Order Your Cards!

The SOM site is taking orders. I ordered mine about an hour ago, around 7:45 PM, Dallas time, on December 19th. Version 13 upgrade w/Card Image plus Cards. I only paid for standard shipping, so the cost was $65.50.

SGP Warriors

The SGP Warriors of the I-75 League have captured the league title for the second year in a row. Manager Garth Lewis took a team that just squeezed into the playoffs with a record of 80-80 and the 6th seed, then won three straight best-of-sevens to defend their 2006 championship.

The Warriors were led by a rotation of Webb, Lackey, Wang, and Willis; a bullpen of Putz, Street, C.Cordero, and Shields; and an offense of N.Johnson, ARod, Guillen, Swisher, F. Sanchez, Kent, Damon, and Wells. But a key to the romp thru the post-season was the play of part-time studs Lind, Theriot, Escobar, Scott, and S.Drew.

Here are the game summaries from the World Series. Take note of the All-Star roster playing for Margaritaville.

Game 1: SGP 3, Margaritaville 2. WP-Webb, LP-Halladay, Sv-Putz.

Vernon Wells hit a 2-run homer in the second inning and the Warriors rode 8.1 innings of Brandon Webb to victory. The Volcanoes scored on an Abreu sac fly in the eighth and Darryle Ward HR in the ninth, but J.J. Putz closed things out.

Game 2: Margaritaville 5, SGP 4. WP-Heilman, LP-Thornton.

Lance Berkman hit two solo HRs for the Volcanoes, including the winner in the eighth off Thornton. SGP jumped to an early 3-0 on a Nick Johnson HR and an A-Rod RBI double. Things seemed to fall apart against starter Chien-Ming Wang in the fifth, however. David Wright, Bobby Abreu, and Grady Sizemore all had singles along with 2 SBs mixed in. SGP scratched back to tie in the seventh, but Berkman was too much.

Game 3: Margaritaville 8, SGP 7. WP-Oswalt, LP-Lackey, Sv-Saito.

This time it was Margaritaville jumping to a 3-0 early lead. The first inning saw Sizemore scratch out a single before Manny Ramirez rolled a 1-4 clean shot. Abreu added an RBI single in the 2nd. SGP used 3 singles and a walk to get on the board in the second. In the 4th the Volcanoes erupted for 5 runs -- highlighted by a Manny Ramirez 3-run shot. It was far from John Lackey's night. SGP scored 2 runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth to close the gap. But the Warriors blew a shot in the ninth when, after Freddy Sanchez reached on a 2-base error by Abreu and Swisher walked, Wells struck out and Damon bounced into two to end it. The Warriors did take comfort in hitting a HR off Wagner's card in the eighth.

Game 4: SGP 5, Margaritaville 0. WP-Webb, LP-Halladay.

Brandon Webb was the story of this one. 7 hits. 1 walk. 7 Ks. Would have finished it, but the Warriors still had dreams of a Game 7 and didn't want to waste any innings. SGP jumped out quickly with an A-Rod HR to lead off the game. Nick Johnson and Carlos Guillen doubled followed by a Theriot walk. With one out Luke Scott had an RBI single. SGP added two more runs in the third to close things out.

Game 5: Margaritaville 4, SGP 1. WP-Carpenter, LP-Martinez, Sv-Saito.

In his first start of the entire postseason, Pedro Martinez pitched well to everyone but Jeff Baker. In seven innings he walked three (including the first two hitters of the game), struck out 11 and allowed four hits. Baker followed the walks in the first with a 3-run HR. He added an RBI double in the third to close out the Volcanoes scoring. The Margaritaville bullpen was outstanding -- 1 hit 4 innings.

Game 6: SGP 9, Margaritaville 8. WP-Beimel, LP-Saito, Sv-Putz.

