Arkham City Post #3: The Church and Side Missions

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Part 2: Rescuing Catwoman

While I had my cowl's Detective Mode equipped to scan the bullet trajectory evidence, I noticed a human form huddled in the basement.  I cautiously crept down there and found Calendar Man locked away in the courthouse's holding cells, muttering something about Halloween being a good time to come and see him.  Why was he locked in the holding cells?  Could he have been referencing "The Long Halloween?"  Is that even in the same continuity as Arkham?  How can I even be sure what the date is?  But I had to file these questions away, as I had more pressing matters to attend to.

Outside the courthouse, I found a couple of civilians huddling together for safety.  These weren't criminals, but employees of the company that used to run security for Arkham City before Strange took over - political prisoners, if you will.  There was clearly something Strange wanted kept hidden, and I resolved to find out what that was, with the help of these folks - however many I could find.

On the way to the church, I ran into a familiar sight: a glowing green question mark situated on a rooftop; only this one was enclosed in a steel dome next to an unfamiliar sight: a circular floorplate embossed with a similar question mark.  Standing on the plate caused the cage to open up, allowing me to snare the Riddler Trophy with my batclaw.  As soon as I did, Edward Nygma's irritating voice came over my in-cowl radio, informing me that completing his challenges this time around was not just a silly diversion, but a matter of life and death.  Bringing my list of things to file away up to three...

Inside the church, I found Harley Quinn and her thugs holding several doctors and police officers hostage.  Harley split, giving me the opportunity to show off a few of the new Predator Mode moves I had developed throughout the past year.  Back at the Asylum, I had four basic ways to take out enemies: I simply choke them out (either from sneaking up behind them, jumping out of a floor grate, or waiting for them as they rounded a corner), string them up by dropping down on them from a vantage point, pull them over a ledge, or smash down on them through a glass ceiling.  To these tricks, I added the ability to break through wooden panels behind which a thug might be hiding, choke an opponent out with my legs from a platform above them, and a special trick whereby I could take out two nearby thugs in one move (I call that one the "let's put our heads together" attack, for obvious reasons...).

I interviewed the hostages - among which were familiar faces Aaron Cash and William North - who informed me that when Harley left the building, she took with her one of the doctors for the purpose of "fixing up the Joker."  I guess I gave him a worse beating than I thought back at the Asylum; and I'm sure his recovery process was not aided by the megadose of Titan he injected himself with before our final showdown.  I can't imagine the effects of coming down from that trip - the mind-altering effects that nearly took hold between when I was shot with a Titan dart and when I injected myself with the antidote were not insignificant.  But if Joker was the one who fired the shot from the church belltower, I might have a chance to ask him about the experience myself.

As I found out after climbing to the top of the church, it turns out that Joker wasn't indeed up there: the gun was fired by a remote control radio device... and was wired to a series of hugely exaggerated explosive devices.  I just barely had enough time to scan the radio receiver with my Detective Mode Evidence Scanner and dive out the stained glass window before the whole thing went up in flames.  But I got enough information to put a trace on the radio signal Joker was sending.  But since it appeared to be coming from the other side of the city, I decided I needed a more effective means of getting around...

I connected to the Batcomputer to embark on a little training session to ready myself for an upgrade for the grapnel gun that Lucius Fox still had in the prototype stages.  The increased power would enable me not just to grapple up to a point, but to launch myself into the air above said point, leading to further gliding and grappling potential.  But before I deemed myself ready for such an upgrade, I decided to put myself through a series of Augmented Reality (AR) missions that tested my ability to glide through various targets and make use of my newly-learned divebombing skill.  It was not easy, but I didn't get to where I am today through lack of discipline, and I eventually rewarded myself with the more powerful gadget - much to Alfred's chagrin.  Apparently he disapproves of me using a device that Lucius was still testing, but in an environment five times as large as the Asylum, I knew I would need a little extra edge to traverse ground more quickly.

With the Grapple Boost in hand, I was ready to head towards Joker's radio signal... until I was distracted by a ringing payphone, which I couldn't help but pick up.  On the other end was the chilling voice of Victor Zsasz, who informed me that he would murder a hostage if I failed to answer another ringing phone somewhere within the city in a certain amount of time.  The computer was able to track down the source, but it took time, and I had to make use of all my grappling, gliding, and running skills to get there in time.  I kept Zsasz on the phone as long as I could, but it wasn't enough to triangulate the position of where he was calling from.  As the FOURTH thing for me to file away, I don't doubt he'll call back at some point.

