NLCS Preview

Pittsburgh comes into the series as the #1 seed. Despite losing ace SP Mark Post they managed to have the best record in the National League. They acquired SP Pedro Bennett to help get them by. Bennett came in and went 14-4 with Pittsburgh to end the season with 18 wins.  Pittsburgh also relied on Closer Christopher Matthews to win the close ones..  

Cleveland comes to the series boasting one of the top offenses in the NL led by 2B Abraham Inge which stepped up his game this season and had one of the best seasons of his career. Also LF Kevin Colin with his .419 OBP was huge as he scored 113 times. Cleveland and Pittsburgh will be a very hard fought series and could go 7. Whoever wins this series has to be the favorite in the World Series.

ALCS Preview

 

The battle to become the American League Champions is going to be a fierce one! During the regular season Kansas City and Seattle split the 10 games they played vs. each other. Kansas City has the upperhand having had a chance to rest guys before playing Seattle. Also they have Home field advantage. Seattle's relying on Season 5's 7th round pick SP Roger Hosmer and season 4's  2nd pick  SS Lee Benjamin.  But don't Kansas City is short on any top talent.. They will be hoping 2B Fausto Vargas and Season 1's #4 pick RF Al Gonzales will continue their regular season performances. Along with the pitching advantage, Kansas City could be on their way to the World Series!!!

A tale of Three Kings!

Harold Burrell has become a king! He has managed to do what very few people have ever done! Burrell led the Majors in Home runs, RBI's and Batting Average. After the last game of the season Tom Highway, Doubleday Commissioner met him as he was heading off the field to shake his hand. Burrell never got cocky over this and it showed. He kept a steady pace all season long and never let up. He officially etched himself a spot in Doubleday History. He will for sure end his career as a Hall of Famer!

Playoff Predictions:

AL DIVISIONAL

Baltimore vs. Salt Lake City

Prediction: Salt Lake City wins this series3-1 

AL DIVISIONAL

Montgomery vs. Seattle

Prediction: Seattle wins this series 3-1

NL DIVISIONAL

Honolulu vs. Monterrey

Prediction: Monterrey wins this series 3-2

NL DIVISIONAL

Austin vs. Scottsdale

Prediction: Austin wins this series 3-0

Talk around the World!

Tom Highway

Doubleday Daily

We are nearing the playoffs and some teams have already clinched a spot to the Season 9 post-season. Some are still in the middle of a dogfight.. The real question is who is your picks for the World Series this season?  A few owners decided to chime in on the subject.

"Salt Lake City vs. Cleveland and Salt Lake City will take it in 6 games." Said Boston owner Camden!

"KC vs Clev with the heartbreak continuing for the city of cleveland. 2-0 series lead to fall 4-2." said Baltimore owner Devonjain

That is just a couple of the response I received. Others are being really quiet about this.. Some down right  rude. Hopefully this opens up a little discussion.

Maxwell Press Conference

Tom Highway: We’re here with Montgomery Bombers superstar Philip Maxwell. Philip tell me what you felt when you started closing in on 500 career Home Runs.
 

Maxwell: Well I must admit I felt a sense of entitlement.  Being in a world where you’re the all-time Home Run leader, it’s a special feeling. As I got closer I felt the pressure. When 499 left the park I knew the next one would be hard to get. It’s a relief to know that monkey is off my back.

Tomhighway: Do you see yourself being the All-Time career Home Run leader for a long time?

Maxwell: It depends, I have a lot of time left. I may put the mark way out of anyone’s range. Hard to answer right now.

Tom Highway:  Do you think you’ll stay in Montgomery until you retire?

Maxwell:  That’s out of my hands, It all depends on what management has in store for me. I realize this is business, so I don’t get my hopes up. If I had my way I’d end my career as a Bomber. Only time will tell.

Tom Highway::  Come on Philip.. Can you tell me anything without having an open ended answer?

Maxwell: I take it one day at a time. I don’t put all my eggs into one basket. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Got any more clichés for me?

Tom Highway::  And I bet your car insurance is through Geico… Right?

Maxwell: I don’t drive , I have a limo driver to take me where I want to go. Next Question!!!

Tom Highway:  Nice I only have an Escalade..

Mike Prince: Mr. Maxwell I have a question for you.

Maxwell:Yes, go ahead.

Mike Prince: What did you give the boy who caught the record setting ball?

Maxwell::  First of all I don’t interact with the fans. I have people do that for me. And from what I was told by one of my boys is that they got the ball relatively easy.  I wasn’t told I had to give up anything. Wasn’t that nice?

Mike Prince:  Are you planning on keeping it or donating it to the Hall of Fame?

Maxwell: Depends how I feel, not sure how I feel about it right now though. I’d like to stare at it for a little while longer. I plan on sleeping with it tonight, then after that we’ll see where things go.

Tom Highway:: Thank you Mr. Maxwell for your time.

Maxwell: No problem.

500 Home Runs!

Tom Highway
Doubleday Daily


Montgomery, Alabama

It was hot August morning in Alabama.. Montgomery Bombers were taking on the Memphis Turtles, a game that had some mild importance for Montgomery. They are trying to secure a 1st round bye in the Playoffs in hopes to repeat their World Series performance from last season. With all the excitement of being the best in the division again they had another thing to look forward to.. Philip Maxwell hitting his 500th career Home Run... Maxwell would enter the game with 499HR career.. He had been Home Runless for 8 games and the season is nearing an end..

