Earlier today Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the expansion of Major League Baseball, announcing the addition of two teams, one being the return of the legendary Montreal Expos. We here at The Greatest MLB Showdown Blog love the Expos and are thrilled to have them back into the mix. We've written extensively on the Expos in the past (including what could have been teams) and now we're excited to introduce a new Expos themed challenge!
The Challenge
The Montreal Expos will return for the 2020 season, which, in hindsight, makes sense. You have been appointed the General Manager of the most fabled team in the sport. Your job is to assemble a lineup to lead the Expos into a new era. Your first move was acquiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr, because there should always be a Vladimir Guerrero in an Expos uniform. Besides, he's a beast.
Even Adam Ottovino can't strike this guy out. OB10, on at 4, HR 17+. That's just unfair. And now it's the heart of your lineup.
The third challenge is that you must build a lineup featuring Guerrero JR. Your goal is to score as many runs against the last active Expos player, none other than Big Sexy. The dude has a stem-cell enhanced arm, and as a result he will throw 9 innings of 2000 era baseball without tiring. Don't tell me he's not active anymore. I'm not crying, you're crying. But if and when he finally does retire (hopefully many years from now), he will have earned some peace and quiet time.
In constructing your lineup, you must follow these rules out of respect for the other teams.
- You must select 9 cards from the 2018 set, but those players must be projected to be active in 2020. If a player you wish to draft has not been featured in the 2018 set, he is projected to be active in 2020, and a previous card exists, you may enter that card instead.
- Since there may be a universal DH by 2020, one of your selections will be a DH, who can be anybody so long as said person follows the rules of this challenge.
- Out of respect for other teams, you cannot take players with point totals in the top three of their respective teams.
- You are limited to 2020 points, including Guerrero Jr.
- Colon's defense is your defense. Once per game, Colon may add +5 to any defensive maneuver. Expert rules, but limited to 4 steals per game.
- To be eligible for bragging rights, you must post your lineup, when you scored, and how said scoring went down. Posting Colon's stats is encouraged.
Okay here is my go at it. I surrounded Vlad wiht 2 9obs that found new teams this offseason and as much power as i could 4-5. So here is my lineup:
ReplyDelete1> Mallex Smith 300
2. Vlad Guerrero JR 560
3. Michael Brantley 290
4. Mike Trumbo 170
5. Yonder Alonso 150
6. Kolten Wong 230
7. Joc Pederson 260
8. Roberto Perez 10
9. Tim Beckham 40
I scored 6 runs total, 3 in the first, 2 in the third and 1 in the sixth.
1> Mallex Smith 2/3 2BB 2SB 3B Run RBI
2. Vlad Guerrero JR 1/5 Run 2K's
3. Michael Brantley 2/3 2 2B's Run Sac Fly RBI
4. Mike Trumbo 1/4 2B Run K
5. Yonder Alonso 1/4 HR Run 2RBI 2K's
6. Kolten Wong 1/4 2B 2RBI
7. Joc Pederson 0/4
8. Roberto Perez 0/4
9. Tim Beckham 1/4 Run K
Now the Leader of the team i named the Big Sexy Beach Bod's Bartolo Colons Statline
9IP 6R 9H 2BB Now for the Outs 6K's 2 Pu's 12 GB's 6 FB's 1 Double Play
That was fun to try and build a team on a small budget
I love this team. Mallex is so underrated, but this time his statline was awesome.
ReplyDelete2020 Expos would be just fine under your guidance!
i think all but one atbat he had his chart, and ive always been a huge michael brantley fan, still pissed hes not on the indians anymore, especailly when i look at our putrid lineup now.The power guys in the middle would struggle with a higher control pitcher, and same with the lower half of the order, but the top half did what i asked of them leading to the 6 runs
ReplyDeleteSo was that April fool's about the 2 new expansion teams or did that actually happen? Cos I hadn't heard anything about that and if it is, who and where is the 2nd team?
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah that was April Fools! But, I personally don't think it is outside the realm of possibility to see a team there in the next few years!
DeleteI am on the road for work so won't be able to play out the results until I return on Sunday, but worked on this last night:
ReplyDelete2B - Altuve - 330
3B - Guerrero - 560
LF - Benintendi - 390
CF - Smith - 300
DH - Duffy - 250
1B - Bird - 70
RF - Rickard - 70
C - Leon - 10
SS - Arcia - 20
Boston has the most pathetic catching farm system in baseball, so Leon will have to keep playing no matter what. Bird may be the best spring training player in history, and it appears New York is invested in him (as long as he is healthy). Altuve is added to the line up thanks to the rest of his teammates being high cost players. Arcia is a future stud (at least I hope so for fantasy, minus is strikeouts). Rickard is a great story so I had to include him (especially since I wanted to place Iglesias as my SS, but not sure if he will be around still - not sure why he doesn't get more love than he should, great glove and OBP is decent, not great). Smith in CF, and would have actually used Brantley instead if Iglesias was in the line up. Benintendi as the LF (as I am here wearing my Benintendi Salem Sox t-shirt). Duffy rounds out the team as an underrated, often hurt piece.
Once I have the results from my game, I will post and share.
Your 2020 Expos look competitive. I hope it's a ST game so you can keep Bird on a roll!
DeleteTalk about an awful game. Hitter 1-5 won the pitch only 4 times. Looks like the Yankees hitting right now. Stat lines below:
DeleteAltuve - 1-4 with an rbi
Guerrero - 1-3 with a walk
Benintendi - 0-3 with a walk and run scored
Smith - 1-4 with a an rbi triple
Duffy - 0-4
Bird - 0-3 with a walk
Rickard - 0-3
Leon - 1-2 with a double, run scored, and sac bunt
Arcia - 0-3
Runs were scored in the third inning (Leon doubled and Altuve knocked him in) and ninth (Benintendi walked followed by a Smith triple).
Big Sexy - only 2 extra base hits all night
9 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BB, 8 K
The aging has done wonders for him!
I will probably play a best of 7 throughout the day today with this squad against him. I give Colon the win with anything 4 runs or lower scored.
Great stuff. Hard to believe Colon's line
DeleteI was able to get through two more games this week before having to head out of town for another week. If 4 runs is the line for Colon, he is currently up 3 games to 0. The batters scored 4 in game 2, and then only 2 again in game 3. Colon only allowed 6 hits in game 3. Once I finish it out, I will post with ERA, WHIP, etc, along with the batters. I have been very disappointed in the lack of good quality rolls for the hitters. And Greg Bird is playing like his season self, not spring training!
DeleteRandom side question: for your 2018 set or previous years for that matter, do you offer them to be sold or anything along those lines? Just curious. I tried to complete a 2016 set but could only make it through some of it. I believe I knocked out all of the batters except the NL West and only had the pitching done for the AL East.