Fungoes 9, Rhinos 5

Fungoes and Rhinos played 14 via TeamViewer:

April 16 at WTF:

Archer starts for the Horned Hippos while Santiago gets the nod for the Fungi.  This one is knotted at 4 after 9 innings:  

Greg Garcia walks it off in the 10th with a 3-run Home Run for the Fungoes!  Cam Bedrosian absorbs the loss while 

Shawn Kelley picks up the win.  All the Home Runs went to the Fungoes in this one as Trout and Carpenter also connected

April 17 at WTF:

Rhinos score 3 in the 1st and 6 more in the 4th to cruise to a 9-4 victory.  Wisler picks up the complete game victory while 

Matt Boyd takes the loss in his Big League Fungo debut.  A variety of Rhino Bashers wreaked havoc on Fungo hurlers!

Wisler was pleased with his performance and noted, "I had great command of all of my pitches.  Just as important, my

location was right on."

April 18 at WTF:

Fungoes break open a close game with 7 runs in the bottom half of the 7th inning.  Devenski takes the loss while Shawn 

Kelley picks up the win in relief.  Arcia, Bryant and Betts all Homered on the night while Betts finished with 4 RBIs.

April 19 at WTF:

Rhinos break out with 4 in the first.  Fungoes plate 6 in the 2nd and the Rhinos tie it up in the 4th.  Fungoes plate 5 more 

in the bottom half of the 5th inning for an 11-6 lead.  Rhinos score 1 in the 8th and 3 more in the ninth but the Fungoes hold 

on to win it 11-10.  Hard to believe that Kershaw started this one for the Fungoes.  While Kershaw allowed 6 runs, only 2

were earned.  Kershaw improves to 2-0 on the season with Kelley picking up a save.  Lopez takes the loss allowing 10 hits 

and 8 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.  Kemp, Flores and Myers all Homer for the Rhinos while Trout hits a Grand Slam and 

drives in 5 for the Fungoes.

April 20 at WTF:

This one is tied 2-2 at the end of 9 innings.  Rhinos score a run in the 11th and hold on to win it 3-2.  Fungoes enjoyed a big

day at the plate until runners found 2nd base as the Fungoes picked up 15 hits and stranded 18 runners!  Through 8 2/3 innings 

Archer allowed only 2 runs while giving up 12 hits and 11 walks!  Diaz picks up the win for the Rhinos while Torres takes the loss

for the Fungoes.  Devenski collects the save for Col. Rhino!

May 30 at Rhino Reserve:

In a close game the Fungoes hold off the Rhinos winning it 5-4.  David Price evens his record at 2-2 while Archer takes the loss

for the Rhinos.  Will Harris picks up his first save of the season for the Fungoes.  Napoli, Story and Bryant all went "yard".

May 31 at Rhino Reserve:

Rhinos erase an early 3-0 lead and come back to win it 6-3.  Straily gets the loss for the Fungoes while Cole gets the win with 

Devenski claiming the save.  Odor, Buxton and Story all hit Home Runs in the game.

June 01 at Rhino Reserve:

Nola shuts the Fungoes down allowing the Rhinos to win a close one 2-1.  Santiago takes the loss while Devenski picks up another 

save for the Rhinos.  Fungoes are held to 3 hits.  Flores Homers for the Rhinoman!

August 7 At Rhino Reserve:

Kershaw goes 6 strong innings and is part of a combined shutout, Fungoes win it 9-0.  Syndergaard gets hit hard and is tagged 

with the loss for the Rhinos.  Daniel Murphy hits a Grand Slam and drives in 5 for the Fungoes.  Rhinos are held to 6 hits with Torres

and Bruce Rondon sharing the shutout with Kershaw.

August 8 at Rhino Reserve:  

Rhinos stampede out to a 7-1 lead and then hold on to win it 7-5.  Price takes the loss falling to 2-3 on the season.  Sanchez gets 

the win while Nate Jones collects the save.  Story and Buxton both deliver Home Runs for the home team.

August 9 at Rhino Reserve:

Fungoes win a close pitcher's duel 2-1.  Straily gets the win for the Fungoes while nola takes the loss.  Will Harris picks up save number 2 

on the year.  Contreras hits the only Homer in this contest.  

August 10 at Rhino Reserve:

Hector Santiago throws a complete game 3-hitter as the Fungoes win it 8-1.  Cole takes the loss for the Rhinos.  Murphy, Betts and Hosmer

each collect 2 RBIs for the Fungoes.

September 18 at WTF:

Fungoes win this one 10-1 with McCullers picking up the complete game victory.  Wisler is hit hard in the "take one for the team" loss for the Rhinos.  

Trout and Carpenter both Homer for the Fungoes.  Trout drives in 3 while Carpenter and Betts both collect 3 hits in the contest.  

September 19 at WTF:

Game 162 on the schedule goes to the Fungoes as they race out to a 4-0 lead behind Kershaw and then hold on to win it 4-3 after Kershaw retires 

for the day after allowing 2 hits in 7 innings.  Archer takes the loss for the Rhinos and Will Harris collects his 3rd save for the Fungoes.  

Votto, Trout and Sal Perez all hit Home Runs.  Perez hits a big 3-run blast in the 4th to complete the Fungo scoring.

Fungoes were on fire most of the series outscoring the Rhinos 82 - 56.  These games were all played from Firehouse #7 in GP (at least on this side 

of TeamViewer) with the only interruption being the Pizza delivery!

Derek

Warpigs 3, Buckeyes 2

Cards and dice.

April 24 @ Buckeye Park - Warpigs win 4-1. The Warpigs got to J.A. Happ for 4 early runs, knocking him out of the game after only 3.1 innings. That was enough to make a winner of Garrett Richards, making his first appearance of the season. He went 6 innings, allowing only 2 hits although he did walk 5. Alex Wilson went the last 3 innings to earn his first save of the year. The two teams combined to hit into 6 double plays.

April 25 @ Buckeye Park - Buckeyes win 12-6. The Pigs scored 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, capped off by homers from Chris Carter and Mitch Moreland. But the Buckeyes pounded Adam Wainwright for SIX homers over the next 6 innings, rolling to an easy win. Waino compounded his woes by walking 5. He was asked to stay in and take one for the team with the promise that he'd get to bat later on in the series.

June 6 @ The BallPork - Buckeyes win 8-1. The Pigs knocked out Happ in the 2nd inning this time, but the second weird x-chart result* in the first two innings kept them from scoring more than 1. Then the Buckeyes put together a couple of big innings to put the game away.

June 7 @ The BallPork - Warpigs win 5-4 in 11 innings. It was looking like the Buckeye bulldozer was on cruise control. After two straight blowout wins, the Buckeyes took a shutout into the 7th inning of game 4. But the Pigs had 3 straight 2-out singles in the 7th to score their first run. Then Jake Lamb led off the 8th with a homer, cutting the score to 3-2. Francisco Cervelli singled and J.T. Realmuto doubled to put the tying run at third and the go ahead run in scoring position. Up stepped pinch-hitter Adam Wainwright. With the corners in to defend the squeeze, Waino took a full cut, singling to tie the game. Now the Buckeye infield came in all the way, and Mallex Smith slapped a +hit past them for the lead. In the top of the 9th, the leadoff hitter reached on a single and error and scored on a double to tie the game. With one out in the bottom of the 11th, Matt Duffy singled and scampered to 3rd on a hit and run single by Hunter Pence. Mitch Moreland sent the Pig faithful home happy by singling in Duffy to end the game.

June 8 @ The BallPork - Warpigs win 6-2. Adam Wainwright, whose embarrassment from his last start had been quelled some by his big pinch hit in yesterday's game, pitched well for 7 innings, shutting down the powerful Buckeye bats. Logan Forsythe and Starlin Castro both hit 2-run homers off of Junior Guerra. Alex Wilson got the same, his 2nd.

* - Catcher-x chance with nobody on. a P/F with rare play results in catcher's interfence. Meaning a catcher can make an error even if he's an e0. (I'm not saying my guy was an e0, but it could happen.)
* - Shortstop-x with runners on the corners and 1 out and the infield in. The ss is a 3, and the roll is 9 -which just misses the #single**. Instead it's a G3... which results in the runner at third getting caught in a rundown.

Those two plays happened in back-to-back innings. Throw in a few plus-hits, a couple of clutch hits, pitchers pinch-hitting (and even getting 2 at bats in one game), a H&R single, an error by a 1b-1e3, and an error by a cf-1e5, and you have a very full 5 game series.

Fungoes 3, Warpigs 2

Games played with dice and cards.

May 2 @ WTF Field - Warpigs win 7-5. Someday, the young lads in attendance at this game will be able to tell their grandkids that they witnessed a duel between Joe Musgrove and Anthony DeSclafani. Save those ticket stubs, kids! Sadly, the Pig hitters (as it were) found Musgrove to their liking. Even Starlin Castro got 3 hits, doubling his season total. Jake Lamb went yard. DeSclafani went 5.1 innings and somehow hung on for the win. Francisco Liriano, who has no business even being on a NASOMA roster, got his first save because there was no one else to turn to. He had to intentionally walk 2 batters just to find someone he could get out. Sal Perez and Matt Carpenter both homered for the Fungoes.

