SBL Notebook, Week 20

It's time for us to go back to playing amongst ourselves, and not a moment too soon for the NL, whose long National nightmare mercifully ended this week after yet another thumping at the hands of the American division. The AL won the season's final week of interleague play, 26-10. That gave the Americans an outrageous and unfortunate 109-35 edge for the four-week interleague period, and created a sight rarely if ever seen this far into an SBL season -- an entire division without a single losing record. That includes even the last-place Bristow's Bat-Faced Barristers, whose reign as hottest team in ball extended to a third week. The BFBs began the interleague period with a 41-59 record but ended it at 62-62 after posting their third consecutive 6-0 performance, thanks mainly to yet more massive production from their offense (44 runs, 15 HRs, 7 SBs, .406 OBP) and bullpen (eight saves). Their 21-3 record was the best in this interleague period, though truth be told, the entire AL got fat at the NL's expense, including Mikee's Moaners (20-4) and the BGoff Bammers (19-5). The front-running Paulo's Zero's went "only" 18-6 but lost just one game off their lead in the four weeks, leaving them with a cushy 10-game bulge over the Bammers and Moaners with 38 games to play as we head into the home stretch. Dennis' Prolific Pontiffs suffered a rare off week (1-5) and dropped from second place to fourth, 14 games back. As for the NL, probably the less said, the better. The Nationals had held their own in the first interleague period (Weeks 7-10), which ended in a dead-even split -- 2-2 in weeks, 72-72 in games. But the Americans' huge advantage in the second period left the final interleague tally AL 181, NL 107. At least the Week 20 damage was fairly democratic, with no NL team suffering an 0-6 fate, though none won more than two games. First-place Dan's Cherry Valley Bombers and runners-up JP's Whiteskins each went 2-4, and the CVBs' lead remained at eight games for the fourth consecutive week

Week 20 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Paul (6-0).........82...42....644...--
Brian (6-0)........72...52....581...10
Mike (6-0)........72...52....581...10
Dennis (1-5)......68...56....548...14
Andy (1-5)........67...57....540...15
David (6-0).......62...62....500...20
NATIONAL
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Dan (2-4).........68...56....548...--
JP (2-4)...........60...64....484....8
Vic (1-5)..........55...69....444...13
Gregg (1-5)......50...74....403...18
Damian (2-4).....42...78....371...22
Derek (2-4).......41...83....331...27

Free agent draft No. 10

Pre-draft moves:
David: Nippert up, Lowe down
Dennis: De La Rosa up, RHill down (mandatory)
Dan: Lilly up, Norris down

1. Dennis (from Derek): takes OF Matsui, Upton to DL
2. Damian: takes SP Marquis, drops Sadowski; taxi: Marquis up, Kazmir down
3. Gregg: takes SP Feldman, drops VandenHurk
4. Vic: No response
5. David: takes SP Nippert, drops Webb
6. JP: takes SP Holland, Cueto to DL; taxi: E.Santana up, Latos down
7. Dan: takes OF Fowler, drops C.Young
8. Andy: takes SP Smoltz, drops Strasburg; taxi: Smoltz up, Romero down
9. Mike: takes OF R.Davis, drops Thames.
10. Brian: takes 1B C.Davis, drops Prado
11. Derek (from Dennis): takes C R.Johnson, drops Saltalamaccia
12. Paulo: takes SP Pettitte, Liriano to DL; taxi: Pettitte up, Gaudin down

Pontiffs pull off two trades

During a week in which Dennis' Pontiffs reached its high-water mark in 7 years as a Sun Baseball League franchise, the team made a drastic attempt remain in second place in the American Division by making two trades.

Trade No. 1:

To Derek's Derelicts: C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, RP George Sherrill, two free agent picks (No. 11 on Aug. 23, TBA on Sept 7).

To Dennis' Pontiffs: C A.J. Pierzynski, RP Jason Frasor, one free agent draft pick (No. 1 on Aug. 23).

Trade No. 2:

To David's Bat-Faced Girls: SP Justin Verlander, RP Jorge Sosa.

To Dennis Pontiffs: SP Rich Hill, RP Jose Valverde.

