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.