May 3 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 5-4. The Warpigs scored 4 runs in the 3rd inning thanks mainly to a rare Chris Carter 3-run homer. The Fungoes battled back with 3 in the 5th and the tying run in the 6th (all this despite going thru four different 20-sided dice over the two innings). After scrambling (unsuccessfully) to score in the top of the 9th, the Pigs took 10 minutes trying to decided how to field a team. After all that, Francisco Liriano came on to give up a lead off, walk-off  homer to Daniel Murphy to end the game in the bottom of the 9th.

May 4 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 8-1. For the Warpigs, it was "Pick Your Pitcher Out of the Stands" Day. Unfortunately, the promotion was scheduled during a road game. Local farmers Daniel Norris and Luis Severino combined to give up 8 earned runs over 7.1 innings. When Severino came out of the outfield bleachers to pitch, the Fungo management challenged the migrant worker's citizenship status. After seeing him pitch, the Warpig management made the same challenge. Mike Napoli went deep off of Norris in the 5-run first inning. Dan Straily went 5.2 innings for the win. The Warpigs were held to 4 hits for the game.

June 14 @ The BallPork - Warpigs win 3-2. The Pigs hammered Straily for 3 runs and 4 hits - including a 3-run homer by Yasmany Tomas - in the first inning. They managed only 2 more hits over the rest of the game, but it turned out to be enough. Carlos Rodon and three relievers kept turning away the Fungo advances, including a triple play to turn the tide in the top of the 7th. Liriano again earned the save, this time despite giving up a 2-out, 9th inning RBI triple.

June 15th @ The BallPork - Fungoes win 5-1. Well... it coulda been worse. The Fungoes went thru a stretch of 6 batters at one point where 5 of them got hits (one a double), and even though there was no double play or caught stealing involved, managed to only score 1 run. It's not an easy thing to do.

Goofs 3, Warpigs 2

TeamViewer games.

July 26 @ The BallPork - Warpigs win 3-2 in 12 innings. J.T Realmuto singled home Ender Inciarte with 1 out in the 12th inning for the Pig win.

July 27 @ The BallPork - Goofs win 4-1. Eduardo Rodriguez went the distance in the 3-hitter. The Goofs plated 3 in the 2nd inning against Archie Bradley. This would have been a pretty boring and unforgettable game, except for the lone Pig run. Looking to save an at bat, Adam Wainwright was called on to pinch hit. He rolled 2-3 for a solo homer to avoid the shutout.

September 5 @ The Magic Kingdom - Goofs win 2-1. The Goofs walked it off in the bottom of the 9th. After a single and a double play started the inning, Angel Pagan singled and came around to score on a double by Shin-Soo Choo. Masahiro Tanaka got the complete game win.

September 6 @ The Magic Kingdom - Warpigs win 2-1 in 11 innings. Jake Lamb hit a home run in the top of the 11th inning for the Pig win. Anthony DeSclafani went 10 innings for the win, getting help from Raisel Iglesias, who earned the save. For the Goofs, reliever Luis Cessa entered the game in the 5th inning, and pitched the final 6.1 innings. He took the loss.

September 7 @ The Magic Kingdom - Goofs win 6-1. Yunel Escobar went 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBI. Jacob deGrom struck out 11 in the complete game win.

In 31 Warpig games so far, 24 have been played in HR-0 parks (and more are coming in the morning against the Fungoes). The other 7 have been at the Skyscrapers (2/5) and the Drillers (8/8). Not exactly homer parks.

Rhinos 3, Warpigs 2

Games played on TeamViewer. By the way, update your TeamViewer to version 12. I don't know if it was the update or what, but the microphone connection was better than it's ever been. Clearer than talking on the phone, with no echo or feedback. Plus, both teams have to have the same version of TeamViewer in order to connect.

All games played at The BallPork (due to some weird scheduling shit that has us playing the first 5 at the same park.)

Game 1 (Opening Day) - April 4 - Rhinos win 4-2. Chris Archer went the distance for the win. D.J. Lemahieu drove in 2 runs for the Rhinos. Ender Inciarte homered for the Pigs.

Game 2 - April 5 - Rhinos win 4-2. Trevor Story pinch hit a 2-run triple in a 3-run 4th inning. Matt Wisler got the win; Nate Jones saved it. Yasmany Tomas homered for the Pigs.

Game 33 - May 7 - Warpigs win 5-4 in 16 innings. Inciarte's only hit of the game was a 16th inning single driving in pinch runner Andrew Toles. Michael Wacha earned the win. Cam Bedrosian took the loss for the Rhinos.

Game 34 - May 8 - Rhinos win 2-1. Nate Jones came in with runners at the corners and 1 out in the 9th and quenched the fire, earning the save. Matt Wisler was the winning pitcher. Wil Myers homered for the Rhinos. Andrew Toles went deep for the Warpigs' only run.

Game 35 - May 9 - Warpigs win 8-6. Nate Jones wasn't quite as effective this game. He gave up a 2-out, 3-run, walk-off homer to Yulieski Gurriel to send the fans home happy. The Warpigs had scratched together 3 runs in the 7th to close a 6-2 deficit to 6-5.

Rule Updates

We voted on several rule change proposals at the Draft. All but one were defeated.

To recap...

1. Defensive Shift Rule (SOM) - The defense may call for a defensive shift any time that the bases are empty and the batter is rated N-power. When the shift is on, the result of the AB is based on the offense's decision to "Swing Away" or "Beat the Shift." Then a 20-sided die is rolled and a chart is referred to. Complete instructions can be found here or in the package with your cards.
FAILED. SOM's new defensive shift rule was defeated 16-0. Enjoy the moment; the last time this league unanimously agreed on anything was Esque winning Queen of the Draft in 1989.

2. Allowable AB/IP for the Playoffs (Warpigs) - The proposal (detailed here) would limit all players to 10% of the AB/IP on their card per playoff series. We currently use 33% for the entire playoffs.
PASSED. Each of the 25 players on a team's playoff roster will be allowed 10% of his AB/IP for each series. This takes affect immediately, beginning with the 2017 playoffs.

3. Starting Pitchers Used in Relief in the Playoffs (Inmates) - A SP used in relief in the playoffs would become tired after recording 3 outs (detailed in the comment section here). Currently, the one SP you designate to relieve can throw 3 innings before becoming tired.
FAILED. Turns out the rule already puts the "SP in relief" guy's POW at 1. 

4. No SP Can Relieve in the Playoffs (Sidewinders) - Only pitchers with RP on their cards can relieve in the playoffs (detailed in the comment section here). Currently, a team can designate one SP-only pitcher to be a reliever.
FAILED. The rule will remain as written. One SP-only may be used in relief in the playoffs.

5. Once Carded, Always Carded (Warpigs) - An uncarded player who has had a card in the past can be retained on a team's 30-man roster (even though he could not appear in a game) without the use of a Reserve Pick. (detailed here)
FAILED. Whatever, fuckers.

6. Eliminate Limited-AB/IP Cards (Drillers) - The proposal (detailed in the comment section here) states that all batters with fewer than 100 at bats and all pitchers with fewer than 50 innings be considered uncarded.
FAILED. No minimums. You either have a card or you don't.

7. Increase Roster Size (Fungoes/FFTs) - Change rosters to 31+2 (or larger) to compensate for the need for relief innings.
FAILED. Rosters stay at 30. Got a problem with relief innings? Stop drafting guys with 30 innings.

2017 Draft Numbers

There were 228 (legitimate) draft picks made in the 2017 NASOMA Draft. There was one pass.

Here's the breakdown...

There were 210 carded players drafted. 115 were pitchers; 95 were hitters.

There were 18 uncarded players drafted. 3 were pitchers; 15 were hitters. Only 17 of those were kept. The Bees drafted and cut Sean Newcomb.

There were 48 Lightning Round picks. The Wahoos picked a previously drafted player with their first pick, knocking them out. The Drillers and FFTs did the same thing on their 5th and final pick (although the FFTs' twice-picked guy wasn't discovered until later).

Of those 48 LR picks, 7 were kept on rosters - one each by the Tweeners, Rhinos, Skyscrapers, Warpigs, Buckeyes, Fungoes, and Killer Bees.

The latest a player was picked and then kept was LR pick Fernando Rodney by the Bees at pick 203. There were three players chosen in the 60's who were later cut: Teoscar Hernandez by the FFTs at pick 68, Ryon Healy by the Mavs at pick 62, and the earliest a player was drafted and cut: Jerry Blevins by the Fungoes at pick 61.

Of the 33 reserved players, 29 are uncarded and 4 are carded (Shelby Miller, Kyle Schwarber, Matt Harvey, and Lucas Duda).

