Newsletter for games through 9-6-20

NOTES AND NOTHINGS

There have been some tweaks over the weekend, with some bug fixes to batted-ball distributions and pitcher use and removing (in most places) the “ ” character string in place of a non-breaking space…the batters and pitchers of the week now appear among the list of things on the left-hand sidebar for your perusal during the most boring of your zoom meetings next week…I can quickly tell, for instance, that Hyun Jin Ryu of the Buffalo Blue Jays pitching 14 innings and struck out 20 last week…the big new feature is the WATCH function on the box scores; click it and you get a batter-by-batter walkthrough of each game…or that three Philly hitters all hit .300 or better this week, including Rhys Hoskins who hit 5 HR, which is not surprising since they played my Mets…Meanwhile, Atlanta and Philadelphia combined to go 12-1 last week adn grab command of the top of the NL East…Rick Wynne finally came down to earth with a 4-2 week, and he’s dead-on zero WOR…for those of you new to the league, Rick has played for over 20 years and never finished with a negative WOR, but the combination of the red-hot actual Dodgers and the short season makes this one exciting challenge…it was a tough week all-around for the NL central, but newcomer Michael Mendoza has the Pirates 3.5 better than the real club, which isn’t too shabby, and Jeremy Moore’s Cardinals had the best record in the division…you kind of felt it coming, but Alan Minsky’s Rays went 5-1 and jumped right back into the thick of things…and the big story in the AL has to be Mark Chen’s Orioles, sitting atop the AL East with the 2d best record in the AL and an AL-best 6.5 games over reality…Raph’s Reds own the top spot in either league at 8.5…Leo is clinging to the top spot in the AL central but got a serious challenge from the Indians this week, who went 5-1…the Tigers, led by newcomer Pat Walsh, were undefeated…tough year for the Royals, but Josh Clark has them performing better in the division and in 1-run games than they’re doing overall…the big move in the AL West was Seattle, now +1 WOR and in second place

PENNANT RACES

Top 6 in the NL are: Atlanta, Philly, Cincinnati, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres (!)…top 2 wildcard teams would be Washington who’s only 1 game up on the logjam of Giants, DBacks, and Rockies, and it could totally be the case that 4 teams from the NL West make the playoffs…talk about unprecedented times…But if 19 wins gets you in the last playoff spot at this point nobody else has fewer than 16.

In the AL, The Orioles, Jays, Chisox, Cleveland, Astros, and Seattle hold the automatic spots, and Minnesota is a health 5-6 games ahead in the top wildcard spot…after that, the Rays, Bosox, Yankees, Tigers, A’s and Angels are all locked up between 17-19 wins…one strong week is going to make all the difference…

FEATS AND FAILURES

• Adam Haseley (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 8/31/2020 against Washington)
• Adam Duvall (Atlanta) hit 6 RBI (on 8/31/2020 against Boston)
• Freddie Freeman (Atlanta) had 5 hits (on 8/31/2020 against Boston)
• Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland) struck out 12 batters (on 8/31/2020 against Kansas City)
• Hyun Jin Ryu (Toronto) struck out 14 batters (on 9/1/2020 against Miami)
• Alec Bohm (Pittsburgh) hit 6 RBI (on 9/1/2020 against Chicago (CC))
• Trea Turner (New York (NYY)) hit 3 homers (on 9/1/2020 against Tampa Bay)
• Mike Brosseau (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 9/1/2020 against New York (NYY))
• Myles Straw (Houston) had 5 hits (on 9/1/2020 against Texas)
• Nolan Arenado (Colorado) had 5 hits (on 9/2/2020 against San Francisco)
• Jason Kipnis (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 9/2/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Yu Darvish (Chicago (CC)) struck out 12 batters (on 9/2/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Tyler Glasnow (Tampa Bay) struck out 11 batters (on 9/2/2020 against New York (NYY))
• Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 13 batters (on 9/2/2020 against Kansas City)
• Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 11 batters (on 9/3/2020 against Philadelphia)
• Luis Castillo (Cincinnati) struck out 14 batters (on 9/4/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Wil Myers (San Diego) hit 7 RBI (on 9/5/2020 against Oakland)
• Greg Garcia (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 9/5/2020 against Oakland)
• Zach Davies (San Diego) struck out 11 batters (on 9/5/2020 against Oakland)
• Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay) had 5 hits (on 9/5/2020 against Miami)
• Nicholas Castellanos (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/5/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati) struck out 11 batters (on 9/5/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Victor Reyes (Detroit) stole 3 bases (on 9/5/2020 against Minnesota)
• Delino DeShields (Cleveland) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2020 against Milwaukee)
• Nicholas Castellanos (Cincinnati) hit 6 RBI (on 9/6/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (Toronto) had 5 hits (on 9/6/2020 against Boston)
• Nicky Lopez (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
• Matt Foster (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 13 batters (on 9/6/2020 against Kansas City)
• Joe Hudson (Seattle) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2020 against Texas)
• Josh Fuentes (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2020 against Los Angeles)

