It's been a while. But well worth the wait. Here's Giancarlo Stanton hitting one out of Dodger Stadium:
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
California Penal League 2015 - Week 5 Review
Back-to-back posts! I'm feeling a little bit like Bryce Harper. Now, if only he was in any of my teams... let's get right into it.
Week 5 Recap
The match-up of undefeated squads also doubled as the most exciting head-to-head battle of the week. Ralph's dreams of an undefeated season came to a screeching halt, as Doug squeezed by with a 10 pt win. Both teams played really well, surpassing the 300-pt mark. Ralph suffered a bit of bad luck, as he would've beaten every other team in the league except two; and he happened to play one of them. As for Doug, his dream of going unbeaten stays alive, with Michael Bradley and Mike Trout leading the way.
Week 5 Recap
The match-up of undefeated squads also doubled as the most exciting head-to-head battle of the week. Ralph's dreams of an undefeated season came to a screeching halt, as Doug squeezed by with a 10 pt win. Both teams played really well, surpassing the 300-pt mark. Ralph suffered a bit of bad luck, as he would've beaten every other team in the league except two; and he happened to play one of them. As for Doug, his dream of going unbeaten stays alive, with Michael Bradley and Mike Trout leading the way.
Switching to the very bottom of the standings, I'm happy to report that Drew got his first win! He handily dispatched a very disappointing Kyle. These teams now sit at 11th and 12th, among five (!!!) teams that are 1-4. Everybody would've beaten Kyle this week. I'm sure a team made out of all the players' mothers would've beaten Kyle last week. At least he listened to me and picked up Josh Reddick.
The nice stat where teams currently 1-12 would keep their position if we ranked them by total points is no longer valid. That's thanks to Jon A., who is somehow 4-1 despite having scored less than Pearse and I. A little like the Phillies and Brewers, if you ask me. Let's also remember that he's one Andrew Miller SNB save away from being 5-0. Can I borrow your horseshoe?
Now, let's recognize the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
Now, let's recognize the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
Awards
Back to our weekly format!
Hitter of the Week - Torii Hunter (Good Will Bunting): 40 pts
Just kidding. Of course it's Bryce Harper (Walker Texas Rangers) and his absurd 51 points. 6 homers in 3 games. You already know about the 3-HR game. You also know about the walk-off HR the next day. Kid is absurd. He hit more HR's than had strikeouts this week. That's usually the recipe for POTW.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Adam Jones (Limp Noodles): 6.5 pts
Drew got his first win, but it wasn't because of his best player. The Oriole had a horrible week at the plate, with only 5 hits (4 singles and 1 double), no runs scored and one RBI. If Drew wants to win any more games, Jones is going to have to play a lot better than this.
Pitcher of the Week - Michael Pineda (Gas House Gorillas): 53.5 pts
Another Yankee pitcher earning an honor. By now, you should know about the 16 strikeout game. What you might not know is that Pineda threw 8 shutout innings against the Jays, one of the most powerful offenses in the AL, on Tuesday. The 30.5 pts from yesterday rank tops in the majors this year, but the 23 pts on Tuesday were pretty stellar too. Hattip to King Felix, his 2000th K, and his major league leading 139 pts.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Stephen Strasburg (Home Grown Hitters): -4 pts
This one was hard... but when in doubt, negative points to win. Or lose. As much as I want to give Strasburg the benefit of the doubt because of his shoulder injury, negative points is still worst than not even playing. Honorable mention to David Price and Corey Kluber with their 0 and 0.5 points, respectively.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Adam Jones (Limp Noodles): 6.5 pts
Drew got his first win, but it wasn't because of his best player. The Oriole had a horrible week at the plate, with only 5 hits (4 singles and 1 double), no runs scored and one RBI. If Drew wants to win any more games, Jones is going to have to play a lot better than this.
Pitcher of the Week - Michael Pineda (Gas House Gorillas): 53.5 pts
Another Yankee pitcher earning an honor. By now, you should know about the 16 strikeout game. What you might not know is that Pineda threw 8 shutout innings against the Jays, one of the most powerful offenses in the AL, on Tuesday. The 30.5 pts from yesterday rank tops in the majors this year, but the 23 pts on Tuesday were pretty stellar too. Hattip to King Felix, his 2000th K, and his major league leading 139 pts.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Stephen Strasburg (Home Grown Hitters): -4 pts
This one was hard... but when in doubt, negative points to win. Or lose. As much as I want to give Strasburg the benefit of the doubt because of his shoulder injury, negative points is still worst than not even playing. Honorable mention to David Price and Corey Kluber with their 0 and 0.5 points, respectively.
Surprising Hitter of the Week - Torii Hunter (Good Will Bunting): 40 pts
Ok, Torii, here's your award. Well deserved. It's shocking to me that he has a son in college and still racking up HR's and probably winning AL Player of the Week honors. Hattip to Marlon Byrd (37 pts) and Yasmani Grandal's 2-HR, 8-RBI game (23 pts, top this year for a hitter).
Week 6 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #3 Ryan: Another tough match-up for Doug in his quest for 22-0.
#2 Ralph vs. #8 Dugan: 4-1 vs. 1-4. I would say it's a must win for Dugan but with 4 other teams at 1-4, nothing is must win at this point.
#4 Jon A. vs. #6 Pearse: Our second match-up of teams with winning records. Pearse has 4 two-start pitchers, while Allen has 0. Let's see how this works out for them.
#5 Luis vs. #11 Kyle: Now you know why I was poking Kyle throughout this recap. Bring it on!!!
#7 Bill vs. #9 Jon S.: Bill coming off a big win and Shidler coming off a big loss. Teams going in different directions? We'll see.
