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.

Dinner with the Bohl Weevils

Bob Bohl, new NASOMA owner (the Brantford Bohl Weevils), was the guest of honor at dinner tonight at Matt's Rancho Martinez over in FFT country. Attending the inaugural Bohl Weevil festival were the Buckeyes, Fungoes, Wahoos, FFTs, and Warpigs.

Two thumbs up here, but I'm a bit biased since it turns out he is a huge UTA fan and happily traded Corey Kluber to the Warpigs for the chance to have UTA alums John Lackey and Hunter Pence on his new team.

Welcome to the league!

Sidewinders and Wahoos Trade

The Wahoos traded Kendrys Morales to the Sidewinders for the Snakes' 3rd round pick in 2019.

Rhinos and Warpigs Trade

The Warpigs traded Joe Panik and a 5th round pick to the Rhinos for D.J. Lemahieu and a 10th round pick.

Initial Cuts

If you would, please let me know any names I can cut from your roster. For now, just cut the guys that are so bad you'd be embarrassed to put their cards on the table. I'll move them to the bottom of your roster (not entirely deleting them).

Also, please give me a heads up on any players on your team who you are certain will not have cards. I'll highlight those names.

FFTs and Warpigs Trade

The FFTs traded Darwin Barney to the Warpigs for a 12th round pick.

It doesn't get much more insignificant than this.

Inmates and Warpigs Trade

The Inmates traded Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Pineda to the Warpigs for the Fungo 4th round pick.

Bees and Wahoos Trade

The Wahoos traded Justin Verlander, Dellin Betances, and a reserve pick to the Killer Bees for Joey Gallo, the Bee 7th round pick, and the 2019 Killer Bee 1st round pick.

Bees and Pigs Trade

The Killer Bees sent reliever Carl Edwards, Jr. to the Warpigs in exchange for A.J. Pollock and Dan Otero.

Inmates and DVs (finally) Trade

After the DVs were caught trying to trade away a pick he no longer had, the two teams finally got together and amended their deal to this:
The DVs traded their 5th, 7th, and 9th round picks to the Inmates for Brandon Drury, and the Inmates' 6th and 8th round picks.

Drillers and Warpigs Trade

The Drillers traded Christian Yelich to the Warpigs for Jake Lamb.

The All-Knowing Pig Oracle

Back on June 6, we here at Big Innings gave everyone a sneak-peek at what the final standings would be. I believe it's time to see how we did...

Buckeyes - I predicted they would win 108 and secure the #1 seed. They did get the top seed, but managed to outdo my prediction by 7, winning 115. Missed by 7.

Inmates - My June prediction had the Inmates winning 101 and getting a bye. The fell 3 wins short of that, and missed out on the #2 seed, settling instead for the #3 seed. Missed by 3.

Sidewinders - I had them winning 98. They won 101. Missed by 3.

Wahoos - I correctly predicted they would win the BUD and get the #4 seed. They won 91, not the 94 I predicted. Missed by 3.

Rhinos - Nailed it. 98 wins was the prediction and the final result. Called it.

Fungoes - I predicted the Fungoes would be the #6 seed, and sure enough, they are. I did have them winning 97, but they slumped to 90 to just barely hang onto the last wild card spot. Missed by 7.

FFTs - I predicted 88 wins. They got 88 wins. Called it.

DVs - I predicted 86 wins. They got 88. Missed by 2.

Mavs - I thought the Mavs would win only 83, but they finished strong to get 89 wins and almost slide into the playoffs. Missed by 6.

Skyscrapers - My formula put the New Yorkers at 81 wins. They won 80. Missed by 1.

Drillers - I predicted the Drillers to win 80, but I forgot to include the "tanking" factor. They won 75. Missed by 5.

Warpigs - Prediction: 59. Actual wins: 62. Missed by 3.

Tweeners - I predicted 56 wins; they won 62. Missed by 6.

Goofs - Prediction: 55; Actual: 55. Called it.

Bees & Nads - I had them tying for the worst record with 54 wins. Instead, they tied for the worst record with 52 wins. Missed both by 2.

I correctly called the 6 playoff teams and the 4 division winners. I didn't miss any predictions by more than 7, was within 3 wins on 11 teams, and nailed 3 of them exactly. Maybe even more amazingly, I predicted a tie for the first draft pick and hit it on the head. I'm gonna call the June predictions a success.

