SBL Notebook, Week 25

Congratulations – again, and this time officially – to DamianUnited, who, a week after clinching a tie for the National division title, wrapped it up for keeps, and with a pretty 7-0 bow on top to boot. It wasn’t the most overpowering undefeated week on record – DamU’s normally smash-and-grab offense managed just 19 runs, 18 TB and a season-low .291 OBP – but a 2.10 ERA, .98 BR stat and three tiebreaker victories got the job done well enough, pushing the DammedUnited a season-best 30 games above .500 at 93-63, a record certainly befitting a division champion. Now they’ve got a week to gird for battle with American division wild cards Paulo’s Zero’s in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Otherwise, the only race we’ve got left – the one for the NL wild-card spot – remained a going concern, with Vic’s Godfathers tiptoeing to within two games of second-place Derek’s Derelicts, and the Patton Inmates keeping alive their longshot playoff bid with a 6-1 week that left them four back of the Double-Ds and two behind the G-Daddies. Those three may be playing for little more than the right to serve as mulch in AL champion Mikee’s Moaners’ postseason garden, but whoever prevails will go into the books as a playoff participant, which is something anyway – there are only four of those each year. . . . Other than that, we’ve got nuthin’. Both division races are blowouts, it was another lackluster statistical week as hitters apparently have contracted a virulent case of the late-season blahs . . . no, this will not go down as anyone’s favorite SBL year. One week to go, and let’s hope the playoff series are more competitive than the regular season.

Week 25 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT...GB
Mike (5-2)........120...36...769...--
Paul (5-2).........105...51...673...15
Andy (0-7).........88...68...564...32
Dennis (2-5).......76...80...487...44
David (5-2)........66...90...423...54
Brian (2-5).........51..105...327...69
NATIONAL
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT...GB
Damian (7-0)......93...63...596...--
Derek (3-4)........76...80...487...17
Vic (4-3)...........74...82...474...19
Gregg (6-1).......72...84...462...21
JP (2-5)............66...90...423...27
Dan (1-6)..........49..107...314...44

2010 SBL Rosters (Updated)

BRIAN
C: V.Martinez (27), C.Ruiz (287)
1B: Pujols (1), G.Sanchez (S10)
2B: Beckham (79), Prado (222)
SS: E.Cabrera (274), Andrus (Tr)
3B: McGehee (183), Alvarez (S8)
OF: Lind (40), Quentin (118), Rasmus (261), J.Drew (S3), Gomes (S4), Scott (S9)
SP: Carpenter (53), Hanson (92), Latos (T1), Niese (S7), H.Bailey (T24)
Taxi: Beckett (66), Zito (S2)
RP: Wagner (105), Adams (209), Wood (Tr), Zumaya (S5)
DL: OF Blanks (144), 1B Glaus (248)

PAUL
C: Napoli (158), Buck (262)
1B: Huff (S4), Thome (S10)
2B: Cano (15), Weeks (249)
SS: H.Ramirez (2), Pennington (288)
3B: Zimmerman (28), Tejada (236)
OF: Markakis (41), Choo (54), Victorino (93), Swisher (133), H.Matsui (275), D.Stubbs (S7)
SP: Gallardo (80), Kuroda (184), C.Wilson (S1), W.Rodriguez (S8), Chacin (S10)
Taxi: Kennedy (S5), Harden (171)
RP: R.Soriano (67), Kuo (S6), Street (Tr), Hanrahan (S9)
DL: SP Pettitte (T2)

ANDY
C: Mauer (3), Posey (S4)
1B: Ad.Gonzalez (29), Helton (185)
2B: S.Rodriguez (250), Infante (S9)
SS: Scutaro (134), S.Castro (S3)
3B: Beltre (120), Headley (276)
OF: Crawford (16), M.Ramirez (68), Heyward (107), Borbon (198), V.Wells (211), Torres (S8)
SP: Liriano (94), T.Hudson (121), Jurrjens (159), Strasburg (237), Morrow (S10)
Taxi: SP Romero (Tr), SP Marcum (S4)
RP: B.Wilson (81), C.Perez (147), D.Bard (S6), League (S7)
DL: 2B Pedroia (42), OF Ordonez (277)

