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!
Monday, September 22, 2014
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!
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.
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