Inmates and Warpigs trade

The Inmates traded Kyle Barraclough to the Warpigs for the Buckeye 8th round pick.

Extra Reserve Contest Final Standings

Congratulations to the Mavs! They ran away with the crown. Here are the final standings...

1327	Mavs
1250	Wahoos
1247	FFTs
1207	Tweeners
1198	Drillers
1182	Sidewinders
1181	Warpigs
1171	DVs
1161	Fungoes
1151	Killer Bees
1143	Buckeyes
1104	Inmates
1101	Skyscrapers
1090	SuperGoofs
970	Rhinos

Playoffs and Draft Order

The regular season has wrapped up. The post season will be the weekend of November 11-12 at the Buckeye Mansion.

First Round:
Fungoes (6) vs Inmates (3)
Rhinos (5) vs Wahoos (4)

Second Round:
Inmates/Rhinos/Wahoos vs Sidewinders (2)
Fungoes/Rhinos/Wahoos vs Buckeyes (1)

As for the 2018 Draft, the draft order for the non-playoff teams had three ties. The Bees and Nads tied for the first pick and went 5-5 head to head. The commissioner oversaw the tie-breaker, which went to the Nads. The Bees will pick 1st in the even numbered rounds.

1. Nads
2. Bees (swaps places with the Nads in the even numbered rounds)
3. Goofs
4. Warpigs (the Inmates own the Pigs' 1st round pick)
5. Tweeners (they lose the tie-breaker with the Pigs by going 6-4 against them)
6. Drillers (suck)
7. Skyscrapers
8. FFTs (they win the tie-breaker with the DVs, going 6-8)
9. DVs
10. Mavs

Sidewinders 9, Killer Bees 5

The regular season comes to an end.

Gm 1 - Bees win 7-3
Gm 2 - Snakes win 12-1
Gm 3 - Snakes win 8-1
Gm 4 - Snakes win 13-5
Gm 5 - Bees win 6-2
Gm 6 - Bees win 1-0
Gm 7 - Snakes win 3-2
Gm 8 - Bees win 3-0
Gm 9 - Snakes win 7-4
Gm 10 - Bees win 6-5
Gm 11 - Snakes win 4-3
Gm 12 - Snakes win 8-3
Gm 13 - Snakes win 6-5
Gm 14 - Snakes win 4-3

Drillers 5, Skyscrapers 2

Drillers 5 Kluber 2

April 10 Scrappers win 4-2

April 11 Drillers win 6-3

April 12 Drillers win 6-0

             Drillers win 6-4

Sept 11 Drillers 7-5

Sept 12 Drillers 13-3

Sept 14 Scrappers 8-3

All but game 1 EQA'd CM-v-CM

Goofs and Pigs Trade

The SuperGoofs traded Joe Mauer to the Warpigs for Yuli Gurriel and Kendall Graveman.

Buckeyes and Warpigs Trade

The Buckeyes traded Matt Bowman to the Warpigs for Garrett Richards.

DVs 6, Wahoos 5

After taking 4 of the first 5 between the Wahoos and DVs, the Wahoos seemed to let their guard down and proceeded to lose 5 of the next 6.

Highlights of the day include:

Edwin Encarnacion hit 7 homers (4 in the first 2 games) and hit .366 with 15 RBI. 

Sean Rodriguez hit .412 with 6 homers and 10 RBI.

In 39 at-bats, Khris Davis hit 4 homers and drove in only 4 runs.

Zach Britton threw 11 scoreless innings.

Brian McCann, Mike Moustakas and Ryan Braun each hit 4 homers.

Mavs 6, Inmates 4

Via TeamViewer:

Inmates 19 – Mavs 2 (Baptist Bowl): Holy Shit, Batman! The Inmates had innings of seven and eight runs, hit four taters (including a grand-slammer by Castro) and had excellent pitching. The Mavs garnered four hits and had shitty pitching. All-in-all, a portent of things to come in a wacky and bizarre series.

Mavs 10 – Inmates 0 (Baptist Bowl): The LDMF made a return to the friendly confines, with crappy pitching by Davies and a total lack of offense. C. Martinez and the Mav bullpen combined on a five-hit shutout. Davis homered twice; only Upton of the Mav starters failed to get a hit.

