Newsletter for games through 4-30-2017

NO-HITTER!  Ian Kennedy of KCR threw a no-hitter against MIN on 4/29/2017…Byron Buxton walked and stole second, but that’s as far as any Twin got…Kennedy struck out 12 and walked 2…Kennedy’s real and fantasy WHIP are both under 1…and as more bad news for the rest of the league, he’s still due to adjust downward…

COMMENTARY: In the NL, it was all about the Phils, Braves, DBacks, and Dodgers, all of whom had at least 5 wins….Braves went an ASFBL-best 6-0…congrats to Danny Wildes…DBacks are +1 WOR over a very good actual club…Joel Rollins has the Padres on an even keel, dead even with the actual club after a month in the league…in the AL the Yanks and Toronto were collectively 10-3 in a loud announcement that it’s early in the season and they are capable of winning some ball games…White Sox went 5-1 to move to within a game of the AL Central lead…Jim Casey’s Astros went 5-1 to move into first in the AL west by 2 games…my digital Mets officially announce that we are replacing our bullpen with an emergency room…Kansas City has 3 players with 10 or more homers…5 trades involving 6 teams this week…Mike Trout leads the league with 6 triples…Miguel Sano is having a season both on the field and in the computer…he logged a 3-HR game this week…Ervin Santana and Anderson Chase are #1 and #2 in ASFBL ERA…Santana also leads the league in WHIP…Matt Barnes of Boston has allowed none of the 10 inherited runners to score this year…nobody has fewer of the former or more of the latter…Archie Bradley has had 2 actual seasons with a plus-5.00 ERA, but his actual ERA is 1.13 so far this year and he leads the ASFBL in saves…when Arizona lures Rick Wynne out of retirement to manage the actual club it will be a big boost to his career…Piitsburgh Pirates lead the ASFBL in team ERA…Anaheim leads the AL in runs scored…

FEATS AND FAILURES:

Tim Beckham of TBR struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/24/2017
Steven Souza of TBR struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/24/2017
TBR and BAL played 17.5 innings on 4/24/2017
Gio Gonzalez of WAS struck out 4 times against COL on 4/24/2017
Dwight Smith of TOR had 5 hits against STL on 4/25/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 11 strikeouts against ATL on 4/25/2017
Brandon Moss of KCR hit 3 home runs against CWS on 4/25/2017
Brandon Moss of KCR had 6 RBI against CWS on 4/25/2017
Chris Sale of BOS had 14 strikeouts against NYY on 4/25/2017
Zack Greinke of ARI had 13 strikeouts against SDP on 4/25/2017
KCR and CWS played 14.5 innings on 4/26/2017
Miguel Sano of MIN hit 3 home runs against TEX on 4/26/2017
Miguel Sano of MIN had 8 RBI against TEX on 4/26/2017
Jacob Faria of TBR had 16 strikeouts against BAL on 4/26/2017
Trevor Cahill of SDP had 12 strikeouts against ARI on 4/26/2017
Yulieski Gurriel of HOU had 5 hits against CLE on 4/26/2017
George Springer of HOU struck out 4 times against CLE on 4/27/2017
Ariel Miranda of SEA had 10 strikeouts against DET on 4/27/2017
Eduardo Rodriguez of BOS had 13 strikeouts against NYY on 4/27/2017
Matt Cain of SFG had 13 strikeouts against LAD on 4/27/2017
Cody Bellinger of LAD struck out 4 times against SFG on 4/27/2017
Miguel Sano of MIN hit 3 home runs against KCR on 4/28/2017
Antonio Senzatela of COL struck out 4 times against ARI on 4/28/2017
Kris Bryant of CHC struck out 4 times against BOS on 4/28/2017
Luis Severino of NYY had 10 strikeouts against BAL on 4/28/2017
Chris Davis of BAL struck out 4 times against NYY on 4/28/2017
Buck Farmer of COL had 12 strikeouts against ARI on 4/29/2017
Domingo Santana of MIL robbed 3 hits against ATL on 4/29/2017
Gregory Polanco of PIT struck out 4 times against MIA on 4/29/2017
Nomar Mazara of TEX struck out 4 times against LAA on 4/29/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 11 strikeouts against WAS on 4/30/2017
Mike Leake of STL had 14 strikeouts against CIN on 4/30/2017
Mark Reynolds of COL struck out 4 times against ARI on 4/30/2017
Dallas Keuchel of HOU had 10 strikeouts against OAK on 4/30/2017
Matthew Joyce of OAK struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/30/2017

