Our Dynasty Face to face league finished our SF Giants team won the world series in six and we are preparing the groundwork for a new season.
There will be a meeting at Zeda’s Pizza in Fitchburg MA today at noon any interested players are more than welcome.
Our draft will be November 14th again at Zedas. Depending on how many players we have there may be an expansion draft before the basic one. We will be playing with the 2019 season cards.
NOTE IF YOU WISH TO JOIN AS AN EXPANSION TEAM YOU NEED TO JOIN AND LET ME KNOW BY OCT 31st.
Additionally there are three online leagues that are either now or will be looking for players that I’m running.
Our 2nd season of the all pathetic league (all teams that lost at least 96 games) is now 12 games into a 162 game season, we play once a week (scheduled time Thursday 10 AM EST but you can reschedule at will) and there are currently 12 of 24 teams open. If you think you can take a bad team and make it the best of the bad we’d love to have you.
Our all time great league 2nd season is currently in playoffs in the league divisional round. By the rules of the league all playoff teams are retained for the next season and players who wish to keep their current teams may do so. But there are always openings and new teams that will be included. If you would like to manage a great team, either a playoff team that has been abandoned or a great team that is added in you are welcome to jump in. We will be reducing this league to once a week to make room for our third online league…
This will be the all mediocre league. This will consist of teams that finished with a record between two games under .500 & two games over .500 (in a 162 game season 80-82 – 82-80 in a 154 game season 73-75 – 75-73. Unlike the all pathetic league you will find a few starts on such teams and maybe more than an handful of HOF players in said league. Unlike the great teams league these are teams that were usually on the rise that hadn’t made it yet or good teams on the decline (or the teams like Connie Mack’s favorite the 4th place moneymakers)
It is more profitable for me to have a team that is in contention for most of the season but finishes about fourth. A team like that will draw well enough during the first part of the season to show a profit for the year, and you don’t have to give the players raises when they don’t win.
Connie Mack
This type of team would win about 60 games vs the all time greats (last season I demonstrated this when I accidentally put such a team the 2013 Diamondbacks in the ATG league instead of the 2001 team that I intended) and would dominate the all pathetic league. It will be interesting to see what they teams that are good enough to dominate bad teams and just good enough to put up a fight against great ones will do against each other.
These are the available teams by franchise
Orioles 57, 95, 15
Senators 67 Rangers 06
twins 73, 74
Yankees 71, 73
whitesox 74, 97, 98 .02
indians 75, 04, 08, 11, 15
Redsox 93
mariners 93
Brewers 96, 05, 09, 14
Angels 2000, 10, 17, 18
bluejays 2001, 05, 11, 15
tigers 2010
a’s 2010
Royals 2016, 17
Devil Rays 2017
Phillies 57, 74, 02, 12, 18, 19
Pirates 67, 73
braves 71
astros 73, 74, 96, 06
mets 75, 01,
Cardinals 75
giants 75
Padres 82, 05
dodgers 93, 94, 07, 10
cubs 95
Marlins 96, 10
reds 96, 06
Rockies 2000
diamondbacks 2008, 12, 13, 18
Nationals 2011, 18
If one of these teams is to your liking contact me online. this will be a 162 game season 3 game a series played once a week.
So if you want to play some sports where there is still no political grandstanding going on I’d love to have you, either in person or online. Either stop by at Zedas or leave a comment here and we’ll go from there.
The weekly update of the various Dynasty Leagues that I run. This week Division C in the All Time Any Time Great Teams League. (Note this post was written before the results of Saturday’s games were complete). All individual stats were current at the time of writing.
American League
1924 Washington Senators 29-25 1st
The fight for the top of the AL “C” Division has been an up and down affair Washington has lost 5 of it’s last 6 but still clings to a half game lead pending one series for their Rival Kansas City can their hitting and pitching come together to keep the lead?
Heroes: Walter JohnsonContinues to impress after a slow start currently 3rd in ERA tied for 1st in wins and innings pitched, with the best batting avg against (.201) & 2nd best WHIP 1.09 in the league. Sam Rice has also bounced back leading the league in triples 4th in hits and 5th in batting
Zeros: While he’s been phenomenal behind the plate (.993 FPCT 5.57 Ranger factor) Muddy Ruelhas been a disaster as the #2 hitter with a .204 avg and only 13 RBI in 186 ab and that’s with Sam Rice hitting ahead of him. Joe Martinahas been getting a little more work but that’s added up to an 0-2 record with a blown save in his only chance a 6.67 ERA and seven round trips allowed in only 28 1/3 Innings
Wild cards: Like last year the Senators are dead last in the majors in homers (16) but are 1st in triples with 35. They are also almost impossible to steal against with an .833 caught stealing avg with only Toronto’s Ricky Henderson managing to swipe a base (while being caught twice) against them. The Senators are the only team in the majors with a winning record AND a negative run differential (-3).
Coming Attractions: The Senators finish their 12 game road trip in the division with 3 at the 2002 Anaheim Angels and then fly into the Bronx to take on the red hot 2009 New York Yankees before starting June with a brief 3 game home stand vs the 1998 Oakland A’s
Injury Report: Washington remains one of the least injured teams in the majors with a clean bill of health and with only 24 men on the roster that’s critical.