Part 4: The Joker's Steel Mill

Arkham City Post #2: Rescuing Catwoman

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Part 1: Opening Sequence

Two times in one night already I'd been knocked unconscious for an extended period of time, and I hadn't even put on my Batsuit yet.  This could not be good for my brain cells, I thought, but probably nothing worse than an average encounter with Scarecrow Gas.  Except after Scarecrow Gas, I don't usually get woken up staring straight at the short and stocky form of The Penguin.  The failed society figure spouted some nonsense about my family having destroyed his family, and how he aimed to take revenge on my face with a pair of brass knuckles.

While I was racking my brain to try to remember any social strain between the Waynes and the Cobblepots, I felt the first blow land across my jaw.  As he reared back for another punch, I determined that it wasn't particularly important for me to remember our personal family histories at this juncture.  I grabbed his fist inches before it connected, bent his hand back and distinctly counted as I broke every one of his fingers.  It's a good thing TYGER security doesn't handcuff their prisoners behind the back, like how real-life police do it, because then things might have gotten tricky.  But as it happened, I was able to break free of the shackles with an extra-human display of strength and easily take down the group of about five henchmen Penguin had surrounding him.

It was tougher to pull off my awesome combat techniques while wearing a monkey suit than it normally is in the Batsuit.  The arch support is definitely not as good in my wingtips, but they're still able to deliver a walloping impact.  Also, headbutts are noticeably more painful without the reinforced molded plastic of my cowl, but the temporary sting is worth it to see the big scary henchmen fall to the ground with blood in their eyes.  Once I was done with the group, I went over to Penguin, who was nursing his shattered hand over in a corner by a fence, and delivered him a Mortal Kombat style uppercut that sent him flying higher in the air than even Sub-Zero could send Scorpion on his best day.

After that it was just a matter of getting to higher ground so I could use my wrist-communicator to contact Alfred.  He immediately had my Batsuit dropped in via the Batwing.  It's good to have Alfred back.  Don't get me wrong, Oracle was great throughout Arkham Asylum, but there's something about Alfred being a butler that makes it easier for me to order him around - as opposed to, you know, a handicapped former sidekick.  Although, I think I've provided Joker more than adequate payback for shooting Batgirl in the spine, at least in terms of gross hospital visits, and she's such a trooper to still want to contribute any way she can.

Once I got my suit on - the process actually took me about 30 minutes overall, what with all the complicated machinery involved, but thanks to modern montage technology, I accomplished the task in about four quick shots - I inserted the security card I stole from the guard into my Cryptographic Sequencer and tuned it into the TYGER security feed.  What a difference a year makes for technology, huh?  The good ol' C-S is no longer limited to overloading security panels on doors - and in addition to the TYGER feed, I could also scan broadcasts from Gotham FM and the Gotham Police Department.  And people wonder why I'm not excited about the iPhone 5...

I heard a broadcast from the security feed that my old pal Catwoman was being held captive by Two-Face in the old courthouse, and that the binary-obsessed villain was planning on killing her, and that Strange intended to have his forces do nothing about the situation.  Some quick action was in order, so I set the courthouse - which happened to be right in front of me - as my waypoint and glided straight there.    Inside, Two-Face had Catwoman suspended upside down over a vat of acid and was a coin flip away from sending her plunging to her doom.  But luckily the good head prevailed and the former District Attorney set about the process of giving the feline anti-hero a "fair" trial.  While he talked, I snuck up to a vantage point above the crowd of 40-something henchmen who were listening and dropped directly into the fray.

Many of the henchmen split immediately upon seeing my grim visage, but the ones who didn't were tough.  Luckily I was not completely out of combat practice, as I had been at the commencement of my Arkham Asylum adventures; in fact, I had worked hard to improve my skills.  Right from the start, I could take an opponent out from a standing position, provided I had enough momentum in my attacks.  I had also developed two additional techniques, both utilizing the cape: one in which I could grapple someone and quickly deliver a flurry of blows, and another wherein I could vault off a stunned opponent and deliver a fearsome strike from the air.  I also had taught myself to split my focus among multiple opponents, allowing me to counter two strikes at once in one fluid motion.  You don't think I would go so close to Arkham City without preparing myself, even in the supposedly safe guise of Bruce Wayne?