Inmates 3 – Mavs 0 (Juan Gonzalez Field): A pitchers’ duel (!!), with the Mavs gaining only two hits as the Inmates returned the shutout favor. Hector Sanchez hit a pinch homer, but otherwise not too much happened.

Mavs 3 – Inmates 2 (Juan Gonzalez Field): The Mavs jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three, then hung on as the lack of offense by both teams continued. Bush earned the save despite allowing a 612-foot homer to Cespedes in the top of the 9^th.

Inmates 10 – Mavs 0 (Juan Gonzalez Field): Quintana pitched a no-hitter into the 8^th and the Inmates pounded Odorizzi for the third shutout in five games between the two teams. The only Mav hit came when Gyorko hit a 5-8 off of Quintana’s card (he missed the 1-18 double and settled for a single). Four Mav errors compounded the misery.

Mavs 6 – Inmates 1 (Baptist Bowl): Holding a 1-0 lead into the 5^th, Manaea ran out of innings and hit the floor. After the Inmate Arson Squad took over all hell broke loose - the Inmates stopped hitting, and rolled over to play dead. C. Martinez earned the W for the Mavs.

Mavs 7 – Inmates 6 (13 innings – Baptist Bowl): In a game where Inmate starter Gray hit the floor at the end of the third inning, both teams decided this would be the perfect time to have an extra-inning marathon to drain the bullpens and try to run out of ABs and IPs. Compounding the “duh-ness,” the Mavs’ winning scored in the 13^th on a Gyorko double-play ball.

Inmates 8 – Mavs 7 (Baptist Bowl): The wind was blowing out at gale-force strength, giving most of the 90 Inmate attendees a souvenir baseball. The Inmates hit three homers on the day, while the Mavs managed SEVEN solo shots. An impressive, if futile, power display in a game that was to be the last Inmate regular-season victory. Quintana won his 19^th of the year despite allowing four bombs.

Mavs 7 – Inmates 1 (Juan Gonzalez Field): Can you say roll-over and surrender? The Mavs totally out-pitched and out-hit the LDMF. ‘Nuff said.

Mavs 2 – Inmates 1 (Juan Gonzalez Field): Quintana, in a bid for his 20^th win, held the Mavs scoreless through six when he ran out of innings and left the game leading 1-0. Never fear, Mav fans. AJ Ramos allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 1/3 inning for a stellar Blown Save/Loss/Eat Me stat line.

Skyscrapers 3, Tweeners 2

Games played @NY via CM.

Game 1 - Tweeners win 3-1. Blake Treinen gets Machado and Kipnis out with the bases loaded in the 9th.
Game 2 - Skyscrapers win 10-0. Max Scherzer dominates.
Game 3 - Tweeners win 3-1. Treinen does it again in the 9th.
Game 4 - Skyscrapers win 3-2.
Game 5 - Skyscrapers win 2-1.

Warpigs and Nads Trade

The Pigs traded Starlin Castro to the Nads for the return of the Warpig 5th rounder.

Skyscrapers 4, Killer Bees 1

All games played at New York.

Game 1 - Scrapers win 7-4
Game 2 - Scrapers win 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th.
Game 3 - Bees win 10-4
Game 4 - Scrapers win 6-1 behind Kluber.
Game 5 - Scrapers win 2-0. Scherzer took a no hitter into the 9th inning, but Benintendi pinch hit a single to lead off the inning.

Killer Bees 3, Nads 2

All games played at The BeeHive.

Game 1 - Bees win 5-2
Game 2 - Nads win 11-6
Game 3 - Bees win 10-3
Game 4 - Bees win 7-4
Game 5 - Nads win 8-2. Vance Worley took a no-hitter in the 7th inning (and his last inning of the year). Fortunately for everyone, he gave up back-to-back solo homers to start the 7th.

Skyscrapers 2, Wahoos 0

Kluber and Scherzer proved to be way too much for the Wahoos. Game 1, 4-2 Scrapers win. Game 2, 5-3 on the strength of a grand slam from Chris Ianetta. 

The Playoff Picture

The playoff picture is close to being set.

There are two playoff spots left to be determined, and both should be cleared up this weekend.