DENNIS
C: Wieters (108), Y.Molina (225)
1B: Teixeira (17), Overbay (278)
2B: Utley (4), Uggla (95)
SS: Jeter (30), Renteria (S6)
3B: Stewart (69), Rolen (S4)
OF: I.Suzuki (43), Kubel (135), Ludwick (160), C.Young (226), A.Jackson (S1), Stanton (S5)
SP: Verlander (56), Cain (82), B.Anderson (148), Danks (173), Duensing (S10)
Taxi: SP T.Wood (S7), SP Hunter (S8)
RP: Capps (109), Lidge (122), N.Feliz (265), J.Chavez (S9)

GREGG
C: Montero (123), Pierzynski (239)
1B: Morneau (44), Loney (252)
2B: Aviles (S6), Lowrie (S10)
SS: S.Drew (83), Hardy (S8)
3B: Reynolds (31), Peralta (253)
OF: Braun (5), Kemp (18), McCutchen (110), McLouth (161), D.Young (226), Snider (292)
SP: Kershaw (97), J.Sanchez (174), De La Rosa (200), Cahill (S5), Pavano (T20)
Taxi: Lackey (149), Hellickson (S9)
RP: Soria (57), Bell (70), Valverde (96), Lindstrom (136)

VIC
C: Doumit (227), Hundley (293)
1B: Berkman (124), Butler (137)
2B: Roberts (84), K.Johnson (241)
SS: Al.Ramirez (175), Ryan (280)
3B: A.Rodriguez (6), Polanco (240)
OF: J.Upton (19), B.Upton (98), Ad.Jones (111), Rios (150), Bruce (162), N.Morgan (188)
SP: Sabathia (32), Lester (58), Cl.Lee (85), Buchholz (201), Lewis (S2)
Taxi: W.Davis (T6), Penny (T19)
RP: Broxton (45), Saito (S1), Benoit (S4), Takahashi (S10)

DAN
C: R.Hernandez (281), Jaso (S10)
1B: Fielder (7), I.Davis (S7)
2B: A.Hill (20), Schumaker (268)
SS: J.Reyes (46), Bartlett (59)
3B: Cantu (138), Callaspo (294)
OF: Ethier (33), Cuddyer (72), Beltran (163), Bourn (202), Byrd (255), J.Guillen (S1)
SP: Billingsley (151), Garza (176), Hughes (T7), Garcia (T18), Niemann (242)
Taxi: Dempster (189), Wolf (215)
RP: Aardsma (86), Franklin (99), M.Gonzalez (112), Storen (S9)

MIKE
C: Iannetta (217), Olivo (Tr)
1B: Howard (8), D.Ortiz (164)
2B: Phillips (34), Wigginton (S1)
SS: Y.Escobar (126), A.Escobar (S9)
3B: Sandoval (47), Bautista (S3)
OF: C.Lee (60), Abreu (61), C.Gonzalez (152), R.Davis (203), Pagan (S6), Tabata (S8)
SP: Lincecum (21), Wainwright (74), J.Santana (113), D.Price (216), Bumgarner (S7)
Taxi: Lilly (190), Pelfrey (S5)
RP: A.Bailey (87), Marmol (100), L.Nunez (139), Uehara (S10)
DL: SP Harang (Tr), SS O.Cabrera (230)

JP
C: K.Suzuki (127), Kendall (S8)
1B: M.Cabrera (9), C.Pena (75)
2B: Zobrist (62), Kennedy (270)
SS: A.Cabrera (191), Furcal (Tr)
3B: Ar.Ramirez (49), C.Johnson (S10)
OF: Ellsbury (22), Ibanez (140), Hart (205), C.Ross (218), Holliday (Tr), Gardner (S3)
SP: Hamels (114), Oswalt (178), G.Gonzalez (T16), Buehrle (T9), Shields (204)
Taxi: Burnett (185), Padilla (S9)
RP: Papelbon (35), F.Cordero (88), Putz (Tr), Axford (S5)
DL: SP Webb (153)

DAVID
C: McCann (37), Barajas (S1)
1B: Votto (63), Ad.LaRoche (Tr)
2B: Kendrick (102), Iwamura (297)
SS: J.Uribe (S4), Ang.Sanchez (S9)
3B: D.Wright (10), Wood (S8)
OF: Bay (36), N.Cruz (76), Hawpe (141), Span (192), Damon (245), Boesch (S3)
SP: F.Hernandez (23), J.Vazquez (89), Nolasco (128), Matsuzaka (T15), S.Baker (179)
Taxi: Pineiro (T10), Silva (S5)
RP: M.Rivera (50), Lyon (193), Gregg (258), Dotel (Tr)