All during this combat session, Two-Face was taking pot shots at me with his pistol from behind a reinforced glass cage.  I must have performed too elaborate of a flourish on the last opponent, because right after I had cleared the room, Dent lined up a direct hit, right to the bat-logo on my chest.  It's a good thing the Batsuit is made of reinforced kevlar, but the impact knocked the wind out of me and surely cracked a couple of ribs.  While I was catching my breath, I head Catwoman escape her bonds of her own accord, right before an unfavorable coin flip from Two-Face would have spelled the end of her.  She slashed him with her claws and was about to finish the job when Two-Face pulled his second hidden gun (she should have known he wouldn't ever carry just one of anything).  Luckily I had regained enough wherewithal to grapple his ass and suspend him dangling over the ominous vat of acid.

After a touching reunion, I asked Selina if she had any information about Protocol 10.  It sure seemed like she didn't know anything - she fed me some line about how it could be Strange's big plan for dealing with me, but we didn't have any time to go into the details, as I noticed a green laser sight - in the pattern of a twisted smiley face - slowly climbing up the side of Catwoman's face.  She's lucky I'm so observant, as I whisked her out of the way just in time to avoid having to clean up cat brains from off the floor.  On the other hand, I was lucky enough to have waited until the shot was fired to make the save, as the bullet-hole through the window coupled with the point of impact on the ground allowed me to trace the trajectory of the shot, and thus find out where the shooter was situated - the bell-tower of an old church being used as a medical center.  Unfortunately, while I was analyzing the evidence, Catwoman slipped away using her whip.  But I doubt this would be the last time we would meet within the confines of the prison city...

Part 3: The Church

Arkham City Post #1: Opening Sequence

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Intro

A year has passed, apparently, since that seemingly endless night where I found myself trapped within the confines of Arkham Asylum by my arch-nemesis The Joker.  I had to battle through a significant portion of my rogue's gallery - Bane, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy - and overcome some overwhelming challenges before I defeated the Clown Prince of Crime himself in a daring, Titan-enhanced showdown high on the rooftops of the Arkham Penitentiary.  But in the end, justice prevailed and the Titan program, which claimed the lives of co-conspirator Dr. Young and so many other innocent victims, was shut down.

However, as is often the case with the plots of supervillains, the completion of one obstacle only leads to the emergence of a much nastier one.  Such was the case with Arkham City, the heinous and despicable slum/prison devised by Gotham City Mayor (and former Warden of Arkham Asylum [and current host body for the spirit of Amadeus Arkham, apparently... at least according to those mystical/magical Chronicles of Arkham that appeared throughout the last adventure]) Quincy Sharp.  It seems we are no longer interested in attempting to rehabilitate criminals and reintroduce them to society - we simply quarantine them in a portion of the city that we give up for lost and try as hard as we can to prevent their escape.

 Well, I had just about had enough of this scheme, so I dressed up as my alter ego, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, and marched down to a press conference to mobilize some political support for the burgeoning "Shut Down Arkham City" movement.  Everything was going well, Wayne's speech was inspirational and moving, Vicki Vale was lookin' fine, and the crowd was just getting into it... and that's when the SWAT team arrived.  I was immediately surrounded by troops that I recognized as belonging to TYGER, Dr. Hugo Strange's company that recently took over security for Arkham City.  I couldn't very well make a display of my mad skillz right there in front of all that press, so I had no choice but to go quietly.  Which is easy to do once you let yourself get cold-cocked with the butt of an assault rifle...

When I regained consciousness, I was tied to a chair with Strange's sickening chin-bearded mug pressed right up against mine.  The stench of his breath made it hard for me to concentrate on much that he was saying, but I did catch a mention of something called "Protocol 10" ... OH and also he let drop that he knows Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person.  (Maybe you remember an episode of the Animated Series where Alfred, Robin, and I dealt with a similar problem?  Yeah, adopted from the same case files.  This is how it "really" happened.)  He cautioned me not to try to escape, otherwise he'd tell the whole world my secret.

I thought about it for a minute, blinded by an interrogation-style hot light, staring at my chair-bound form in the mirror ahead of me, listening to Strange's haunting introduction video.  It sure would be a hassle if everybody in Gotham knew the identity of Batman.  The government would probably freeze all my assets, raid Wayne Manor and demolish the Batcave.  I have enough cash stashed in my Bat-mattress for Alfred, Lucius, and I to set up shop on some deserted island and operate under the radar for quite some time, but I couldn't afford to be off the streets long enough to set that up.  On the other hand, I would be able to do far less good if I remained trapped in here as Bruce Wayne, allowing Protocol 10, whatever it might be, to go into effect.  I resolved to escape, and pulled it off by rocking myself out of the chair and headbutting the guard who responded.  Before I was overtaken by a slew of Strange's armed minions, I was able to snatch the security encryption card from the original guard's radio, which I was sure I'd be able to make use of later.

