10.19.2011
9.10.2011
By the Numbers: End of Year Numbers
Let's take a final look at what has transpired in the 9th season in 2011. The numbers ironed themselves out perfectly for five teams, six teams were either a plus1 or negative 1 in H to H vs. Roto, and only one team finished with a variable of 2. That goes to show that most everything evens out in the end. At least this year! I will let everyone take a look at the numbers and then give further feedback below the table.
There was definitley an upper tier and lower tier this year, which is a rarity in Hardball Heaven. 2 teams finishing over 100 total pts. and 3 teams in the 90+ point range clarifies the distinct divisons. I can bet that has not happened before in league history. Now a look at teams based on place in roto stats, not H to H.
1) Stars: Talk about finishing with a flourish. Took over the lead in roto in the final week, which looked udderly impossible 8 weeks ago. The offense finished with 60 pts. out of 72, and the pitching took 55 out of 72. Talk about high efficiency. I don't think we have ever seen a team get on that kind of roll before for 8 straight weeks in this league. I'm sure Stephen hopes his team can keep it going for a few more weeks in the playoffs.
2) Baseman: Finished with 113 pts. taking 68 of 72 pts. on offense. Not bad. Pitching finished with 45, which was 5th in points. You could flip a coin between B-Man and Stars. Both teams refuse to step aside for regular season accolades.
3) Hardballers: Sometimes 96 points could win in roto, so Randy did real well this season. Pitching took 50/72, while offense took 46/72. Randy showed he knows how to build a balanced, yet potent team. But, I know he wants more in the playoffs to really make a capper of a season.
4) Hitters: Finished with 93 pts. for 4th. That is hard to do with that high of number of pts. Team had 61/72 pts. on offense, while pitching only took 32. Could balance hurt the team in the playoffs?
5) Squirrels: The third team with pts. in the 90 range finishing at 91. How did he do it? Took 57/72 in pitching is how. Verlander is a CY Young winner and possibly MVP of the AL. He is that good! Took 34/72 on offense for just below average. Offense has to hit to win the league title.
6) Champs: If roto had playoffs, then Ed would be in the top tier. Finished with 79 pts. which is very admirable. 61/72 pts. were in pitching! Only 18/72 on offense. Hard for pitching only to carry a team to prominence. I am amazed at the pitching stats though. That is very hard to take that many pts. of 72 when pitching has so many x-factors. Look at this stat: K's finished 2nd, and BB's 1st. Wow! Not sure if I have ever seen that. Pitching will have to win the Rick Hill Award for Ed.
7) Panties: Took 74 pts. for 7th in roto, yet still finished 5th in the league, but was at position 3-5 most of the year. This point total is worthy of his playoff status to be honest. Panties had 39 points on defense and 35 on offense, so he was pretty much at the average in roto pts. Can't knock that or the team. Has a chance in the playoffs, but the slimmest for all top tier teams.
8) Uticans: Finished with 68 pts. with 45 in pitching and only 23 on offense. Not a typical Uticans team at all. Just lacked the punch it needed on offense except for batting average. Also, not making as many moves these days. I sure the Rick Hill Award would be a nice way for Kerm to end his season.
9) Zonk: Finished with 65 pts. and the strongest category overall was wins where Stephen finished with the 3rd highest point total. Nothing real flashy here as Zonk's offense is usually more potent, but not this season. Must do some re-evaluating and come back strong next year.
10) Sultan: Took a blow at the beginning of the season, as a newcomer nonetheless, by having to autodraft, but not by choice. So tried to shake things up by making trades that did work out to a minor degree. Had a total of 56 points with 43 on offense and an abysmal 13 on defense. That may be an
all-time record low. Trust me when I say it is tough to be a rookie in this league, but don't count of this kind of performance from Chad next season. He takes pride in this league and has learned a lot. He will be a team to reckon with next year, I can assure you.
11)Thanks for Playing: Finished with 50 pts. and showed good speed by finishing 2nd in SB's this year. Other than that category didn't finish in the top half of anything else. It's either the Rick Hill Award or just a real disappointing season on Timmy's end.
12) Ageless: Finished with 49 pts. and finished strong in HR's and Saves, but 4 last places in other categories hurt the team. Is this a team that sticks too long with its players and not making enough moves? In my opinion yes. There has to be more moves made in a season to stay competitive in Hardball Heaven. I think this ultimately doomed The Ageless One.
Well this is the final edition of By the Numbers for the 2011 season, so hope you all enjoyed.
BASEMAN
There was definitley an upper tier and lower tier this year, which is a rarity in Hardball Heaven. 2 teams finishing over 100 total pts. and 3 teams in the 90+ point range clarifies the distinct divisons. I can bet that has not happened before in league history. Now a look at teams based on place in roto stats, not H to H.
1) Stars: Talk about finishing with a flourish. Took over the lead in roto in the final week, which looked udderly impossible 8 weeks ago. The offense finished with 60 pts. out of 72, and the pitching took 55 out of 72. Talk about high efficiency. I don't think we have ever seen a team get on that kind of roll before for 8 straight weeks in this league. I'm sure Stephen hopes his team can keep it going for a few more weeks in the playoffs.
2) Baseman: Finished with 113 pts. taking 68 of 72 pts. on offense. Not bad. Pitching finished with 45, which was 5th in points. You could flip a coin between B-Man and Stars. Both teams refuse to step aside for regular season accolades.
3) Hardballers: Sometimes 96 points could win in roto, so Randy did real well this season. Pitching took 50/72, while offense took 46/72. Randy showed he knows how to build a balanced, yet potent team. But, I know he wants more in the playoffs to really make a capper of a season.
4) Hitters: Finished with 93 pts. for 4th. That is hard to do with that high of number of pts. Team had 61/72 pts. on offense, while pitching only took 32. Could balance hurt the team in the playoffs?
5) Squirrels: The third team with pts. in the 90 range finishing at 91. How did he do it? Took 57/72 in pitching is how. Verlander is a CY Young winner and possibly MVP of the AL. He is that good! Took 34/72 on offense for just below average. Offense has to hit to win the league title.
6) Champs: If roto had playoffs, then Ed would be in the top tier. Finished with 79 pts. which is very admirable. 61/72 pts. were in pitching! Only 18/72 on offense. Hard for pitching only to carry a team to prominence. I am amazed at the pitching stats though. That is very hard to take that many pts. of 72 when pitching has so many x-factors. Look at this stat: K's finished 2nd, and BB's 1st. Wow! Not sure if I have ever seen that. Pitching will have to win the Rick Hill Award for Ed.
7) Panties: Took 74 pts. for 7th in roto, yet still finished 5th in the league, but was at position 3-5 most of the year. This point total is worthy of his playoff status to be honest. Panties had 39 points on defense and 35 on offense, so he was pretty much at the average in roto pts. Can't knock that or the team. Has a chance in the playoffs, but the slimmest for all top tier teams.
8) Uticans: Finished with 68 pts. with 45 in pitching and only 23 on offense. Not a typical Uticans team at all. Just lacked the punch it needed on offense except for batting average. Also, not making as many moves these days. I sure the Rick Hill Award would be a nice way for Kerm to end his season.
9) Zonk: Finished with 65 pts. and the strongest category overall was wins where Stephen finished with the 3rd highest point total. Nothing real flashy here as Zonk's offense is usually more potent, but not this season. Must do some re-evaluating and come back strong next year.
