Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lions

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Malts
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Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lions

#1 Post by Malts »

Finally was able to take some time to put together a first review of the Amsterdam Lions since taking over the team roughly two weeks ago. This is definitely a version one and will continue to make more improvements as time progresses. Let me know what you guys think and any improvements that might be made! Thanks!

Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lions

Weekly Record: 3-3
Overal Record: 42-88
4th in IL Seaboard Division
12th in Imperial League

Fighting off the inevitable, Amsterdam continues to avoid being statistically eliminated from playoff contention by going 3-3 versus two division rivals.

A road trip to division leader West Virginia included a shutout (unsurprisingly by Amsterdam), a rare offensive showing (surprisingly by Amsterdam), and a 19-inning, near 7 hour rubber match heartbreak.

Expanding upon the 19-inning game encapsulates the ineptitude of this Amsterdam team. Taking a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, the Amsterdam bullpen gave up exactly 3 runs to tie the game. It would take until the 18th inning for an Ono single and an errant West Virginian throw to advance Bill Jones all the way from first to score. But that quickly evaporated as West Virginia tied the game up on a two-out single and Moe Merkel would put the fans out of their misery with a sac fly in the bottom of the 19th inning to take the game and series.

With a day of rest and travel we head back to home field to take on postseason hopefuls in the Hartford Harpoon. Great effort as we take the series (2-1) for the second time this year against the Harpoon.

Stand Out Performances

Hirohisa Ono, who has played a majority of the season for Triple A team Eindhoven Electric, got the start in centerfield for Game 2 of the West Virginia series and helped set the offensive tone early. With the bases loaded in the top of the first, Ono singled into left field and scored Bill Jones and would've gotten another RBI to his name if Hirotsugu Suzuki wouldn't have gotten thrown out at home. Ono singled again in the 6th and 9th. The interesting thing about Ono is that he only has 60 plate appearances on 17 games but is batting at a .241 which might not seem too special but considering the current state of the Dutch's bats, it's something that can't be complained about.

Former third overall pick, Artie McKinney, showed flashes of why he was picked that high. He put up a line of 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K, 11.7 ERA, 299 ERA+ with the sole run being a first inning home run. McKinney settled in thereafter leading the Lions to a win over division rival Harpoon. McKinney improves his season record to 4-4 with the win.

SS Darren Kean also had a great day at the plate in Game 2 versus the Harpoon going 3 for 4 with a two out, 2-run home run in the 3rd and a lead off triple that resulted in the third score of the game.

Top Prospect Stock Market

SP Carl Ford - AA - BUY
- 2-0, 12.1 IP, 7 HA, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 0.73 ERA, 464+ ERA
- Great production by last years 2nd overall pick and the best week that I've seen since taking over for the team.

SP Bang-xao Niu - AA - BUY
- 1-0, 5 IP, 2 HA, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K 0.00 ERA, 54+ ERA
- Would've liked to see Niu go a bit longer but quality 5 shutout innings and batters only hit .118 for the game.

SP Alberto Flores - S A - SELL
- Sell the fact that this years fourth overall pick as yet to make his Fairbanks Grunts debut as there is an absolute logjam of starting pitchers (11!) for the team. I wonder who's job it is to unclog that jam...

C Matsusuke Watanabe - S A - BUY
- 6 for 14, .429/.556/.860, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 349 OPS+
- Watanabe is certified HOT this past week leading Fairbanks in most of the major hitting categories. He's the premier prospect bat in the Dutch farm system and offense that is desperately needed at all levels.

SP Jereon Smit - S A - SELL
- 1 GS, No decision, 3.2 IP, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 R, 5 ER, 12.27 ERA, 24+ ERA
- The opposition batted .409 against Smit in his lone start this week and boy was it ugly. Only lasting 3 and 2/3 inning, the 19-year-old struggled giving up hits left and right and even his team's defense didn't help him out as well.

SP - Alonso Gonzalez - S A - HOLD
- 2 GS, 0-1, 11. IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 3.18 ERA, 92+ ERA
- Gonzalez follows up a stellar week with another solid week of production. While the number of hits is slightly concerning, Gonzalez is sitting down batters with a frequency not seen in the Amsterdam farm system.

SS - Nikolay Rusanovsky - AAA - SELL
- 5 for 24, .208/.269/.250, 5H, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 7 K, 62 OPS+
- Rusanovsky is seemingly on this list because of lack of prospects but is young and close enough to the majors to keep tabs on. The Russian speedster had a rough week not being able to get on base to use said wheels. Rusanovsky may be in AAA but will have to wait a couple more years and develop his bat more before making his debut.
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Re: Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lion

#2 Post by Borealis »

I like you stock market take on the minors - very clever!!

