Sidewinders 3, Buckeyes 2

Snakes take 3 of 5 at Buckeyes

6/12 Snakes 7 Buckeyes 2

6/13 Buckeyes 4 Snakes 2

8/19 Snakes 3 Buckeyes 2

8/20 Buckeyes 6 Snakes 4

8/21 Snakes 5 Buckeyes 1 

Warpigs 4, Killer Bees 1

The Bees finally took the field for the 2015 season.

All games played at The BallPork.

Game 1 - Warpigs win 4-2. Jon Jay went 3-4, R.A. Dickey got the win, and Anthony Varvaro threw 3 perfect innings for the save. I don't know what's worse: Seeing Curtis Granderson batting third, or Dickey walking him.

Game 2 - Warpigs win 11-5. Michael Wacha wasn't good, allowing 5 hits and SIX walks in 6.1 innings, but the Pig bats put up a 6-spot in the 3rd and 4 more in the 4th. Robby Cano and Yadier Molina each had 3 hits. Victor Martinez knocked in 3.

Game 3 - Warpigs win 2-1. Lorenzo Cain hit a 2-run double in the 2nd inning, otherwise Jered Weaver was outstanding. Dickey went 5.1 and got the win. Joe Smith earned the save by getting the final two outs.

Game 4 - Warpigs win 2-0. Lance Lynn threw another shutout (with relief help).

Game 5 - Bees win 5-4 in 10 innings. Carlos Santana homered off of Dr. Doolittle in the 10th for the win. The Pigs had a mad rally in the 8th to tie the game, but left 2 runners stranded. This was the first extra inning game for both teams.

Warpigs 7, Rhinos 3

We tried something interesting: We played the games via Netplay while sitting here together. It had the stat convenience and speed of computer play without having to share the same screen. It went incredibly smoothly. Here are the results:

First 5 games were played at The BallPork

Game 1 - Rhinos win 4-3. R.A. Dickey allowed 3 homers. It was all Tim Hudson needed.

Game 2 - Rhinos win 3-1. Gerritt Cole kept the Pig bats quiet. Adam Wainwright takes his first loss of the season.

Game 3 - Warpigs win 2-0. The game was scoreless until the 7th when A.J. Pollock singled in a run. Another scored on an error by Joey Votto. Lance Lynn and four relievers got the 3-hit shutout.

Game 4 - Warpigs win 2-1. Adrian Beltre hit a 2-run double in the bottom of the 8th. Dickey pitched 8 innings for the win. Joe Smith got the save.

Game 5 - Rhinos win 4-2. Chris Archer went the distance for the win. A 2-run homer by Jayson Werth in the 8th finally got the Pigs on the board.

Last 5 games were played at the Rhino Reservation

Game 6 - Warpigs win 5-1. Justin Morneau and Lorenzo Cain homered. Cain went 3-4 and also stole 3 bases. Wainwright got the win.

Game 7 - Warpigs win 6-3. Jose Fernandez struck out 11 in 6 innings for the win.

Game 8 - Warpigs win 5-2. With the game tied 2-2 in the 8th, Matt Wieters hit a pinch hit, 2-out, 3-run homer for the win. Pedro Strop got the save.

Game 9 - Warpigs win 7-0. Fernandez and four relievers combined for a 4-hit shutout.

Game 10 - Warpigs win 2-1. With the Rhino management squirming at the possibility of an extra inning game (check out his pitchers' innings!), former Rhino Troy Tulowitzki hit a 2-out solo homer in the 8th to put his old boss out of his misery.

FFTs 3, Fungoes 2

FFTs at Fungoes.  5 games:

April 1

One run was the difference at WTF Field as the Fungoes defeated the FFT'S 4 to 3.

David Price(2-0) pitched a fine game.  He went 7 innings and surrended up 6

hits and no walks.  Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth and was

credited with his 2nd save. 

Jeff Samardzija(9-8) was the loser.  He struck out 9 batters in 6 and 2/3

innings despite losing the game.

April 2

Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera hit 2 doubles at WTF Field where the

FFT'S beat the FUNGOES by the score of 4 to 0.

Hiroki Kuroda(3-3) earned his pay with a solid performance.  He went 6 innings 

surrendering 4 hits and 1 walk seeing his ERA drop from 3.18 to

2.81.   Kuroda got help from Mike Dunn who was credited with his 2nd save.  Tanner

Roark(0-2) was hit with the loss.  He allowed 9 hits and 1 walk in 7 innings.

