The Season Ahead

To forecast the upcoming NASOMA season, I enlisted the help of several experts. The responses I received were enlightening, and they were used to come up with the following predictions.

AWD
1. Sidewinders - Easily. They may lack draft picks, but they have the best bullpen in the history of
NASOMA, and the rest ain't that bad. Every ballot but one (see below) picked the Snakes to win the AWD. Six of eleven ballots picked them to win it all.
2. Killer Bees - Close race with the Tweeners for 2nd. They are probably a year away from being a playoff team and a year away from making another appearance at the draft. Was picked as a Wild Card on 1 ballot. I cannot and WILL not confirm whether or not it was his own ballot.
3. Tweeners - Surprisingly, the best rotation in the division. And don't let your LHP face Arenado.
4. Goofs - Needs a good draft to avoid 110 losses.

BUD
1. Warpigs - Last year, the other 3 BUD teams were fighting for a playoff spot and the Pigs were
rebuilding. This year should be the opposite. The Pigs were picked to win the division on every ballot except one (see below). They did not receive any votes of confidence for winning the Higdon.
2. DVs - They have the best player, the best starting pitcher, and three of the best relievers in the BUD, but not a lot of supporting help. Two experts picked the DVs to be a Wild Card.
3. FFTs - Deepest rotation in the division, but not enough offense or bullpen.
4. Wahoos - Will spend the year trying to come up with a new, non-offensive team logo.

HWD
1. Inmates - Eight of eleven experts picked the Inmates to win the HWD. Four of those responding
agreed that this will, finally, be The Year of the Inmates. And they do have an excellent offense, but the key for the Inmates will be the draft. They own 6 of the first 50 picks, and those selections will determine how far the Inmates go.
2. Rhinos - Second place in the HWD is a virtual tie between the Rhinos and the Fungoes. Season-long injuries to Syndergaard and Sanchez doomed the Nose-Horned. Their lineup is every bit as good as the Inmate lineup, and their bullpen is only a shade behind, but missing those 2 starters - along with only 2 draft picks in the first 50, means they'll battle the Fungoes for 2nd in the division and a possible Wild Card berth. Three experts picked them to be a WC team, and one picked them to win the division.
3. Fungoes - The Fungoes received the exact same support of Wild Card nods (3) and division title picks (1). The Fungi have the best SP in the division, the best RP in the division, and Trout, who doesn't suck.
4. Nads - The Nads will NOT earn the first pick in the 2019 Draft. You heard it here first. They will, however, pick 2nd.

MFD
1. Drillers - In what should be a hotly contested division, the Drillers got the nod of the experts. Well,
sort of. They received five picks to win the MFD and two picks to be the Wild Card. One owner picked them to win the whole thing (see below). The Drillers have the best and deepest offense in the division and in the league. Their rotation, led by Keuchel, is mediocre. They lack bullpen, but everybody in the MFD lacks bullpen.
2. Buckeyes - If the Drillers can't win this division, the Buckeyes can. They received 4 expert picks to win the MFD and five Wild Card bids. All this despite the fact that they have, well, nothing. And if that doesn't say something about the respect for the game-managing skills of their manager, I don't know what does.
3. Weevils - On paper, the Weevils should be the team challenging the Drillers this year. Their rotation is the best in the whole league - by far. The new owner will have his drafting ability tested, however, as the team has plenty of holes to fill. Two owners picked the Weevils to win the MFD, and another 4 picked them as a Wild Card.
4. Mavs - A good, young team. They'll be back.

The experts pitched in with more than just picks. They had commentary to contribute, as well. Below is some of the great feedback I received.

First, my favorite response...

My initial reaction was to decline your request, since I presume you are indeed seeking worthwhile information, whereas I have only spent approximately 0.00000000025% of my time over the last 4 months thinking about baseball and/or Strat-o-Matic.  I might be able to tell you the names of most of the players on my team without a cheat sheet.  But then I decided to treat this as a trial run for my draft strategy, which will involve throwing darts.  And I have on occasion voted for candidates about whom I knew nothing, so this can't be any worse.

Or maybe it was this one...

The Drillers will win all four divisions and BOTH wildcard slots.  Post season consists of a simple trophy engraving ceremony followed by the usual worshiping of DrillerDude.

Then there was this...

Who will win it all? I would take the Snakes in a runaway- although if he doesn’t overthink or overtalk it, the Inmates might make a run.

And this...

Sidewinders win again! (Just because it's a habit now)

And this...

Inmates beat the Pigs in 6 for their first world championship. 

And this...

I can see inmates n fungoes n rhinos all at 90 wins

And nads about 70 wins

Ditto on next division as most competitive as I could see all four teams within 6 games of each other

Drillers n Buckeyes n weevils n mavs 

Some put in a lot of work...

1 Weevils – with this roster and 3 of the first 40 picks in the draft, we’re going to see if the Weevils have what it takes to shoot to the top. 3 great starters and 2 other solid ones means he can focus on pen and depth

2 Buckeyes – more homers and the Buckeyes mystique, but this time no No. 1 overall pick. The starting pitching is better and, as always, he’ll find a bunch of 30 innings guys to help him battle for the division.

3 Drillers – there are some REALLY good players on this roster, but they will have a tough time topping the Weevils

4 Mavs – the rebuild is on in Midlothian. Able to carry 37 players on his roster, look for this guy to be back in 2019

1 Warpigs – put an X by their name in the standings. Only question is if they’ll have a first-round bye. Yelich, Judge, Seager means this team is built for now and later

2 FFTs – this group will be competitive and will compete for a playoff spot, but winning the division will be a tall task

3 DVs – wasting the best year of Strasburg’s Stanton’s and Moustakas’ career. Probably looking at 80 wins and a shot at being the first team out of the playoffs at the end of the year

4 Wahoos – full rebuild/reload in gear. Several bats in place that could leave this team able to compete again in 2019. Will still hit some homers, but chances are good they’ll give up more longballs than ever.