Newsletter for games through 4/23/2017

FOR THE RECORD: Chuck Ballingall points out that the Dodgers didn’t just play in the 24-inning game, they played in a 14-inning game last week too…Johnny Mac suggested the rumor that the code will soon have runner’s starting on second base during extra inning games….it’s that or the Bug Selig All-Star game tie…or maybe we just leave it the way it is…

FULL SALE AHEAD: Chris Sale struck out 21 on April 19…Devon Travis broke up the no-hitter with the only opposition base-knock…the only Bosock not to get a hit in the game was #9 hitter Dustin Pedroia…at least he wasn’t beaned…

TECH UPDATE: If the “file in use” error persists this week we’ll switch to a new web host…let me know if it happens to you…and for the record, the problem was not (a) a permissions error (b) a web configuration file conflict (c) that we’d been hacked, or (d) a connection left open due to sloppy coding, all of which were the help line suggestions.  By process of elimination, I blame the designated hitter rule.  Maybe instant replay.

COMMENTS: After a considerable digital rain delay the action was fast and furious…Tampa Bay cooled off some with a 3-4 week but still hung onto the top spot in the AL East…they are still a solid +3 WOR…Minnesota made a big move in the central by going 5-2, and is now +3.5 WOR….Josh Clark and his Royals still hold the top spot…and the best WOR in the AL…the Suzuiki (CSUF alum)-for-Butera trade might have been bigger than it apppeared…everyone in the AL West is within 2 games of .500 and the Mariners, Astros, and A’s are all tied for first at 10-10…Houston went 5-2 to be the big mover in the division….Philly tied for the best record in the NL East at 4-2 and Atlanta is +2 WOR…don’t think my Mets will be playing .737 all year…tip of the cap to Chris Zewiske, who has the Brewers in first place and with the best WOR in the NL central…Giants have the only positive WOR in the NL West, but the DBacks and Rockies had really good weeks…Padres have come back to earth a little bit but, with no trades, are holding at an even WOR….Royals have a team ERA of 2.83…that’s a run a game lower than 13 other teams…boy, does Kurt Suzuki make a difference in his handling of the pitching staff…Pittsburg is tops in the NL at 3.13…Five teams have bullpens that have yet to allow an inherited runner to score…Angels have had the most opportunities, stranding 19 baserunners…Thames was a fantasy Met 5 years ago…DBacks and Cubs have each had 9 saves and are tied for the league lead…Baltimore and Washington lead the power ratings in their leagues, so expect upward movement from them in the near future…Baltimore has the best actual ERA….Brewers have the most actual HR…Tampa Bay has the best actual fielding…Freddie Freedman of Atlanta was 11-22 last week…Pittsburgh has 2 of the 6 most accurate pitchers; Rivera and Taillon each have only 1 walk in more than 19 inningss…

FEATS AND FAILURES;