I was tossed into a courtyard and forced at gunpoint to fall in line with a bunch of foul-mouthed, foul-smelling, orange-jumpsuited inmates.  They took one look at my designer suit and bruised face, and thought they could have their way with me once the gates opened.  If only they knew... Actually, some of them did get an opportunity to know very soon after that.  After a few moments in a holding cell with Jack Ryder (yes, the famous news reporter was imprisoned by Strange as well, for what reason I could only guess), the gates opened and a flurry of enemies jumped the fences and attacked immediately.  No point in holding back in displaying my skillz now, as survival mode fully kicked in.  Plus, I thought, showing off a little might convince that damn fool Ryder to stick close to me, however useless he had already proved in a fight.  It's always good to have allies on the inside...

Even with my hands and feet shackled together, I was able to make use of my impressive physical prowess to counter the incoming attacks and put down the first wave.  My undoing was trying to help Jack Ryder to his feet and support him to the end of the gauntlet, which distracted me enough for one of Penguin's goons to sneak up behind me and crack me in the head with a lead pipe.  He dragged me before the short, bird-like villain himself - cigar in hand and broken beer bottle in place of a monocle - who promptly booted me in the face, after which all went black.

Part 2: Rescuing Catwoman

Arkham City: Intro

I know the World Series of Baseball starts today, but seeing as no teams from Gotham City are participating, I find it hard to focus on the sport.  Especially since there are such exciting events going on in the world of my alter ego, The Batman.  Yes, it's true, the bat is out of the bag: the blogger you all knew as Pankin is, in fact, the true caped crusader, protecting the innocent citizens from nefarious villains that threaten the very fabric of our society.  I couldn't hold in the truth any longer ever since the release of a highly anticipated video game chronicling my latest adventures through that maze of sin and death known as Arkham City.

The folks at Rocksteady Games did such a great job of portraying me and my adventures through Arkham Asylum two years ago that I graciously extended them the license for using my likeness and personal history a second time.  They took a little liberty with the character design (notice the discrepancy between the REAL Batman (me, right) and a ludicrously exaggerated statue of the version of "Batman" used in the game (left)).  But the replication of my patented fighting style, the use of the gadgets included in my utility belt, and the choice of actor to impersonate my voice (Kevin Conroy from the Animated Series) are all second to none.

What follows is a series of excerpts from my personal case files that were compiled during the actual adventures upon which Batman: Arkham City is based.  As you may know, I'm not in the habit of publishing my own personal notes, preferring to filter them through various channels such as comic books, television shows, and feature films.  But based on the hype surrounding the release of this game, I figure I'd make an exception.

Please enjoy the outpourings of my expert detective's intellect as I take you through a harrowing journey into the heart of.... ARKHAM CITY!

Fair warning: SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!

Part 1: Opening Sequence

Projections vs. Reality: St. Louis Cardinals

Just under the wire with a post about the Cardinals again, as they could be one win away tonight from knocking the Brewers out of the postseason and reaching the World Series for the first time since 2006.  I personally hope the Brewers win two at home to advance, partly because I like the Brewers, but partly because it would be too much of an underdog story to have a team projected to finish 4th in the division play in the Fall Classic.  However, the first comment the scout makes in "Enemy Lines" is that you can never count this team out because of their pitching staff and Manager Tony LaRussa's impeccable ability to strategically run his bullpen in the ground.

The next comment is that "there's nothing not to like about Chris Carpenter."  Well obviously this scout never consulted the Brewers - who have their own set of issues with the hurler - or examined Carp's injury history, which caused him to miss two of the past five seasons.  Keep in mind, their plan was to have Carpenter as the #2 starter behind Adam Wainwright, before the latter went down for the year with Tommy John surgery.  The scout praises replacement Kyle McClellan's curveball, which nevertheless wasn't enough to keep him in the rotation for the full year.  He also claimed

The scout also comments on Albert Pujols' apparent lack of focus throughout the spring.  Perhaps the looming promise of free agency and the potential of a $30m a year contract distracted him a bit.  This distraction apparently continued to the regular season, as 2011 was the first time in his 11 year career that Pujols failed to hit .300 or reach 100 RBI (he missed both  by 1).  Another thing the scout got right was that the Cardinals would not be happy with Ryan Theriot's defense - he cost his team between 8 and 12 runs with his glove at SS... but was anywhere from 3 to 6 runs above average at 2B (where he moved after the acquisition of Rafael Furcal).