2015 Kansas City Royals 27-24 2nd place 1/2 game out
A dip from the best record in the league during a Washington winning streak was followed by a 7-3 surge while Washington went 4-6. This has them on the brink of 1st again and a game up for the last wild card. Will Kansas City ride that see-saw all season or can they break away from an increasingly crowded AL C pack?
Heroes: Lorenzo Cainis not only 2nd in runs in the league and 1st in triples on the team but it’s Ben Zobrist (.312 avg 13 HR 43 RBI) & Kendrys Morales. While the bullpen is strong Johnny Cueto(7-1 2.93 ERA 6 GG in 12 starts) is the ace that makes it easy for them
Zeros: While the bullpen overall is strong Madison Ryan has been a disappointment 2-2 5.40 ERA and most importantly 4 blown saves in four chances. Of course the starting pitching must take some blameEdinson Volquez (1-7 5.43 ERA) Danny Duffy (5-4 7.28 ERA .332 avg against) and Jeremy Guthrie1-2 8.65 ERA .353 Avg against) make the pens job much harder.
Wild Cards: Only Toronto has stolen more bases in the AL than KC (30) and only Texas and the Senators have more hits but nobody AL team out homers them. But their .143 Caught stealing rate is one of the worst in the league.
Coming Attractions: A critical 3 game home series with the 1954 Cleveland Indians will determine if they will hold 1st place and it gets no easier with 3 as the 2010 Texas Rangers come to down with division rival 2002 Angels to follow.
Injury Report: KC remains healthy and they’ll need it with those two big series coming
2009 New York Yankees 27-27 3rd 2 GB
The Yanks 8-2 run including winning their last 5 straight (including a sweep of their arch rival Red Sox) has put them at .500 and right back in the race. Can this run continue or will it run out of breath as it reaches the pack in front?
Heroes: C.C. Sabathiahas been a monster and a half leading the league in WHIP (1.05) 2nd in wins (7-2) and 4th in ERA (2.63). Meanwhile Robinson Cano.317 Avg 7 HR 32 RBI is leading the league in runs and 2nd in hits. Oh and Mark Teixeria .296 17 HR (2nd) 49 RBI (4th) impresses too
Zeros: Nobody can call Brian Bruney lazy with 22 appearances in 54 games but with an 0-1 record 8.49 era and a blown save in his only chance, you can’t call him good either. Meanwhile A. J Burnett’sstarts have not quite been an exercise in futility but with a 4-6 record 6.63 ERA and an .302 avg against, it’s pretty close to one. Meanwhile Mariano Rivera has blown a full third of his save chances
Wild Cards: The Yanks are right now 2nd in runs and HR in the AL but their 4.71 ERA is the worst of any team not under .500 in the majors and are having trouble finishing games with the most blown saves in the majors (11) in 21 chances with Mariano Rivera leading the AL in saves (10) and the majors in blown saves (5)
Coming Attractions: The Yanks end a 30 game homestand with 3 vs the 1968 Detroit Tigers, 3 vs the 1st place 1924 Washington Senators and 3 vs the 2015 Kansas City Royals before they set off for a 9 city Jaunt to almost every city in the league.
Injury Report: Catcher Jose Molina has missed the whole month of May with injuries and is expect to miss the whole month of June as well which means a lot more work for everyone else behind the plate.
Anaheim Angels 18-33 4th place 9 1/2 GB
The Angels woes were compounded by a 10 game winning streak but they’ve won their last 3 series including a set against the formidable 2016 Cubs. Has the worm finally turned for the struggling halos?
Heroes: Garret Andersonhas been a bright spot on a bad season leading the league in double while leading the Angels in RBI’s (45) and knocking 7 HR over the fence and 4th in ERA (2.63). Donnelly Brendan has done fine work out of the pen with a 5-2 record a 2.31 ERA and a .218 avg against. in 19 appearances
Zeros: Alas the agony of choice remains. Kevin Appier (3-8 6.50 ERA .281 avg against ) andJon Lackey( 1-5 7.39 ERA .362 avg) have actually improved their lines since last time but not enough to get off the list. Nor has Ben Molina whose line of .184 1 HR & 7 RBI is better but still horrible.
Wild Cards: With the worst ERA in the AL (5.08) and the 2nd worst batting avg in the AL The Angels don’t take a lot of leads into the 9th but when their .900 save conversion percentage all via Troy Percival which is odd given his 6.11 ERA. The question is can Anaheim’s new manager get them to that 9th with a lead?
Coming Attractions: The Angels get a chance to continue their series winning streak vs the 1968 Detroit Tigers and the 1924 Washington Senators before hitting the road to face the 2015 Kansas Royals.
Injury Report: Kevin Appier and Darin Erstad will both be sidelined for the Detroit series but will make it before the Senators leave town, however reliever Dennis Cook likely won’t be available till the last game in Kansas city.