#10 Kris Kringle vs. #12 Drew: C'mon Drew, it's time for win #2! Jon Lester leading the way tonight against the Amazing Mets. Kagan, in the meantime, should change his name to Team Injured Reserve. Or at the very least get rid of Joel Peralta. Too early to not be paying attention.
Ok, Torii, here's your award. Well deserved. It's shocking to me that he has a son in college and still racking up HR's and probably winning AL Player of the Week honors. Hattip to Marlon Byrd (37 pts) and Yasmani Grandal's 2-HR, 8-RBI game (23 pts, top this year for a hitter).
Surprising Pitcher of the Week - Wandy Rodriguez (FA): 40 pts
The curveball works again. Wandy retired 34 straight batters between the end of his 1st start and the beginning of his 2nd start. All in all, a stellar effort, despite not picking up the win yesterday against TB. He's your recommended add of the week, against struggling Cleveland on Friday.Honorary mention to Ryan Vogelsong and his 35.5 pts in two starts.
Week 6 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #3 Ryan: Another tough match-up for Doug in his quest for 22-0.
#2 Ralph vs. #8 Dugan: 4-1 vs. 1-4. I would say it's a must win for Dugan but with 4 other teams at 1-4, nothing is must win at this point.
#4 Jon A. vs. #6 Pearse: Our second match-up of teams with winning records. Pearse has 4 two-start pitchers, while Allen has 0. Let's see how this works out for them.
#5 Luis vs. #11 Kyle: Now you know why I was poking Kyle throughout this recap. Bring it on!!!
#7 Bill vs. #9 Jon S.: Bill coming off a big win and Shidler coming off a big loss. Teams going in different directions? We'll see.
#10 Kris Kringle vs. #12 Drew: C'mon Drew, it's time for win #2! Jon Lester leading the way tonight against the Amazing Mets. Kagan, in the meantime, should change his name to Team Injured Reserve. Or at the very least get rid of Joel Peralta. Too early to not be paying attention.
Enjoy the week.
Monday, May 4, 2015
California Penal League 2015 - Week 4 Review
We're baaaaack. Now that I have successfully presented my Ph.D. proposal and my wife is away in Europe, I finally get some time to waste on writing a blog post that only 5 people are gonna read. But it's been too long so let's get right into it!
Week 4 Recap
As usual, we begin at the top of the standings, where 2 teams are still undefeated. Doug took care of business as usual, crushing Kagan by 60, while posting the highest score of the season so far. Kagan's 327.50 would've beaten everybody but two other teams, and sadly he played one of them. Unlucky. The other undefeated team is Ralph, who squeezed past Allen with the last out of the Sunday Night game. Andrew Miller was the hero, closing out the Yanks win and providing the winning points.This is the 34th time Allen has lost with the last out on Sunday night. Or at least it feels that way. All numbers approximate.
Week 4 Recap
As usual, we begin at the top of the standings, where 2 teams are still undefeated. Doug took care of business as usual, crushing Kagan by 60, while posting the highest score of the season so far. Kagan's 327.50 would've beaten everybody but two other teams, and sadly he played one of them. Unlucky. The other undefeated team is Ralph, who squeezed past Allen with the last out of the Sunday Night game. Andrew Miller was the hero, closing out the Yanks win and providing the winning points.This is the 34th time Allen has lost with the last out on Sunday night. Or at least it feels that way. All numbers approximate.
Three other teams are currently above .500. The aforementioned Allen, who is probably spending way too much time looking at his fantasy teams with the way the Phillies are playing. You can say the same about me and the Brewers by the way. Sitting at 3-1 while my real team is in shambles. Craig Counsell is our new manager! Geez. But I digress. The other 3-1 team is Ryan, who has been unspectacularly solid so far, despite losing to Pearse in Week 2.
Speaking of Pearse, he sits tight at 2-2, not having spent a single FAAB dollar yet. He is followed by five 1-3 teams, with a 178 point differential between #7 and #11. Dugan has looked the best out of that bunch so far, but they are two-games under .500 already. Bill has spend $22 in FAAB already, the most out of anybody, but doesn't seem to have found any solutions. At least he is trying.
Which brings us to Drew. Oh, Drew. The only winless team in the league, with the least amount of points scored, while spending exactly $0 in FAAB. With Soltys gone, Drew looked primed to take over his role as doormat and he has delivered in style. 242 points is the high mark for him so far this season. By comparison, Doug hasn't scored less than 300 points in any game this year. Losses by 102, 77, 41 and 38 at least show that he is closing the gap? I don't know, I'm struggling to find anything positive to say. Very unlucky so far, especially with two closers that have done nothing so far this year: Tyler Clippard and Addison Reed. On the bright side, he should get some decent value for Adam Jones and Justin Upton if/when he decides to sell. Soltys would've punted already. Pro tip: Josh Reddick and his 85.50 pts (tied for 23rd best hitter) are on the wire. Use some of that FAAB money, bro.
Teams currently ranked 1 through 12 will keep their exact same spots if we were to rank them based on points scored. So, no good or bad luck so far in the grand scheme of things. Expect this to change as we get into the dog days of summer.
Awards
This is a special edition of the Awards, covering the first month of the season. Next week, we will return to weekly awards.
Hitter of the Month - Nelson Cruz AntarcticanAmericans): 118 pts
13 home runs already, which has him on pace to break Bonds' record. We know that's not gonna happen, especially playing in Safeco. But for those who were worried that the power wasn't going to be there, well, you were wrong. Also leads the majors in RBI's with 25. Expect regression, obviously.
Goat of the Month, Hitter Edition - Carlos Gonzalez (MVPuig): 40 pts
CarGo just doesn't look right. His 39 points in 92 PA gives him a horrendous 0.424 pts/PA. The average is usually around 0.7-0.75. At least 7 of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases. We expect a lot more out of someone playing half his games at Coors and who isn't hurt. At least, not yet. Honorable mention to Victor Martinez, who hasn't hit a HR this year. And honorable mention to Ryan Braun as well, who was trying to run away with this award before hitting 3 HR's in 2 games this week. He still doesn't have a double, though.