There were 18 players (9 hitters, 9 pitchers) protected pre-Draft but then cut post-Draft. The Warpigs and Skyscrapers each cut 3.

Deadline for Games Played

By the end of March, you must have played and reported at least 20 games. The deadline is Sunday, April 2nd.

When you play games, click on the "Input Wins and Losses" link on the webpage and put in both your wins and losses for the games you played. Also, send me an email letting me know to update your record. If the games were played on the computer, just include me in the CC when you send the game files to your opponent. If possible, include game stories to be posted here in Big Innings.

Here is the list of "Games Played" deadlines for the 2017 season. Each month's games are due by the first Sunday after the month ends...

March games (April 2) - 20
April games (May 7) - 40
May games (June 4) - 65
June games (July 2) - 90
July games (August 6) - 115
August games (September 3) - 140
September games (October 1) - 162

Trades Made During Draft Weekend

If you made a trade at the Draft that isn't recorded below, let me know.

The FFTs traded picks 79 & 83 to the Fungoes for their 4th and 6th round picks in 2018, and picks 169 & 173.

The DVs traded Bradley Zimmer to the Skyscrapers for Tom Murphy.

The DVs traded Anthony DeSclafani to the Warpigs for the 2018 DV 5th rounder.

The Inmates traded Collin McHugh to the FFTs for Marcus Semien.

The Fungoes traded Rubby De La Rosa to the Wahoos for pity's sake.

The Warpigs traded Josh Harrison to the FFTs for Logan Forsythe.

Goofs and Pigs Make a Deal

The Warpigs traded Shin-Soo Choo back to the SuperGoofs for infielder Matt Duffy.

Choo, who last fall sold his condo in Disney and moved the family into a recently refurbished double-wide in Hooterville, will now have to sell the trailer and head back to Goofy Land. "Stupidest shit I've ever seen," said Choo through a translator.

Said Duffy, "After last season, I'm just happy to still be getting a paycheck."

Are You Mocking Me?

Let's do another Mock Draft! And lemme tell you why... I have figured out exactly how the First Round will go. Exactly. No doubt about it.

So here we go...

1. Buckeyes - Gary Sanchez. Yeah, this pick hasn't changed. The Buckeyes love to play coy with the first pick and surprise us all... and last year he did. But come on... If he did that again this year, he'd be screwing himself. And as the little Wahoo likes to say, "Trust me, screwing yourself isn't as easy as it sounds."

2. Killer Bees - Michael Fulmer. Honestly, this pick gets harder to predict every day. Fulmer is by far the best young pitcher in the Draft. He has innings. He has a great card. He's 24 years old. He's slotted as the #2 guy in Detroit's rotation. There are 3-4 hitters who could go here, but Fulmer is the only starting pitcher worthy of this spot.

3. Drillers - Andrew Benintendi. He has been at the top of most draft boards around the Strat world. He's as sure a thing as there is for the future. The Driller offense keeps getting better and better. A bunch of crappy seasons in a row will do that. You can almost hear Buster Posey in the background yelling, "Take a damn pitcher!"

4. Sidewinders - David Dahl. The dude's a stud. And the SnakePit was built for him. The rich get richer. Last month I predicted Sandy Leon to go here - and the Snakes could definitely use him. But if Dahl's there, he won't get past the Snakes.

5. SuperGoofs - Hunter Renfroe. The Goofs are searching for the young hitter who can make their team better now while still helping the future. But those guys went 1-3-4. Renfroe has the best card in the set. Limited at bats, of course, but his card is Jarrett Parker good. And the Pigs made it to the World Series behind that Parker card. The difference with Renfroe is that he's a legitimate prospect. He'll be hitting 5th every day in the Padre lineup, and he's only 25. He can mash, and he'll fall right into the Goofboy's lap.

6. Nads - Aledmys Diaz. Try as I might, there is no better choice here. Write it down in ink: Aledmys Diaz is pick 6.

7. DVs - Seung Hwan Oh. A month ago, the best relief card was still a tossup. But now that I've seen the cards... and with the DVs trading away the other first round picks they owned, this is the guy. Combine Oh with Kenley Jensen and Addison Reed, and you've got the makings of some serious flicking of the bean come playoff weekend while the Wahoos and Sidewinders play the Series in the next room.

8. Tweeners - Sandy Leon. The Tweeners have a few needs: C, 1B, LF/RF, bullpen... Josh Bell was a possibility here, but his recent knee surgery sets him back a bit. The Tweener catchers are both in their 30s. It's time to hit the refresh button.

9. Inmates - Alex Bregman. Not everybody is sold on the young Astro third baseman, but the Inmates can give himself a "good pick" for this one. And the chances are low that an Inmate pick will lead directly to Tommy John surgery.

10. Rhinos - Chris Devenski. The Rhinos, as always, will be torn between taking what he needs and taking what he wants. But his team is so good... if he had a bullpen, he'd win the HWD. So Devenski it is.

11. Drillers - Josh Bell. The knee issues don't bother the Driller Dude. This kid can hit the ball a long way, and he'll be a fixture in the Pirate lineup by the end of April. Josh Donaldson: "Seriously?!? Dude!!!"

12. Skyscrapers - Matt Bush. Picking the best reliever is based on what your team needs. This could just as easily be Nate Jones or Edwin Diaz.

13. Rhinos - Nate Jones. Picking the best reliever is based on what your team needs. This could just as easily be Matt Bush or Edwin Diaz.

14. Mavs - Edwin Diaz. Picking the best reliever is based on what your team needs. This could just as easily be Nate Jones or Matt Bush.

15. Wahoos - Jonathan Villar. For the team than has everything.

16. Rhinos - Junior Guerra. Trading Kenley Jansen and Ryan Braun was just a smokescreen. The Rhinos will compete now and later.

Rule Change Proposals

There is one new SOM Rule and (so far) five NASOMA Rule proposals. We'll need to discuss and vote on these at the Draft although discussion is welcome here.

SOM also has a new Individualized Pitcher Injury Rule, but as we don't use injuries, it doesn't need to be voted on.

If passed, rules 1-4 would be effective this year. Rules 5-6 would become effective in 2018.


1. Defensive Shift Rule (SOM) - The defense may call for a defensive shift any time that the bases are empty and the batter is rated N-power. When the shift is on, the result of the AB is based on the offense's decision to "Swing Away" or "Beat the Shift." Then a 20-sided die is rolled and a chart is referred to. Complete instructions can be found here or in the package with your cards.
2. Allowable AB/IP for the Playoffs (Warpigs) - The proposal (detailed here) would limit all players to 10% of the AB/IP on their card per playoff series. We currently use 33% for the entire playoffs.
3. Starting Pitchers Used in Relief in the Playoffs (Inmates) - A SP used in relief in the playoffs would become tired after recording 3 outs (detailed in the comment section here). Currently, the one SP you designate to relieve can throw 3 innings before becoming tired.
4. No SP Can Relieve in the Playoffs (Sidewinders) - Only pitchers with RP on their cards can relieve in the playoffs (detailed in the comment section here). Currently, a team can designate one SP-only pitcher to be a reliever.
5. Once Carded, Always Carded (Warpigs) - An uncarded player who has had a card in the past can be retained on a team's 30-man roster (even though he could not appear in a game) without the use of a Reserve Pick. (detailed here)
6. Eliminate Limited-AB/IP Cards (Drillers) - The proposal (detailed in the comment section here) states that all batters with fewer than 100 at bats and all pitchers with fewer than 50 innings be considered uncarded.

They Can Print Three Cards For Zach Duke, But They Can't Print ONE For AJ Pollock!

Below are the players who have multiple cards. Some had 2 cards and some had 3. I am listing the names with the number of AB/IP on the cards of the ones you can toss.

Oswaldo Arcia (45)(157)
Erick Aybar (80)(335)
Andrew Bailey (32)
Michael Bourn (46)(329)
Arquimedes Caminero (41)
Jhoulys Chacin (27)(117)
Aroldis Chapman (27)(31)
Jesse Chavez (26)(41)
Tyler Clippard (25)(38)
Chris Coghlan (103)(158)
Odrisamer Despaigne (27)
Matt Duffy (76)(257)
Zach Duke (23)(38)
Casey Fien (26)
Jason Grilli (42)
Lucas Harrell (29)
Aaron Hill (124)(254)
Rich Hill (34)(76)
Jeremy Jeffress (45)
Erik Kratz (56)
Mat Latos (60)
Wade LeBlanc (50)
Francisco Liriano (49)(114)
Jonathan Lucroy (152)(338)
Jhan Marinez (59)
Mike Montgomery (38)(62)
Matt Moore (68)(130)
Ivan Nova (65)(97)
Eduardo Nunez (182)(371)
Brett Oberholzer (50)
Jimmy Parades (143)
Drew Pomeranz (69)(102)
Alex Presley (116)
Alexei Ramirez (57)(421)
JC Ramirez (32)(46)
Josh Reddick (155)(243)
Fernando Rodriguez (41)
Marc Rzepczynski (36)
Fernando Salas (17)(56)
Hector Sanchez (42)
Luis Sardinas (72)(108)
James Shields (67)(114)
Joe Smith (38)
Chris Taylor (58)
Melvin Upton Jr (148)(344)
Adam Warren (30)(35)
Daniel Wright (27)
Brad Ziegler (30)(38)

Draft Numbers

There were 352 carded players protected on the pre-Draft rosters, plus another 12 uncarded players who were retained.

