Friday, July 29, 2011

SBL Notebook, Week 17

It's tempting to declare this a no-harm no-foul week, but the truth of the matter is, there was a LOT of harm inflicted in Week 17 -- almost all of it administered by the National division and absorbed by the American division, whose constituents were left in a mood most foul. The Nationals, who decisively won the first interleague interlude (Weeks 7-10), began the second four-week IL period with their most dominant performance yet, walloping the Americans by a 28-8 count. Leading the NL onslaught were the ever-mercurial Whiteskins, the division cellar dwellers who, oddly enough, posted the only 6-0 record for the week, riding some outsized offense (49 TB, 44 RBI, 7 SBs) and lights-out pitching (2.35 ERA, 1.27 K-ratio). The no-harm no-foul part of the equation applies to the NL race -- because no team in the division went worse than 4-2, there was very little change in the standings, with the Godfathers maintaining their one-game lead over the Inmates, and the Derelicts, DamianUnited and the Cherry Valley Bombers bunched in third through fifth places, separated by only three games. The other division race, however, grew only more one-sided, because the Zero's, Best Team In Ball for nearly a month now, were the lone AL entry to survive the week with their dignity fully intact, losing only to JP in a 5-1 run that inflated their lead to 11 games over the Bammers -- whose 2-4 mark represented the best the rest of the division could muster. Elsewhere it was total mass humiliation -- the other four AL teams getting their collective clocks cleaned to the tune of a combined 1-23. Sheesh. . . . The NL was just too good everywhere you looked, mashing 55 HRs (a robust 9.2 per team) to the AL's puny 35; averaging an impressive 37 RBIs (to the AL's 28) and 33 TBs (to 28) per team; and posting four ERAs of 3.35 or better, no BR stat higher than 1.25 and no K-rate lower than .85. No NL team was less than good, and if they had been playing amongst themselves, it might've been downright cannibalistic. But facing the overmatched AL, it was simply a bloodbath. Better luck next week, Junior Circuit.

Week 17 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION
Team, LW...................W....L....PCT....GB

Zero's (5-1)..................72...34....679....--
Bammers (2-4)..............61...45....575....11
Moaners (1-5)...............59...47....557....13
Badgers (0-6)................50...56....472....22
Barristers (0-6)..............31...75....292....41
Puny Pontiffs (0-6)..........20...86....189....52
NATIONAL DIVISION
Team, LW...................W....L....PCT....GB

Godfathers (4-2)...........64...42....604....--
Inmates (4-2)...............63...43....594.....1
Derelicts (5-1)..............59...47....557.....5
DamianUnited (5-1)........56...50....528.....8
Bombers (4-2)...............56...50....528.....8
Whiteskins (6-0)............45...61....425....19

Thursday, July 28, 2011

PaulO's Note: Week 17

Some notes (somebody must be on vacation) ... Some quirks from the puny pod. All three clubs round off to a 1.17 BR pitching stat. Odds of that must be long. To be exact: For the Jurists, 1.1679; for the Vatican, 1.1707; for the Z's, 1.1748. ... For the second week (not) running, the Holy See stole zero bags. Taking seriously that Seventh Commandment in papal lands. ... Z's offense fell of steeply from recent weeks, but rallied to get to mediocrity in the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday "weekend" of the new and loathed sked. ... The revivied Bristow offense, led by Dustin Ackley (who knew?) is not awful, aside from the two dingers. Valencia has helped at 3B, too. ... Not that the D-Popes have had some bad luck, but they drafted this Presley guy (from Tupelo, Miss?) on Thursday and by the next day he was on the DL. Also, SDrew broke something or other (those Drew boys must not have gotten enough iron in their diets), reducing the club to Alcides Escobar at SS (who hits in the 9 hole for the Royals for a reason), but he is losing time to the backup DPope 3B, MAviles, who is just back from Triple A and sucks pretty hard, too. Also, Kirk Gibson down in AZ apparently thinks a 3B with pop like Ryan Roberts isn't something he really needs, and Roberts played only five games. Mauer went dead again, till Wednesday, when he hit his first homer of the season! And it took the SBL draft's No. 15 pick only till July 27 to get it! ...The Z's were helped by Eric Hosmer (6 runs, 8 BI, 13-for-29 with 1 walk, 4 doubles, 1 big fly and 1 steal) and by Li'l Dustin Pedroia (8 runs, 3 BI, 14-for-27, 2 walks, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 dinger, 2 bags). ... Oh, and the papacy got their first "save" since Week 12 (hmm, Jonathan PAPEL-bon?), which seems like a pretty low save total for a worldwide religious organization. Thanks, Mitchell Boggs, for showing up, three months later.