National League
2016 Chicago Cubs 36-18 1st
Chicago has not only broken their tie with San Francisco for sole possession of 1st place in Division C but holds the best record in the majors and the largest lead of any division leader and the formula has been solid pitching. Can the staff hold the line as the weather get warmer?
Heroes: With a team ERA of 2.85 the choices are wide. There is Aroldis Chapman with a league leading 13 saves & a 3-0 record. John Lester (6-1 2.05 ERA over 12 starts ) and Hard Luck Jake Arrieta (5-6 2.16 ERA .136 avg against and anemic 0.82 WHIP in 12 starts) who are 2-3 in league ERA.
Zeros: On a team with a TEAM avg of .241 Javier Baez line of .220 1 HR & 19 RBI isn’t scaring anyone. On almost any other team Kyle Hendricks 5-5 record .233 avg against & 4.08 ERA would be avg but on a team with a TEAM avg against of .194 & 2.85 it stinks.
Wild Cards: Despite having NO player in double digits in HR the Cubs are thriving in Wrigley with the best home record in baseball (24-6) and while the team’s offense is anemic they are 14-5 against left handers this season. Of course giving up the 2nd fewest HR in the league (39) helps a lot.
Coming Attractions: It’s on the road to Houston to face the 2005 Astros then to the west coast vs the 1962 San Francisco Giants, before stopping home just long enough for 3 with the 1975 Cincinnati Big Red(s) Machine.
Injury Report: All present and accounted for. It will be interesting to see how the pitching holds up if that changes.
1962 San Francisco Giants 30-24 2nd place 6 GB
In any other NL division the Giants Record would have them either tired for 1st or just 1/2 game out. But with the Cubs pitching shutting everyone down the Giants will have to play even better if they want to avoid a one game wildcard playoff.
Heroes: It will surprise nobody that Willie Mays 46 runs 2nd in NL is coupled with 13 HR 42 RBI and perfect defense but Willie McCovey’s 47 RBI’s (3rd vs Mays 8th) 15 HR (4th vs Mays 7th comes with a .390 avg that would lead the league if he wasn’t 12 plate appearances short to qualify.
Zeros: Jose Pagan’s .190 avg 1 HR & 14 RBI with only 18 runs scored in 66 more at bats than McCovey is nasty but not as nasty as the Giants Bullpen who with the exception of Stu Miller has been horrible. Mike McCormick (5.35 ERA .304 avg against 1-2 1 sv) Don Larson ( 7.20 ERA .333 avg against 1-0 2 BS ) Gaylord Perry ( 7.31 ERA .319 avg against 1-3 1.84 WHIP) and Bobby Bolin (10.40 ERA .393 avg against 2-3 2.31 WHIP) are the primary reason why the Giants are back in the pack.
Wild Cards: The Giants team ERA is 4.59 but their 1-4 starters all with 11 or more starts hold ERA’s of 2.78, 3.55, 3.77 & 3.86. It’s a good thing too because the Giants +6 Run differential is the smallest of any NL team with a winning record.
Coming Attractions: The Giants have nine at more before a long 27 game road trip welcoming the 1957 Milwaukee Braves, then the 2016 Chicago Cubs and finally the 2008 Phillies before hitting the road in June.
Injury Report: Reliever / spot starter Gaylord Perry won’t be available till the final game vs the division leading Cubs. Given how he’s pitched that won’t hurt much.
2008 Philadelphia Phillies 24-33 3rd place 13 1/2 GB
A month ago the Phillies were right in the NL C mix now they find themselves 9 games below .500, with a new manager and struggling to get back in the mix in a tough decision. Is this drop a crash or just on a blip in the road back to contention.
Heroes: Ryan Howard‘s 22 Homers leads the majors and his 47 RBI’s are good enough a tie with SF’s Willie McCovey’s for 4th in the NL On a team with a weak bullpen J.C. Romero has appeared in half of Phillies games only allowing a .209 avg & a 1.09 WHIP. Although Brad Lidge has blown 4 his 8 saves are 3rd in the league
Zeros:Rudy Seanez has worked in even more games than JC but without the success with a 5.89 ERA, a 2-4 record and only one save in 4 chances Pat Burrell’s .189 avg 7 HR 19 RBI aren’t going to get the Phillies where they need to be. Chris Coste’s .234 avg 7 HR & 25 RBI is better than Burrell but when you’re a catcher & gun down only 8 of 87 people trying to steal that’s a recipe for disaster.
Wild Cards: Philly’s batters are the easiest K’s in the league whiffing 453 times so far this season but when they connect the ball travels far, their 80 Home Runs lead the majors and while their pitching has been terrible their team ERA of 4.99 is 2nd worst in the NL, when the ball is hit to their players they make the play, their fielding percentage of .989 is 2nd in the NL But it’s lefites (7-14) and road games (6-15) that are most hazardus to their record.
Coming Attractions: Philadelphia finishes their homestand with 3 vs the 2005 Houston Astros before going on the road for a bit starting in San Francisco to face the 1962 Giants before heading to Cincinnati to face the 1975 Reds run by the Phillies former skipper.
Injury Report: All hands are on deck and healthy.