That leaves 642 (out of a total of 994) carded players in the Draft.

We will draft 181 players in the regular Draft (plus some more in the Lightning Round).

The Warpigs protected the most players (a record 32 - all of them bad) and will draft the fewest (6). The Nads protected the fewest (17), and the Bees will make the most draft picks (19).

Since there were 12 uncarded players protected, there can be a maximum of 21 more selected.

Below are the numbers for each team:

Team(reserve picks) - protected (uncarded) - draft picks

Warpigs (6) - 32(3) - 6
Wahoos (0) - 23 - 9
DVs (1) - 24 - 9
FFTs (1) - 25(1) - 8

Rhinos (5) - 25 - 12
Fungoes (2) - 24(1) - 10
Inmates (1) - 22(1) - 11
Nads (0) - 17 - 15

Drillers (2) - 21(1) - 13
Skyscrapers (2) - 22 - 12
Buckeyes (0) - 19 - 13
Mavs (2) - 25(1) - 9

Sidewinders (0) - 25 - 7
Bees (5) - 18(2) - 19
Tweeners (5) - 20(2) - 17
Goofs (1) - 22 - 11

Pre-Draft Rosters are Set

I'll have some data for you soon, but as of about 24 minutes ago, the 2017 NASOMA Pre-Draft Rosters were finalized. And in turn, the picks you have in the Draft may have changed numbers. Every pick higher than 141 has changed based on the number of rostered players on each team.

Between now and the Draft, you may only trade players and draft picks you now have.

If you see any typos or mistakes, let me know.

Anyway... more to come. But right now... sleep.

Last Minute Finaglin'

The Rhinos traded Carlos Gomez and pick 122 to the Warpigs for pick 106.
The Pigs then shipped Gomez on to the DVs for their 5th round pick in 2018.

LET'S DRAFT!

Mavs and Pigs Deal

The Mavs and Warpigs announced a minor deal tonight. The Mavs send reliever Alex Wilson and pick 158 to the Warpigs for pick 147.

Alex Wilson's 73 innings should find a place in the PigPen and is expected to be a major contributor to their expected 100-loss season.

Hal's Recommendations

So, Hal, based on my current roster... if I had the first pick in the draft, who should I take?

Well, if you are the Buckeyes, Drillers, Goofs, DVs, Tweeners, Inmates, Rhinos, Skyscrapers, FFTs, Fungoes... you should definitely take Seung Hwan Oh.

If you are the Bees, Gary Sanchez is your guy. Only one team for Sanchez? That seems odd.

If you are the Nads, go get David Dahl. Another likely pick.

Here's where it gets weird...

If you are the Sidewinders, Mavs, or Wahoos... you should take Junior Guerra.

And if you are the Warpigs, Jonathan Villar should be the first pick in the draft.

Wahoos and Rhinos Adjust Themselves

The Wahoos traded picks 59 and 91 to the Rhinos for picks 42 and 186.

Pick a good one!

Blockbuster Deal

The DVs have accepted the Wahoo challenge.

The DVs traded Adam Duvall, the 13th and 16th picks in the Draft, a reserve this year, and a reserve next year to the Rhinos. In exchange, the DVs received Kenley Jansen and Ryan Braun.

Wowza.

Kenley Jansen is one of the best relievers in NASOMA, and Ryan Braun is a major upgrade over Duvall in LF.

Jansen had a 1.83 ERA and 0.67 WHIP last year in 69 innings. The left side of his card is good, but the right side has zero onbase chances - and that's including BP singles.

The 33-year old Braun was too old to be a Rhino anymore. But his lf-3(-1)e4 and 305/365/538 in 511 AB will be more than welcome in Tulsa.

Adam Duvall hit 33 homers last year, so he's no slouch. But at 28, he'll become too old to be a Rhino around June 1st.

So Wahoos... I believe I just heard a "Check." It's your move.

SOM Pre-Orders

Another Small Deal

The Rhinos traded Michael Taylor and pick 106 to the Warpigs for pick 100.

"Seriously? I was traded for 6 spots in the 7th round? Damn, I must suck."

Skyscrapers and Warpigs Trade

The Skyscrapers traded Francisco Liriano to the Warpigs for pick 132.

Liriano was not only a World Series winner as a Pig in 2007, he was one of the key reasons the Pigs won that year. And now he returns... to this large pile of crap. "I was all excited to return to my Glory Days," said Francisco, "but then I got here and looked around and realized it's more of Glory Hole these days. What the hell?!?"

Two Trades - Three Teams

The Warpigs traded Taijuan Walker, Anthony Desclafani, and A.J. Reed to the DVs for Joe Ross, Kendall Graveman, a reserve, and a draft pick TBD.

The DVs then sent Walker and picks 11 & 43 to the Drillers for Addison Reed and Luke Gregerson.

These two trades signify a couple of things. One, the DVs have decided to play for 2017. That's a significant point because he had been thinking of throwing in the towel early and playing for 2018. "I don't know why we ever even thought about doing that. It's just the Wahoos. It's like being worried about Pepperdine. Addison Reed puts us over the hump. We totally got this now."

The other sign coming from this trade is that the Drillers will not be playing for a playoff spot this year. "That's what you think," said the Driller Dude. "He thinks he got my two best relievers, but I still have Tony Watson and some guy named Shaw. Ha! Sucker."

The Warpigs just wanted to trade Desclafani for Ross, mainly because of spelling issues.

Lost in all the names and picks is the fact that the DVs picked up two Reeds. It marks a new musical direction for the DVs.

2017 Herman Wheeler Division

Our final look is at the Herman Wheeler Division. Here's how the predictions looked in 2016:

Overall
1. Fungoes
2. Rhinos
3. Inmates
4. Nads
This is a tough division to predict. The Inmates are the defending HWD champs and will score some runs, but their OB% will be about 5 points higher than their team BA. And their pitching just doesn't measure up. The Rhinos have the most talent, so this could be their year. It will depend, as it has often with the Rhinos, on whether he can avoid the temptation of adding more young studs and draft for need instead. Either way, they'll be better this year. But the pick goes to the Fungoes. With that park and pitching staff, it will be hard to score runs against them. Trout isn't a one-man show - Hosmer, Carpenter, and Betts will help, and Lindor is the best ss the Fungoes have had since Omar Vizquel. The Nads have had some good drafts the last couple of years, but too many injuries have left him with a long year ahead.

As I read this, I'm amazed at how similar this year's group looks. But that comes at the bottom of the page. I'm pretty sure I nailed the predictions here. The Fungoes, who got super hot about halfway thru the season, won the division, and even earned a 1st round bye. The Rhinos won 90 games to come in 2nd, and the Inmates lacked enough pitching to finish higher than 3rd.

And now here comes 2017, and the HWD hasn't changed much at all...

Starting Pitching
1. Rhinos
2. Fungoes
3. Inmates
4. Nads
Nobody is better than Kershaw, but the Fungoes don't have much beyond the big lefty. And the Rhinos have Aaron Sanchez, Thor, and Archer - one of the strongest 1-2-3 combos in NASOMA. The Inmates and Nads are a toss-up for #3. Chris Tillman of the Nads is the best pitcher on either of these teams, but the Inmates' mediocrity runs deeper.

Bullpen
1. Rhinos
2. Fungoes
3. Nads
4. Inmates
The Rhinos don't have that many relievers, but the ones they have (mostly Jansen and Alex Reyes) are good. Jansen is to the HWD bullpens what Kershaw is to the HWD rotations.

Catcher
1. Inmates
2. Rhinos
3. Fungoes
4. Nads
Wilson Ramos gets the nod here. The Rhinos's Wilson Contreras and Blake Swihart are just a smidge behind Ramos. The interesting thing will be to watch, again, the Rhinos try to milk their combined 314 AB thru an entire season without a third catcher. The Fungoes have the best defensive catcher in the game. He just didn't hit last year.

First Base
1. Rhinos
2. Inmates
3. Nads
4. Fungoes
Joey Votto is head and shoulders above the rest of the group. And that's saying something, because Rizzo and Adrian Hernandez are stout. Even the Fungo platoon of Hosmer and Napoli is quality.