A classic heavyweight bout. John Lackey and Roy Oswalt both struggled early, and things never really improved for either. Each team scored a pair in the first, highlighted by a Carlos Guillen triple for the Warriors and Grady Sizemore 2-run HR for the Volcanoes. The Warriors legged out two more triples (Alex Escobar and Luke Scott) in the third to score three more runs. SGP took a 7-4 lead into the seventh inning. In the seventh, a walk, a single, and an out started the inning for the Volcanoes. SGP brought in Scot Shields to face PH Darryle Ward. He promptly tied the score with a big blast. The Warriors went quietly in the eighth. Then, SGP made perhaps its most questionable decision of the season by leaving Shields in to face David Wright. He homered on Shields' card to take the lead and leave the Warriors facing quite a climb to force a Game 7. But in the ninth, Carlos Guillen lead off with a HBP. Alex Escobar hit a groundball C to move Guillen into scoring position. But with Saito pitching, getting him home would be easier said than done. After Freddy Sanchez whiffed, Ryan Theriot pinch hit and was intentionally walked. That brought up Vernon Wells. In the clutch. Against a fantastic RHP. Uh oh. He rolled 1-10 -- Triple 1-4/double. It was a double, but Theriot beat the throw home to take the lead. The inning ended 9-8. The Volcanoes, with Dave Roberts in Manny Ramirez's spot, didn't stop. Roberts lead off with a single against Putz and stole second. But Berkman (who finished with a couple of hits) and Ward both grounded out and Jamey Carroll (a ninth-inning defensive replacement) flied out to end the threat... bring up Game 7...

Game 7: SGP 9, Margaritaville 5 (11). WP-Putz, LP-Saito.

It was Brandon Webb-Roy Halladay, Round 3. Webb was good again, this time allowing one run in the first six innings. He gave up another run when pinch hitter Jeff Baker had an RBI single off Matt Thornton in the 7th. But with J.J. Putz having plenty of innings left, the Warriors brought him on in the seventh with a 4-2 lead. The Warriors added a run in the eighth on a Theriot triple and Sanchez single. That extra run would be vital. In the ninth, still against Putz, Sizemore led off with a single. Manny Ramirez struck out, but Berkman rolled 2-4 for a homer. That left Putz vs. Jeff Baker... Gone. Baker homered to tie the score. That sent the game to the 10th inning. The Warriors squandered a lead off double from Nick Johnson against B.J. Ryan. The Volcanoes went quietly. Then in the 11th off Saito, Johnny Damon hit a one-out single and stole second. Ronny Paulino struck out to leave it up to A-Rod. He ripped a go-ahead single for the lead. After stealing second, he scored on a Nick Johnson double. With Billy Wagner pitching, Carlos Guillen singled in Johnson. Jeff Kent pinch hit for Ryan Theriot -- who hit the floor on ABs -- and doubled off Joaquin Benoit. Four runs scored in all. But the Volancoes, facing Huston Street with two outs put a scare into things thanks to an error by Street. Then Jeff Baker rolled in the 1 column, but flied out to end the game.

For the series, SGP outscored the Volcanoes: 38-32. Carlos Guillen hit .355 in the series. Vernon Wells hit .310 with the biggest hit in team history. But Brandon Webb -- who allowed 4 runs in 22 2/3 innings -- was selected as the MVP of the series.

So much to do...

There are three posts just begging to get done: Something about the ratings (neither Tulo nor Polanco got 1's!), a comment or two about the Mitchell Reports (does this mean Sammy Sosa didn't do steroids? Ha!), and coming soon, a follow up on the World Series from the I-75 league which featured our own little Wahoo trying to dominate the league with a repeat championship.

Plus, my Baseball Forecaster showed up today!

Naturally, tonight is the faculty Christmas Dinner at Mercado Juarez. I feel a fever coming on. Maybe I should stay home.

Ratings Preview

Strat-O-Matic has posted the ratings for the new cards. Go here to see them.

Thanks Oilers for the heads up.

Trade

The Buckeyes trade Frank Thomas to the Fungoes for Luke Scott.

Michael Vick

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Michael Vick might be welcomed back to the Falcons after his time away if he didn't eat too much fried chicken or french fries in prison. Let me make it perfectly clear: He was wrong to say that. What he should have said was, "Hell no that fucking, dog killing convict won't be welcomed back!"

Trade

The Zaps trade Benjie Molina to the FFTs for pick 66.

Trades

These were made a couple of days ago. Sorry for the delay getting them posted.

The Buckeyes trade Jason Kubel and pick #75 to the FFTs for Ryan Freel.

The FFTs trade Jason Kubel to the Sidewinders for Carlos Delgado.

Bloopers

Vote for your favorite blooper of 2007 at MLB.com. My personal favorites are...