2005 Houston Astros 22-32 4th place 14 GB
With the top of the division surging Houston’s needs to make a move soon before the Giants and Cubs get too far to catch, can their good pitching make the difference?
Heroes: Roger Clemens leads the majors in ERA. In the NL he’s is 2nd in Innings & wins, 3rd in batting avg against and 6th in K’s. Meanwhile out of the pen Dan Wheeler’s has done his job with a 2.13 ERA a .198 avg against and a WHIP even better than Clemens 1.00 at .067.
Zeros: Despite their record the starting rotation has put up good numbers been fine with two exceptions Wandy Rodriguez 6.14 ERA .313 avg against with a 1.88 WHIP means no trouble at the plate. Andy Pettitte isn’t doing much better with a 5.14 ERA a dozen homers given up and a 2-8 record to go with it Unfortunately they aren’t facing any Houston batters Adam Everett has been the worst of the lot a .187 avg 2 HR & 6 RBI.
Wild Cards: With a 3.81 ERA (3rd in NL) and a .990 fielding PCT (1st in NL ) you would think Houston would be right in the thick of things. But add in a .230 batting avg , .301 OBP & .347 slugging pct .648 P{S (all worst in the majors) coupled with only 36 HR (worst in the NL) and you get a last place team 14-22 on the road and & 5-11 vs lefties.
Coming Attractions: Houston takes a shot against the even better pitching of the 2016 Chicago Cubs who come to town finishing their homestand. Then it’s off on the road first to Philly to take on the 2008 Phillies and then to Brooklyn to take on the 1955 Dodgers.
Injury Report: There might be reason for the Astros lack of punch, but injury isn’t one of them.
The weekly update of the various Dynasty Leagues that I run. This week Division B in the All Time Any Time Great Teams League. (Note this post was written before the results of Saturday’s interleague games were complete). All individual states were current at the time of writing.
American League
2010 Texas Rangers 29-19 1st
When last we left the 2010 Rangers they were in last place in division B and the question was: “Is this the start of better things to come? Or will the team without a manager continue to be rudderless?” Well Texas has a manager( David H of Lake Forest California) and while they have lost 4 of their last seven they preceded that with a 13 game winning streak. So the question is, Is this the start of the return to earth or will Texas remain at the top of the heap?
Heroes: Vladimer Guerrero tears up the league with 42 RBI’s despite only five home runs. His .339 average is even more impressive with runners on base (.398) runners in scoring position (.394) or the bass loaded .429). By comparison Nelson Cruz has “only” driven in 34 runs but has hit 9 homers and boasts of batting avg of .353 to go with it.
Zeroes: Starting pitching remains an issue. Cliff Lee’s 6-3 record comes despite a 5.12 ERA virtually unchanged since last month and a .306 avg (down from .347) Meanwhile Tommy Hunter’s 3-3 record comes with a 7.05 ERA & 17 HR in 37 innings and an avg of less than 5 innings per start
Wild Cards. Texas’ 13 game winning streak is the longest of any team this year but included only two wins vs division rivals. They are 19-5 against AL teams out of their Division. Texas’ has 35 starts from pitchers whose ERA’s are 4.84 or worse (the 4th worst team ERA in the majors is currently 4.85)
Coming attractions: The Rangers welcome the Division rival 1968 Tigers and then the division C leading 1924 Washington Senators that they handled so well last time before heading off for a 12 game road trip which starts in Kansas City to face the 2015 Royals
Injury reportJosh Hamilton Injured during a series with Boston will be back for game 2 vs the Tigers. Pitcher Matt Harrison who missed the pass 3 series with injuries suffered vs the Yankees will be available for the Cleveland series.
1954 Cleveland Indians 27-21 2nd 2 GB
The Defending AL champs find themselves in almost exactly the same sport they were in a month ago 2nd place a mere 2 games out (vs 1 1/2) holding the 1st wild card spot un-phased by the Rangers rise or the Tigers fall. Will slow and steady win the race or at least a home playoff game?
Heroes: Bobby Avila has the AL batting lead at .361 but just is tied for the lead in hits 3rd in OBP and 5th in the league in runs. Larry Doby has solid triple crown numbers .314 avg 14 HR 51 RBI putting him at or near the league lead but his 29 walks give him a .406 OBP and a 1.017 OBP good for 2nd in the league. Plus a .994 FPCT with 5 assists.
Zeroes: There not much to complain about on the mound when your team ERA is 4.10 but Hal Newhouser has posted a 5.59 ERA while blowing 3 saves in as many chances. Meanwhile Billy Glynn (.197) and Jim Hegan (.184) remain easy outs but not as easy as Wally Westlake whose .127 is as bad as it gets for an everyday player more than 50 points below the last time he made the zero list (.184)
Wild cards. Don Mossi’s ERA of 6.04 is the worst on the team and his .283 avg is the 2nd worst but at the same time he’s converted seven of eight save chances. the Indians lead the majors with 17 complete games, are 2nd in triples, 3rd in walks and 4th in runs
Coming Attractions: The Indians have three games vs the 1924 Senators at home and then hit the road for 12 games starting with 3 at Kansas City vs the 2015 Royals and then to Chicago for 3 more vs the 2005 White Sox
Injury report: Why is Wally Westlake still in the lineup likely because Vic Wertz has been out since game one vs Oakland and won’t be back until late in the Chicago White Sox series. Jim Hegan’s Backup Hal Naragon was hurt in the Nationals series as SS Sam Dente. Nagron will not back until after the Senators series while Dente will be available in game 3.