10) Sultan: Took a blow at the beginning of the season, as a newcomer nonetheless, by having to autodraft, but not by choice. So tried to shake things up by making trades that did work out to a minor degree. Had a total of 56 points with 43 on offense and an abysmal 13 on defense. That may be an
all-time record low. Trust me when I say it is tough to be a rookie in this league, but don't count of this kind of performance from Chad next season. He takes pride in this league and has learned a lot. He will be a team to reckon with next year, I can assure you.
11)Thanks for Playing: Finished with 50 pts. and showed good speed by finishing 2nd in SB's this year. Other than that category didn't finish in the top half of anything else. It's either the Rick Hill Award or just a real disappointing season on Timmy's end.
12) Ageless: Finished with 49 pts. and finished strong in HR's and Saves, but 4 last places in other categories hurt the team. Is this a team that sticks too long with its players and not making enough moves? In my opinion yes. There has to be more moves made in a season to stay competitive in Hardball Heaven. I think this ultimately doomed The Ageless One.
Well this is the final edition of By the Numbers for the 2011 season, so hope you all enjoyed.
BASEMAN
8.29.2011
By the Numbers: Roto vs. H to H for Week 21
Well, it is getting that time again. Playoff Time!!! This has been one odd year in that the all 6 teams in the upper tier have already clinched their birth with one week left. If Timmy can get 9 Points this week then we will have all teams reaching 100 Wins for the first time ever. So, I for one am rooting for him. Sorry Panties. The competition is going to be great in both tiers as several teams are bunched. There is definitely no shame in going for the first Rick Hill Award. Ok, here is what I glean from the results this week.
#1 Baseman: Went up in roto stats and had an excellent week last week in most categories. But........
#2 Stars is right behind. Also went up again in roto stats. One has to say the rise has been phenomenal to say the least. I did some research on Stars winning percentage since the trades for Tulo and Upton and here's what I found. Since the Tulo trade, the winning percentage has been a very solid .633. I would take that anyday. Since adding both Tulo and Upton, (ok, time to drop the jaw) the winning percentage has been an astronomical .837!!! And some managers wondered why the trades were so controversial? Well, the stats don't lie. Gaining All Star calibur players on offense make a tremendous impact. Baseman was a cut above the rest for much of the season, but now Stars has made it a neck to neck race.
#3 Hardballers: Randy has been steady at #3 for awhile now. Just biding his time until the playoffs.
#4 Wooster: Continues to defy the stats and looking to surprise in the playoffs.
#5 Squirrels: Can pitching lead Juan to the Promised Land? It's happened before. Also Prince Fielder is raking.
#6 Hitters: Had two tough matchups the last two weeks against B-Man and Stars. If the pitching has a good week or two in the playoffs, then Hitters is going to be tough! The problem is that the pitching has been lettting him down much of the season.
#7 Zonk: Really rose in roto this week and in the H to H standings. Pushing for that Rick Hill Award.
# 8 Champs: Played Randy tough, but lost a close one last week.
#9 Utica: Took a tumble in roto and in the standings.
#10 Sultan: Stayed steady this week in roto and moved up one position in H to H. Has had hard luck with pitchers this year. That's why it is very risky to trade for pitching!
#11 Ageless: Not in last in roto anymore and not in the standings, despite an 11-1 pasting last week.
#12 Thanks for Playing: Lost to Sultan in the final game last week. Team is playing hard, but results aren't really showing.
Hope you enjoyed or maybe not!
BASEMAN
#1 Baseman: Went up in roto stats and had an excellent week last week in most categories. But........
#2 Stars is right behind. Also went up again in roto stats. One has to say the rise has been phenomenal to say the least. I did some research on Stars winning percentage since the trades for Tulo and Upton and here's what I found. Since the Tulo trade, the winning percentage has been a very solid .633. I would take that anyday. Since adding both Tulo and Upton, (ok, time to drop the jaw) the winning percentage has been an astronomical .837!!! And some managers wondered why the trades were so controversial? Well, the stats don't lie. Gaining All Star calibur players on offense make a tremendous impact. Baseman was a cut above the rest for much of the season, but now Stars has made it a neck to neck race.
#3 Hardballers: Randy has been steady at #3 for awhile now. Just biding his time until the playoffs.
#4 Wooster: Continues to defy the stats and looking to surprise in the playoffs.
#5 Squirrels: Can pitching lead Juan to the Promised Land? It's happened before. Also Prince Fielder is raking.
#6 Hitters: Had two tough matchups the last two weeks against B-Man and Stars. If the pitching has a good week or two in the playoffs, then Hitters is going to be tough! The problem is that the pitching has been lettting him down much of the season.
#7 Zonk: Really rose in roto this week and in the H to H standings. Pushing for that Rick Hill Award.
# 8 Champs: Played Randy tough, but lost a close one last week.
#9 Utica: Took a tumble in roto and in the standings.
#10 Sultan: Stayed steady this week in roto and moved up one position in H to H. Has had hard luck with pitchers this year. That's why it is very risky to trade for pitching!
#11 Ageless: Not in last in roto anymore and not in the standings, despite an 11-1 pasting last week.
#12 Thanks for Playing: Lost to Sultan in the final game last week. Team is playing hard, but results aren't really showing.
Hope you enjoyed or maybe not!
BASEMAN
8.22.2011
By the Numbers: Roto vs. H to H for Week 20
Ok, all you stat freaks, here is the latest "By the Numbers" as the regular season is about to close in a couple of weeks. The numbers all the way around are frightening close in roto vs. H to H. Take a look and then I will give a further analysis of what I say crunching the numbers.
1) BASEMAN's stats went up since last week, but lost ground to the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the standings. That is just the nature of head to head.
2) Stars dramatic rise in stats and standings are no coincidence. Just look at the trades and the all star offensive lineup and there is the answer. This was predicted by the way.
3) Hardballers is the most balanced team of all with 48 pts. for both offense and defense in roto stats. No wonder he is having a stellar season. I guess the pts. could be balanced at the low end, but you get my point.
4) Tennessee and Squirrels are tied in roto pts. and almost tied in the standings. Squirrels earns most points by pitching and Hitters (hence the name) on offense.
5) Wooster has been showing his playoff position is worthy as the differential in roto points and H to H standings is only a plus 1. Still a longshot come playoff time to win 3 straight.
6) Champs has actually shown a bit of life on offense. This happened last year come playoff time and he will need this again for the Rick Hill Award.
7) Utica's numbers show decent pitching and poor offense. Uncharacteristic of his teams normally.
8) Zonk is balanced, but more on the low end with 33 pts. on both offense and defense. Not the Zonk we are accostumed to seeing.
9) Sultan has increased his pitching points, but it seems to be the offense slowing a bit of late with a drop in pt. production.
10) Thanks for Playing (Love the Name, but tells of the year Timmy has been having) has been dropping in points and barely holding off Ageless for total of roto points. Their roto finish may be one to watch.
As you can see the year play out, roto and Head to Head standings are awfully close and that just goes to show what a marathon of a season it is, and the better teams more often than not rise to the top. There are some exceptions from year to year, but hard to say that this year. Ed does have 78 pts. to Wooster's 72, but I explained the numbers last week and when a balance of offensive pts. to defensive pts. is so off kilter like Champs is, then it is hard to be consistent from week to week.
BASEMAN
1) BASEMAN's stats went up since last week, but lost ground to the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the standings. That is just the nature of head to head.
2) Stars dramatic rise in stats and standings are no coincidence. Just look at the trades and the all star offensive lineup and there is the answer. This was predicted by the way.
3) Hardballers is the most balanced team of all with 48 pts. for both offense and defense in roto stats. No wonder he is having a stellar season. I guess the pts. could be balanced at the low end, but you get my point.