SBL Notebook, Week 19

Being American isn't always such a good thing -- like, say, if you're in Afghanistan, Iran or North Korea. But lately it's been a very good thing if you happen to reside in the Sun Baseball League, where, from a National perspective, the American division has evolved into some kind of Axis of Evil. Following up on its 33-3 bludgeoning of the NL in Week 18, the AL hung a 27-9 kick-me sign on the backs of its rival division in Week 19, the next-to-last week of interleague play. Leading the onslaught again were Bristow's Batfaced Girls, who, despite their last-place standing, have been simply the best team in ball these last two weeks. Another week of scorched-earth offense (44 runs, 41 RBIs, 41 TB, .416 OBP, 7 SBs) combined with another week of unassailable pitching (2.29 ERA, .90 BR, 6-1 WL, 7 saves) to produce another week of one-sided victories for the BFGs, who won three games by 10-1 counts and three others by 9-2, 8.5-2.5 and 8-3. The only downside for Girls is that their 12-0 surge the last two weeks has gotten them virtually nowhere in the standings, where they trail the pace-setting Paulo's Zero's by 20 games, only two games closer than they were after Week 17. That's because they entire AL has been getting rich off the backs of their NL brethren, resulting in precious little pennant-race movement. The NL leaders, Dan's Cherry Valley Bombers, endured a second consecutive 0-6 week, thanks largely to another injury wave that at various times in recent weeks has sidelined every pitcher in their starting rotation (only Chad Billingsley has avoided the DL, though even he missed a start) as well has hitting stalwarts Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Aramis Ramirez and Nate McLouth. Yet the CVBs have lost no ground to runners-up JP's Whiteskins, who also went 0-6 for a second straight week and still trail by eight games. The only significant northward movement in the NL was achieved by Vic's Godfathers, who overcame some shoddy pitching to post a second consecutive 3-3 ledger and have moved solidly into wild-card contention, just four games behind the Whiteskins in a division where, sadly, everyone but the Bombers is now below .500. The Zero's added another game to their AL lead, now nine games over Dennis' Pitching-Rich Pontiffs, with three other teams bunched up behind them like planes on approach at LAX -- the BGoff Bammers, Mikee's Moaners and Andy's Badgers are now tied for third, 10 games behind the Z's, meaning that only one game separates the second through fifth positions in the AL wild-card race. Five AL teams are at least 14 games over .500, and the sixth, the Batfaces, has climbed to within six games of the break-even mark.

Week 19 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Paul (4-2).........76...42....644...--
Dennis (3-3)......67...51....568....9
Brian (5-1)........66...52....559...10
Mike (5-1)........66...52....559...10
Andy (4-2)........66...52....559...10
David (6-0).......56...62....475...20
NATIONAL
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Dan (0-6).........66...52....559...--
JP (0-6)...........58...60....547....8
Vic (3-3)..........54...64....458...12
Gregg (5-1).......49...69....415...17
Damian (0-6).....44...74....373...22
Derek (1-5).......39...79....331...27

SBL Notebook, Week 18

The second week of the August interleague interlude was ugly and American. The AL mashed the NL, 33-3, a result that stirred uncomfortable memories of 2005, the year every National division team finished under .500, in no small measure because of the AL's huge advantage in interleague play. No such hideous disparity exists this year, and the NL at least sports two winning teams . . . but this week was an exception to season-long trends. Only one NL team managed to win any games at all -- Vic's Godfathers, who eked out three 6-5 victories. Everyone else in the division went 0-6, while three AL team enjoyed 6-0 weeks and the other three went 5-1. The best of that lot were the last-place Bristow's Bat-Faced Girls, who rose up to post their best offensive week of this and perhaps any other season (49 runs, 46 RBIs, 17 HR, 42 TB, .381 OBP) and even tossed in some quality pitching (2.81 ERA, 1.15 BR, 7 saves) -- a combination that made them untouchable. The closest game they had was 9-2. . . . The massive tilt in the AL's direction made it a no-harm, no-foul week in the division races, which for obvious reasons remained virtually unchanged. Paulo's Zero's did add a game to their AL lead (now eight games), while Dan's Cherry Valley Bombers remained eight up on JP's Whiteskins. The AL wild-card chase grew even tighter, if that's possible, with only three games separating Dennis' Prodigious Pontiffs in second place from Mikee's Moaners in fifth.

