Waaaaatch oooooout!!! Second of the game.
Monday, August 11, 2014
California Penal League - Week 18 Review
Last update for a couple of weeks because yours truly is getting married. And the future wifey probably won't appreciate it if I spend time writing blog posts about fantasy baseball. Don't worry though, I'll make sure to keep you updated of playoff scenarios, and the like.
Week 18 Recap
We have a new leader, as Dugan has taken over first place. Doug couldn't do much against Jon A., who exploded to the tune of 410 points. The loss drops him to 3rd place, a game behind Dugan and myself. Dugan gets 1st place based on his current advantage in total points.
Despite the loss, Ryan has secured a playoff spot thanks to Ralph's loss. Congrats! Virtually locked in into the #4 seed.
Allen's win, coupled with Kyle's victory and Ralph's loss, means that Kyle and Jon now have a two game lead for the final playoff spots. This battle will be key as one of these two will end up having to face the loser of the three-way battle at the very top. That's a matchup everyone would want to avoid.
Somehow, someway, nobody is eliminated from the playoffs. 4 games separate 5th place from 12th place, with 4 games remaining. Yet....
Mike and Drew showed that they belong in the basement, as they combined for less points this week than Allen scored on his own. Shame on you. Especially Mike. After finishing dead last the past season, he traded all his good players for potential keepers... and managed to finish last again. Terrible managing.
Playoff Outlook
With 4 games left, we can start looking at the teams battling for playoff position, and check to see how who has the toughest road left. I took each team's remaining schedule and assigned points based on current standings. For example, if you play the current #2 seed, that's 11 points to your SoS. If you play the #12 seed, that's 1 point. The larger the number, the tougher your schedule, the worst off you are. Without further ado:
Week 18 Recap
We have a new leader, as Dugan has taken over first place. Doug couldn't do much against Jon A., who exploded to the tune of 410 points. The loss drops him to 3rd place, a game behind Dugan and myself. Dugan gets 1st place based on his current advantage in total points.
Despite the loss, Ryan has secured a playoff spot thanks to Ralph's loss. Congrats! Virtually locked in into the #4 seed.
Allen's win, coupled with Kyle's victory and Ralph's loss, means that Kyle and Jon now have a two game lead for the final playoff spots. This battle will be key as one of these two will end up having to face the loser of the three-way battle at the very top. That's a matchup everyone would want to avoid.
Somehow, someway, nobody is eliminated from the playoffs. 4 games separate 5th place from 12th place, with 4 games remaining. Yet....
Mike and Drew showed that they belong in the basement, as they combined for less points this week than Allen scored on his own. Shame on you. Especially Mike. After finishing dead last the past season, he traded all his good players for potential keepers... and managed to finish last again. Terrible managing.
Playoff Outlook
With 4 games left, we can start looking at the teams battling for playoff position, and check to see how who has the toughest road left. I took each team's remaining schedule and assigned points based on current standings. For example, if you play the current #2 seed, that's 11 points to your SoS. If you play the #12 seed, that's 1 point. The larger the number, the tougher your schedule, the worst off you are. Without further ado:
| Team | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Total |
| Drew | 12 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 39 |
| Kyle | 8 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 34 |
| Jon S. | 10 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 29 |
| Dugan | 2 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 28 |
| Bill | 6 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 26 |
| Doug | 4 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 25 |
| Ryan | 1 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 25 |
| Jon A. | 7 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 24 |
| Pearse | 11 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 24 |
| Mike | 9 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 23 |
| Ralph | 5 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 19 |
| Luis | 3 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 16 |
The maximum possible rating is 42. The minimum is 10, There are some really interesting things here, but let's focus on the outliers.
1) Ralph has a really good shot at making the playoffs!
Look at that SoS! The second lowest, with 3 easy matchups and 1 really hard one. He should go at least 3-1 and maybe even 4-0 if he can pull off the upset! Compare that with Kyle, who has the second toughest remaining slate, with games against Dugan and Doug to close out the season, as well as a matchup with Jon A. this week. This could get really interesting.
2) If I don't win the regular season, then it'd be a complete choke job.
And I'll change my team name to AbsolutChokeJob, just like that time 2 years ago in the fantasy football league when I started 6-1 and missed the playoffs.
3) Mike, if you finish last, you are truly the worst fantasy player of all time.
Look at poor Drew's schedule. I feel so bad, I'm not even going to make fun of him.
Lucky or Unlucky?
