MVP '05 Update -- Finally, Somebody Gets Picked Up

Of the five created players I put into the game, only 2 have been picked up by Major League teams.

I was sure disappointed to find out that I wasn't one of them!

My future brother-in-law, Matt, was picked up by the Yankees. I looked at his career stats today: he played 2 minor league games (Triple-A) and went 2-0. He pitched 18 innings (meaning two complete games), 24 K's and allowing only 1 walk. Then, he got called up to the majors and is now in the starting rotation. I have already faced him twice. He's tough! In the two games, he suffed one loss and got a no-decision. Overall, after 17 starts, he's sitting pretty at a 9-5 record.

The other guy that was picked up was Mike. He was picked up by the Boston Red Sox, played some Double-A and Triple-A ball and now he's making it big in the majors. I too, have faced him. If I could pitch him right, I could strike him out (I think like twice), but if I messed up, he could hit it. My highlight is that I actually threw him out trying to steal second base (impressive that I jacked his speed up to 99 -- the max). So far, he's only played 14 games in the majors and he's hitting somewhere between .320 and .330 with 2 home runs and one stolen base (which, again, is surprising).

As for my team -- I'm riding a 69-game winning streak and have already won the division in the second week of August. I traded away Jacque Jones a couple of days before the trade deadline (July 31) for a rookie whose scouting report says that he'll be a Gold Glover and will be one of the best hitters in baseball for years to come. Plus, that move saved me almost $30,000 day!

I'm still winding down -- hopefully I reach the playoffs here in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!