1. Ramon Hernandez (I laughed out loud)
2. Matt Chico (Juuuust a bit outside)
3. The Rangers (A single where the lead runner is out but the batter scores)
4. The Ranger fan (Great seats, eh buddy?)
5. Manny's foul ball (the last view is pretty cool)

All I Want For Christmas

According to Strat-O-Matic web site, the fielding ratings preview will be available December 14.

Cards and the computer game can be ordered beginning December 20.

Thanks for the heads-up, Oilers.

A Tale of Two Titles

2002- The Warpigs win 117 games, get the #1 seed and a first round bye
2007- The Warpigs win 111 games, get the #1 seed and a first round bye

2002- The Warpigs' second round opponent is the Buckeyes, managed by G.Wheeler
2007- The Warpigs' second round opponent is the Oilers, managed by H.Wheeler

2002- The Warpigs get behind 3 games to 2, win a blow out in gm 6 and a 1-run thriller in gm 7
2007- The Warpigs get behind 3 games to 2, win a blow out in gm 6 and a 1-run thriller in gm 7

2002- The Warpigs' World Series opponent is the Killer Bees, managed by P.Mullen
2007- The Warpigs' World Series opponent is the Sidewinders, managed by V.Mullen

2002- The Warpigs win the Series in 5 games.
2007- The Warpigs win the Series in 5 games.

Got Woody?

The Chief starts the playoffs in his other Strat league tomorrow, and the pitcher he faces in Game 2 will be Woody Williams. I looked at his card, and it isn't bad. He had 145 innings and a 3.65 ERA the year before. His card isn't great, but it's better than Cliff Lee, the Pig #4 starter this past year. So I looked thru the NASOMA rosters to see who had him last year. I knew he was a Tweener at one time, but that was a year or so ago at least. It turns out, he wasn't on a NASOMA team last year. Wasn't even drafted. A pitcher who is the #2 guy on a playoff team in a 12-team league wasn't even drafted in a 16-team league.

I don't know, I just found that odd.

Trade

The Warpigs trade pick 5, Jason Frasor, and the 2009 Warpig 5th to the Wahoos for Adam Lind, the 2009 Wahoo 1st, and the 2009 Buckeye 1st.

Posting Comments

Sorry about the delay. I was tinkering with the blogger options last night (flickin' the bean). I think I have found a way for you to leave a comment without the trouble of registering. However, in doing so, I also made it necessary for the site to email me for permission to publish comments. I'll change that. If any unwanted spam shows up, I should be able to delete it.

In addition, it appears I can allow others (besides myself) to post blogs. I'll ponder that option. Are there any among you who would LIKE to be able to post blog entries on here? Email me and let me know.

Thanks for reading,
Pigman

Trade

The Inmates trade their first round pick (#5) and their 2009 first round pick to the Warpigs for Javier Vazquez.

Looking Back at the 2007 Draft

A popular, although illogical, perception is that there are fewer good players to draft now that we can protect more than 15. Realistically, the only players missing from the draft are the guys who would have been cut in the old system, but you just can't convince some people of the logic. Maybe this will help. Here are some of the players we drafted last spring...

National League Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun was taken by the Rhinos with pick #103. That's a 7th round pick.
Close runner-up for ROY in the NL was Troy Tulowitzki, who went at #29, also to the Rhinos.
American League Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia was taken by the Inmates with pick #154 (10th round).
Hunter Pence to the Oilers at #125.
Kelly Johnson to the Warpigs at #109.
Tim Lincecum to the Drillers at #88.
John Maine to the Mavs at #59.
James Shields to the Drillers at #56.
Matt Garza to the Rhinos at #39.
Ryan Garko to the Fungoes at #112.
Corey Hart to the Inmates at #90.
Gil Meche to the FFTs at #153.
Oliver Perez to the Rhinos at #166.
Matt Kemp to the Rhinos at #174.
Matt Diaz to the Inmates at #181.
Cody Ross to the DVs at #178.

There's always quality in the draft, whether you are seeking prospects or just good cards. It takes two elements: (1) Do your homework and (2) Get lucky.

Trade

The Warpigs trade Cliff Lee to the FFTs for David Ross.

Trade

The Wahoos trade Mark Buehrle, Wilson Betemit, Adam Laroche, and pick 75 to the Buckeyes for Justin Speier and the 2009 Buckeye 1st round pick.