4) Tennessee and Squirrels are tied in roto pts. and almost tied in the standings. Squirrels earns most points by pitching and Hitters (hence the name) on offense.
5) Wooster has been showing his playoff position is worthy as the differential in roto points and H to H standings is only a plus 1. Still a longshot come playoff time to win 3 straight.
6) Champs has actually shown a bit of life on offense. This happened last year come playoff time and he will need this again for the Rick Hill Award.
7) Utica's numbers show decent pitching and poor offense. Uncharacteristic of his teams normally.
8) Zonk is balanced, but more on the low end with 33 pts. on both offense and defense. Not the Zonk we are accostumed to seeing.
9) Sultan has increased his pitching points, but it seems to be the offense slowing a bit of late with a drop in pt. production.
10) Thanks for Playing (Love the Name, but tells of the year Timmy has been having) has been dropping in points and barely holding off Ageless for total of roto points. Their roto finish may be one to watch.
As you can see the year play out, roto and Head to Head standings are awfully close and that just goes to show what a marathon of a season it is, and the better teams more often than not rise to the top. There are some exceptions from year to year, but hard to say that this year. Ed does have 78 pts. to Wooster's 72, but I explained the numbers last week and when a balance of offensive pts. to defensive pts. is so off kilter like Champs is, then it is hard to be consistent from week to week.
BASEMAN
8.16.2011
By the Numbers: Roto vs. H to H for Week 19
Here are the numbers for Week 19 and for the most part the roto and head to head numbers match up rather close. It is amazing really. Looking at the first five places in the standings, there is no differential. I will let you take a look at the chart and then give some more input of my own below. Want you to analyze for yourself first.
Ok, here is my analysis.
Baseman and Stars are very close and that is showing in the standings. Truly powerful teams during the regular season, but there is definitely competition behind that is highly capable of knocking them off in the playoffs.
Hardballers, Tennessee and Squirrels have solid point numbers and show why they are deserving of playoff positions this season. No flukey teams here. Hardballers has been rising in points and I have noticed. So has his record as a matter of fact.
Panties is still playing above his roto point numbers, but not by as much. It all could still equal out for him when all is said and done.
Utica loses a few points, but is now at no differential, while Champs is performing as the 6th highest ranked team in roto, but not transferring to the standings, and unfortunately for him it won't. The bottom 6 teams are too far behind and Hardball Heaven has never seen the likes of this before with 3 weeks left where the only questions are playoff seedings. There is a distinct division between the top half of the league and the bottom. Last week's scores proved that pretty much, except for Champs who tied Wooster. Upsets happen, but looking at the whole season, the league is truly divided this year, which is extremely rare!!
One more note on Champs. He has 62 of his total 78 points in pitching. The pitching numbers are stunningly good as it is hard to accumulate that many points when you can only get 72 total on defense. Awesome! Problem is that the offense only gives him 16 points out of a possible 72. That is anemic to say the least! Wooster on the other hand only has 72 total roto points, but the team is more balanced. Therefore, Wooster has a better shot of winning week to week. For example, Wooster has 38 points on defense and 34 on offense. Pretty close. Ed may want to draft more offense next season. Just looking at the numbers!
The rest of the league is pretty close in the roto vs. H to H standings. I Fear is at -2, but his numbers have declined a bit. It is very close in numbers for teams 9-12.
Hope you enjoyed! Please add your own analysis is you see something I didn't.
BASEMAN
Ok, here is my analysis.
Baseman and Stars are very close and that is showing in the standings. Truly powerful teams during the regular season, but there is definitely competition behind that is highly capable of knocking them off in the playoffs.
Hardballers, Tennessee and Squirrels have solid point numbers and show why they are deserving of playoff positions this season. No flukey teams here. Hardballers has been rising in points and I have noticed. So has his record as a matter of fact.
Panties is still playing above his roto point numbers, but not by as much. It all could still equal out for him when all is said and done.
Utica loses a few points, but is now at no differential, while Champs is performing as the 6th highest ranked team in roto, but not transferring to the standings, and unfortunately for him it won't. The bottom 6 teams are too far behind and Hardball Heaven has never seen the likes of this before with 3 weeks left where the only questions are playoff seedings. There is a distinct division between the top half of the league and the bottom. Last week's scores proved that pretty much, except for Champs who tied Wooster. Upsets happen, but looking at the whole season, the league is truly divided this year, which is extremely rare!!
One more note on Champs. He has 62 of his total 78 points in pitching. The pitching numbers are stunningly good as it is hard to accumulate that many points when you can only get 72 total on defense. Awesome! Problem is that the offense only gives him 16 points out of a possible 72. That is anemic to say the least! Wooster on the other hand only has 72 total roto points, but the team is more balanced. Therefore, Wooster has a better shot of winning week to week. For example, Wooster has 38 points on defense and 34 on offense. Pretty close. Ed may want to draft more offense next season. Just looking at the numbers!
The rest of the league is pretty close in the roto vs. H to H standings. I Fear is at -2, but his numbers have declined a bit. It is very close in numbers for teams 9-12.
Hope you enjoyed! Please add your own analysis is you see something I didn't.
BASEMAN
8.08.2011
Getting Reunited With Plaz (Peter Alden)
Here is a recent message from Peter that he sent me. Wanted to share it with you all. He dearly misses the league, but as you can see he is awfully busy these days, plus is working on getting his Master's degree among other aspects of life. He tells me that if he can't devote the amount of time needed to perform well in the league, then better to stay out. Plaz is quite the competitor as we all know and he consistently placed well and is a one-time champ! His email is pralden@yahoo.com if any of you would like to say a big "Hello." I know he would like hearing from some of us.
Here's his message:
Surprise! Some of you haven't been informed yet that Tessa gave birth to Asher Vale on July 29th. He tipped the scales at 9lb. 2 oz. and was 53cm tall. It has been a very exciting past several days (Asher is now 9 days old-TIME FLIES). We're all back home in our apartment, safe and sound. Interestingly, Asher sleeps most of the night and is awake most of the day. I don't expect that to last, but I'll take it while I can get it. On Monday, we'll need to take Asher into downtown Shanghai to get his Canadien Passport and citizenship. We'll do the same at the American consulate later. We have opted not to hire a personal driver and have resorted to taxi cabs for the time being. Securing a taxi cab driver who is willing to take a car seat can be a challenge here in Shanghai. Sometimes it takes two or three flaggings before we find the right driver.
BASEMAN
By the Numbers: Roto vs. H to H for Week 18
Here are the new stats for last week. There have been definite changes for some teams. S & P has definitely downgraded Baseman......LOL!
Ok, here is my take on the numbers and some patterns developing.
#1: Stars has made monumental leaps in recent weeks and it ain't by coincidence. The offense is just explosive with power almost at every position. Remember when I alerted the league to what the trades would mean for Stephen's team. Well, look at what has taken place. An offensive juggernaut has developed before our very eyes. I'm sorry, but I may not get over the Tulowitzki trade. He helped propel me to the title a few years ago, and may do the same for Stars among others now in the lineup.
#2: Sultan of Swat has also risen, so other than the Tulo trade and even Kemp, Chad's team has climbed. So, although Chad has helped other teams, he also helped himself, so that is what trades are about. Watch out for this team the last couple of weeks.
#3: Wooster Panties is still riding good fortune despite being 8th in roto standings and 3rd in head to head standings. Looks like the upper tier playoffs are highly probable for Mr. Stansifer. If he can win the title, it may be the biggest upset ever according to the numbers. Anything can happen once you get to the playoffs.