Second Base
1. Rhinos
2. Inmates
3. Nads
4. Fungoes
This is a good position for the HWD. D.J. Lemahieu is the cream of this crop, just ahead of the scrappy Jose Altuve and the powerful Brian Dozier. The Fungoes' dilemma is not having second basemen who can hit - they have that - but they will sacrifice defense no matter which one is in the lineup (until late in games when they can sneak Goins in). Ironically, the Inmates and Rhinos have a combined four players who are 2b-1.

Third Base
1. Rhinos
2. Nads
3. Fungoes
4. Inmates
The Rhinos have been filled with young studs for many years. Kris Bryant is one of those who rose quickly to the top. Jose Ramirez and Matt Carpenter are both very balanced.

Shortstop
1. Fungoes
2. Rhinos
3. Inmates
4. Nads
In an odd coincidence, both the Inmates and Rhinos will find themselves playing 2b-1's at shortstop on a regular basis. The Fungoes' Lindor is the star here, but not by as much as you might think. I'm placing the Baez/Story combo ahead of Segura for #2, but it could just as easily be reversed.

Left Field
1. Rhinos
2. Inmates
3. Fungoes
4. Nads
Whether the Rhino left fielder is Bryant (which it won't be) or Ryan Braun (who it will be), the Rhinos will be #1 in LF. The Inmates counter with Cespedes. The Nads, if they can play Ramirez in LF, would have just as much offense there, but it looks like he'll play third.

Center Field
1. Fungoes
2. Rhinos
3. Inmates
4. Nads
Of course Trout is #1, but there is a huge chasm between #1 and #2 on this list. The Gomez/Buxton duo is slightly better than Adam Jones, but they're all pretty bad.

Right Field
1. Fungoes
2. Inmates
3. Nads
4. Rhinos
Betts easily over CarGo here. The weird thing is how Betts dropped off against LHP last year. I don't know who the Rhinos plan to use in RF. Wil Myers, maybe. Or Matt Kemp and his rf-4. Either way, the Nads' Kole Calhoun is better.

Designated Hitter
1. Fungoes
2. Inmates
3. Rhinos
4. Nads
Daniel Murphy, if he isn't forced to ever wear a fielding glove, is maybe the 2nd best DH in the league after David Ortiz. J.D. Martinez isn't too far behind.

Draft Picks
1. Nads
2. Inmates
3. Rhinos
4. Fungoes
Not a lot of draft picks changed hands in the HWD, but the Fungoes are missing their first - and that is significant. The Fungoes are one of the best card drafters in the league, and he desperately needs starting pitching. The Rhinos are one of the best uncarded drafters in the league, but he needs to go cold turkey this year and take cards.

Overall
1. Rhinos
2. Fungoes
3. Inmates
4. Nads
Out on a limb for this pick. (Honestly, I was planning on copy&pasting last year's prediction and putting it here to see if anyone noticed.) And I could be totally wrong, but the Rhinos won 90 games in 2016, and are better this year. If he uses his picks to build up that bullpen, the Rhinos could/should win the HWD. The Fungoes still have Trout and Kershaw and Lindor and Betts, but they need SP, and the Draft doesn't offer much. The Inmates have put together a slow-pitch softball team again, but he also needs to add pitching, or he'll end up watching the playoffs instead of playing in them.

FFTs trade picks to Warpigs

The FFTs traded picks 100, 132, and 147 to the Warpigs for a 6th round pick in 2018.

That's it. Nothing else to see here. Move along.

2017 Bob Uecker Division

As we work our way through the division outlooks, we move now to the BUD. Here was the forecast in 2016:

Overall:
1. Wahoos
2. Warpigs
3. DVs
4. FFTs
This should be a tightly contested race, but the pitching staff of the Wahoos will be the difference. The Pigs' defense and bullpen should keep them in the mix for a shot at a wild card. The DVs have lots of young talent; they just need a big year from their pitchers. The FFT batters are not on the young side like the DVs, but they still have plenty in the tank. The FFTs also need to hit on some pitchers to challenge the Hoos and Pigs.

Well, the race couldn't have been any tighter. The Hoos and Pigs battled down to the final series of the regular season. And while the Wahoos dominated the season series, the Warpigs won the BUD before finally figuring out a way to beat the Wahoos in the playoffs and making it all the way to the World Series. The FFTs and DVs did not get the pitching they needed and are still searching for it.

What will 2017 bring? More of the same? Can the Wahoos finally get that monkey/pig off their back? Will the FFTs' lineup of future Hall of Famers finally get the pitching help they need to return to the post season? Will the young studs on the DV roster emerge as a perennial powerhouse? Will the Warpigs win a game?

And... we're off...

Starting Pitching
1. Wahoos
2. FFTs
3. DVs
4. Warpigs
Arrieta, Verlander, Estrada, and the Weekend at Bernie's guy dominate this category for the Wahoos. The FFTs aren't too far back, but will depend heavily on left-handers (Hill, Pomeranz, Duffy, Gio). The DVs and Warpigs have some young guys who just aren't good enough yet. The DVs do have Hendricks, though; and he's so good I'm surprised he's not a Wahoo.

Bullpen
1. Wahoos
2. FFTs
3. DVs
4. Warpigs
The Wahoos and Sidewinders have the two best bullpens in NASOMA. The rest of NASOMA's relievers combined couldn't match the depth and quality of either of these squads.

Catcher
1. FFTs
2. Warpigs
3. Wahoos
4. DVs
Yadier is now an FFT, but he's still the best in the division. The platoon of Realmuto and Cervelli make the Pigs a close 2nd. The Wahoos have a good platoon catcher in Rupp.

First Base
1. FFTs
2. Wahoos
3. DVs
4. Warpigs
Miggy > Encarnacion > Pujols > Moreland

Second Base
1. FFTs
2. Wahoos
3. Warpigs
4. DVs
The Robinson Cano vs Dustin Pedroia debate is still alive and well in the BUD. Cano gets the nod - he's even slightly better defensively. If you're looking to the future, the DVs' Panik is the guy to have.

Third Base
1. FFTs
2. Wahoos
3. DVs
4. Warpigs
The Wahoos' Kyle Seager is the best hitter vs RHP; the DVs' Martin Prado is the best hitter vs LHP; but the FFTs' Adrian Beltre is the best overall. It's close, though.

Shortstop
1. DVs
2. Wahoos
3. FFTs
4. Warpigs
Bogaerts and Corey Seager are the best two shortstops in the division, and they both play for the DVs.

Left Field
1. FFTs
2. Wahoos
3. Warpigs
4. DVs
This is not a strong position for the BUD. For all the FFT moaning about not having a LFer, Ichiro puts them in the top spot. The Pigs would have had #1, but the LoCain trade moves Inciarte out of LF and into center.

Center Field
1. Warpigs
2. DVs
3. Wahoos
4. FFTs
Center field is a little better for the division. Inciarte tops the list. Dexter Fowler has almost identical numbers, but the drop off in defense puts him at #2. LoCain is a good enough platoon for the Wahoos to slot him ahead of Ian Desmond of the FFTs.

Right Field
1. Wahoos
2. DVs
3. FFTs
4. Warpigs
Another pretty good position for the BUD. Adam Eaton, who can't field for shit when he moves over to center, catches everything in right. He's also a balance hitter. Giancarlo is the best talent in RF, but his right side isn't good enough to slot him over Eaton. The FFTs' Reddick/Guyer platoon is better than the Warpigs' Pence/Choo platoon.

Designated Hitter
1. FFTs
2. Warpigs
3. Wahoos
4. DVs
Nelson Cruz will be the full time DH for the FFTs. If the Pigs play Yasmany Tomas at DH, he's every bit as good as Cruz. But if he's in LF, it's Chris Carter - and he's not as good. Khris Davis falls somewhere in between Tomas and Carter, so the Hoos are probably #2.

Draft Picks
1. DVs
2. FFTs
3. Wahoos
4. Warpigs
The DVs will be the envy of all at the Draft, with four 1st round picks.

Overall
1. Wahoos
2. FFTs
3. DVs
4. Warpigs
There are about 4 givens in NASOMA this season, and one of them is that the Wahoos will win the BUD. The FFTs just need to add some pitching, and they'll be a playoff team. The DVs have a young, talented nucleus, but they still have holes to fill. He has the draft picks to do this, but the question is 'Is there enough talent in the Draft to fill those holes?' The Warpigs finishing in the BUD cellar is one of the other 4 givens.

2017 Millard Fillmore Division

As we continue to look at the prospects for each NASOMA division in 2017, let's look back at the 2016 predictions for the MFD:

Overall:
1. Zaps
2. Mavs
3. Drillers
4. Buckeyes
The Zaps don't have many holes. He should win 100 games and get that bye he missed last year. Then he can lose in the 2nd round. The Mavs and Drillers should be neck and neck all year to challenge the Zaps or to at least compete for a wild card spot. Any early guesses as to which player the Buckeyes will take with the first pick in the 2016 Draft? How about with the first pick in the 2017 Draft?