-----

This from a man recently recouping in the United States after time abroad. The SBL Blog thanks him for making time while he lounges somewhere in the LBC, drinking caffiene-free soda (during the day).

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Bammers Lookin' To Deal

A (really) quick note from the owner of the Bammers:

"I have pitching, looking for bats.
Felix Hernandez, masterson, haren, norris, zimmerman can be had."

---

Looks like the Bams, two weeks removed from their place atop the American Division, are hitting panic button after going 0-7 last week. Crisis-management team assemble!

Monday, July 25, 2011

2011 SBL Rosters (Updated)

BADGERS
C: Posey (27), Y.Molina (274)
1B: Pujols (1), Huff (170)
2B: Phillips (53), Barney (300)
SS: Reyes (40), Brignac (222)
3B: Moustakas (S), Betemit (S)
OF: B.Upton (118), Quentin (144), A.Torres (145), Wells (157), Morrison (209), A.Soriano (S)
SP: Cahill (92), J.Sanchez (105), J.Chacin (183), Shields (248), Bumgarner (taxi 1)
Taxi: B. Anderson (131), Britton (T-24)
RP: Feliz (66), M.Rivera (79), Melancon (S), D.Hernandez (S)
DL: 3B A.Rodriguez (14), OF Craig (S)

PONTIFFS
C: Mauer (15), Martin (171)
1B: Hafner (S), Wallace (S)
2B: Cano (2), Kennedy (S)
SS: S.Drew (106), Al.Escobar (289)
3B: Aviles (S), R.Roberts (T)
OF: Ethier (54), Markakis (133), G.Jones (210), Beltran (223), Morse (S), Presley (S)
SP: Verlander (41), Scherzer (93), Latos (119), E.Jackson (262), Carrasco (S)
Taxi: Danks (146), Porcello (T-23)
RP: R.Soriano (197), Clippard (236), Boggs (S), Lyon (T)
DL: OF G.Sizemore (132)

BARRISTERS
C: V.Martinez (55), Hundley (276)
1B: Loney (172), Helton (S)
2B: B.Roberts (147), Ackley (S)
SS: H.Ramirez (3), Theriot (250)
3B: Wright (16), Valencia (S)
OF: Hart (81), Hunter (120), Swisher (134), Pagan (185), Damon (S), Ludwick (S)
SP: Halladay (29), Cl.Lee (42), Greinke (121), Nolasco (198), Pineiro (T-22)
Taxi: Myers (224), T.Wood (T-3)
RP: B.Wilson (68), Nathan (94), Meek (277), Santos (S)
DL: 3B Blake (S)

GODFATHERS
C: Napoli (238), Lucroy (S)
1B: B.Butler (108), Lind (122)
2B: A.Hill (109), S.Rodriguez (265)
SS: Desmond (148), E.Aybar (212)
3B: Longoria (4), Headley (264)
OF: Hamilton (17), J.Upton (43), Heyward (56), Bourn (160), Francoeur (S), Cuddyer (S)
SP: Lincecum (30), Hanson (69), Cain (82), Beckett (225), Cueto (S)
Taxi: Garza (173), Peavy (T-4)
RP: C.Perez (95), Lidge (186), F.Francisco (199), Farnsworth (S)

DAMIANUNITED
C: Montero (187), Olivo (279)
1B: Dunn (31), D.Ortiz (123)
2B: K.Johnson (70), C.Guillen (S)
SS: Tulowitzki (5), Pennington (266)
3B: M.Reynolds (110), Figgins (213)
OF: Holliday (18), I.Suzuki (97), Prado (253), Boesch (S), D.Brown (S), N.Cruz (T)
SP: Weaver (57), D.Hudson (161), C.Wilson (239), Worley (S), Karstens (S)
Taxi: Dempster (T), Narveson (S)
RP: F.Cordero (96), Bailey (149), Capps (200), Adams (S)
DL: SP J.Johnson (44)