Miguel Gonzalez of CWS had 16 strikeouts against NYY on 4/17/2017
Wil Myers of SDP hit 3 home runs against ATL on 4/17/2017
Wil Myers of SDP had 6 RBI against ATL on 4/17/2017
Michael Wacha of STL had 14 strikeouts against PIT on 4/17/2017
Josh Bell of PIT had 7 RBI against STL on 4/18/2017
Mike Foltynewicz of ATL had 12 strikeouts against WAS on 4/18/2017
Max Scherzer of WAS had 12 strikeouts against ATL on 4/18/2017
Ervin Santana of MIN had 11 strikeouts against CLE on 4/18/2017
Byron Buxton of MIN struck out 4 times against CLE on 4/18/2017
CLE and MIN played 13.5 innings on 4/18/2017
Luis Severino of NYY had 12 strikeouts against CWS on 4/18/2017
Robert Gsellman of NYM had 10 strikeouts against PHI on 4/19/2017
Wade Miley of CIN had 13 strikeouts against BAL on 4/19/2017
Manny Machado of BAL struck out 4 times against CIN on 4/19/2017
Chris Davis of BAL struck out 4 times against CIN on 4/19/2017
Jonathan Schoop of BAL struck out 5 times against CIN on 4/19/2017
Zack Cozart of CIN struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/19/2017
BAL and CIN played 16.5 innings on 4/19/2017
Corey Kluber of CLE had 11 strikeouts against MIN on 4/19/2017
Brandon Guyer of CLE had 6 RBI against MIN on 4/19/2017
Chris Sale of BOS had 21 strikeouts against TOR on 4/19/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 12 strikeouts against PHI on 4/20/2017
Michael Saunders of PHI struck out 4 times against NYM on 4/20/2017
Kole Calhoun of LAA struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/20/2017
Zack Greinke of ARI had 11 strikeouts against SDP on 4/20/2017
Jason Vargas of KCR had 17 strikeouts against TEX on 4/20/2017
Carlos Martinez of STL had 11 strikeouts against MIL on 4/20/2017
Jonathan Villar of MIL struck out 4 times against STL on 4/20/2017
STL and MIL played 14.5 innings on 4/20/2017
Trevor Cahill of SDP had 12 strikeouts against MIA on 4/21/2017
J.T. Riddle of MIA struck out 4 times against SDP on 4/21/2017
Lance Lynn of STL had 15 strikeouts against MIL on 4/21/2017
Francisco Liriano of TOR had 10 strikeouts against LAA on 4/21/2017
Cameron Rupp of PHI struck out 4 times against ATL on 4/21/2017
Eduardo Rodriguez of BOS had 11 strikeouts against BAL on 4/21/2017
Marco Estrada of COL had 12 strikeouts against SFG on 4/21/2017
Trevor Story of SFG struck out 4 times against COL on 4/21/2017
Avisail Garcia of CWS had 5 hits against CLE on 4/22/2017
Michael Wacha of STL had 10 strikeouts against MIL on 4/22/2017
Yoenis Cespedes of NYM hit 3 home runs against WAS on 4/22/2017
Corey Seager of LAD had 6 RBI against ARI on 4/22/2017
Hector Santiago of MIN had 10 strikeouts against DET on 4/22/2017
Mike Foltynewicz of ATL had 10 strikeouts against PHI on 4/23/2017
Carlos Carrasco of CLE had 11 strikeouts against CWS on 4/23/2017
Yu Darvish of TEX had 10 strikeouts against KCR on 4/23/2017

Opening Day!

LIGHTNING STRIKING TWICE!

Dallas Keuchel of the Astros threw a no-hitter against the Royals on 4/8/2017…liking the idea, Jason Vargas of the Royals followed suit against Oakland on 4/10/2017…Vargas had 15 strikeouts…an error by Salvador Perez prevented a perfect game…

OBSERVATIONS, TRENDS AND TREATS:

Dust off the digital bunting, the ASFBL season is underway…Tampa Bay is the big news in the AL, finishing +4 WOR to lead the league in that stat….KC and Texas each checked in at +2…Anaheim managed to hang on to first longer than the actual club, also on the strength of a +1 WOR…as you might expect this early in the year, the Rays, Royals, and Angels are all leading their division with a positive WOR…Cubs are really doing it in the NL with +3…newcomer Joel Rollins bested the actual Padres by 1 in his first week in the league…the AL central balances its collective WOR to a perfect zero, and I think that’s the only division where that’s true…The Angles have scored the most runs, and by a lot…They have 72 and only two other teams have more than 60…Minnesota is squeezed in the middle of the pack in that category, having scored 49 runs, one behind Texas and one ahead of Baltimore…but Texas and Baltimore have 23 and 24 homers respectively, and the Twinks have a mere 6…best in that regard may be the Bosox, who have only 9 homers but are 7th in the league in scoring….Cubs are doing it with pitching; they’re 26th in runs scored…but lead the league in stolen bases…Reds are second with 10…Rockie fielders have robbed 30 hits already, tops in the league…on the Cub theme, they have more saves than anyone in the league…in related news, they also have Ardolis Chapman…Chsae Headley of the the Yanks leads the league with a .431 average and is almost 50 points ahead of second place…Khris Davis (a CSUF alum) had 9 homers in the ASFBL…his power is due to cool off, but he’s also hitting 40 points below his actual average and projects to hit .440 next week…he has as many or more homers than 7 other teams…my Mets did well out of the gate, but I think that was mostly because the actual club had some extra-inning games to buy the bullpen some breathing room and because Cespedes spread out his homers more in the fantasy realm…it’s early, but it will be fun to watch Rick and Leo compete in the NL west…early returns put Wynne up by a half game…Thank for everyone…if you have any nose for the unusual, check out the Minnesota/KC game on April 6….all 24 innings of it….and they only matched the duel of the Padres and Dodgers on April 23, which also had a 21st inning stretch…

