Mock Draft Update - Early February Version

Let's try this again...

1. Zaps - Corey Dickerson. At this point, the first pick hasn't changed. And why would it?

2. Nads - Josh Harrison. Ditto. On the other hand, this could still be the young Cub, Soler.

3. Wahoos - Jake Arrieta. Best of a good group of starting pitchers.

4. Mavs - Jorge Soler. Or a pitcher. There's no telling. But in the drafts done around the country that include only guys carded for the first time, Soler is the highest pick that isn't already on a NASOMA roster.

5. Goofs - Dellin Betances. The Goofs are in the hunt for the AWD title, and Betances is the best reliever in the draft.

6. Wahoos - Wade Davis. Just as good a card as Betances. Maybe better.

7. Inmates - Jacob deGrom. I don't know if deGrom is better - or more valuable - than McHugh, but I don't think you can go wrong with either.

8. FFTs - Joc Pederson. Young Dodger sets the tone for the FFT draft.

9. Goofs - Collin McHugh. I don't know if McHugh is better - or more valuable  - than deGrom, but...

10. Inmates - Carlos Carrasco. There are a handful of SP/RP guys with good cards and good futures. This is one of them.

11. Nads - Mike Fiers. This is another one of them. Harrison and Fiers would be a couple of really big Nads. I'm tellin' ya, the Nads could be riding high this year. They could hang around. Don't expect them to shrink away from the competition. Go Nads!

12. Buckeyes - Mookie Betts. The Buckeyes are rebuilding, and this guy could be a core player for awhile. He's projected to start in RF for the Red Sox.

13. Wahoos - J.D. Martinez. Maybe the third best full-time hitting card in the draft. If he slides to 13, the Hoos have a steal.

14. Zaps - Aaron Sanchez. Or Shoemaker. Or Giles. The two he doesn't take will be there at 17 when he picks next. The Zaps have a great team already, and they're going to have a great draft. Definitely the team to beat in 2015. It's not even close. I'm predicting 120 wins for the Zaps. Who's with me?

15. Sidewinders - Dee Gordon. The Snakeman could prove me wrong just for spite, but the speedy, left-handed hitting second baseman seems to be a perfect pick for this team. But don't be shocked if the only team capable of hanging with the Zaps takes Panik instead.

16. Fungoes - Danny Santana. Hechavarria would still be a good pick, but Santana is probably the better ss for the Fungoes until Lindor comes around.

Top Ten RIght Now - RP and 2B

MLB Network's Top Ten Right Now...

Relief Pitching
1. Wade Davis, Free Agent
2. Greg Holland, Mavs
3. Craig Kimbrel, Sidewinders
4. Dellin Betances, Free Agent
5. Joaquin Benoit, SuperGoofs
6. Aroldis Chapman, Sidewinders
7. Mark Melancon, Wahoos
8. Koji Uehara, SuperGoofs
9. Zach Britton, Free Agent
10. Tony Watson, Sidewinders

Interesting choices. Obviously the Snakes have a great bullpen (they have 3 other guys in the pen who are also good). Three of these guys are in the draft. And, of course, we in NASOMA look at relievers a little differently. We evaluate at least 95% of bullpen guys by how they did LAST YEAR as opposed to how good they'll be THIS year. But still, there's not a lot to argue about here.

Second Base
1. Robinson Cano, Warpigs
2. Dustin Pedroia, Wahoos
3. Ben Zobrist, Tweeners
4. Neil Walker, Drillers
5. Ian Kinsler, DVs
6. Jose Altuve, Inmates
7. Howie Kendrick, Mavs
8. Chase Utley, Zaps
9. Brian Dozier, Nads
10. Scooter Gennett, Buckeyes

This is not a real strong group. Even the guys at the top had down years. I think Altuve should be higher, and I'd probably put Wong or Gordon on the list. I still think Kipnis is top ten despite his crappy 2014. Phillips is fading, Murphy just needs to improve with the glove, and Panik/Odor/Schoop are knocking on the Top Ten door.

Zaps and Inmates Trade

The Inmates traded Wellington Castillo and pick 186 to the Zaps for pick 110.

Starting Pitching and First Base - Top Ten Right Now

More from the MLB Network Shredder...

Starting Pitchers
1. Clayton Kershaw, Fungoes
2. Felix Hernandez, Tweeners
3. Chris Sale, Sidewinders
4. Adam Wainwright, Warpigs
5. Max Scherzer, Zaps
6. Johnny Cueto, Sidewinders
7. Corey Kluber, Zaps
8. David Price, Fungoes
9. Madison Bumgarner, Tweeners
10. Jordan Zimmermann, Wahoos

Hard to argue too much with this list. MLB is definitely pitching-rich these days. So much so that many good pitchers are left off the list. Pitchers like Strasburg, Darvish, Lester, Greinke, Hamels, Richards, Fernandez, Sanchez, Iwakuma, Teheran, Tanaka...

First Base
1. Miguel Cabrera, FFTs
2. Paul Goldschmidt, Zaps
3. Jose Abreu, Drillers
4. Joey Votto, Rhinos
5. Freddie Freeman, Killer Bees
6. Edwin Encarnacion, Wahoos
7. Anthony Rizzo, Inmates
8. Mike Napoli, Zaps
9. Adrian Gonzalez, Nads
10. Carlos Santana, Killer Bees

At first base, however, there's plenty of room for argument. Mike Napoli? Would you rather have him RIGHT NOW than Hosmer, Adams, Morneau? I'd rather have Pujols than Napoli. Or Belt. Or Mauer. Hell, I'd rather have Prince Fielder than Mike Napoli. Okay, maybe not Prince.

And I'm biased, but Morneau should be on this list. He won the batting title last year in the NL and has more OB+TB on the right side of his strat card than any other 1bman - meaning he had a pretty good year.

I have no problem with the top 3 (though I'd flip 1-2), but I'd have Rizzo at 4.  I'd have Freeman at 5, Morneau 6, Encarnacion 7, Votto 8, Santana 9, and Hosmer (or maybe Matt Adams or Brandon Belt) at 10. Napoli and Gonzalez would not be on my top 10.

Buckeyes and Snakes trade

The Buckeyes traded Brandon Belt to the Sidewinders for Jurickson Profar, a reserve, and picks 111, 143, 175, and 191.

Pigs and Inmates Trade

The Warpigs traded pick 173 to the Inmates for Brett Anderson.

Mr. Cub

January 31, 1931 - January 23, 2015

Fungoes and Bees Trade

The Killer Bees sent a reserve pick to the Fungoes for pick 48.

Home Ballparks

Every year, we have the option of keeping the BP numbers we have or altering them as much as +2/-2. And in every Presidential election year, we can move to any park we want and use their new numbers. This wasn't always the rule. I can't remember when we adopted this rule, and I can't remember what rule we used before the election year rule. I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.

The numbers are kept on the roster page, and in the SOMBB game. The problem was, I couldn't find any place where the actual park we were using had been written down. The computer game had names for our ballparks, but those were almost always wrong and sometimes said things like The Baptist Bowl. It's important to know your BP because you can't adopt your park's new numbers if you don't know which park you're in.

I started by asking you guys. You'd be surprised at how many couldn't remember. And a few were mistaken on where they were playing their games. There's a joke in there somewhere.

So I did a little research. I have MLB park numbers for every year, and I have the NASOMA park numbers back to 2000. I followed each team back until it was apparent they had taken a new park. Typically, I would get back to 2011 or 2007 when it would become obvious that the team took a new park in the following "election" year.

Since I had my own BP numbers back thru when I entered the league, I researched those all the way back until then. The results of my BallPork research is listed at the bottom of this page. Your team's research will look similar; I just didn't go back as far. I'd be happy to share your results with you. Just let me know.

Here are the results for each team (If you feel I have made a mistake, let me know)...