Newsletter for games through 8-30

RANDOM MUSINGS

The trade deadline passed…our abbreviated season saw 12 deadline deals involving 16 teams…that eclipsed the 11 total trades that had preceded this week, which is understandable since you were just figuring out which guys you had…still a pretty active showing…there still seem to be a few too many blowouts, and I’ll be back in the coding dungeon again this weekend to make sure those aren’t bugs…and thanks again to all for your incredible patience and good nature…there were 28 lineups submitted last night, which is amazing given the tumultuous season we’re having, both online and on TV (since that’s the only way to see them these days)…Rick’s Dodgers are scary; they had another perfect week, they’ll have me scrambling to see if I can figure out the longest win streak in ASFBL history, they are dead even with the actual Dodgers, and their actual, real-MLB team ERA is 2.18…Equally impressive are Ralph’s Red, who are now +9 WOR…Philly and Arizona would be the last 2 in if the season ended today…Atlanta and Washington are slugging it out atop the NL East, and Adam’s Phillies lurk not far behind and in positive WOR territory…the Marlins also went 5-2 last week…most of the last-place teams are currently within 4-5 games of the last playoff spot, so a good week or who would get them in the playoffs…Al Benedek has the ASFBL Padres one game ahead of the actual, feel-good-story-of-the-San-Diego-lifetime Padres…the Buffalo Blue Jays, Indians and Angels all had 5-win weeks in the AL…only Leo’s Chisox were perfect…the poor Rays; some combination of the actual team out-performing their stats, the freakish injury list, and the best players having to absorb way more playing time than real life while the mediocre (Ji-Man Choi) being most available have cursed Alan…this is worse than the electoral college…Oakland’s stumble has opened up 2d place (and a playoff spot) in the AL West, but I wouldn’t count out the A’s…they still have the 2d best actual bullpen (1.82 ERA) and are above-average in most hitting categories…award categories are going to be weird this year, but the clear leader in the “not gonna get any love from TLC” category is Andre Scrubb of the Astros…

FEATS AND FAILURES

Jonathan Villar (Miami) struck out 5 times (on 8/24/2020 against Washington)
Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 14 batters (on 8/24/2020 against Miami)
Luis Castillo (Cincinnati) struck out 13 batters (on 8/24/2020 against Milwaukee)
Ryan McBroom (Kansas City) struck out 5 times (on 8/24/2020 against St. Louis)
Mark Canha (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/24/2020 against Texas)
Lance Lynn (Texas) struck out 15 batters (on 8/24/2020 against Oakland)
Justin Upton (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/24/2020 against Houston)
Dylan Bundy (Anaheim) struck out 12 batters (on 8/24/2020 against Houston)
Jo Adell (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/24/2020 against Houston)
Matt Kemp (Colorado) struck out 5 times (on 8/24/2020 against Arizona)
J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia) hit 6 RBI (on 8/25/2020 against Washington)
David Bote (Chicago (CC)) hit 6 RBI (on 8/25/2020 against Detroit)
Jon Berti (Miami) stole 3 bases (on 8/25/2020 against New York (NYM))
Franmil Reyes (Cleveland) struck out 4 times (on 8/25/2020 against Minnesota)
Mike Moustakas (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 8/25/2020 against Milwaukee)
Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee) struck out 13 batters (on 8/25/2020 against Cincinnati)
Jose Abreu (Chicago (CWS)) hit 6 RBI (on 8/25/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Nick Tropeano (Pittsburgh) struck out 11 batters (on 8/25/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Zac Gallen (Arizona) struck out 15 batters (on 8/25/2020 against Colorado)
Josh Fuentes (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 8/25/2020 against Arizona)
Eric Thames (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against Philadelphia)
Aaron Nola (Philadelphia) struck out 13 batters (on 8/26/2020 against Washington)
Triston McKenzie (Cleveland) struck out 12 batters (on 8/26/2020 against Minnesota)
Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati) struck out 12 batters (on 8/26/2020 against Milwaukee)
Sean Murphy (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against Texas)
Jo Adell (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against Houston)
Wil Myers (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against Seattle)
Raimel Tapia (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against Arizona)
Chris Taylor (Los Angeles) struck out 5 times (on 8/26/2020 against San Francisco)
Edwin Encarnacion (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/26/2020 against San Francisco)
Dustin May (Los Angeles) struck out 11 batters (on 8/26/2020 against San Francisco)
Kevin Gausman (San Francisco) struck out 12 batters (on 8/26/2020 against Los Angeles)
Mike Clevinger (Houston) struck out 11 batters (on 8/27/2020 against Anaheim)
Andrew Heaney (Anaheim) struck out 14 batters (on 8/27/2020 against Houston)
Cesar Valdez (Baltimore) struck out 14 batters (on 8/27/2020 against Tampa Bay)
Gerrit Cole (Washington) struck out 14 batters (on 8/27/2020 against Philadelphia)
Zach Eflin (Philadelphia) struck out 12 batters (on 8/27/2020 against Washington)
Kyle Farmer (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 8/27/2020 against Milwaukee)
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 5 times (on 8/28/2020 against Detroit)
Adalberto Mondesi (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Ryan McBroom (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Lucas Giolito (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 14 batters (on 8/28/2020 against Kansas City)
Harrison Bader (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Cleveland)
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 16 batters (on 8/28/2020 against St. Louis)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Colorado)
Chris Paddack (San Diego) struck out 12 batters (on 8/28/2020 against Colorado)
Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Texas)
Austin Allen (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/28/2020 against Houston)
J.D. Davis (New York (NYM)) struck out 5 times (on 8/29/2020 against New York (NYY))
Yoan Moncada (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 8/29/2020 against Kansas City)
Tim Anderson (Chicago (CWS)) had 5 hits (on 8/29/2020 against Kansas City)
Framber Valdez (Houston) struck out 12 batters (on 8/29/2020 against Oakland)
Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 14 batters (on 8/29/2020 against Boston)
Tony Gonsolin (Los Angeles) struck out 19 batters (on 8/30/2020 against Texas)

Newsletter for games through 8-23-20

TRADE DEADLINE

You can enter your trades right up through next week’s lineups deadline, which is September 1.

TIPS

There are “team settings” that have always been there, but I’ve moved into the central lineup/roster box to make them more obvious.  An important one is the bullpen setting — if you pick “least used” the computer will define the situation (example: Setup) and then order the pitchers from least to most used, and pick the first one it finds.  This is probably the setting you want if the main goal is to keep the bullpen fresh.