'Ahhh, that victory was surely needed.  Man alive, things were getting awfully

grim,' noted FFTs manager.  'Now, we need to string a bunch of wins

together and turn things around!'

May 3

Right fielder Hunter Pence had 4 hits as the FFT'S defeated the FUNGOES 3 to 1 at WTF Field.

The FFTs won the game with a rally in the top of the 9th inning scoring 2 runs on 2 hits.  After an 

out was recorded, Adeiny Hechavarria jump-started the rally as he singled.  Yoenis Cespedes

came to the plate and tripled.  Asdrubal Cabrera then worked the squeeze play to perfection.  

The win went to Mike Dunn(1-0) who allowed no runs in 2 innings. Fernando

Rodney got the save, his 6th.  Steve Cishek(0-1) was the losing pitcher in

relief.  

May 4

Clayton Kershaw mowed down 10 FFT batters and catcher Salvador Perez had 2

base hits as the Fungoes bested the FFT'S 3 to 2 at WTF Field.

Kershaw(3-0) pitched a fine game.  He went 8 innings surrendering 8 hits and 1 walk. 

Jonathan Papelbon preserved the game for Kershaw, recording his his 3rd save.

John Lackey(1-1) took the loss.  Kershaw was pleased with his performance.

He noted, 'I had good zip on my pitches.  Just as important, my location was

right on.  The fans really got into the game too - that always helps me.

Now, if I can only do that again in my next outing.'

May 5

Jacoby Ellsbury lofted one into the 'cheap seats' as the FFT'S topped

the Fungoes by a score of 3 to 1 at WTF Field.The FFTs took the lead 

for good in the top of the 3rd inning scoring one runneron 2 base hits. 

That was all Mike Leake(4-4) needed.  Leake got relief helpfrom Fernando

Rodney who was excellent in relief and gained credit for his 7th save.  The 

loss was charged to David Price(2-1).  He allowed 9 hits and no walks in 8 innings.

Zaps 6, Buckeyes 1

Game 1- Jon Niese went seven shutout inning and the bullpen held the
lead as the Zaps take the opener 2-1.
Game 2-The Buckeyes put a six-run fourth inning on Kluber with Martin's
bases loaded double driving in three on the way to a 7-4 win.
Game 3- Homers by McCutchen, Bautista, and Utley backed up Scherzer's
eight innings of one-run pitching for a 7-1 whitewash.
Game 4- Mcutchen goes four for four to power an eighteen hit attack that
broke a close game open with a five-run seventh inning in a 10-4 home
team triumph.
Game 5- Kluber outdueled UCLA alum Trevor Bauer in a 2-1 nail biter for
the Zaps.
Game 6- Brandon Morrow blew a Buckeye lead by coming on in relief and
promptly giving up five runs in the sixth inning to allow the Zaps to
claim 7-3 win.
Game 7- Cole Hamels threw a complete game two-hit shutout to win the
finale 4-0.

Mavs 7, Buckeyes 0

Mavs take all 7 at Buckeyes

5/19 Mavs 7 Buckeyes 1

5/20 Mavs 5 Buckeyes 3

5/21 Mavs 7 Buckeyes 3 (10 innings)

7/27 Mavs 12 Buckeyes 1

7/28 Mavs 2 Buckeyes 1

7/29 Mavs 6 Buckeyes 5

7/30 Mavs 3 Buckeyes 2 

FFTs 3, Fungoes 2

Fungoes at FFTs

June 14

Eric Hosmer lofted one into the 'cheap seats' and had 4 RBI at The Grove as the Fungoes

pulled off a dramatic comeback beating the FFT'S by the count of 12 to 6.

The FFT manager was unable to overcome the big offensive rally in the 9th inning when the 

Fungoes exploded for 8 runs on 8 hits.  The key offensive moment was provided by Daniel 

Murphy who silenced The Grove as he doubled which was good for two runs.  For the game DEREK out-hit TERRY 17 to 10. 

The win went to Trevor Rosenthal(1-0) who allowed no runs in 2 innings. The

losing pitcher was Fernando Rodney(1-1) in relief.  Rodney was feeling

apologetic in the locker room, 'I sure let that one get away.  What a

miserable feeling to let the guys down; and our fans.  One minute things are

looking great, then. BOOM, it's over with! I just hope I get a chance to

redeem myself real soon!'

June 15

The FFT'S registered 6 runs in the 6th inning and had an easy time of it

at The Grove defeating the Fungoes by a score of 8 to 3.