#4 Champs has been riding his pitching points which are highest in the league by far. Can't win by pitching alone. His 17 total roto points on offense just won't get it done despite being tied for 6th in roto pts. overall. Needs more balance obviously.
#5 Hardballers has been on the rise as well and is now #3 in roto points. Spots 3-6 in the head to head standings are so close that Randy can climb there too. Is this team peaking at the right time like Stars team?
#6 Baseman still has been posting ok numbers, but the pitching and offense just have not been gelling together at the same time. The pitching absolutely blew a gasket this past week and many points were lost in roto. Pitching was an absolute disaster as even my aces just couldn't do much of anything. Chasing points in pitching is risky and dearly paid the price in roto stats this week. Hoping to right the ship the remaining weeks.
Those are just some things that stand out to me this week. If you have any other observations, then please add as I'm sure others may glean something more from these stats as well.
BASEMAN
8.07.2011
Announcing the Rick Hill "Fight the Good Fight" Award
Rick no doubt anticipated a long and successful life full of family, friends and wonderful memories. When he learned of his condition his expectations did not lessen as was evidenced by his optimistic and faith-filled outlook. As time passed and his condition worsened his optimism did not waiver. In the end he could honestly say he played the hand that was dealt him and "fought the good fight". He was truly a winner in life.
In Hardball Heaven Rick entered the 2010 season, as all of us do, anticipating a successful, winning season. Unfortunately as the season progressed his results were not what any of us would want. Considering all the challenges facing him in real life, who could have faulted him for abandoning the league and turning his full attention to himself. But in true Rick Hill fashion he continued to stay active and competitive, occasionally soliciting help managing his team when he made trips for treatments. Even though he missed the top tier playoffs Rick continued to give it his all and went on to win the consolation bracket. In the league Rick played the hand that was dealt him and fought the good fight. He left the league a winner.
Each year all of us begin the season with high expectations of a successful winning season. As the season progresses, challenges and adversity begin to take their toll on some teams. Injuries, slumps, unmet expectations, bad luck and distractions from the "real" world leaves 6 teams out of contention for the Championship game. Teams in Hardball Heaven have always stayed competitive all the way to the end regardless of league standings. This as much as anything else is a testament to the quality of managers we are blessed to have in this league.
As Founders of the league, Tommy and I have decided to award an annual Rick Hill "Fight the Good Fight" Award beginning with this, the 2011, season. It will go to the winner of the consolation bracket. The intent of this award is to recognize the manager that has stood up to the challenges and adversity of the regular season and continued to fight the good fight. The manager that has played the hand that was dealt them and finished the season a winner just as our friend Rick did. The Rick Hill award winner will be recognized both on the Hardball Heaven blog page as well as the Hardball Heaven Facebook page.
I hope each of you will recognize the significance of this award and will join Tommy and I in honoring the memory of our dear comrade Rick Hill.
So thankful for each of you,
Randy and Tommy
...
8.02.2011
By the Numbers: After Week 17
I think I finally did it! We shall see if after I try publish this post, but fingers are crossed. Let's see. Ok, after the preview it looks good! Thank you Randy. Just a little rundown, but look at Utica who jumped to 6th in roto pts. but is 9th in the standings. Toughest luck so far, but remember the middle teams are bunched tightly in roto points. Also dropping in the head to head and roto standings, but still having things pan out is the Wooster Panties team that is plus 4 in the standings. Dropped to 9th in roto, but still in 5th in head to head. Could it happen that a team in the bottom half in roto stats win it all? Could it??? The top half of the league is pretty consistent rankings, except for Wooster. In the bottom half, anything can happen with the tight scoring. Is I Fear that I Suck really a last place team. Looking at the numbers, not even close!
Hope you enjoyed.
Hope you enjoyed.
7.29.2011
Posting Spreadsheet Data Instructions
I am going to attempt to describe how I get spreadsheet data to the blog. I am not at all saying that this is the "only" way to do it, nor am I even saying it is the "best" way to do it. Simply, this is the way "I" do it so therefore I know it works.
There are a few steps to accomplish this task but, as in all things, practice makes perfect and you should find it fairly easy after you have done it a couple of times. The main thing is don't get excited nor frustrated. If you will follow these steps and use a little intuitive thinking, you will be able to make top quality posts that the whole league can enjoy.
The main thing that I don't like hearing is.... "My computer won't do that" or "The program isn't working on my computer" etc...... If you are having problems making a post it is 100% operator error and there is nothing I can do to correct that.
First lets talk about basic posting of any sort. When you are logged in to the blog site you will have the option of creating a New Post. When you click "New Post" a screen will pop up that will have a place for the "Title:" of your post. Once you have "titled" your post then you will move down to the editor. Make sure you are using the "Updated Editor" which can be activated on the "Settings" tab.
With the Updated Editor activated you will have a toolbar at the top of
the post area that offers several useful options. It will look very much like a standard word processor toolbar. You will also notice 2 tabs above the toolbar. "Edit HTML" and "Compose". For most basic posts make sure you have the "Compose" tab selected. With "Compose" selected you can type right into the window and add images without having to know any HTML coding language. If you add images make sure they are not too large (byte wise) as it will only slow down the loading of the blog. You should do your image editing with a program on your computer. Most pics can be kept to well under 50KB and will look great on the page. You can drap and drop images to the location on the page you want them but I recommend using the built in tool to locate the image to the "Left -Center-Right" and also to choose a size "Small-Medium-Large-XLarge".
Now let's talk about adding spreadsheets.
1st you will need to make sure you have a Google Docs account. This is totally free and is a pretty handy online word processor/spreadsheet program (also known as cloud computing). You do not have to have a Gmail account to have a Google Docs account although I see absolutely no reason why all of you wouldn't already have one. If you have any questions about setting up a Google Docs account just IM me on Yahoo and I will try and walk you through it. But come on folks.... Google purposely makes it EASY to set up because they want you to use it.
Ok, .... you have a Google Docs account set up which you will notice has a spreadsheet program built in. You could actually do your spreadsheet work right here including formulas and all. I would recommend however that you do your spreadsheet work on your computer using Excel or maybe Open Office (free). If you use Open Office, which I think is a great program, I would save the spreadsheets in Excel format for compatibility purposes. Once your spreadsheet is complete then you can "upload" it to Google Docs and walla! .... you now are getting close to posting in the blog.
Assuming your spreadsheet is complete and ready to post the next step is to get embedded HTML code to post to the blog. Here is a screen shot. You will select "Share" in the
upper right hand corner and select "Publish as web page"
Then you will see this
1. Select that spreadsheet page that has the data you want to post. (Should be the one you are looking at)
2. Use the drop down menu to select "HTML to embed in a page"
3.Input the range of cells that you want to post. You should start with the top-left most cell and end with the bottom-right most cell. You input will look something like this A1:H18 (colon separating cell references) Hit enter.
4. This box will have the embed code for the spreadsheet cells you have specified. Highlight and copy it.
Now go back to the blog editor and select the "Edit HTML" tab. Make sure you have a blank line or 2 below whatever you have last had on the blog and then "paste" the code you copied from Google Docs. Go back to the "Compose" tab.
You should be able to "Preview" your spreadsheet now from the 'New Post" page. Don't be surprised if it is not a good fit to begin with. You can go back to the Google Docs page and resize the columns, change fonts in the spreadsheet or whatever you need to do to get it to look properly on the blog page. Continue 'Previewing' the page until you have everything set the way you want it.
Now from the "Compose" tab on the blog, skip a line or 2 and continue and complete your post!!