Well, we were close. The Zaps did, indeed, win 100 games. And Buckeyes did, indeed, earn the first pick again. Where I screwed up was underestimating the Mavs and overestimating the Drillers. The Mavs got off to an incredible start during Draft Weekend while the Drillers barely avoided a perfect game by Jake Arrieta. It would be a great indication of where these two teams were headed. At the end of the season, the Mavs had the best record in the league while the Drillers finished 45 games in back of them. Unfortunately, both the Mavs and Zaps were shown the door in the playoffs by the eventual champion Sidewinders.

So what happens this year? Well, for starters, we had the first manager turnover in a long, long time. The Zaps showed himself the door and has been replaced by the Skyscrapers. Can they repeat the 100-win season? Will the Mavs be back on top? Will the Buckeyes remember how to win after two years of losing a lot of games? Will the Drillers finally return to post season after several seasons away?

Here we go...

Starting Pitching
1. Skyscrapers
2. Mavs
3. Buckeyes
4. Drillers
Hamels, Scherzer, and Kluber are 3 of the top 4 SPs in the MFD. Carlos Martinez is the other top 4 guy, and with Odorizzi and Carrasco, will keep the Mavs in games. The Buckeyes have Maeda and Happ, but that's about it. The Drillers have Colby Lewis. Resist the temptation to laugh at that.

Bullpen
1. Drillers
2. Mavs
3. Skyscrapers
4. Buckeyes
The Drillers have 3 of the top 6 relievers in the division - led by Addison Reed. The rest of the division isn't very stout in the pen. Fortunately, this draft is pretty deep in relievers.

Catcher
1. Drillers
2. Mavs
3. Buckeyes
4. Skyscrapers
Posey is the best catcher in baseball. His window as a catcher is closing, though. The Drillers better win soon. Lucroy is actually better vs RHP than Posey, but oddly not very productive vs lefties. Evan Gattis is the opposite; he'll be fine against LHP. Russell Martin is adequate but the bottom of this group.

First Base
1. Skyscrapers
2. Buckeyes
3. Drillers
4. Mavs
Goldschmidt doesn't have many peers. Hanley Ramirez and Mark Trumbo will make an interesting platoon (I assume) at 1b for the Buckeyes. Abreu and Chris Davis are good players, but don't quite measure up.

Second Base
1. Buckeyes
2. Skyscrapers
3. Drillers
4. Mavs
Two Warpig castoffs dominate this position in the MFD. Kinsler gets a very slight nod over Kipnis, but if you include Cesar Hernandez, the Scrapers probably leapfrog into the top spot. Devon Travis hits RHP better than both Kinsler and Kipnis (which is weird), but is awful vs LHP.

Third Base
1. Skyscapers
2. Drillers
3. Mavs
4. Buckeyes
If you consider Machado the guy at third for the Skyscrapers, he's the obvious #1. But then, he is also a ss-2, and Rendon could play 3b. Rendon might not be a #1, but he isn't far off. Donaldson would seem like the best choice for #2, but the Mavs have a platoon of Valencia and Castellanos that is actually better - at least offensively. The Buckeyes addition of Justin Turner keeps them in the conversation.

Shortstop
1. Drillers
2. Skyscrapers
3. Mavs
4. Buckeyes
Andrus had such a great year that he leads this cast of talented shortstops. The Skyscrapers have 3 guys (Andrelton, Machado, Hernandez) that, combined, are better than Andrus, but individually, it's Elvis. The Mavs have the talent at SS (Correa and Russell), which puts them ahead of the Buckeyes, but offensively, Asdrubal's left side will make him formidable.

Left Field
1. Drillers
2. Mavs
3. Buckeyes
4. Skyscrapers
Wow, this position was hard to rank - mostly, because it is by far the worst position in the MFD. Yelich is the only quality left fielder in the group. The Buckeyes have Chris Young, who can hit lefties. But that's about it. When did Justin Upton start sucking?

Center Field
1. Drillers
2. Mavs
3. Buckeyes
4. Skyscrapers
Blackmon and Odubel give the Drillers two quality center fielders. The Mavs have Jackie Bradley, Jr., who is only a notch below Blackmon with the bat and better with the glove. He's the best player of the group, and probably should be #1. There's a big drop off after that. I still can't believe Kiermaier is ranked ahead of McCutchen, but he is, and deservedly so. Cutch and Upton and Heyward all took a class together last summer. It was called Suck 101.

Right Field
1. Skyscrapers
2. Mavs
3. Drillers
4. Buckeyes
This is a head scratcher. Before even looking at my spreadsheet, I had typed in Mavs for #1. I mean, it's Bryce Harper, right? Umm... no. Apparently when I was looking the other direction, Harper had a suck year of his own. Not to the extreme of an Upton or McCutchen, but by his standards it was pretty wretched. So yeah, Steven Piscotty gets the nod here. Who'd'a thunk it? And Puig?!? Geez. Granderson? Mazara? The outfields of the MFD are not nearly as good as I assumed they were.

Designated Hitter
1. Drillers
2. Skyscrapers
3. Buckeyes
4. Mavs
Of course, DH always depends on who each team chooses to use there. And while there's no David Ortiz in this division, there are a couple of guys who fit the DH mold more than others. Melky Cabrera is one of those. He is the reason the Drillers are in the top spot. The Skyscrapers could find themselves with a 3b-1 playing DH, and if Rendon is that guy, he slots into the #2 ranking. Apparently, Joey Bats was also on the Suck 101 class roster. Carlos Santana is another guy that has DH written all over him and has the Buckeyes at 3 - mainly because I have no idea who the Mavs might put there. It might be a good time to let the pitchers hit.

Draft Picks
1. Buckeyes
2. Drillers
3. Skyscrapers
4. Mavs
The Buckeyes will get lots of help from the Draft, namely in the person of Gary Sanchez. The Drillers are also in a position to benefit from their early picks. The MFD hasn't moved many picks around.

Overall
1. Buckeyes
2. Skyscrapers
3. Drillers
4. Mavs
I've gone back and forth on this... the Skyscrapers have the best SP and the best infield, but the uncertainty of new ownership means we have to wait and see what kind of a drafter and manager the new guy is. If he loads up on bullpen and outfield... and if he is the game manager I think he is... he could win the MFD. On the other hand, the Buckeye management is a known commodity. His pitchers will suck, but they won't give up homers. His batters will suck, but they will hit a ton of homers... and he can manage circles around every one of us. There's a good chance a wild card team comes from the MFD again this year. The Drillers have a decent bullpen going into the Draft... and they have Posey and some really good offensive pieces... but if they can't find some starting pitching before game 1, they'll have a tough time winning enough games to be a threat. The Mavs will not repeat their division title from last year - unless I have greatly underestimated them again. Still, you have to believe a core of Harper and Correa and Carlos Martinez means even if they are down this year, it won't be for long.

2017 Ab Wheeler Division

It's time for making predictions about the upcoming season.

But first, here are last year's 2016 predictions:
Overall:
1. Sidewinders
2. Tweeners
3. Goofs
4. Bees
The Snakes will again win the AWD. Only the Tweeners are capable of putting any pressure on them, but they should at least be a favorite for a wild card spot. The Goofs will finish 3rd. They just don't have enough to play with the Tweeners. The poor Bees are in for a really long year. But... they'll be back.

I'd say that was pretty much dead on. The Sidewinders not only won the AWD, they won the whole damn thing. The Tweeners competed for a wild card spot right up until the final month of the season. The Goofs finished 3rd, well back of the Tweeners and well ahead of the Bees... who will indeed be back.

Now for this year... The question is not so much can the Snakes repeat, but can anyone challenge them? Will the Tweeners improve enough to get into the post season that eluded them last year? Will the Goofs replace the Tweeners as the AWD runner-up? And how long before the Bees replace the Snakes as the dominant team in the division?

Starting Pitching
1. Goofs
2. Sidewinders
3. Tweeners
4. Killer Bees
I know, I know... Nobody ever has better starting pitching than the Snakes. But, I'm tellin' ya, the Goofs do. Not as good as Sale, of course. And Lester is still good... but after that there's quite a dropoff for the champs. The Goofs have Darvish, Roark, Degrom, Wright, and Tanaka; so I'm giving them a slight edge. MadBum is the second best SP in the division, but King Felix's card isn't even in the top ten.

Bullpen
1. Sidewinders
2. Sidewinders AAA club
3. Sidewinders AA club
4. Goofs
The Snakes' real strength last year is still their strength this year. Their bullpen features 7 of the top 8 relievers in the division.

Catcher
1. Goofs
2. Tweeners
3. Sidewinders
4. Killer Bees
Catcher is not a strong suit for the AWD. Carlos Ruiz is the best catcher in the division, and he only has 200 AB. Plus, he sucks. The Bees don't even have a catcher. They had Zunino, but put him on the cut list - then traded him to the Snakes - and it still had no effect on the ratings.

First Base
1. Killer Bees
2. Sidewinders
3. Tweeners
4. Goofs
Freddy Freeman wins this category for the Bees, ranking just ahead of Belt.