1 Rhinos – by far the most competitive division. With Bryant, Bellinger and company if this team wants to win, they’ll win.

2 Fungoes – Murphy, Hosmer, Lindor, etc … this team has bats and Kershaw and Robertson. Will be a dogfight till the end for the division.

3 Inmates – Santana, Rizzo, J.D., Altuve, etc … THIS team has bats. But no Kershaw means they’ll be third best.

4 Nads – 5 of the first 50 draft picks and Jose Ramirez means there is some hope in Nadville.

1 Sidewinders – Certainly his division to lose. Starting pitching not as deep as it’s been in the past, but the bullpen is probably better than ever. The lineup looks stout. Playoffs will be his test.

2 Killer Bees – Rebuild has this team on the brink of the playoffs. Lots of improvement with the likes of Benintendi, Verlander and Freeman.

3 Tweeners – this team isn’t far off with the likes of Robbie Ray, Schoop and Springer. 2019 could be the year of the Tweener.

4 SuperGoofs – Rebuild continues and there’s hope for the future with Swanson, Crawford, Bell, Merrifield and Mazara.

Wild cards – Fungoes and Buckeyes. Inmates and FFTs fight to the finish after watching the Drillers and Killer Bees fade down the stretch.

1)       SSWs

2)       Warpigs

3)       Rhinos

4)       Weevils

5)       Fungoes

6)       Buckeyes

Rhinos over Buckeyes

Fungoes over Weevils

SSWs over Fungoes (in 6)

Warpigs over Rhinos (in 7)

Sets up an epic World Series….

And even more time and effort...

Millard Fillmore Division

Best starting pitching: Weevils, hands down.

Best bullpen: No one – all teams need to add to their bullpen. One good stopper does not a bullpen make…

Best offense: Drillers

Best defense: Infield = Buckeyes; outfield = Mavs

Most intangibles: Buckeyes, who are always able to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

All said and done: Drillers will likely win the division. The Weevils are an unknown commodity and could throw a wrench into the mix. Never discount the Shriveled Testicle Gang.

1.       Drillers

2.       Buckeyes

3.       Weevils

4.       Mavs            

Bob Uecker Division

Best starting pitching: Kinda depends on what you mean by “best.” The Pigs and DVs have a pretty good front of the staff, but the FFTs have the deepest.

Best bullpen: DVs.

Best offense: Having Stanton gives the nod to the DVs, although the Evil Empire will score in bunches.

Best defense: Warpigs.

Most intangibles: Warpigs.

All said and done: Warpigs. Not a vintage Pack of Porcine Pounders, but still potent.

1.       Warpigs

2.       DVs

3.       FFTs

4.       Wahoos

Ab Wheeler Division

Best starting pitching: Snakes.

Best bullpen: Snakes. Again. Maybe the best pen in the league.

Best offense: Bees. They have some serious mashers. Tweeners and Snakes close behind.

Best defense: All are leaky somewhere. No clear winner.

Most intangibles: The Snakes have assembled a machine and aim to keep it running.

All said and done: Snakes.

1.       Sidewinders

2.       Tweeners

3.       Bees

4.       Goofs

Herman Wheeler Division

Best starting pitching: Rhinos. The Fungi were hit by the injury bug, the Inmates have loads of mediocrity, and the Nads have nothing.

Best bullpen: Inmates. Really.

Best offense: Inmates will score in bunches.

Best defense: Fungoes outfield by a lot. No infields are great, though the Inmates’ isn’t too bad if Segura doesn’t play short.

Most intangibles: Inmates can pull defeat out of the jaws of victory…

All said and done: Inmates. It’s always the Year of the Inmate.

1.       Inmates

2.       Rhinos

3.       Fungoes

4.       Nads

Wild Cards

DVs and Buckeyes.

World Series                                     

Inmates. Woo-hoo!

And the final word...

The year of fhe muthafuckin inmate.  Comb your hair bitches.

By the way...

It's official. According to the latest poll results, the Bees suck the most. In fact, it was unanimous.

Alex Gordon to the FFTs

The Rhinos traded Gold Glover Alex Gordon to the FFTs for the chance to pick a player from the FFT cuts after the Draft.

Mavs Trade Two Relievers to the Warpigs

The Mavs traded relievers Justin Wilson and Pedro Strop to the Warpigs for Francisco Liriano and a reserve. The teams will also swap 2019 picks, with the Mavs getting the Pig 4th and sending the previously attained Pig 5th back to Hooterville.

Wilson and Strop are much-needed components for a weak PigPen, while the reloading Mavs acquire their 7th reserve.

Sometimes I think you guys are just messing with me...

The FFTs traded picks 180 and 184 to the Wahoos for picks 174 and 190.

Awesome Tommy Lasorda

Thanks, Beeboy, for bringing this to my attention.

Cotton Pickin'

The Inmates traded picks 60, 61, and 127 to the Warpigs for picks 47 and 116.

Pineda to the Nads

The Warpigs traded Michael Pineda and pick 91 to the Nads for a reserve pick.

Picky Picky

The Wahoos traded pick 46 to the Nads for their 2019 2nd round pick.