INMATES
C: Buck (175), Saltalamacchia (241)
1B: Konerko (58), G.Sanchez (214)
2B: R.Weeks (45), Utley (162)
SS: A.Gonzalez (111), Furcal (S)
3B: McGehee (98), Wigginton (S)
OF: C.Gonzalez (6), Kemp (19), Choo (32), Bourjos (280), Byrd (293), Patterson (S)
SP: Morrow (150), Stauffer (201), E.Santana (240), Ogando (S), Vogelsong (S)
Taxi: Buchholz (124), Pineda (T-6)
RP: Marmol (71), Street (84), F.Rodriguez (85), Parnell (S)

BAMMERS
C. McCann (59), Torrealba (281)
1B: Votto (7), Freeman (215)
2B: N.Walker (151), Espinosa (242)
SS: A.Ramirez (112), M.Izturis (S)
3B: R.Zimmerman (20), Polanco (255)
OF: McCutchen (46), Stubbs (73), Rasmus (138), Ad.Jones (176), Thames (S), Reddick (S)
SP: F.Hernandez (33), Hamels (72), Haren (86), J.Garcia (163), Masterson (S)
Taxi: J.Zimmerman (189), Norris (S)
RP: Kimbrel (99), Putz (125), Sale (228), Bard (S)

MOANERS
C: K.Suzuki (100), Avila (S)
1B: Teixeira (8), Trumbo (S)
2B: Kinsler (34), Infante (217)
SS: Rollins (47), Scutaro (177)
3B: Youkilis (21), Freese (282)
OF: C.Young (60), V.Guerrero (126), Victorino (152), S.Smith (256),Fuld (S), Brantley (S)
SP: Carpenter (74), Liriano (113), W.Rodriguez (139), Jurrjens (T-17), Humber (S)
Taxi: Zambrano (243), Lohse (S)
RP: Soria (61), Valverde (87), Walden (S), Bastardo (S)
DL: RP Aardsma (216)

DERELICTS
C: Wieters (127), Posada (205)
1B: Ad.Gonzalez (9), Fielder (22)
2B: Kendrick (140), Turner (S)
SS: S.Castro (155), Peralta (231)
3B: M.Young (114), P.Alvarez (T)
OF: Bruce (35), Pence (48), Stanton (62), Ibanez (218), Willingham (270), Snider (S)
SP: Jimenez (49), Price (75), Romero (191), Collmenter (S), Luebke (S)
Taxi: Marcum (153), Tomlin (S)
RP: Storen (101), League (204), Rauch (244), Papelbon (T)
DL: OF Kubel (257), SP Oswalt (88)

BOMBERS
C: Pierzynski (297), C. Santana (T)
1B: M.Cabrera (10), C.Pena (S)
2B: Uggla (23), O.Hudson (232)
SS: Jeter (115), Hardy (S)
3B: Beltre (50), Rolen (192)
OF: Werth (36), Ellsbury (89), B.Abreu (128), A.Gordon (258), Berkman (S), Joyce (S)
SP: Kershaw (37), C.Lewis (141), Hellickson (154), G.Gonzalez (179), Baker (S)
Taxi: McClellan (10), Matsuzaka (15)
RP: Axford (76), Thornton (102), McGee (192), Isringhausen (S)
DL: 1B I.Davis (219)

WHITESKINS
C: Arencibia (233), Ruiz (Tr)
1B: Howard (24), Moreland (220)
2B: Beckham (155), J.Weeks (S)
SS: Andrus (64), Lowrie (S)
3B: Sandoval (116), C.Jones (259)
OF: Crawford (11), Granderson (142), Zobrist (167), Ca.Lee (180), Del.Young (T), Da.Murphy (S)
SP: Sabathia (51), Billingsley (129), Kuroda (181), A.Burnett (T-14), T.Hudson (T)
Taxi: Carmona (285), Colon (S)
RP: Bell (38), Fuentes (246), Salas (S), Guerra (S)
DL: RP Broxton (90)

ZERO'S
C: Iannetta (182), Soto (S)
1B: Morneau (65), Hosmer (S)
2B: Pedroia (26), Uribe (273)
SS: Y.Escobar (78), As.Cabrera (247)
3B: A.Ramirez (78), Encarnacion (221)
OF: Braun (12), J.Bautista (13), Gardner (91), A.Jackson (143), R. Davis (S), C.Ross (S)
SP: Lester (39), Gallardo (52), Kennedy (234), An.Sanchez (T-12), Beachy (S)
Taxi: Bedard (169), Hughes (156)
RP: Nunez (104), Uehara (117), Hanrahan (168), Gregg (195)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