Second Base
1. Sidewinders
2. Tweeners
3. Goofs
4. Killer Bees
Neil Walker is the best in the division, which is NASOMAspeak for The AWD sucks at 2b.

Third Base
1. Tweeners
2. Goofs
3. Sidewinders
4. Killer Bees
A much better-represented position for the AWD. Arenado's defense and power slide him ahead of Yunel Escobar, who has some pretty good numbers. Longoria isn't far behind, and Maikel Franco is damn good, too.

Shortsop
1. Sidewinders
2. Killer Bees
3. Tweeners
4. Goofs
If Trea Turner wasn't a 4... or if Swanson had more AB, the Bees would be #1 here, ahead of Gregorius. But Turner is better in CF, and Swanson only has 129 AB. The Tweeners (Iglesias and Cozart) and the Goofs (Hechavarria) have three ss-1's between them. Too bad you can't DH for the SS.

Left Field
1. Sidewinders
2. Tweeners
3. Goofs
4. Killer Bees
Starling Marte gets the nod here over Ben Zobrist. The platoon of Pagan and Raburn for the Goofs isn't too bad.

Center Field
1. Killer Bees
2. Goofs
3. Tweeners
4. Sidewinders
Trea Turner is a cf-3, and he's the best hitter (not named David Ortiz) in the whole division. Maybin isn't the fielder Pillar is, but he hits a little better. Slidin' Billy Hamilton brings up the rear here.

Right Field
1. Tweeners
2. Killer Bees
3. Sidewinders
4. Goofs
Springer with a slight nod over Polanco. Jay Bruce is well back, but still better than anything the Goofs have.

Designated Hitter
1. Sidewinders
2. Goofs
3. Killer Bees
4. Tweeners
Ortiz is a stud. Hard to believe he's retiring after a season like that. Kang is the most likely DH for the Goofs. The Bees' Sano is not very good... yet. Both are in another time zone from Ortiz.

Draft Picks
1. Tweeners
2. Killer Bees
3. Goofs
4. Sidewinders
All four teams pick early in the first round, but the Tweeners have two seconds. Four of the first eight picks will go to the AWD.

Overall
1. Sidewinders
2. Goofs
3. Tweeners
4. Killer Bees
The champs will repeat their division crown if not their league crown. The core of Sale, Lester, Ortiz, and that outstanding bullpen will vault the Snakes to the top of the AWD, and it won't even be close. The Goofs have enough good SP to win more than they lose, but they won't make the post season. The Tweeners appear to be rebuilding a bit, and MadBum, Arenado, and a pretty decent outfield should put them ahead of the Bees. The Bees have Freeman and Trea Turner, but they're still a year away from returning to contender status.

Brotherly Love Trade

The Killer Bees sent Mike Zunino and Yangervis Solarte to the Sidewinders for pick 112. The Snakes also had to agree to rub one out for the Beeboy at the Draft. "It'll be like when we were kids," said the Snakeman. "We called it a reach around back then, but look at my brother. My arms aren't long enough to do that now."

Another Proposal

Perhaps we should consider changing our rule about injured players who don't get a card.

As an example, consider A.J. Pollock. He had 41 at bats last year, but is not carded. Michael Brantley had 37 at bats, but did get a card. Kyle Schwarber, who had FOUR whopping at bats, got a card. Schwarber's status is based solely on the fact that he played a big role in the playoffs for the Cubs. That card only comes in handy for teams replaying the 2016 World Series. I have no idea (and SOM can't or won't explain) why Brantley gets a card and Pollock doesn't.

I'm not suggesting we institute the rule this year, but we need to get out from under the apparently randomness that is Strat-O-Matic when it comes to something like this. They cannot (or will not) reveal why or where they draw the line when it comes to carded players. I had assumed the reason had to do with how many players on each MLB team had more AB than a certain player. I asked one of the guys from the company, and he said that has nothing to do with that.

So I suggest, starting with the 2018 season, we institute a rule that a player who has had a card before, is considered carded for the rest of his career. Not for playing. I'm not suggesting we allow the computer card to play in a game. But we should be able to protect them on our 30-man roster without using a reserve. Then we wouldn't be at the mercy of SOM when it comes to carding a player.

This would only apply to players like Pollock or Dalton Pompey or Lance Lynn or Andrew Susac or Tyson Ross... or Brett Gardner a couple of years ago - veterans who got injured. Not rookies who have never had a card. The same thing would have applied to Schwarber or Brantley had they not gotten a card. You should be able to protect them on your 30 as long as you still have enough AB/IP to field a team for the season.

What say you?

Warpigs and Wahoos Trade

The Warpigs traded Lorenzo Cain, Brandon Maurer, and pick 31 to the Wahoos today. In exchange, the Pigs get Raisel Iglesias, pick 56, and both of the Wahoo reserve picks.

These are two teams headed in different directions. The Wahoos, your 2017 NASOMA Champions, add a big bat vs LHP. Cain slashed 371/420/596 against lefties last year, and is a 1 in both CF and RF. Maurer is a backwards RH reliever who won't have much to do on this talented team.

For the Pigs, who are in a major rebuild mode, the key to the deal was the 2 reserve picks. "We wanted to take a couple of kids, maybe. But mostly we wanted to expand our roster, giving us a better chance to return to form in 2018." Iglesias is just a bum who was thrown in for the innings.

There is a highly classified addendum to the deal (because one cannot make a deal with the Wahoos without an addendum). The details are minor (and legal) and will be revealed during the Draft.

Buckeyes Ship Utley to Tweeners

The Buckeyes traded Chase Utley to the Tweeners for a 10th round pick (#152).

Utley hit 273/343/425 vs RHP last year. Unfortunately, the 2b-3e6 hit 154 against lefties. Still, his 252 overall average is 40 points higher than he hit in 2015, and he made a roster then. So who knows. He might stick on the Tweener roster as a sort of "older version of Scooter Gennett."

Buckeyes and FFTs trade Hitters

The two oldest teams in NASOMA swapped players today.

Hanley Ramirez is headed to the Buckeyes; Ian Desmond is now an FFT. In addition to Desmond, the FFTs have the option of selecting a player from the list of Buckeye cuts after the Draft.

Ramirez, a fan favorite for the FFTs, hit .286 with 30 homers last year in Boston. He is easily the better hitting card of the two players, but he is limited to 1b. Desmond, who had a break-out year as an outfielder, slashed 285/335/446, but more importantly is a lf/cf-3(-3).

"Desmond helps out our lineup and our bench," said a spokesman for the FFTs. "He allows us to play Cruz at DH."

The Buckeye thinking was simpler. "With Hanley we'll hit more homers."

Both teams are set up for a return to the post season. The Buckeyes have lost 234 games over the last 2 seasons has decided losing isn't much fun. "Losing sucks," said the Head Buckeye. "I don't know why the Drillers enjoy it so much." The FFTs won the first two NASOMA championships in 1980 and 1981; then won another title in 1985. Contrary to popular belief, that was not the last post season appearance by the FFTs.

Sidewinders Unload Another Cut

The Sidewinders traded Franklin Gutierrez to the Buckeyes for Tucker Barnhart.

Gutierrez makes the third Snake to go from his cut list to another team. "I don't know what to make of it," said the Snakeman. "Either I am grossly underrating these players, or all these other teams are so much worse than me that my trash is their treasure. Whatever. It's tough being the king."

"And for the record," added the champ, "I did not do this because of the latest Mock Draft. I already knew I needed a catcher."

Snakes Deal Pitcher to Fungoes

The Sidewinders sent Hector Santiago to the Fungoes for an 8th round pick (#125).

Santiago, who had been designated for assignment, was ecstatic when informed of the deal. "I mean, it's just the Fungoes, but hey, it's a team. It's a job. Ya know? It beats having to sit thru the Draft hoping to hear my name called, and then praying for the seal of approval when The HEAD INMATE says, 'Good pick'." Mr. Santiago was then asked what happens if he also gets cut by the Fungoes. Mr. Santiago sat silent for several moments before rising and exiting the room.

FFTs and Fungoes Trade

The Fungoes finally found a home for Roberto Perez, sending him off to the FFTs for starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen.

The trade is a little quirky because Perez, the catcher, throws harder than Chen, the pitcher. Actually, Perez probably throws harder than anybody on the FFT pitching staff. I was going to add that Chen hits better than Perez, but it isn't quite true. Chen went 0-44 last year, making Perez marginally better.

Besides their similar limp-dick abilities with the bat, they also both come from small islands. Chen is from Taiwan, and Perez from Puerto Rico. That's all I got; the similarities end there.

Pudge, Rock, and Bags

As I'm sure you've already heard, it was announced today that Ivan Rodriguez, Tim Raines, and Jeff Bagwell were voted into MLB's Hall of Fame.