Rasmus to the Sidewinders

The Killer Bees yanked Colby Rasmus off their cut list and sent him off to the Sidewinders for pick 92.

Rasmus was elated, to say the least. "I go from being cut by the effin' Bees to being fitted for a ring! Just like that! I had already signed up on Linkedin to try and start a new career, and now I get to take part in a champagne celebration next fall."

The Snakeman, however, tempered Rasmus' enthusiasm slightly when he commented, "Yeah, we got him fitted for a ring, but he has to actually make the club before he gets it. Oh, and it's a bourbon celebration."

Still More Picks

The DVs traded pick 92 to the Sidewinders for picks 112, 128, 144, and 160.

More Picks on the Move

The Fungoes traded their 2019 3rd round pick to the Inmates for picks 62 and 76.

Mavs Pick Up Another Reserve

The Inmates traded a reserve and pick 105 to the Mavs for pick 62.

Warpigs Acquire Asdrubal Cabrera

The Warpigs traded picks 38 and 84 to the Buckeyes for Asdrubal Cabrera, pick 47, and pick 143.

Cabrera figures to DH and PH vs LHP for the Pigs while serving as a back-up at 2b/ss/3b. The switch-hitter hit .392 vs LHP last year.

Rhinos Get Another Reserve

The Rhinos traded pick 59 to the Buckeyes for a reserve pick.

Hunter Renfroe to the Rhinos

The Warpigs traded Hunter Renfroe and pick 52 to the Rhinos for picks 27 and 91.

Ships Passing in the Night

The Warpigs traded John Lackey to the FFTs for Adam Wainwright.

The Warpigs and FFTs just can't settle on which of these aging batting practice hurlers they want on their team. Throw in the fact that both are likely to be cuts anyway, and it begs the question: "Why?"

"Wainwright has a chance to make our team as a pinch hitter and pinch bunter off the bench," said the Pigman. "At least that's something. That Lackey guy... I just don't like his name."

Hey, You Guys Remind Me Of...

While watching the Patriots toying with their playoff opponents, it got me to thinking which of the Big 4 franchises are the most like the 16 NASOMA teams. And the result was this:

Dallas FFTs - Los Angeles Dodgers (of course) - There was a time several years ago when the Dodgers were regularly either the champs or competing for the title. Then they went quiet for a long while, but they're still a team to be reckoned with almost every year. Or as the FFTs might say, "Oh well certainly to that too as I will but also but you just do not screw up like I can." [That quote is an actual FFT text.]

Tulsa DVs - Tampa Bay Lightning - The Lightning and DVs both won one title, although no one remembers anything about either one. Also, neither team was heard from before their win. Or since.

Oklahoma Drillers - Detroit Pistons - Both won a couple of titles during a short, dominant period. Since then, they both start every season with high hopes before tanking for better draft position.

Disney Super Goofs - Detroit Lions - Matt Millen is the GM for both. Rumor has it the Lions were pretty good a long, long time ago. They were called the Oilers then.

Waco Inmates - Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals - Next year is always their year. Always. And it totally doesn't matter that they have no rings... next year is The Year of the Inmate!

Nashville Killer Bees - Dallas Mavericks - They won their one title. They've sucked balls ever since.

Stanley Sidewinders - New England Patriots - Completely and totally dominant right now. They perform on a different level than everybody else. Plus, their balls are deflated.

Belldale Rhinos - Colorado Rockies - All the promise. All the great, young prospects. All the empty shelf space waiting on trophies. At least the Rockies lost to the Red Sox in their one trip to the World Series. The Rhinos lost to the effin DVs. Oh, the indignity.

Mansfield Mavs - Orlando Magic - Both made the finals twice. Got swept both times. Okay, okay, I'm exaggerating. lol. The Magic won a game one of those years.

Chicago Nads - Cleveland Browns - Not the old Browns team that moved to Baltimore... the expansion Browns. The one now. The one that drafted Johnny Manziel. The one that had only ten men on the field fifteen times this year.

South Grand Prairie Wahoos - Indiana Pacers - The Pacers dominated the old ABA, but has had almost no success in the NBA. I'm not sure if that tells you more about the ABA or the NBA. The Wahoos have won 3 times in their other league. None in NASOMA. I'm not sure if that...

Hooterville Warpigs - New York Yankees - They've won the most titles, giving everyone one more reason to hate them even when the Pigstripes aren't good enough to win.

Logan County Tweeners - San Diego Chargers - The Chargers' overall W/L record for their franchise is within 3 games of being exactly .500. That sounds pretty Tweener.

Waxahachie Fungoes - San Antonio Spurs - They have won multiple times. They're always in contention. They often have the best players in the league. And when they beat you, it makes a fella say, "What the fuck?!?"

Mansfield Buckeyes - Montreal Canadiens - Once dominant, but it was awhile ago. In fact, the last time the Canadiens won, Bill Clinton had just been elected to his first term in the West Wing. The last time the Buckeyes won, Matt Santos had just been elected to his first term in "The West Wing."

Brantford Boll Weevils - Vegas Golden Knights - Not enough evidence to know how good they'll be. Plus, to write their team name, I still have to look it up to get it right.

New Ballpark Numbers

Here are the new ballpark numbers. Your current ballpark is listed on the roster page. You can, of course, take the new numbers of your park or keep the old. If you keep the old, you have the additional option of adding or subtracting 1 or 2 points from each number. We will proclaim our choices at the draft.

Hall of Fame Poll

There are two polls on the left side of Big Innings. Please take a minute to make your selections for MLB's Hall of Fame. I included all of the returning nominees and the best candidates of the new ones. You may select multiple players.