Thanks to all for a really fun first week, and I appreciate your patience with the opening-day hurdles.

FEATS AND FAILURES:

James Paxton of SEA had 12 strikeouts against HOU on 4/3/2017
Nelson Cruz of SEA struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/3/2017
Corey Seager of LAD struck out 4 times against SDP on 4/3/2017
Yasiel Puig of LAD had 5 hits against SDP on 4/3/2017
Ryan Schimpf of SDP struck out 4 times against LAD on 4/3/2017
SDP and LAD played 24.5 innings on 4/3/2017
Kirk Nieuwenhuis of MIL struck out 4 times against COL on 4/3/2017
COL and MIL played 17.5 innings on 4/3/2017
Gio Gonzalez of WAS had 12 strikeouts against MIA on 4/3/2017
Robinson Cano of SEA robbed 3 hits against HOU on 4/4/2017
Tyler Chatwood of COL had 12 strikeouts against MIL on 4/5/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 11 strikeouts against ATL on 4/5/2017
Tim Beckham of TBR struck out 4 times against NYY on 4/5/2017
James Paxton of SEA had 12 strikeouts against HOU on 4/3/2017
Nelson Cruz of SEA struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/3/2017
Chris Sale of BOS had 10 strikeouts against PIT on 4/3/2017
Corey Seager of LAD struck out 4 times against SDP on 4/3/2017
Yasiel Puig of LAD had 5 hits against SDP on 4/3/2017
Ryan Schimpf of SDP struck out 4 times against LAD on 4/3/2017
SDP and LAD played 24.5 innings on 4/3/2017
Kirk Nieuwenhuis of MIL struck out 4 times against COL on 4/3/2017
COL and MIL played 17.5 innings on 4/3/2017
Gio Gonzalez of WAS had 12 strikeouts against MIA on 4/3/2017
Robinson Cano of SEA robbed 3 hits against HOU on 4/4/2017
Tyler Chatwood of COL had 12 strikeouts against MIL on 4/5/2017
Tim Beckham of TBR struck out 4 times against NYY on 4/5/2017
James Paxton of SEA had 12 strikeouts against HOU on 4/3/2017
Nelson Cruz of SEA struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/3/2017
Corey Seager of LAD struck out 4 times against SDP on 4/3/2017
Yasiel Puig of LAD had 5 hits against SDP on 4/3/2017
Ryan Schimpf of SDP struck out 4 times against LAD on 4/3/2017
Kirk Nieuwenhuis of MIL struck out 4 times against COL on 4/3/2017
COL and MIL played 17.5 innings on 4/3/2017
Gio Gonzalez of WAS had 12 strikeouts against MIA on 4/3/2017
Robinson Cano of SEA robbed 3 hits against HOU on 4/4/2017
Tyler Chatwood of COL had 12 strikeouts against MIL on 4/5/2017
Tim Beckham of TBR struck out 4 times against NYY on 4/5/2017
Tyler Moore of MIA struck out 4 times against WAS on 4/5/2017
Lorenzo Cain of KCR had 7 hits against MIN on 4/6/2017
Alcides Escobar of KCR had 5 hits against MIN on 4/6/2017
Byron Buxton of MIN struck out 5 times against KCR on 4/6/2017
Rajai Davis of OAK robbed 3 hits against LAA on 4/6/2017
Ichiro Suzuki of MIA struck out 4 times against NYM on 4/7/2017
Jacoby Ellsbury of NYY had 6 hits against BAL on 4/7/2017
Kyle Schwarber of NYY struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/7/2017
Max Scherzer of WAS struck out 4 times against PHI on 4/7/2017
Carlos Gonzalez of COL robbed 3 hits against LAD on 4/7/2017
Clayton Kershaw of LAD had 12 strikeouts against COL on 4/8/2017
Kyle Schwarber of NYY struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/8/2017
Noah Syndergaard of NYM had 12 strikeouts against MIA on 4/8/2017
Julio Teheran of ATL had 12 strikeouts against PIT on 4/8/2017