NOTES

Thanks to all for their feedback; the main issues seemed to be some statistical outliers (high scoring games, large strikeout totals).  By way of apology, I was traveling over the weekend for a family memorial (we lost the family member last March, and this was the first time we’d been able to get together to do a remembrance), so I was able to address some of the stuff but not all of it.  I’ve got a longer list that I will plow through over the weekend.  Mostly, it seems like there’s still a struggle to figure out how to deal with low-appearing, high-performing players (State’s Exhibit One: Humberto Meija of the Marlins, who in his first appearance recorded 7 outs and 6 by strikeout).  Thanks again for your patience, and having said all that there were still more 20-run games than should be there, so the caps seemed to tamp things down but not solve them altogether.  That I will be fixing that over the weekend.

COMMENTARY

Rick Wynne ran a perfect 7-0 week, but is still -2 WOR, which is both a statement about how good he is and how good the Dodgers are…the Dodgers have the best real team ERA, second-best real starter ERA, and best bullpen ERA…that real team ERA is 1.99…The Chisox and Padres have the best real team OPS…and it’s clear Andy’s Nationals and Ralphael’s Reds are both killing it; +6.5 and +9.5 respectively, and boht in first place…Michael’s Pittsburgh is a very strong +4 WOR on the back of a 5-1 week…that gives Michael the top WOR figure for the newcomers, although Gary still has the Giants riding the best record amongst that bunch…In the AL East the Toronto (Buffalo) Jays had a 5-1 week, and while they are still in 4th placed, moved to within 3 games of first…in a short season one big week can get you into the playoffs, it seems…don’t look now but Tim Walsh has the Twins in first place in the central and also with the best record in the AL…and Leo’s Chisox matched him game for game last week…those 2 clubs are a combined 18-4 in interleague play…the AL west remains wild, and Jim’s Astros are hanging on to first although John’s A’s are one adjusting week away from taking over…the Rockies are 6-7 in their division but 10-5 against the AL…Boston fielders have turned in 19 hit-saving-plays, tops in the ASFBL…best net goes to Oakland glovemen, who have saved 16 more hits than they have bungled…

SPECIAL FEATS!

…with a small grain of salt, since there are still some things going on with the adjustments and whatnot, but there are worth stopping and taking note of:

Justin Dunn (Seattle) threw a no-hitter! (on 8/21/2020 against Texas)

Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) hit for the cycle! (on 8/19/2020 against Boston)

Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 22 batters (on 8/23/2020 against Detroit

FEATS AND FAILURES

Nathan Eovaldi (Boston) struck out 11 batters (on 8/17/2020 against New York (NYY)) 
Chance Sisco (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/17/2020 against Toronto) 
Hanser Alberto (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/17/2020 against Toronto) 
Tom Hatch (Toronto) struck out 14 batters (on 8/17/2020 against Baltimore) 
Eric Thames (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 8/17/2020 against Atlanta) 
Gerrit Cole (Washington) struck out 17 batters (on 8/17/2020 against Atlanta) 
Dylan Cease (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 14 batters (on 8/17/2020 against Detroit) 
Casey Mize (Detroit) struck out 13 batters (on 8/17/2020 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Mike Minor (Texas) struck out 13 batters (on 8/17/2020 against San Diego) 
Matt Chapman (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/17/2020 against Arizona) 
Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 8/18/2020 against Texas) 
Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/18/2020 against Cleveland) 
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 13 batters (on 8/18/2020 against Pittsburgh) 
Renato Nunez (Baltimore) hit 6 RBI (on 8/18/2020 against Toronto) 
Hanser Alberto (Baltimore) hit 6 RBI (on 8/18/2020 against Toronto) 
Hanser Alberto (Baltimore)  had 5 hits (on 8/18/2020 against Toronto) 
Gleyber Torres (Washington)  had 5 hits (on 8/18/2020 against Atlanta) 
Josh Harrison (Washington) hit 6 RBI (on 8/18/2020 against Atlanta) 
Lucas Giolito (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 15 batters (on 8/18/2020 against Detroit) 
Keston Hiura (Milwaukee) struck out 4 times (on 8/18/2020 against Minnesota) 
Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 8/18/2020 against Chicago (CC)) 
Brian Anderson (Miami) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2020 against New York (NYM)) 
J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2020 against Boston) 
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) hit 6 RBI (on 8/19/2020 against Boston) 
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia)  had 5 hits (on 8/19/2020 against Boston) 
Nicky Lopez (Kansas City) hit 6 RBI (on 8/19/2020 against Cincinnati) 
Nicky Lopez (Kansas City)  had 5 hits (on 8/19/2020 against Cincinnati) 
Nicholas Castellanos (Cincinnati) struck out 5 times (on 8/19/2020 against Kansas City) 
Jose Berrios (Minnesota) struck out 13 batters (on 8/19/2020 against Milwaukee) 
Joey Gallo (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2020 against San Diego) 
Dinelson Lamet (San Diego) struck out 14 batters (on 8/19/2020 against Texas) 
Lance Lynn (Texas) struck out 16 batters (on 8/19/2020 against San Diego) 
Matt Olson (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2020 against Arizona) 
Tim Locastro (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2020 against Oakland) 
Jesus Luzardo (Oakland) struck out 16 batters (on 8/19/2020 against Arizona) 
Kyle Lewis (Seattle) struck out 4 times (on 8/20/2020 against Los Angeles) 
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 8/20/2020 against Milwaukee) 
Tejay Antone (Cincinnati) struck out 16 batters (on 8/20/2020 against St. Louis) 
Sean Murphy (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/20/2020 against Arizona) 
Zac Gallen (Arizona) struck out 14 batters (on 8/20/2020 against Oakland) 
Tommy LaStella (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/20/2020 against San Francisco) 
Rowdy Tellez (Toronto) hit 7 RBI (on 8/21/2020 against Tampa Bay) 
Willy Adames (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Toronto) 
Mitch Moreland (Boston) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Baltimore) 
Pat Valaika (Baltimore) hit 7 RBI (on 8/21/2020 against Boston) 
Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh)  had 5 hits (on 8/21/2020 against Milwaukee) 
Niko Goodrum (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Cleveland) 
Victor Robles (New York (NYY)) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against New York (NYM)) 
Michael Conforto (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against New York (NYY)) 
Pete Alonso (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against New York (NYY)) 
J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Atlanta) 
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Kansas City) 
Adbert Alzolay (Chicago (CC)) struck out 14 batters (on 8/21/2020 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Tyler O'Neill (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Cincinnati) 
Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati) struck out 15 batters (on 8/21/2020 against St. Louis) 
Austin Barnes (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2020 against Colorado) 
Matt Chapman (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/22/2020 against Anaheim) 
Daniel Mengden (Oakland) struck out 12 batters (on 8/22/2020 against Anaheim) 
Hyun Jin Ryu (Toronto) struck out 10 batters (on 8/22/2020 against Tampa Bay) 
Kevin Pillar (Boston) hit 6 RBI (on 8/22/2020 against Baltimore) 
Nathan Eovaldi (Boston) struck out 10 batters (on 8/22/2020 against Baltimore) 
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 8/22/2020 against Kansas City) 
Alex Avila (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 8/22/2020 against Kansas City) 
Casey Mize (Detroit) struck out 13 batters (on 8/22/2020 against Cleveland) 
Manny Machado (San Diego) hit 9 RBI (on 8/22/2020 against Houston) 
Manny Machado (San Diego)  had 5 hits (on 8/22/2020 against Houston) 
Gary Sanchez (New York (NYY)) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against New York (NYM)) 
Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh) hit 6 RBI (on 8/23/2020 against Milwaukee) 
Yu Darvish (Chicago (CC)) struck out 17 batters (on 8/23/2020 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Lucas Giolito (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 17 batters (on 8/23/2020 against Chicago (CC)) 
Mike Yastrzemski (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against Arizona) 
Myles Straw (Houston) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against San Diego) 
Evan White (Seattle) struck out 5 times (on 8/23/2020 against Texas) 
Shin-Soo Choo (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against Seattle) 
Ender Inciarte (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against Philadelphia) 
Matt Kemp (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2020 against Los Angeles) 