An announcement of the newest HOFers will happen Wednesday. Our poll is open until that afternoon.

2017 DV Yearbook

The DVs have updated his team yearbook. I have linked it to the home page of our website. It's pretty cool. Check it out.

Ratings Guide Available January 19th

This was posted by SOM today...

Hi folks, I know many of you have been patiently waiting on this update, which we do appreciate. 2017 Ratings Guide orders will begin tomorrow, January 19th. Ratings Download orders will be available immediately, while Ratings Book orders will start shipping early next week. If anyone is ordering to pick up a Ratings Book here in Glen Head, please call us in advance to confirm availability.

Checkmate

The Sidewinders clinched the 2018 NASOMA title today - a record for the earliest in the calendar year to win the Higdon.

The Snakes, who had wrapped up the 2018 AWD title about three years ago, went ahead and won the Higdon as well, with the clincher being another trade with the Wahoos.

Edwin Encarnacion

Roberto Osuna

David Dahl (on ground)

The Sidewinders sent reserve picks in 2018, 2019, and 2020, a 2nd round pick in 2019, a 1st round pick in 2020, and the rights to injured, uncarded minor leaguer David Dahl to the Wahoos. In return, the Sidewinders received reliever Roberto Osuna, Edwin Encarnacion, and pick 78.

"If I've learned anything," commented the Snakeman, "I've learned that there's always someone willing to give you their best players if you pile up enough shit to give in return. I mean, hell, I didn't give up a single damn thing from this year."

"To be honest," continued the Snakeman, "I was kinda irritated having only 7 of the best 8 relievers in the league. Now I have all of the top 8, which means I will not only win my third straight Higdon, but I can also get the plaque engraved for 2017 and 2018 in one trip. It's really just a time-saver for me."

Congratulations, Sidewinders, on the back-to-back-to-back titles.

Nads and Wahoos Trade

The Wahoos traded pick 94 to the Nads for a reserve pick in 2019.

Where are the Cards?

Official announcement from Strat (I started to link the video, but it's a realllly bad video)...

1. First day for Pre-Orders.......January 24th
2. Last day to Pre-Order for Opening Day pick-up orders......February 14th
3. Opening Day at SOM........February 16th
4. Shipping of orders begins...........February 20th

Good News for the Inmates

We heard earlier that long time Inmate star Rafael Palmeiro was making a comeback. Then there was news his batting cage sessions were smokin' and that he was hammering the ball. Here's proof:

Rafael Palmeiro: The comeback is real!

Duffy to the Pigs

The Warpigs traded Kyle Barraclough and Matt Bowman to the Buckeyes for lefty starter Danny Duffy.

The two RH relievers give some depth to the Buckeye staff, which now has 5 relievers. The rotation is now down to just two full-time pitchers (Gio and Ervin), so there's still some work to be done.

For the Warpigs, Duffy will slide into that 4-5 slot of the rotation with Odorizzi and possibly Lackey and/or Pineda. The bullpen takes a hit with the RH side down to just three guys (Cishek, Raisel, and Carl Edwards).

First Trade of 2018

The Fungoes traded their 6th round pick in 2019 to the Mavs for Jonathan Lucroy.

Lucroy joins Sal Perez to give the Fungoes almost 900 at bats at catcher. And where Perez gives the Fungi homer chances, Lucroy gives them walks. Together, they make a formidable backstop.

The Mavs, on the other hand, will be busy during the 2019 draft, having now picked up an extra 1st, 5th, and 6th.

Merry Christmas!

Manuel Margot Moves to Mansfield

All Manuel Margot, the young leadoff hitter for the Padres, wanted for Christmas was a team that wanted him. Enter the Buckeyes, who obtained the center fielder and pick 151 from the Weevils for pick 111.
Interestingly, when I chose this picture to accompany the post, the automatic title for it when I clicked save photo was "cut."

Justin Upton Joins the Champs

The Sidewinders obtained Justin Upton from the Mavs today. The leftfielder was a costly acquisition, as the Snakeman gave up Michael Brantley, Starling Marte, and Matt Moore. "We've reached the point where winning the AWD isn't enough - we know that's going to happen," said the Snakeman. "We can only have a successful season if we win it all. And Upton will help us do that."

How do you want your eggs?

Odorizzi.

The Mavs traded Jake Odorizzi to the Warpigs for a 5th round pick in the 2019 Draft. Jake comes back to Hooterville after three years in Midlothian. "I was going to be the #6 guy for the Mavs," said Odorizzi, "but I'll be #4 for the Pigs, so yeah, I'm excited about going home. I guess. Whatever. It's a business." Warpig management was equally excited because it means John Lackey slides down to the probable cuts list.

The Francisco Deal

The Warpigs traded Francisco Cervelli to the FFTs for Francisco Liriano. Both players were already on the probable cut lists for each team, and both are still long shots to make it. But the Francisco thing was kinda fun.

SOM Sneak Peek Tweets - Day Two

Day 2 Tweets...