Here are some things I have learned from experience.
1. Don' try and cram too many "columns" in a spreadsheet. 4-6 is about all you can fit in. You can have almost endless "rows" but only so many columns will fit in the allotted area.
2. Any edits you do in the selected cells in Google Docs will update to the blog (not instantly but should on page refresh). This is a good thing if you find you made an error. However, should you want to use the same spreadsheet format to make another post then be sure to copy and paste the cells to a different page or area of the page because you will want to have different cell references for the new post. What I am trying to say is.... if you posted stats for say Week 1 and then came back the next week to post Week 2 and all you did was change the numbers in the existing cells, then the previous post that had the Week 1 stats will now have Week 2 in them. Always put new tables in new cells so you can reference them without compromising previous posts.
3. For the most part you could have 1 spreadsheet in Google Docs with all Hardball Heaven data on it. Just add a new page to the spreadsheet if you want to put together something different. The main thing is that once you post a spreadsheet with the embedded HTML from Google Docs then you need to leave that spreadsheet there forever.
You will notice that anything you do to the Google Docs sheet will transfer to the blog post (highlighting, shading, colored fonts etc.... )
If you are working on a blog post and decide you need a break before finishing, just save the post and come back later, select "Edit Posts" from the blog menu and select your post to work on some more. You post will not go to the blog until you hit the "PUBLISH POST" button at the bottom the page. Remember.... if it doesn't look right in "Preview" mode it won't look right once published.
Remember to use a couple of one word "Labels" to help in case somebody wants to look up a post later on.
I am sure I have left out some minor things but hopefully you can fill in those blanks and get a spreadsheet posted with minimal problems.
PRACTICE. PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Thanks,
Randy
There are a few steps to accomplish this task but, as in all things, practice makes perfect and you should find it fairly easy after you have done it a couple of times. The main thing is don't get excited nor frustrated. If you will follow these steps and use a little intuitive thinking, you will be able to make top quality posts that the whole league can enjoy.
The main thing that I don't like hearing is.... "My computer won't do that" or "The program isn't working on my computer" etc...... If you are having problems making a post it is 100% operator error and there is nothing I can do to correct that.
 |
| Found on Settings Tab |
With the Updated Editor activated you will have a toolbar at the top of
the post area that offers several useful options. It will look very much like a standard word processor toolbar. You will also notice 2 tabs above the toolbar. "Edit HTML" and "Compose". For most basic posts make sure you have the "Compose" tab selected. With "Compose" selected you can type right into the window and add images without having to know any HTML coding language. If you add images make sure they are not too large (byte wise) as it will only slow down the loading of the blog. You should do your image editing with a program on your computer. Most pics can be kept to well under 50KB and will look great on the page. You can drap and drop images to the location on the page you want them but I recommend using the built in tool to locate the image to the "Left -Center-Right" and also to choose a size "Small-Medium-Large-XLarge". Now let's talk about adding spreadsheets.
Ok, .... you have a Google Docs account set up which you will notice has a spreadsheet program built in. You could actually do your spreadsheet work right here including formulas and all. I would recommend however that you do your spreadsheet work on your computer using Excel or maybe Open Office (free). If you use Open Office, which I think is a great program, I would save the spreadsheets in Excel format for compatibility purposes. Once your spreadsheet is complete then you can "upload" it to Google Docs and walla! .... you now are getting close to posting in the blog.
Assuming your spreadsheet is complete and ready to post the next step is to get embedded HTML code to post to the blog. Here is a screen shot. You will select "Share" in the upper right hand corner and select "Publish as web page"
Then you will see this
2. Use the drop down menu to select "HTML to embed in a page"
3.Input the range of cells that you want to post. You should start with the top-left most cell and end with the bottom-right most cell. You input will look something like this A1:H18 (colon separating cell references) Hit enter.
4. This box will have the embed code for the spreadsheet cells you have specified. Highlight and copy it.
You should be able to "Preview" your spreadsheet now from the 'New Post" page. Don't be surprised if it is not a good fit to begin with. You can go back to the Google Docs page and resize the columns, change fonts in the spreadsheet or whatever you need to do to get it to look properly on the blog page. Continue 'Previewing' the page until you have everything set the way you want it.
Now from the "Compose" tab on the blog, skip a line or 2 and continue and complete your post!!
Here are some things I have learned from experience.
1. Don' try and cram too many "columns" in a spreadsheet. 4-6 is about all you can fit in. You can have almost endless "rows" but only so many columns will fit in the allotted area.
2. Any edits you do in the selected cells in Google Docs will update to the blog (not instantly but should on page refresh). This is a good thing if you find you made an error. However, should you want to use the same spreadsheet format to make another post then be sure to copy and paste the cells to a different page or area of the page because you will want to have different cell references for the new post. What I am trying to say is.... if you posted stats for say Week 1 and then came back the next week to post Week 2 and all you did was change the numbers in the existing cells, then the previous post that had the Week 1 stats will now have Week 2 in them. Always put new tables in new cells so you can reference them without compromising previous posts.
3. For the most part you could have 1 spreadsheet in Google Docs with all Hardball Heaven data on it. Just add a new page to the spreadsheet if you want to put together something different. The main thing is that once you post a spreadsheet with the embedded HTML from Google Docs then you need to leave that spreadsheet there forever.
You will notice that anything you do to the Google Docs sheet will transfer to the blog post (highlighting, shading, colored fonts etc.... )
If you are working on a blog post and decide you need a break before finishing, just save the post and come back later, select "Edit Posts" from the blog menu and select your post to work on some more. You post will not go to the blog until you hit the "PUBLISH POST" button at the bottom the page. Remember.... if it doesn't look right in "Preview" mode it won't look right once published.
Remember to use a couple of one word "Labels" to help in case somebody wants to look up a post later on.
I am sure I have left out some minor things but hopefully you can fill in those blanks and get a spreadsheet posted with minimal problems.
PRACTICE. PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Thanks,
Randy
7.11.2011
Mid-Season Review Part II
Here is the other half of the teams and the Colorado Springs betting odds. This is based on Sunday evening's standings.
Zonk: Strengths are that Stephen's team does a little bit of everything. Offense is approximately 5th ranked and the lowest numbers are in runs where he comes in 7th. Not a bad offensive club at all and Aramis Ramirez has gotten hot.
Weakness: There is not really a true weakness when I look at this club, but it is one that shows stats of a middle of the road team. Can beat anyone one week and lose to anyone then next.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Right now Zonk is 6.5 games back with still a lot of baseball left. If I remember right he and Randy went down to the wire last year. Not saying that will happen again, but it could, just could possibly happen again.
Ageless One: Strengths are hitting for power both in HR's and RBI's. Good pop in all positions except LF.
Weakness: The rest of the offensive statistics show Ageless to be down near the bottom. Pitching is just below average according to the stats.
Betting Odds: 25/75 This team has been in a freefall after a torrid start. Right now 10 games back and there were signs of the offense coming to life with a big week, but pitching wasn't there. Never bet against Mike's team, but the boys better reverse the falling in the standings and fast.
Champions: Strengths are real easy here (Pitching, Pitching, and more Pitching!) ERA is the lowest rank at 5th and that is barely. Offensive strengths are Konerko, Castro, and Beltran. A-Rod is hurt for 4-6 weeks, so leaving him out for now.
Weakness: Let me just say simply "The Offense." Scraping bottom in most categories, but will give him the benefit of the doubt in batting average, where tied with two other teams at 6th.
Betting Odds: 25/75 At 12 games back, the offense has got to get it going and with A-Rod on the DL that is going to be a tough order. With a similar team as last year, what is different? Why is Champs lower in the standings? It may be that pitching is the name of the game nowadays and there isn't all that much difference anymore. Yes, Champs is better in most categories on defense, but look at the overall numbers for pitchers these days and ERA is down considerably for a lot of pitchers. To have a good offense in the new era of the pitcher seems to make a team stand out in fantasy. Just a thought.
Utica Tried and Tested: Strengths are hits and batting average. The resurgence of Berkman has been a godsend. Hunter Pence has also paid big dividends. In pitching it is losses, BB's, and a strong ERA. Pitching is stronger than years' past for sure.
Weakness: Keeping players off the DL. Uticans has had some bad luck for sure with injuries in Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and now Jose Reyes. Also, needs help at 2nd and 3rd base.
Betting Odds: 20/80 at 12.5 games back. I know Utica is fighting and clawing, and I do like the pitching staff, but there may be too many holes to fill on offense. Needs Jose Reyes to come back and play like an MVP candidate to have much of a chance.
Sultan of Swat: Strength is definitely by far the offense in all categories except SB's. Ain't the Sultan of Swat for nothing. Chad has done an admirable job building a powerful batting attack!
Weakness: Based on the standings and Chad's potent offense, then this one is easy without looking. Has to be the pitching. Let's see. Yes, the numbers do show the pitching is having major issues. The best ranking is a 10th place standing for K's and BB's. Now to be fair Chad has traded for pitching, but Josh Johnson fell to the DL. Still don't think an ace like Johnson would make a major difference in the long run when numbers are where they are.
Betting Odds: 10/90 at 16.5 games back. Just play offense and I give Chad a decent shot, but unfortunately we can't do that.
I Fear That I Suck: Strengths are a team built on putting the ball in play and running around the bases really fast. Upper half in hits, runs, batting average, and SB's, so the diamond is more like a track for this squad.
Weaknesses: Power and pitching need some help. Just like Chad's team, the offense is really pretty decent, but the pitching ranks in the lower half in all categories. To give Timmy credit, he is trying to shore up the pitching staff, which needs help.
Betting Odds: 10/90 at 18.5 games back. If it was the beginning of the season, I like Timmy's chances as the team has really been coming on of late. What looked to be disastrous is starting to look more respectable. The problem is so much ground to make up with so many teams to leap over.
If anyone has various thoughts please share as this is a semi-stats and opinion column.
BASEMAN
Zonk: Strengths are that Stephen's team does a little bit of everything. Offense is approximately 5th ranked and the lowest numbers are in runs where he comes in 7th. Not a bad offensive club at all and Aramis Ramirez has gotten hot.
Weakness: There is not really a true weakness when I look at this club, but it is one that shows stats of a middle of the road team. Can beat anyone one week and lose to anyone then next.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Right now Zonk is 6.5 games back with still a lot of baseball left. If I remember right he and Randy went down to the wire last year. Not saying that will happen again, but it could, just could possibly happen again.
Ageless One: Strengths are hitting for power both in HR's and RBI's. Good pop in all positions except LF.
Weakness: The rest of the offensive statistics show Ageless to be down near the bottom. Pitching is just below average according to the stats.
Betting Odds: 25/75 This team has been in a freefall after a torrid start. Right now 10 games back and there were signs of the offense coming to life with a big week, but pitching wasn't there. Never bet against Mike's team, but the boys better reverse the falling in the standings and fast.
Champions: Strengths are real easy here (Pitching, Pitching, and more Pitching!) ERA is the lowest rank at 5th and that is barely. Offensive strengths are Konerko, Castro, and Beltran. A-Rod is hurt for 4-6 weeks, so leaving him out for now.
Weakness: Let me just say simply "The Offense." Scraping bottom in most categories, but will give him the benefit of the doubt in batting average, where tied with two other teams at 6th.
Betting Odds: 25/75 At 12 games back, the offense has got to get it going and with A-Rod on the DL that is going to be a tough order. With a similar team as last year, what is different? Why is Champs lower in the standings? It may be that pitching is the name of the game nowadays and there isn't all that much difference anymore. Yes, Champs is better in most categories on defense, but look at the overall numbers for pitchers these days and ERA is down considerably for a lot of pitchers. To have a good offense in the new era of the pitcher seems to make a team stand out in fantasy. Just a thought.
Utica Tried and Tested: Strengths are hits and batting average. The resurgence of Berkman has been a godsend. Hunter Pence has also paid big dividends. In pitching it is losses, BB's, and a strong ERA. Pitching is stronger than years' past for sure.
Weakness: Keeping players off the DL. Uticans has had some bad luck for sure with injuries in Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and now Jose Reyes. Also, needs help at 2nd and 3rd base.
Betting Odds: 20/80 at 12.5 games back. I know Utica is fighting and clawing, and I do like the pitching staff, but there may be too many holes to fill on offense. Needs Jose Reyes to come back and play like an MVP candidate to have much of a chance.
Sultan of Swat: Strength is definitely by far the offense in all categories except SB's. Ain't the Sultan of Swat for nothing. Chad has done an admirable job building a powerful batting attack!
Weakness: Based on the standings and Chad's potent offense, then this one is easy without looking. Has to be the pitching. Let's see. Yes, the numbers do show the pitching is having major issues. The best ranking is a 10th place standing for K's and BB's. Now to be fair Chad has traded for pitching, but Josh Johnson fell to the DL. Still don't think an ace like Johnson would make a major difference in the long run when numbers are where they are.
Betting Odds: 10/90 at 16.5 games back. Just play offense and I give Chad a decent shot, but unfortunately we can't do that.
I Fear That I Suck: Strengths are a team built on putting the ball in play and running around the bases really fast. Upper half in hits, runs, batting average, and SB's, so the diamond is more like a track for this squad.
Weaknesses: Power and pitching need some help. Just like Chad's team, the offense is really pretty decent, but the pitching ranks in the lower half in all categories. To give Timmy credit, he is trying to shore up the pitching staff, which needs help.
Betting Odds: 10/90 at 18.5 games back. If it was the beginning of the season, I like Timmy's chances as the team has really been coming on of late. What looked to be disastrous is starting to look more respectable. The problem is so much ground to make up with so many teams to leap over.
If anyone has various thoughts please share as this is a semi-stats and opinion column.
BASEMAN
7.07.2011
MId-Season Review
Here is a short snippet on each team for the season to date and their playoff chances if I were a betting man in Vegas. Again, these are only regular season odds as the playoffs are much more volatile like our stock market nowadays.
BASEMAN: Strengths are balance up and down the lineup. Enough said there.
Weaknesses are at shortstop, and getting W's by pitching staff.
Betting Odds: 99/1 chance of making playoffs. 85/15 odds of keeping 1st seed
Going to have to get this team in the playoffs.
Blind Squirrels: Strengths are the pitching staff easily.
Weakness is an offense that is starting to erode. Rode the youth wave for awhile, but
coming to earth as stats are dropping.
Betting Odds: 60/40 chance of playoffs. Odds are better than even with some cushion and
a pitching staff that can hold its own every week.
Stars: Strengths are savvy management of team despite all the injuries. When team is at full strength, then
there is nice balance all over. Pitching stats are above average.
Weakness?? The offense has been performing less than mediocre according to stats, but again with
health, this is easily an above average offense.
Betting Odds: 85/15 chance of playoffs. History shows Stars is a proven manager and knows the
right moves. Team has been decimated so far, but still succeeding. Doesn't bode well for rest of the
league jockeying for position.
