR Zhou. This trade was basically to make up for sending Pasta to Key West. Zhou is a good reliever who can easily step into our closer role. He is cheaper than Pasta and under contract next year. Its worth the second round pick in my opinion. The net between the two is basically Martinez for a second rounder and I think Martinez is better than that. This trade took no negotiations which was nice.

Final trade was also a bullpen move that I was talking about with osick at the same time as the Zhou trade. Brun is a guy who doesnt pitch to his potential and I am hoping a change in scenery helps. The downside is he had no options left. Plummer was really my only 3B prospect and a decent piece. I think its a fair trade.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
With a month left in the season, attendance has dropped after trading away very popular players at the deadline. It is on the rise again though and we are already at our second highest total over the last 10 seasons.

Random thought: Probably a long shot, but Helsingborg could finish with 7/9 of the lineup with 20+ HRs and double digits for all 9 starters +2 bench players.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2041 WBL Season Goals
  • Fight for a playoff spot/win over 90 games
  • Increase attendance
  • Turn a profit

  • So we definitely fought for a playoff spot all year in a really tough race. Came up one win short of 90.
  • Attendance was up 46.2% over 2041. 2,735,475 was our second highest mark over the last 10 seasons.
  • Ended up with a total profit of $18+ million for the season. Should really help our budget bounce back. Its hard to say how much, but if we could get back to $126m (2040) or higher that would really help.
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
I think you have to be going up higher. Without owners in control of the budgets though it is harder to get a huge jump. I really hope that figure of $112M is wrong.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Missing the playoffs will hurt a little bit, but I think I'll jump quite a bit. That $112M number is wrong for sure just based on what happened last year. That estimate has never really been right.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2042 Helsingborg Hammers

Goals
  • Increase attendance
  • Make the playoffs
Roster

My roster is pretty similar to last year, so I will highlight the changes made.

Starting Rotation
RHP Jonathan "Music Man" Pettersen - Coming off a career year, Music Man earned the Opening Day start this season.

RHP Gerardo Infante - Used his 10/5 rights to block a trade this season, as well as refuse extension negotiations. Hopefully he pitches well.

LHP Abdul-Nasser "Hercules" bin Rafiq - Long name, good pitcher. Had a solid first half-season after he was brought up. Opened 2042 with a CG win against Moscow

LHP Drsadvata Puskara - He is good for 30 starts and 200 innings with a low WHIP

RHP Leonardo Morales - Hoping he rebounds from a tough 3rd season. Great #5.

Bullpen

Mostly returning guys. Espinoza was one of two FA pickups in the offseason. He had a solid career with Key West and was cheap.

Closer
Zhou replaced Pasta. He will start the year closing games.

Relievers
Burks, Wifstrand, Valcourt, Anskettle, Espinoza and Zumaya

Position Players
C Bill Harris
Biggest move of the offseason for the Hammers was acquiring a quality starting catcher from the Tulips. The Hammers hit HRs and Harris fits the bill while being a solid defensive catcher. Veteran Seeker Oredain will back him up. Seeker hits bombs and has a cannon. Worth $1M.

1B Hank Turner & Calvin Farriss
Picked up Farriss in the offseason to platoon with Hank. Farriss has crushed lefties his whole career and thats all I need him to do. Hank does work against right handed pitchers. Defense will be shaky here at best, but its 1B.

2B Dennis Weber
Weber was my 2041 first round draft pick. He killed A and AA before coming up to the WBL for a cup of coffee in September. His ideal position is somewhere in the OF, but his bat plays anywhere and there is an opening at 2B where he is decent enough defensively.

3B Robbie "Doodles" Farr
Doodles defense went to absolute shit last year and is off to a terrible start in 2042. Hopefully he finds his 2040 form.

SS Jesus "Flat Tire" Bernal
SS is not Bernal's best position, but I am willing to play him there to attempt to construct the most dangerous line up I can. His ratings should be good enough to play there after some reps.