 

Newsletter for games through 8-16

QUICK BLAST TO THE PAST

Baseball during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic — note the absence of dual-DH rules, 7-inning double-headers, or runners starting on 2d during extra innings…

DON’T PANIC: On Aug 16, San Diego and Arizona played 44 innings. Obvi, that can’t stand. I’ll get that sorted out and the stats reset for that game, so all those AB and IP won’t count against the players.

BIG EVENTS! Not sure if its the short season, the new code, a lot of karma, or what, but some big events seemed to pop up this week. I’ll dive through the box scores over the weekend and see what might be up. But for now, we can celebrate:

• Lance Lynn (Texas) threw a no-hitter! (on 8/14/2020 against Colorado
• Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) hit for the cycle! (on 8/16/2020 against New York (NYM))
• Niko Goodrum (Detroit) hit for the cycle! (on 8/12/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
• Charlie Blackmon (Colorado) hit for the cycle! (on 8/12/2020 against Arizona)
• Willy Adames (Tampa Bay) hit for the cycle! (on 8/12/2020 against Boston)

COMMENTARY: The Reds went 6-0 which was totally awesome…they seem pretty healthy to me…and rode that week to the best record in the ASFBL…newcomer Gary Ruud had his Giants going 4-2 this week…and making that more impressive, did so while his kitchen was getting remodeled…he’s 2 games ahead of the actual club…4-2 was also the best record in the NL after the Cincinnati perfect showing…Tampa Bay really turned it around with a 6-1 run in the AL East…Chisox were 5-1 in the central…Hugh Brown’s Rockies and Rich Wynne’s Dodgers are slugging it out in the NL West…combined 27-17…Boston is a perfect 5-0 in 1-run games…Washington is 7-2…Charlie Blackmon is hitting .446 in the ASFBL, which would seem unreasonable except that he’s also hitting .446 for the actual Rockies…looks like there were 6 new trades this week, with Philadelphia leading the way…

FEATS AND FAILURES:

Christian Yelich (Milwaukee) struck out 4 times (on 8/10/2020 against Minnesota)
David Peralta (Arizona) had 5hits (on 8/10/2020 against Colorado)
Jake Lamb (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 8/10/2020 against Colorado)
Christian Walker (Arizona) hit 6 RBI (on 8/10/2020 against Colorado)
Christian Walker (Arizona) had 5 hits (on 8/10/2020 against Colorado)
Kyle Lewis (Seattle) struck out 4 times (on 8/10/2020 against Texas)
Jeff Mathis (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 8/10/2020 against Seattle)
J.P. Crawford (Seattle) struck out 6 times (on 8/10/2020 against Texas)
Joey Gallo (Texas) struck out 5 times (on 8/10/2020 against Seattle)
Yusei Kikuchi (Seattle) struck out 19 batters (on 8/10/2020 against Texas)
Kyle Gibson (Texas) struck out 18 batters (on 8/10/2020 against Seattle)
Seattle and Texas played18.5 innings on8/10/2020
Sean Manaea (Oakland) struck out 12 batters (on 8/10/2020 against Anaheim)
Andrew Heaney (Anaheim) struck out 12 batters (on 8/10/2020 against Oakland)
Hyun Jin Ryu (Toronto) struck out 18 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Miami)
Logan Forsythe (Miami) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Toronto)
Pablo Lopez (Miami) struck out 11 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Toronto)
Ryan Lavarnway (Miami) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Toronto)
Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati) struck out 14 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Kansas City)
Alex Jackson (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against New York (NYY))
Jonathan Loaisiga (New York (NYY)) struck out 15 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Atlanta)
Clint Frazier (New York (NYY)) had 5hits (on 8/11/2020 against Atlanta)
Rio Ruiz (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Philadelphia)
Chance Sisco (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Philadelphia)
Luis Robert (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Detroit)
Spencer Turnbull (Detroit) struck out 16 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Dylan Cease (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Detroit)
Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland) struck out 17 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Asdrubal Cabrera (Washington) hit 3 homers (on 8/11/2020 against New York (NYM))
J.D. Davis (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Washington)
Howie Kendrick (Washington) hit 6 RBI (on 8/11/2020 against New York (NYM))
Hunter Renfroe (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Boston)
Yoshi Tsutsugo (Tampa Bay) hit 6 RBI (on 8/11/2020 against Boston)
Blake Snell (Tampa Bay) struck out 10 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Boston)
Ronald Guzman (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Seattle)
Brian Goodwin (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Oakland)
Wil Myers (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2020 against Los Angeles)
Cal Quantrill (San Diego) struck out 10 batters (on 8/11/2020 against Los Angeles)
Walker Buehler (Los Angeles) struck out 12 batters (on 8/11/2020 against San Diego)
Yasmani Grandal (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 8/12/2020 against Detroit)
David Peralta (Arizona) had 5hits (on 8/12/2020 against Colorado)
Ketel Marte (Arizona) had 5hits (on 8/12/2020 against Colorado)
Christian Walker (Arizona) hit 10 RBI (on 8/12/2020 against Colorado)
Jose Ramirez (Cleveland) hit 6 RBI (on 8/12/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 16 batters (on 8/12/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Travis Shaw (Toronto) hit 3 homers (on 8/12/2020 against Miami)
Travis Shaw (Toronto) hit 7 RBI (on 8/12/2020 against Miami)
Teoscar Hernandez (Toronto) hit 4 homers (on 8/12/2020 against Miami)
Teoscar Hernandez (Toronto) hit 6 RBI (on 8/12/2020 against Miami)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto) hit 3 homers (on 8/12/2020 against Miami)
Jorge Soler (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/12/2020 against Cincinnati)
Co RBIn Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 16 batters (on 8/12/2020 against Minnesota)
Alex Dickerson (San Francisco) hit 6 RBI (on 8/12/2020 against Houston)
Gerrit Cole (Washington) struck out 13 batters (on 8/12/2020 against New York (NYM))
Kevin Kiermaier (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 8/12/2020 against Boston)
Luis Guillorme (New York (NYM)) had 5hits (on 8/13/2020 against Washington)
Rio Ruiz (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/13/2020 against Philadelphia)
Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee) struck out 15 batters (on 8/13/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Jackie Bradley Jr. (Boston) struck out 4 times (on 8/13/2020 against Tampa Bay)
Jose Osuna (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/13/2020 against Cincinnati)
Sonny Gray (Cincinnati) struck out 10 batters (on 8/13/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Justin Turner (Los Angeles) had 5hits (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Chris Taylor (Los Angeles) had 5hits (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Michael Chavis (Los Angeles) had 6hits (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Mookie Betts (Los Angeles) hit 6 RBI (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Austin Barnes (Los Angeles) had 5hits (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles) struck out 14 batters (on 8/13/2020 against San Diego)
Yoshi Tsutsugo (Tampa Bay) struck out 5 times (on 8/14/2020 against Toronto)
Travis Shaw (Toronto) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Tampa Bay)
Mike Brosseau (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Toronto)
Kevin Pillar (Boston) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against New York (NYY))
Michael Conforto (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Philadelphia)
Andres Gimenez (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Philadelphia)
Dwight Smith Jr. (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Washington)
Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 13 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Baltimore)
Jeimer Candelario (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Cleveland)
Aaron Civale (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Detroit)
Nick Senzel (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Josh Bell (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Cincinnati)
Trevor Williams (Pittsburgh) struck out 10 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Cincinnati)
Luis Castillo (Cincinnati) struck out 14 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Joey Gallo (Texas) struck out 5 times (on 8/14/2020 against Colorado)
German Marquez (Colorado) struck out 13 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Texas)
Framber Valdez (Houston) struck out 10 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Seattle)
Edwin Rios (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/14/2020 against Anaheim)
Dylan Bundy (Anaheim) struck out 14 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Los Angeles)
Dinelson Lamet (San Diego) struck out 12 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Arizona)
Kevin Gausman (San Francisco) struck out 10 batters (on 8/14/2020 against Oakland)
Luis Robert (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2020 against St. Louis)
Yasmani Grandal (Chicago (CWS)) had 5 hits (on 8/15/2020 against St. Louis)
Ross Stripling (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 12 batters (on 8/15/2020 against St. Louis)
Aaron Nola (Philadelphia) struck out 12 batters (on 8/15/2020 against New York (NYM))
Max Fried (Atlanta) struck out 10 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Miami)
Tyler Alexander (Detroit) struck out 10 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Cleveland)
Chad Kuhl (Pittsburgh) struck out 14 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Cincinnati)
Tejay Antone (Cincinnati) struck out 11 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Alex Cobb (Baltimore) struck out 10 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Washington)
Nelson Cruz (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2020 against Kansas City)
Danny Duffy (Kansas City) struck out 17 batters (on 8/15/2020 against Minnesota)
Kansas City and Minnesota played 14.5 innings on 8/15/2020
Ramon Laureano (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2020 against San Francisco)
Greg Garcia (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2020 against Arizona)
Zac Gallen (Arizona) struck out 18 batters (on 8/15/2020 against San Diego)
Dominic Smith (New York (NYM)) struck out 5 times (on 8/16/2020 against Philadelphia)
Michael Conforto (New York (NYM)) struck out 5 times (on 8/16/2020 against Philadelphia)
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) had 5hits (on 8/16/2020 against New York (NYM))
Phil Gosselin (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against New York (NYM))
Zach Eflin (Philadelphia) struck out 12 batters (on 8/16/2020 against New York (NYM))
Pedro Severino (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Washington)
Chance Sisco (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Washington)
Anibal Sanchez (Washington) struck out 15 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Baltimore)
Alex Jackson (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Miami)
Grant Dayton (Atlanta) struck out 11 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Miami)
Nick Markakis (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Miami)
Humberto Mejia (Miami) struck out 26 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Atlanta)
Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Detroit)
Nick Senzel (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Ryan McBroom (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Minnesota)
Devin Smeltzer (Minnesota) struck out 14 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Kansas City)
Steven Souza Jr. (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Milwaukee)
Josh Lindblom (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Ryan Castellani (Colorado) struck out 10 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Texas)
Edwin Rios (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Anaheim)
Griffin Canning (Anaheim) struck out 10 batters (on 8/16/2020 against Los Angeles)
Victor Robles (New York (NYY)) struck out 4 times (on 8/16/2020 against Boston)