Jameson Taillon of PIT had 18 strikeouts against ATL on 4/8/2017
Tyler Flowers of ATL struck out 5 times against PIT on 4/8/2017
Adam Frazier of PIT struck out 4 times against ATL on 4/8/2017
ATL and PIT played 15.5 innings on 4/8/2017
Ervin Santana of MIN had 15 strikeouts against CWS on 4/8/2017
Matt Davidson of CWS struck out 4 times against MIN on 4/8/2017
Robbie Grossman of MIN struck out 4 times against CWS on 4/8/2017
Brian Dozier of MIN struck out 4 times against CWS on 4/8/2017
MIN and CWS played 16.5 innings on 4/8/2017
James Paxton of SEA had 12 strikeouts against LAA on 4/8/2017
Alcides Escobar of KCR robbed 3 hits against HOU on 4/9/2017
Brandon Moss of KCR struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/9/2017
Chris Sale of BOS had 13 strikeouts against DET on 4/9/2017
Justin Upton of DET struck out 4 times against BOS on 4/9/2017
Logan Morrison of TBR struck out 4 times against TOR on 4/9/2017
LAD and CHC played 14.5 innings on 4/10/2017
Jason Vargas of KCR had 15 strikeouts against OAK on 4/10/2017
Jed Lowrie of OAK struck out 4 times against KCR on 4/10/2017
Michael Pineda of NYY had 11 strikeouts against TBR on 4/10/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 15 strikeouts against PHI on 4/10/2017
Jerad Eickhoff of PHI had 11 strikeouts against NYM on 4/10/2017
Chris Davis of BAL struck out 4 times against BOS on 4/11/2017
Chris Young of BOS struck out 4 times against BAL on 4/11/2017
BAL and BOS played 14.5 innings on 4/11/2017
Byron Buxton of MIN struck out 4 times against DET on 4/11/2017
Jason Castro of MIN struck out 4 times against DET on 4/11/2017
R.A. Dickey of ATL had 11 strikeouts against MIA on 4/11/2017
Ian Kennedy of KCR had 10 strikeouts against OAK on 4/12/2017
Jesse Hahn of OAK had 14 strikeouts against KCR on 4/12/2017
Bartolo Colon of ATL struck out 4 times against MIA on 4/12/2017
Chris Devenski of HOU had 15 strikeouts against SEA on 4/12/2017
Nelson Cruz of SEA struck out 4 times against HOU on 4/12/2017
Chase Anderson of MIL had 11 strikeouts against TOR on 4/12/2017
Max Scherzer of WAS had 15 strikeouts against STL on 4/12/2017
Hector Santiago of MIN had 13 strikeouts against DET on 4/12/2017
Chris Davis of BAL struck out 4 times against TOR on 4/13/2017
Noah Syndergaard of NYM had 14 strikeouts against MIA on 4/13/2017
Ichiro Suzuki of MIA struck out 4 times against NYM on 4/13/2017
Carlos Carrasco of CLE had 14 strikeouts against CWS on 4/13/2017
Clayton Kershaw of LAD had 12 strikeouts against CHC on 4/13/2017
Ervin Santana of MIN had 10 strikeouts against DET on 4/13/2017
Brad Miller of TBR struck out 4 times against NYY on 4/13/2017
Julio Teheran of ATL had 13 strikeouts against SDP on 4/14/2017
Salvador Perez of KCR hit 3 home runs against LAA on 4/14/2017
Chris Sale of BOS had 15 strikeouts against TBR on 4/14/2017
Adam Duvall of HOU struck out 4 times against OAK on 4/14/2017
Mike Leake of STL had 17 strikeouts against NYY on 4/14/2017
Jameson Taillon of PIT had 13 strikeouts against CHC on 4/14/2017
Jacob deGrom of NYM had 14 strikeouts against MIA on 4/15/2017
LAA and KCR played 14.5 innings on 4/15/2017
Logan Forsythe of LAD struck out 4 times against ARI on 4/16/2017
Evan Longoria of TBR struck out 4 times against BOS on 4/16/2017
Scott Feldman of BAL had 11 strikeouts against TOR on 4/16/2017

(Almost) opening day!