Tennessee Hitters: Strength is easily the offense. Towards the top in all categories.
Weakness is starting pitching. Down in lower half in all but two categories.
Betting Odds: 70/30 as the offense is too good to go into a freefall. Who wouldn't
want Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Braun leading the way!
Wooster Panties: Strenghts are scoring runs and hitting with power. Surprising there aren't more RBI's,
which are in lower half of league stats? Decent win/loss record.
Weaknesses are probably consistency on offense as stats are kind of uneven. Saves
are almost nonexistent except for Drew Storen. Having too many pitchers on one team,
may not bode well from week to week.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Team isn't bad at all, but numbers are kind of all over the board,
which mean consistency from week to week will be hard to maintain.
Halfway Hardballers: Strengths: Pitching! In upper half of all stats, except BB's.
Weaknesses: Offense is in bottom half of league in all but the runs category. Lacks
speed.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Needs Pujols to heat up in 2nd half despite the forearm/wrist.
Pitching will have to continue and pull the load if offense doesn't start clicking. Randy
may be living on the edge another year?
Time for a break, so will get the 2nd half of the teams in their current order of standing out soon!
BASEMAN
BASEMAN: Strengths are balance up and down the lineup. Enough said there.
Weaknesses are at shortstop, and getting W's by pitching staff.
Betting Odds: 99/1 chance of making playoffs. 85/15 odds of keeping 1st seed
Going to have to get this team in the playoffs.
Blind Squirrels: Strengths are the pitching staff easily.
Weakness is an offense that is starting to erode. Rode the youth wave for awhile, but
coming to earth as stats are dropping.
Betting Odds: 60/40 chance of playoffs. Odds are better than even with some cushion and
a pitching staff that can hold its own every week.
Stars: Strengths are savvy management of team despite all the injuries. When team is at full strength, then
there is nice balance all over. Pitching stats are above average.
Weakness?? The offense has been performing less than mediocre according to stats, but again with
health, this is easily an above average offense.
Betting Odds: 85/15 chance of playoffs. History shows Stars is a proven manager and knows the
right moves. Team has been decimated so far, but still succeeding. Doesn't bode well for rest of the
league jockeying for position.
Tennessee Hitters: Strength is easily the offense. Towards the top in all categories.
Weakness is starting pitching. Down in lower half in all but two categories.
Betting Odds: 70/30 as the offense is too good to go into a freefall. Who wouldn't
want Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Braun leading the way!
Wooster Panties: Strenghts are scoring runs and hitting with power. Surprising there aren't more RBI's,
which are in lower half of league stats? Decent win/loss record.
Weaknesses are probably consistency on offense as stats are kind of uneven. Saves
are almost nonexistent except for Drew Storen. Having too many pitchers on one team,
may not bode well from week to week.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Team isn't bad at all, but numbers are kind of all over the board,
which mean consistency from week to week will be hard to maintain.
Halfway Hardballers: Strengths: Pitching! In upper half of all stats, except BB's.
Weaknesses: Offense is in bottom half of league in all but the runs category. Lacks
speed.
Betting Odds: 50/50 Needs Pujols to heat up in 2nd half despite the forearm/wrist.
Pitching will have to continue and pull the load if offense doesn't start clicking. Randy
may be living on the edge another year?
Time for a break, so will get the 2nd half of the teams in their current order of standing out soon!
BASEMAN
6.19.2011
1st Annual Hardball Heaven Trip
Here are the band of brothers that made the trek for the 1st Annual Hardball Heaven trip to Cincinnati. What a monumental day this was after 9 years of Hardball Heaven being in existence! We can only hope that more of us can get together in the future as even a deeper bond is established. No longer is there the virtual relationship among men, but the opportunity to see what great guys we truly do have in this league. I have to reaffirm with Juan and Randy that once we met each other in person for the first time, it was like a brotherhood in that it seemed we knew each other for years. What a great time! Yes, I am truly hoping more of us can meet up next year. It would be a trip that wouldn't be forgotten.
Anyway, let me share some of my moments at Great American Ballpark. First, my dad and I got to the park at 2:00 with gametime being 4:10. Randy, Tommy, and Mike were to meet us out front at that time as I picked up the tickets at WillCall. Never did I think that it would have been best to mail the tickets to each person ahead of time, but hindsight is 20/20. The reason I say this is that my dad and I got an up close and personal view of about everyone entering the main gates for about 2 hours in 90+ degree heat with high humidity. I kept looking for Randy and the rest of the gang, but no luck. I even went up to a couple of people who I thought looked like Randy as I was grasping at straws at that point. So, I called my wife to get Randy's number from my computer at home. I thought what a bone headed move by not putting his number into my cell ahead of time. She did manage to give me the number and after calling Randy that is when I found out the boys got stuck in construction. Thank God for the team shop to go cool off in as it had air conditioning. I think I was so delusional due to my blood sugar dropping out of hunger that I almost bought an autographed Jay Bruce bat for $600! No, not really, as I still had some sense! Instead I went for the $100 sweat stained Edison Volquez game worn hat.
So, it came down to 4:00 before I spotted Juan, who made the 7.5 hour drive from Buffalo with his buddy who so graciously drove. Spotted him right off when I saw him and is Juan ever an easy going conversationalist. One of the nicer guys you will ever meet. Whenever a guy gets off work and makes that long of a trek with no sleep, you know he was excited to make the trip. That was awesome!
At about 4:15, we spot Randy, Tommy, Mike and Tommy's son and two boys. The team was now assembled and ready to watch some ball.
It was unfortunate we all didn't have more time to hold conversation as was planned as it was hard to talk to everyone as much I wanted, but due to the unfortunate circumstances on the road, that is how it went. In addition to Juan, I really enjoyed my time with Tommy, Mike, and Randy. Got to know them even better a little more and make connections. All the guys are great and funny in their own way. We did like ribbing each other about fantasy players on the field that day!
The day was one I will never forget, and would love meeting more of you in this great league if ever possible! Improvements can be made to maybe where we spend a little more time with each other, but I think we all walked away fulfilled with personal memories.
Here's to our 2nd Annual Trip next year! Details coming in the future.
BASEMAN
 |
| First Row: Mark Porcher (Baseman), Randy Stovall (Halfway Hardballers) Back Row: Juan Torres (Blind Squirrels), Michael Jones (Ageless One), Tommy Coleman (Tennessee Hitters) |
Anyway, let me share some of my moments at Great American Ballpark. First, my dad and I got to the park at 2:00 with gametime being 4:10. Randy, Tommy, and Mike were to meet us out front at that time as I picked up the tickets at WillCall. Never did I think that it would have been best to mail the tickets to each person ahead of time, but hindsight is 20/20. The reason I say this is that my dad and I got an up close and personal view of about everyone entering the main gates for about 2 hours in 90+ degree heat with high humidity. I kept looking for Randy and the rest of the gang, but no luck. I even went up to a couple of people who I thought looked like Randy as I was grasping at straws at that point. So, I called my wife to get Randy's number from my computer at home. I thought what a bone headed move by not putting his number into my cell ahead of time. She did manage to give me the number and after calling Randy that is when I found out the boys got stuck in construction. Thank God for the team shop to go cool off in as it had air conditioning. I think I was so delusional due to my blood sugar dropping out of hunger that I almost bought an autographed Jay Bruce bat for $600! No, not really, as I still had some sense! Instead I went for the $100 sweat stained Edison Volquez game worn hat.