Today's second special feature looks at how lucky or unlucky teams have been. We can do that by looking at their average points scored and average points allowed, and see how does measure up against the rest of the league.
| Team | Pt Diff | O-Rank | D-Rank | Comment |
| Dugan | 1028.84 | 2 | 1 | Lucky! |
| Doug | 886.33 | 1 | 7 | |
| Luis | 572.3 | 3 | 5 | |
| Ryan | 322.5 | 4 | 4 | |
| Kyle | 19.67 | 8 | 2 | Lucky! |
| Bill | -5.65 | 7 | 3 | |
| Jon A. | -66 | 5 | 9 | Little Unlucky! |
| Jon S. | -255.35 | 9 | 6 | |
| Pearse | -430.01 | 10 | 8 | |
| Ralph | -521.48 | 6 | 12 | Very Unlucky! |
| Drew | -720.83 | 11 | 11 | Bad and Unlucky! |
| Mike | -830.32 | 12 | 10 | Plain Bad! |
Now, what we see here has some correlation to the schedule. It should normalize quite a bit by the end of the season, when everyone has played each other twice. We can still draw some conclusions:
- Dugan has allowed the least amount of points, meaning that he has benefited from some bad weeks by opponents.
- Kyle is in a similar situation, having only the 8th most points scored, but sitting in 6th place thanks to some really lucky matchups (like winning with 275 points last week).
- Ralph has been super unlucky, scoring the 6th most amount of points but just get walloped by everybody else.
Week 19 Preview
#1 Dugan vs. #11 Drew: Snowball's chance in hell.
#2 Luis vs. #10 Pearse: Nothing to see here.
#3 Doug vs. #9 Shidler: Have you seen Shide's team? DL United.
#4 Ryan vs. #12 Mike S.: The top 4 playing the bottom 4. Who would've thunk it? But that means that...
#5 Jon A. vs. #6 Kyle: Winner is one huge step closer to the playoffs.
#7 Ralph vs. #8 Bill: Winner stays alive. Loser goes home.
Monday, August 4, 2014
California Penal League - Week 17 Review
After a two-week break due to me being lazy, I'm back recapping some of the most interesting action of a fantasy baseball league in early August. Cut me some slack, don't have a ton to work with here.
Week 17 Recap
We begin at the top, where the top 3 teams won and clinched playoff spots. Congratulations to Doug, Dugan, and yours truly, who have secured a spot in the final 6 with 5 weeks to go. Doug dispatched Soltys effortlessly, Dugan crushed his buddy Jon A., and I won a pillow-fight against Kyle. At 13-4, it looks to be a tight race to the finish. I think I have the advantage in terms of remaining schedule, but I'm also 3rd in points. Doug and Dugan play each other Week 20, presumably for the regular season title.
Trailing not too far behind is Ryan at 12-5, although he's severely lacking in the points category. One more win and he will also clinch a playoff spot, while remaining in contention for one of the coveted bye spots.
The playoff race has two clear front-runners and a bunch of teams chasing after them. Both Jon A. and Kyle are tied for 5th place at 8-9 after losses to the top teams this past week. Trailing behind them is Ralph at 7-10, even though he has 115 more points than Kyle, meaning he would win that tiebreaker. A cluster of 6-11 teams still holds on to playoff hopes: Bill, Jon S. and Drew. These are probably sellers, not buyers.
Bringing up the rear are Pearse and Mike. Mike returns to his familiar 12th spot for the 2nd straight year. No takers for Tulo yet? No one is going to buy a busted car.
Awards
Hitter of the Week - Brett Gardner (AntarcticanAmericans): 48 pts
5 Home Runs! Five! I know most were in Texas, but still. He OWNS Darvish. Three doubles, three singles, and more walks than strikeouts. Insane.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Carlos Gonzalez (Formerly of AbsolutDomination, now of MVPuig): 1 pt
I'm tired of giving this award to Chris Davis (-0.50 pts) so let's try someone different. Come on up CarGo! 1/15 this week, with only 1 point. I traded him away for Yoenis Cespedes (before the trade to Boston) cause I got tired of his brittleness. What is it about Colorado sluggers (Tulo, Cuddy, CarGo) that makes them so brittle? Either way, enjoy Kyle!
Pitcher of the Week - Greg Holland (Schweddy Balls): 49 pts
Holland picked up 4 saves this week, only allowed 2 baserunners and struckout 6. That's good for the overall lead league in total points for Week 17.
By the way, let's address the issue brought up by Dugan about RP being worthless in this format...
- Did you know that 8 of the top 25 pitchers in total points are closers?
- Did you know that 2 of them actually started off as set-up men? Z. Britton (7 holds) and Melancon (14 holds).