Warpigs, San Diego (since 1989)
Rhinos, San Diego (since 1996)
FFTs, Kansas City (since 2008)
Sidewinders, Washington (since 2008)
DVs, Baltimore (since 2008)
Mavs, San Francisco (since 2008)
Nads, Kansas City (since 2008)
Killer Bees, ChicagoAL (since 2008)
SuperGoofs, Miami (since entering the league in 2009 - it was Florida then)
Inmates, Los AngelesNL (since 2012)
Drillers, Miami (since 2012)
Tweeners, Miami (since 2012)
Zaps, ChicagoAL (since 2012)
Wahoos, Colorado (since 2012)
Buckeyes, New YorkAL (since 2012)
Fungoes, San Francisco (since 2012)



The Warpig BallPork research...

1987 - 5/5, 17/17 (Seattle. The team I took over had already started their season. This was the park.)

1988 - 5/5, 18/18 (The new Seattle numbers)

1989 - 0/0, 14/14 (I moved to San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium. These are the SD'88 numbers.)

1990 - 0/0, 16/16 (We weren't adjusting back then; these are the new SD'89 numbers.)

1991 - 0/0, 16/16 (I kept the same numbers for the next decade.)

1992 - 0/0, 16/16

1993 - 0/0, 16/16

1994 - 0/0, 16/16

1995 - 0/0, 16/16

1996 - 0/0, 16/16

1997 - 0/0, 16/16 (FYI, Jack Murphy was renamed Qualcomm in 1997.)

1998 - 0/0, 16/16

1999 - 0/0, 16/16

2000 - 0/0, 16/16

2001 - 1/1, 3/6 (Qualcomm had become a pitcher's park. These are the SD'00 numbers.)

2002 - 0/0, 5/8 (I began a decade of adjusting the HR numbers almost every year.)

2003 - 0/0, 7/6

2004 - 0/0, 7/6 (This is the only year I didn't adjust it - I have no idea why.)

2005 - 0/0, 7/7 (SD'04 was the first year of Petco, but I just kept adjusting the Qualcomm numbers.)

2006 - 0/0, 9/9 (And here we go, cranking the fences in a little bit every year.)

2007 - 0/0, 11/11

2008 - 0/0, 13/13 (See a trend?)

2009 - 0/0, 15/15

2010 - 0/0, 17/17

2011 - 0/0, 19/19

2012 - 0/0, 20/20 (There was only a sliver of grass between the infield dirt and the warning track.)

2013 - 0/0, 20/20 (The commissioner wouldn't let me go any higher.)

2014 - 2/2, 1/4 (The new SD'13 numbers. With no offense, I decided to protect my pitchers.)

 

San Diego since 1989.

Corner Outfielders - Top Ten Right Now

MLB Network and the "Shredder" had the following top ten:

Right Field
1. G.Stanton, DVs
2. J.Bautista, Zaps
3. B.Harper, Mavs
4. J.Heyward, Mavs
5. M.Cuddyer, Goofs
6. C.Gonzalez, Inmates
7. H.Pence, FFTs
8. B.Moss, SSW
9. M.Kemp, Rhinos
10. J.D.Martinez, free agent

Cuddyer? Weird. But outside of Stanton and Bautista, this is a really weak group. Harper is still more hype than substance... Heyward is almost as bad vs LHP as Scooter Gennett... Cuddyer and JD are really DHs... and CarGo has been hurt too much. After Stanton and Bautista, my top 5 would have 3. Pence, 4. Kemp, 5. Heyward/Harper

Left Field
1. H.Ramirez, FFTs
2. J.Werth, Warpigs
3. M.Brantley, SSW
4. S.Marte, Inmates
5. A.Gordon, Rhinos
6. N.Cruz, Tweeners
7. M.Holliday, DVs
8. C.Dickerson, free agent
9. J.Upton, Mavs
10. C.Yelich, Drillers

Hanley is ranked #1 in LF despite the fact he's never played there. Amazing. A lot of depth here. The list leaves off Cespedes, Gardner, and Melky. Werth and Holliday are getting old, although Werth has been really good the last few years... Cruz is also up there in age and can't play defense... Dickerson can't hit outside of Coors. My top of this list would be 1. Brantley, 2. Gordon, 3. Yelich, 4. Marte, 5. Upton.

Thoughts?

Looking Ahead - 2015 NASOMA

Well, the cards aren't here, but the ratings are, and that makes it time for this year's Crystal Ball Gazing post. So many things to consider... Can Kershaw and the Fungoes repeat? Will the Drillers finally return to the post season after two years away? Are the Buckeyes really rebuilding for the first time since... well... ever? And does this mean they will miss the post season for the first time since 2008? Can the Zaps or Pigs get back on top? Can the Snakes ride the best pitching staff in the league to another title? Is this the year the Nads make the playoffs? Is this finally the Year of the Inmates?Do the Bees still suck?

Let's take a look...


The Herman Wheeler Division

Let's start at the home of the defending champion Fungoes. Kershaw and Trout are back. Matt Carpenter is as good as ever. Price is improved. Harvey is gone but more than adequately replaced in the rotation by Roark. The Fungi have excellent starting pitching and a pretty good bullpen. All they need is a shortstop. They don't need one other thing. Well, and a 2nd baseman. A shortstop and a 2nd baseman, and that's ALL they need. They don't need one other thing. And a right fielder. A shorststop, a 2nd baseman, and a right fielder. And that's all they need.

The Inmates have a strong infield, but have needs everywhere else. They have two early 1st round picks, however. Now we see if he can turn those 2 picks into an ace for his rotation, a dominant reliever, and a top tier left-handed bat.

The Nads finally have a roster ready to play beyond game 162. All they really need is bullpen, and there will be plenty of bullpen to choose from in the first few rounds of this draft.

The Rhinos made it to the World Series in 2010 and 2012. That's all I got.

Prediction: 1. Fungoes, 2. Inmates, 3. Nads, 4. Rhinos


The Ab Wheeler Division

The Snakes have the best pitching staff in NASOMA. Best rotation. Best bullpen. Best staff. His offense is heavy on the left-handers - which fits his park - but there are a couple of holes to fill. Kipnis getting a 2b-4 is the biggest of those holes. But this is the Snakeman, and it is a lock that he'll have the Sidewinders in the post season. Book the flight now.

The Bees have Freeman and Simmons in their infield. And they have Teheran, E.Santana, and A.Wood at the top of their rotation, but they have almost nothing else. It could be a long year at the Hive.

The Tweeners have the deepest rotation in the league, with 7 starters who could help the rotations of anybody. The Tweeners need some bats and bullpen, but having a great rotation is a good start.

The Goofs have a lot of needs - mostly health for his rotation. If the Goofs were in the HWD, I'd give them a chance at the post season. But beating the Snakes and Tweeners will require something Goofy happening.

Prediction: 1. Sidewinders, 2. Tweeners, 3. Goofs, 4. Killer Bees


The Bob Uecker Division

The Warpigs have their roster set, which is good because they have no picks. The pitching staff is not as good as the Snake staff, but will still be a strength. The starters aren't as good as the 2013 staff, but this time there's a bullpen to bail them out. And after a year setting offensive futility records, trades were made to improve the run-scoring potential.

The DVs have an aresenal of RH hitters, and their infield defense will be air tight. They even have a quality rotation. But the bullpen needs a major re-stocking, and a left-handed DH needs to be found. The bigger problem is the lack of draft picks with which to fill those holes. The draft is deep in RH relief, so that part should be easy to rectify.

The Wahoos have a great infield, an ace in the rotation, and one of the best relievers out there. An even better asset is 4 picks in the first 19 picks of the draft. By the time those 4 picks are made, the Wahoos could be the team to beat.

The FFTs are the sleeper team in the BUD. Their right-handed hitters are as good as the DV group, and if they can add a shortstop and some bullpen, the FFTs will be much improved over last year. On the other hand, if the FFTs go for an infusion of youth, it might be another down year - but with good things ahead.