John Lackey(2-1) pitched a solid game.  He went 8 and 1/3 innings allowing 7

hits and 3 walks dropping his ERA from 3.72 to 3.50. 

The loss was charged to David Price(2-2).  He was unable to control the FFT

offense and allowed 12 hits and 3 walks in 7 innings.

June 16

John Jaso touched them all and had 2 RBI as the Fungoes beat the FFT'S in 11 innings 

by a score of 5 to 3.  Both teams were tied at 3 runs apiece after nine innings.  Eric Hosmer 

led off the inning for the Fungoes when he reached on an error.  After an out was recorded, 

Ryan Zimmerman stepped in and he ripped a one-base hit.  Dyson took second on a stolen 

base.  Freddy Galvis followed and he lashed a single.  Matt Carpenter came to the plate and

laced a single.  Brett Gardner got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on strikes.  

Seth Maness(1-0) went 1 inning allowing no runs for the win. Jonathan Papelbon

recorded his 4th save.  The loss was charged to Junichi Tazawa(0-1) in

relief.  He was a hard-luck loser as he did not allow an earned run in his 1

and 2/3 innings of work.  

August 22

Designated hitter Hanley Ramirez had 2 base hits as the FFT'S defeated

the Fungoes by the score of 5 to 4 at The Grove.

The victory went to John Lackey(3-1) who went 7 and 1/3 innings, allowing 3

runs. Fernando Rodney earned the save, his 8th.  Price(2-3) was the losing

pitcher.  He pitched 6 innings and surrendered 8 hits and no walks.

'I had a little blister on my index finger before the game, but I thought it

was nothing.' Lackey said.  'I was lucky I got a win because I couldn't put

the ball where I wanted it.'

August 23

At The Grove, the FFT faithful were treated to an intriguing pitcher's duel.

Mike Leake(5-4) finally bested Clayton Kershaw(3-1), by the score of 3 to 1.

The FFTs set the tone of the game in the first inning when they scored 2 runs on

2 hits.  That was all the runs Leake needed.  

Leake got help from Fernando Rodney who was credited with his 9th save.

Kershaw was hit with the loss.  He gave up 9 hits and 2 walks in 8 innings.

Depth Charts

The depth charts on your team page have been updated. Just click on your team's icon.

Warpigs 3, Zaps 2

The Warpigs made their trip out west and came back with 3 wins.

Game 1 - Pigs win 6-2. Jose Fernandez makes his first start of the year and goes the distance, fanning a dozen. Yadier Molina homered and doubled.

Game 2 - Pigs win 15-5. Adam Wainwright goes to 3-0, but the offense was the story. The Warpigs pounded out 23 hits, including a 5-6, 2-homer night by Troy Tulowitzki. A.J. Pollock tied a team record with 2 triples.

Game 3 - Zaps win 8-3. There was no answer for Andrew McCutchen who had a triple and 2 homers.

Game 4 - Zaps win 6-4. Jose Bautista and Robby Cano traded 3-run homers.

Game 5 - Pigs win 6-3. Cano went 3-3 with a stolen base and another homer. Wainwright (4-0) got the win.

2015 Draft by the Numbers

The final pick of the 2015 Draft was number 214, Buddy Carlyle by the Fungoes.

Of those 214 selections...

195 were carded
106 were carded pitchers
89 were carded hitters
14 were uncarded players
5 selections were passed

The last 35 of those 214 selections were made in the Lightning Round.
9 of those 35 Lightning Round selections made it onto the final rosters of their teams.
The latest selection to make a club was Cory Spangenberg, who was taken by the Warpigs at pick 206.
The Buckeyes kept 3 of their 5 Lightning Round picks.

The first round included 10 hitters and 6 pitchers.
From pick 129 to 149, there was a run on pitchers as only 1 of those 21 picks was a hitter.

Of the 14 uncarded selections, the first was Blake Swihart, taken by the Rhinos at pick 22.
The 4th round was the favorite for uncarded selections, as 5 went then.
In fact, between picks 43 and 67 - a stretch of 25 picks - 9 were uncarded.

There were 6 trades made during Draft weekend.

From the Green Room

There are some interesting sites and sounds as the likely first round picks gather in the green room to prepare for their introduction to the NASOMA world.

In the center of the room, surrounded by cameras and microphones we see Corey Dickerson. He's leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head, feet propped up and crossed at the ankles, a huge cigar in his mouth. He's obviously on top of the world as he prepares to be the overall #1 selection where he will obviously win a championship title in his first year.