Pitcher of the Month - Andrew Miller (Schweddy Balls): 107.50 pts
The new Yankees closer seems to have drank some Mariano juice. 13 IP, 10 saves (leads the majors), and 23 K's. Did I mention the 0.00 ERA? Dominant. The runner-up in this category is the closer for the cross-town rival Mets. Jeurys Familia has taken advantage of the injury to Bobby Parnell and the Jenrry Mejia suspension to tie for the MLB lead with 10 saves (+1 Hold!). Sonny Gray also gets a hat-tip, as he leads all starters in points (105). Overall, relievers have been amazing so far (4 of the top 8). But that's mostly due to starting pitching being sucky.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Stephen Strasburg (Home Grown Hitters): 38 pts
Strasburg has not been very good. He hasn't been terrible either, but I'm sure Bill didn't pay top dollar to get 38 points out of him through 5 starts. Honorable mention to Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Jon Lester, and Jordan Zimmermmann, I'm sure they will all figure it out.
Goat of the Month, Hitter Edition - Carlos Gonzalez (MVPuig): 40 pts
CarGo just doesn't look right. His 39 points in 92 PA gives him a horrendous 0.424 pts/PA. The average is usually around 0.7-0.75. At least 7 of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases. We expect a lot more out of someone playing half his games at Coors and who isn't hurt. At least, not yet. Honorable mention to Victor Martinez, who hasn't hit a HR this year. And honorable mention to Ryan Braun as well, who was trying to run away with this award before hitting 3 HR's in 2 games this week. He still doesn't have a double, though.
Pitcher of the Month - Andrew Miller (Schweddy Balls): 107.50 pts
The new Yankees closer seems to have drank some Mariano juice. 13 IP, 10 saves (leads the majors), and 23 K's. Did I mention the 0.00 ERA? Dominant. The runner-up in this category is the closer for the cross-town rival Mets. Jeurys Familia has taken advantage of the injury to Bobby Parnell and the Jenrry Mejia suspension to tie for the MLB lead with 10 saves (+1 Hold!). Sonny Gray also gets a hat-tip, as he leads all starters in points (105). Overall, relievers have been amazing so far (4 of the top 8). But that's mostly due to starting pitching being sucky.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Stephen Strasburg (Home Grown Hitters): 38 pts
Strasburg has not been very good. He hasn't been terrible either, but I'm sure Bill didn't pay top dollar to get 38 points out of him through 5 starts. Honorable mention to Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Jon Lester, and Jordan Zimmermmann, I'm sure they will all figure it out.
Biggest Surprise - Devon Travis (AbsolutDomination): 101 pts
Andrew Miller has been great, but he was placed in a position to rack up points. Devon Travis was ranked 1171 by Yahoo before the season. He was not expected to hit 7 home runs this year, much less in a month. That Toronto lineup is scary and I'm happy to report I own 4 of their hitters. I kinda wanna trade for The Artist Formerly Known as E5. Let's go Jays! Honorable mention to Stephen Vogt from Oakland, who leads all catchers with 91.50 pts.
Week 5 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #2 Ralph: It's a showdown between the two undefeated. Got my money on Doug, as usual.
#3 Luis vs. #11 Bill: Lorenzo Cain, who's been awesome, is suspended for Tuesday's game. Wonder if that will have an impact in the final score.
#4 Ryan vs. #9 Kagan: Another 3-1 vs 1-3 match-up. I want the league to be competitive and for Kagan to not lose faith. You can do this!
#5 Jon A. vs. #7 Dugan: Grudge match. Go out there and destroy each other, like Mayweather and Pacq.... oh wait... never mind.
#6 Pearse vs. #8 Jon S.: Todd Frazier, pride of Tom's River, NJ and little league world series hero vs. team injured reserve. 5 guys are hurt or not active in Shidler's roster.
#10 Kyle vs. #12 Drew: It's weird to see Kyle so far down the standings. Come on, Drew. Get that first win. Josh Reddick, man.
Andrew Miller has been great, but he was placed in a position to rack up points. Devon Travis was ranked 1171 by Yahoo before the season. He was not expected to hit 7 home runs this year, much less in a month. That Toronto lineup is scary and I'm happy to report I own 4 of their hitters. I kinda wanna trade for The Artist Formerly Known as E5. Let's go Jays! Honorable mention to Stephen Vogt from Oakland, who leads all catchers with 91.50 pts.
Week 5 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #2 Ralph: It's a showdown between the two undefeated. Got my money on Doug, as usual.
#3 Luis vs. #11 Bill: Lorenzo Cain, who's been awesome, is suspended for Tuesday's game. Wonder if that will have an impact in the final score.
#4 Ryan vs. #9 Kagan: Another 3-1 vs 1-3 match-up. I want the league to be competitive and for Kagan to not lose faith. You can do this!
#5 Jon A. vs. #7 Dugan: Grudge match. Go out there and destroy each other, like Mayweather and Pacq.... oh wait... never mind.
#6 Pearse vs. #8 Jon S.: Todd Frazier, pride of Tom's River, NJ and little league world series hero vs. team injured reserve. 5 guys are hurt or not active in Shidler's roster.
#10 Kyle vs. #12 Drew: It's weird to see Kyle so far down the standings. Come on, Drew. Get that first win. Josh Reddick, man.
I promise to keep the updates coming during the summer! Take care and enjoy the week!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
California Penal League - 2014 Finals
Author's Note: Monday's scoring corrections are still pending.