- Did you know that 2 full-time set-up men are in the top 50 in total points for pitchers? Belances (17 holds, 98 K's) and Tony Watson (25 holds).
Bottom line, if we reduce the points / IP by 0.5, then the top 50 are going to be all relievers and a few elite starters. So we need to adjust accordingly.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - C.J. Wilson (Schweddy Balls): -10.33 pts
Wilson only lasted 1 1/3 innings against the Rays. He got tagged for 6 hits and 6 runs, striking out 2. Picked up the loss. Honorable mention to Adam Wainwright, who got abused by my Brew Crew to the tune of 7 earned in 5 and a third.
Week 18 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #5 Jon A.: Allen probably didn't have a chance before Goldy got hurt. Now, he's gonna get owned.
#2 Dugan vs. #9 Jon S.: The Jons are not going to have a good week. Time to sell, Shide.
#3 Luis vs. #4 Ryan: Matchup of the week. I need this to keep pace with the leaders. Ryan needs the win to clinch a playoff spot and have any hope of finishing in the top 2.
#6 Kyle vs. #12 Mike S.: Golden opportunity for Kyle to take sole possession of 5th and avoid one of the Big 3 in the playoffs.
#7 Ralph vs. #11 Pearse: Ralph could take over one of the playoff spots if a series of results (and points) go his way.
#8 Bill vs. #10 Drew: Pillowfight of the Week!!!! Sell! Sell! Sell!
Have a happy "football is back, even if it's preseason" week!
Week 17 Recap
We begin at the top, where the top 3 teams won and clinched playoff spots. Congratulations to Doug, Dugan, and yours truly, who have secured a spot in the final 6 with 5 weeks to go. Doug dispatched Soltys effortlessly, Dugan crushed his buddy Jon A., and I won a pillow-fight against Kyle. At 13-4, it looks to be a tight race to the finish. I think I have the advantage in terms of remaining schedule, but I'm also 3rd in points. Doug and Dugan play each other Week 20, presumably for the regular season title.
Trailing not too far behind is Ryan at 12-5, although he's severely lacking in the points category. One more win and he will also clinch a playoff spot, while remaining in contention for one of the coveted bye spots.
The playoff race has two clear front-runners and a bunch of teams chasing after them. Both Jon A. and Kyle are tied for 5th place at 8-9 after losses to the top teams this past week. Trailing behind them is Ralph at 7-10, even though he has 115 more points than Kyle, meaning he would win that tiebreaker. A cluster of 6-11 teams still holds on to playoff hopes: Bill, Jon S. and Drew. These are probably sellers, not buyers.
Bringing up the rear are Pearse and Mike. Mike returns to his familiar 12th spot for the 2nd straight year. No takers for Tulo yet? No one is going to buy a busted car.
Awards
Hitter of the Week - Brett Gardner (AntarcticanAmericans): 48 pts
5 Home Runs! Five! I know most were in Texas, but still. He OWNS Darvish. Three doubles, three singles, and more walks than strikeouts. Insane.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Carlos Gonzalez (Formerly of AbsolutDomination, now of MVPuig): 1 pt
I'm tired of giving this award to Chris Davis (-0.50 pts) so let's try someone different. Come on up CarGo! 1/15 this week, with only 1 point. I traded him away for Yoenis Cespedes (before the trade to Boston) cause I got tired of his brittleness. What is it about Colorado sluggers (Tulo, Cuddy, CarGo) that makes them so brittle? Either way, enjoy Kyle!
Pitcher of the Week - Greg Holland (Schweddy Balls): 49 pts
Holland picked up 4 saves this week, only allowed 2 baserunners and struckout 6. That's good for the overall lead league in total points for Week 17.
By the way, let's address the issue brought up by Dugan about RP being worthless in this format...
- Did you know that 8 of the top 25 pitchers in total points are closers?
- Did you know that 2 of them actually started off as set-up men? Z. Britton (7 holds) and Melancon (14 holds).
- Did you know that 2 full-time set-up men are in the top 50 in total points for pitchers? Belances (17 holds, 98 K's) and Tony Watson (25 holds).
Bottom line, if we reduce the points / IP by 0.5, then the top 50 are going to be all relievers and a few elite starters. So we need to adjust accordingly.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - C.J. Wilson (Schweddy Balls): -10.33 pts
Wilson only lasted 1 1/3 innings against the Rays. He got tagged for 6 hits and 6 runs, striking out 2. Picked up the loss. Honorable mention to Adam Wainwright, who got abused by my Brew Crew to the tune of 7 earned in 5 and a third.
