Ultimate Roster Project (PC,Xbox,PS2)

[MarkB]

I'm back from my first career baseball game and I went 0 for 5 with 4 K's. I can't believe I went that poor hitting in the 7th spot but the umpire was tough and called a lot of crappy strikes.

On a more positive note, I played the whole 9 innings on 3rd base and had a solid game with fly-balls, tags and throws across the diamond to 1st. 0 errors! The game...? We won by 12-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swedish Cup

Next game(s), season opener of 2006 on Saturday with a double-header against Lund (who we played today in the Cup).

Don't be disheartened, it's a gradual process. As long as your fielding is solid, just keep working on the stuff at the plate. You'll get there. :)

[Hory]

Haven't really paid any attention at all to it...

Yes, proper injuries and a Disabled List kick ***

[Totte]

Don't be disheartened, it's a gradual process. As long as your fielding is solid, just keep working on the stuff at the plate. You'll get there.

Thanks

[myk13]

Padres Trade © Doug Mirabelli to Boston for © Josh Bard, (RP) Cla Marideth, im sure u know this cuz ur a bosox fan haha

[Royal Blues]

Yes, proper injuries and a Disabled List kick ***

Holy carp, does this mean UR gains a whole new (extremely high) level of realism?

[kgbaseball]

Red Sox trade Josh Bard and Cla Merideth for Doug Mirabelli (Padres)

That's hilarious. I guess after Bard's 4 passed balls a few nights ago, the Sox experiment with him was finished.

[southside_hitmen]

funny how the NY times just ran a story on Wakefield and Bard today too

[Royal Blues]

Call me crazy, and this is not an excuse for Bard, but I don't envy the guy who has to catch a knuckleballer.

[JoeyMcM93]

Hope he gives you permission Totte, for the tstat. Now will UR feature a disabled list? With the .dat exporter and importer, that would be AWESOME!!!! Great work totte!!!!!

[stalsy2310]

Here Totte the brewers top 50 Prospects are updated your missing #18(only 17) and #30 and alot after it do what ever to fill the holes in whatever brewer rosters

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewPower50.do

[stalsy2310]

Will Inman Brewers A needs his pitches fixed, here is some info

From Baseball America:

RHP Will Inman broke the state's career strikeout record, passing 500 as a senior. Inman hit 90-92 mph regularly as a senior. His curveball isn’t a true power pitch, but generates a lot of swings and misses. He also throws a splitter and a changeup, and will use any of the four offerings in any count.

[Hory]

Hong-Chih Kuo LA id should be 2332 no longer 8170

There isn't a portrait installed in the 2332 slot but there will be will for mvp 06

[herky]

Angels: Optioned outfielder Reggie Willits to Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); recalled pitcher Chris Bootcheck.

Dodgers: Optioned pitcher Lance Carter to Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); recalled pitcher Jonathan Broxton from Las Vegas.

[freshprince85]

I'm back from my first career baseball game and I went 0 for 5 with 4 K's. I can't believe I went that poor hitting in the 7th spot but the umpire was tough and called a lot of crappy strikes.

On a more positive note, I played the whole 9 innings on 3rd base and had a solid game with fly-balls, tags and throws across the diamond to 1st. 0 errors! The game...? We won by 12-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swedish Cup

Next game(s), season opener of 2006 on Saturday with a double-header against Lund (who we played today in the Cup).

congratulations.

i guess the next time you´re doing a better job at the plate ;)

[Totte]

Now will UR feature a disabled list?

Probably but I haven't decided yet. I'm leaning towards yes but I want you guys to know that I'd need A LOT OF HELP pulling this trick out of the hat.

[thespungo]

I'd do anything to help get that disabled list a working feature in these rosters.

And I have a commonly asked question, when trying to do a fantasy draft, there are 2 Mike Sweeney's. What can I do to fix this?

I know this has been asked before, but I can't bare to sift through the 450+ pages in this thread...

[Totte]

there are 2 Mike Sweeney's. What can I do to fix this?