SBL Notebook, Week 16

What just happened? Here we had this nice little race going in the American division, we looked away for just a few seconds, and the Zero's turned around and hijacked the damn thing. The Z's kept on partying like it was 1999 on the offensive side of things, the Bammers were betrayed by their normally resolute pitching, and just like that, we saw a 7-0/0-7 swing that inflated the Zero's lead over the second-place Bammers from one game to eight. The Z's, almost alone among SBL teams, seemingly did not get the memo about this being the Era of the Pitcher, as they continue to mash like McGwire and Sosa and Bonds at their roid-ragin' peak. The Zero's slugged 11 home runs this week, to go with the 13 they launched last week and the 16 they pounded the week before that. They've also averaged 38 RBIs, 37 runs and, for good measure, 8 SBs in that three-week stretch. This isn't supposed to be happening in this diminished day and age, so we can only speculate that perhaps there is no PED testing in the United Arab Emirates, current home base for the Z's. Or maybe the UAE has been sucked into some giant time-warp vortex thing, causing the Z's hitters -- most notably Jose Bautista, Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia -- to believe and behave as though it’s 2001, not 2011. It took the Z's a little while to get going -- they were 7-12 after three weeks, at which point they already trailed the Bammers by 11 games -- but there's been no stopping them since during a 60-21 roll over the last 13 weeks that has carried them to the best record in ball (67-33), by an ever-widening margin. They’re 13-0 the last two weeks and 28-4 over the last five, during which time they’ve turned a nine-game deficit into an eight-game lead over the Bams . . . While the rise of the Zero's from near-worst to first in the AL (and the corresponding slide of the Bammers, who started 18-1) serves as a bracing reminder to avoid putting too much stock in early-season results, it is not the only rags-to-riches tale at work in the SBL this year. The National division has witnessed a similar recovery by the Cherry Valley Bombers, who broke last out of the gate at 3-16 through three weeks, but have steadily risen from the depths of despair to legit contention in the NL race. A league-high 15 HRs and league-low 1.14 ERA did the trick for them this week in a 6-1 performance (only the bad luck of having to face the Zero's prevented them from going 7-0) that lifted them above .500 for the first time all season, and to within eight games of the new NL front-runners, the Godfathers. (Side note: That makes 56 home runs in the last four weeks for the power-mad Bombers.) The G-Daddies also went 6-1 (losing only to the CVBs) and evicted the Inmates from the penthouse, where the Mental Defectives had resided since Week 11. The ’Mates trail by one game, then it’s five more back to the Derelicts and another two to the Bombers, who jumped over DamianUnited into fourth place. . . . And while we're on the subject of the CVBs’ rise to respectability, take a snapshot of this week's standings. The Bombers' ascension to 52-48 means that only three of our 12 teams currently sport losing records, and that's something you rarely see this far into the season, or at any point in any season. Speaks well for competitive balance, particularly in the NL, where any of five teams could win the division crown. Well done, everyone!

Week 16 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Zero's (7-0).................67...33....670....--
Bammers (0-7).............59...41....590.....8
Moaners (5-2)..............58...42....580.....9
Badgers (1-6)..............50...50....500....17
Barristers (2-5)............31...69....310....36
Pontiffs (5-2)..............20...80....200....47
NATIONAL DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Godfathers (6-1)..........60...40....600....--
Inmates (3-4)..............59...41....590.....1
Derelicts (2-5).............54...46....540.....6
Bombers (6-1).............52...48....520.....8
DamianUnited (2-5).......51...49....510.....9
Whiteskins (3-4)..........39...61....390....21

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Free agent draft No. 8

Pre-draft DL moves:
Pontiffs: drop 1B LaPorta
Whitekins: drop RP Sanchez
Badgers: drop RP Chapman
Godfathers: activate RP Lidge, drop RPs Alburquerque and Pestano
Zero's: drop C Barajas