One mis-judgment by the scout was that "Colby Rasmus is way too good a player to trade" - tell that to the Toronto Blue Jays, who acquired the potential star centerfielder in a blockbuster trade.  I don't think the scout writes the "Modest Proposal" section, but that includes another mis-judgment: play Allen Craig in RF over newcoming veteran Lance Berkman.  Tell that to his 31 HR, .959 OPS, and 5.2 WAR.  (That WAR includes 5.9 offensively and -0.7 on defense, as he's definitely better suited as a 1B/DH type.)  Craig played well in 75 games (2.1 WAR), and was better in the field (1 to 8 runs saved), but even when they needed another outfielder, the Redbirds went with Jon Jay (1.3 WAR) more often than not, so they must think less highly of Craig than the editors of SI.

"The Number" is 10 blown saves by the 2010 Cardinals' bullpen, "the fewest in the NL since 2004."  All that changed in 2011, where the team blew 26 late-inning leads.  Ryan Franklin (he of the 93.1% success rate last year) blew 4 of his 5 chances, and was promptly replaced by youngster Fernando Salas (and later in the playoffs by Jason Motte, who doesn't even figure as the ONE non-closer reliever in the SI preview.  That spot goes to Mitchell Boggs, who was good, but didn't figure nearly as much into the team's bullpen.  This is one grievance I have with the SI Baseball preview: the bullpen is such a big part of a team's strategy and success, and they leave room for a closer and ONE other reliever?  When the football preview leaves room for the entire defense and offensive line?  Where's the respect to America's true pastime.  OK rant over.  Enjoy the NLCS tonight...).

Projections vs. Reality: Milwaukee Brewers

Let me just say right off, that as soon as it became apparent that the Brewers would make the playoffs, they were my pick to win the World Series (against the Rays, but let's not get into that...).  I wasn't sure how they would get past the Phillies, but thankfully they didn't have to.  But after falling behind 2 games to 1 against the Cardinals, they still have their work cut out for them.  Their run is even more impressive seeing as they were projected to finish 2nd in the division behind the Cincinnati Reds.

Not to rag on the scout in the "Enemy Lines" section, but he got two things noticeably wrong.  The first involves the pitching staff: "With Zack Greinke out ... they're scrambling."  Well, as it happened, Greinke compiled just the fourth-highest pitching WAR (Wins Above Replacement) among Brewers starters.  And even though he missed five starts due to an injury, his pitching WAR per start is still fourth on the team.  Here's how the numbers shake out with Milwaukee's entire starting staff (the same as projected by SI, by the way):

The second thing the scout got wrong had to do with starting third baseman Casey McGehee, who the projected lineup has him batting fifth, behind the inspiration for Beast Mode: "He can protect Fielder."  McGehee could have done so with numbers resembling last year's 23 HR, 104 RBI, and 3.0 WAR.  However McGehee played so poorly in 2011 that he actually recorded one win below replacement (-1.0 WAR), the lowest of any Brewers player.  Kudos to manager Ron Roenicke for trusting the numbers and going with Jerry Hairston at 3B for the playoffs.  Below is a graphic illustrating the drastic decline in production:

Speaking of trusting the numbers, the "Modest Proposal" section refers to a sabermetric theory that a team's worst batter (i.e. the pitcher, for National League clubs) should bat 8th in the order instead of 9th.  That way you have the top of the order coming up with men on base more often, or something like that.  Be that as it may, Roenicke trotted out a batting order with the pitcher batting 9th for all 162 of the Brewers' games this year.  "The Number" emphasizes the lack of baserunning speed by powerhouse first baseman Prince Fielder, claiming that he only went from 1st to 3rd on a single ONCE last year.  The baseball-reference stats pages lump 1st-to-3rd and 1st-to-home scenarios together - they have Fielder with a "3" in that column.  That number increased to "8" in 2011, so maybe he increased his running drills in the off-season or learned to pick up the ball flight better.  Either way, he definitely still knows how to hit:

Pretty much the only discrepancy between the projected lineup and reality is that newcomer Nyjer Morgan started the majority of games in CF rather than Carlos Gomez, who served more of a defensive replacement role.  Also the batting order was rejiggered a little towards the end of the season putting Corey Hart into the leadoff role rather than Rickie Weeks.  And solid backup Mark Kotsay (whose swing I really like) is missing.  But other than those small differences, this team played as planned, and won.