Week 18 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Paul (6-0).........72...40....643...--
Dennis (5-1)......64...48....571....8
Andy (5-1)........62...50....554...10
Brian (6-0)........61...51....545...11
Mike (5-1)........61...51....545...11
David (6-0).......50...62....445...22
NATIONAL
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Dan (0-6).........66...46....623...--
JP (0-6)...........58...54....547....8
Vic (3-3)..........51...61....455...15
Damian (0-6).....44...68....393...22
Gregg (0-6).......44...68....393...22
Derek (0-6).......38...74....339...28

Free agent draft No. 9

Pre-draft moves:
Dan: activates SP Dempster, drops Contreras
JP: activates RP Lindstrom, drops Meyer
David: drops 3B Beltre

1. Derek: takes RP Frasor, drops Morrow
2. Gregg: takes SP VandenHurk, drops Davies
3. David: takes SP Hochevar, drops Harang
4. Damian: takes RP Johnson, drops Hanrahan
5. Vic: takes SP Niemann, drops Maine; taxi order: Niemann, Bush
6. Brian: takes 1B LaRoche, drops Cantu
7. Mike: takes 2B Ellis, drops Kendrick
8. Andy: takes SP Strausburg, drops Buchholz
9. JP: takes SP Latos, Bergesen to DL; taxi: Latos up, Cueto down
10. Dennis: takes RP Sosa, drops Arredondo
11. Paul: takes OF Byrd, drops Pierre
12. Dan: takes SP Norris, drops Smoltz, Lilly to taxi

SBL Notebook, Week 17

We have no idea whether there's a chimney affixed to the Pope residence, but this we can say with complete assurance: Dennis' Anything-But-Puny Pontiffs are smokin' just now. Yes, the Vatican City Madmen are rolling like the Popemobile down one of the Seven Hills of Rome, flattening all in their path with what we're guessing must have been the best single week in the franchise's spotty history. Massive offense combined with Their Holinesses' usual impregnable pitching produced a Holy S--- 6-0 week in which the Flamin' Benedicts won by scores of 11-0, 10-1, 9-2, 8.5-2.5, 8.5-2.5 and 8-3. And no wonder, after the Mashin' Catholics blasted 15 HRs, drove in 52 runs, scored 50 and posted a .405 OBP -- quite possibly the most one-sided show of force by the Papacy since the Inquisition. Helping lead the charge was (of course) a Cardinal -- Matt Holliday, reinserted in the Pontiffs' lineup after his trade to St. Louis and contributor of three HRs, seven RBIs and six runs to the Week 17 cause. Another Cardinal, Adam Wainwright, has been a season-long asset to an exceptional rotation that consistently has been (much like the aforementioned Popemobile) bulletproof, most weeks anyway. AW did his part again, allowing only two runs in 15 IP to help the Papal staff fashion a league-best 1.95 ERA. All this has the Popesters dreaming of a ring, and not the kind one kisses. The 6-0 week took them to 59-47 -- quite possibly a high-water mark for the franchise, at least this late in the season -- and to within seven games of the American division leaders, Paulo's Zero's, who stumbled to a 2-4 week. The Holy See is now alone in second place -- the wild-card playoff spot -- but can't get too comfortable with Andy's Badgers only two games behind after fashioning their own 6-0 ledger. And it's only another game back to Mikee's Moaners, and one more still to the BGoff Bammers -- just four games separating second from fifth place in what is shaping up as a most exciting AL wild-card race. . . . The National division race remained more orderly -- Dan's Cherry Valley Bombers still comfortably in first, JP's Whiteskins entrenched in second (but now eight games back, two more than a week ago), and everyone else at least 10 games under .500. . . . Thanks largely to the Pontiffs and Badgers, who accounted for more than half the wins, the AL won the first of four weeks of interleague play, 23-13. . . . There is a change to report in supplemental draft No. 8, the one conducted last Monday. The Bammers had made a late switch in their selection Monday evening -- too late, in the judgment of the commissioner's office, which ultimately disallowed the pick because the change occurred after the draft had been completed. Thus the Bammers' selection of 1B Ryan Garko (and jettisoning of Jorge Cantu) is negated, and their original pick -- SS Julio Lugo, dropping Jerry Hairston Jr. -- is restored. So, for those playing along at home and wishing to update your rosters: Lugo is now the Bammers' backup shortstop. Cantu remains their backup first baseman. Garko and Hairston are available for selection in the next draft.

Week 17 standings

AMERICAN.
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Paul (2-4).........66...40....623...--
Dennis (6-0)......59...47....557....7
Andy (6-0)........57...49....538....9
Mike (4-2)........56...50....528...10
Brian (2-4)........55...51....519...11
David (3-3).......44...62....415...22
NATIONAL
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Dan (3-3).........66...40....623...--
JP (1-5)...........58...48....547....8
Vic (4-2)..........48...58....453...18
Damian (4-2).....44...62....415...22
Gregg (0-6).......44...62....415...22
Derek (1-5).......38...68....358...28