Week 18 Preview
#1 Doug vs. #5 Jon A.: Allen probably didn't have a chance before Goldy got hurt. Now, he's gonna get owned.
#2 Dugan vs. #9 Jon S.: The Jons are not going to have a good week. Time to sell, Shide.
#3 Luis vs. #4 Ryan: Matchup of the week. I need this to keep pace with the leaders. Ryan needs the win to clinch a playoff spot and have any hope of finishing in the top 2.
#6 Kyle vs. #12 Mike S.: Golden opportunity for Kyle to take sole possession of 5th and avoid one of the Big 3 in the playoffs.
#7 Ralph vs. #11 Pearse: Ralph could take over one of the playoff spots if a series of results (and points) go his way.
#8 Bill vs. #10 Drew: Pillowfight of the Week!!!! Sell! Sell! Sell!
Have a happy "football is back, even if it's preseason" week!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
World Cup 2014 - Semifinals Preview: Argentina vs. The Netherlands
The only way the Argentina vs. the Netherlands game even compares to what we witnessed yesterday: Messi and Robben brawl it out, hockey-style. I got Messi as a favorite because Robben will probably dive the moment Messi swings at him. Anyway...
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
The 1978 final would've been a solid choice, but these two teams have met more recently than that. We go back to 1998, when Argentina and the Netherlands met in the Quarterfinals. The final score was 2-1 to the Dutch, and it gave us a sublime moment of skill.
Uniforms
Argentina's albiceleste vs. the Netherlands' oranje. This is as good as it gets when talking about soccer jerseys. The advantage goes to the Dutch, only because Adidas screwed up the shorts, going with white instead of the classic black. Else, it would've been a tie.
Three Burning Questions
1. Who replaces Angel di Maria's endless running?
Sadly, nobody. Di Maria was a unique player in this system, very similar to what Neymar gave Brazil. The difference here is that Argentina still has Messi and Higuain. Brazil had Fred and Hulk. Ugh.
2. Will Robben turn right?
No. He's the left-handed version of Derek Zoolander. Dude always cuts left. Always.
3. How many goals will the Dutch score in counterattacks after Argentina loses possession?
The over/under is 2.5, and I think it's over. I'm dead serious. Argentina is going to dominate possession, Dutch defenders are going to swarm Messi, and eventually they will win the ball back and boot it forward where Robben is going to outrace DeMichelis and Mascherano, a.k.a. Slow and Slower.
Argentina will win if...
... Messi scores a hattrick, because I don't think a brace is going to be enough.
The Netherlands will win if...
... they don't screw up. They are the clear favorites and Argentina's style suits them to perfection.
The Final Score
Argentina 1 - The Netherlands 3. I think this is another case of the South American team getting all emotional at the beginning, then getting hit with European indifference. The Netherlands score early, counterattack late, Messi gets a meaningless goal at the end, and a 1974 final rematch is setup.
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
The 1978 final would've been a solid choice, but these two teams have met more recently than that. We go back to 1998, when Argentina and the Netherlands met in the Quarterfinals. The final score was 2-1 to the Dutch, and it gave us a sublime moment of skill.
Uniforms
Argentina's albiceleste vs. the Netherlands' oranje. This is as good as it gets when talking about soccer jerseys. The advantage goes to the Dutch, only because Adidas screwed up the shorts, going with white instead of the classic black. Else, it would've been a tie.
Three Burning Questions
1. Who replaces Angel di Maria's endless running?
Sadly, nobody. Di Maria was a unique player in this system, very similar to what Neymar gave Brazil. The difference here is that Argentina still has Messi and Higuain. Brazil had Fred and Hulk. Ugh.
2. Will Robben turn right?
No. He's the left-handed version of Derek Zoolander. Dude always cuts left. Always.
3. How many goals will the Dutch score in counterattacks after Argentina loses possession?
The over/under is 2.5, and I think it's over. I'm dead serious. Argentina is going to dominate possession, Dutch defenders are going to swarm Messi, and eventually they will win the ball back and boot it forward where Robben is going to outrace DeMichelis and Mascherano, a.k.a. Slow and Slower.
Argentina will win if...
... Messi scores a hattrick, because I don't think a brace is going to be enough.
The Netherlands will win if...
... they don't screw up. They are the clear favorites and Argentina's style suits them to perfection.
The Final Score
Argentina 1 - The Netherlands 3. I think this is another case of the South American team getting all emotional at the beginning, then getting hit with European indifference. The Netherlands score early, counterattack late, Messi gets a meaningless goal at the end, and a 1974 final rematch is setup.
Monday, July 7, 2014
World Cup 2014 - Semifinals Preview: Brazil vs. Germany
And we're down to our Final Four! All of them are heavyweights, and all of them have a legit change of winning.
Up first we have Brazil... the host, the penta-champion, the scratch, la canarinha, la verde-amarela... facing off against Germany, Die Mannschaft, DAS UBER FUßBALL MACHINEN. This is the Germans' 4th straight semifinals after finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd in the last 3 World Cups. Unbelievable... and then you remember West Germany made 3 straight finals: '82, '86, and '90. Incredible. Tune in at 4 pm Eastern for this Goliath vs. Goliath match-up, live from Belo Horizonte (ESPN in the US).
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
Shockingly, Brazil and Germany have only played each other once at the World Cup. The scenario was the 2002 Final in Yokohama, and it doubled as the crowning moment for one Ronaldo Luíz Nazário de Lima. Enjoy!
Uniforms
I'd rather see the blue shorts or blue socks, instead of this year's all-white version. Germany's away jerseys are an atrocity. Decided advantage, verde-amarela.
Three Burning Questions
1. Neymar is out. Yeah. :( Who will step up and fill the massive hole?
The natural choice to replace injured star Neymar in the Starting XI is amazingly-named Chelsea winger Willian. However, the creative responsibility will fall squarely on the shoulders of another Chelsea player: Oscar. The task for Germany is pretty simple: cut-off Oscar from the run of play and watch as Hulk, Willian, and Fred run around like chickens with their heads cut-off. In Fred's case, I'm pretty sure he didn't have a head to begin with. He's awful.
2. Will Klose dare break Ronaldo's scoring record in Brazilian soil?
Sadly, I think the answer is no. The German attack did not play with the same coherence and intensity that characterizes them in the match against France. I expect Gotze to be back in the lineup, with Müller moving to the center-forward position. The rest of the line-up should remain unchanged from the team that professionally dispatched la France. Klose will only get his chance if Germany is down late and they decide to bomb the Brazilian penalty area with crosses. Schürrle is the preferred substitute option anyway.
3. What will be stronger? Brazilian emotion or Germany's apathetic approach?
Normally, I'd say that the key to beat Brazil is to prevent them from scoring in the first 20 minutes. They really feed off the emotion of the crowd. We saw what happened in the quarterfinals against Colombia. However, if there's a team that is equipped to survive an early Brazilian strike is this German team. They've seen it all. They will not panic and they will find a way.
Brazil will win if...
... Fred scores. Because if Fred scores, you know that things are DEFINITELY going Brazil's way.
Germany will win if...
... the match is played. After all, "Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
The Final Score
Brazil 1 (4) - Germany 1 (3). Because it couldn't be any other way. Not only do Brazil reach the final of their own tournament, but they do it while beating the Germans at what they do best, penalty kicks. By the way, I think Brazil scores early (that clown Fred will probably use his knee or something) and Germany ties it late.
Up first we have Brazil... the host, the penta-champion, the scratch, la canarinha, la verde-amarela... facing off against Germany, Die Mannschaft, DAS UBER FUßBALL MACHINEN. This is the Germans' 4th straight semifinals after finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd in the last 3 World Cups. Unbelievable... and then you remember West Germany made 3 straight finals: '82, '86, and '90. Incredible. Tune in at 4 pm Eastern for this Goliath vs. Goliath match-up, live from Belo Horizonte (ESPN in the US).
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
Shockingly, Brazil and Germany have only played each other once at the World Cup. The scenario was the 2002 Final in Yokohama, and it doubled as the crowning moment for one Ronaldo Luíz Nazário de Lima. Enjoy!
Uniforms
I'd rather see the blue shorts or blue socks, instead of this year's all-white version. Germany's away jerseys are an atrocity. Decided advantage, verde-amarela.
Three Burning Questions
1. Neymar is out. Yeah. :( Who will step up and fill the massive hole?
The natural choice to replace injured star Neymar in the Starting XI is amazingly-named Chelsea winger Willian. However, the creative responsibility will fall squarely on the shoulders of another Chelsea player: Oscar. The task for Germany is pretty simple: cut-off Oscar from the run of play and watch as Hulk, Willian, and Fred run around like chickens with their heads cut-off. In Fred's case, I'm pretty sure he didn't have a head to begin with. He's awful.
2. Will Klose dare break Ronaldo's scoring record in Brazilian soil?
Sadly, I think the answer is no. The German attack did not play with the same coherence and intensity that characterizes them in the match against France. I expect Gotze to be back in the lineup, with Müller moving to the center-forward position. The rest of the line-up should remain unchanged from the team that professionally dispatched la France. Klose will only get his chance if Germany is down late and they decide to bomb the Brazilian penalty area with crosses. Schürrle is the preferred substitute option anyway.
3. What will be stronger? Brazilian emotion or Germany's apathetic approach?
Normally, I'd say that the key to beat Brazil is to prevent them from scoring in the first 20 minutes. They really feed off the emotion of the crowd. We saw what happened in the quarterfinals against Colombia. However, if there's a team that is equipped to survive an early Brazilian strike is this German team. They've seen it all. They will not panic and they will find a way.
Brazil will win if...
... Fred scores. Because if Fred scores, you know that things are DEFINITELY going Brazil's way.
Germany will win if...
... the match is played. After all, "Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
The Final Score
Brazil 1 (4) - Germany 1 (3). Because it couldn't be any other way. Not only do Brazil reach the final of their own tournament, but they do it while beating the Germans at what they do best, penalty kicks. By the way, I think Brazil scores early (that clown Fred will probably use his knee or something) and Germany ties it late.
California Penal League - Week 14 Review
Welcome back! This is your weekly fantasy baseball newsletter, featuring highlights and lowlights, upsets and beatdowns, flames and lames. Let's start with the two exciting match-ups decided on Sunday night.
Week 14 Recap
We start with the upset of the week, where Bill took down (former) league leader Doug despite Doug's late rally. Down 5 points heading into Sunday Night, Doug had Miguel Cabrera while Bill had Joe Nathan left. Cabrera couldn't deliver, as David Price and the Rays limited him to a sac fly in 4 at-bats. Nathan would add insult upon injury by coming in and adding 3 unneeded points. Bill, who once upon a time was 0-5, takes down the favorite and moves to 6-8, tied for 5th.
Another incredible match-up decided on Sunday Night featured Kyle's comeback against poor Pearse. Now, this is when things get interesting because Kyle had no players left going into Sunday night. Remember this fact: Kyle had no one left who could score points! Meanwhile Pearse had Rick Porcello and a 1 point lead! Bench Porcello and you have win... Start Porcello, lose 4.67 points, and now you're 2-12. Wow. Let this be a lesson to everybody: there's no such thing as over-managing your team.
We had one more upset, as Ralph beats Dugan to remain in the coveted 6th and last playoff spot. Dugan misses an opportunity to cut Doug's lead in the race for the bye week. Jon A. beat Mike in the 5-8 teams match-up. We reached to Mr. Mike for comments this morning: "I'm getting close to throwing in the towel", he said, so there you have it. Jon A. remains in 5th place. Ryan had no trouble destroying Drew and I did the same with Jon S.
Now let's hand out some fake silverware...
Awards
Hitter of the Week - Jayson Werth (Home Grown Hitters): 39 pts
Low scoring week for hitters overall, as Werth takes home weekly honors. 3 home runs, 2 steals, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. They key, as always, try not to strikeout too much.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Chris Davis (Honey Nut Ichiros): -0.50 pts
I hate to pick on a single player week after week, but The Artist Formerly Known as Crush Davis was awful again. 2/23 with a single ribby and 11 strikeouts. Awful.
Pitcher of the Week - Garrett Richards (AbsolutDomination): 56.67 pts
Richards let all MLB pitchers in strikeouts this week with 20, punching out 9 Pale Sox and 11 'stros in his two starts. Only 11 baserunners allowed in 15.1 innings, while averaging a 97.3 MPH fastball. Kid's good.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Kyle Gibson (Honey Nut Ichiros): -9.50 pts
Gibson got rocked by the Yankees, giving up 6 runs (5 earned) in 2 innings of work. Zero strikeouts didn't help matters. I promise it is not "Pick on Mike" week. Nobody else was this atrocious.
Week 15 Preview
#1 Luis vs. #3 Dugan: Matchup of the Week. Dugan has the upper hand based on number of pitchers with 2-game starts this week.
#2 Doug vs. #6 Ralph: Will Ralph make it two upsets in a row? Or will Doug right the ship?
#4 Ryan vs. #12 Pearse: Ryan is the forgotten man in the race for the top. He's currently on two games out of 1st place and 4 games ahead of 5th place.
#5 Jon A. vs. #11 Drew: If Drew wins, these two teams will be tied again. Crazy.
#7 Bill vs. #8 Kyle: Huge matchup in the playoff race. Neither team can afford to lose.
#9 Jon S. vs. #10 Mike: Pillowfight of the Week!!!!
Enjoy your last week of baseball before the All-Star Break!
Week 14 Recap
We start with the upset of the week, where Bill took down (former) league leader Doug despite Doug's late rally. Down 5 points heading into Sunday Night, Doug had Miguel Cabrera while Bill had Joe Nathan left. Cabrera couldn't deliver, as David Price and the Rays limited him to a sac fly in 4 at-bats. Nathan would add insult upon injury by coming in and adding 3 unneeded points. Bill, who once upon a time was 0-5, takes down the favorite and moves to 6-8, tied for 5th.
Another incredible match-up decided on Sunday Night featured Kyle's comeback against poor Pearse. Now, this is when things get interesting because Kyle had no players left going into Sunday night. Remember this fact: Kyle had no one left who could score points! Meanwhile Pearse had Rick Porcello and a 1 point lead! Bench Porcello and you have win... Start Porcello, lose 4.67 points, and now you're 2-12. Wow. Let this be a lesson to everybody: there's no such thing as over-managing your team.
We had one more upset, as Ralph beats Dugan to remain in the coveted 6th and last playoff spot. Dugan misses an opportunity to cut Doug's lead in the race for the bye week. Jon A. beat Mike in the 5-8 teams match-up. We reached to Mr. Mike for comments this morning: "I'm getting close to throwing in the towel", he said, so there you have it. Jon A. remains in 5th place. Ryan had no trouble destroying Drew and I did the same with Jon S.
Now let's hand out some fake silverware...
Awards
Hitter of the Week - Jayson Werth (Home Grown Hitters): 39 pts
Low scoring week for hitters overall, as Werth takes home weekly honors. 3 home runs, 2 steals, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. They key, as always, try not to strikeout too much.
Goat of the Week, Hitter Edition - Chris Davis (Honey Nut Ichiros): -0.50 pts
I hate to pick on a single player week after week, but The Artist Formerly Known as Crush Davis was awful again. 2/23 with a single ribby and 11 strikeouts. Awful.
Pitcher of the Week - Garrett Richards (AbsolutDomination): 56.67 pts
Richards let all MLB pitchers in strikeouts this week with 20, punching out 9 Pale Sox and 11 'stros in his two starts. Only 11 baserunners allowed in 15.1 innings, while averaging a 97.3 MPH fastball. Kid's good.
Goat of the Week, Pitcher Edition - Kyle Gibson (Honey Nut Ichiros): -9.50 pts
Gibson got rocked by the Yankees, giving up 6 runs (5 earned) in 2 innings of work. Zero strikeouts didn't help matters. I promise it is not "Pick on Mike" week. Nobody else was this atrocious.
Week 15 Preview
#1 Luis vs. #3 Dugan: Matchup of the Week. Dugan has the upper hand based on number of pitchers with 2-game starts this week.
#2 Doug vs. #6 Ralph: Will Ralph make it two upsets in a row? Or will Doug right the ship?
#4 Ryan vs. #12 Pearse: Ryan is the forgotten man in the race for the top. He's currently on two games out of 1st place and 4 games ahead of 5th place.
#5 Jon A. vs. #11 Drew: If Drew wins, these two teams will be tied again. Crazy.
#7 Bill vs. #8 Kyle: Huge matchup in the playoff race. Neither team can afford to lose.
#9 Jon S. vs. #10 Mike: Pillowfight of the Week!!!!
Enjoy your last week of baseball before the All-Star Break!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
World Cup 2014 - Quarterfinals Preview: Argentina vs. Belgium
What was supposed to be a great display of attacking football turned out to be a great display of how to attack footballers. My bitterness with the Spanish ref will continue. Meanwhile, there's two more semifinal spots up for grabs. First up, it's Argentina and Belgium in Brasilia, at noon Eastern Time.
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
The last time Belgium made the Semifinals of the World Cup, they got Maradona'd. I'm sure they don't want to get Messi'd this time around.
Uniforms
Another of Adidas' ridiculousness. An Argentinian team in all white looks so unnatural. Belgium, on the other hand, look mighty sharp in their red uniforms. Advantage, Red Devils.
Three Burning Questions
1. Can Axel Witsel handle Lionel Messi?
This Belgium team is like an upgraded version of Switzerland. They are very physical, organized, and have an excellent GK and back four. The key matchup, though, will be Axel Witsel vs. Lionel Messi. Normally, it takes more than one player to control Messi. However, the Zenit St. Petersburg man might be tasked with stopping "the Flea" all on his own. At the very least, he already won the hair competition.
2. Will Lukaku make an impact in the game?
One of the main reasons why Belgium is in the quarterfinals is the inspired play of Romelu Lukaku, who came into the Round of 16 match against the USA at the beginning of extra-time . His powerful run created the first goal, while adding a 2nd a few minutes later. However, don't be surprised if Belgium manager Marc Wilmots elects to start teenager Origi again and let Lukaku run at tired defenders in the 2nd half. We will definitely see the Chelsea/Everton man at some point.
3. Will Gonzalo Higuain do something productive? Anything at all?
We know Messi can't do it all on it's own. Argentina knows it too. The loss of Sergio "Kun" Aguero was a devastating blow to a team that has not being able to jell up front. Argentina has scored 7 goals at this World Cup, split up like this: 4 by Messi, an own goal, a Marcos Rojo goal on a corner-kick, and di Maria's well taken shot at the end of the Switzerland match... after an amazing run by Messi. Higuain needs to show up. The Napoli striker has been MIA so far and Argentina needs him to score if they hope to make the Semis, much less win the whole thing.
Argentina will win if...
... they score first. Once they have a goal, Belgium will open up and the space will be there for Messi and Angel di Maria to make their trademark lightning runs. A quick 2nd goal would then follow.
Belgium will win if...
... the score is 0-0 after 60 minutes. Argentina will grow more and more desperate as their attacks get stuffed by a very good Belgian defense. This is the time when Hazard & Co. capitalize on a quick counter.
The Final Score
Argentina 0 - Belgium 1. This is the end of the road for Messi & Co. Switzerland was not able to capitalize on the weaknesses Argentina showed at the back, but Belgium definitely have the firepower to do so and will do so. Expect Axel Witsel to chase Messi around, not letting him breath. An Eden Hazard goal wins it for the Red Devils. Fellaini's afro lives to fight another day.
Your Mandatory "No love lost between these two teams" Video
The last time Belgium made the Semifinals of the World Cup, they got Maradona'd. I'm sure they don't want to get Messi'd this time around.
Uniforms
Another of Adidas' ridiculousness. An Argentinian team in all white looks so unnatural. Belgium, on the other hand, look mighty sharp in their red uniforms. Advantage, Red Devils.
Three Burning Questions
1. Can Axel Witsel handle Lionel Messi?
This Belgium team is like an upgraded version of Switzerland. They are very physical, organized, and have an excellent GK and back four. The key matchup, though, will be Axel Witsel vs. Lionel Messi. Normally, it takes more than one player to control Messi. However, the Zenit St. Petersburg man might be tasked with stopping "the Flea" all on his own. At the very least, he already won the hair competition.
2. Will Lukaku make an impact in the game?
One of the main reasons why Belgium is in the quarterfinals is the inspired play of Romelu Lukaku, who came into the Round of 16 match against the USA at the beginning of extra-time . His powerful run created the first goal, while adding a 2nd a few minutes later. However, don't be surprised if Belgium manager Marc Wilmots elects to start teenager Origi again and let Lukaku run at tired defenders in the 2nd half. We will definitely see the Chelsea/Everton man at some point.
3. Will Gonzalo Higuain do something productive? Anything at all?
We know Messi can't do it all on it's own. Argentina knows it too. The loss of Sergio "Kun" Aguero was a devastating blow to a team that has not being able to jell up front. Argentina has scored 7 goals at this World Cup, split up like this: 4 by Messi, an own goal, a Marcos Rojo goal on a corner-kick, and di Maria's well taken shot at the end of the Switzerland match... after an amazing run by Messi. Higuain needs to show up. The Napoli striker has been MIA so far and Argentina needs him to score if they hope to make the Semis, much less win the whole thing.
Argentina will win if...
... they score first. Once they have a goal, Belgium will open up and the space will be there for Messi and Angel di Maria to make their trademark lightning runs. A quick 2nd goal would then follow.
Belgium will win if...
... the score is 0-0 after 60 minutes. Argentina will grow more and more desperate as their attacks get stuffed by a very good Belgian defense. This is the time when Hazard & Co. capitalize on a quick counter.
The Final Score
Argentina 0 - Belgium 1. This is the end of the road for Messi & Co. Switzerland was not able to capitalize on the weaknesses Argentina showed at the back, but Belgium definitely have the firepower to do so and will do so. Expect Axel Witsel to chase Messi around, not letting him breath. An Eden Hazard goal wins it for the Red Devils. Fellaini's afro lives to fight another day.
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