1968 Detroit Tigers 26-22 3rd 3 games back
The Tigers have played steady .500 ball since the last time we checked in, unfortunately for them both the Indians and Rangers have done better. Can the get out of neutral and get back into drive?
Heroes:Willie Horton is leading the league in HR with 19 and up there in RBI’s (49). Norm Cash is right behind with 16 and sits at 9th in RBI’s with 39. Denny McLain is tied for the league lead with 8 wins tied for 2nd in strikeouts with 77 all of this with a 3.49 ERA with 6 CG in 11 starts over 87 2/3 innings (3rd in AL)
Zeros: Earl Wilson’s mound troubles continue since 2-2 record has become 3-6 with a .296 avg against. His 6.28 ERA remains the worst of Detroit’s starters. Don Wert remains the easiest out on the Tigers hitting .187 with a .219 OBP but the saddest story is Ray Oyler whose 1 error at SS in over 100 innings. Everyone knew his .364 could not last but nobody had an idea that it would become .156 so quickly.
Wild Cards: Home is where Detroit’s heart is. They are 16-8 in Tiger Stadium. KC is the only AL team that has hit more HR than them
Coming Attractions: The Tigers go on the road 1st trying to rise again vs the 2010 Texas Rangers before heading off to Anaheim for a shot at the 2002 Angels before finishing off in NYC against the 2009 Yankees.
Injury Report: Al Kaline who has been average Al after an MVP season last year has just gone on the DL. He’ll miss the road trip and will miss the series plus a home series vs the 1998 Oakland A’s back home. He may be back for the end of their trip vs the 2013 Boston Redsox.
2013 Boston Red Sox 21-27 8 GB
Like the Indians the Redsox remain where they were a month ago at the bottom of division B. It doesn’t help that they were the only team in the division with a losing record over the last month and have been racked by injury. Will they remain in the cellar or can the start to climb back in?
Heroes: Danial Nava continues to get on base hitting .352 with an OBP of .446. Jacoby Ellsbury leads the team in runs, the AL in SB, is 5th in hits (oh and he’s hitting .314 with 8 outfield assists 3 defensive double plays and a perfect fielding percentage. Injuries have limited John Lackey but in seven starts his ERA is only 2.16.
Zeroes: Last time we checked Jon Lester was 1-2 record an ERA of 6.00 a hitting against avg of .309. It’s gotten worse. He’s now 2-7 with a 6.41 ERA with batters hitting .313. Mike Napoli is still in the dumps batting .213 but at least he has 4 HR to compensate. Will Middlebrooks may have 5 HR & 20 RBI’s but with a .172 avg & a .214 OBP he remains the easiest out on the Sox.
Wild cards: Boston has many problems but fielding isn’t one of them, their .992 fielding percentage is the Major’s best but their 5.04 ERA is tied with the Angels for the worst in the AL. At the plate no in the majors team doubles more (114) but neither does any team strike out as much .419.
Coming Attractions: With a .333 winning percentage at Fenway the Redsox are happily off on the road 1st to Aneheim to face the 2002 Angels then to the Bronx to face their hated rivals the 2009 New York Yankees and finally out west to take on the 1999 Oakland As before returning for an 18 game home stand.
Injury Report: No team has been more crippled by injury than the Red Sox. Stephen Drew will miss all of the Angels and Yankees series. Shane Victorino will not be back until more than half way through that homestand and that pales before both Andrew Miller and Clay Buchholz will miss over 30 more games each before they are back.
National League:
1985 St. Louis Cardinals 29-22 1st place
The Cardinals may not be Dominating the NL as they were were but they still hold a four game lead vs their closest rival. Now that the other teams in the division have found their legs can they keep their lead?
Heroes:Willie McGee continues to score at will while hitting .351 with 3 triples. Tom Herr is doing well a .340 avg, 45 RBI’s and 25 stolen bases with a .441 OBP. On the mound John Tudor is 9-1 with 9 complete games and ERA of 2.15 a WHIP of 0.85 with hitters only managing a .178 avg against.
Zeroes: Kurt Kepshire as a starter and reliever has been completely ineffective a 1-2 record ERA of 8.69 and a WHIP over 2 (2.03). If you’re going to be a closer you don’t want Jeff Lahti’s numbers 4 saves in seven chances and hitters hitting .291 against. Darrell Porter has not managed to work it out at the plate hitting .175 with only 2 HR in 97 AB
Wild Cards: St. Louis is leading the NL in triples and the majors in runs and stolen bases, but St. Louis is not just leading the majors in stolen bases, but with 115 is 57 higher then the next closest team.