In the HWD, both the Rhinos and Inmates have clinched playoff berths. The Rhinos are in the clubhouse with 98 wins. The Inmates have 94 wins with 10 to play against the Mavs. Those 10 games are scheduled for TeamViewer for tomorrow morning. The Inmates can clinch a division tie with 4 wins, clinch the division championship with 5 wins, and grab their first ever 100-win season with 6 wins. And although this much isn't set in stone, the two HWD front runners will probably be seeded #3 and #5 - so they will avoid each other in the playoffs (unless they both reach the World Series).

The Inmate/Mav match-up is also of major importance to another HWD member, the Fungoes. The final wild card spot will belong to either the Fungoes or the Mavs. The Mavs will have to win 7 of the 10 games just to tie the Fungoes at 90 wins. They would earn the wild card outright with an 8-2.

The other playoff spot goes to the winner of the BUD. The Wahoos hold a big lead over the DVs, and they play their final 11 games against each other tomorrow via TeamViewer. The Wahoos have 2 games to clear up today against the Skyscraper CM. Since the DVs and Wahoos are playing each other, most likely neither can make the playoffs as a wild card (although it is possible), and at least 1 of them will finish ahead of the FFTs, eliminating them. The BUD winner will be the #4 seed.

In other news, the Buckeyes have clinched the #1 seed. The Sidewinders have 14 left against the Bees, and while he hasn't clinched the #2 seed and a bye, he's playing the Bees... so, yeah... he's clinched the bye.

Mavs 5, Skyscrapers 2

The Mavs bus of strippers, coaches and players rolled in to Gotham City to play the skyscrapers via CM.   Return with us first to those halcyon days of the spring of 2017 when it looked like 2018 would be a great year for the Mavs; long before Yahoo sent a daily message saying “there are issues with your fantasy baseball roster”.  The strippers wore better make up then although that is a waste because no one looks at their faces anyway.

 

4/16:  Odorizzi  vs.Cole Hamels.  Throwing out the first pitch is the First Lady of the United States here on Mail Order Bride night in Gotham.  Unfortunately with the First Lady here security was increased so this game is being played in front of Secret Service and the First Lady and the bobble heads of the shapely Russian woman will go undistributed.  Justin Upton starts the scoring with a 1-13 homer in the top of the fourth.  A bit confused the First Lady was heard to shout “Goooooaaaaaalllll”.  Through six the score was 1-0 with both teams squandering many chances when in the top of the seventh Chris Davis hit his 37^th homerun to give the Mavs a 2-0 lead.  The First Lady didn’t even look up from the eBay selection of toupees she was perusing.  In the bottom of the eighth Carlos Hernandez hit a triple to drive in one and Ellsbury followed with a double to tie it.  A Machado single gave the Scrapers a lead and a Jose Bootista double finished the Mavs off.  Scrapers win 4-2.  Hernandez wins the Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Player of the Game going 3-4 with the Game Winning Hit (although that isn’t a stat anymore).

 

4/17:  Hammel vs. long time transvestite Kevin Gausman.  It is Village People day here in Gotham.  I can’t begin to describe the bobble head.  Hammel gives up three in the bottom of the first because he sucks which is appropriate on this night.  Chris Davis hits his 38^th with a man on in the top of the second.  Jedd Gyorko hits his 28^th with a man on in the top off the fifth and the Mavs tack on two more including a rare play where Jackie Bradley rounded first too far on a hit.  Third time this year.  I suppose that is kind of rare.  Mavs up 6-3.  In the top of the sixth Harper hits his 24^th with a man on.  8-3 Mavs.  In the top of the seventh the Mavs put Wong in and you should hear the cheers from the Gotham fans.  He doubles but the Mavs leave him hanging.  Mavs win 8-3 and Harper wins the Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Player of the Game going 3-5 with a homer, two runs scored and 2 driven in.

 

4/18:  Hellickson vs. Grienke in a game that the Mavs will likely just mail in.  Oh the humanity.  The Scrapers open the scoring stringing two hits and a grounder in to a run.  The Mavs get one back but Hellickson allows three right back and it is Scrapers 4-1 after three and the Mavs have their fingers hovering over EQA because there is only so many Hellickson starts that a sober man can watch.  Throwing caution to the wind the Mavs continue on a batter at a time and are rewarded with three consecutive innings where they hit in to double plays.  But wait, in the immortal words of Slim Pickens “what in the wide, wide world of sports is a-going on here”, the Mavs take the lead on a HBP, x-chart hit and Chris Davis homer in the top of the eighth.  Davis making a bid for the Betty’s Brothel Blow of the Game hit another straight out off of his card vs. Ryan Dull with two outs.  This would be exciting except I’ve seen the Mavs bullpen in action too many times.  But Strop works around two walks in the eighth and the Mavs take a lead in to the ninth and the Mavs survive forgetting to get Castellanos off the field with a lead in the ninth.  5-4 Mavs.  Davis indeed wins the Betty’s Brothel Blow of the Game.