Finals Recap
#2 AbsolutDomination beats #1 The Duda Abides: 384.50 - 376.17
Ooooof! This one came down to the wire and it was reaaaaally close. Dugan was down big all week, but he had 5 starters on Sunday, making an improbable comeback sound not so impossible. The key to Dugan's comeback attempt laid within the NL Central Division race. The Reds. Johnny Cueto, and Aroldis Chapman needed to win (and pick up the save) against the Pirates, thereby making the Cardinals the division winners. Then, the Cardinals would scratch Wainwright and all their hitters, sending a AAA lineup and a bunch of crappy bullpen arms against Josh Collmenter and the Arizona Diamondbacks. And that is exactly what happened: Cueto went 8 strong, picked up the win, and Chapman cleared up for the save, striking out 3 in the process. Collmenter delivered on his part, pitching a gem: 8 IP, 1 ER, only 3 baserunners.
However, Arizona's offensive ineptitude costed Dugan dearly. Five St Louis relievers combined for the 2-hit shutout, giving Collmenter the incredibly tough 1-0 loss and costing Dugan the title. A really tough break, in what seemed like a foregone conclusion at around 4:30 pm ET. The clutch swing of the matchup, however, belonged to...
Finals MVP: Adrián González
A super-clutch 3-run HR in his last at-bat of the season proved to be the game-winner. El Titán homered in his last two games, reaching base safely in all 4 of his plate appearances and totaling 18 points despite exiting before the 5th inning in both contests.
3rd Place Match
#3 AntarcticanAmericans beats #5 Good Will Bunting: 390.83 - 373.50
Jon faced a similar situation as Dugan: down big with 5 pitchers left. However, this comeback was not meant to be either, as Jon's hitting abandoned him the last day: 3/18 with only 2.50 points. Doug had left the door open with some anti-clutch hitting of his own: 2/23 for 3 points. In the end, Zack Greinke's quality start and Zach Britton's save provided the winning margin.
Greinke wins the best player award for this matchup with 41.50 pts. Danny Duffy's -8 points in a must-win game for the Royals will haunt Jon throughout the offseason as the former champion finishes out of the money.
Final Standings
1. AbsolutDomination
2. The Duda Abides
3. AntarcticanAmericans
4. Good Will Bunting
5. Walker Texas Rangers
6. Schweddy Balls
7. Home Grown Hitters
8. MVPuig
9. Honey Nut Ichiros
10. Wain's World
11. Gas House Gorillas
12. Limp Noodles
Thanks to everyone for participating and staying active till the end. I'll be back later in the week to give season awards to the best and the worst.
Finals Recap
#2 AbsolutDomination beats #1 The Duda Abides: 384.50 - 376.17
Ooooof! This one came down to the wire and it was reaaaaally close. Dugan was down big all week, but he had 5 starters on Sunday, making an improbable comeback sound not so impossible. The key to Dugan's comeback attempt laid within the NL Central Division race. The Reds. Johnny Cueto, and Aroldis Chapman needed to win (and pick up the save) against the Pirates, thereby making the Cardinals the division winners. Then, the Cardinals would scratch Wainwright and all their hitters, sending a AAA lineup and a bunch of crappy bullpen arms against Josh Collmenter and the Arizona Diamondbacks. And that is exactly what happened: Cueto went 8 strong, picked up the win, and Chapman cleared up for the save, striking out 3 in the process. Collmenter delivered on his part, pitching a gem: 8 IP, 1 ER, only 3 baserunners.
However, Arizona's offensive ineptitude costed Dugan dearly. Five St Louis relievers combined for the 2-hit shutout, giving Collmenter the incredibly tough 1-0 loss and costing Dugan the title. A really tough break, in what seemed like a foregone conclusion at around 4:30 pm ET. The clutch swing of the matchup, however, belonged to...
Finals MVP: Adrián González
A super-clutch 3-run HR in his last at-bat of the season proved to be the game-winner. El Titán homered in his last two games, reaching base safely in all 4 of his plate appearances and totaling 18 points despite exiting before the 5th inning in both contests.
3rd Place Match
#3 AntarcticanAmericans beats #5 Good Will Bunting: 390.83 - 373.50
Jon faced a similar situation as Dugan: down big with 5 pitchers left. However, this comeback was not meant to be either, as Jon's hitting abandoned him the last day: 3/18 with only 2.50 points. Doug had left the door open with some anti-clutch hitting of his own: 2/23 for 3 points. In the end, Zack Greinke's quality start and Zach Britton's save provided the winning margin.
Greinke wins the best player award for this matchup with 41.50 pts. Danny Duffy's -8 points in a must-win game for the Royals will haunt Jon throughout the offseason as the former champion finishes out of the money.
Final Standings
1. AbsolutDomination
2. The Duda Abides
3. AntarcticanAmericans
4. Good Will Bunting
5. Walker Texas Rangers
6. Schweddy Balls
7. Home Grown Hitters
8. MVPuig
9. Honey Nut Ichiros
10. Wain's World
11. Gas House Gorillas
12. Limp Noodles
Thanks to everyone for participating and staying active till the end. I'll be back later in the week to give season awards to the best and the worst.
Monday, September 22, 2014
California Penal League - Week 24 Review
And we are down to two! Last week of the baseball season!
Semifinals Recap
#1 The Duda Abides dispatches #5 Good Will Bunting: 360.83 to 309.83
The champion is no more! This year we will crown a new champion, after #1 seed Dugan had no trouble beating defending king-of-the-castle Jon A. by a comfortable margin. As has been the case all year, Dugan relied on a strong lineup composed of above-average hitters, highlighted by breakout player of the year candidate Corey Dickerson's 31 points. In the end, Dugan's batters contributed 190 points, versus only 125 for Jon's. Good Will Bunting's futility was exemplified by Nolan Arenado, who didn't play at all this week, and now has been shutdown for the remainder of the season with signs of pneumonia. You could say that Jon has coughed up the opportunity to repeat. See what I did there?