I think I’ve cracked the code for the new download formats, and we’re ready for a dry run. The purpose is for new folks to get a chance to test the system out, and returning veterans to find any leaks that have sprung over the winter months. I’ll update stuff tomorrow morning and you’ll have until Friday night to make changes. We’ll run the fake games on Saturday and do any debugging on Sunday.

Then we’ll erase all the results and roster changes and go live Monday; stats should go up relatively early in the day and the first lineup will be due next Tuesday, the 17th. More info to come on Monday.

Thanks to everyone for their patience so far; I’ll be able to get better turnaround on the emails once I’m not also working on the code. Our one-day spring training begins tomorrow!

Seattle to Cinderella: It’s midnight

The upstart Cardinals showed they weren’t backing down when they took game 1 of the series, but Seattle pitching held them to 1 run or fewer in 3 of the next 4 games….and in that other game the hitters managed to score 9 runs….Paxton sealed the deal with a complete game shutout…Robinson, Nelson, and Murphy hit 2 homers each for Seattle…the Cards have nothing to be ashamed of; their pitching held Mike Trout to a .077 average, no small feat…Peralta hit .381 and Holliday had 2 homers…

It was an incredibly run for Jeremy Moore…he’s been a fixture since 1998, and of his 3 lifetime playoff appearances two have been in the last 2 years and all have happened since 2013….this is his first World Series appearance, and he had to go through Chicago to do it…he leads the league in clever phrases submitted with his lineup confirmations and, as a sign of true love, had his fiancee confirm his final lineup…that relationship is going to last.  It’s been great having you in the league for so long and congrats on an excellent year!

Adam has done some incredible things in the league…finishing 43 games ahead of the actual Diamondbacks in 2004….+33 over Seattle in 2010…and he’s just finished back-to-back ASFBL World Championships…a good guy with a great mind and a close friend, you bring so much to the league I’m thankful you’re in it every year.

That’s a wrap on the season — thanks to everyone for keeping this a really fun year!

 

LCS results

SWEEPFUL IN SEATTLE:  After allowing only 2 runs in the first 18 innings, Seattle pitchers turned the series over the hitters who scored 7 a piece in the last 2 games.   Not giving up, Cleveland pushed the final game to 15 innings as both teams emptied their bullpens.  Trout and Seager were a combined 7-for-14 in the series.

Steve Skrovan is now batting .500 lifetime in his ASFBL playoff series; a Cleveland loyalist, he’s improved on their actual seasons in 3 of his 6 campaigns, and as a Dodger season ticket holder I’m willing to bet he’s pulling for an actual Cleveland-LA World Series.  Where he’ll cheer for the Indians from his seat at Dodger stadium.  Smart people tend to be better over time, and Steve just finished with his best season since joining in 2011.  We’d all like to think we’re trying to make the world a better place, and Steve is one of those guys who’s really doing that on a a daily basis.

THE WILDCARD THAT COULD: The road team won every game of the series before the Cardinals took game 6 at home, sealing the deal.  After beating Noah Syndergaard 1-0, the Cards teed-off on Robert Gsellman for 6 runs and tacked on 3 more against the bullpen.  Oh pitched 2 and 2/3rds innings for the save.

I won’t pat my own back, but given the depths I’d taken the Mets to the past few seasons I am pretty pleased with this run.  I was looking forward to having a chance to win the whole deal for the first time ever, but you just can’t fight the digital momentum that Jeremy has mustered or the run of the wildcard that could.

WORLD SERIES:  Gentlemen, please get me your lineups ASAP and send me an email when you’re ready and I’ll run ’em.  If you can get them in by tomorrow morning the season will be a wrap by tomorrow evening.  Best of luck to you both!

