Buckeyes and Snakes trade

The Buckeyes traded Brandon Belt to the Sidewinders for Jurickson Profar, a reserve, and picks 111, 143, 175, and 191.

Pigs and Inmates Trade

The Warpigs traded pick 173 to the Inmates for Brett Anderson.

Mr. Cub

January 31, 1931 - January 23, 2015

Fungoes and Bees Trade

The Killer Bees sent a reserve pick to the Fungoes for pick 48.

Home Ballparks

Every year, we have the option of keeping the BP numbers we have or altering them as much as +2/-2. And in every Presidential election year, we can move to any park we want and use their new numbers. This wasn't always the rule. I can't remember when we adopted this rule, and I can't remember what rule we used before the election year rule. I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.

The numbers are kept on the roster page, and in the SOMBB game. The problem was, I couldn't find any place where the actual park we were using had been written down. The computer game had names for our ballparks, but those were almost always wrong and sometimes said things like The Baptist Bowl. It's important to know your BP because you can't adopt your park's new numbers if you don't know which park you're in.

I started by asking you guys. You'd be surprised at how many couldn't remember. And a few were mistaken on where they were playing their games. There's a joke in there somewhere.

So I did a little research. I have MLB park numbers for every year, and I have the NASOMA park numbers back to 2000. I followed each team back until it was apparent they had taken a new park. Typically, I would get back to 2011 or 2007 when it would become obvious that the team took a new park in the following "election" year.

Since I had my own BP numbers back thru when I entered the league, I researched those all the way back until then. The results of my BallPork research is listed at the bottom of this page. Your team's research will look similar; I just didn't go back as far. I'd be happy to share your results with you. Just let me know.

Here are the results for each team (If you feel I have made a mistake, let me know)...

Warpigs, San Diego (since 1989)
Rhinos, San Diego (since 1996)
FFTs, Kansas City (since 2008)
Sidewinders, Washington (since 2008)
DVs, Baltimore (since 2008)
Mavs, San Francisco (since 2008)
Nads, Kansas City (since 2008)
Killer Bees, ChicagoAL (since 2008)
SuperGoofs, Miami (since entering the league in 2009 - it was Florida then)
Inmates, Los AngelesNL (since 2012)
Drillers, Miami (since 2012)
Tweeners, Miami (since 2012)
Zaps, ChicagoAL (since 2012)
Wahoos, Colorado (since 2012)
Buckeyes, New YorkAL (since 2012)
Fungoes, San Francisco (since 2012)



The Warpig BallPork research...

1987 - 5/5, 17/17 (Seattle. The team I took over had already started their season. This was the park.)

1988 - 5/5, 18/18 (The new Seattle numbers)

1989 - 0/0, 14/14 (I moved to San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium. These are the SD'88 numbers.)

1990 - 0/0, 16/16 (We weren't adjusting back then; these are the new SD'89 numbers.)

1991 - 0/0, 16/16 (I kept the same numbers for the next decade.)

1992 - 0/0, 16/16

1993 - 0/0, 16/16

1994 - 0/0, 16/16

1995 - 0/0, 16/16

1996 - 0/0, 16/16

1997 - 0/0, 16/16 (FYI, Jack Murphy was renamed Qualcomm in 1997.)

1998 - 0/0, 16/16

1999 - 0/0, 16/16

2000 - 0/0, 16/16

2001 - 1/1, 3/6 (Qualcomm had become a pitcher's park. These are the SD'00 numbers.)

2002 - 0/0, 5/8 (I began a decade of adjusting the HR numbers almost every year.)

2003 - 0/0, 7/6

2004 - 0/0, 7/6 (This is the only year I didn't adjust it - I have no idea why.)

2005 - 0/0, 7/7 (SD'04 was the first year of Petco, but I just kept adjusting the Qualcomm numbers.)

2006 - 0/0, 9/9 (And here we go, cranking the fences in a little bit every year.)

2007 - 0/0, 11/11

2008 - 0/0, 13/13 (See a trend?)

2009 - 0/0, 15/15

2010 - 0/0, 17/17

2011 - 0/0, 19/19

2012 - 0/0, 20/20 (There was only a sliver of grass between the infield dirt and the warning track.)

2013 - 0/0, 20/20 (The commissioner wouldn't let me go any higher.)

2014 - 2/2, 1/4 (The new SD'13 numbers. With no offense, I decided to protect my pitchers.)

 

San Diego since 1989.