T.Beckham ss-3, 2b/3b-4
A.Benintendi LF-2(-2), CF-3
J.Abreu 1b-3
L.Chisenhall RF-3, 1b/LF/CF-4
I.Kinsler 2b-1
M.Gonzalez 1b-2, 2b/3b/ss/LF-3, RF-4
L.Cain cf-1
J.Upton LF-3(0)
M.Kepler RF-2, CF-3
D.Gregorius ss-1
M.Olson 1b-2e8
R.Cano 2b-2e11
C.Dickerson LF-4
C.Gomez CF-3(-2)
T.Tulowitzki ss-3e21
J.Martinez RF-4
F.Freeman 1b-2, 3b-5
W.Contreras c-3(-2), 1b/3b/LF/RF-4
S.Gennett 2b-3, 3b-4, LF/RF-5
T.Story ss-2e14
C.Seager ss-2e14
G.Stanton RF-2(-3)
O.Arcia ss-1
Y.Cespedes LF-3(-3)
R.Hoskins 1b/LF-4
A.McCutchen CF/RF-3
T.Pham LF-2(-1), CF/RF-3
W.Myers 1b-3e9
B.Posey c-1(-3), 1b-2
A.Rendon 3b-1

SOM Sneak Peek Tweets - Day 1

Today and tomorrow, Strat-O-Matic will release a defensive rating for 1 player from each ML team. The ratings come out Thursday. Here's what they released today (in order alphabetically by AL team, then by NL team):

J.Schoop 2b-2, ss-4
R.Devers 3b-4e41
A.Engel CF-1
J.Ramirez 3b-2, 2b-2
M.Mahtook of-3e4
A.Bregman 3b-2, ss-2, 2b-4
W.Merrifield 2b-2, 1b/3b/LF/RF-3 (16 runner)
M.Trout CF-2 (yikes!)
M.Sano 3b-4e14, 1b-5
A.Judge rf-2(-3)
M.Chapman 3b-1
J.Segura ss-4e23
E.Longoria 3b-1
J.Gallo 1b/3b/LF-3
J.Donaldson 3b-2, ss-4
A.Pollock CF-1 (16 runner)
O.Albies 2b-2e8
K.Bryant 3b-3, 1b/OF-4
E.Suarez 3b-2, ss-4
C.Blackmon cf-3e4
C.Bellinger 1b-2, LF-3, CF/RF-4
M.Ozuna LF-2(-3), CF-3
R.Braun LF-3e4
M.Conforto LF/RF-3, CF-4
C.Hernandez 2b-2, ss-4
J.Bell 1b-5e12
Y.Molina c-2(-3), 1b-4
J.Pirela LF-3, 1b/2b/3b/RF-4
D.Span CF-4e3
T.Turner ss-2e14 (17 runner) (not a ss-3 as previously reported)

Felipe Rivero to the Sidewinders

The best bullpen in NASOMA just got better. The Mavs traded lefty Felipe Rivero to the Sidewinders for a reserve pick in 2018 and a 1st round pick in 2019.

Is 1 relief appearance enough for my guy to get relief on his card?

In case you ever wondered, here is SOM's semi-official response to the question, "How many relief appearances does it take to get relief on the card?"

Two relief appearances OR one relief appearance in less than eleven total games OR one relief appearance that results in a save no matter how many starts.

I say semi-official because the reply was from Steve Barkan, who worked for SOM for a long, long time, but doesn't any more.

The Bohl Weevils Make Their First Trade

The Weevil cherry is broken.

In what basically amounts to a cut for a cut, the Bohl Weevils trade Steve Cishek to the Warpigs for pick 132.

Buckeyes and Sidewinders Trade

The Buckeyes traded J.A. Happ to the Sidewinders for Matt Joyce.

NASOMA Champions

On the Archives page, each banner (except two) is a link to the final stats of that team's championship season. I was never able to find final stats for the two Stranger teams that won NASOMA in 1984 & 1987.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

The individual and team leaderboards are posted on the website now. In addition, the records pages in the Archives section have been updated.

In the triple crown categories, the DVs' Corey Seager won the batting title, Miguel Cabrera of the FFTs led in homers, and the Rhinos' Kris Bryant had the most RBI. Jose Altuve of the Inmates was the only hitter to reach 200 hits. Jonathan Villar of the Tweeners stole 60 bases to lead the league.

Clayton Kershaw of the Fungoes won the league ERA title, and Noah Sydergaard of the Rhinos and Jose Quintana of the Inmates won the most with 19. Kenley Jansen of the DVs and Andrew Miller of the champion Sidewinders led the league in saves with 34. The strikeout king was Max Scherzer of the Skyscrapers, who barely edged out the the dynamic Wahoo duo of Weekend at Bernies and Justin Verlander.

The team leaders are also posted. Leading the league in hitting was the Wahoos, while the Buckeyes led in HRs and runs scored. The top ERA went to the Sidewinders, but the Wahoos edged them out for most strikeouts. The FFTs tossed an impressive 19 shutouts.

There were a couple of records set in 2017. The DVs walked only 372 opposing batters to set the NASOMA record. They were led by reliever Kenley Jansen who walked only 1 (with 110 strikeouts) in 71.1 innings.

Although they weren't records, other teams (and 1 player) jumped onto the all time record book. Clayton Kershaw's 1.65 ERA is the second best ever in NASOMA. The Wahoos and Sidewinders both entered the top 5 for strikeouts in a season. The Buckeyes' 66 saves is the third most ever.

There were also three dubious records. The SuperGoofs set records for all time lows in Slugging (.342) and runs scored (533). The Mavs struck out a league record 1,521 times. And the Inmates tied a record by failing to record a single shutout.

The First Mock Draft of the Hot Stove League

Big Innings is proud to present the first Mock Draft of the off season. These picks are just guesstimates but are based on careful passing consideration of each team's needs and past tendencies. I have done a great amount of very little research on what is available in the draft, so, as always, you can don't rely on me.

As a bonus this year, I will extend the first round and name the first 20 picks.

1. Rafael Devers, Nads - Devers is the best young talent in the draft, and he fits a position where the Nads have a glaring need, which is, well... anywhere.