Prediction: 1. Warpigs, 2. Wahoos, 3. DVs, 4. FFTs


The Millard Fillmore Division

The Zaps are once again loaded for bear. The only offensive hole is LF, and Chris Dickerson is poised to be the first pick in the draft to make this lineup complete. The rotation is also top tier. And with so much bullpen being available in the draft, expect the Zaps to win 100+ before losing to the Sidewinders again in the playoffs.

The Buckeyes don't miss the playoffs very often. The last time was 2007 & 2008. But the great Houdini is rebuilding from scratch. Looking at how bad this team is for 2015, most managers would expect 100 losses easy. But this is the Buckeyes... so I'm gonna say... 95-67. :o)

The Drillers have been oddly missing from the post season the last 2 years, but that should end in 2015. A couple of years of astute drafts have brought the Drillers to the point where they will not only challenge the mighty Zaps for the MFD, but challenge everybody for the Higdon. They'll need some quality pitching depth. And they'll hafta hope the Zapper will continue telling him who to draft.

The Mavs might be in trouble. They still have one of the best catchers... and one of the best closers... and their outfield is still deep. But they need a lot, and this division will be tough at the top. The have pick 4 in the draft, so that will help. The best bet is a .500 year followed by a return to the top in 2016.

Prediction: 1. Zaps, 2. Drillers, 3. Mavs, 4. Buckeyes

I just realized my division winners would all be repeats from last year. Hard to believe that would happen, but it's certainly possible.

Top Ten Right Now - CF & SS

The MLB Network has a show called Top 10 Right Now, where they debate, discuss, and pick the current best ten players at each position. Brian Kenney and a guest former player make their selections, and a "shredder" makes a final selection based on recent offensive and defensive statistics and the expectations for the upcoming season. It doesn't take into consideration the long term prospects. The results are often questionable. The first two episodes this season dealt with shortstop and centerfield. Below are the results from the shredder. Feel free to leave your Top 10 in the comments section.

Center Field
1. McCutchen, Zaps
2. Trout, Fungoes
3. Puig, Drillers
4. Gomez, Rhinos
5. Jones, Inmates
6. Ellsbury, FFTs
7. Eaton, Wahoos
8. Pollock, Warpigs
9. Cain, Warpigs
10. Span, Goofs

Shortstop
1. Tulowitzki, Warpigs
2. Peralta, Sidewinders
3. Desmond, Wahoos
4. Reyes, Zaps
5. Hardy, DVs
6. Mercer, Wahoos
7. Aybar, Nads
8. A.Ramirez, Goofs
9. Lowrie, DVs
10. Simmons, Bees

I have no problem with the CF list, other than them listing Puig in CF (53 games) instead of RF (91 games).

At shortstop, I disagree on a couple of names. First of all, there is no way Lowrie should be on this list when Crawford and Castro are not. Mercer at #6 is a shocker. I wouldn't have him on my Top 10, either. And Simmons at #10 is debatable. I mean, sure he had a horrible year on offense, but he is by far the best fielding shortstop in the game. I'd have him a lot higher.

So what do you think? What do your lists look like?

Previously Unreported Post-World Series Conversation

The Snakeman and Zapper both stayed at the Pigsty following last fall's playoffs. After the victorious Fungoes left, here is a conversation that may have taken place. (With a tip of the hat to Flo.)

Snakeman: Well, that sucked.

Zapper: Oh, come on! At least you MADE it to the World Series.

Snakeman: The Fungo pitching was just too good.

Pigman: You had a great year. Over a hundred wins and a World Series appearance is a great year.

Snakeman: It's just hard to get over something like this. I made soooo many bad moves.

Zapper: Nah, you're still one of the best. The Fungo pitching was just too good.

Snakeman: Can we go somewhere and get ice cream?

Pigman: Sure. That'll be just the ticket for getting over a Series loss.

Snakeman: Can I get sprinkles?

Zapper: No, sprinkles are for winners.

NASOMA Championship Rings

I was pointing out to the Fungoman that John Jaso had just won back-to-back titles on different teams, and it got me to wondering which players had been on the title winners the most often - and especially which of the good luck charms had brought their winning ways to multiple franchises. So, I put together a list of the rosters of the NASOMA champions. Well, almost all of them: I don't have rosters (or stats) for the 1984 & 1987 Strangers or the 1988 Bandits. But not counting those three clubs, there are 20 players who have earned 4 or more rings. There are a few of the names you would expect on the list, but a couple of surprises as well.

Here's the list:
7 - Mark McGwire
6 - Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling
5 - David Cone, Paul Molitor, Arthur Rhodes, Robin Yount
4 - Mike Cameron, Will Clark, Keith Foulke, Steve Garvey, Tony Gwynn, Toby Harrah, Andruw Jones, Ryan Klesko, Jorge Posada, Albert Pujols, Russ Springer, David Wells

Of these, there are six players who have won with 3 different teams. They are: Tony Gwynn (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Pigs), Andruw Jones (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Ryan Klesko (Drillers, Pigs, Buckeyes), Jorge Posada (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Arthur Rhodes (Pigs, Snakes, Zaps), and David Wells (Buckeyes, Pigs, Drillers).

There were also four players not on the above list who won 3 titles - all with 3 different teams: Chipper Jones (Zaps, Bees, Pigs), Jesse Orosco (FFTs, Cletes*, Pigs), Tim Raines (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Snakes), and Scott Sanderson (FFTs, Buckeyes, Pigs).

Greg Maddux won with the Cletes* in 1993, then won with the Warpigs in 95/96/97 and again in 99 for 5 titles in 7 years.

But the good luck charm award is a tie between two guys you wouldn't guess: One is the old righty reliever  Keith Foulke, who is the only player to win the league in 4 straight years. He helped the Drillers win in 2000 & 2001, then was traded to the Warpigs where he won titles in 2002 & 2003. The other is another old right-handed reliever, Russ Springer, who won 4 titles with 4 different teams, the Snakes in '98, the Drillers in '00, the Bees in '08, and the Pigs in '09.

Now... Toby Harrah won with the Buckeyes in 1982 & 1983. He repeated the back-to-back titles with the FFTs in 1985 and back with the Buckeyes in 1986. If I find he was on that mysterious 1984 Stranger team, we have a new winner.

Good luck charms, indeed.

Boggs, Beeboy, and Beer

Upon hearing Wade Boggs claim that he once drank 107 beers in one day, the Beeboy commented, "I have that many before breakfast."

Ratings Are Available

What I don't get is why the sports radio guys aren't talking about the ratings when I get in the truck after school. What the hell else is there to talk about???

Anyway, the ratings are available now for download at Strat-O-Matic. You can also order a hard copy if you want.

I believe I'll need a sick day or two at school.

DVs and Buckeyes trade

The Buckeyes traded Jed Lowrie and pick 109 to the DVs for Leonys Martin and Domonic Brown.

Championship Ring Trivia Questions

1. (easy) Which NASOMA player won titles in each of the last two seasons?

2. (medium) Who is the only player in NASOMA history to win titles in 4 consecutive seasons?

3. (hard) Who is the only player in NASOMA history to win exactly 4 titles with exactly 4 different teams?

Bees and Goofs trade

The Killer Bees traded Daniel Nava to the SuperGoofs for Jordan Walden and pick 85.

Newest Hall of Fame Members

Pigs and Mavs trade

The Warpigs traded Jake Odorizzi and Justin Wilson to the Mavs for R.A. Dickey and Sean Doolittle.

2015 Hall of Fame

Below are the names on the ballot this year, and this is a link to their statistics. How many would get your vote? Please reply to this with the names of the players receiving your vote. The number beside each name is the number of times they have been on the ballot.

Rich Aurilia (1)
Jeff Bagwell (5)
Craig Biggio (3)
Barry Bonds (3)
Aaron Boone (1)
Tony Clark (1)
Roger Clemens (3)
Carlos Delgado (1)
Jermaine Dye (1)
Darin Erstad (1)
Cliff Floyd (1)
Nomar Garciaparra (1)
Brian Giles (1)
Tom Gordon (1)
Eddie Guardado (1)
Randy Johnson (1)
Jeff Kent (2)
Edgar Martinez (6)
Pedro Martinez (1)
Don Mattingly (15)
Fred McGriff (6)
Mark McGwire (9)
Mike Mussina (2)
Troy Percival (1)
Mike Piazza (3)
Tim Raines (8)
Curt Schilling (3)
Jason Schmidt (1)
Gary Sheffield (1)
Lee Smith (13)
John Smoltz (1)
Sammy Sosa (3)
Alan Trammell (14)
Larry Walker (5)

Wahoos Rule!

Rumor has it the Wahoo just won his third league championship in his other Strat league. In fact, the word is he won it against the "best team in the league" by coming back from an 0-3 deficit. The Wahoo has been in that league just a few short years and already has three championships.

Congratulations to the Wahoos!

From the Chief...

In what was an epic 7-game series, SGP rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win. How it happened…

Game 1:  SGP jumped out quick with an Infante HR in the first and took a 2-0 lead. Chatfield scored the next 14 runs. Marco Estrada was forced into starting Game 1 after  SGP played 7 games in the semifinals. Tulo had 6 RBIs and 2 HRs. No. 9 hitter Desmond Jennings homered and drove in 3. Wainwright went 9 for the win.

Game 2:  AJ Burnett started for SGP. He pitched pretty poorly. Ivan Nova and 5 relievers combined for a 9-0 victory. At this point Chatfield was 6-0 in the playoffs and SGP was pretty concerned.  Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Michael Cuddyer and Matt Carpenter all drove in 2 runs for Chatfield.

Game 3: Finally, SGP got to have Max Scherzer start after his mandatory rest.  He went 9 innings. And lost, 3-2. SGP and the ChooChoos traded 2 spots in the first couple innings. But Chatfield scored a single run in the fourth and 6 pitchers were able to hang on. At this point, SGP MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt was hitting .132 for the playoffs. Yasiel Puig .205. Carlos Santana .156. Carlos Gomez .184. Ian Desmond .156. You get the idea…

Game 4: Adam Wainwright vs. Derek Holland. Going to the bottom of the 3^rd and SGP was down 4-1. Then, out of nowhere, an 8-run outburst. The inning went: single, out, double walk, HBP, single, single, single, double, single, out, single, out. Omar Infante was 5-for-5. Wainwright went all the way. SGP wins, 11-6.

Game 5:  Our final home game of the season. Must win. Marco Estrada. Yeah, same guy who got ripped in Game 1. This time he goes all the way and strikes out 8 only giving up 3 runs (2 earned) as SGP wins, 7-3. Big Bartolo Colon took the loss. SGP scored the first seven runs before Chatfield made it interesting late. Infante had 3 more hits. Goldschmidt and Adam Lind both hit their first postseason homers.

Game 6: Max Scherzer gets another start. He goes all the way and strikes out 12 while allowing 4 hits. The ChooChoos used 7 pitchers. SGP rallies to win 8-3. ChooChoos jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. SGP scored 5 in the fourth. Ian Desmond had the big hit but everybody was getting in on the action. The victory ties the series and means there is still a chance for a miracle.

Game 7: Derek Holland vs. Adam Wainwright. And neither of them make it out of the 5^th inning. ChooChoos score 3 in the third with 2 walks and 3 singles. But the hit that will go down as one of the most clutch in SGP history happened in the fourth. Lind and Puig singled with one out. Cervelli walked. Gomez flew out. Desmond rolls HR 1-3 Fly 4-20. And hit the bomb. SGP leads 4-3. Naturally, this wasn’t it. ChooChoos tie it in the 6^th thanks to Carlos Gomez committing a 2-base error in CF. Tyson Ross, a starter and winner earlier in the series, started the eighth.  Goldschmidt coaxes a walk. Stanton and Puig K. After a wild pitch, Cervelli is walked intentionally. Carlos Gomez makes up for the error with a single to score Goldy.  Bottom of the eighth took awhile as both teams were thinking and rethinking all along. Lefty Brett Cecil gives up a lead double to Matt Carpenter. Hochever walks Tulo. Revere bunts them over. PH Scooter Gennet whiffs. PH David Ortiz walks. PH Shin Soo Choo grounds out.  SGP goes quietly in the ninth. ChooChoos have a last gasp but start with 2 quick outs. Craig Breslow comes on to face PH Dioner Navarro. He walks. Matt Carpenter doubles. Tulo comes up. Darren O’Day comes in. And Tulo pops up. Ball game over. World Series over.

Co-MVPs Omar Infante (.419) and Ian Desmond (.346 and the slam). Infante hit .410 in the playoffs.

SGP finally won its first division title this season.

SGP has 3 World Series titles after beating Littleton, Margaritaville and Chatfield.

Tweeners and Inmates Trade

The Tweeners sent Wilin Rosario to the Inmates for a reserve pick.

More Picks Change Hands

The Rhinos traded pick 54 to the Warpigs for picks 113 and 128.

And 5 minutes after posting the Mock Draft...

The Wahoos traded picks 22, 29, 45, 54, 70, and 86 to the Rhinos for picks 3 and 13.

Of course.

Christmas Eve Eve Mock Draft

This is the post you've all been waiting for. This is the post where you find out who you will take next March in the 2015 NASOMA Draft.

The Draft is a bit unusual this year, in that 5 teams have 2 picks each in the first round. Those teams doubling up are the Zaps, Nads, Rhinos, Inmates, and Goofs. The Bees, Pigs, DVs, Tweeners, and Drillers don't have a first round pick.

The selections below were made based on careful consideration (or just a passing glance, really) of player stats, player prospects, and need.

If there are any errors in my judgment (unlikely), I promise to do an updated Mock a few days prior to the Draft.

Here we go...

1. Zaps - Corey Dickerson. The Zaps drafted Corey in the Lightning Round last year and then cut him so that "he would be in the draft next year." This is a lie. Dickerson was cut because, "Ryan Sweeney is better right now than Dickerson will ever be." This is an actual Zapper quote from last March. It must be true because it has quotation marks around it.

2. Nads - Josh Harrison. The Nads follow up last year's excellent draft class with the best player in this year's draft. With Dozier and Frazier already locked in at 2b/3b, JHay will have to play a corner outfield position for the Wrinkled Pink.

3. Rhinos - Jorge Soler. He's young, right-handed, and powerful. And on his first card, he'll be a 3(-3) in RF. If the Nads go for him at pick 2, Harrison falls nicely into the Rhinos' hooves, but I think he'd prefer Soler.

4. Mavs - Jake deGrom. There are lots of talented young pitchers in this draft, and deGrom is arguably the best of the bunch. The Mavs love talented young pitchers. Plus, there's that lower case d at the start of his name which is sure to mesmerize the Mavman.

5. Goofs - Jake Arrieta. There have been years when this would have easily been the first pick in the Draft. The Goofs continue to stockpile top tier starters.

6. Wahoos - Danny Santana. The Wahoos went after pitching in last year's Draft, and, well... that didn't work. This year, he'll take the talented young Twin to play CF and double as the SS back-up.

7. Inmates - Dellin Betances. After looking at his stats again, I can't imagine he's still there at 7. What a studly card! And with all the strikeouts, he's the perfect Inmate. Expect a season-ending trip to the DL in May.

8. FFTs - Joc Pederson. The young phenom makes sense for the FFTs because he's a Dodger, but the FFTs are hurting at shortstop, and there are a couple out there. If you don't get Joc now, however, you'll never have the chance again. So if you've got an itch to grab the next Rookie of the Year, it doesn't hurt to have the Joc itch.

