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

SBL Notebook, Week 5

And then, depression set in. So said Bill Murray in “Stripes” (or was it “Caddyshack?” . . . No, definitely “Stripes” . . . But jeez, when are we going to stop falling back on these silly movie quotes in the Notebook every week?) -– and so it was for offense in the SBL this week. The depression in this case was more like a trough, into which tumbled the relatively robust hitting numbers we’d seen in recent weeks. In their place were stats so tiny in some cases, you’d almost have thought it was All-Star week. Oh, there were a couple of exceptions, which we’ll dispense with right away: Derek’s Derelicts continued on the offensive tear they’d begun last week, walloping 18 HRs and collecting 40 RBIs, 36 TB and a .388 OBP. And Paulo’s Zero’s kept the power turned on with 12 HRs, after blasting 19 in Week 4. But that was it for noteworthy numbers. While the D’s and Z’s were combining for 30 homers, the other 10 teams combined for 59, and puny average of 5.9 per team (yes, we figured that out all by ourselves). Nobody but the Derelictables reached 40 RBIs (league average for everyone not named Derek: 29), no one could top his 36 TB, no one had more than 37 runs . . . you get the picture. It was the kind of week in which Mikee’s Moaners could “complement” their usual sturdy pitching with microscopic, (dare we say?) depressing o-stats across the board (31 runs, 26 TB, 6 HRs, 27 RBIs, 2 SBs, .272 OBP) and still post three 9-2 blowout victories -– part of a 4-3 week that actually lifted the M’s back into first place, a game ahead of displaced penthouse occupants Bristow’s Batfaced Girls, in the Great Mediocrity that is the American division. The AL race has devolved into quite the unremarkable mess, with no team able to distinguish itself, the top five separated by a mere four games. Three different teams have held first place in five weeks, and none has stayed there for longer than one week. The real power is in the National division, home of not only the mashin’ Derelicts but also the celebrated BTIB, the Patton Inmates, who enhanced their reputation with a 7-0 week that took their record to a sparkling 27-5, six games up on the smokin’-hot D-Train. More to the point, the NL won eight of 12 interleague games in this seven-game week, after going 9-3 the previous two weeks. Do we spy a trend here?

Week 5 standings

AMERICAN
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT....GB
Mike (4-3)........20....12....625....--
David (1-6).......19....13....594....1
Dennis (6-1)......17....15....531....3
Andy (2-5)........17....15....531....3
Paul (5-2).........16....16....500....4
Brian (0-7).........4....28....125...16
NATIONAL
Team, LW.........W....L....PCT....GB
Gregg (7-0).......27.....5....844....--
Derek (6-1).......21....11....656....6
Damian (5-2).....17....15....531...10
Dan (4-3)..........16....16....500...11
Vic (2-5)...........11....21....344...16
JP (0-7).............7....25....219...20