#2 AbsolutDomination crushes #3 AntarcticanAmericans: 406.67 to 327.33
For the second straight year, Doug came into the semifinals with the best team in the league on paper. for the second straight year, he'll be playing for 3rd place money. Carlos Gomez, knowing that he was playing against a Brewers fan, decided to only score 6 points. None of his pitchers scored more than 30 points, despite having two starters pitch twice. Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta threw an absolute gem, a one-hit, 13 K complete game shutout of the Reds... and Michael Cuddyer homered in three straight games, including a 17.5 point effort on Friday night. This one was never in doubt. I don't think Doug cares much about this because he won the 87-person football picks pool this week, which will cover up for what he might've made had he played in the finals. You win some, you lose some.
Skip this if you don't care about football, betting, or both. Doug went an absurd 13-2 against the spread yesterday, with the only losses being Houston at the Giants and Denver at Seattle. Now, I also had Denver in that game, getting 4.5 points in the Super Bowl rematch. How absurd was that final drive, though? Think about it... the only way Seattle can still win against the spread is if Denver converts the 2 points, they go to overtime, and Seattle scores a TD to win it. Which will only happen if they get the ball first, because they would totally settle for a FG if such a score wins the game. And that's exactly what happens. Where was Seattle's D in that final drive though? Denver ran that out-and-up play twice for like 168 yards and there was nobody within 15 yards of the receiver.
Finals Preview
#1 The Duda Abides vs. #2 AbsolutDomination:
Dugan dominated the regular season series, winning both matchups. He had 200 more points than me, has an absurd lineup, and FIVE two-start pitchers this week. Oh yeah, and my catcher has both strep throat and a kidney stone. So... how can I win? I don't know. It'll probably take a repeat of last week's hitting performance, which might be asking too much of a team that hadn't clicked all year. My team won't be hitting 10 home runs again.
Key Matchup:
D. Holland, J. Samardzija, and J. Peavy vs. W.Y. Chen.
What? What does that even mean, you might be asking... well, I made a roster move to pick up Peavy as a two-start pitcher and decided to go all-in on Monday. If I don't race to a significant lead today, I'm giving up on this matchup altogether. After today, Dugan has 11 projected starts to 7 of mine, and that doesn't account for the fact I already used one of my three roster moves.
Key Matchup #2:
Joey Bats vs. The Artist Formerly Known As E5
Only cause they are teammates and two of my favorite nicknames in all of sports... right up there with "He Hate Me" and Jake "Daylight come and you gotta" Delhomme.
Prediction:
Normally, I'm all about the reverse jinxes, even when I secretly believe I have a chance. This week, though, I am pretty sure that I'm not going to win. In fact, Dugan: where do you want me to mail the check for $525?
3rd Place Match
#3 AntarcticanAmericans vs. #5 Good Will Bunting:
Doug and Jon still have to play for $150. That's a pretty good night out, so still worth playing hard for. Not important enough for me to do a complete breakdown of the matchup. though. My money is on Doug in this one. Too much Miggy, too much Trout, too much Cruz, too much Brantley. His once amazing pitching is no more, though, and two-start weeks for Chris Sale and Felix Hernandez can swing this to Jon's side.
Actually, I'm changing my prediction just to jinx Jon... Allen wins it behind sterling efforts of his two aces.
Consolation Bracket
Ryan finishes in 5th place, after beating Ralph by a ton. Pearse has finished in 11th place, meaning that our newcomer Drew is now our Sack-o Drew. Go watch the League if you don't get that reference, you're missing out. Kyle and Bill play this week for 7th place and Mike and Jon S. play for 9th place... seriously, why even... anyway...
I'll be back next week to officially crown Dugan as champion and find out who finished in the money. See you then!
Semifinals Recap
#1 The Duda Abides dispatches #5 Good Will Bunting: 360.83 to 309.83
The champion is no more! This year we will crown a new champion, after #1 seed Dugan had no trouble beating defending king-of-the-castle Jon A. by a comfortable margin. As has been the case all year, Dugan relied on a strong lineup composed of above-average hitters, highlighted by breakout player of the year candidate Corey Dickerson's 31 points. In the end, Dugan's batters contributed 190 points, versus only 125 for Jon's. Good Will Bunting's futility was exemplified by Nolan Arenado, who didn't play at all this week, and now has been shutdown for the remainder of the season with signs of pneumonia. You could say that Jon has coughed up the opportunity to repeat. See what I did there?
#2 AbsolutDomination crushes #3 AntarcticanAmericans: 406.67 to 327.33
For the second straight year, Doug came into the semifinals with the best team in the league on paper. for the second straight year, he'll be playing for 3rd place money. Carlos Gomez, knowing that he was playing against a Brewers fan, decided to only score 6 points. None of his pitchers scored more than 30 points, despite having two starters pitch twice. Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta threw an absolute gem, a one-hit, 13 K complete game shutout of the Reds... and Michael Cuddyer homered in three straight games, including a 17.5 point effort on Friday night. This one was never in doubt. I don't think Doug cares much about this because he won the 87-person football picks pool this week, which will cover up for what he might've made had he played in the finals. You win some, you lose some.
Skip this if you don't care about football, betting, or both. Doug went an absurd 13-2 against the spread yesterday, with the only losses being Houston at the Giants and Denver at Seattle. Now, I also had Denver in that game, getting 4.5 points in the Super Bowl rematch. How absurd was that final drive, though? Think about it... the only way Seattle can still win against the spread is if Denver converts the 2 points, they go to overtime, and Seattle scores a TD to win it. Which will only happen if they get the ball first, because they would totally settle for a FG if such a score wins the game. And that's exactly what happens. Where was Seattle's D in that final drive though? Denver ran that out-and-up play twice for like 168 yards and there was nobody within 15 yards of the receiver.