DEREK
C: Soto (155), Martin (220)
1B: Dunn (64). D.Johnson (S9)
2B: Figgins (77), Walker (S8)
SS: Rollins (25), A.Gonzalez (S1)
3B: Longoria (11), Kouzmanoff (207)
OF: Werth (38), Pence (116), A.Soriano (142), Reimold (180), Willingham (285), Raburn (S10)
SP: Greinke (24), U.Jimenez (103), Scherzer (181), Floyd (194), J.Vargas (S7)
Taxi: Cecil (S5) A.Sanchez (S4)
RP: Fuentes (90), Rauch (167), Gregerson (272), Clippard (S2)
DL: 2B Guillen

DAMIAN
C: Posada (143), I.Rodriguez (299)
1B: D.Lee (52), Konerko (221)
2B: Kinsler (12), Hudson (247)
SS: Tulowitzki (13), Desmond (240)
3B: M.Young (78), J.Lopez (168)
OF: Granderson (39), Hamilton (91), Hunter (101), V.Guerrero (169), G.Jones (208), Colvin (S8)
SP: Halladay (26), J.Johnson (65), Jer.Weaver (156), E.Santana (T12), D.Hudson (S10)
Taxi: Happ (182), E.Jackson (286)
RP: Jenks (130), Thornton (195), Meek (S3), Wuertz (S9)

SBL Notebook, Week 20

Badgers? We don’t need no stinking Badgers! So says the rest of the American division (although a couple of owners we can think of might employ language slightly more colorful than “stinking”), which can sense, feel, hear, see and, yes, smell Andy’s Badgers hot on the trail of another playoff berth and just maybe their first SBL title. The Badgers just completed a 24-0 rampage through the National division over four weeks of interleague play, and as we head into the home stretch they find themselves only two games out in the NL wild-card race and 11 off the division lead, with six weeks and 38 games to go. The Badgers, with their surging offense and power-armed starting rotation, are the team no one wants to play right now, and their AL rivals benefited from not having had to do so these last four interleague weeks – none more than the division leaders, Mikee’s Moaners, who’ve been giving off distinct signs of wilting in the late-summer heat, but have been fortunate to have those red flags largely concealed while playing the weaker National division. The M’s went 19-5 during the second interleague period, but consider this: Had they been facing AL competition the last three weeks, they would have won only two of those intra-divisional games and lost 13. So, they not only wouldn’t be enjoying their current nine-game lead on Paulo’s Zero’s and 11-game bulge on the Badgers, it’s conceivable they might not even be in first place anymore. But that’s all hypothetical; the Badgers are the reality every AL team must deal with now, and none will be able to avoid them from here on out. Even this week, when their muscular pitching frayed a bit, the Badgers simply fell back on their offense to run their post-All-Star break record to 29-2, posting league highs in runs (47), HRs (12), OBP (.399) and RBIs (a modest 35), and the second-best total in TB (35). Case closed. . . . The NL gained a measure of respectability in the final interleague week, playing the junior circuit to an 18-18 standoff thanks to some stellar mound work by the division’s two bottom dwellers, JP’s Whiteskins and Dan’s Cherry Valley Bombers, who rode the week’s best ERAs (2.03 and 1.46, respectively) to twin 5-1 performances. But the overall picture was not good at all for the Nationals, which is how it’s been going for the last several years. The NL won only one of the eight interleague weeks and barely one-third of the 288 games contested. Final score: AL 183, NL 105 , including a 96-48 walloping in the second period. The Moaners, in particular, fattened up on NL soft-serve, going 39-9, with the Badgers (38-10) right on their heels.

Week 20 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Mike (3-3).......91....33....734...--
Paul (4-2)........82....42....661....9
Andy (6-0).......80....44....645...11
Dennis (1-5).....60....64....484...31
David (2-4)......54....70....435...37
Brian (2-4).......45....79....363...46
NATIONAL
Team, LW........W....L....PCT....GB
Damian (2-4).....67....57....540...--
Vic (2-4)..........59....65....476....8
Derek (4-2).......57....67....460...10
Gregg (0-6).......55....69....444...12
JP (5-1)...........51....73....411...16
Dan (5-1).........43....81....347...24

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