SBL Notebook, Week 15

As we write every year at this time, the less said about our itty-bitty All-Star week, the better. We’d be remiss if we didn’t congratulate Dan’s Cherry Valley Bombers, who awoke from their season-long nightmare to go 6-0, despite some truly unsightly pitching numbers (7.40 ERA, 2.06 BR). It didn’t pull them out of the National division cellar, but still, there’s finally something to celebrate up around the county line – apple cider all around! Other than that . . . DamianUnited expanded their NL lead from two games to five, primarily because their two closest pursuers, Vic’s Godfathers and the Patton Inmates, went a combined 1-11. The ’Mates’ 0-6 accident continued a perplexing downward spiral, from a high-water mark of 27-5 through Week 5 to 48-45 today, 10 weeks later. . . . Status remained quo (or is that Kuo, the Korean hurler employed by Paulo’s Zero’s?) in the AL, where the top two teams both went 5-1, Mikee’s Moaners maintaining their seven-game edge on the Z’s. . . . There was a wide and tasty selection of close games, typical for this half-week in which the compressed statistical sample seems to drive most everyone toward the middle of the numerical pack. Every AL team was involved in at least one tiebreaker, of which there were five. . . . It’s essentially pointless to note statistical anomalies when the entire week is pretty much one big anomaly, but we couldn’t let this one pass: The Zero’s posted a 2.92 ERA, and a wholly incongruous 1.70 BR stat. The meager 12.1 innings turned in by their injury-riddled staff doubtless had something to do with that. Meanwhile, the Moaners put up totals in HRs (8), SBs (5) and saves (5) that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a full seven-game week.

Week 15 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT....GB
Mike (5-1)........69....24....742....--
Paul (5-1).........62....31....667.....7
Andy (3-3)........51....42....548....18
David (1-5).......44....49....473....25
Dennis (1-5)......36....57....387....33
Brian (4-2)........30....63....323....39
NATIONAL
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT....GB
Damian (4-2).....54....39....581....--
Vic (1-5)..........49....44....527.....5
Gregg (0-6).......48....45....516.....6
Derek (4-2).......46....47....495.....8
JP (2-4)...........37....56....398....17
Dan (6-0).........32....61....344....22