LF Nessan Farren
He will hit baseballs where people aren't unless those people are fans.

CF Adrian Gutierrez
Stud defender. Hopefully this is the year his bat wakes up.

RF Juan Gomes
Might be his last year in a Hammers uniform. Do us proud.

DH Henny "The Alchemist" Cotterell
He and Farren will probably flip flop positions a lot for rest. Neither are great defenders, but both can hit. Probably the best pure hitter on the team. He strikes out a ton though.

Bench
OF John Sawyer - Can play all 3 OF positions and 2B very well. Will get plenty of ABs and should be productive
IF Boris Ailamazyan - Can play anywhere in the IF or OF. His bat is average.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
The Tale of Didier Mouton, Left-Handed Third Baseman

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I am going to give Didier a run at 3B. I'll document his journey to stardom and Gooksta-rage in this thread.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2042 Helsingborg Hammers

Goals
  • Increase attendance
  • Make the playoffs

Increased attendance again. This year by 9.3%. Almost hit 3 million total and 2,990,613 is Helsignborg's highest mark ever.

Made the playoffs. Now lets see if we can advance.
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
Increased attendance again. This year by 9.3%. Almost hit 3 million total and 2,990,613 is Helsignborg's highest mark ever.

Made the playoffs. Now lets see if we can advance.

Time to really make dat money. I hope you advance, I don't want to play moscow again
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
2043 SPRING TRAINING

The starting position players are set:

2 Harris
3 Brittain
4 Sawyer
5 Farr
6 Padilla
7 Farren
8 Gutierrez
9 Weber

The battles will be for #4 and 5 starters bench spots and bullpen.

ST 6-man rotation:
Music Man
Waz
Herc
Rat*
Due*
Dan Miller*

*Battling for opening day 4 and 5.

Bench battles:
4th OF: Perkins
Backup catcher: Flores
Utility infielders: Lomond, Jones, Boris
Pinch hitter: Hank Turner

Bullpen battles (3 open spots):
Espinosa, McCain, Barlow, Random, Anskettle
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
I may give Music Man the Chad Holmes treatment if I can swing it. He is one of the only Swedes on my team and I may want to make him my scout when he retires @OU11. Increase dat immersion. Problem is, unless he declines quickly he may play out a 10 year extension :laughing:
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
I may give Music Man the Chad Holmes treatment if I can swing it. He is one of the only Swedes on my team and I may want to make him my scout when he retires @OU11. Increase dat immersion. Problem is, unless he declines quickly he may play out a 10 year extension :laughing:
Even if he does you can offer four with a TO if he hamstrings but you should be continually bumped to the 160+ range by that time
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
It should be fine once he gets bad enough to move to the bullpen. He will sign cheap after a year there.
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
How long is his current deal?

I need to find a good amsterdaminian to do the same
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Its through 2045 for a reasonable $10.4M per. He could decline real bad to spend 2045 in the pen, but I doubt it. He is only 31.

You don't have any Dutch players on your team. They are all basically under 30 too.
 

OU11

Pleighboi
Utopia Moderator
Its through 2045 for a reasonable $10.4M per. He could decline real bad to spend 2045 in the pen, but I doubt it. He is only 31.

You don't have any Dutch players on your team. They are all basically under 30 too.
I know i need to find one is what im saying
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Didn't post much here at all in 2044. This season I want to do something a little different and do a series of prospect profiles on guys who aren't obvious, but somewhat interesting to me.

I'll kick this off with Dan Miller.
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Dan went undrafted in the 2040 draft, which was a fairly strong draft. It was a bit surprising considering the value put on pitching in the WBL. He had pretty mediocre college numbers which may also be a factor.

Anyway, when filling out my minors for the 2041 season I saw he was available and took a flier. He was a 55/40/55 potential pitcher at the time. That movement and 42 GB% might scare a lot of GMs away and his current movement potential probably still does. The stuff, velocity and him being 6'7" and 230 pounds made me think he might turn into at least a solid reliever. His intangibles are all great as well.

