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Can it get any better than this?
A former beat writer of a team facing the team that he once covered, the team that he wrote a book about: Buster Olney against the New York Yankees.
Every beat guy wants to beat the competition, but this is the first time in the history of baseball writing that the competition is not another newspaper. No, this time it's the team itself.
Olney doesn't stand a chance. His payroll is just under $40 million, the Yankees' payroll is just over $200 million. Olney is hitting Shane Victorino fourth, the Yankees have A-Rod.
Olney beats Yanks in 5
Game 1: Olney 5, Yankees 3
Game 2: Olney 5, Yankees 3
Game 3: Yankees 4, Olney 3
Game 4: Olney 5, Yankees 1
Game 5: Olney 1, Yankees 0
• Check out the box scores
And in the first inning of Game 1 of the finals, Xavier Nady hit a three-run home run off Tim Lincecum, who weighs a good 140 pounds less than Yankees starter CC Sabathia.
But Team Olney scored two in the first and two more in the fifth, then turned it over to the bullpen of Craig Breslow, Carlos Marmol and Joakim Soria, who combined to retire the final nine Yankees in order for a 5-3 win.
The stunned Yankees lost again in Game 2; it was 5-3 again behind the irrepressible Cliff Lee. A-Rod, with one hit in two games, was booed.
The Yankees won Game 3 behind Chien-Ming Wang, who got a hit, ran the bases and didn't get hurt. Derek Jeter, who, before the game, thanked God for making him a Yankee, hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Yankees the lead for good.
Then it got a little weird. Joba Chamberlain, who pitched in relief in Game 1 for the Yankees, started against them in Game 4 (yes, he's on Team Olney, too). He won 5-1 for Olney, striking out 11 and allowing only three hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings.
Then Team Olney won it all by beating the Yankees, 1-0, in Game 5 on a home run in the fourth inning by Kevin Youkilis. Olney's club got six shutout innings from Lincecum, and another three brilliant innings by Breslow, Marmol and Soria. Sabathia took the loss.
Hank Steinbrenner took the defeat hard, but not as hard as A-Rod, who batted .056, going 1-for-18 with 12 strikeouts, which looks even worse next to Jeter's .389 average. (Note: The simulation was done before the revelation that Rodriguez tested positive for steroids. So, yes, he had a bad week).
And so it ended. A team selected by a baseball writer beat the real Yankees. This could really lead to something. Maybe Buster should be running the Yankees.
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About the simulation: The simulations were done by ImagineSports.com, using the Diamond Mind Baseball software, which was developed by renowned baseball statistics expert Tom Tippett. Diamond Mind is widely regarded as the most sophisticated and realistic baseball simulation software.
Rosters
Writer Buster Oleny's Squad
Home field: Petco Park
Manager: Joe Maddon
INFIELDERS
Jose Reyes, Mets
Mike Fontenot, Cubs
Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
Ian Stewart, Rockies
Casey Blake, Dodgers
OUTFIELDERS
Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
Skip Schumaker, Cardinals
Denard Span, Twins
Shane Victorino, Phillies
Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
Nick Evans, Mets
CATCHERS
Geovany Soto, Cubs
John Baker, Marlins
STARTING PITCHERS
Tim Lincecum, Giants
Edinson Volquez, Reds
Joba Chamberlain, Yankees
John Danks, White Sox
Cliff Lee, Indians
BULLPEN
Joakim Soria, Royals
Carlos Marmol, Cubs
Jose Arredondo, Angels
Rafael Perez, Indians
Heath Bell, Padres
Craig Breslow, Twins
Money spent: $39,597,470
Money remaining: $402,530
The Yankees
Home field: Yankee Stadium
Manager: Joe Girardi
INFIELDERS
Alex Rodriguez
Mark Teixeira
Derek Jeter
Robinson Cano
Juan Miranda
Cody Ransom
OUTFIELDERS
Johnny Damon
Xavier Nady
Hideki Matsui
Melky Cabrera
Brett Gardner
Nick Swisher
CATCHERS
Jorge Posada
Jose Molina
STARTING PITCHERS
CC Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Joba Chamberlain
Chien-Ming Wang
Andy Pettitte
BULLPEN
Damaso Marte
Brian Bruney
Jonathan Albaladejo
Edwar Ramirez
Jose Veras
Mariano Rivera
Projected money spent: $206,350,000
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