Trade

The Wahoos trade Ian Kinsler, pick 3, and pick 51 to the Zaps for Gary Matthews and pick 2.

Trades

The Wahoos trade Fernando Rodney, Livan Hernandez, and pick 41 to the FFTs for picks 35 and 75.

The Oilers trade Conor Jackson and Benji Molina to the Zaps for Chris Snyder, Michael Cuddyer, and pick 34.

Trades

The Oilers trade Gary Matthews to the Zaps for Casey Blake.

The FFTs trade Gil Meche to the Wahoos for picks 24, 35, and 75.

Sad News

The Green Oaks Hotel, home of the NASOMA Drafts of 2001-2004, will be torn down in December.

I don't know about you, but I have some fond memories of the place.

2008 Draft Order

1. Killer Bees
2. Zaps
3. Wahoos
4. Drillers
5. Inmates
6. Rhinos
7. Nads
8. Tweeners
9. FFTs
10. Buckeyes
11. DVs
12. Fungoes
13. Oilers
14. Mavs
15. Sidewinders
16. Warpigs

2007 World Series

The Warpigs are the 2007 NASOMA Champs! After getting blown out in the first game of the 2007 World Series by the Sidewinders, the Warpigs turned to their bullpen to win four straight. In games 2-4, the Warpig starter failed to last past the 2nd hitter of the game. The bullpen responded, including two wins by shutout. Series MVP Francisco Liriano was the winning pitcher in all three of those games. Ervin Santana finally gave the Warpigs a quality start in game 5, giving up only 1 hit thru 6 innings to capture the win. Travis Hafner was the hitting star for the Pigs, hitting .333 with 4 homers, three of them coming in the game 2 victory.

The Higdon is the 9th title for the Warpigs.

Game 1	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E
Sidewinders	3	0	0		2	0	4		0	0	1		10	16	0
Warpigs	0	2	0		0	0	1		0	0	0		3	7	1
Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher
Mussina 1-0	Vazquez 0-1

The Sidewinders scored early and often in Game 1. Three Snakes (Delgado, Ortiz, and Renteria) homered in the convincing victory. Mussina went 6 innings and Ryan finished up. Hafner and VMart homered for the Pigs.

Game 2	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E
Sidewinders	0	0	0		0	0	0		0	0	0		0	4	0
Warpigs	0	3	1		0	0	2		1	0	x		7	9	0
Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher							Save
Liriano 1-0	Zambrano 0-1							F.Rodriguez 1st

Pig starter E.Santana was pulled after allowing two singles to start the game. Liriano came in a threw 5 innings of 1-hit shutout. Vizcaino and KRod followed suit in the last 4 innings, completing the shutout. Hafner homered three times, and Granderson added a 2-run blast.

Game 3	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E
Warpigs	0	0	0		0	2	4		0	0	1		7	10	1
Sidewinders	1	2	0		2	1	0		0	0	0		6	7	0
Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher
Liriano 2-0	Ryan 0-1

Just like in Game 2, the Pig starter (Lackey this time) was pulled after allowing hits to the first two batters. The Pig bullpen wasn't quite as good this time, and the Snakes took a 5-0 lead thru 4 innings. Still trailing 6-2 in the 6th, the Pigs put up a 4 spot to tie the game. The big blast was a 3-run homer by VMart. The game was still 6-6 in the 9th when the Warpigs scored a run off of B.J. Ryan without the benefit of a hit. Manny Ramirez walked. Pinch hitter Cory Sullivan bunted pinch runner Adam Jones over to second. Jones took third on a passed ball. After Pujols was intentionally walked, Travis Hafner brought in the run with a ground out. Liriano went the last two innings for the win for the Pigs. The Snakes' Joe Mauer homered, but it would the last homer of the World Series for the Sidewinders.

Game 4	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E
Warpigs	0	3	0		0	0	0		0	0	0		3	5	0
Sidewinders	0	0	0		0	0	0		0	0	0		0	4	1
Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher							Save
Liriano 3-0	Mussina 1-1							F.Rodriguez 2nd

The plan worked one more time, with the Pig starter (Vazquez) coming out after two batters (although Vazquez actually recorded an out). The bullpen of Wagner, Vizcaino, Liriano, and KRod finished it for a 4-hit shutout. All three Pig runs were unearned thanks to a dropped fly ball by Vernon Wells.