Corner Outfielders - Top Ten Right Now

MLB Network and the "Shredder" had the following top ten:

Right Field
1. G.Stanton, DVs
2. J.Bautista, Zaps
3. B.Harper, Mavs
4. J.Heyward, Mavs
5. M.Cuddyer, Goofs
6. C.Gonzalez, Inmates
7. H.Pence, FFTs
8. B.Moss, SSW
9. M.Kemp, Rhinos
10. J.D.Martinez, free agent

Cuddyer? Weird. But outside of Stanton and Bautista, this is a really weak group. Harper is still more hype than substance... Heyward is almost as bad vs LHP as Scooter Gennett... Cuddyer and JD are really DHs... and CarGo has been hurt too much. After Stanton and Bautista, my top 5 would have 3. Pence, 4. Kemp, 5. Heyward/Harper

Left Field
1. H.Ramirez, FFTs
2. J.Werth, Warpigs
3. M.Brantley, SSW
4. S.Marte, Inmates
5. A.Gordon, Rhinos
6. N.Cruz, Tweeners
7. M.Holliday, DVs
8. C.Dickerson, free agent
9. J.Upton, Mavs
10. C.Yelich, Drillers

Hanley is ranked #1 in LF despite the fact he's never played there. Amazing. A lot of depth here. The list leaves off Cespedes, Gardner, and Melky. Werth and Holliday are getting old, although Werth has been really good the last few years... Cruz is also up there in age and can't play defense... Dickerson can't hit outside of Coors. My top of this list would be 1. Brantley, 2. Gordon, 3. Yelich, 4. Marte, 5. Upton.

Thoughts?

Looking Ahead - 2015 NASOMA

Well, the cards aren't here, but the ratings are, and that makes it time for this year's Crystal Ball Gazing post. So many things to consider... Can Kershaw and the Fungoes repeat? Will the Drillers finally return to the post season after two years away? Are the Buckeyes really rebuilding for the first time since... well... ever? And does this mean they will miss the post season for the first time since 2008? Can the Zaps or Pigs get back on top? Can the Snakes ride the best pitching staff in the league to another title? Is this the year the Nads make the playoffs? Is this finally the Year of the Inmates?Do the Bees still suck?

Let's take a look...


The Herman Wheeler Division

Let's start at the home of the defending champion Fungoes. Kershaw and Trout are back. Matt Carpenter is as good as ever. Price is improved. Harvey is gone but more than adequately replaced in the rotation by Roark. The Fungi have excellent starting pitching and a pretty good bullpen. All they need is a shortstop. They don't need one other thing. Well, and a 2nd baseman. A shortstop and a 2nd baseman, and that's ALL they need. They don't need one other thing. And a right fielder. A shorststop, a 2nd baseman, and a right fielder. And that's all they need.

The Inmates have a strong infield, but have needs everywhere else. They have two early 1st round picks, however. Now we see if he can turn those 2 picks into an ace for his rotation, a dominant reliever, and a top tier left-handed bat.

The Nads finally have a roster ready to play beyond game 162. All they really need is bullpen, and there will be plenty of bullpen to choose from in the first few rounds of this draft.

The Rhinos made it to the World Series in 2010 and 2012. That's all I got.

Prediction: 1. Fungoes, 2. Inmates, 3. Nads, 4. Rhinos


The Ab Wheeler Division

The Snakes have the best pitching staff in NASOMA. Best rotation. Best bullpen. Best staff. His offense is heavy on the left-handers - which fits his park - but there are a couple of holes to fill. Kipnis getting a 2b-4 is the biggest of those holes. But this is the Snakeman, and it is a lock that he'll have the Sidewinders in the post season. Book the flight now.

The Bees have Freeman and Simmons in their infield. And they have Teheran, E.Santana, and A.Wood at the top of their rotation, but they have almost nothing else. It could be a long year at the Hive.

The Tweeners have the deepest rotation in the league, with 7 starters who could help the rotations of anybody. The Tweeners need some bats and bullpen, but having a great rotation is a good start.

The Goofs have a lot of needs - mostly health for his rotation. If the Goofs were in the HWD, I'd give them a chance at the post season. But beating the Snakes and Tweeners will require something Goofy happening.

Prediction: 1. Sidewinders, 2. Tweeners, 3. Goofs, 4. Killer Bees


The Bob Uecker Division

The Warpigs have their roster set, which is good because they have no picks. The pitching staff is not as good as the Snake staff, but will still be a strength. The starters aren't as good as the 2013 staff, but this time there's a bullpen to bail them out. And after a year setting offensive futility records, trades were made to improve the run-scoring potential.

The DVs have an aresenal of RH hitters, and their infield defense will be air tight. They even have a quality rotation. But the bullpen needs a major re-stocking, and a left-handed DH needs to be found. The bigger problem is the lack of draft picks with which to fill those holes. The draft is deep in RH relief, so that part should be easy to rectify.