Projections vs. Reality: Texas Rangers

Last year's AL champions, the Rangers were picked to finish second behind (*chuckle*) the fearsome Oakland A's.  (Let me just get in a quick aside here: it's strange being a fan of a team that consistently underperforms expectations.  I want the A's to do well each season and as a fan, I naturally set irrational expectations for them.  And when I see them projected to finish first, I always share in the optimism throughout the baseball community.  But then I take a look at the projected lineup, and it seems like the baseball community is showing my same irrationality.  Which is fine, but I can't help wondering when everyone else will wise up and see the numbers...)

In the "Enemy Lines" section of the SI Preview, the "rival scout" makes 7 points about these Rangers.  Three of them consist of gushing about Josh Hamilton's Mickey Mantle-esque strength, Adrian Beltre's unrivaled athleticism at the hot corner, and Mitch Moreland's strong spring performance.  Well, the former two players put up strong seasons despite both missing time due to injury, and the latter player quite frankly didn't hit like a starting first baseman on a playoff club.  However, this club didn't have anything close to a traditional setup at first base.  New acquisition Mike Napoli, a catcher by trade, spent most of last year playing first for the Angels due to an injury to Kendrys Morales, and SS-turned-2B-turned-3B-turned-DH Michael Young can play any infield position, which includes 1B.  Both filled in for Moreland a bit in 2011, mostly against lefties.

The scout also pegged C.J. Wilson as a back of the rotation starter, completely misinterpreting his successful transition from reliever to starter last year.  Maybe pitching behind Cliff Lee last post-season taught a lot about leading a team from the left side of the rubber.  His similar prognosis for Colby Lewis, however, was rather accurate.  Neftali Feliz didn't become a starter this year, so he didn't have to worry about developing another out pitch beyond his fastball.  The Rangers couldn't play Julio Borbon over David Murphy due to the former's general ineffectiveness, so they lost a little there defensively.  But the scout nailed it when he predicted they'd package Chris Davis for a pitcher (although it wasn't a starting pitcher, as predicted).

The "Modest Proposal" is strikingly similar to Detroit's: they should use their heavy-hitting new acquisition as catcher instead of general utility role.  Napoli did get enough at-bats to be considered a starter, although he split his time between catcher, first base, and DH.  "The Number" refers to how Rangers pitchers last year recorded just .190 strikeouts per batter faced.  They didn't improve too much - just to .196 - but apparently it was enough to improve their staff ERA from 3.93 to 3.79.

Projections vs. Reality: Detroit Tigers

Actually getting the chance to sit and watch a postseason game all the way through (thanks, weekend!), which gives me the opportunity to begin some real hard analysis.  (The slow, methodical pace of baseball games makes them more fun to watch while multitasking, and I can't think of any better additional task than writing about baseball.)  I wanted to do a feature involving the Sports Illustrated Baseball Preview issue, and what better way to do that than by looking in hindsight what it says about some of the teams in the playoffs.

We'll start with the visiting team in tonight's contest, the Detroit Tigers.  This team was projected to finish second in the AL Central to last year's division winners, the Minnesota Twins.  Along with these projections, each article includes a scout's take on some key players, a "modest proposal" for how the team could be managed differently, and a statistic that supposedly tells something about how the team will perform.  I'll go through those three elements and see how they measure up to reality.

According to said scout, the Tigers' success hinges on Miguel Cabrera, who is allegedly "right there with Albert Pujols" offensively - which the numbers support.  Justin Verlander is obviously the recognized leader of the staff.  The scout claims that Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello are overrated (not entirely untrue), but seemed very bullish on Brad Penny and Phil Coke - one of whom struggled to the tune of a 5.30 ERA and the other was sent back to the bullpen from whence he came.

The apparent key to the bullpen - even more than nerve-racking closer Jose Valverde - is Joaquin Benoit, recipient of the Setup Man of the Year award in 2010.  He certainly continued on that same path this year, with his average fastball velocity holding steady from last year at right around 94 mph.  The Tigers hope Benoit will continue to anchor that bullpen through the duration of his three year contract.  The scout also pegged Austin Jackson to "take the next step this year," yet he saw his OBP decline by nearly 30 points, despite an increase in walks.

The "Modest Proposal"is to give Victor Martinez more playing time at catcher than at DH to maximize his value.  That's only if you agree that inserting Alex Avila as the number one catcher "is a bit forced" - an opinion not shared by All-Star voters this year who justifiably handed him the starting job for the AL. Martinez also figures into "The Number": 76.13 at bats per home run by Detroit's 2010 DHs.  Even though Martinez only hit 12 bombs this year (to go with his 103 RBI), they still improved that number to 42.50 in 2011.