2. Avisail Garcia, Killer Bees - This is the going to be the year of drafting former cuts, and Avisail is the first. Cut by the Tweeners following the 2015 season, he went undrafted in 2016 and 2017. So then, of course, the 26-year old Venezuelan finally met and exceeded expectations.

3. Shohei Ohtani, SuperGoofs - The versatile and talented 23-year old from Japan is going somewhere in the first round. The rewards could be great. It's just a question of who will take the risk.

4.  Trey Mancini, Inmates - Mancini had a breakout year with Baltimore, hitting .293 with 24 homers in 543 at bats. His only drawback is his poor defense, but in Waco, that has never seemed to matter.

5. Tommy Pham, Tweeners - Another recent cut, Pham was a member of the Wahoos in 2016. He also continues a diversified NASOMA Draft. Pham was born in the US, but is the first player of Vietnamese heritage to the play in MLB.

6. Eddie Rosario, Drillers - And the cuts just keep on coming. Rosario is an interesting one. He was an Inmate in 2016 before he was traded to the Goofs. The Goofs then traded him to the FFTs, who cut him, drafted him back in the 2017 Lightning Round, then cut him again. Now he's back in a big way, going to a team in need of corner outfielders.

7. Austin Barnes, Bohl Weevils - A rarity in this draft, Barnes is not a former cut. In fact, he is carded for the first time. He had a great year with the Dodgers, and can catch as well as be a backup at 2b and 3b.

8. Chris Taylor, FFTs - Another Dodger. It's a run on Dodgers! And what's not to like? Taylor hit .288 with 21 homers and 17 steals in 515 at bats while playing 5 positions.

9. Chase Anderson, DVs - At some point, teams have to break down and start drafting what most of us need: starting pitching. The problem is, there isn't a lot of quality starting pitching in the draft, and the best of the lot is not very different than the 6th or 7th best. The DVs dive in first.

10. Zack Godley, Mavs - Oh hell, the DVs started a run on pitchers. When was the last time the DVs started a trend? My guess is the fidget spinner, which was originally going to be called the Bean Flicker.

11. Brad Peacock, Rhinos - Peacock doesn't fit the typical Rhino pick, mostly because he makes sense. The right hander can start and relieve, has 132 innings, and is especially tough on RH hitters, which is perfect for the Rhino Park. But... he turns 30 in January; that's AARP in Rhino years.

12. Tucker Barnhart, Inmates - Barnhart spent the 2016 season with the Buckeyes before being traded to the Sidewinders, who cut him after the 2017 draft. The switch-hitting catcher had a fine 2017, naturally, and is projected to be a c-1(-3).

13. Jhoulys Chacin, Fungoes - Chacin has been around awhile and will turn 30 in January. He was taken in the 2017 Lightning Round by the Tweeners before being cut. After a rocky early career, he finally blossomed last year in San Diego. His 180 innings will be just what the doctor ordered for the Fungi. (And he can throw TWO complete games in a playoff series!)

14. Jordan Montgomery, Mavs- The run on starting pitchers continues. Montgomery is the Yankee lefty; 155 solid innings and one of the better prospects among the pitchers.

15. Rhys Hoskins, Buckeyes - If nothing else, the Buckeyes will pound the shit outta the ball. That's how they won 115 games last year. Hoskins can certainly do that. Ryan Zimmerman is a possibility, too. He has lots more ABs, and the Buckeyes won't care about the age difference, but Hoskins can play 1b and LF. Zimmerman can only play 1b. By the way, Zimmerman was another 2017 double cut, being axed by the Fungoes after several years on the team, then getting taken in the Lightning Round by the Tweeners before being cut again.

16. Luis Castillo, Tweeners - Castillo is yet another SP with first round credentials. His only flaw is having fewer than 100 innings, but the Cincinnati youngster might be the best SP prospect of the bunch.

17. Alex Cobb, Killer Bees - Cobb had a 3.66 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 179 innings last year in Tampa. He's another one that has been up before. Last year, he was a Lightning Round pick by the Warpigs before getting cut. Jose Urena is another possibility here; the SP quality drops off mightily after that.

18. Alcides Escobar, Nads - The Nads have had some shitty luck with shortstops recently, so it's nice that a ss-1 with 599 ABs is sitting there waiting on him in the 2nd round. Grab him while you can, brother. Escobar, by the way, was a Rhino in 2016 before being cut following the 2017 draft.

19. Martin Maldonado, SuperGoofs - The American League's Gold Glove winning catcher, Maldonado brings much needed defensive help to the Goofs.

20. Chad Green, Inmates - The HEAD INMATE reaches out for the first true reliever. The relief pitcher draft pool is fairly deep again this year, but there are no top-of-the-draft, elite kind of guys. Green is the best of the bunch, and the Inmates are in the perfect spot to take him with their third pick of the first 20.

Nads and Pigs Trade

The Nads traded Tyler White to the Warpigs for pick 155.

Post Season and Updates

First of all, congratulations to the Sidewinders on their latest Higdon. This was their 4th straight trip to the World Series and their 3rd title overall, having won in 1998 and 2016.

Congratulations also to the Buckeyes, who advanced to their 13th World Series, and to the other teams reaching the post season: the Wahoos, Fungoes, Inmates, and Rhinos.

And thanks to the other owners who made their way out to the Buckeye house today to cheer and jeer on their fellow owners. The FFTs, Goofs, Weevils, Drillers, and Warpigs joined the 6 playoff teams for a fun day of Strat. Thanks, especially, for the delicious food.