I've never heard of that issue before. Don't know what might be causing it :?

[SwinginSoriano]

Did he install using the .mbe with a different database folder?

[UncleMo]

I used to have the Mike Sweeney issue where he was on FA list and on a team. Not sure what fixed it.

[Totte]

Did he install using the .mbe with a different database folder?

thespungo, how did you install the rosters?

[herky]

Some pitch suggestions with some brief scouting reports from scout.com for guys in the Cubs organization.

Grant Johnson (A) Add curveball.

"I think I saw four or five games this season where he pitched basically as a one-pitch pitcher using just his fastball with an occasional change thrown in there and was able to get a lot of guys out. He's got an excellent, exploding fastball with an excellent curveball that most righthanders can't seem to find at the plate." Delivery is low three-quarters style. Grant has a really good sinking, moving fastball that he can throw regularly at 93-94 mph, and he also throws a nice slider off of that pitch.

Raul Valdez (AAA) Add curveball.

The left-hander’s out-pitch is still his curveball, which Iowa broadcaster Deene Ehlis says Valdez used to target right-handed hitters. “I thought at times his off-speed stuff would have a screwball effect,†said Ehlis, a 16-year veteran in the Iowa Cubs’ booth, who saw Valdez in all of his 25 outings at Triple-A this past season. “It tailed away from right-handed hitters.†“He doesn’t throw hard, maybe 85 mph on his best fastball,†Ehlis said. “But he wasn’t afraid to go after hitters and always seemed to pitch well with men on base.â€

Sean Marshall (MLB) Add changeup and splitter.

For most of the 2005 season, his fastball was sitting 89-91 mph but touched 95 several occasions. It's probably better that he keeps his fastball in the lower 90's as it adds more sink to it. In addition to his sinking fastball, he throws two other plus pitches in a curveball and a changeup and is tinkering with a slider, due to his finger injury, he hasn't been able to throw his plus splitter. His most notable offspeed pitch is his curveball, it's filthy and he spots it so well. Put this into consideration, Sean is a control artist, he's constantly around the plate yet he has thrown 24 wild pitches in 251 2/3 IP(9 WP in 94 IP in 2005), almost all on curveballs. Add in a changeup that he works well into his pitches, and Sean can be deadly. Biggest Weakness: Holding runners.

Create Sean Gallagher (A Ball)

Position: Right handed pitcher

DOB: 12/30/1985

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 210lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

History: Apparently Gallagher was a bit impatient. After a nice stint in the Arizona Rookie League his first season an injury allowed Gallagher to get a taste of Lo-A ball. It was supposed to be a taste anyway, like the guy in the grocery store who makes the sample tables his lunch Gallagher gorged himself on Lo-A hitters, rattling off 36 straight innings without giving up an earned run, and didn't stop there, going 14-5 with an ERA under 3.00 before a one game promotion to Hi-A Daytona. All he did there was throw five innings of one run ball, striking out seven without giving up a walk.

Pitches: Apparently all that 'raw' talk went out the window after the '04 season. Of his fastball/curve/change arsenal only the curveball sticks out. Command is key for Gallagher, who's fastball is low 90s at best and change is still a project. That lack of velocity is the reason he stays in the 20s on this list, though a full season at Hi-A next year would prove us gleefully wrong.

The change up might be the key to future success for Gallagher. In '05 it was inconsistent, but he rarely got hurt on it because the curveball was dominating. As hitters learn they can sit on the curve because he is unable to blow the fastball by them the changeup will become more and more important.

"He was incredible in the Midwest League," a scout who watched the league says, "but he's got to learn to keep that change up down to get lefties out at higher levels. If he does that he could turn into a right handed Barry Zito."

Prediction: Gallagher has two very big things going for him, command and a head start. Since he won't turn 21 until the after the '06 season the Cubs will make every effort to keep him at each level a full season, and work on the change. Since spotting the curveball isn't a problem, it also allows him to put the majority of the work in on the change. But there is one other thing that could come to his aid.