1. Pontiffs take OF A.Presley, Sizemore to DL
2. Barristers take 1B Helton, drop LaRoche
........Taxi: Pineiro up, T.Wood down
3. Whitekins take RP Guerra, Broxton to DL
........Taxi: A.Burnett up, Colon down
4. Bombers take RP Isringhausen, drop S.Burnett
5. DamianUnited take 2B C.Guillen, drops J.Lopez;
........Taxi: Worley up, Dempster down
6. Badgers take 3B Betemit, Rodriguez to DL
7. Derelicts take OF Snider, drop Blackmon;
........Taxi: Collmenter up, Tomlin down
8. Moaners take 1B Trumbo, drop Smoak
9. Godfathers pass
10. Inmates take RP Parnell, drop Madson;
........Taxi: Morrow up, Pineda down
11. Bammers take OF Reddick, drop Me.Cabrera;
........Taxi: Masterson up, J.Zimmerman down
12. Zero's take OF C.Ross, drop J.Drew

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Schedule Change!

From the Office of the Commish:

"As we agreed to do before the season, this coming week is when we switch over to a Thursday-to-Wednesday schedule to bring ourselves into line with MLB, whose season began on a Thursday and will end on a Wednesday. The last 11 weeks of our season will begin Thursday and end the following Wednesday. As abhorrent as this is to all us balding graybeard traditionalists, it was forced on us by MLB’s unconscionable break from tradition in deciding the season would end midweek instead of on a Sunday. . . . Our schedule change also means that the last five supplemental drafts will be conducted on Thursdays, beginning with draft No. 8, on the docket for next Thursday July 21."

SBL Notebook, Week 15

We’ve reached the All-Star break, a nice little three-day cooling-off period offering us the collective opportunity to catch our breath, or simply take one, as the case may be. Not that our pennant races show any signs of cooling, but they can stand to wait a few days too . . . we know they’ll still be there when we get back. What we’ll find when play resumes Thursday is a hot and heavy American division race, featuring the two best teams in ball at the moment, separated by only one game . . . and a National division chase with the second-, third-and fourth-place teams only two, four and seven games out of first, and even the fifth-place entry a manageable 10 games back. AL leaders the Zero’s continued their recent power surge with 13 homers (that makes 29 in the last two weeks), 41 runs and 35 RBIs, and rode that, plus some presentable pitching, to a 5-1 record. They were trumped, however, by the Bammers, who snapped out of their recent funk with a 6-0 week built on the sturdy foundation that has propped up the House of Bam all season—lights-out pitching, to the tune of a 6-0 WL and 1.67 ERA. The remarkable thing here is that those numbers really aren’t all that remarkable for the Bammers this year; they’ve actually had lower ERAs . . . several of them. Honest. So, the Z’s lead was shaved to one game over the BBs, then it’s another six back to the Moaners, and four more after that to the Badgers, who’ve been bitten by the same injury bug that afflicted the Godfathers earlier in the season. No sooner did the Badgers welcome back No. 1 overall draft pick Albert Pujols from his much-shorter-than-expected DL stint, then his second- and fourth-round picks, Alex Rodriguez and Jose Reyes, were shelved by disabling injuries . . . joining his third-rounder, Buster Posey, who’s out for the year. If it wasn’t for bad luck, Andy wouldn’t have any luck at all. . . . The Inmates maintained their grip on first place in the NL despite a second consecutive 2-4 week, as the teams below them continued to jockey for position. The Godfathers also went 2-4 to stay two games back, while the Derelicts rediscovered their prolific hitting to go 5-1 and jump into third place over DamianUnited, who suffered their second 0-6 boo-boo in the last three weeks. Meanwhile, the Cherry Valley Bombers continued their slow, steady recovery from a 1-12 start, going 4-2 (17 HRs and 40 helped a lot) to climb within a game of .500 – and within 10 of first place.

Week 15 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Zero's (5-1)................60...33....645....--
Bammers (6-0)............59...34....634.....1
Moaners (2-4).............53...40....570.....7
Badgers (2-4).............49...44....529....11
Barristers (3-3)...........29...64....312....31
Puny Pontiffs (0-6).......15...78....161....45
NATIONAL DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Inmates (2-4)..............56...37....602....--
Godfathers (2-4)..........54...39....581.....2
Derelicts (5-1).............52...41....569.....4
DamianUnited (0-6).......49...44....529.....7
Bombers (4-2).............46...47....495....10
Whiteskins (5-1)..........36...57....387....20

Monday, July 11, 2011

Sun-sational Six (Week 14)

Now on the downside of the SBL season, it looks like anyone's game unless you're a judge or a pontiff. But clearly the high-and-mighty are the old, old guard, especially as it relates to the SS-list. Here's the Sun-Sational for this week:

1. Zeroes (last week's ranking: 2): We don't like to brag, but early on in this game, the list touted Paulo's squad because of its balance between offense and pitching. While the Zeroes' offense has been Abu Dubai hot of late, the pitching still looks fierce, making the Zeroes the team to beat during the second half. Praise Allah.