They all weren't so fortunate in the voting by NASOMA owners. Pudge Rodriguez was the only one receiving enough votes to get in. He had 75% of our votes. Roger Clemens (50%), Barry Bonds (46%), and Curt Schilling (42%) were the next three in line. Raines only garnered 25% of the vote, and Bagwell was well back with 14%.

Despite only 16 members in NASOMA, we somehow managed to have 28 ballots cast. I'm pretty sure Putin was behind it.

Willie McCovey Pardoned

Thirty years ago this March, the Fungoes and Warpigs took a bus trip out to Arizona for a week of Spring Training. One or the other of us may have shared the stories with you before. Bottom line, it was an awesome week filled with great memories. One of the memories is the time we "ran into" Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.

We were walking into a park for an early B game, and right there in front of us was the great McCovey. A small group of people were standing around him getting his autograph. Just about the time we walked up behind him, he wheeled around to leave and walked smack into me. Just plowed right into me. He's a big man, and I wasn't quite so big back then. He politely apologized and continued on his way.

Earlier today, President Obama pardoned Mr. McCovey. I can only assume it was for bumping into me 30 years ago.

Skyscrapers and Buckeyes Trade

The Buckeyes sent starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Skyscrapers for shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

Gausman, the young LSU alum, had a good year in 2016, with a 3.61 ERA in 179.2 innings. He will take up a spot at the back of the Skyscraper rotation.

Cabrera, the switch-hitting ss-3e8, hit .280 last year with 23 homers. His value on the new Skyscraper team was diminished with the addition of Andrelton Simmons, and as the new owner stated in his release, "There's only room for one shortstop with a weird first name that starts with A."

Rule Change Proposal

Currently, we allow 33% of the AB/IP on a player's card for the playoffs. The 33% is the max for the entire playoffs regardless of whether the team plays 1, 2, or 3 series. This rule isn't entirely fair for a couple of reasons, and I offer a simple solution: Allow 10% per series.

Take the case of the Warpigs vs Wahoos this past year. The Wahoos lost in 7 games in part because the Pigs used Rich Hill and Jarrett Parker almost to the max. Parker was allowed 16 AB, and he used 13 of them in the 7 games against the Wahoos. Rich Hill only had 10 innings to use, and he used 7.2 against the Hoos. With these two guys shooting their wads in one series, it helped the Pigs and hurt the Wahoos. A 10% max would have meant Parker had 5 AB and Hill 3 innings - a much more realistic use of these studly, but limited, cards.

Also, the teams who get the bye have a built-in advantage of only having to win one series to advance to the World Series. They shouldn't get an added advantage of more usage from those "playoff" cards. The 10% per series rule puts the teams on a more even ground.

And finally, much of our league is founded on a system of trust, as in, "I trust you to keep accurate stats and not to overuse a player during the regular season." And that's fine. But with the 10% limit per series, you don't have to worry or ask about how much a player was used in the previous series; you know how much he can use that player against you.

This rule would have no affect on regular players, and very little affect on medium AB/IP guys. It will only affect the Jarrett Parker/Rich Hill types. It will decrease their value and their ability to dominate a series, and that's a good thing, I think.

The First Mock Draft of the Season!

If for no other reason than to get the taste of this fucking football season out of my mouth, here's the first Mock Draft of the season. Keep in mind I have taken only a cursory glance at the ratings guide, and as of now, have only a casual understanding of what each team might need.

So let's dive in...

1. Mansfield Buckeyes - Gary Sanchez, c - The Buckeyes surprised everyone by taking Nomar Mazara with the first pick last year. And while Mazara is a decent young player, the Buckeyes probably wish they could have a do-over. That's not the case this time as Sanchez is a no-brainer, and will lead the Buckeyes back to the playoffs. If nothing else, it will finally give the Buckeyes a reason to try to win games.

2. Nashville Killer Bees - Andrew Benintendi, of - Despite what you might have read in a previous post, the Bees have put together a promising young nucleus, and Benintendi will fit right in. The Bees won't extend their season in 2017, but they'll be back in 2018 to wreak havoc in the AWD. Now if his guys can just stay off of boats.

3. Oklahoma Drillers - David Dahl, of - A fine young left-handed bat who gets to ply his wares in Coors Field. In other words, the perfect Driller in their quest to remain the most talented team not in the playoffs.

4. Stanley Sidewinders - Sandy Leon, c - This was a toughie, and a definite trek out onto the limb. But the Snakes are in good shape everywhere except catcher... Leon will have a great card... he's a -3... Sounds like the guy the Sidewinders want behind the plate as they make a bid to defend their title.

5. Disney SuperGoofs - Alex Bregman, 3b - Bregman is gonna be the next big thing. He slides to the Goofs because two of the teams ahead of him are looking for cards, and the other two are already loaded at 3b. On the other hand, Carlos Beltran is available... and that certainly sounds more like a Goof pick.

6. Chicago Nads - Aledmys Diaz, ss - Erick Aybar sucks, and fittingly, Diaz comes along at the right time to take his place at the BallSac.

7. Tulsa DVs - Michael Fulmer, sp - The DVs need pitching, and Fulmer is a bright young prospect who also has lots of innings on a pretty good card. He might be the first pitcher taken, but he should at least be the first SP.

8. Logan County Tweeners - Chris Devenski, sp/rp - Devenski doesn't have as many innings as Fulmer, but his card will be better and he can pitch in relief.

9. Waco Inmates - Dan Straily - The Inmates had penciled in Fulmer, but after pick 7 had to angrily scratch it out and replace it with Devenski. But then at pick 8... oh, nevermind. You get it. By the way, this assures Straily will be on the DL by the end of April.

10. Belldale Rhinos - Victor Robles, of/uncarded - The Rhino lineup is primed to climb to the top of the HWD. He even has stellar starting pitching. He just needs bullpen. So, of course, he takes an uncarded outfielder in the Nationals' organization. It all fits in his plan to return to the World Series by 2025.

11. Tulsa DVs - Seung Hwan Oh, rp - The Draft order is set up perfectly for the DVs. He had his choice of SPs at pick 7, and now he has his pick of relievers at pick 11. Oh is the guy. The DVs have already queued up the Beatles' song, "Oh! Darling" to be played as Oh comes in for the save.

12. New York Skyscrapers - Edwin Diaz, rp - Disappointed that all the stud first-year cards are already on teams, the new guy does the smart thing and drafts for need. The Skyscrapers will give the Buckeyes, Mavs, and Drillers trouble in the MFD.

13. Tulsa DVs - Tyler Thornburg, rp - The DVs with another pick... the DVs with another pitcher. As for Thornburg being the guy... I have no idea. Maybe it's Kyle Barraclough. Maybe Nate Jones. Maybe someone else. Whichever one has the best looking card will join the DV bullpen and help them finish a strong 2nd behind the Wahoos in the BUD.

14. Midlothian Mavs - Matt Bush, rp - When in doubt, take the Ranger. And I'm in doubt. I ran out of ideas after about 11 picks (and that includes having the Rhinos take an uncarded player). Hey, maybe the Mavs see something in Jurickson Profar.

15. South Grand Prairie Wahoos - Tyler Naquin, of/dh - Naquin would fit in nicely on this team. He sucks in the outfield, but he can hit. And the Wahoos already have all the pitching they will need to run away with the BUD before exiting the playoffs in the 2nd round. (That's right, I'm awarding him a 1st round bye.)

16. Tulsa DVs - Jonathan Villar, inf - A fourth 1st round pick? Is that even legal?

Well there you have it. Next up, I'll take a look at the division races. (Spoiler alert: The Warpigs will NOT win the BUD.) Analyzing the divisions will give me a better idea of the needs for each team and make the next Mock Draft better. I hope.

Ratings Guide Available

The SOM Ratings book/download is available now at SOM. It's $15.50 for the download.

Snakes and Bees Trade

In a surprising move, the Sidewinders sent the young speedster Dee Gordon and the even younger slugger Jorge Soler to the Killer Bees. In return, the Snakes add Joe Blanton to an already stellar pen along with veteran second baseman Neil Walker.

Blanton threw 80 innings last year, holding hitters from both sides of the plate to minuscule batting averages. Walker, who will be a 2b-3, had terrific numbers vs LHP, and the Snakes always see plenty of LHP.

Soler, 24, has fallen out of favor with a couple of NASOMA teams over the past year, getting traded by the Buckeyes just last summer. His hope of earning the 500 AB he needs to blossom into a power hitter might be within reach now that he's in the American League and can DH.

Dee Gordon, who swiped 30 bases last year and will be a 2b-2, was not the least bit pleased to go from the top of NASOMA to the dregs. "I don't know what I did to piss off the Snakeman," Gordon said. "I helped the bastard finally win a title, I got him laid when he came down to Miami, and now he wants to run me off. And to the fucking BEES! Jesus Christ... I mean... the Nads? Sure, okay. The Goofs... shit, fine. Even the damn Drillers would have been acceptable... But the fucking Bees? I don't even play the banjo. Nobody will ever hear from me again."