I will be updating pages on the website over the next few weeks. A couple have already been done. There is now a link to the Official 2018 Draft Grid. It should reflect all trades. Please let me know if something is amiss. If you can't access it, click the request access button so I can add you.

Also, on the roster page, your draft picks now have numbers on them. Please refer to these numbers when trading draft picks.

A couple of new things: I added a red cell and a black cell to your list of players and picks. The red cell indicates how many players and picks you will have (30 plus your number of reserves). The black picks represent the Tweener Rule +2 picks everybody gets. In other words, if your roster were set right now, everything below the black cell would be lost. If the numbers below your black cell are good picks (example, right now the DVs would lose pick 41 and everything after it), not to worry, that just means you'll need to make more cuts. No rush.

And remember, the picks listed only represent 12 rounds, but we will draft as many rounds as it takes to get everybody's roster filled with the right amount of players. There will also, as usual, be a lightning round following the regular draft.

The team address page now has our new owner's contact information on it. Let him hear from you.

If there is anything I can do on the website to help you, let me know.

Where are the cards?!? When is the draft?!?

2017 NASOMA Playoffs - World Series

Buckeyes(1) vs Sidewinders(2)

Game 1 - Buckeyes win 5-2.

Game 2 - Buckeyes win 12-11. Lots of homers.

Game 3 - Sidewinders win 9-3.

Game 4 - Sidewinders win 6-2.

Game 5 - Sidewinders win 3-0.

Game 6 - Sidewinders win 5-3. The Sidewinders repeat as NASOMA Champions!

2017 NASOMA Playoffs - Second Round

Buckeyes(1) vs Fungoes(6)

Game 1 - Buckeyes win 8-7. Justin Bour with a walk-off HR in the 10th.

Game 2 - Buckeyes win 4-1. Chris Young hit a 3-run homer off of Kershaw.

Game 3 - Buckeyes win 1-0. Six-pitcher combined shutout.

Game 4 - Fungoes win 6-0. Trout homers twice to avoid the sweep.

Game 5 - Fungoes win 9-1. Fungoes score 7 in the 1st, and Kershaw cruises.

Game 6 - Buckeyes win 8-0. Buckeyes advance.


Sidewinders(2) vs Wahoos(4)

Game 1 - Sidewinders win 12-6. Come from behind win for the Snakes.

Game 2 - Wahoos win 5-3.

Game 3 - Sidewinders win 10-1. Cueto goes the distance.

Game 4 - Sidewinders win 9-1. Sale with the complete game this time.

Game 5 - Sidewinders win 5-3. Sidewinders advance to their 4th consecutive World Series.

2017 NASOMA Playoffs - First Round

The NASOMA playoffs are underway. The first dice hit the table at 8:35. The Fungoes are taking on the Inmates. The Rhinos are running behind (of course), so the Wahoos are forced to pace the floor.

Inmates(3) vs Fungoes(6)

Game 1 - Inmates win 5-0. Jose Quintana throws a 2-hit shutout. Kershaw gets roughed up.

Game 2 - Inmates win 5-4. Four solo shots by the Inmates on BP homers.

Game 3 - Fungoes win 3-0.

Game 4 - Fungoes win 5-1.

Game 5 - Fungoes win 4-2. (At this point, the home team has won all 7 games played today.)

Game 6 - Inmates win 4-3 on a walk-off 2-base error by Jarrod Dyson [lf-1e4].

Game 7 - Fungoes win 8-2. Fungoes advance.


Wahoos(4) vs Rhinos(5)

They are underway. First dice drop at 10:13.

Game 1 - Wahoos win 11-2/

Game 2 - Wahoos win 8-5.

Game 3 - Wahoos win 2-1. (First road win of the day)

Game 4 - Rhinos win 6-4.

Game 5 - Rhinos win 11-2.

Game 6 - Wahoos win 12-0. Weekend at Bernie's with the complete game shutout. Wahoos advance.

2017 Playoff Preview

Well, well, well... it's that time of the year again. The MLB season is over, but neither the cards, the ratings, nor the Wahoo stats are here. So it must be NASOMA playoff time.

This year's lineup features the league's oldest and most iconic team as the #1 seed, a team who has been to 3 straight World Series as seed #2, three teams who have yet to win their first title... and the Fungoes.

The Buckeyes, looking for their 8th Higdon, dominated the field in the regular season. He will have the top seed and the home table advantage. Could this be his chance to win his first title since 2005?

The Sidewinders have been on a roll for 4 years now, and is as experienced and playoff savvy as anybody heading into this post season. Will he coast thru the playoffs like he did last year and claim back-to-back titles?

Or maybe this is the year a new team gets its name etched onto the Higdon. The Inmates have been to the Series twice before, but there was a 19-year gap between them. And since his last appearance was only 4 years ago, it seems too early for him to return. It is, however, the Year of the Inmates. Again.

Or is it the Year of the Wahoos? The Wahoos made the finals once before - in 2000, but more importantly, the Hoos join the Snakes as the only two teams to make the playoffs the last 4 years. Maybe this is the year they finally take the final step.

The Rhinos have also been to a World Series, losing to the DVs (Editor's note: how embarrassing) in 2012. Maybe 2017 is his chance at redemption - especially since before the season started, the Rhinos traded their best hitter and best reliever to the DVs, who somehow managed to miss the playoffs anyway while the Rhinos won 98 games. Is this a sign?

The Fungoes slipped into the #6 seed mainly because the Mavs made the mistake of thinking we had passed the rule that allowed the 7th best team to draft #1. The Fungoes have won the Higdon twice before, however, in both 2006 and 2014, so they are experienced at playoff Strat. And any team that gets to pitch Clayton Kershaw has a chance to win (unless that team is the Dodgers).