Maxwell would lead off the bottom of the 2nd where he would be facing one of the future bright spots for Memphis, Gerald Hammond. Hammond would toss a 92mph fast ball that missed for a ball with his first pitch..Obviously nervous Hammond would take another shot this time aiming high missing the strikezone completely! Maxwell would back out of the batter's box for a moment then step back in.. Up 2 balls with no strikes Maxwell was in the zone... You could see it in his eyes..  When Hammond threw the 3rd pitch Maxwell's eyes lit up and he hit the ball 475ft out left field! Number 500! As he rounded 3rd the rest of the team came out to meet him at home plate. The umpires called a "Time out" on the game so Maxwell could celebrate his accomplishment for a moment.


Maxwell retreated to the dugout where the team all continued to congratulate him.. After the game we talked to teammate Hoss Collins. "He's been the biggest asset our team has had over the time I've been here. We can't be happier for him and we're glad that he chose to re-sign with the team and stay on long term." Said Collins. Maxwell is scheduled to do an interview with us tomorrow night so stay tuned. We will bring you more from Montgomery when we do our playoff special in a week.

Milestone: Maxwell's House!!

Montgomery, Alabama .. Home of arguably the best player in Doubleday history, Philip Maxwell.  Maxwell began his career in Los Angeles (now Vancouver) where he played 18 games smashing 6 home runs and batting .323. He was then traded to San Jose(now Iowa City) where he played 94 games before being traded AGAIN to Boston(now Jacksonville). Maxwell's first season was very busy but while he was being tossed around he managed to hit 61HR with .325 batting avg. while also tallying 210 hits on the season a Doubleday his personal high mark. Maxwell again would be traded in season 2 to Montreal where he would go on to hit 64HR and hit .336 while being voted the AL MVP.

Not so shocking after all the times he'd been traded already Montreal would then trade him to Oakland. Before the season started Oakland traded him to Albuquerque(now Salem) where he would stay for 2 seasons totaling 111HR and hitting .310. Maxwell again would be traded about midway through season 5. This time to St. Louis(now Montgomery).  Maxwell's first season in STL he would finish that season with 49 HR and less than .300 batting avg. Maxwell was asked how he felt about the trading and he said "I finally feel like I'm wanted here." The following season he'd go on and win the AL MVP for the 2nd time in his career after exploding with 63HR.  Maxwell has been on a steady pace to reach the All-Time HR leader in both Doubleday and the "Real world". At just 27yrs old he managed to have 2 MVP awards a few All Star appearances and a record breaking pace to the top of Doubleday.


Season 7 would be different.. Maxwell struggled all season trying to hit the long ball...His batting avg. also declined from previous seasons and it looked like he was going to take a turn for the worse career wise. His personal life was in shambles after breaking up with his celebrity ex-girlfriend.. Maxwell wasn't himself at all....  After season 7 he checked himself into a psychologist for some evaluating... We didn't hear much from him over the course of the season 7-8 off season but when he returned in season 8 he was back to his old self. Season 8 he blasted 61HR and hit .338......Winning him another AL MVP award and taking Montgomery to the World Series and WINNING! Ending season 8 with career 445HR in the books he was told by owner Stiller to take a vacation and really think about the future. There were talks of a Maxwell trade but they never happened...


Maxwell took the advice and flew to Costa Rica for a week to clear his mind and think about his future with the team. When he came back he sat down with the owner and discussed his future and signed a new contract keeping him with the team through season 12 at 8.5mil a year...

Season 9 began and Maxwell started out pretty much on fire hitting 2HR in his first game but then he slowed down immediately. He hit only 3HR in the following 15 games.. Nobody was really noticing the struggle..  Maxwell managed to avoid press coverage but his owner seen what was going on. Again another discussion took place and Maxwell began some counselling sessions. Within a 10 game span Maxwell came out of his slump and started towards 500HR. The last couple weeks we've been tracking his progress and today he sits at 499 career homeruns.. Everyone knows he will get there but it's a matter of when and who it will be against. Will it be against Kansas City? Seattle? Or will this have to wait until they play Memphis.. Only time will tell. We will record in the history books the date he does hit his 500th and the pitcher that gave it up. So stay tuned!

Burrell: Potential Triple Crown!

Monterrey is looking to crown one of it's best players in franchise history the teams single season HR, RBI, Batting Average leader. The ML is also possibly going to award Burrell the Triple Crown!  After 137 games Burrell has 61HR  (7 up from 2nd.), 149 RBI (7 up from 2nd.), and a .351 average (5 pts up on 2nd.). At this pace he could very well make a legit shot at this. Hopefully while this is going on Monterrey will make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

40/40 man!

Alex Shinjo of Austin this season is closing on his 2nd consecutive 40/40 year! Last season he ended with 40HR and 41SB's.. This season he has 51HR and 38SB's with only 42 games to go. Shinjo can do it all! He seemingly is the best player in the NL I'm sure Harold Burrell would argue that with his league leading  52HR... This is going to be the battle for NL MVP all the way!

The injury bug loves Pittsburgh...

This just in!! SP Mark Post is done for the season... Pittsburgh has already confirmed that Mark Post will be required to get shoulder surgery done. We all know how that goes.. This is just one of those injuries that makes everyone feel bad... Now a Doubleday great has fallen, someone we all thought would break more records. The odds of him coming back as successful is very slim. Mark Post.. Shoulder surgery out for at least 267 days.

Luke Busby's may be moving!

Luke Busby could be finding a new home if Seattle can strike a deal worth getting rid of him. Busby has a career win/loss of 89/79.  Busby has never made an All-Star team but could make a huge impact to any team contending for the playoffs.

Terrance Hurst: Doubleday's NOTEWORTHY Player!

Terrance Hurst of the Detroit Wolverines hit for the Cycle today but that's not the first time this season he's been featured as having a noteworthy game. On 7/15 vs. Pittsburgh he drove in 7 runs and having a huge game going 5 for 5 with 2 hr's. Today Detroit played Portland where Hurst went 4 for 5. Hurst is a premier Outfielder and only looks to be improving! Congrats Hurst!