DCS results

CLEVELAND IN 7: After going up 2-1 and then down 3-2, the teams took to extremes and Cleveland won a slugfest 15-10 before taking the clincher 2-1.  Kipnis provided all the offense with a 2-run shot and Allen pitched a 2-inning save.   Steve Skrovan advances in his first ever playoff series!

Mark Chen has been in the league since 2004 and immediately made an impact by finishing +17 and then +20 WOR.  He has guided Baltimore in every campaign and made the playoffs each of the last 4 years.  He’s really got a great attitude and awesome sense of humor.

SEATTLE SNEAKS PAST BOSTON:  In the second 7-game series decided by 1 run in the last game, Seattle went up 3 games to 2 before David Price logged a 5-2 win.  The Mariners scored and won on 2 unearned runs in the 7th after having gone down 2-0.  In his last ever ASFBL game, David Ortiz went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice RBI.  He had 2 homers in the series.  Returning champ Adam Symonds moved one round closer to defending his title.

Tony B is one of the truly awesome people on the planet, quick with a joke, thoughtful, and always thinking of others.  One of his better seasons was 2012 when he finished +28 WOR, and after two down years with the Sox he got them back into the playoffs and just as far as the real club.  Enjoyed this season with him and really looking forward to having him back next year.

METS GET LUCKY: It took 7 games to decide the co-commisioner cup, with Colorado actually going up 3-1 in the series following a definitive 13-0 pounding of Logan Verrett.   But the Mets managed to hang in there and win a pair before clinching behind Seth Lugo; ironically, Carlos Gonzalez had 4 RBI in that final game.  On my quest for the first World Series title ever in a game I program, I’ve inched a step closer.

Leo is the heart and soul of the ASFBL, a level head, heckuva baseball fan, and one of my oldest, dearest friends.  He joined the league in 1994, which I think was the last time he finished behind in WOR with a -2.5.  By 1995 he was +29 (first in the league that year) and by 1996 was in the playoffs.    Since taking over Colorado 2 years ago he’s been at least +20 WOR every year and every year in the playoffs.  Great season, my man.

THE CURSE CONTINUES:  Jeremy Moore typed the phrase “BillyGoatBillyGoatBillyGoat” with every confirmation email he sent and the tact worked.  After the teams combined to score only 13 runs in the first 3 games, culminating in a 11-inning, 1-0 Cub win, the teams scored 29 in the next 2 games.  In the final game, the Reyes and Siegrist combined for a shutout and Matt Adams provided all the offense with a 2-run HR.  After making it to the DCS last year, Jeremy advances to the LCS for the first time ever!

I’m not gonna even try to come up with accolades for Rick Wynne.  Since joining in our second season in 1994 he’s won the World Series 3 times and been the runner-up 3 times.  He has never — I’ll repeat that figure — *never* finished in negative WOR.  He is the all-time ASFBL leader in wins, the all-time leader in winning percentage for owner with more than 1 season, and the all-time WOR leader by 135.  Holy Cow.  22 seasons.  Well done, Mr. Wynne.

NOTABLE DCS PERFORMANCES:

Tom Murphy of SEA hit 3 home runs against BOS on 10/17/2016
Chris Davis of BAL struck out 6 times against CLE on 10/19/2016
CLE and BAL played 17.5 innings on 10/19/2016
Tom Murphy of SEA had 6 RBI against BOS on 10/21/2016
Edgar Olmos of BAL had 14 strikeouts against CLE on 10/23/2016
Armando Rivero of CHC had 14 strikeouts against STL on 10/16/2016
Trey Mancini of BAL hit 3 home runs against CLE on 10/19/2016
DJ LeMahieu of COL had 5 hits against NYM on 10/19/2016
CHC and STL played 14.5 innings on 10/21/2016
STL and CHC played 13.5 innings on 10/19/2016

ON DECK:

LCS is next; Mets host Cards and Cleveland travels to Seattle.  Please enter the lineups by Thursday night and send me a quick confirmation when you’ve done so.  If everyone has their lineups in by tomorrow, we can run them a little earlier.