 

4/19:  Tsunami Martinez vs. Klubot.  Yikes!  Thank goodness only the strippers and girlfriends are allowed to travel with the Mavs.  The wives and children shouldn’t see this.  Through five neither team can score.  Heck the Mavs can’t even get a hit.  In the sixth, Wong and Harper get hits and Correa doubles them both home and a two out single tacks on a run.  In the seventh Wong and Harper get hits again and Jackie F. Bradley singles home one more.  4-0 Mavs.   An error by Martinez gives the Scrapers a run in the eighth.  Carlos Correa hits his 20^th homer with a man on in the ninth.  Mavs lead 6-1 in the ninth.  A hit, walk and two errors later and Goldy is at the plate as the tying run against Matt Bush.  Ballpark homer 1-5 off Goldy’s card and he gets it.  Tie game.  In the top of the eleventh, defensive replacement at third Jedd Gyorko hits a 3-6 homer off of Broxton.  And this time the Mavs catch the ball.  Mavs win 7-6.  Carlos Correa wins the Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Player of the Game going 2-4 and driving in four.

 

4/20:  In game five of the four game series it is Cotton vs. Scherzer.  Brad Miller hits his 25^th homer in the second and the Mavs lead 2-0.  Castellanos adds a ballpark tater and it is 4-0 going to the bottom of the seventh.  Lucroy doubles in one more in the eighth.  Cotton throws a five hitter, walking one and striking out seven winning the Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Player of the Game.  5-0 Mavs.

 

9/18:  In a game sponsored wholly by Betty’s Brothel everyone is eligible (the slogan down at Betty’s) and the starters are Tsunami and Klubot.  Correa hits a two run homer bringing in Wong (another slogan at Betty’s) to start the scoring in the third.  A single and stolen base by Correa followed by a Jackie F. Bradley two out single give the Mavs a 3-0 lead going to the bottom of the fifth.  Meanwhile through six the Scrapers do not have a hit.  In the seventh with two out Kipnis lines a solid single and the Gotham fans don’t even clap.  Eastern elitist bastards.  Chris Davis hits another straight out homer off his card and the Mavs lead 4-0.  Lucroy singles and still Kluber soldiers on – Hal is a sadist.  Paul Goldschmidt hits a three run homer off of Martinez in the ninth chasing him.  The Mavs use three different pitchers to get the last three outs but hang on to win 4-3.  Correa goes three for five with two more extra base hits to win the Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Player of the Game.

 

9/19:  Cookie Carrasco against Max Scherzer in the final game on Nyquil Night.  Kids enjoy the free samples.  Carlos Correa continues his hot hitting with a two run homer in the top of the first.  When will one of these Scraper aces pitch like an ace?  A two out single by Kipnis after a run had already scored gives the Scrapers a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third.  A Rendon homer in the fourth gives the Scrapers a 4-2 lead and this is beginning to look more like what I expected coming in to this series.  Brad Miller hits a homer 1-3 to bring the Mavs to within one heading in to the bottom of the sixth.  A 6-5 Harper homer ties it in the top of the seventh.  A 3-6 homer by Jackie F. Bradley gives the Mavs the lead.  Once again “what in the wide, wide world of sports is a-going on here”.  And why doesn’t Hal go to that awesome Scrapers bullpen?  I guess because he knows Dickerson is going to hit a two out two run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Scrapers the lead.  Hal is a cruel fascist bastard.  Scherzer throws a complete game winning 6-5 and Dickerson wins the Betty’s Brothel Blow of the Game.

Rhinos 7, Drillers 3

Rhinos 2 Drillers 1 5/15/2017

The Rhinos and the Drillers locked up in an exciting one-run game at Driller Park.  The final score was the Rhinos 2 the Drillers 1. The Rhinos winning run came across in the 7th inning.  The Drillers went down quietly in the bottom of the 9th. 