Opening day newsletter! Games through 8-9-20

Hey! ALL THIRTY teams submitted lineups this week! That’s AWESOME and I’m overwhelmed by the reaction to this short, strange season.

Jon Lester threw a perfect game for the Cubs against the Cardinals on 8-9-20!

NEWCOMERS!!!

We may ask Michael Mendoza to submit to a performance-enhancing drug test; his Pirates finished 4 games over the actual club and logged 7 wins overall. Steve Clemmons also had 7 wins and managed an unholy mess unprecedented in this league, so hanging tough in that situation is no small accomplishment. Pat Walsh’s Tigers and Gary Ruud’s Giants both did at least as well as my Mets, although that turned out to be a pretty low bar this week.

BIG STORIES

The Braves raced out the to best record in NL, with Washington right on their heels with a better WOR…Colorado is hot in real life and hot in the ASFBL…The Cubs are in first place even though they are 0-3 in 1-run games…Baltimore is killing it in the AL! +3 WOR and first place in the AL East…returning champ Steve Skrovan of Cleveland is 11-6 but a game behind Minnesota…Jim Casey has Houston being Houston and in first place…Leo’s Chisox are markedly good in 1-run games…the NL west has some crazy scheduling issues, so Colorado is in first but has played 8 games outside the division; the Padres are looking strong this year and have played every game in the division…Aaron Judge leads the ASFBL with 13 homers; Tatis Jr. has 12 in the NL…Mike Soroka leads the ASFBL with a 3-0 record, which makes it a bummer for the Braves that he’s out for the rest of the year…and that start-of-season DL-free scheme seems to have worked out well in this case…

TECHNICALITIES

The wild card standings are obviously off, but I’m not gonna re-code those for the 16-team playoff format experiment until that becomes permanent…We can’t re-run the games, but if you see something amiss in the boxscores let me know…the normal “feats and failures” section won’t be here this week because I can’t figure out where it got stored, but for week 1 those are largely similar to the seasonal totals.

ASFBL newsletter for 7-26-20/Preseason for COVIDball

NEW BLOOD
Thanks to Leo for introducing Gary; this year we have four new owners!

• Gary Ruud — Giants
• Pat Walsh — Tigers
• Steve Clemmons — Marlins
• Michael Mendoza — Pirates

DRY RUN/SPRING TRAINING
As of now, the website has been updated with all 2020 owner information, the stats have been reset, and we are ready to replay the first week of 2019 season on the new sim engine (see below).  I hope that you can log in and enter a lineup/rotation by MONDAY NIGHT, and when I get up Tuesday I’ll run the games.  This is a dry run/spring training exercise.  It is to test the logins and basic functions.  Also, we want to test the new sim engine — it worked reasonably well last year but I rolled it out without time to debug it so we stuck with the old one for last year.  PLEASE review the box scores/play-by-play and let me know if you see anything amiss.   You don’t need to enter trades or worry about waivers; just take the lineup that’s in there for the end of 2019, get yourself up to speed, and make sure everything works.  This will use last year’s rules.

Pending that, we’ll run games on Friday using this year’s stats and this year’s rules. 

HOW TO PLAY FOR THE NEWCOMERS
IF YOU ARE NEW to the league: Go to the newsletter page (https://asfblblog.wordpress.com/) and the most important thing is to click on the “How to enter lineups — week 2” link on the right-hand side.  You can also click on the about/rules/technical info links if you want background reading.  If you don’t, the best advice is to just put together the best lineup/rotation/bullpen you can based on real stats, and the only trick to figure out is the “adjustments to reality,” which is in that documentation.
As soon as I send this I’ll send you your password, which is all you need to log in.  Also, I’ll post this on newsletter page, which is where most of the league announcements will show up.

RULES AND WHATNOT

We’ll use the DH in both leagues (to Adam Symonds’ delight and over my grevious objections), the extra-runner in extra-innings rule, and the 3-batter minimum rule. Obviously, we won’t use AAA players this year since there aren’t any, and I’m looking into how difficult it would be to change the roster sizes on the fly.  August 31 is the trade deadline. We will use the new 16-team playoff format.  As always, the stands will be packed with digital fans, and they look less cheesy than the greenscreened ones that show up on the Dodger broadcasts.  Those are just creepy.