Coming attractions: The Cards finish a short homestand against a tough 2016 Chicago Cubs team before beginning a 12 game road trip starting 1st in Philadelphia to face the 2008 Phillies before heading to Flatbush to face the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Injury Report:Willie McGee was hurt during the series against Milwaukee and will miss the series vs the Cubs but should be back before the end of the Phillies series. Pitcher Danny Cox was also hurt in that series but might just make it back before the Cubs leave time.
1957 Milwaukee Braves 25-26 2nd place 4 GB
The Braves despite losing 2 of 3 to St. Louis last week find themselves only 4 games back but hovering at .500 a game behind for the 2nd wildcard The question remains can they reach beyond the record of a fringe playoff team?
Heroes:Warren Spahn has done double duty with 10 starts & 7 relief appearances posting a 5-3 record with one save & a 3.31 ERA. With an ERA of 4.24 and a 2-1 record you wouldn’t expect Don McMahon on this list but when you’ve converted seven of eight save chances you’re generating wins. Hank Aaron continues befuddle pitchers at .344 11 HR and 44 RBI’s
Zeros: Ernie Johnson’s status as a pitching workhorse (25 appearances) hasn’t changed but neither has his ineffectiveness with a 7.14 ERA and a .323 avg against. Frank Torre remains in his rut at the Mendoza line with only 2 HR and 7 RBI’s to show in 32 games.
Wild Cards: Milwaukee leads the NL in hits and is 2nd in runs scored in the league but tend to stay where they are with 1 stolen base in 4 attempts. Alas for them they are 2nd to last in the majors in WHIP at 1.55.
Coming Attractions: Their long 27 game road trip will finally end with stops at Houston to play the 2005 Astros and San Francisco vs the 1962 Giants before finally returning to Milwaukee to host the 1975 Reds before hitting the road again.
Injury Report. Del Rice who suffered a minor scrape vs St. Louis will be back for game 2 vs Houston
1997 Florida Marlins 23-25 3rd place 4 1/2 GB
The Marlins like the braves find themselves hovering near .500 still unclear as to what kind of team they are both hitting and being hit. Will they make up their mind before the weather heats up?
Heroes:Moises Alou has the batting title currently hitting .357 while adding 12 HR and 36 RBI’s You wouldn’t think that Kevin Brown’s 3-5 record and 3.85 ERA would qualify for this list but when your team ERA (4.95) and you lead it in starts, innings and strikeouts by a large margin that sounds heroic to me
Zeros: Devon White’s .190 avg makes his 4 HR and 19 RBI look even worse Six saves in 8 chances looks pretty good for Robb Nen but couple it with a .374 avg against a 7.08 ERA and a WHIP over 2 and a save ratio like that can’t last.
Wild cards: How odd is this team? They lead the majors in OBP at .357 and their .271 avg is 2nd in the league but their .272 avg against is 2nd worst in the league along with their 4.95 ERA. They lead the Majors with 16 saves (in 21 chances) but at 1.57 have the worst WHIP as well.
Coming attractions: The fish have a home series against a tough 2016 Chicago Cubs team before going on the road for 12 starting in Philadelphia to face the 2008 Phillies and then Brooklyn to take on the 1955 Dodgers
Injury Report:Cliff Floyd who was injured early in the year will finally be returning. He is scheduled to join the Team in Philly and is expected to play before the series is over.
2019 Washington Nationals 18-30 4th place 9 1/2 GB
Washington no longer has the worst record in the majors, only the worst in the National league but if they’re going to get out of the cellar the’re going to have to start beating teams in their division.
Heroes:Trea Turner with 66 hits 17 stolen bases and 39 runs scored is setting the table for the others while hitting 6 HR and driving in 24 as well. Juan Soto has been happy to clear it at .321 12 HR and 33 RBI’s at least when he not being walked (40 2nd in the league).
Zeros: If anyone told me that after 10 starts Max Scherzer would be 1-7 averaging only 5 1/3 inning per start with hitters batting .346 vs him and an ERA of 7.88 I wouldn’t have believed you. And when he or Anibal Sanchez (2-5 5.55 ERA in 10 starts) comes out Tanner Rainey (6.91 ERA 1.90 WHIP) and Daniel Hudson (4-5 5.55 ETA 0 saves in 3 chances) don’t make things better.
Wild Cards: The Nationals are 4-14 in their division but remain a terror to NL Div a at 8-4 and absolutely destroy left handed pitching with a 12-4 record. But the worst ERA in the majors (5.29) and a horrible save percentage (10 in 18 chances) will have to change for this teams fortunes to)
Coming Attractions: the Nats continue their road trip vising Houston to take on the 2005 Astros then San Francisco for the 1962 Giants before visiting Cincinnati to play the 1975 Reds before a long home stand.
Injury Report: The one saving grace for the Nats, the whole team is healthy
We are now 40 games into the season so let’s see how things are going since the last time.
AL Div A
1993 Toronto Blue Jays
When we last left the Blue Jays they were in the only losing team in a very tight division. Five weeks later Toronto is in 1st place 8-2 in their last ten and with the best run differential in the league (+40). Can they keep this pace up?