Game 5	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E
Warpigs	0	1	1		2	1	1		0	0	1		7	11	1
Sidewinders	0	0	0		0	1	0		0	0	0		1	3	1
Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher
E.Santana 1-0	Zambrano 0-2

Ervin Santana made the early hook strategy unnecessary by throwing 6 innings of 1 hit ball. The Pig offense scored in 6 different innings with Pujols hitting a homer.

Final Standings 2007

B.U.D.	W	L	%	GB
Warpigs	111	51	.685	--
Oilers	85	77	.525	26
Rhinos	74	88	.457	37
Wahoos	65	97	.401	46
M.F.D.	W	L	%	GB
Mavs	89	73	.549	--
Buckeyes	82	80	.506	7
Nads	77	85	.475	12
Inmates	73	89	.451	16
A.W.D.	W	L	%	GB
Sidewinders	100	62	.617	--
Tweeners	79	83	.488	21
Zaps	60	102	.370	40
Killer Bees	56	106	.346	44
N.E.R.D.D.	W	L	%	GB
Fungoes	99	63	.611	--
DVs	95	67	.586	4
FFTs	81	81	.500	18
Drillers	70	92	.432	29

Second Round Results

The Sidewinders swept the Mavs, with only game 1 being a close game. The Warpigs and Oilers went 7. After the Oilers had defeated the Fungoes in Round 1 in a game 7 thriller, they looked poised to make it to their first World Series. But the Warpigs came back from a 3 games to 2 deficit to beat the Oilers. Game 7 was another 1-run game with the Oilers leaving 2 on in the 9th.

Sidewinders vs Mavs

Game 1:
2 Sidewinders (Mussina)
1 Mavs (Cain)
W- Peavy; L- Valverde

Game 2:
6 Sidewinders (Willis)
2 Mavs (Carpenter)
W- Betancourt; L- Carpenter

Game 3:
9 Sidewinders (Zambrano)
3 Mavs (Maine)
W- Zambrano; L- Maine

Game 4:
8 Sidewinders (Mussina)
1 Mavs (Cain)
W- Mussina; L- Cain



Oilers vs Warpigs

Game 1:
4 Warpigs (Lackey)
2 Oilers (Contreras)
W- Lackey; L- Contreras; Sv- F.Rodriguez

Game 2:
6 Oilers (Myers)
4 Warpigs (Vazquez)
W- Downs; L-Vizcaino; Sv- Hoffman

Game 3:
3 Oilers (J.Johnson)
2 Warpigs (E.Santana)
W- J.Johnson; L- E.Santana; Sv- Hoffman

Game 4:
2 Warpigs (Lackey)
1 Oilers (Carrasco)
W- Lackey; L- Carrasco; Sv- Ray

Game 5:
8 Oilers (Myers)
6 Warpigs (Vazquez)
W- Qualls; L- Liriano; Sv- Hoffman

Game 6:
13 Warpigs (E.Santana)
6 Oilers (J.Johnson)
W- F.Rodriguez; L- J.Johnson

Game 7:
4 Warpigs (Lackey)
3 Oilers (Carrasco)
W- Vizcaino; L- Broxton; Sv- F.Rodriguez

First Round Results

The Mavs whupped up on the DVs, winning 4 straight games after dropping game 1. The other first round series was a classic. The Oilers won games 6 and 7 to upend the defending champion Fungoes. Game 7 went 13 innings thanks to the Fungoes' Lance Berkman hitting a 2-out homer in the bottom of the 9th. Hoffman and Putz battled from that point on, but Torii Hunter homered in the top of the 13th to win it for the Oilers.