"I'm not convinced he's done growing," our scout says, "and if he adds another tick or two to the fastball, all of a sudden he could turn into a front of the rotation starter. It's not so much about the velocity on the fastball as it is the difference between the fastball and change, if he can get that different to 10MPH then the sky's the limit, because that curveball is going to devastate hitters at every level unless they go up there looking for it."

ETA: Youth is served. The Cubs instincts will tell them to leave him at each level for a full season, but that was the plan last year as well. It stands to reason that if an injury opens a spot in Double-A his name will at least be in the conversation to fill it, based on the success of last year when he skipped ahead. We're not willing to make the Greg Maddux/Barry Zito comparison's yet, but if he saw any time at Double-A next year and survived we'll be changing our tune like a jam band in the middle of their finally.

Create Mike Billek (A)

Position: Right Handed Pitcher

DOB: 03/04/1984

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 234lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

History: Mike Billek has been up and down, and for once no one is referring to his weight. After his freshman season at the University of Central Florida Billek was as hot as any college prospect in baseball, but his sophomore season was one he spent frustrated and bored, coming into camp overweight and getting used less than he would have liked. His junior year he came back strong his junior season and the Cubs took him (with their second third round pick) in the 2005 draft as much for what he shows now, namely a Major League body, as what he might show in the future, late inning dominant stuff.

Some have said the Cubs should make that switch, from starter to reliever, now, but in his first year the Cubs kept him where he was comfortable, in the starting rotation. How long that will last will be largely dependent on how long Billek remains effective in the role. Though he averaged less than five innings a start in his first season in pro ball, that has less to do with stamina, and more to do with a club protecting their new investment.

What was a curse for Billek, getting less time his sophomore year, might have been a blessing for the Cubs, who find essentially one year less of wear and tear on a top pitching prospect. Still raw and at times too willing to just throw as hard as he can instead of 'pitching,' the Cubs will look to see how much polish he comes back with after an offseason. The move to the bullpen could come as early as spring of this year, and if it does, expect the Cubs to fast track him.

Pitches: Billek, like many college pitchers, has three pitches, and knows how to throw two. His fastball has gotten marquee billing since being one of the top high school pitchers in Florida, sitting in the 90-91 range but amping up to 95 occasionally, another reason many believe he's destined for the pen. He has a curveball, and sharpening it was a focus in his first season with the Cubs. He'll come back this spring with either a more conventional 12-6 curve, or a harder pure slider, and the Cubs would prefer the slider.

Billek throws a changeup, but rarely and without much confidence. Like most pitchers, it will be the primary focus of year two, and it's development will be key if he wants to remain a starter. He toyed with several grips last season and will spend much of this offseason deciding on one he can throw with the same arm action, and throw for strikes.

"You'd really like to see him pitch one inning a game," our scout said, "because you could see the extra velocity when he got in a jam. When he needed it there was an extra gear to the fastball, and even the slider got better, because he'd get charged and throw it harder. As a starter he just has to hold back to make sure something's in the tank."

Prediction: Billek is groomed as an eventual replacement for Ryan Dempster, and the conversion starts almost immediately. That means that Billek will be a starter for a few more months, and then move to the back of the bus, and start throwing that fastball at 95 consistently. His mentality seems to suit it, and his willingness to go right after the best fastball hitters in his league suits it. If he develops the changeup faster than most (i.e., within a year) it could keep him in the rotation perhaps as long as another year, but even if it is an above average pitch, it only makes him more dangerous as a late inning reliever.

ETA: Because he'll be late inning material, and because he'll turn just 22 as camp gets started, the Cubs have no reason to rocket him through the system, but he might do it anyway. He was pitching in Lo-A in his first pro season, and while that certainly isn't unheard of, it also isn't exactly the norm. His combination of pluses, including a mid 90s fastball, Major D1 program experience, a fresh arm, and an MLB ready body, are rarely found, and often too much time in the low minors can do nothing but screw guys like that up. He'll probably start at Lo-A this year, and could see time in West Tennessee before the season's over. A full year at Double-A will follow, but by 2008 he'll be knocking on the big league door, and asking where to put his toothbrush.