As for the SP at S A, sounds like time for some guys to start relieving!!
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Re: Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lion

#3 Post by Malts »

Season 1 - Issue #2

Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lions
In Het Hol Van de Leeuw

Weekly Record: 1-6
Overal Record: 43-94
4th in IL Seaboard Division
12th in Imperial League

It has finally happened. The hapless Amsterdam Lions have officially been eliminated from PEBA playoff contention for a 6th straight year. Arlington and Kentucky helped put the Lions out of their misery with a 1-4 and series sweep respectively.

Weekly Recap

In Game 1 of the series versus Arlington, Rob Davidson hit a solo walk-off home run for the Bureaucrats. RP Ryan Sims was credited with a blown save in the seventh which continued his dreadful play in the month of August.

LF Sean Peters for Arlington was the sole reason for beating the Lions in Game 3 as he had all 5 Bureaucrat RBI's that included a 2-run single, 2-run double, and solo home run.

Game 4 of the series marked Amsterdam's only win of the week as they topped Arlington 8-4 in a flurry of home runs. Sang-min O led the charge as he went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs totaling 5 RBIs. Prior to the game, O had only hit 3 home runs for the year. 3B Antonio Santos also pitched in with a 2-run home run himself and Hirohisa Ono capped off the game with a solo home run in the 9th.

Onto the next series versus the Kentucky Thoroughbreds, the only Amsterdam based product that was enjoyed was the $2 Heineken promotion at the concession stand.

It started in game one where Goro Honma was blown up in the first inning which he never finished only retiring 2 batters but giving up 3 runs. Kentucky cruised to a 9-3 win. The only bright spot was 2B Bill Jones going 4 for 5 at the plate with 1 RBI.

Followed up by a 3-0 shutout by Kentucky in Game 2.

Kentucky pitcher Shigenobu Taguchi pitched a 4-hit complete game on route to a 4-1 win in Game 3.

Top Prospect Stock Market

SP Carl Ford - AA - BUY
- 1-0, 6 IP, 3 HA, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA, .158 Opp. BA
- Anther fantastic outing by the 22-year old as he continues to build up week-after-week. With one month remaining in the season, Ford should get some looks in AAA ball.

SP Bang-xao Niu - AA - BUY
- 1-0, 14.1 IP, 10 HA, 2 HR, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, 1.26 ERA, 270 ERA+
- Niu made his way out for 2 starts and looked fantastic outside of the two hits that he allowed which both happened to be home runs. Niu is playing his way towards a AAA debut.

SP Alberto Flores - S A - SELL
- 1 IP, 2 HA, 1 HR, 3 ER, 1 K, 11 ERA+
- Flores made his Fairbanks Grunts debut as a relief pitcher in the top of the seventh inning but could've gone much better than it actually did. He walked one batter and gave up a hit to another when Juan Mercado for Angoon blasted a home run. While it was very limited action, you would hope for more production from a first round pick

C Matsusuke Watanabe - S A - SELL
- 4 for 21, .190/.320/.333, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 107 OPS+
- A down week Watanabe after a previously batting .429/.556/.860 the week before. He did mash a a meaningless ninth inning homerun in a loss to Ketchikan Salmon but would like to see the numbers improve.

SP Jereon Smit - S A - HOLD
- 1-0, 2 IP, 2 HA, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 13.5 K/9
- Smit had struggled the past two weeks in starts, and while he saw limited action this week as a relief pitcher, hopefully the 3 strikeouts in 2 innings gives him some confidence for his next start.

SP - Alonso Gonzalez - S A - BUY
- 1 GS, No Decision, 6 IP, 2 HA, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA, .111 Opp. BA
- Another great week from Gonzalez who is now showing consistency week-over-week. This was the second 6 inning plus shutout in the month of August for the lefty.

SS - Nikolay Rusanovsky - HOLD
- 3 for 12, .250/.250/.500, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 126 OPS+
- Overall, a pretty humdrum week for Nikolay as he didn't get a ton of opportunities at the plate. Out of his three hits, one was a solo home run. With roster expansion Rusanovsky may get an opportunity for his PEBA debut if the circumstances are right.
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Re: Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lion

#4 Post by Vic »

These updates are really well done. As Mike said, the prospect “stock market” is an excellent idea.
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Re: Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lion

#5 Post by Lions »

Agreed... it's interesting to see the buy/sell changes over time!
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Re: Into the Lions Den: A Weekly Recap of the Amsterdam Lion

#6 Post by DrewV »

the only Amsterdam based product that was enjoyed was the $2 Heineken promotion at the concession stand
:lol:

I really enjoy these!
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