Mid-Week Report

This posting identifies the stronger performances thus far for the current week.

I plan on making this a regular weekly report. However, beginning with the next report (following this posting) I plan to post at the Hardball Heaven Blog Site which Randy has so nicely implemented. If you have not got this site bookmarked, take the time and do it now. http://heavenball.blogspot.com/

I rank these performances based upon the ranking of each of our 12 team stats in the league. If a team ranks within the top 4 spots in the league, they get a point. Thus, the superior team would be the team that ranks among the top 4 in all twelve (12) stat categories.

Okay, into week 3 thus far – thru Thursday. I have titled this period as the 50% point of the total week.

STRONG PERFORMANCES
Well. It looks like the current 2008 League Champion Halfway Hardballers is flexing their muscles for thus far, the team is the current strongest performer of the week – thus far. Of the key stats, the team is in the top 4 ranking category in 8 of the 12 spots with 5 of them in hitting and 3 in pitching. I have to admit to one factor I have voiced in the past. Halfway Hardballers seems to consistently play to their competition, but that is not the case thus far this week. If it were – Hardballers would win the matchup – but with a much lower performance. They are matched up against Plasmatics. In top performance ranking they have just appeared in 1 spot – the weakest performer of the week – thus far. Score at this point, Hardballers is bashing on, 8-1-3.

Oh my gosh, next strongest performer, previously season to date better known as the dogs of the league – a team that looked like they were permitting everyone to beat upon them may be waking up. Blind Squirrels is crushing Champions who as the 2nd worse performer thus far this week with just 2 points among the top 4 teams in the league. It’s obvious that these top two performers should be playing this week among the stronger teams in the league. The Blind Squirrels is crushing Champions 10-1—1 thus far this week. They rank among the top teams in 7 of the 12 categories with strength shown in pitching – 6 of the 7 leading stats.

Unlike the Top 2 Performers, BASEMAN is not rolling over their opponent. They, in fact, are losing their matchup against the Tenn Hitters 5-6-1. I guess this qualifies for the leagues Hardluck Team thus far this week. BASEMAN’s last pitching accomplishment appears to have been no fluke for the trend has continued thus far thru this week. However, they have pitched just 10 innings thus far. In those innings, they have garnered 2 Wins and two Saves with just an ERA of 0.90. They have been placed among the leaders in 4 pitching categories thus far and has thrown in an additional 2 in hitting – a total of 6 stat categories.

AVERAGE PERFORMERS
Ageless One may not be one of the top performing teams this week as the owner has stated, but they certainly are not among the weak teams in the league this week either. They rank among the top teams in 5 of 12 stat categories, 3 in hitting and 2 in pitching. They appear to be handling the Uticans pretty easily, winning 8-4-0 thus far.

The REDS are also reflecting an average performance thus far with 5 points thus far, and line up with Ageless’s stats, with 3 in hitting and 2 in pitching. REDS is winning their matchup this week thus far, beating Morning Wood 7-5-0.

Stars is performing as expected, to put it mildly. They also have accumulated 5 total points, all 5 in hitting. In fact, their hitting performance ranks only behind Halfway Hardballers in performance. Pitching performance thus far needs to be reinforced for the rest of the week. Hitting has helped them take a lead of 7-3-0 against Zonk – a good opponent for them to beat because I feel they are now underperforming and will eventually emerge among the contending teams.

The Tenn Hitters is the last ranked average performing team thus far this week. Their matchup with BASEMAN is very much up in the air thus far. The big question for Tennessee is whether BASEMAN’s pitching will hold up. This matchup appears to be one the most competitive thus far this week with Tenn Hiters on the lower end thus far – 5-6-1.

BELOW AVERAGE PERFORMANCES
New York Uticans has been hampered by injuries and score reflects just that with Ageless One handling them very easily – thus far, 8-4-0. The Uticans have placed among the 4 Top Performing Teams in the league in just 3 categories, 2 in hitting and 1 in pitching. To improve, it appears the room for such is in their pitching – where they have just pitched 14.0 innings to date.

Morning Wood is another below performer and like the Utican’s, have scored in just 3 categories among the better team performers in the league. Their favorable categories were all in pitching. They are thus far losing a close matchup against REDS 5-7-0 but, must show improved hitting to win their match.

Zonk, like the above two ranked teams, is performing below average. They are losing thus far to Stars, mainly due to Stars superb hitting performance. But there is room to improve – especially in pitching. Hitting appears that this portion of the score will go unchanged.

POOR PERFORMING TEAMS
Our league’s 4th Place Champions appears to be falling in the standings by the end of this week. Only Plasmatics is having a worse week. But, the Champions score is more discouraging, being hammered by tenth place (hot scoring performer) Blind Squirrels – 10-1-1, a team Champions needs to be beating to remain in favorable status. Champs has won just two of the Top Team stat categories – 1 each in hitting and pitching.

Plasmatics distinguishes themselves this week as the poorest performer of the week – a not wanting category award. Plasmatics, I’m sure, will be looking to accomplish what they did last week – coming back from a first half weeks poor performance to end up in an even scoring contest. They may have trouble against the improved hitting by Halfway Hardballers.