Two major midseason acquisitions that the SI folks could never have anticipated bolstered the playoff version this team: new #2 pitcher Doug Fister (brought over from the Mariners) and left fielder Delmon Young (from the Twins).  However, aside from those two players, the projected lineup pretty much accurately represents the actual real-life lineup.  Rest assured, that's not always the case, and I will not hesitate to elucidate every little discrepancy that exists when applicable.

Sho-menuchi Swing-i-yo: Baseball and Aikido

The MLB Playoffs are finally here!  (And have been since last week, but whatever I've been busy.)  After a grueling six months of regular season play, we've narrowed it down to seven of the best of the best teams.  I haven't been covering the playoffs because it's taking all my energy just to stay up to date with the proceedings myself, while simultaneously trying to manage my "real life" activities.  But there are plenty of reputable press outlets devoting more resources to the story than I could ever hope to achieve on my own.

As it happens, one of my "real life" activities is playing softball, which is very similar to baseball in most respects.  So seeing as how this is a great opportunity to combine the two subjects in the title of this blog (Baseball and Life for those with short-term memories), I'd like to share some thoughts I had while reflecting on my time taking BP at the batting cages last night.  They involve my swing and how I can potentially improve it using the precepts of another one of my real life activities: Aikido.  These two activities dovetail nicely - both involve physicality, can be meditative in nature, and contribute to overall self-betterment.

Here are four ways in which my brief studies in Aikido have informed the work in progress that is my baseball swing.  And although I won't get a chance to try out these findings any time soon, since tonight's game has been postponed due to torrential rain in Los Angeles, I will be sure to keep my loyal readers up to date as far as my softball performance in future games.


- Stance

The Aikido stance (Hanmi posture) has you stand with feet shoulder width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other, with your weight spread evenly between your two feet.  (Further, the weight on each foot should be evenly distributed between all four corners of the foot: each side of the ball and each side of the heel.)  I know some batters like to start with their weight all the way back in preparation for a tremendous leg kick, but I personally feel more comfortable when I'm fully balanced.  And since pitch reaction time isn't so important in slow-pitch softball (where I more often find myself having to slow down my approach due to the large amount of time it takes the ball to reach the plate), having my weight evenly distributed allows me to really settle in comfortably and wait till the perfect moment to start my swing.

- Bat Position

When performing technique in Aikido, there should always be a straight line between your center of gravity and your hands (see the picture at right).  Even before actively trying to apply Aikido to baseball, I would hold the bat with my arms oriented such (rather than tucking the elbows in or holding the wrists up by my ears), as I felt it put my arms in the best position to generate power.

- Menuchi

But since it doesn't make sense to hold a bat as low as the O-Sensei holds his sword (pictured above), we have to combine the basic principle of establishing a line emanating from the center of gravity with another basic technique.  Menuchi is the main technique in Aikido for protecting the head against a straight or downward strike.  It involves raising the hands quickly but smoothly while shifting weight forward slightly.  It can also be performed with a sword, most notably a wooden practice sword, which is similar to a bat in most respects.  While the weight distribution and orientation of how the body is facing differs from how it's used in Aikido, using the Menuchi motion in the batter's box helps by reminding me of how the arms should be positioned and by putting the hands and arms in a more action-oriented position.

- Stride

When warming up in Aikido, one of the exercises we frequently do is to take "laps" back and forth across the dojo floor.  We take these laps step by step in a very specific manner: move the front foot forward while remaining planted on the back foot, then as soon as you plant the front foot, move the back foot forward proportionally, and reestablish balance.  You are supposed to emulate the feeling of gliding across the floor rather than pushing off from the back foot.  The strategy of making an Aikido-style stride - rather than doing a big leg kick or double-tap with my front foot and planting it firmly down during the swing - allows me to actually move forward, through the ball, as I swing, generating more power and producing a more even, smooth swing in general.

...at least theoretically.  As I mentioned, I thought up with this stuff hours after taking about 15 minutes' worth of swings at the batting cages (in the same way as an actor always thinks up the perfect line reading on the way out of the audition or a comic thinks up the perfect joke after losing the improv cage match), so I wasn't able to put this theory into practice.  But the form is sound and time-tested by generations of Aikido practitioners in Japan, and the Japenese love Baseball!