DVs vs Mavs

Game 1:
3 DVs (Sanchez)
1 Mavs (Carpenter)
W- Calero; L- Valverde; Sv- P.Martinez

Game 2:
7 Mavs (Cain)
5 DVs (Kazmir)
W- Duchscherer; L- Kazmir; Sv- Proctor

Game 3:
7 Mavs (Maine)
5 DVs (Clemens)
W- Maine; L- Clemens; Sv- Duchscherer

Game 4:
6 Mavs (F.Garcia)
0 DVs (Wang)
W- Fuentes; L- Wang

Game 5:
7 Mavs (Carpenter)
3 DVs (Sanchez)
W- Carpenter; L- Sanchez; Sv- Fuentes

Oilers vs Fungoes

Game 1:
5 Oilers (Myers)
4 Fungoes (Sampson)
W- Myers; L- Jenks; Sv- Hoffman

Game 2:
6 Fungoes (Washburn)
1 Oilers (J.Johnson)
W- Papelbon; L-Downs; Sv- Putz

Game 3:
7 Oilers (Carrasco)
3 Fungoes (Halladay)
W- Carrasco; L- Halladay

Game 4:
2 Fungoes (Penny)
1 Oilers (Contreras)
W- Putz; L- Contreras; Sv- Papelbon

Game 5:
6 Fungoes (Sampson)
3 Oilers (Myers)
W- Sampson; L- Myers; Sv- Papelbon

Game 6:
6 Oilers (J.Johnson)
2 Fungoes (Washburn)
W- J.Johnson; L- Washburn; Sv- Hoffman

Game 7 (13 innings):
3 Oilers (Carrasco)
2 Fungoes (Halladay)
W- Hoffman; L- Putz; Sv- Broxton

Playoff Taxis and Rotations

Everything here is tentative.


DiamondVision

Rotation:
1. Sanchez
2. Kazmir
3. Clemens
4. Martinez

Taxi: Scutaro, Saunders, Lowe, B.Sweeney, R.Lugo


Oilers

Rotation:
1. Myers
2. J.Johnson
3. Carrasco
4. Contreras

Taxi: Varitek, Ohka, Ledezma, Correia, Borowski


Fungoes

Rotation:
1. Sampson
2. Washburn
3. Halladay
4. Penny

Taxi: Borkowski, Chacin, Cormier, Napoli, Wakefield


Sidewinders

Rotation:
1. Mussina
2. Willis
3. Zambrano

Taxi: C.Young, Lilly, Villone, Linebrink, Ju.Rincon


Warpigs

Rotation:
1. Lackey
2. E.Santana
3. Vazquez

Taxi: K.Johnson, Cl.Lee, Hensley, R.Sweeney, Ad.Jones


Mavs

Rotation:
1. Moe Howard
2. Curly Howard
3. Shemp Howard
4. Larry Fine

Taxi: Derek Jeter, Jermaine Dye, Nick Johnson, Chris Carpenter, Lou Gehrig

Trade

The Buckeyes trade Jonny Gomes, Greg Norton, and Javier Valentin to the FFTs for Scott Podsednik, Jason Kubel, and Brian Schneider.

Standings Update 10/21/07

B.U.D.	W	L	%	GB		Remaining Games	Last Update
Warpigs	111	51	.685	--		0	9/29/07
Oilers	85	77	.525	26		0	8/18/07
Rhinos	64	78	.451	37		20	10/19/07
Wahoos	65	97	.401	46		0	10/20/07
M.F.D.	W	L	%	GB
Mavs	89	73	.549	--		0	10/21/07
Buckeyes	82	80	.506	7		0	10/21/07
Nads	60	70	.462	13		32	10/17/06
Inmates	66	77	.462	14		19	10/21/07
A.W.D.	W	L	%	GB
Sidewinders	94	58	.618	--		10	10/21/07
Tweeners	70	78	.473	22		14	10/21/07
Zaps	49	87	.360	37		26	9/29/07
Killer Bees	48	99	.327	44		15	10/18/07
N.E.R.D.D.	W	L	%	GB
Fungoes	99	63	.611	--		0	9/29/07
DVs	95	67	.586	4		0	10/19/07
FFTs	81	81	.500	18		0	9/9/07
Drillers	70	92	.432	29		0	10/21/07

Playoff Seeding Update

The few remaining games of the 2007 NASOMA regular season should be played soon. The playoffs will take place on Saturday, November 3rd. Here are the participants...

The Warpigs won the BUD and will have the #1 seed.
The Sidewinders won the AWD. They have 10 games to play. If they win 5 or more of them, they will be the #2 seed and get a first round bye.
The defending NASOMA champion Fungoes won the NERD. They will be the #2 seed if the Snakes fail to win 5 of their last 10 games. Otherwise, the Fungoes will be the #3 seed and host the #6 seed in the first round.
The Mavs won the MFD and will be the #4 seed.
The DVs were the runners-up in the NERD and will be the #5 seed.
The Oilers have not quite clinched the #6 seed, but some really weird stuff would have to happen for them NOT to be. The only teams with a mathematical chance to catch them are the Inmates and Nads, but both need Colorado Rockie-like finishes. I don't see it happening.