Without further ado, here are the much lauded, much anticipated, much re-tweeted Big Innings predictions...

First Round - #4 Wahoos vs #5 Rhinos
SP - Even. Fernandez, Verlander, Arrieta, and Estrada for the Wahoos; Syndergaard, Aaron Sanchez, Cole, and Archer for the Rhinos. Maybe a slight edge to the Hoos, but both rotations are elite.
RP - Wahoos. By a lot. Not that Devenski and company aren't good, but the Wahoos have a pen envied by every NASOMA team west of Lexington.
C/Inf - Rhinos. Barely. Votto, Lemahieu, and Bryant make up for the weak-link Story at ss. The Wahoo group is almost as good offensively, and they're better defensively. So it's close.
OF/DH - Wahoos. Not close. The Rhinos didn't win 98 games because of their outfield of Duvall, Buxton, Myers, Kemp, and Marisnick. They won because of their pitching, their infield, and the attention to detail that becomes necessary when you only draft 289 catcher ABs.

Even though the Rhinos won 7 more games than the Wahoos, they are the lower seed because the Wahoos won their division. Head to head, the Rhinos won 7 of 10. But none of that matters. Last year, the Warpigs were clobbered during the regular season by both the Wahoos and Fungoes, but then beat them in the playoffs. Conversely, the Pigs went 9-1 vs the Sidewinders only to get rung up in 5 games against them in the Series.

The Rhinos will get confused when, for the first time this year, they will not be forced to pinch hit for the catcher every time he comes up. That confusion - along with the Wahoo relievers and the frustration that comes with NEVER getting a break on an x-chance against the All-One Wahoos - will lead to a Wahoo victory.

First Round - #3 Inmates vs #6 Fungoes
SP - Even. Except when Kershaw is pitching. Really, neither team has a SP (other than Kershaw) who would even make the playoff rosters of the Wahoos or Rhinos.
RP - Even. In an unimaginative, tedious manner. Neither team has an impressive bullpen - or even a shut down stopper. On the other hand, both have useful hurlers who can probably get some outs.
C/Inf - Inmates. Slightly. Rizzo and Altuve win out over Lindor and Murphy, but not by much. Offensively, the Fungoes have a slight edge because of Murphy, but playing Murphy and Carpenter in the field will hurt them at some point. Both teams have great arms behind the plate.
OF/DH - Fungoes. Slightly. Trout and Betts tilt this area to the Fungoes, but the Inmates have CarGo, JD, Cespedes, and Adam Jones. Not too shabby.

Another interesting first round match-up, this one between HWD division rivals. The Inmates went 8-6 against the Fungoes and finished 8 games ahead in the standings. The Fungoes lean heavily on Kershaw and Price, but the Inmates hit LHP well. The Inmates have so-so pitching, but the Fungoes have so-so hitting. Defensively, any ball hit on the ground causes Fungo fans to hold their collective breath while praying that Lindor dashes in front of the other guys to take it. The Fungo scorecard lists Lindor as "Infield Rover."

If this were a 2nd round series complete with days off after games 2 & 5, I'd give the nod to the team that would get to start Kershaw 3 times. But with no off days, the tall Texan can only start twice. Now, the Fungoes could use him out of the pen so he could pitch every game. This might be the only hope the Fungoes have, but one that is destined to backfire. Limited to 3 innings in each game leaves the Fungoes relying on the rest of a lackluster staff for two thirds of every game. Neither of these teams is better than the two teams in the other first round series, but the Inmates will be running the prison and will be victorious in round one.

Second Round - #1 Buckeyes vs #4 Wahoos
The Buckeyes vs the Wahoos lacks the glamour and tension that a Buckeye/Inmate series would offer. And for the Buckeyes, a series vs the Inmates would be preferable. The Buckeyes have been and always will be in the Head Inmate's head. And the Buckeye bats would devour the Inmate pitching staff. BUT... the series is between the Buckeyes and the Wahoos, and while homers will definitely be flying out of both parks, the Buckeyes can't match the Wahoo pitching. Every game will end 14-12, but the Wahoos will come out on top, advancing to only their 2nd World Series ever.

Second Round - #2 Sidewinders vs #3 Inmates
The Snakes vs the Inmates will have a similar result for a similar reason. The Snake pitching is light years ahead of the Inmate pitching, and the Impotentmates, who can and will score in bunches, won't do it often enough to overcome the mighty Sidewinder machine. The Snakes will join the Buckeyes and Warpigs as the only NASOMA teams to make it 4 straight World Series.

World Series - #2 Sidewinders vs #4 Wahoos
I'd really like to pick the Wahoos, and thereby put extra pressure on him... and the Sidewinders will be fresher, having played fewer games going in. (Editor's note: Scratch that. The Wahoos are young and spry; the Sidewinders are old and fat. The extra games theory is compromised. Looking back, I can't believe I typed the words "the Sidewinders will be fresher.' The Sidewinders are never fresher.) Both teams have the best bullpens in NASOMA by a wide margin. And, along with the Rhinos and Skyscrapers, the best rotations. When you consider the damn Wahoo defense, it's hard not to pick the Wahoos. But the difference... the deciding factor... the key to the series will be a player no longer active in the game. No, I'm not talking about Weekend at Bernie's... I'm referring to Big Papi. Write this down: In his last ever Strat appearance, Ortiz with a game 7 walk-off homer. Sidewinders repeat.