Developed Teams 2011: St. Louis Cardinals

As of this writing, the Cardinals are the only team in contention that I have not yet profiled for this project.  And they're surging fast, as Wild Card teams in both leagues have faltered to the point of coming within a hair's breadth of giving up their leads.  And with only two days left in the season, I just slipped under the wire with this, the profile of the St. Louis Cardinals' developed roster:

Talk about a well-rounded squad: except for the back end of the rotation, this team has everything.  The lineup has a nice mix of power, average, speed and defense.  The rotation has a good mix of established stars, up-and-comers, and washed-out no-names.  And a couple of star setup men back up two guys who are currently closing in the majors (but only one of which was projected to do so).  Their one weakness is starting pitching depth, as they weren't able to furnish even one contestant for long relief, but the prognosis gets slightly better when we recall that Kyle McClellan did some starting this year (however ineffectively) to fill in for the injured Adam Wainwright.

As this is likely the last of these I will complete before the end of the regular season, let's harken back to my old practices and start with the players still on the club.  Starting with perennial All-Star Albert Pujols, even though there's not much I can say about his greatness that hasn't already been said... including the possibility of him leaving the team next year via Free Agency.  (To me, it doesn't seem likely, but I've been wrong before.)  Then there's also perennial All-Star Yadier Molina, the center of this team where heart and grit are concerned.  Skip Schumaker made the transition from OF to 2B three years ago, but his offensive production hasn't really justified him starting in either position.  And Jon Jay gets the backup outfielder spot, although it could just have easily gone to Allen Craig (they were ranked precisely two spots away from each other according to MLB's pre-season projections).  Incidentally, both have had very good years, although Jay has seen more at-bats.

On the mound, the only starter to remain with the team is Jaime Garcia (who, incidentally, shares a birth day and date with your humble narrator, the only current major leaguer to do so... probably shouldn't have said that, for identity-theft protection reasons... but it's a nice piece of trivia).  Out of the bullpen, we've got McClellan, who's making his bid to contribute as a swingman; righty-righty combo Boggs and Motte; and the kid who unexpectedly got a chance to close for the Redbirds, Fernando Salas.  (On a side-note, what is it about pitchers of Mexican descent who became surprise closers this year?  Not only has Salas been extremely effective, with a WHIP under 1 and a strikeout per inning, but Javy Guerra (although he was born in Texas) has put up an ERA under 2 while amassing 20 saves for the Dodgers.  Something to think about...)

Where's the beard!?

As far as players who have struck out on their own, we've got the ever-solid Dan Haren... about whom everyone scoffed when Billy Beane acquired him for Mark Mulder back in 2004, but just you go ahead and compare the careers of those two pitchers after the trade.  J.D. Drew has struggled recently, his fall to mediocrity occurring as fast as his rise to stardom was supposed to be meteoric.  Placido Polanco started the All-Star game at 3B this year (due in large part to a non-competitive field of players at the hot corner), but he remains one of the game's premier contact hitters.  Speaking of premier players, Coco Crisp is right up there in the stolen base category: he trails only Brett Gardner in the AL and Michael Bourn in the NL.  He's also not bad with the glove.  But the most heralded defender on the team has to be Brendan Ryan, who's currently at SS for the Mariners.

Also on the Mariners are my backup infielder (Adam Kennedy) and his runner-up (Jack Wilson).  Wilson is renowned for his glove, but I felt that Kennedy has more versatility and could contribute more coming off the bench.  Also with him on the bench is pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel.  Nope, he hasn't gone back to pitching.  Nope, he also doesn't routinely post OBP's well above .300.  Brett Wallace was supposed to hit big starting at 1B for the Astros, but his individual performance has been roughly as disappointing as his team's as a whole.  We know Luke Gregerson has talent setting up for Heath Bell, but we'll see if the righty gets a chance to close if/when the big guy hits Free Agency this winter.

A couple of players started the year with the Cardinals, but found themselves on the way to Toronto at the trade deadline.  These are CF Colby Rasmus (whose relationship with manager Tony LaRussa supposedly played him off the team) and pitcher P.J. Walters (who has struggled in the minors as a starter for both clubs).  Speaking of struggling in the minors as a starter, that statement also accurately describes Clayton Mortensen, who rounds out a cringe-worthy bottom 40% of the rotation.  As for #3 starter Chris Narveson, what he lacks in name recognition, he makes up with almost exactly league-average statistical output.

Well, there you have it!  I have written a developed team profile for every team now currently in the hunt for the playoffs, and then some.  I don't know what exactly these findings tell us about these teams' chances of making the playoffs or how they'll fare therein, but I do hope they are as fun to read as they were to write.  Next up:  profiles of the developed rosters of the WORST teams around the league.