2. Bammers (last week's ranking: 4): The list has been pretty tough on the BGoffs' proclivity for Pirates and Nationals, but there's no disputing the dominant pitching he has enjoyed all season. The Bammers may have to change their nickname to reflect the best rotation in ball -- we're thinking the Slingers. No matter what you call 'em, they can hurl.

3. Inmates (last week's ranking: 1): We're thinking the GrandPattons have just hit a little midseason swoon, but for an old guy, there's no doubt this squad has something left in the tank. He'll need it as every team in the Nationals is a threat in the second half, but there's no reason for the Inmates to get nervous -- yet.

4. Godfathers (last week's ranking: 3): The swooning seems to be a little contagious at the top of the National Division, but again, this team looks like it's built for the long haul. No worries, Vic. Pay no attention to those Derelicts or Damians growing closer in your rearview mirror. Keep those eyes on the road, grandpa.

5. Moaners (last week's ranking: 6): We can do all the moaning for Mikee's boys in their uphill battle to catch the Slingers and Zeroes. Certainly, it won't be easy to become a playoff team in this division, but we've seen the magic of the Moaners in the past. Sounds like a bad Cinemax late-nighter for sure. Stay tuned.

6. Derelicts (last week's ranking: 5): Definitely has some momentum going into the second half to become a playoff contender. The Way-Up-There-Northerners have tons of talent at the dish and off the rubber. They have 12 more weeks to put it all together against some very experienced frontrunners.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

SBL Notebook, Week 14

Pardon the overwrought patriotic allusion, but what more appropriate way to mark Independence Day than with revolutionary upheaval . . . and bombs bursting in air . . . in the American division? Loosely translated, the SBL experienced an overthrow at the top of the AL standings, fueled by home run fireworks. It was a very happy ID4, indeed, for the Zero's -- ironically the only SBL team whose owner resides on distant shores outside the borders of this great nation of ours. The Z's rode the homer-happiest offense in a relatively homer-happy week to a 6-0 performance and supplanted longtime residents the Bammers from the AL penthouse. The Bams had been in first place from Day 1 through Week 13, the entire first half of the season, but their lead, 11 games as recently as Week 10, dwindled steadily in June, and they were felled from their pedestal as July dawned, a 2-4 stumble landing them in second place, two games behind the new front-runners. The mighty Zero's' prodigious offense smashed and dashed its way to 16 HRs, 40 RBIs, 33 runs, 31 TB, 8 SBs and a .371 OBP -- across-the-board strength sufficient to overcome some of the week's most incendiary pitching (league-worst 5.32 ERA, 1-4 WL, 1.29 BR) without breaking a sweat. Also acquired as a result of their big week was the exalted Best Team In Ball status -- at 55-32, the Zero's are one game better than the NL-leading Inmates . . . which makes them the third BTIB we've had in the last three weeks. . . . The Inmates stumbled a bit in a 2-4 week but, because one of their wins was over the second-place Godfathers, the Mental Defectives actually doubled their division lead, to two games. The G-Daddies, who went 1-5, can't get too comfortable in the runner-up spot, either, with resurgent DamianUnited staging a rear-guard action that resulted in their leapfrogging the Derelicts into third place, five games behind the Inmates and three back of the G's. DamU, rebounding nicely from last week's 0-6 pratfall, went 5-1 on the strength of 15 HRs, 33 BIs and some outstanding pitching (2.20 ERA, 6 saves, .94 BR). The only team to beat them was the cellar-dwelling Whiteskins, whose pitching was even better (microscopic 1.27 ERA, 5-1, .95 BR), and who would've gone 6-0 themselves if not for the misfortune of having to play the Zero's, the only AL team that could've beaten them, in their interleague matchup. . . . Both pennant races remained quite competitive, with the top three teams in each division separated by only four games (AL) and five (NL). However, two season-long contenders, the Badgers and the Derelicts, suffered simultaneous 0-6 mini-meltdowns that dropped them into fourth place, eight and seven games, respectively, out of first. . . . As mentioned above, there was a detectable dinger uptick, the 12 teams combining to hit 102 homers, an average of 8.6 per team, and 20 more than the league managed last week. Doing the most to skew the stat northward were the Zero's, DamU and the Cherry Valley Bombers, who combined for 41 circuit clouts, 40% of the total.

