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by Randall Mussman
5.
Hotel California trade of James Shields to Half Cajun for Hunter Pence
 Going into the 2010 season, Hotel California owner Randall Mussman has started to show some concern about returning starting pitcher James Shields of Tampa – and it was with that in mind, that the five-time champion looked to move his $16 starter to a willing team. Mussman was worried not only about Shields’ increasing contract, but with his declining production – primarily the 5.16 ERA that the Rays’ starter had posted in the 2nd half of the 2009 season. So when trade talks were struck up with Half Cajun owner Adam Caveney in the spring, and Astros’ multi-tool outfielder Hunter Pence was made available, Mussman jumped at the opportunity to ship Shields away. As it would turn out, the deal would be a double-winner for Mussman’s squad, as Pence would provide a solid 1/3 of a season for the Hotel (.297, 8 HR, and 5 SB) before he would be shipped away to the Tazmanian Devils for much-needed pitching help in Ricky
Trading away James Shields for Hunter Pence was good...
Nolasco, who would help stabilize a shaky staff after his arrival (with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 15 starts). But more importantly, Mussman avoided the mess of a season that Shields would deliver in 2010 (a dreadful 5.18 ERA over 203.3 IP) – a terrible performance that, if he had been locked into the Hotel roster all season, would have killed the team’s chances of finishing in the money. But Mussman and the Hotel wouldn’t be the only team who got rid of Shields at the right time …
4.
Half Cajun trade of James Shields to Butt Pirates for Jonathan Papelbon
 … as Half Cajun owner Adam Caveney would show an even better sense of timing, riding Shields for the early part of the season – before the wheels came off of the Tampa starter’s season – before dishing him off to fellow contender the Butt Pirates and owner Dave Farrell, who would get nothing but grief for his pitching staff. When Caveney had acquired Shields from Hotel California prior to the season, he had been looking for a solid number-two starter to help anchor his pitching staff – and at the beginning, at least, that would be exactly what he would get, as Shields would post solid numbers (a 3.64 ERA over 81 2/3 IP) for a staff that would be, surprisingly, one of the league’s best all season. But Caveney would know exactly when to cut bait, sending him to the Pirates in the middle of the summer for Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon. Much like the Hotel was, Half Cajun would be a double-winner in dealing Shields – not only would
...trading away James Shields for Jonathan Papelbon was better.
Papelbon provide a much-needed boost to the team’s bullpen, tallying up 24 saves after his arrival, but Shields would be an utter catastrophe after he left the Cajun roster, posting an abysmal 6.02 ERA in 116 2/3 IP. It would be a performance that might have crippled his franchise’s chances of contending, but ultimately one that Caveney would be giddy he’d have no part of.
3.
Tee Timers trade of Jake Peavy and Andy LaRoche to M*A*S*H* for Aramis Ramirez
 The trade between the Tee Timers and M*A*S*H* involving White Sox starter Jake Peavy and Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez was one that mirrored a lot of deals seen in fantasy sports – one featuring two teams swapping one struggling veteran for another. And when the deal was announced, the consensus amongst HCBB owners was largely that both teams involved had taken a pair of underachieving players (both, though, capable of turning it around) and simply exchanged their problems. But as it turned out, only one of those players would reward his team with the production they were hoping for – and that would be Ramirez for his new owner, Tony Murphy. LaRoche would be merely a throw-in on the deal by the Tee Timers, while Peavy was the key player sent off of Murphy’s roster – but for his new owner Neil Arceneaux, the former Cy Young Winner would be a shell of his former self. While Peavy had been merely
Both Aramis Ramirez and Jake Peavy underachieved through the early part of 2010. Aramis got much better. Peavy got hurt.
ineffective for the Tee Timers, he would be invisible for M*A*S*H* -- pitching only twice and recording only 2 starts and a paltry 7 2/3 innings before being shut down with an injury. Meanwhile, Ramirez – after putting up terrible numbers for M*A*S*H* (.162 and 4 HR in 167 at-bats) – would simply explode for his new squad, going off for a ridiculous 20 HR and 62 RBI in only 284 at-bats, making the Tee Timers the overwhelming winner in the trade when the season was done.
2.
Tazmanian Devils end-game drafting of their pitching staff
 Tazmanian Devils owner Crystal Mussman’s reputation has been made over the years both as a partner with Hotel California as well as with her own franchise in the sister AL-only Pine Tar League – and that reputation has been of putting together top-flight pitching staffs on draft day. That goal has always been accomplished with the league’s sole female owner adding both high-priced ace talent as well as bargain-priced pitchers who perform at ace levels to her squads – and it was in that latter regard that Mussman excelled in 2010 like few other teams in HCBB history have. The Devils already had the NL Cy Young winner in Roy Halladay returning from the previous season, but it was her late-day selections who would help to lead the 2nd-year owner to a near-money finish as well as a league record in WHIP by season’s end. The first piece of her puzzle would be Comeback of the Year candidate Francisco Liriano ($9), who
The Tazmanian Devils acquired Mat Latos, Carl Pavano, Ricky Romero and Dallas Braden with $2 in draft day money and three reserve picks.
would rebound from an atrocious 2009 and regain his former success. But even better than the Twins starter would be her drafting of young Padres ace Mat Latos ($2), who would not only contend for the AL Cy Young Award, but also emerge as one of the HCBB’s top keepers going into 2011. The Devils’ pitching success would continue, as Mussman would snag no less than three stellar starters in the reserve round – Carl Pavano, Dallas Braden, and Ricky Romero – as well as three of the top middle relievers in the game at the end of her draft in Luke Gregerson, Darren O’Day, and Grant Balfour. The incredible pitching depth the Devils possessed allowed their owner to dish off pitching all season in an attempt to build an offense, and it was this pitching that nearly led the franchise to a late-season charge to contention.
1. The Ball Hogs ride a steady hand to the title
 For much of the 2010 season, a championship looked it would be beyond the reach of the Ball Hogs, owner Steven Prentiss, and adviser Chris Grace. While the Hogs were consistently near the money race, first place was firmly in possession of Half Cajun for almost the entire summer. Meanwhile, the Hogs were laboring, suffering injuries from expected key contributors in Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Quentin and disappointing seasons from other players, like Adam Jones and Rick Porcello. The Hogs were seemingly unable to gain any traction as the final months approached, falling 26.5 points behind in late July and still trailing Caveney’s leading squad by 20 points in the middle of August while sitting in 4th. But rather than fall victim to the temptation of making any sudden moves, Prentiss and Grace resisted the urge to make any major changes. Instead, they decided to ride out the storm and kept the core of their
The Ball Hogs played the part of the tortoise, Half Cajun and Prolonging the Magic played the part of the hare in 2010.
team intact, trusting in the team they had assembled on draft day to rebound in the end. What moves they did make, while seemingly minor, proved to be the difference in the end, however – their best move being the free-agent acquisition of David Murphy for the final weeks of the season which proved to make a crucial difference in batting average (Murphy would hit .346 in 52 at-bats down the stretch). In a race where a scant 2 points separated the top four teams, it was the Ball Hogs willingness to stay the course that ultimately led to their win in the closest race in HCBB history.
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