In this challenge, you get to take control of the Oakland A’s. Everyone knows Billy Beane as the moneyball man, and this is the chance to rewrite history and win the championship that has alluded the franchise for years. This challenge will consist of four parts, each one relying on the decisions and outcomes of the previous. The challenges are:
1 – Trade Deadline
2 – ALDS
3 – ALCS
4 – World Series
Finally (well not really finally since Billy in 2000 doesn’t know what Billy in 2020 knows about the A’s playoff history) the A’s have advanced into the ALCS. Waiting for them in this match-up is their division rival, the Seattle Mariners. While they may have lost Junior, A-Rod is in the final year of his contract looking for a ring. Again, this is a star-studded team featuring a lot of fire power.
In this challenge, you have the option to either:
-Play the series out managing both teams
-Play the series out batting for the A’s and pitching for the Mariners
-if you choose to only hit, the Mariners’ run support will be (based on their season averages and splits):
-Game 1 – 5 runs
-Game 2 – 5 runs
-Game 3 – 6 runs
-Game 4 – 6 runs
-Game 5 – 6 runs
-Game 6 – 6 runs
-Game 7 – 5 runs
The Mariners’ lineup is as follows:
-SP1 – Freddy Garcia 00
-SP2 – John Halama 00
-SP3 – Aaron Sele 00 PR
-SP4 – Paul Abbott 01
-RP – Kazuhiro Sasaki 01
-RP – Arthur Rhodes 01
-RP – Jose Paniagua 01
-RP – Brett Tomko 01 PR
-RP – Jose Mesa 00
The Mariners’ batting order is as follows:
LF – Rickey Henderson 01
CF – Mike Cameron 01
SS – Alex Rodriguez 01
DH – Edgar Martinez 00
1B – John Olerud 00 PR
RF – Jay Buhner 01
C – Dan Wilson 01
3B – David Bell 01
2B – Mark McLemore 01
Their fielding score is: IF +10, OF +4, C +7
Here are the rules for this challenge:
-Manage the opposing team the same way you would manage your own team
-House rules for games
-The A’s will host games 1, 2, 6, and 7
-The Mariners will host games 3, 4, and 5
-For your pitching, your relievers operate on house rules in terms of tiring – as always through the playoffs, your number three starter is Hudson and number four is Zito (you must throw a four man rotation)
-If you decide to only bat, make sure to complete the entire game (run support matters later in this challenge series)
-Sasaki is like Rivera, meaning he is capable of pitching in every game without a penalty for tiring, even if he throws more than one inning
-If you want an extra challenge, the entire bullpen will not tire for the Mariners from one game to the next, regardless of workload
At the end of this challenge, you must:
-Post the result from every game in the series
-How many attempts it took you to advance
-ALCS MVP
Again, for this challenge I decided to play out the full series to enjoy the games and I got everything I was in for. This may have been the best series I have ever played out in my history of playing Showdown. Here are the game results:
ReplyDeleteGame 1 – 10-3 A’s – Mussina pitched 7 innings and was assisted by Velarde and Chavez each hitting a 3-run home run
Game 2 – 8-5 A’s – this game was decided in the 4th inning with the A’s putting up 6 runs with 2-run shots by both Klesko and Long
Game 3 – 9-6 A’s – 8 of the 9 runs were produced by homeruns
Game 4 – 5-6 Mariners in 16 innings – this is where things got interesting in the series – the second longest game I have ever played ended with a walk-off homer by Ricky Henderson as the pitcher rolled a one on his chart – Henderson had two home runs this game and the Mariners live to play another day
Game 5 – 7-8 Mariners in 10 – another extra innings game starting to wear on the A’s bullpen – the Mariners almost threw the game away with Sasaki allowing 3 runs in the top of the 8th – fortunately for them Wilson hit a walk-off in the bottom of the 10th, giving the fans another dramatic win to force another game
Game 6 – 3-5 Mariners in 10 – three straight extra inning wins for the Mariners now, enough to force game 7 and a chance to pull a Sox 04 miracle run before they did it – Wilson is the hero again in this one, hitting a solo shot in the 2nd inning and a 2-run double in the top of the 10th off of Hoffman
Game 7 – 4-3 A’s in 10 – 4 straight games of free baseball, not sure any series can get better with every one being an elimination game – Velarde did damage early with a leadoff homer in the first and then added 2 rbi’s in the 3rd – Wilson hit a 2-run double in the 6th squaring things up – in the bottom of the 10th in front of the Oakland faithful, Klesko knocked in Abreu to advance to the World Series
Series MVP – Klesko (would have been Wilson had the Mariners won)
Most challenging aspect was playing with the rules of allowing the Seattle relief pitching to never tire while mine did. The extra inning games were brutal, but a blast.
Oh my God, that is AMAZING!!! Must’ve been absolutely pulse-pounding to have the series start so well and then slooooowly slip away — how nervous were you in games 6 and 7???
DeleteOkay I think I need to take a shower after that series holy crap!!! I played expert rules where Seattles bullpen didn't tier from game to game
ReplyDeleteGame 1:
Kerry Wood shows why they coveted him at the deadline, going 7IP allowing 1ER 5 hits and 14 Strikeouts. the bullpen finishes it off, and win 1-0 on a eric chavez RBI double in the 6th.
W: Wood L Halama S Wagner
Game 2
Miguel Tejada, Miguel Tejada, Miguel Tejada. He goes 5/5 with 3 home runs, a double, driving in 10 RBIs. His first threee at bats were a 3 run HR a grand slam and then a 2 run HR. he got his chart in his last at bat but double, he was a solo HR short of the in game HR Cycle. 12-5 Oakland win. The A's go up 2-0 at home!!!!
Game 3:
Tim hudson dealt his little heart out, allowing a solo HR in the bottom of the 8th to John Olerud and they lose the game 3-2 in what would be the game winning home run. Sasaski got the save.
Game 4:
Barry Zito absolutely filthy, as was Seattle Paul Abbot, Edgar Martinez hit a walk off double in the bottom of the 9th of Zito who was dealing all game. 1-0 win for the Mariners, these pitchers duels are killing me
Game 5:Kerry Wood is back on the hill and he does KErry Wood things, 6.2 IP 10 ks and a win 5-3 over the MAriners, Isringhausen with the save.
Game 6: Seattle wins 9-6 in 11 innings as Edgar Martinez hits a 3 run HR off Jason isringhausen in a 6-6 tie in the 11th. Sadly for me I pulled billy Wagner after the 9th, due to the fear of missing him in a game 7.
HERE WE GO GAME 7!!!!!
The Athletics were happy to have Tim Hudson on the mound again, and even more happy to see Aaron Sele Across from them, in the 2nd inning, no trade allowed Ramon hernande hits a three run HR to open upo a 3-0 lead. In the third inning Sammy sosa hit a 3 run HR and Terrance Long hit a 2 run HR and ust like that it is 8-0 Oakland and Aaron Sele hits the showers. Tim Hudson went 7 innings allowing 3 runs before turning the game over to Billy wagner leading 10-3. Wagner pitches the final 2 innings allowing a run and the Oakland Athletics are going to the world series 11-4 WIN
WOW WOW WOW, such a fun series I hated every minute of it lol.
Series MVP ahs to be KErry Wood again, Miguel Tejada a close second but game 3 was his only real big game. Tim Hudson also deserves some honorable mention.