Week 14 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Zero's (6-0)................55...32....632....--
Bammers (2-4)............53...34....609.....2
Moaners (5-1).............51...36....586.....4
Badgers (0-6).............47...40....540.....8
Barristers (4-2)...........26...61....299....29
Pontiffs (2-4).............15...72....208....40
NATIONAL DIVISION
Team, LW..................W....L....PCT....GB

Inmates (2-4)..............54...33....621....--
Godfathers (1-5)..........52...35....598.....2
DamianUnited (5-1).......49...38....563.....5
Derelicts (0-6).............47...40....540.....7
Bombers (4-2).............42...45....483....12
Whiteskins (5-1)..........31...56....356....23

Monday, July 4, 2011

Free agent draft No. 7

Pre-draft DL moves:
Barristers: 3B Blake to DL
Derelicts: SP Oswalt to DL
Badgers: RP Chapman to DL
Zero's: 1B Morneau to DL, activate SP Hughes
Godfathers: RP Albuquerque to DL

1. Pontiffs take SP Carrasco, drop Santana;
........Taxi: Carrasco up, Danks down
2. Barristers take 3B Valencia
3. Whiteskins take OF Dan.Murphy, drop Bloomquist;
........Taxi: Hudson up, Burnett down
4. Bombers take SP Baker, drop Lilly
5. DamianUnited take SP Worley, drop Happ;
6. Moaners take RP Bastardo, drop Venters
7. Derelicts take SP Luebke;
........Taxi: Luebke & Jimenez up, Collmenter & Marcum down
8. Badgers take RP Da.Hernandez
9. Zero's take 1B Kotchman; drop SP DeLaRosa;
........Taxi: Beachy up, Bedard down
10. Bammers take OF E.Thames, drop Crisp
11. Godfathers take RP Pestano;
........Taxi: Hanson up, Garza down
12. Inmates take SS Furcal, drop Betancourt;
........Taxi: Santana up, Buchholz down

Sun-sational Six (Week 13)

When we last left you in Week Whatever, the coronation of the BGoffs was pretty much a certainty, and everyone else was pretty well playing for second place.

How times change when the S-list goes away for months at a time. Surprise, surprise.

Without further do-do, here's this week's top half-dozen:

1. Patton Inmates (Last ranking: partly crabby): Hate to go with the easy simile, but the Inmates have simply gone crazy since the last update. Their record is something like something good and something pretty small. I know, impressive. Got to give the PI's credit for pitching and hitting, but not so much defense. The details are in the stats, people.

2. Zeroes (Last ranking: fairly foreign): Told you guys this team would be pretty good, which was after it had faltered, gotten good, did OK and then did just all right. Paulo's squad looks primed to knock off the BGoffs from their top perch in Week 14, but we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We'll just revel in the Zeroe's greatness for the time being.

3. Godfathers (Last ranking: Texan through and through): Still not sure how the G-daddies do it, but they are just damn good week after week. Not sure they will have enough names to overtake the Inmates in the second half, but the G-papas sure have the look of a playoff team, unless the Pontiffs give the Derelicts more great players for nothing.

4. BGoffs (Last ranking: Perfectly Pittsburgh-ian): Somebody forgot to tell Brian this sport has nothing to do with the Steelers, but he's done pretty well for himself having two Pittsburgh players in his lineup all season. Actually, the impressive part of the Bammers have been their pitchers, and that might just carry them to a playoff spot in the second half.

5. Derelicts (Last ranking: Northern lit): We raise our Bics to the Derelicts, who not only are in the mix for a playoff spot in the best division in baseball (hey, one-out-of-two ain't bad), but also have shored up a pretty stout club with some incredible trades. Now, if we could just get him to quit cheering for those loser Mariners. Oh well.

6. Moaners (Last ranking: Positively moan-a-rific): No doubt this distresses, Mikee, getting named to the best of the best. "But I'm sneaking up on everyone and working my way to the top of the division," Mike moans. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We see you comin', Commish, and you're right. It ain't pretty. Thanks for the visual.