Finals Preview
#1 The Duda Abides vs. #2 AbsolutDomination:
Dugan dominated the regular season series, winning both matchups. He had 200 more points than me, has an absurd lineup, and FIVE two-start pitchers this week. Oh yeah, and my catcher has both strep throat and a kidney stone. So... how can I win? I don't know. It'll probably take a repeat of last week's hitting performance, which might be asking too much of a team that hadn't clicked all year. My team won't be hitting 10 home runs again.
Key Matchup:
D. Holland, J. Samardzija, and J. Peavy vs. W.Y. Chen.
What? What does that even mean, you might be asking... well, I made a roster move to pick up Peavy as a two-start pitcher and decided to go all-in on Monday. If I don't race to a significant lead today, I'm giving up on this matchup altogether. After today, Dugan has 11 projected starts to 7 of mine, and that doesn't account for the fact I already used one of my three roster moves.
Key Matchup #2:
Joey Bats vs. The Artist Formerly Known As E5
Only cause they are teammates and two of my favorite nicknames in all of sports... right up there with "He Hate Me" and Jake "Daylight come and you gotta" Delhomme.
Prediction:
Normally, I'm all about the reverse jinxes, even when I secretly believe I have a chance. This week, though, I am pretty sure that I'm not going to win. In fact, Dugan: where do you want me to mail the check for $525?
3rd Place Match
#3 AntarcticanAmericans vs. #5 Good Will Bunting:
Doug and Jon still have to play for $150. That's a pretty good night out, so still worth playing hard for. Not important enough for me to do a complete breakdown of the matchup. though. My money is on Doug in this one. Too much Miggy, too much Trout, too much Cruz, too much Brantley. His once amazing pitching is no more, though, and two-start weeks for Chris Sale and Felix Hernandez can swing this to Jon's side.
Actually, I'm changing my prediction just to jinx Jon... Allen wins it behind sterling efforts of his two aces.
Consolation Bracket
Ryan finishes in 5th place, after beating Ralph by a ton. Pearse has finished in 11th place, meaning that our newcomer Drew is now our Sack-o Drew. Go watch the League if you don't get that reference, you're missing out. Kyle and Bill play this week for 7th place and Mike and Jon S. play for 9th place... seriously, why even... anyway...
I'll be back next week to officially crown Dugan as champion and find out who finished in the money. See you then!
Monday, September 15, 2014
California Penal League - Week 23
Hey everyone! Look, baseball is still going on!!! I've watched exactly 0 innings since football season started, but that's going to have to change as we are down to the final four teams. Without further ado.
Quarterfinals Recap
#3 AntarcticanAmericans squeezes by #6 Schweddy Balls: 318.83 to 304.43
Our first quarterfinal was a tight one, as Doug sneaks by Ralph by a meager 14.4 points. In fact, it looked like Ralph might have a chance to take this one, but Hector Santiago's disastrous start at home against the Astros spelled his doom. Santiago only pitched 2 innings, enough to allow 10 baserunners to reach, 3 of them to score, and pick up the loss. Ralph only needed 10 points from this start, and instead got -10. Doug survives as sets up a classic matchup against Luis.
#5 Good Will Bunting upsets #4 Walker Texas Rangers: 345.33 to 310.50
Jon A. rides strong performances from Chris Sale (31 points) and Matt Holliday (31.50) in a matchup that was never in doubt. A steady performance highlighted by 4 players scoring 30 or more points. As for Ryan, this is the second year in a row that he loses in the quarterfinal as the higher seed. Is some kind of trend developing here? Or is just pure coincidence? I guess we'll find out next year. Then again, Anthony Rizzo and Dustin Pedroia combined for -0.50 pts. Can't win when your two best hitters no-show.
Semifinals Preview
#1 The Duda Abides vs. #5 Good Will Bunting:
Dugan dominated the regular season series, winning both matchup, including that mythical Week 6 shellacking: 440 to 178. Our regular season champion relied on strong, power hitting from David Ortiz, a bounceback campaign from Ian Kinsler and a 20/20 season from Brian Dozier to lead the way. There's also Lucroy, Ryan Braun, The Artist Formerly Know as E5, and Hanley. This is a scary team when it comes to hitting. However, the MVP is one Mr. Johnny Cueto. The Reds ace has been just that, currently 3rd in total pitching points, only behind Cy Kershaw (Clayton Young?) and ...
... King Felix Hernandez. He of the 18-8 record with 225 strikeouts in 219 innings. He of the microscopic 0.92 WHIP. Let's just say this is definitely not that same GWB team that got walloped early this year. A resurgent Matt Holliday leads the way, and new addition Kennys Vargas has provided an offensive spark. The loss of Paul Goldschmidt earlier in the year is a big blow to GWB's aspirations, as he is replaced in the lineup by Casey McGehee (!!!). The strength of this team lies in the bullpen, where power arms Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel dominated all year long. The recent Braves slump must worry Coach Allen, but a 6-game homestand against the Nats and Mets could do wonders for him. And don't forget about Felix's AL Cy Young competition, Chris Sale, his 1.99 ERA, and equally microscopic 0.92 WHIP.
Key Matchup:
Felix Hernandez (@LAA) against Johnny Cueto (@CHC, @STL?)
King Felix travels to Anaheim, where he owns the Angels. Meanwhile, Cueto faces Jake Arrieta Tuesday and could be in line for a Sunday start if given normal rest. This is the key to victory for both teams.