Since he has been in my system, Dan's potential has slowly risen to 75/50/70 which is pretty remarkable for a UDFA. His numbers have been trending the wrong way though and at 24 he may be reaching the finish line in his development. He has really struggled in AAA and all those hitters ballparks.

I do have some hope in him being a late bloomer though. He cracked the top 100, his control is inching forward and he actually added a circle change to his repertoire. That circle change is also projected to be an average pitch, which is a pleasant surprise since his regular change is bad and learned pitches normally don't break 25.

In conclusion, my outlook on Dan is still positive. He will probably start the year in AAA again as a SP, but he will eventually crack the Helsingborg rotation or, at the very least, the bullpen.
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Update on Dan Miller:

After a great first half in AAA, Dan was called up to the WBL and inserted into the rotation. He did ok in 16 starts throwing 90 innings with a 1.36 WHIP and 3.84 FIP. His ratings continued to improve giving me hope that he could still be a late bloomer. He will likely spend all of 2046 in the rotation again. He has a Bullpen expectation, which is worrying.

The most encouraging thing about Dan is my scout's ratings are getting much more in line with OSA's.
 
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Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
The next prospect profile is Marco Eirosa.

player_9440.png


Marco was a 2042 international find. His skill set is intriguing to me. He has that high Eye and high Avoid K rating, paired with low Contact. I normally don't like these players, but I see him as a bit of an experiment. He has the speed and defensive skill set to make a WBL roster since he can play anywhere but catcher and I'll probably try to spread his playing time around this year in AA/AAA. His bat is what I would like to focus on.

Unfortunately I didn't promote Marco until he was 20. 2045 was his first year in the minors. His ratings were advanced for both A and AA, but the batting numbers he put together were quite interesting. He played exactly 61 games at each level in 2045.

A - .248/.424/.340, 62/71 BB/K
AA - .183/.432/.261, 77/61 BB/K

Overall he walked 139 times in 122 games. That is definitely intriguing. I'd like to see his average jump to the .240 range at each level before I promote him, but overall I see his long-term success as fairly promising. He could be a great utility player if he has a .375 OBP in the WBL, regardless of average.
 

osick87

Well-Known Member
Community Liaison
The next prospect profile is Marco Eirosa.

player_9440.png


Marco was a 2042 international find. His skill set is intriguing to me. He has that high Eye and high Avoid K rating, paired with low Contact. I normally don't like these players, but I see him as a bit of an experiment. He has the speed and defensive skill set to make a WBL roster since he can play anywhere but catcher and I'll probably try to spread his playing time around this year in AA/AAA. His bat is what I would like to focus on.

Unfortunately I didn't promote Marco until he was 20. 2045 was his first year in the minors. His ratings were advanced for both A and AA, but the batting numbers he put together were quite interesting. He played exactly 61 games at each level in 2045.

A - .248/.424/.340, 62/71 BB/K
AA - .183/.432/.261, 77/61 BB/K

Overall he walked 139 times in 122 games. That is definitely intriguing. I'd like to see his average jump to the .240 range at each level before I promote him, but overall I see his long-term success as fairly promising. He could be a great utility player if he has a .375 OBP in the WBL, regardless of average.


.119 with a .380 OBP This year.
 

Gooksta

Well-Known Member
Yeah. I'd love to see his average above .200, but he averages over a walk per game. I'll probably bump him up to AAA soon and see if that rate continues.
once he gets a ratings bump in avoid k and or contact. That won't be an issue I don't think
 

Gooksta

Well-Known Member
What about his average in any of his seasons gives you the impression he will hit the contact rating.
He is only 21.. his ratings can still improve..if it improves in avoid k he should put more balls in play which should = to a higher ba
 

Orlando

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
Well his avoid k potential is already high. I'd prefer it stay where it is and hope his BABIP improves.
 
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