Over in the corner, largely ignored, sits Josh Harrison. His head is in his hands and he is sobbing and mumbling over and over something about becoming a Nad.

And there's Jake Arrieta. His sly, sarcastic smile indicates he is confident he will be drafted back to the team that sent him unceremoniously to the curb two short seasons ago. "This time I'll be calling the shots" he tells reporters. His smile dissipates somewhat when one of the reporters informs him that this same team spent an early 1st on Tony Cingrani last year - and now he's a cut.

There is a cluster of young pitchers gathered at a long table answering questions from the press. While Collin McHugh, Jacob deGrom, Matt Shoemaker, Mike Fiers, Carlos Carrasco, Ken Giles, and Wade Davis await yet another question about the fears of becoming an Inmate, Dellin Betances, after being asked about the Mock Draft that surfaced on Big Innings, responded with, "Da fuck is Goofs? Is that a real team?"

Sitting at a small card table hastily set up in the corner are the youngsters Jorge Soler and Joc Pederson. There is a name card set out for Corey Seager, but he is apparently not here yet.

Everyone present agreed that the best thing about the weekend is that the DVs and Bees do not have first round picks. "Seriously," said Mr. McHugh, "who wants the threat of that shit hanging over his head?"

From the hallway outside the room was heard, "I'm sorry, Mr. Stroman, but your name is not on my list."

Interrupting Intentional Talk

Depth Charts

Clicking on your team's icon on the NASOMA.org website will take you to your team's homepage. There you will see an updated depth chart of your current players. The players are listed randomly at each position, but it gives a good visual of how many options you currently have at each position. There's also a link to your 2014 stats on that page.

Oh, and NASOMA.org also now has a link to a printable excel spreadsheet of the draft grid.

Rosters and Draft Grid are Official

The deadline for roster cuts has passed, and the Draft Grid has been updated. If you owned a pick numbered 160 or higher, those picks have moved up and changed numbers. As always, please check yours for accuracy.

Here's some data...

There are 988 cards in this year's set.
522 are hitters. 466 are pitchers.
We protected 350 carded players.
202 are hitters. 148 are pitchers.
There are 638 carded players available in the draft.
We protected 16 uncarded players.
The Warpigs and FFTs kept the most players with 28.
The Buckeyes kept the fewest with 16.
The Fungoes and Rhinos both kept 3 uncarded players.
We will officially draft a maximum of 179 players (not counting the Lightning Round).

Final Rosters: 16 * 32 (+1 per the Extra Reserve Contest) = 513
Players protected: 350 + 16 = 366
513 - 366 = 147 + 32 (Tweener Rule picks) = 179

The Lightning Round, which is optional, could have a maximum of 80 carded players drafted.

Players kept (hitters/pitchers/uncarded)
28 Warpigs 14/14/0
22 Wahoos 12/8/2
21 DVs 12/9/0
28 FFTs 15/12/1
27 Rhinos 14/10/3
26 Fungoes 13/10/3
18 Inmates 11/7/0
18 Nads 13/5/0
24 Drillers 13/11/0
25 Zaps 14/11/0
16 Buckeyes 8/7/1
23 Mavs 12/9/2
27 Sidewinders 15/11/1
18 Killer Bees 8/9/1
23 Tweeners 14/8/1
22 SuperGoofs 14/7/1

Here are the maximum number of uncarded players each team may select in the draft:
3 - Rhinos, Killer Bees
2 - DVs, Drillers, Zaps, Buckeyes
1 - FFTs, Inmates, Tweeners
0 - Warpigs, Wahoos, Fungoes, Nads, Mavs, Sidewinders, SuperGoofs

Bees and DVs trade

The DVs traded Jered Weaver to the Killer Bees for pick 54.

Pigs and Rhinos swap picks

The Warpigs traded a 2016 9th round pick to the Rhinos for picks 128 and 147.

Buckeyes make 3 trades

The FFTs traded picks 81, 161, and 177 to the Buckeyes for pick 76.

The Wahoos traded picks 134, 150, and 166 to the Buckeyes for pick 127.

The Zaps traded picks 126, 142, and 158 to the Buckeyes for pick 111.

Bees make two trades

The Sidewinders traded Mark Trumbo, a 2016 5th, and picks 47, 63, 79, and 95 to the Killer Bees for pick 25.

The Warpigs traded picks 54, 140, and 145 to the Killer Bees for pick 41.