9. Goofs - Wade Davis. Good gravy, this guy's as good as Bettances! How the heck can relievers this good last this long?

10. Inmates - Collin McHugh. The HEAD INMATE was beginning to think he would get Betances AND Wade Davis, but will have to settle for ruining the career of McHugh instead.

11. Nads - J.D. Martinez. He doesn't really have a position to play, but plugging him into the DH spot every day will make the Nad offense formidable. Is this the year the Nads make the post season? Is this the Year of the Nads?

12. Buckeyes - Mookie Betts. It's something the likes of which we have never seen before: the Buckeyes are rebuilding with youth. Betts is a great place to start. So is Pederson if he should hang around, or if you're willing to roll the dice, Rusney Castillo. In the SOMWorld rookie draft, Betts went #2 overall behind Soler. But then... those guys are idiots.

13. Rhinos - Matt Shoemaker. There's a rumor the Rhinos are trying to trade this pick (and even pick #3) to pick up extra picks in the middle rounds, but Shoemaker would be a great pick for the Rhinos or anybody having this spot. If young starting pitchers are what you seek, Marcus Stroman or Dallas Keuchel would be good picks here, too.

14. Zaps - Carlos Carrasco. The Zaps are reloading for another chance to lose to the Snakes in the playoffs.

15. Sidewinders - Dee Gordon. Yes, the Snakes cut him just last year. And yes, it will be difficult to use a 1st to take him back. But as the Snakeman said, "How the hell is Kipnis a 4?!?"

16. Fungoes - Adeiny Hechevarria. The defending champs need to add some pitching to complement Kershaw and Roark, but until there is somebody to field the grounders up the middle, new pitchers aren't the answer. Hechavarria is a fine fielder with a lot of at bats and a fairly decent hitting card. And he gives the Fungoman another option just in case the Indians wait until Lindor is 30 before giving him his shot.

Draft Gems

The 2014 Draft List is now on the Archives page. While looking through it, I noticed a few gems. Diamonds in the rough. Whatever. Really good picks a year later. I've probably overlooked a guy here and there, but here are the ones I spotted by round.

Round 1
1. Donaldson, Drillers
6. Sonny Gray, Tweeners

Round 2
22. Dozier, Nads
31. Ozuna, Inmates

Round 3
33. J.Abreu, Drillers
40. T.Ross, Sidewinders
41. Roark, Fungoes

Round 4
59. Archer, Rhinos
61. Y.Ventura, DVs

Round 5
70. Matt Adams, Nads
72. Wong, Mavs
78. Richards, Mavs

Round 6
86. Calhoun, Nads
92. A.Wood, Goofs

Round 7
106. Kluber, Zaps (Probably the best pick of the Draft)
112. Odorizzi, Warpigs

Round 8
114. G.Polanco, Warpigs
118. Lagares, Nads (The 4th Nad on this list! Nice draft, Nadman!)

Round 11
161. Petit, FFTs
172. Rutledge, Drillers

Lightning Round
212. Corey Dickerson, Zaps (WOULD have been the best pick of the Draft, but he was a cut.)
213. Duda, Rhinos (Also a cut)

If I missed anyone, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Web Site Wordle

I added a NASOMA Wordle to the front page of the website. The team names are sized by how long they've been in the league - which answers my daughter's question after seeing the word art I had made, "Why are the Nads so small?"

Wordles

Here are two examples of what your homework assignments will look like (and many thanks to the Snakes and Buckeyes for being the first two to turn theirs in):

NASOMA.org

I have updated the ARCHIVES and the LINKS pages on the website. I think I've updated everything, but if you find any bad links or screwed-up pages, let me know.

Three-Team Trade (7 players, 2 picks)

The Inmates lose Adrian Beltre and pick 106.
The Inmates receive Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Flaherty, and pick 7

The DVs lose Lance Lynn and pick 7
The DVs receive Stephen Strasburg, Domonic Brown, Yonder Alonso, and pick 106

The Warpigs lose Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Flaherty, Stephen Strasburg, Domonic Brown, and Yonder Alonso
The Warpigs receive Adrian Beltre and Lance Lynn

Fungoes and Warpigs trade

The Warpigs traded Gerardo Parra to the Fungoes for pick 128.

Warpigs and Wahoos trade

The Wahoos traded Craig Gentry to the Warpigs for pick 97.

FFTs and Warpigs trade

Josh Rutledge was an FFT for less than 24 hours. The FFTs sent Rutledge along with picks 97 and 113 to the Warpigs for pick 65.

Drillers and FFTs Trade

The FFTs traded Jimmy Rollins and Drew Pomeranz to the Drillers for Asdrubal Cabrera, Josh Rutledge, and pick 8.

Snakes and Buckeyes Trade

The Buckeyes traded Colby Rasmus to the Sidewinders for Neftali Feliz and picks 127 and 159.

Post-Playoff Weekend

Buckeyes and Warpigs Trade

The Buckeyes traded Gerardo Parra to the Warpigs for picks 109, 141, and 157.

Trade Made at the Playoffs

The Buckeyes traded Yunel Escobar to the Drillers for Patrick Corbin.

Congratulations to the Fungoes!

The Fungoes beat the Sidewinders in 5 games to win their second NASOMA Title. Hats off to the Fungoes.

Thanks to everybody who made this a fun and successful weekend. Thanks to those teams who made an appearance. The Drillers brought the Zaps, and the FFTs brought tamales (much more enjoyable gift than the Drillers brought). The Fungoes brought drinks and donuts. The Snakes brought beer... and then drank it. The Buckeyes and Drillers showed up and made a trade.

We made a pre-World Series trip to Twisted Root for burgers and fries. (Note: It was good.) Later that evening, the Zapper and Snakeman twisted each other's root.

He got weed! He got weed!

On a personal note, a big thank you to the FFTs for the Ole Miss CWS shirt.

The 2015 Draft Grid is now posted on the website. It is, I think, current with all traded draft picks accounted for. Let me know if you see any errors or omissions. I have gone to the rosters page and changed the names of your draft picks to represent the actual numbers of the picks. Use those new numbers when trading picks.

When is the Draft? Where is the Draft? When do the ratings come out? When do the cards get here? Will the Fungoes repeat? Will the Buckeyes survive their first ever effort at rebuilding? And, knowing the Buckeyes, will they make the playoffs WHILE rebuilding?

Stay tuned.

2014 NASOMA World Series

The top two seeds are facing off in the World Series. For the top seeded Fungoes, this is their 3rd trip to the finals. They lost to the Warpigs in 1995 and beat the FFTs in 2006. Both series went 6 games. The Sidewinders are in their 4th World Series. They beat the Zaps in 1998 in their first trip and then lost to the Drillers in 2001 and to the Warpigs in 2007. All three Snake World Series have gone 5 games.

Game 1 - @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-0. Clayton Kershaw threw a complete game shutout.

Game 2 - @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-2. Brandon Moss misplayed a grounder in the bottom of the 8th for a single & error, allowing the go ahead run to score. Matt Harvey went 8 innings for the win. David Robertson got the final out for the save.

Game 3 - @ Snakeville - Fungoes won 3-2. In a familiar theme, the Fungoes won (6th game in a row) while scoring exactly 3 runs (5 of the 6 games - the other time he scored 2) with the winning run being unearned (6th game in a row). Okay, that last one might be a bit of hyperbole, but the first two stats are accurate. Glen Perkins got the win in relief of Kris Medlen with Sergio Santos getting the save. Mike Trout struck out 4 times. The Fungoes are a win away from their 2nd title.

Game 4 - @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 3-2 in 10 innings. Jay Bruce hit a walk-off homer in the 10th off of Kershaw. The Snakes are still alive!

Game 5 - @ Snakeville - Fungoes win 5-1. Matt Harvey the win. David Robertson the save. Eric Hosmer contributed a key 2-out, 2-run double. The Fungoes are the champs!

Fungoes World Series Ramblings:

Game 1

Kershaw throws a 4 hit shutout!  Jeff Baker hits a 1st inning home run.  Ryan Zimmerman and Matt Carpenter each bang out triples leading to 2 more runs.  Fungoes win it 3-0.  Kershaw struck out 11.

Game 2

Matt Harvey allows 2 runs over 8 innings and picks up the win as the Fungoes won this one 3-2.  Harvey also strikes out 11 Snakes.  Perkins, Roark and Robertson all got one out in the ninth with Robertson picking up the save.  Sidewinders held to 5 hits by Fungo pitching.  Fungoes winning run scored on a single and E3 in the bottom of the 8th inning.  Matt Carpenter smashed 2 doubles, scored a run and drove in a run for the Fungoes.

Manager note:  up two games to none I started to believe we might win the Series!  However, we were heading to the Snakepit now and the numbers are so weird at his park we were afraid to think beyond game 3.

Game 3

Fungoes scored 2 in the first inning after two out and no one on base.  Hosmer got the two run single to put us ahead.  Medlen cruised into the bottom of the fourth looking like Harvey but when he walked the leadoff hitter he got the quick hook!  Lopez allowed an immediate triple and, two outs later an E3 tied the score at 2.  Top of the 6th inning Ryan Zimmerman leads off with a smash to 3B which is booted.  One out later Salvador Perez singles Zimmerman to third.  Rajai Davis lofts the sac fly for the go ahead run.  Perkins (3 innings) and Santos (2 innings) shut down the Sidewinders the rest of the way for the win.  Perkins gets the win while Santos picks up the save.  Santos is now 1 and 1/3 inning from the floor.  Snakes are held to 4 hits in this one.  Fungoes manage 7 hits while both teams score an unearned run.

Game 4

Fungoes stake Kershaw to a 2-0 lead and the clubhouse idiots roll out the champaign......and of course, the Snakes rally with single runs in the 5th and 7th innings to tie!  It seems like destiny for Kershaw to get the win in extra innings so his manager leaves him in......for the walk off Home run with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning.  Kershaw takes a tough 3-2 loss.  

Game 5

Harvey on the mound for the Fungoes.  Snakes take a 1-0 lead in the second.  Just when Fungo ownership starts thinking what a disaster this is shaping up to be (when the Snakes fight their way back from 0-3 to win the series), Fungoes score 2 in the 3rd and 3 more in the 5th to cruise to a 5-1 win!  Fungoes win the Series!  Santos hits the floor in the 7th inning but what an amazing Playoff and Regular season he had, allowing just one run all year!

Interesting Fungo World Series Facts:

Steve Cishek awarded MVP for the previous playoff series vs Pigs doesn't make an appearance in the World Series.

Clayton Kershaw (1.48 ERA) throws two complete games in the WS including a shutout.

Fungo pitchers allowed 4.6 hits per game to the Snakes!

Santos picks up a save in the WS and finished the playoffs with 9 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 7 strikeouts and zero runs allowed!

Matt Harvey (2.03 ERA) picks up 2 wins in the World Series and is awarded the WS MVP

When do we draft?

On second thought lets wait as long as possible............

Derek

In our sun-down perambulations, of late, through the outer parts of WTF, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing "base", a certain game of ball...Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms...the game of ball is glorious.

Sidewinders vs Zaps

The Sidewinders beat the Zaps 4 games to 2 to advance to the World Series.

Gm1 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 6-5 in 11 innings. Danny Valencia had the game winning hit. Or, I think he did. Reading the Snake box score is not an easy thing to do. Jay Bruce had a grand slam in the 4th. Craig Kimbrel got the win.

Gm2 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 3-1. Jon Lester gets the win; Kimbrel the save. James Loney homered.

Gm3 @ Pasta Park - Zaps win 7-5 in 10 innings. Someone hit a walk-off 2-run homer off of Tyson Ross. It appears Ross allowed 3 homers to first blow the save and then lose the game.

Gm4 @ Pasta Park - Sidewinders win 9-0. Chris Sale and four relievers combined on the 4-hit shutout. Joe Mauer and Donnie Murphy both homered for the Snakes.

Gm5 @ Pasta Park - Zaps win 10-3. The Zap bats woke up and extended the series for at least one more game.

Gm6 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 4-3. The game was tied in the bottom of the 8th when Brandon Moss hit a sac fly to score pinch runner Billy Hamilton. Kimbrel, who had taken over in the top of the 8th, finished off the Zaps in the 9th. The Sidewinders advance to their 4th World Series.

Fungoes vs Warpigs

The Fungoes defeated the Warpigs 4 games to 2 to advance to the World Series.

Gm1 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 5-4 in 10 innings. The Fungoes scored 4 in the 2nd inning off of Stephen Strasburg - including a 2-run homer by Ryan Zimmerman, but Clayton Kershaw couldn't hold the lead. The Pigs came back with a 4-run 5th highlighted by Darwin Barney's 2-run double. The Fungoes won it in the 10th when Mike Trout hit the 1-4 triple, fly to end the game.

Gm2 @ WTF Field - Warpigs win 12-3. Matt Harvey threw a complete game for the Fungoes, but could no longer make sound while passing gas by the 5th inning. Jose Fernandez relieved Wily Peralta with no outs in the 1st and threw 7 innings for the win. Yoenis Cespedes went 3-5 with a double and homer and 4 RBI.

Gm3 @ The BallPork - Warpigs 3-1. Adam Wainwright took a shutout into the 9th before surrendering a run. Michael Wacha got the last out for the save. The Warpigs take a surprising 2 games to 1 lead.

Gm4 @ The BallPork - Fungoes win 2-1. The Fungoes scored a pair of unearned runs, and Kershaw and company helped even the series. Sergio Santos made his first appearance, sailing thru 1.1 innings of shutout ball, but Glen Perkins got Melky Cabrera for the save.

Gm5 @ The BallPork - Fungoes win 3-1. Bret Lawrie doubled to lead off the game against Harvey, and it was the only hit the Pigs got. Harvey, Steve Cishek (who went 3 innings for the win), and Santos (who went the last 2 innings for the save) combined for the gem. The Pig defense cost them again as the Fungoes scored 2 more unearned runs. The Fungoes only had 3 hits. Fernandez threw 6 innings in relief and took the hard luck loss.

Gm6 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-1. Mike Trout hit a 1st inning 3-run homer, and that was all the Fungo staff needed. Santos got another win in relief. Wainwright pitched well after the Trout homer, but again had no run support. The Fungoes advance to their 3rd World Series.

From the Fungoes...

Fungoes vs Warpigs

 

Game 1

Freddie Galvis scored the winning run when Mike Trout tripled in walk off fashion (yes yes triple 1-4 flyout 5-20, I know I know) in extra innings.  Galvis was on base via a HBP.  That was the only batter Warpig pitchers hit during the 6 game series.  It was also the only time Freddie was on base the entire series.

 

Game 2

Jose Fernandez came in to pitch after the Fungoes first 2 batters reached on a walk and a triple.  The first batter Fernandez faced was Daniel Murphy and he hit a sac fly to tie the game at 2.  Fernandez then pitched 7 innings striking out 9 Fungoes along the way picking up the win.  Harvey threw a complete game for the Fungoes (saving the bullpen) allowing 12 earned runs.

 

Game 3

Fungoes reliever Javier Lopez made his only relief appearance in this series when he started the bottom of the 6th inning.  He gave up a leadoff single and was quickly pulled.  Too late though, as he got the loss, so his playoff line is 1 appearance, 0 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 1 run allowed, and yes 1 loss and the dreaded ERA of INFINITY!

 

Game 4

In a 2-1 Fungo win Brett Gardner drove in the winning run for the Fungoes with 2 out in the 7th inning.  His 2 out single brought in Mike Trout with the winning run.  It was Brett Gardner's ONLY hit in the series as he hit a dismal .067!

 

Game 5

Matt Harvey (0-1 8.31 ERA) started this game and allowed a leadoff double that scored on an E6 (unearned).  That leadoff double was the Warpigs ONLY hit as Harvey - Cishek - Santos threw a no hitter for the following 9 innings (the hit occured before the first out of the contest).  Cishek recorded his second win.

 

Game 6

A Mike Trout 3 run home run in the first inning sealed the Warpig's fate as Fungoes pitchers scattered 5 hits  the rest of the way.  Santos picked up the win in relief finishing off the 5th inning and shutting down the Pig hitters in the 6th and 7th.  

 

Picking an MVP for this series was almost impossible; none of the Fungo hitters deserved the MVP and really the only pitchers that could be considered were Cishek and Santos.  Cishek receives the MVP based on his 9 and 1/3 shutout innings and 2 wins in relief.   In 24 innings, the Fungo bullpen allowed 3 runs (all earned) picking up 3 wins and 3 saves.

2014 NASOMA Playoffs Resumes Today

The dice will be rolling at the PigSty today. Come on by. The Warpigs and Fungoes will get started first - around 9:00. The Zapper will get here around noon (assuming the Driller Dude remembers to pick him up at the airport), and the Zaps and Snakes will get started then. The World Series will be some time tonight after their series finishes.

Any predictions? I'll say Fungoes in 4 over the inept Pigs and the Snakes in 7 over the Zaps. That series should be recorded. It will be entertaining. World Series prediction: Fungoes in 5.

One More Set of Ranges...

SOM released more ranges yesterday. They chose this set of players based on requests.

B.Hamilton cf-1

B.Dozier 2b-1

X.Bogaerts ss-4, 3b-4

C.Kershaw is the first pitcher with an 8 endurance rating since Cliff Lee in 2010.

J.Bautista rf-3(-4), cf-4

J.Peralta ss-3

H.Ramirez ss-4

B.Zobrist 2b-2, lf/rf-2, ss-3, cf-4

A.Rendon 3b-2, 2b-3

J.Harrison 3b-2, 2b-3, lf/rf-3(-1), ss-4

Y.Puig rf-2(-5), cf-3

Two Trades Today

The Buckeyes traded Ed Lucas to the FFTs for Martin Perez.

The Warpigs traded Jacoby Ellsbury to the FFTs for Lorenzo Cain.

More Range Ratings

SOM revealed more today...

N.Markakis rf-1

M.Betts 2b-3, cf/rf-4(0)

A.Eaton cf-2(-1)

J.Kipnis 2b-4 (!!!!)

JD.Martinez lf/rf-4(+1)

G.Springer rf-2(-2), cf-3

S.Perez c-1; E.Hosmer 1b-1; A.Escobar ss-1; L.Cain cf/rf-1  (along with Dyson, KC has 5 1s)

K.Calhoun rf 2(-2)

D.Santana ss-3, cf-3(-1)

C.Headley 3b-2, 1b-3

J.Reddick rf-1(-4), cf-3

R.Cano 2b-2

K.Kiermaier rf-1(-3), cf-2

A.Beltre 3b-1

A.Gose of-1(-3)

A.Hill 2b-4, 3b-4

J.Heyward rf-1(-4)

J.Baez 2b-3, ss-3

T.Frazier 3b-2, 1b-3

DJ.Lemahieu - 2b-1

D.Gordon 2b-3

G.Stanton rf-2(-3)

K.Davis lf-3(+3)

L.Duda 1b-3, lf-(5(+3)

M.Byrd rf-2(-1)

N.Walker 2b-3

J.Jay cf-2(+2), lf/rf-3 (He's better in cf than in lf/rf.)

J.Gyorko 2b-4

J.Panik 2b-2

D.Span cf-1(-1)

Twitter Range Sneak-peeks

SOM released one player from each team on Twitter today. They'll do another round tomorrow.

J.Schoop 2b-2
C.Vazquez c-2(-4)
J.Abreu 1b-4
C.Santana c-4(0), 1b-3, 3b-5
I.Kinsler 2b-1
J.Altuve 2b-3
J.Dyson lf-2, cf-1
D.Freese 3b-5
J.Mauer 1b-3
D.Jeter ss-4
J.Donaldson 3b-1
D.Ackley lf-2(+2)
Y.Escobar ss-4
E.Andrus ss-2
J.Reyes ss-3
E.Inciarte of-2(-1)
F.Freeman 1b-2
J.Soler rf-3(-3)
J.Bruce rf-2(-4), 1b-5
C.Blackmon of-3(0)
A.Ethier lf/rf-3(-1), cf-4
M.Ozuna of-2(-3)
J.Lucroy c-1(0), 1b-4
J.Lagares cf-1(-4)
B.Revere cf-3(+3)
S.Marte lf-1(-3), cf-2
M.Adams 1b-2
W.Venable of-2(?)e0
B.Crawford ss-1
A.Cabrera 2b-2, ss-4

Individual Stats

Miguel Cabrera of the Zaps won the league's triple crown. Maybe this year he will actually DESERVE the MVP. (Yep, still bitter.)

Pitching leaders boiled down to the Warpigs and Fungoes, as the same 5 SPs from these 2 teams finished 1-5 in both ERA and Shutouts, with league records being broken in both.

Batting Average
Mi.Cabrera, Zaps .337
Werth, Bees .332
Mauer, SSW .332

Homers
Mi.Cabrera, Zaps 46
C.Davis, Mavs 44
Werth, Bees 41

Runs Batted In
M.Cabrera, Zaps 128
Goldschmidt, Zaps 118
C.Davis, Mavs/Werth, Bees 113

Stolen Bases
Segura, Inmates 50

Doubles
Carpenter, Fungoes 56

Triples
Trout, Fungoes 13

Runs Scored
McCutchen, Zaps 124

Most Strikeouts
C.Davis, Mavs 236

Most Errors
Alexei Ramirez, Goofs 25

Wins
Kershaw, Fungoes 23-7
Wainwright, Warpigs 23-9
Colon, SSW 21-6

ERA
Fernandez, Warpigs 1.85 (new league record)
Wainwright, Warpigs 2.13
Kershaw, Fungoes 2.40
Strasburg, Warpigs 2.42
Harvey, Fungoes 2.77

Saves
Kimbrel, SSW 54
Uehara, Buckeyes 46

Shutouts
Kershaw, Fungoes 9 (new league record)

Strikeouts
Darvish, Goofs 297

Complete Games
C.Lee, Killer Bees 15

Most Losses
Leake, FFTs 4-20

Team Stats

Some quickie team stats leaders...

ERA
Warpigs 3.01
Fungoes 3.24
Tweeners 3.27
(highest - FFTs 4.85)

Shutouts
Drillers 21 (tied league record)
Fungoes 20
Warpigs 19
(fewest - Wahoos 2)

Strikeouts
Killer Bees 1327

Complete Games
Rhinos 57
(fewest - Mavs 1)

Most Homers Allowed
Buckeyes 227

Batting Average
Zaps .2784
Wahoos .2778
(lowest - Nads .229)

Runs
Zaps 906
(fewest - Nads 562)

Home Runs
Zaps 272
Killer Bees 265
(fewest - Goofs 120)

OBP
Zaps .352
(lowest - Nads .291)

Slugging
Zaps .485
(lowest - Goofs/Nads .361)

Most Errors
Killer Bees 109 (despite no pitcher errors for the 17th year in a row)

Tweeners and Drillers Trade

The Tweeners traded Oscar Tavares and a reserve pick to the Drillers for Michael Saunders.

2nd Round and World Series Schedule

Come one, come all. The 2014 NASOMA Playoffs will resume at the PigSty on Saturday, December 6th. The Fungoes and Warpigs will square off that morning, and the first pitch between the Sidewinders and the Zaps should take place around noon. The World Series will follow after that series finishes.

All are welcome!

First Round Playoff Series - Buckeyes vs Warpigs

Cards and dice.