Prediction:
Dugan was unable to use the bye week to set up his starting rotation, deciding to wait until Monday morning to make 2 moves, meaning his down to only 1 left for the remainder of the week. If he had done those moves at any point last week, he could've had all 3 moves to work with. This may come back to haunt him, and what should've been a comfortable victory might turn into a huge upset. The Cubs clubber the Reds at Wrigley early in the week and Jon streams late to make the finals for the 2nd straight year.
#2 AbsolutDomination vs. #3 AntarcticanAmericans:
This are equally tight in the other side of the bracket, as myself and Doug will face-off with another final spot on the line. Doug dominated in the total points scored department, outpacing his nearest competitor by 400 points. His team was the only one to surpass the 8,000 point mark. However, some bad luck and poorly timed cold streaks left him in 3rd place. The season series finished 1-1, with me taking the first matchup and Doug getting revenge later in the year.
My team relies on Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer to provide the fireworks. Midseason acquisition Joey Bats provides the home runs, and Josh Donaldson the flair. I mean, look at that hair. Meanwhile, Doug's team relies on Miggy and Trout, that deadly 1-2 punch. Add Michael Brantley and Nelson Cruz to the mix, and AA boasts of having 4 of the top 10 hitters in points scored. The loss of Melky Cabrera, another top 25 hitter, will be huge as well.
Key Matchup:
H. Street, J. McGee, and D. Storen vs. F. Rodriguez, Z. Britton, M. Melancon. and G. Perkins
If one of the two teams can get a decisive edge in the closer battle, it'll go a long way in deciding who advances to the final.
Prediction:
Given the difference in talent between these two teams, as evidenced by the 500 point gap in points scored during the year, Doug is the clear favorite to advance. Anything else would be shocking. Expect some aggressive streaming from the two most active add/droppers of this league. Hopefully, this won't turn into a blowout but I just don't see how my team can compete, especially in hitting. If Scherzer struggles tonight in Minnesota, it's over before it even gets started.
Consolation Bracket
Oh and quick mention of our consolation bracket! Mike beat Pearse and Shidler beat Drew. Wait, what??? Mike won??? He's not going to finish last???? Nooooo!!!! What happened???
It'll be #7 Kyle vs #12 Mike and #8 Bill vs #10 Jon S. in the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Pearse and Drew will duke it out for 11th place, a.k.a the Sacko Bowl.
Quarterfinals Recap
#3 AntarcticanAmericans squeezes by #6 Schweddy Balls: 318.83 to 304.43
Our first quarterfinal was a tight one, as Doug sneaks by Ralph by a meager 14.4 points. In fact, it looked like Ralph might have a chance to take this one, but Hector Santiago's disastrous start at home against the Astros spelled his doom. Santiago only pitched 2 innings, enough to allow 10 baserunners to reach, 3 of them to score, and pick up the loss. Ralph only needed 10 points from this start, and instead got -10. Doug survives as sets up a classic matchup against Luis.
#5 Good Will Bunting upsets #4 Walker Texas Rangers: 345.33 to 310.50
Jon A. rides strong performances from Chris Sale (31 points) and Matt Holliday (31.50) in a matchup that was never in doubt. A steady performance highlighted by 4 players scoring 30 or more points. As for Ryan, this is the second year in a row that he loses in the quarterfinal as the higher seed. Is some kind of trend developing here? Or is just pure coincidence? I guess we'll find out next year. Then again, Anthony Rizzo and Dustin Pedroia combined for -0.50 pts. Can't win when your two best hitters no-show.
Semifinals Preview
#1 The Duda Abides vs. #5 Good Will Bunting:
Dugan dominated the regular season series, winning both matchup, including that mythical Week 6 shellacking: 440 to 178. Our regular season champion relied on strong, power hitting from David Ortiz, a bounceback campaign from Ian Kinsler and a 20/20 season from Brian Dozier to lead the way. There's also Lucroy, Ryan Braun, The Artist Formerly Know as E5, and Hanley. This is a scary team when it comes to hitting. However, the MVP is one Mr. Johnny Cueto. The Reds ace has been just that, currently 3rd in total pitching points, only behind Cy Kershaw (Clayton Young?) and ...
... King Felix Hernandez. He of the 18-8 record with 225 strikeouts in 219 innings. He of the microscopic 0.92 WHIP. Let's just say this is definitely not that same GWB team that got walloped early this year. A resurgent Matt Holliday leads the way, and new addition Kennys Vargas has provided an offensive spark. The loss of Paul Goldschmidt earlier in the year is a big blow to GWB's aspirations, as he is replaced in the lineup by Casey McGehee (!!!). The strength of this team lies in the bullpen, where power arms Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel dominated all year long. The recent Braves slump must worry Coach Allen, but a 6-game homestand against the Nats and Mets could do wonders for him. And don't forget about Felix's AL Cy Young competition, Chris Sale, his 1.99 ERA, and equally microscopic 0.92 WHIP.
Key Matchup:
Felix Hernandez (@LAA) against Johnny Cueto (@CHC, @STL?)
King Felix travels to Anaheim, where he owns the Angels. Meanwhile, Cueto faces Jake Arrieta Tuesday and could be in line for a Sunday start if given normal rest. This is the key to victory for both teams.
Prediction:
Dugan was unable to use the bye week to set up his starting rotation, deciding to wait until Monday morning to make 2 moves, meaning his down to only 1 left for the remainder of the week. If he had done those moves at any point last week, he could've had all 3 moves to work with. This may come back to haunt him, and what should've been a comfortable victory might turn into a huge upset. The Cubs clubber the Reds at Wrigley early in the week and Jon streams late to make the finals for the 2nd straight year.