Heroes: Roberto Alomar may be down to .338 (from .404) but his OPS is still over 1.000 (1.008) leading the team in both runs and runs scored. Duane Ward has managed to convert 7 of 8 save chances but his WHIP & his ERA are both 0.59
Zeroes: When you say that Jack Morris has increased his winning percentage by .200 point, dropped his avg against by .053 points and his ERA by over a run and a half it sounds impressive until you discover his record is now 1-4 with a 7.02 ERA and an avg against of .336. Pat Borders .221 avg .267 obp and .257 slugging percentage with 0 HR and 15 RBI isn’t scaring anybody.
Wild Card: Toronto’s OPS of .788 is the highest in the American League and their team ERA of 3.76 is 2nd
Coming Attractions: The 1968 Tigers pay Toronto a visit before they Jaunt to Washington DC to face the red hot Washington Senators before returning home to host the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers for some interleague play.
1970 Baltimore Orioles
Toronto rose and Chicago fell but the Baltimore Orioles remained in 2nd place and a game out of the 2nd wild card despite going 7-3 over their last 10 Will slow and steady win the race or at least stay in it?
Heroes: Jim Palmer leads the league in ERA (1.94), Wins (7) Innings pitched (83 1/3) and strikeouts (76) while remaining top 7 in every other non relief category so no change there and while Boog Powell has still been a monster (.294 7 HR 32 RBI) Merv Rettenmund (.353 6 HR 33 RBI) is a monster who hits .59 points higher.
Zeros: Dave McNally has halved his previous ERA from 8.25 to 4.41 but he’s still 3-6 with the worst ERA on the team and 8 round trips allowed. To no bodies surprise Brooks Robinson leads the O’s in HR with 8 and his .967 fielding percentage and 2.72 range factor while both lower than expected aren’t completely horrible but his .169 Avg and .259 OBP, that’s pathetic.
Wild Card: Baltimore is dead last in the majors in doubles with 56 but 1st in walks by a lot with 230 (Stl & Fla tied with 191) & 1st in the AL in ERA (3.44)
Coming attractions: The O’s finish a 12 game road trip with 3 at Yankee Stadium vs the 2009 Yanks before coming home to host the Big Red Machine (1975 Reds) then heading off to Chicago for three against the 2005 White Sox.
2005 Chicago White Sox
A five game losing streak has the pale hose below .500 and down to 3rd place. Can they reverse the slide before they sink to the bottom of the division?
Heroes: On a team that’s not hitting pitching matters so Mark Buehrle 2.00 ERA 5-3 .240 avg against and a WHIP of 1.11 in 10 starts along with Jon Garland 3.19 ERA 5-2 .207 avg against and WHOP 1.08 are what will keep the White Sox in the race.
Zeros: Just as good pitching is vital on a team Orlando Hernandez 7.30 ERA 1.70 WHIP is why his record is 0-6. Scott Podsednik is still stealing bases when he gets on (12 without being caught) but when you’re hitting .222 with a .288 OBP and only 4 RBI’s there’s not a lot of chances to do it.
Wild Card: The White Sox don’t like extra work they have only played one game that has gone to extra innings and they are at the bottom of almost every offensive category but one steal percentage with 20 successful steals against only 3 times caught an .870 avg.
Turnaround: Jermaine Dye was on the zero list hitting .182 last time around he’s now at .250 with seven HR and 21 RBI.
Coming Attractions: The White Sox get nine chances at home to change their luck. Three vs the 2015 Kansas City Royals, 3 interleague games vs the 2013 Arizona Diamondbacks and then 3 more against the 1970 Orioles.
1988 Oakland A’s
Between Injuries (Terry Steinbach will miss the next 12 games) a sick manager and a power outrage worse than the NYC blackout of the 70’s the Oakland A’s are
Heroes: Jose Canseco has gone from Zero to Hero. After a .143 start He’s raised his avg to .280 2nd on the team has hit 8 Homers and has 31 RBI’s. Dennis Eckersley continues to impress with a 1.40 ERA and a .157 avg against.
Zeroes: Dave Stewart continues to fail to impress with a 1-6 record 7.71 ERA and a .306 avg against and a WHIP of 1.85. Curt Young’s ERA of 6.29 and 2-5 record is slightly better but his .311 avg against and 11 HR given up in 21 less innings is a worse.
Wild Cards: If anybody told me that the team that hosts the Bash Brothers would be dead last in RBI’s in the majors and only ahead of the powerless Washington Senators in HR’s in the American League I wouldn’t have believed you.
Coming Attractions: The A’s welcome the 2002 Anaheim Angels and then the 1986 New York Mets for Interleague play before heading across to the country to face another NY team the 2009 Yankees.
NL Div A
1975 Cincinnati Reds
A Change in the Managers seat had meant a change in their fortunes as they have leap frogged to the top of their division but can their luck last when their long homestands end?