The Wahoos have a great infield, an ace in the rotation, and one of the best relievers out there. An even better asset is 4 picks in the first 19 picks of the draft. By the time those 4 picks are made, the Wahoos could be the team to beat.

The FFTs are the sleeper team in the BUD. Their right-handed hitters are as good as the DV group, and if they can add a shortstop and some bullpen, the FFTs will be much improved over last year. On the other hand, if the FFTs go for an infusion of youth, it might be another down year - but with good things ahead.

Prediction: 1. Warpigs, 2. Wahoos, 3. DVs, 4. FFTs


The Millard Fillmore Division

The Zaps are once again loaded for bear. The only offensive hole is LF, and Chris Dickerson is poised to be the first pick in the draft to make this lineup complete. The rotation is also top tier. And with so much bullpen being available in the draft, expect the Zaps to win 100+ before losing to the Sidewinders again in the playoffs.

The Buckeyes don't miss the playoffs very often. The last time was 2007 & 2008. But the great Houdini is rebuilding from scratch. Looking at how bad this team is for 2015, most managers would expect 100 losses easy. But this is the Buckeyes... so I'm gonna say... 95-67. :o)

The Drillers have been oddly missing from the post season the last 2 years, but that should end in 2015. A couple of years of astute drafts have brought the Drillers to the point where they will not only challenge the mighty Zaps for the MFD, but challenge everybody for the Higdon. They'll need some quality pitching depth. And they'll hafta hope the Zapper will continue telling him who to draft.

The Mavs might be in trouble. They still have one of the best catchers... and one of the best closers... and their outfield is still deep. But they need a lot, and this division will be tough at the top. The have pick 4 in the draft, so that will help. The best bet is a .500 year followed by a return to the top in 2016.

Prediction: 1. Zaps, 2. Drillers, 3. Mavs, 4. Buckeyes

I just realized my division winners would all be repeats from last year. Hard to believe that would happen, but it's certainly possible.

Top Ten Right Now - CF & SS

The MLB Network has a show called Top 10 Right Now, where they debate, discuss, and pick the current best ten players at each position. Brian Kenney and a guest former player make their selections, and a "shredder" makes a final selection based on recent offensive and defensive statistics and the expectations for the upcoming season. It doesn't take into consideration the long term prospects. The results are often questionable. The first two episodes this season dealt with shortstop and centerfield. Below are the results from the shredder. Feel free to leave your Top 10 in the comments section.

Center Field
1. McCutchen, Zaps
2. Trout, Fungoes
3. Puig, Drillers
4. Gomez, Rhinos
5. Jones, Inmates
6. Ellsbury, FFTs
7. Eaton, Wahoos
8. Pollock, Warpigs
9. Cain, Warpigs
10. Span, Goofs

Shortstop
1. Tulowitzki, Warpigs
2. Peralta, Sidewinders
3. Desmond, Wahoos
4. Reyes, Zaps
5. Hardy, DVs
6. Mercer, Wahoos
7. Aybar, Nads
8. A.Ramirez, Goofs
9. Lowrie, DVs
10. Simmons, Bees

I have no problem with the CF list, other than them listing Puig in CF (53 games) instead of RF (91 games).

At shortstop, I disagree on a couple of names. First of all, there is no way Lowrie should be on this list when Crawford and Castro are not. Mercer at #6 is a shocker. I wouldn't have him on my Top 10, either. And Simmons at #10 is debatable. I mean, sure he had a horrible year on offense, but he is by far the best fielding shortstop in the game. I'd have him a lot higher.

So what do you think? What do your lists look like?

Previously Unreported Post-World Series Conversation

The Snakeman and Zapper both stayed at the Pigsty following last fall's playoffs. After the victorious Fungoes left, here is a conversation that may have taken place. (With a tip of the hat to Flo.)

Snakeman: Well, that sucked.

Zapper: Oh, come on! At least you MADE it to the World Series.

Snakeman: The Fungo pitching was just too good.

Pigman: You had a great year. Over a hundred wins and a World Series appearance is a great year.

Snakeman: It's just hard to get over something like this. I made soooo many bad moves.

Zapper: Nah, you're still one of the best. The Fungo pitching was just too good.

Snakeman: Can we go somewhere and get ice cream?

Pigman: Sure. That'll be just the ticket for getting over a Series loss.

Snakeman: Can I get sprinkles?

Zapper: No, sprinkles are for winners.