Also the no arguing rule, so if anyone gets in Leo’s face without a mask you go on quarantine for 14 days 🙂  Shout out to OC resident Shohei Ohtani, who became the first player in major league history on second base to start the 10th and, 3 minutes later the first to get caught between second and third right before the next hitter nailed a single.

CONTACT INFO

Still updating the google list (we have to use that because some email sites block the email our site generates), so until then log in, click on “owners and emails,” and you can find the email of anyone you want.  To send a league-wide email, copy and paste the list from the box at the bottom.

SIM ENGINE INFO/TAKING THE PLUNGE
We had been running off of a Microsoft Access database with constant uploading and downloading from might laptop.  We switched to running of a mysql database that is updated and runs on the server, which was way better.  But, my laptop still ran the games and kept connecting back and forth with the server.  The new sim engine runs on the server so there’s no upload and downloading.  The main new features are play-by-play info and some more unusual but realistic events (runners getting picked off, etc.).  It should be more stable, automatically backed up, etc.  We can also now archive individual player stats to answer questions like “who has the most ASFBL HR in a season?,” etc.  The play-by-play will eventually be a button you can use to watch the games unfold without knowing the results, but for now it’s just a dump to review so you can see all the logic the computer is using.

But, the main thing was that last year if the new sim didn’t work we could just jump back to the old one.  This year there are a bunch of rules changes that I don’t think I can maintain in the offline software and the online software, so we are full-steam-ahead, don’t-look-back on the new sim engine.  I’m hoping the short season is the right time to do this, since everything is a little whacked anyway.

Think that’s it; looking forward to doing the short season with you!  It’s still weird, but I’m finding it comforting to have box scores to wake up to and games to watch on TV.

WORLD SERIES 2019

It looked like a sweep…Cleveland took the first 3 games and beat up Washington pitching, scoring 6 or more in each game.  But the Nationals still had fight in them, and with their backs to the wall overcame a 3-1 first-inning deficit in game 4 to win 5-4 on an unearned run off of Oliver Perez.  Patrick Corbin shut down the Indian bats in game 5 and beat Gerrit Cole 4-1.  The series was decided in an epic pitcher’s duel, with Strasberg and Clevinger each pitching 9 shutout innings.  Jordan Luplow tripled in Carlos Santana in the top of the 11th and Brad Hand pitched a perfect bottom of the inning to seal the series for the Tribe.

Congratulations to new champion Steve Skrovan!  Steve is in his 9th season and its obvious he’s getting the hang of it, having made the playoffs each of the past 4 years.  There’s no doubt he just straight up made a very good team better this year, and this season is proof that the 162-game schedule is a marathon and not a sprint, since many of his early trades seemed like they would really pay off but it wasn’t until the last week of the season that he finally hit positive WOR territory and then he was perfectly positioned for the postseason.  In an era of openers Steve just put together a really good starting rotation.  My only regret about Steve’s season is not calling his team the Unreasonable Men on player’s weekend.  It’s been great having you in the league, Steve, and it’s a comfort that there are guys like you out there trying to make the world a better place.  Congratulations, champ!

Andy Somers has been a joy to have in the league since he joined in 2010.  He has a record Billy Bean or Theo Epstein would envy; he’s never missed the playoffs, he’s won the World Series 3 times, he took the top WOR spot in his second season, he’s never had a losing record, he’s had 90+ wins seven times.  He’s always open to a good trade, he’s always got a quick joke and upbeat demeanor, he asks the right questions and is one of the most collaboratively-minded guys you could want.  Congrats on another fantastic season, Andy, and I can’t wait to see the team you pull together next year.

That’s a wrap on the season, and thanks to all the ASFBLers who make this endeavor one of the highlights of my week every week!

2019 LCS results are in!

CLEVELAND ADVANCES IN FIVE

Gerrit Cole beat Randy Dobnak in game 5, and nobody chanted anything about a ride sharing service…six starters had multiple-hit games for the Tribe, and Steve Skrovan’s revamped roster came through to get him to his first ASFBL World Series appearance.

Tim Walsh is finishing his 21st ASFBL season and other than a single season has made the entire run with the Twins….this campaign marked his third divisional title and second LCS appearance…his 96 wins this season were just one shy of his all-time mark in 2002…sometimes content to watch his favorite team unfold, Tim was an active trader this year and pulled off 9 different trades with 5 different clubs…a quintessential nice guy and midwestern Dad, Tim brings an affability to the table that makes him a pleasure to have in the league…congrats on two decades of fun capped off with a terrific season!

WASHINGTON ADVANCES IN EPIC 7-GAME CAMPAIGN

Having gone down 3-1 in the series, the Cubs fought heroically to even the series when Hendricks beat Strasburg 2-1 on a Mike Trout RBI…the decisive 7th game took 11 innings to decide, when the Nats finally took a lead on their second solo shot of the game and Keone Kela worked a hitless inning for the save…

Gordon has been in the league since 1994 and this is his 11th playoff appearance….he’s finished in the top-10 WOR 5 times, and has won over 1,800 ASFBL games…after running the Tigers for a decade this is his third campaign with the Cubs, all three have been winning seasons, and this is the second time he’s skippered them to the playoffs.  Part of the Leckie Dynasty and Ben’s Dad, he always strikes the right balance between doing well and having fun.  Here’s looking forward to next year with you, Gordon!

Newsletter for 2019 DCS

WASHINGTON IN 5

The mighty Dodgers hit a rough spot at the wrong time.  After James Paxton out-dueled, ironically, Kenda Maeda for a slim 2-0 win in game 4, Patrick Corbin pitched better in real life and out of the rotation for the Nationals.  Juan Soto had 6 RBI in the decisive game.

There aren’t enough accolades for Rick Wynne…lifetime 60%+ win percent…all-time ASFBL leader in wins (300 ahead of Leo)…in the playoffs every year since 2001…three time series champ…fifteen 100-win seasons, including each of the last 5…there’s no doubt he knows this game better than I do without the benefit of having written the code…and more than that, he’s a class act all around, gracious in victory and in tough times, and always quick with an encouraging word or hearty congratulations.  You are the ASFBL, Rick, and it’s always an honor to play with you.

CUBS SWEEP

After taking the first 3 games in the series by a total of 4 runs, and having both teams score at least 5 runs in what looked like a slugfest, Cole Hamels and Rowan Wick combined on a 1-run gem in the final game to seal out the series.

Danny has been in the league since 2006 and this is his sixth playoff appearance…tack on to that three top-10 WOR performances….this year marked his third NL East divisional title and his third with the Braves after taking the Phillies to the playoffs in 2009 and 2011…he pulled off 10 trades this year, and it’s notable that he was making moves with other teams that made the playoffs , and his May 7th acquisition of Will Smith really seems prescient…Danny always quietly goes about his business, stays active, puts a great team on the field, and is nothing but pleasant to work and interact with…it’s been a great decade and change with you around, Danny, and here’s hoping it will be at least 10 years more!

CLEVELAND ROARS BACK

After dropping 2 of the first 3 in the series, the Tribe showed they meant business by taking game 4 by a 9-1 count…the next two games were both offensive-heavy and 1-run affairs, with Boston scoring the decisive run in the 9th inning of game 5 and surviving Garret Cole giving up 10 runs to win game 6 by a narrow 11-10 count…without the 1 bad loss the total series score was 29-30.

Tony was our defending champ and coming off a second straight great season…he’d been to the World Series twice before winning it all last year and this is his 9th playoff appearance overall…he’s managed Boston, Oakland, and Los Angeles and had 10 straight even-or-better WOR years between 2007 and 2016, including a +28 in 2012…he is one of the truly funny human beings on this planet, and in the midst of some tough health issues this year he’s spread his wit and wisdom throughout the league.  Great season, Tony, and there are 29 of us cheering for your health to turn around.

TWINS AND ASTROS GO THE DISTANCE

The Twins took a commanding 3-1 series lead before the Astros found themselves to even the series at 3 apiece…a 7-run second inning and 3.67 shutout bullpen innings from Alcala won the series for the Twinkies….and you gotta cheer for Tim Walsh, who is in the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and in the LCS for the first time since 2008.

Jim Casey has a run that goes back to 1995, back-to-back World Series appearance in 2010 and 2011, and a World Championship in that latter year…he had two top-2 WOR finishes between 2000 and 2002, and is in his third consecutive year of the playoffs…always a mover-and-shaker and active trader, you can count on Jim to be among the league leaders in total trades and impactful ones…you bring a lot to table every year, Jim, and it’s been a great two decades with you!

UP NEXT

We’ll replay the NL East and the AL Central during the League Championship Series…down to the final four!  Danny has put together back-to-back 99 win seasons and challenges former champ Andy as the higher seed…the AL will have a newcomer to the World Series, as neither Steve nor Tim has been to the fall classic before…good luck, guys!

Wild card series

ASFBL wildcard series go 5 games, not 1.  Here are the results:

CLEVELAND vs. TAMPA BAY

Game #1 went to Cleveland on the road, 6-5.  Beiber beat Glasnow, with each starter charged with all the runs.  Hand got a 2-inning save, and Blackmon had a homer and 3 RBI.  Tampa took game #2 9-8, with nobody pitching very well until Pagan pitched a scoreless 9th for the save.  Adames and Choi each homered and had 3 RBI.  Game #3 was in Cleveland and decisive; an 8-8 tie made it until the 15th inning when Cleveland won on a 2-run homer.  Aging Oliver Perez turned in 5 innings in relief.  With every game a 1-run nail biter or extra-innings, the floodgates finally broke open in game 4 with Cleveland scoring 11 and Clevinger going the distance and only allowing one run.  Going into game 4, 2 runs separated the teams over 33 innings.

Alan Minsky finishes his second year with his second playoff appearance and his second winning season.  He’s finished in positive WOR territory both times, and he seems to relish the role of the small-market underdog team.  He spends his daytime hours keeping a public radio station afloat in LA, which is truly David throwing stones at the media Goliaths out west, and keeps his head up doing work that I find inspirational.  It’s been a great 2 years for him and I hope he has many more to come.

WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA

Washington took advantage of the home field and put up 14 runs in game 1 to overcome a shaky start by Corbin; 4 hitters pitched in home runs to drive up the tally.  Game 2 was, in sharp contrast, a pitching duel, and Strasberg out-did Grienke.  Dozier powered the offense with a homer and Kela logged a 2-inning save.  The DBacks wouldn’t go quietly and chased Scherzer after 3 innings with 6 runs, with Wilmer Flores going 4-4 and Christian Walker tacking on a home run.  Washington got to Robbie Ray in game #4, and Jimmy Cordero pitched 3 perfect innings to seal the series.

Ben is the youngest a member of the Leckie Dynasty that includes his uncle, Dad, and in the distant past, Grandmother Jean.  He’s never had a losing season (wow) and is finishing his 5th consecutive year in the playoffs…he was the 2017 WOR league-wide champion and is in his 4th wildcard series.  All that is a darned impressive performance in a league populated by media success stories, lawyers, and professors.  Great having you in the ASFBL family, Ben!

We’ll ask for the DCS lineups tomorrow, and hopefully have them run by Monday.

Good luck to the final 8!