Play Ball (sort of)

[HopeSpringsEternal]

MLB Opening Day was supposed to be tomorrow - usually one of my favorite days of the year. If you need your fix, you might want to try this out:

http://www.strat-o-matic.com/announcements/breaking-news-strat-o-matic-to-simulate-2020-baseball-season/

I did play this game with some of my friends when I was young. Not the real thing, but at least it's something do to while cooped up. I've bookmarked the website and intend to go there everyday after 2:00 PM to see what's happening. I hope it provides some enjoyment to a few of us here at the Renegade Phan Phorum.

[Purduke]

When I was pretty young and couldn't yet afford to buy the game I took a couple decks of cards and built my own game. 1-9 were outs; 10 was a KO and face cards were hits. Joker was a HR. Weighted the deck so players would hit .250. A really good hitter got a few extra hit cards; power hitter an extra joker. Played a full season for the Phillies and they won 126 games that season. Nice thing was that a couple of the cards had a corner nicked etc or other tells. The extra joker wasn't completely flat and had a little bulge in it. Deron Johnson was my favorite Philly at the time and Deron had a HR year that Babe would have envied.

[andyb]

Sports channels are now showing NBA and NHL simulations. I am guessing we'll see some MLB: The Show simulations at some point. Some of the players are even getting on Twitter and offering post game comments about their simulated selves. Fun at least to pass the time. It might get old in a few weeks.

Nicklas Backstrom on his digital hat trick: This is what happens ‘when you can’t...

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Alas - still can't beat the Marlins.

https://2020seasonsim.s3.amazonaws.com/March26th/PHI%40MIA.htm

[Philsmania]

Ex-Phil Dickerson and ex-Phils prospect Villar both go 2 for 3.

[andyb]

We lost 6-5 here too. But there are video highlights:

Watch your favorite baseball team play their Opening Day game on 'MLB The Show'...

[LoneStarPhan]

Bullpen goes 3 innings, no runs on one hit on the one simulation.

But seriously, this does nothing for me and missing baseball today. I played APBA baseball and football in a league with some high school friends in the fifties. That was fun but looking at someone else's simulated games doesn't interest me. I haven't watched MLB TV since the closing of camps. My reading of baseball news has dropped substantially as well.

[bkeich]

We lost 6-5 here too. But there are video highlights:

cbssports.com

Watch your favorite baseball team play their Opening Day game on 'MLB The Show'...

Here's how things went down on Opening Day in the video game world

5-0 Lead, we turn it over to the bullpen against the worst team in Baseball, and we lose.

I would say the simulation software is working pretty well after 1 day unfortunately.

So much for Girardi solving the issues, clearly it is time to start the "Fire Girardi" thread :). It would really confuse the crap out of him if he found out he was fired because the team started the season 3-10, especially since he didnt even know to show up at the stadium for the games.

Nice to see McCutcheon was ready for opening day after all

[andyb]

But Rhys had a big GIDP in the first inning with the bases loaded and no outs. Clearly the new hitting coach is a disaster.

[zambonir]

Just a matter of time before we're watching holograms. Let's get 1979 Schmitty out there at 3B.

[Philsmania]

Phillies win game 2 of 2020 with a strong pitching effort by Zack Wheeler! Harper is really smokin' as he's continued his hot hitting from Clearwater while Gregrious, who was not hot in Clearwater, has also been hot. Hector let things get a little hairy in the 9th with two baserunners.

https://2020seasonsim.s3.amazonaws.com/March27th/3-27+PHI%40MIA.HTM

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Pretty funny that they also post attendance numbers in the box score. Over 13,000 in Miami for game 2 of the 2020 season - that's impressive.

[Philsmania]

Phillies fall to the Marlins 5-4 in 12 innings as Jesus Aguilar's two-out base hit drives home Jonathan Villar. Francisco Liriano takes the loss. Arrieta with a "meh" start but the bullpen until Liriano is good. Harper cools off with an 0 for 6 collar. All in all, the Phillies are not hitting all that much so far.

https://2020seasonsim.s3.amazonaws.com/March28th/3-28+PHI%40MIA.HTM

[zambonir]

So what's our 26-man roster in this simulation? Who got cut or sent down to make room for Liriano, Walker and Forsythe? And four lefties in the pen, can't believe Girardi used them all in the same game!

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Good question Z. It looks like the guys at Strat-O-Matic have assumed that Gosselin did not make the opening day roster. And they also had Austin Davis pitch on opening day - maybe they've adjusted their 26-man roster since it was announced he was sent down later that day. Here is what I assume their 26-man roster is based on who's been in their boxscores (I have italicized those yet to appear on a scoresheet).

Catchers: Realmuto, Knapp (2)
Infielders: Hoskins, Kingery, Gregorius, Segura, Harrison, Walker, Forsythe (7)
Outfielders: Harper, Bruce, Haseley, Quinn (4)
Starters: Nola, Wheeler, Arrieta, Eflin, Velasquez (5)
Relievers: Neris, Pivetta, D Guerra, A Davis, Alvarez, Liriano, Morgan, Suarez (8)

Of that presumed 26-man opening day roster, Liriano, Harrison, Walker, and Forsythe are not currently on the Phils 40-man roster.

There are some candidates for the 60-day injured list if the season started as planned on March 26th, e.g., McCutchen and Dominguez. Maybe you could add Hunter and Arano to that list as well to get the 4 non-roster invitees onto the 40-man roster. David Robertson is already on the 60-day IL per mlb.com

[BostonRoss]

At least Quinn hasn’t gotten hurt yet.

[zambonir]

I can't remember, were there injuries in card-based Strat-o-matic?

[BostonRoss]

I think so, but I might be thinking of a different game.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Yes there are injuries. Brian Anderson got injured according to the 3/26 box score. Can Quinn be far behind?

[andyb]

Digital Quinn is probably an all star. 800 OPS, 290/375/425. Scores 120 runs, steals 60 bases. Gold Glove CF.