#2 AbsolutDomination vs. #3 AntarcticanAmericans:
This are equally tight in the other side of the bracket, as myself and Doug will face-off with another final spot on the line. Doug dominated in the total points scored department, outpacing his nearest competitor by 400 points. His team was the only one to surpass the 8,000 point mark. However, some bad luck and poorly timed cold streaks left him in 3rd place. The season series finished 1-1, with me taking the first matchup and Doug getting revenge later in the year.
My team relies on Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer to provide the fireworks. Midseason acquisition Joey Bats provides the home runs, and Josh Donaldson the flair. I mean, look at that hair. Meanwhile, Doug's team relies on Miggy and Trout, that deadly 1-2 punch. Add Michael Brantley and Nelson Cruz to the mix, and AA boasts of having 4 of the top 10 hitters in points scored. The loss of Melky Cabrera, another top 25 hitter, will be huge as well.
Key Matchup:
H. Street, J. McGee, and D. Storen vs. F. Rodriguez, Z. Britton, M. Melancon. and G. Perkins
If one of the two teams can get a decisive edge in the closer battle, it'll go a long way in deciding who advances to the final.
Prediction:
Given the difference in talent between these two teams, as evidenced by the 500 point gap in points scored during the year, Doug is the clear favorite to advance. Anything else would be shocking. Expect some aggressive streaming from the two most active add/droppers of this league. Hopefully, this won't turn into a blowout but I just don't see how my team can compete, especially in hitting. If Scherzer struggles tonight in Minnesota, it's over before it even gets started.
Consolation Bracket
Oh and quick mention of our consolation bracket! Mike beat Pearse and Shidler beat Drew. Wait, what??? Mike won??? He's not going to finish last???? Nooooo!!!! What happened???
It'll be #7 Kyle vs #12 Mike and #8 Bill vs #10 Jon S. in the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Pearse and Drew will duke it out for 11th place, a.k.a the Sacko Bowl.
Come back next week to find out who'll play in the final (and who will play for the 3rd place money).... and who finished last!
Keep enjoying your football! How about them Irish.
Keep enjoying your football! How about them Irish.
Monday, September 1, 2014
California Penal League - Week 21 Review
I'm back from my wedding/honeymoon! Ready to discuss some baseball, before we all forget it exists because the NFL starts in 3 days.
Week 21 Recap
Congratulations to our Regular Season Champion, The Duda Abides. A vicious comeback against Kyle gave Dugan a most-deserved title. Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman combined for the 2658th time this season to get the win/save. Technically, I can still catch him in W-L record, but the point difference is too large to overcome.
The battle for 2nd place (and the bye!) is still ongoing. Doug needs to beat Kyle and wait for Drew to beat me. Any other result and I finish 2nd.
Congratulations also to Allen, who now has that 5th seed all locked up. Since Ryan locked up the 4th seed a long time ago, we know for a fact that one of our playoff match-ups will be Walker Texas Rangers vs. Good Will Bunting.
The last playoff spot is the most interesting of all. Kyle is in pole position: win and he is in. The problem is that he's facing the highest scoring team in the league this year: Doug. Meanwhile, both Bill and Ralph are waiting for Kyle to lose to take over 6th. Bill has a 46 point lead over Ralph, which gives him a slight edge in the potential tiebreak. Ralph is playing Mike, while Bill is playing Jon A....
The last piece of congratulations go to Soltys, who has now clinched last place for the 2nd consecutive year. Well done, sir.
Playoff Scenario Summary
#1 Seed: Kevin D.
#2 Seed: Luis/Doug
#3 Seed: Doug/Luis
Week 21 Recap
Congratulations to our Regular Season Champion, The Duda Abides. A vicious comeback against Kyle gave Dugan a most-deserved title. Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman combined for the 2658th time this season to get the win/save. Technically, I can still catch him in W-L record, but the point difference is too large to overcome.
The battle for 2nd place (and the bye!) is still ongoing. Doug needs to beat Kyle and wait for Drew to beat me. Any other result and I finish 2nd.
Congratulations also to Allen, who now has that 5th seed all locked up. Since Ryan locked up the 4th seed a long time ago, we know for a fact that one of our playoff match-ups will be Walker Texas Rangers vs. Good Will Bunting.
The last playoff spot is the most interesting of all. Kyle is in pole position: win and he is in. The problem is that he's facing the highest scoring team in the league this year: Doug. Meanwhile, both Bill and Ralph are waiting for Kyle to lose to take over 6th. Bill has a 46 point lead over Ralph, which gives him a slight edge in the potential tiebreak. Ralph is playing Mike, while Bill is playing Jon A....
The last piece of congratulations go to Soltys, who has now clinched last place for the 2nd consecutive year. Well done, sir.
Playoff Scenario Summary
#1 Seed: Kevin D.
#2 Seed: Luis/Doug
#3 Seed: Doug/Luis
#4 Seed: Ryan
#5 Seed: Jon A.
#6 Seed: Kyle/Bill/Ralph
#5 Seed: Jon A.
#6 Seed: Kyle/Bill/Ralph
Week 22 Preview
#1 Dugan vs. #4 Kyle: Nothing to see here.
#2 Luis vs. #11 Drew: Luis win clinches the #2 seed.
#3 Doug vs. #6 Kyle: Must win for both teams. One to try and get the bye week. The other needs this one to make the playoffs.
#4 Jon A. vs. #7 Bill: Allen has nothing to play for. Bill can make the playoffs with a win.
#8 Ralph vs. #12 Mike: This is the opponent you want if you need a win to make the playoffs.
#9 Pearse vs. #10 Jon S.: Pillow-fight of the week.
Next week, come back to find out who made the playoffs. Also, I'll be giving out some Regular Season awards to the best and the worst of the fantasy baseball year.
Enjoy your football!
Next week, come back to find out who made the playoffs. Also, I'll be giving out some Regular Season awards to the best and the worst of the fantasy baseball year.
Enjoy your football!
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