David Aardsma (AAA) Add slider.

Aardsma was so highly touted because at Rice he would amp his fastball up to 97 at times and sit at 94 with movement, and his slider would be devastating at times. Scouts worried because at times he would overthrow the slider and it would flatten out, but nobody doubted that he had the stuff to be a Major League closer.

Create Justin Berg (A)

Position: Right handed pitcher

DOB: 06/07/1984

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 205lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

History: When the Cubs traded Matt Lawton after having him for about 20 minutes, the move left many in the bleachers scratching their heads. After all even with the emergence of Matt Murton it seemed strange to give up an experienced left handed bat, especially when it appeared the Cubs greatest weakness was going to be at the top of the order. The reasoning was pretty simple, the Cubs knew they were going to be in the running for both Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre during the offseason, Lawton was an expensive rental who was underperforming, and there is nothing quite as special as a talented pitcher.

Justin Berg came to the Cubs from the Yankees for Lawton, and the Cubs have high hopes for him, though admittedly they aren't really sure what those hopes are. Berg has been a starter, middle reliever, set up man and closer in his season and a half of professional ball, and shown aptitude in virtually every role. That uncertainty might not bode well for a Triple-A 26 year old, but as a 21 year old who in 2006 will be just tasting Hi-A for the first time, it makes him an even more exciting prospect.

Pitches: Why is Berg such an intriguing prospect? He's 6'" and the Cubs do not have to teach him to use that to his advantage. His fastball sits 89-91MPH and has a natural sink and he's learned that a good solid slider, that starts eight feet in the air and finishes in the dirt down and away, is an effective pitch to everybody, righties and lefties alike. Like virtually all long limbed pitchers control has been something of an issue, but not the kind of problem that makes scouts worry.

"He's figured two things out on his own that a lot of clubs have to spend years drilling into pitcher's heads," a scout that watched Berg in the NY/Penn State League says, "He learned how to use his height, and he learned that strikeouts are overrated."

Berg pitches to contact, and as long as he keeps the ball down when he does, he will become a valuable asset for the Cubs in whatever role they decide to use him in. The final piece of the puzzle will depend on what role they choose. If the Cubs elect to keep Berg at the back end of the bullpen, as a set up man or closer, than his fastball/slider repertoire should be fine, but if they intend on keeping him in the starting rotation, he will need to develop more confidence in a change up that has been fantastic at times, but is certainly inconsistent.

Prediction: Let the grooming begin. Closers with low 90s fastballs are few and far between, but in many instances those pitchers are actually preferred for set up roles. A lot of Berg's future will depend on how much progress he's made with the changeup, but if he still lacks confidence in that pitch coming into the '06 season, expect the Cubs to start looking at him as their set up man of the future. Still young, and just coming into a new organization, the even money says he's going to begin the season in Lo-A with Peoria, but a good run could earn him a promotion and quick.

Though that changeup could change everything. The Cubs asked him to continue working on it during the offseason, and if it is a much improved pitch when he shows up at camp, he could be sent to Hi-A Daytona as a member of the starting rotation from Day One. If he remains in the starting rotation he could actually move more quickly, since the Cubs have traded many of those standing in his way.

ETA: Pitchers as young and talented as Berg, but without upper 90s fastballs are given time to develop, and Berg will need a few years to prove himself on bigger stages. Expect a nice long gestation period, that sees Berg end '06 in Hi-A regardless of his role. He will likely need a year at each level to prove his control and movement are enough to get more advanced hitters out, and he will probably never be listed in the Top 10 of this list. None the less solid progression should see Berg getting a big league opportunity by his 25th birthday, perhaps sooner if the Cubs finally commit to him in the bullpen.

[UncleMo]

Herky I think your boss is coming.

[SwinginSoriano]

Herky I think your boss is coming.

:lol:

[herky]

Is it Thursday already? :lol:

[freshprince85]

Is it Thursday already?

so what are you doing tommorow?

checking out the wheight of all mlb-players?