NASOMA Championship Rings

I was pointing out to the Fungoman that John Jaso had just won back-to-back titles on different teams, and it got me to wondering which players had been on the title winners the most often - and especially which of the good luck charms had brought their winning ways to multiple franchises. So, I put together a list of the rosters of the NASOMA champions. Well, almost all of them: I don't have rosters (or stats) for the 1984 & 1987 Strangers or the 1988 Bandits. But not counting those three clubs, there are 20 players who have earned 4 or more rings. There are a few of the names you would expect on the list, but a couple of surprises as well.

Here's the list:
7 - Mark McGwire
6 - Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling
5 - David Cone, Paul Molitor, Arthur Rhodes, Robin Yount
4 - Mike Cameron, Will Clark, Keith Foulke, Steve Garvey, Tony Gwynn, Toby Harrah, Andruw Jones, Ryan Klesko, Jorge Posada, Albert Pujols, Russ Springer, David Wells

Of these, there are six players who have won with 3 different teams. They are: Tony Gwynn (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Pigs), Andruw Jones (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Ryan Klesko (Drillers, Pigs, Buckeyes), Jorge Posada (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Arthur Rhodes (Pigs, Snakes, Zaps), and David Wells (Buckeyes, Pigs, Drillers).

There were also four players not on the above list who won 3 titles - all with 3 different teams: Chipper Jones (Zaps, Bees, Pigs), Jesse Orosco (FFTs, Cletes*, Pigs), Tim Raines (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Snakes), and Scott Sanderson (FFTs, Buckeyes, Pigs).

Greg Maddux won with the Cletes* in 1993, then won with the Warpigs in 95/96/97 and again in 99 for 5 titles in 7 years.

But the good luck charm award is a tie between two guys you wouldn't guess: One is the old righty reliever  Keith Foulke, who is the only player to win the league in 4 straight years. He helped the Drillers win in 2000 & 2001, then was traded to the Warpigs where he won titles in 2002 & 2003. The other is another old right-handed reliever, Russ Springer, who won 4 titles with 4 different teams, the Snakes in '98, the Drillers in '00, the Bees in '08, and the Pigs in '09.

Now... Toby Harrah won with the Buckeyes in 1982 & 1983. He repeated the back-to-back titles with the FFTs in 1985 and back with the Buckeyes in 1986. If I find he was on that mysterious 1984 Stranger team, we have a new winner.

Good luck charms, indeed.

Boggs, Beeboy, and Beer

Upon hearing Wade Boggs claim that he once drank 107 beers in one day, the Beeboy commented, "I have that many before breakfast."

Ratings Are Available

What I don't get is why the sports radio guys aren't talking about the ratings when I get in the truck after school. What the hell else is there to talk about???

Anyway, the ratings are available now for download at Strat-O-Matic. You can also order a hard copy if you want.

I believe I'll need a sick day or two at school.

DVs and Buckeyes trade

The Buckeyes traded Jed Lowrie and pick 109 to the DVs for Leonys Martin and Domonic Brown.

Championship Ring Trivia Questions

1. (easy) Which NASOMA player won titles in each of the last two seasons?

2. (medium) Who is the only player in NASOMA history to win titles in 4 consecutive seasons?

3. (hard) Who is the only player in NASOMA history to win exactly 4 titles with exactly 4 different teams?

Bees and Goofs trade

The Killer Bees traded Daniel Nava to the SuperGoofs for Jordan Walden and pick 85.

Newest Hall of Fame Members

Pigs and Mavs trade

The Warpigs traded Jake Odorizzi and Justin Wilson to the Mavs for R.A. Dickey and Sean Doolittle.

2015 Hall of Fame

Below are the names on the ballot this year, and this is a link to their statistics. How many would get your vote? Please reply to this with the names of the players receiving your vote. The number beside each name is the number of times they have been on the ballot.

Rich Aurilia (1)
Jeff Bagwell (5)
Craig Biggio (3)
Barry Bonds (3)
Aaron Boone (1)
Tony Clark (1)
Roger Clemens (3)
Carlos Delgado (1)
Jermaine Dye (1)
Darin Erstad (1)
Cliff Floyd (1)
Nomar Garciaparra (1)
Brian Giles (1)
Tom Gordon (1)
Eddie Guardado (1)
Randy Johnson (1)
Jeff Kent (2)
Edgar Martinez (6)
Pedro Martinez (1)
Don Mattingly (15)
Fred McGriff (6)
Mark McGwire (9)
Mike Mussina (2)
Troy Percival (1)
Mike Piazza (3)
Tim Raines (8)
Curt Schilling (3)
Jason Schmidt (1)
Gary Sheffield (1)
Lee Smith (13)
John Smoltz (1)
Sammy Sosa (3)
Alan Trammell (14)
Larry Walker (5)