Heroes: Johnny Bench continues to rule the roost with a .316 Avg 14 Homers and 45 RBI’s. While Will McEnaney’s 5-0 record in relief is superior to Rawley Eastwick’s 3-2 Eastwick edges him in ERA (2.05 vs 2.08) WHIP (0.91 vs 1.05) avg against (.170 vs .209) & HR allowed (1 vs 3)
Zeros: A 3-2 record might not sound too bad for Jack Billingmam but a 5.45 ERA .309 avg against and only 38 innings in 7 starts and 3 relief appearances aren’t a lot of help. Caesar Geronimo might be back in the lineup but with a .191 avg and only 2 HR and a .263 OBP opposing pitchers likely don’t notice.
Wild Card: Cincinnati might be 2nd in stolen bases in the majors but they’re 1st in caught stealing. the Reds 1.29 WHIP is 3rd in the majors.
Coming Attractions: The big red machines plays 3 vs the 2005 Houston Astros before going on the road 1st vs old foes the 1970 Baltimore Orioles for interleague play and then across the country for 3 against the 1962 San Francisco Giants.
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers
After a long stint in 1st place the defending Champion Dodgers find themselves in 2nd with a .500 record and tied for the last wild card spot. Can they get themselves back in the right direction?
Heroes: Duke Snyder is on a tear his triple crown numbers of .342 16 HR and 34 RBIs are a terror to pitchers everywhere. Don Newcombe 5-2 record and one save in a single chance is good and it certainly doesn’t hurt when instead of an automatic out you’re hitting .345 with 5 RBI on the days you pitch.
Zeros: Don Zimmer’s 9 HR & 23 RBI’s are good numbers but when the come with a batting avg of .194 (.176 with men in scoring position) they don’t mean that much. Clem Lebine may lead the Dodgers in saves with 3 but a 8.27 ERA & and 4 HR given up in only 16 1/3 innings are why he has two blown saves and two losses to go with it.
Wild Card. with 24 appearances Jim Hughes continues to be a workhorse extraordinaire out of the bullpen but not as big as the team leading the majors in HR with 60 to date. Brooklyn refuses to beat themselves as their .989 fielding percentage is tied for 2nd in the NL.
Coming Attractions: It’s three weeks of leap frogging as they welcome the 2008 Philles for three before Traveling out of the country for their inter-league series against the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays then back home for three vs the 2013 Arizona Diamondbacks.
1986 New York Mets
What a difference a few weeks makes the Mets find themselves with an empty DL, tied for 2nd in the division and back at .500. Will this turn of events continue?
Heroes: Wally Backman has been an on base machine with a .340 avg , a .398 OBP which is likely why he leads the team with 28 runs scored while till driving in 17 of his own. (now if they could only stop him from trying to steal he’s 0-4). There’s not a lot to cheer about on the pitching staff but Jesse Orosco’s six saves in 8 chances combined with a .230 avg against and a 3.42 ERA are all tops on the team.
Zeros: Rick Aguilera and Bruce Berenyi have been used both as starters and relievers but have not impressed in either spot allowing a .342 & .359 averages respectively along with a 7.01 & an 8.48 ERA. How Berenyi can be 1-0 with a save & Aguilera 1-2 is beyond me
Redemption: Ron Darling’s 1-3 record and 4.88 ERA might not sound impressive until you consider five weeks ago his record was 0-2 & his ERA 19.89
Wild Cards: You would think that being dead last in fielding in the Majors at .973 the Mets team ERA might not be bad but their 4.85 trails only Florida and the 2019 Nationals in the NL
Coming Attractions It’s off on the road for the mets with 3 in the windy city vs the red hot 2016 Chicago Cubs then to Oakland for their interleague series vs the 1988 A’s and then back to Philadelphia for a visit to the 2008 Phillies.
2013 Arizona Diamondbacks
3 straight losses and an 2-8 record over their last ten have dropped them to last will injuries and bad luck turn this cinderella team into the ugly duckling of the league?
Heroes: Paul Goldschmidt continues his tear a .311 14 HR and 34 RBI to a source of starting fear to pitchers while Willie Bloomquist has been a hell of a pinch hitter he’s appeared in 32 games with a .378 avg causing pitchers to worry off the bench. On the mound Trevor Cahill 4-1 record .218 avg against and 2.05 ERA in nice stars make a lot of other teams jealous.
Zeros: How bad has Joe Thatcher been? So bad that his .327 avg against and 7.62 ERA are both significant improvement (.441 10.57) over the last time we talked. Cliff Pennington was critiqued last time around for a high avg with no production behind it, he still doesn’t have the production, only 4 RBI’s and 4 runs scored but now doesn’t have the avg has he’s down a full .105 points to .228.
Wild Card The Loss of Brandon McCarthy for the season wasn’t good but the loss of starting 2nd baseman Aaron Hill for the next 20 series that’s disaster particularly when it’s likely that the slumping Cliff Pennington will be his replacement. Particularly for a team that’s tied for 2nd in the league in fielding.
Coming Attractions: It’s off on the road for Arizona as they travel 1st to San Francisco to face the 1962 Giants, then to Chicago to meet the 2005 White Sox in Interleague Play, then off for a set vs the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers before their final stop taking on the 1st place 1975 Cincinnati Reds, the big Red Machine.
Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog 