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