First 2 games at The BallPork

Game 1 - Warpigs win 7-5. The Warpigs blasted A.J. Burnett for 6 runs in the 1st inning, 3 coming on a home run by Scott Van Slyke. Adam Wainwright was shaky, but went 8.2 innings for the win, getting last out save help from Michael Wacha. Austin Jackson had an RBI double in the 1st and an RBI triple in the 3rd. That 3rd inning triple was the last hit the Pigs would get.

Game 2 - Warpigs win 2-1. The Buckeyes had runners at the corners in the 9th, but Jose Fernandez was called in to get the last out for the save. Tyler Lyons threw 2.1 dandy innings to get the win in relief of Stephen Strasburg, who pitched pretty well himself. The game-winning hit was a solo homer by Brandon Crawford in the bottom of the 8th off of R.A. Dickey. The Buckeyes outhit the Warpigs 10-5.

Next 3 games at the Buckeye Bandbox

Game 3 - Buckeyes win 6-4. The Buckeyes built a 4-0 lead behind Jeanmar Gomez, but the Pigs scored 4 in the top of the 8th, the last 3 coming on a pinch hit homer by Yoenis Cespedes. But Jose Fernandez could not get Ryan Doumit out. He jacked a 3-run homer in the 6th and a 2-run shot in the 8th, both off of Fernandez. Doumit, dammit.

Game 4 - Warpigs win 6-2. The Warpigs scored in each of the first 4 innings. Yadier Molina and Yoenis Cespedes both hit home runs, and A.J. Pollock hit two bombs, both off of Travis Wood. Tyler Lyons (1.2), Casey Fien (1.2), and Jose Fernandez (2.2) shut down the Buckeye bats after Wily Peralta threw a gutsy 3 innings.

Game 5 - Warpigs win 2-0. Adam Wainwright went 5.2, Tyler Lyons got David Ortiz out in the 6th with the tying run at 2nd, and Jose Fernandez threw the last 3 innings in this shutout. Scott Van Slyke homered in the 2nd and later added a 9th inning RBI double (on a 2b-1, out the rest that scored Molina from 1st 1-10 with 2 outs).

The Buckeyes outhit the Warpigs in 4 of the 5 games, and outhit them 43-32 for the series. The Series MVP goes to Tyler Lyons, who went 2-0 and threw 7.1 innings in 4 games, allowing 4 hits, no runs, no walks, while striking out 7. Adam Wainwright also went 2-0. Jose Fernandez had 3 saves.

The Warpigs advance to play the top-seeded Fungoes in round 2.

2015 Draft Order for Non-Playoff Teams

The order of the Draft (without regard to which picks have been traded), is as follows:

1. FFTs (55-107)
2. Nads (66-96)
3. Rhinos (72-90)
4. Mavs (72-90) - The Mavs went 6-4 vs the Rhinos.
5. SuperGoofs (73-89)
6. Wahoos (76-86)
7. DVs (77-85)
8. Drillers (77-85) - The Drillers went 6-4 vs the DVs.
9. Killer Bees (79-83)
10. Inmates (86-76)

After the playoffs, I will post a draft grid that includes all of the trades.

First Round Playoff Series - Tweakers vs Zaps

The Zaps and Tweakers are netplaying their first round playoff series today. Results will be posted here.

The Zaps won the Millard Fillmore Division and are the #3 seed with a record of 94-68.

The Tweakers finished 1 game ahead of the Inmates for the final Wild Card spot. The Ab Wheeler Division runners-up had a record of 87-75.

Game 1 - Zaps win 4-0 - Miguel Cabrera launched 2 homeruns and had 3 RBI and Max Scherzer went 9 solid innings at PNC Park where the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS beat the NORM TWEENERS by the score of 4 to 0. The TRISTAN fans enjoyed the offense provided by Cabrera. He popped a two-run clout over the fence in the 1st inning and blasted a solo shot in the 8th inning. TRISTAN had 7 hits for the afternoon. Scherzer(15-9) was credited with the shutout. Felix Hernandez(1-2) was the loser. He allowed 3 runs and 6 hits in 6 and 1/3 innings.

Game 2 - Tweakers win 6-2 - Gonzo pitched 5 shutout innings and homers by Byrd, Gomes, and Lind powered the Tweakers.

Game 3 - Zaps win 6-4 - In a two run game the smoking-hot TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS got by the NORM TWEENERS by the score of 6 to 4. Zack Greinke(15-11) looked very much in control throughout the day. He didn't give up much, just 5 hits and 1 walk in 8 innings. Greinke struckout 9 NORM batters. TRISTAN banged out 8 hits on the afternoon. Bobby Parnell earned the save, his 14th. Hisashi Iwakuma(0-3) was the loser. He surrended 3 homeruns in his 8 innings.

Game 4 - Tweakers win 3-2 - Series tied two games apiece

Madison Bumgarner delivered 8 solid innings as the NORM TWEENERS beat the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by a score of 3 to 2. NORM had 2 runs cross the plate in the bottom of the 4th inning. TRISTAN had a chance to come back in the 9th but they came up short. Bumgarner(3-1) went 8 innings allowing 1 run for the victory. Bumgarner was helped out by Sonny Gray who recorded his 2nd save. Francisco Liriano(10-8) was the loser. He was touched for 6 hits and 2 walks in 3 and 2/3 innings. 'We lose our concentration for one pitch, and we lose the game.' TRISTAN's manager said after the game. 'Maybe now these guys will listen when I say they have to concentrate on EVERY pitch.'    

Game 5 - Zaps win 8-0 - Three-hit complete game shutout by Scherzer.

Game 6 - Tweakers win 6-4 - We have a game 7.

Left fielder Marlon Byrd hit a homerun and had 3 RBI at PNC Park as the NORM TWEENERS beat the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by the count of 6 to 4. TRISTAN lost it in the 5th inning when NORM did all their damage when they scored 6 runs on 5 hits. The critical plate appearance was by Byrd who helped quiet the crowd when he belted a three-run homer. NORM ended up with 10 hits for the game while TRISTAN had 5. The victory went to Gio Gonzalez(1-0) who went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs. Gonzalez was helped out by Luis Avilan who recorded his 2nd save. Cole Hamels(17-10) was the loser. 'He gutted it out' NORM's manager said of Gonzalez. 'I was very impressed by his tenacity.'    

Game 7 - Zaps win 4-2 - Zaps wins the series.

Greinke throws a complete game five-hitter and Miggy's three-run tater
stands up.

End of Regular Season

The Nads went 1-1 vs the Wahoos and 2-3 vs the Sidewinders to end the regular season.

Let the playoffs begin.

Wahoos 3, Nads 2

Games played at Wahoos.

Rhinos 2, Wahoos 2

The Rhinos and Wahoos split the final four games of the season

June 21

Wahoos win 6 – 0

Jordan Zimmermann blanked the Rhinos in a complete game shutout giving up just 6 hits and 1 walk. C.C. Sabathia was tagged with the loss.

June 22

Rhinos win 10 – 7

The Rhinos scored 5 runs in the top of the 2nd inning with the help of 3 hits.  The highlight belonged to Robinson Cano who doubled with the bases loaded scoring all three runners.  The Rhinos offense pounded out 12 hits in route to their victory.

Aug 2

Rhinos win 5-4

The game was deadlocked at 4 after nine full innings.  But the Rhinos managed to pull out the win in the 10^th inning when Nick Markakis lead off with a doubled, Matt Dominguez got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on strikes.  One out later, Robinson Cano was walked intentionally and Matt Kemp stepped in and promptly lined a base-hit to center resulting in an exciting win for the Rhinos.

Aug 3

Wahoos win 6-5

Randall Delgado was touched for 4 homeruns in his 6 and 2/3 innings of work and Caleb Thielbar quieted any hopes that the Rhinos had by pitching a perfect top of the ninth for the save.