The only sure thing about the first round is that the Mavs will play the DVs. The DVs had a better season record, but the Mavs will have home field advantage as a result of winning the MFD.

An updated standings page will be posted shortly.

You look like you could use some baseball

Thanks to MLB.com, you can experience great League Championship Games of the past with full-length streaming archives of selected LCS games. Among the choices are...

• Oct. 15, 1976, ALCS Game 5: Yankees 7, Royals 6 (Chris Chambliss game)
  
• Oct. 19, 1981, NLCS Game 5: Dodgers 2, Expos 1
• Oct. 7, 1984, NLCS Game 5: Padres 6, Cubs 3
• Oct. 8, 1986, NLCS Game 1: Astros 1, Mets 0 (Mike Scott dominates)
  
• Oct. 15, 1986, NLCS Game 6: Mets 7, Astros 6 (16 innings)
  
• Oct. 12, 1986, ALCS Game 5: Red Sox 7, Angels 6
• Oct. 14, 1992, NLCS Game 7: Braves 3, Pirates 2
• Oct. 9, 1996, ALCS Game 1: Yankees 5, Orioles 4 (Jeter's controversial homer)
  

There are several others. I have an MLB account, but it didn't ask me to sign in, so it is apparently free. I'm watching the Dodgers and Expos right now. What a great, nostalgic lineup for the Dodgers: Lopes, Russell, Baker, Garvey, Cey, Monday, Guerrero, Scioscia, Valenzuela. And the Expos had Raines, Dawson, Carter... Fun to watch (despite the ugly stadium).

Check it out.

Two Trades

The Warpigs trade Omar Vizquel to the DVs for Marcus Thames.

The Warpigs trade Manny Ramirez to the FFTs for Cody Ross and Jake Westbrook.

Standings Update 10/10/07

B.U.D.	W	L	%	GB		Remaining Games	Last Update
Warpigs	111	51	.685	--		0	9/29/07
Oilers	85	77	.525	26		0	8/18/07
Rhinos	48	59	.449	36		55	7/21/07
Wahoos	58	86	.403	44		18	10/7/07
M.F.D.	W	L	%	GB
Mavs	71	59	.546	--		32	10/8/07
Buckeyes	74	74	.500	6		14	9/27/07
Inmates	55	63	.466	10		44	8/19/07
Nads	44	64	.407	16		54	10/17/06
A.W.D.	W	L	%	GB
Sidewinders	82	51	.617	--		29	9/30/07
Tweeners	55	66	.455	21		41	10/5/07
Zaps	32	57	.360	28		73	9/29/07
Killer Bees	28	73	.277	38		61	9/27/07
N.E.R.D.D.	W	L	%	GB
Fungoes	99	63	.611	--		0	9/29/07
DVs	91	63	.591	4		8	10/8/07
FFTs	81	81	.500	18		0	9/9/07
Drillers	50	77	.394	32		35	10/2/07

Separated at Birth?

Separated at Birth?

Separated at Birth?

Trade

The Buckeyes trade Jason Frasor to the Warpigs for Cory Sullivan.

Standings Update 9/30/07

B.U.D.	W	L	%	GB		Remaining Games	Last Update
Warpigs	111	51	.685	--		0	9/29/07
Oilers	85	77	.525	26		0	8/18/07
Rhinos	48	59	.449	36		55	7/21/07
Wahoos	51	79	.392	44		32	9/23/07
M.F.D.	W	L	%	GB
Mavs	62	53	.539	--		47	9/15/07
Buckeyes	74	74	.500	4.5		14	9/27/07
Inmates	49	56	.467	8		57	8/19/07
Nads	40	63	.388	16		59	10/17/06
A.W.D.	W	L	%	GB
Sidewinders	82	51	.617	--		29	9/30/07
Tweeners	54	62	.466	20		46	9/16/07
Zaps	30	56	.349	29		76	9/29/07
Killer Bees	25	62	.287	34		75	9/27/07
N.E.R.D.D.	W	L	%	GB
Fungoes	99	63	.611	--		0	9/29/07
DVs	88	61	.591	4.5		13	9/30/07
FFTs	81	81	.500	18		0	9/9/07
Drillers	47	70	.402	30		45	9/9/07

Art Howe and DeMarcus Ware were apparently not there

Watching baseball this weekend, I swear I saw Winn ground out to Hu.