Rhinos 9 Drillers 2 5/16/2017

Votto enjoyed a big day at the plate he had 4 hits and 4 RBI as the Rhinos defeated the Drillers by the score of 9 to 2 at Driller Park. The Rhinos out-hit the Driller 15 hits to 7.

Rhinos 13 Drillers 3 6/27/2017

Kris Bryant had a great day at the plate.  Bryant hit 3 homeruns and had 8 RBI as the Rhinos beat the Drillers, 13 to 3. Trevor Story and Adam Duvall also homered for the Rhinos.

Drillers 4 Rhinos 1 6/28/2017

Michael Fullmer goes 7 innings limiting the Rhinos to 1 run and 3 hits as he picks up the win.

Rhinos 4 Drillers 1 6/29/2017

Wil Myers had 2 base hits and 2 RBI as the Rhinos outscored the Drillers 4 to 1. The Drillers lost it in the 5th inning when the Rhinos did all their damage as they scored 4 runs on 5 base hits.  The critical plate appearance was by Myers who laced a one-base hit bringing home two runs.

Rhinos 6 Drillers 2 7/23/2017

Kris Bryant launched 2 homeruns and had 4 RBI as the Rhinos bested the Drillers 6 to 2 at Driller Park. The Rhinos out hit the Drillers 13 to 7.

Drillers 3 Rhinos 2 7/24/2017

The Drillers edged the Rhinos at Driller Park by the score of 3 to 2. Colby Lewis pitched a solid game. He allowed 2 hits and 2 walks in 6 and 2/3 innings The Rhinos had a chance in the 9th but they came up short as the wind was blowing in at Driller Park, with Kemp pinch hitting he launched what appeared to be the tying run but missed the 1-8 ball park homerun chance. 

Drillers 3 Rhinos 1 7/25/2017

Taijuan Walker allowed 1 run in 5 innings, and picked up the victory. Lorenzen earned the save.  Chris Archer pitched a complete game and was the loser despite striking out 11 batters in 8 innings. The difference in the game was Charlie Blackmon’s 2 run homerun in the 5^th inning.

Rhinos 8 Driller 3 9/3/2017

Wilmer Flores blasted a homerun and had 3 RBI as the Rhinos defeated the Drillers by the score of 8 to 3 at The Rhino Preserve.

Rhinos 4 Drillers 2 9/4/2017

Bruce Maxwell had 3 base hits and 2 RBI as the Rhinos beat the Drillers by a score of 4 to 2. Edwin Diaz pitched well in relief and was credited with the victory.  He didn't allow much, just 2 hits and 2 walks in 4 and 2/3 innings and recorded 7 strikeouts.

Tweeners 1, Skyscrapers 1

Not much suspense in either game as Tweeners wrap up their home schedule.

8/26 - Scrapers rock Kuma for an 8-1 victory.  2 homers for Dickerson, 1 for Kipnis, each drive in 3.  W - Gausman, S - Giles.

8/27 - Tweeners build a 9-1 lead, Scrapers late rally fizzles, 9-5 final.  Of our 9 hits, Tweeners have 3 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 homers (Schoop and Cozart).  W - MadBum, L - Bundy.

Nads 3, Drillers 2

DRILLERS go 2-3 at NADS

6\24 - Right fielder Max Kepler went yard and had 2 RBI as the Oklahoma Drillers

bested the league door-mat Chicago Nads 9 to 5 at The Ball Sack.

6\25- In an entertaining game at The Ball Sack the final score was the Oklahoma

Drillers 4, the league door-mat Chicago Nads 1.

6\26 - Aledmys Diaz hit a homerun and had 4 RBI as the Chicago Nads defeated the

Oklahoma Drillers 10 to 5 at The Ball Sack.

9\1 - The Chicago Nads cruised to a 8 to 3 victory over the Oklahoma Drillers at The

Ball Sack.

9\2 - One run was the difference at The Ball Sack as the Chicago Nads defeated the

Oklahoma Drillers in 11 innings 4 to 3.The game was deadlocked at 2 after nine full innings.  Finally, Chicago pulled the game out in the 11th inning.  Adrian Gonzalez lined a one-base hit.

Tyler White was the next batter, but he struck out.  After another out, Carlos Perez then delivered a base-hit resulting in an exciting win for Chicago and a raucous post-game celebration by the home town fans.  Despite losing, Oklahoma out-hit Chicago 15 to 10.