Final Results for the Extra Reserve Spot

It came down to the final day, but the Warpigs outlasted the Snakes and Inmates for the extra roster spot next year. The final day wins by the Cardinals and Tigers clinched it for the Pigs.

The Snakeman was the only one to pick four of the division winners. The Pigs, Wahoos, and DVs had three division winners. The Bees, FFTs, and Drillers did not pick any division winners.

Here are the results:

534 Warpigs
532 Sidewinders
532 Inmates
528 Wahoos
524 Fungoes
524 Buckeyes
516 Zaps
514 DVs
514 Rhinos
514 Bees
513 Mavs
510 Nads
508 Tweeners
506 FFTs
502 Oilers
496 Drillers

Update on the 33rd Reserve Contest

It's a very tight race. Through the games of Wednesday, September 26, here are the standings of the leaders:

1. Warpigs 522
2. Sidewinders 521
3. Inmates 518
4. Wahoos 517

No one else is within 10 of the leader.

There are four days of games left. Should be fun to watch.

No Hitter Trivia

Nolan Ryan threw the 2nd and 3rd no-hitters vs a team with a designated hitter. Who threw the 1st?

33rd Reserve Contest

With a week to go, the Stanley Sidewinders have a slim lead over the Warpigs, Inmates, and Wahoos in the 33rd Reserve Contest. The Snakes picked 5 of the 6 current division leaders.

Including the games of Friday, Sept. 21, here are the win totals:

510 Sidewinders (Red Sox, Twins, Angels, Mets, Cubs, D-backs)
509 Warpigs (Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Mets, Cardinals, D-backs)
505 Inmates (Yankees, Indians, Angels, Mets, Cardinals, Dodgers)
501 Wahoos (Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, Padres)
498 Fungoes (Yankees, Tigers, Angels, Mets, Cardinals, Dodgers)
496 Buckeyes (Red Sox, Twins, Mariners, Phillies, Brewers, Padres)
491 Rhinos
490 Killer Bees
489 Zaps
489 Mavs
487 DVs
484 Nads
481 FFTs
481 Tweeners
480 Oilers
472 Drillers

The Bees are the only team that, as of this writing, did not have a single division leader among their selections. He does, however, have three who could be leading their division soon (Yankees, Brewers, Padres).

Ryan Braun

There is a Ryan Braun on the Rhino roster. I had assumed it was the Milwaukee third baseman who is having such a great year, but I couldn't understand why he was never added to the Yahoo tracker roster. I think I know why now: The Ryan Braun the Rhinos own is the Kansas City reliever (who sucks). I tell you what, I'll now assume it is the KC reliever on the Rhinos. If I'm wrong, I'm sure the Rhinos will contact me and let me know. If I don't hear from him, I'll know I was right.

Hehehe.

Standings Update 9/16/07

B.U.D.	W	L	%	GB		Remaining Games	Last Update
Warpigs	102	49	.675	--		11	9/8/07
Oilers	85	77	.525	23		0	8/18/07
Rhinos	48	59	.449	32		55	7/21/07
Wahoos	46	73	.387	40		43	9/15/07
M.F.D.	W	L	%	GB
Mavs	61	49	.555	--		52	9/15/07
Buckeyes	63	70	.474	9.5		29	8/27/07
Inmates	49	56	.467	9.5		57	8/19/07
Nads	40	63	.388	18		59	10/17/06
A.W.D.	W	L	%	GB
Sidewinders	53	37	.589	--		72	9/10/07
Tweeners	54	62	.466	12		46	9/16/07
Zaps	26	49	.347	20		87	7/12/07
Killer Bees	20	52	.278	24		90	7/28/07
N.E.R.D.D.	W	L	%	GB
Fungoes	98	59	.624	--		5	9/6/07
DVs	86	58	.597	5.5		18	8/27/07
FFTs	81	81	.500	20		0	9/9/07
Drillers	31	50	.383	29		81	9/9/07