So, it came down to 4:00 before I spotted Juan, who made the 7.5 hour drive from Buffalo with his buddy who so graciously drove. Spotted him right off when I saw him and is Juan ever an easy going conversationalist. One of the nicer guys you will ever meet. Whenever a guy gets off work and makes that long of a trek with no sleep, you know he was excited to make the trip. That was awesome!
At about 4:15, we spot Randy, Tommy, Mike and Tommy's son and two boys. The team was now assembled and ready to watch some ball.
It was unfortunate we all didn't have more time to hold conversation as was planned as it was hard to talk to everyone as much I wanted, but due to the unfortunate circumstances on the road, that is how it went. In addition to Juan, I really enjoyed my time with Tommy, Mike, and Randy. Got to know them even better a little more and make connections. All the guys are great and funny in their own way. We did like ribbing each other about fantasy players on the field that day!
The day was one I will never forget, and would love meeting more of you in this great league if ever possible! Improvements can be made to maybe where we spend a little more time with each other, but I think we all walked away fulfilled with personal memories.
Here's to our 2nd Annual Trip next year! Details coming in the future.
BASEMAN
6.12.2011
...and ANOTHER slice!!!
 |
| Lady Patriot State Champions !!! |
For the 1st time in the history of our small, rural community, a "team sport" has brought home the State Title. It is only fitting that it be the Lady Patriots fastpitch softball team. No single sport has represented the school better or more consistently through the years.(click the link and read the story)
Raissa was right there rooting for them all the way. Fortunate to have been a part of the 2009 4th place team and the 2010 3rd place team, she along with every other girl who had ever donned a Lady Patriot uniform, was right there on the field with them in spirit. This victory can not be contained by just the players on the field. It must be shared with every player who preceded them, who helped build the winning tradition at Allen Co-Scottsville High. 14 consecutive District Titles. 6 Region Titles since 2000. 2-3rd's, a 4th, 5th, and 7th place finishes in the State.
And now a #1 !!
It was a classic "big school" vs "small school" showdown at the end as Ballard (from Louisville, Ky enrollment 1700+) came in as the #1 ranked team in the state. Ballard entered the tournament with a 35-4 record and had not lost to any team in the state of Kentucky all season. With the double-elimination format of the State Tournament, they left with a record of 39-6 both losses coming to the Lady Patriots. The Lady Patriots finished the season 41-4-1
I watched these girls from coach pitch all the way up. As I look back, much credit must be given to one dedicated parent who assembled a traveling team at the 10 and under stage. His vision was to get a group of the most dedicated local girls and help prepare them to have a shot at making the highschool team. In his dreams he wanted to see some of them get a chance to play at the college level. He challenged and encouraged the girls. He constantly had them playing up in age group. He would often say winning a tournament wasn't much of an accomplishment if you weren't learning and improving your skills. The traveling team name was Southern Ky "Pride". As I looked on the field during this State title run it occurred to me there was a lot of "Pride" on the field. No less than 8 of them had played for the "Pride" traveling team at one point or another.
As for the girls who donned the "Pride" uniform over the years..... at least 10 of them ... including Raissa .... are or will be playing at the college level.
I can't help but think of our very own Juan (Blind Squirrels) at this moment as he has coached girl's soccer over the years. Juan you may never know how much the time and effort you put in to helping young kids out will impact them through the years. My hat is off to you as well as all volunteer youth coaches.
The pride of a whole community rode to the State Tournament with these girls, as it had so many times before. This year they showed the whole state why.
So as we all return to our simple lives here in little ole Scottsville, Ky, we will all take a moment and reflect. Things sure feel a little cheerier here in Allen Co.
sorta like a little slice of heaven...........
Hardballers
6.06.2011
A Slice of Heaven..........
Saturday, June 4th... A day that will live in my memories forever!
For good reasons and bad...
For Tommy and I as well as all the others who were able to make the trip it was a dream come true to actually get to meet and fellowship with fellow members of the Hardball Heaven league. Baseman, Blind Squirrels, Ageless One, Tenn Hitters and Halfway Hardballers. Mark, Juan, Mike, Tommy and Randy.
I guess it is true that nothing good happens without a little effort and there were some yeoman efforts put in to make this happen. 1st there was Mark. Mark arranged to get the tickets so we would all be sitting together. He patiently waited outside the park from 2pm till game time (and a little longer) to meet up with the rest of us and see that we all got our tickets and we marched in together.
Then there was Juan. After working a full shift on Friday night and getting off at 6:30am Saturday morning, he hops in the car with friend Lee and embarked on a 7 1/2 hr drive to Cincinnati. Then after getting some extra innings in the game.... they embarked on the 7 1/2 hr return trip home.
Then the trio of Mike, Tommy and Randy. We left Bowling Green, Ky around 9am completely comfortable with the notion that we would be arriving a good hour and a half to two hours before game time. We were in 2 cars as Mike was continuing on to Minn after the game to do some research on his family tree. 16 miles from the park and 2 hours before game time, we stopped and grabbed a sandwich. Taking our time and completely unrushed we ate, stretched and then loaded up for the last leg to park.
That is when things started heading south. Less than 2 miles up the interstate we started running into road construction. 5 lanes were reduced to 3..... then a couple more miles reduced to 2.... .then 1 and all the while we were moving at a snails pace. A slow snail. Then as we finally reached the park area we watched as pedestrians went zooming by us headed to the gate as we inched (literally) our way to the parking garage. Some numb nut stopped in the middle of the road at one point in front of the park to haggle with a ticket scalper and I thought Mike was gonna get out of the truck and kick some ass right there on the spot!
FINALLY over an hour and a half from the time we left Burger King, we walk to the front of the ticket area and meet up with Mark and Juan. Tired, frustrated, stiff yet ecstatic to finally meet our fellow Hardball Heaven comrades.
After an abbreviated minute of introductions we made our way to our seats and things started turning for the better. We quickly identified all the players that were owned on league teams. Mark had both pitchers in the game. Mike was hoping for a possible S from Cordero. Mark had J Bruce although he had opted to sit him for the day. Juan was intently interested in the performance of Drew Stubbs. In true Hardball Heaven fashion there was a lot of good natured ribbing as we watched the the game and the updates from around the league. Juan was able to keep us updated on the league scores on his iPhone.
The day was hot. Temperature was in the low 90's at game time but our seats were shaded and it was really very pleasant under the conditions. Great American Ballpark is a beautiful place and from our seats we had an excellent view of the field and were also able to look out over the Ohio River and see Kentucky on the other side. The crowd was very enthusiastic right up to the point where Kemp hit a grand slam that tied the game. (Stars immediately came to all of our minds at this point and the discussion quickly led to the pending trade)
I am convinced that it would take a week to recap all the details and nuances of the whole experience. For those that made it the event was priceless. For those of you that could not...... all I can say is you missed out...big time. We have decided however to make this an annual event and will look to move the meeting site around so hopefully others can find it easier to attend. As great as the whole experience was... there are lots of things that we would change for next time. So start saving your nickels and dimes now and make plans to attend next year when we decide where and when to meet.
As Tommy and I recapped the experience on the way home one thing that we both had noticed right away was how comfortable everyone was when we met. Here we were meeting people for the first time but yet it seemed as though we knew each other well. Totally comfortable and natural feeling. We also couldn't help but feel a little proud of how far our simple idea of assembling a group of active, dedicated fantasy managers had come.
It certainly was a slice of heaven....
For good reasons and bad...
For Tommy and I as well as all the others who were able to make the trip it was a dream come true to actually get to meet and fellowship with fellow members of the Hardball Heaven league. Baseman, Blind Squirrels, Ageless One, Tenn Hitters and Halfway Hardballers. Mark, Juan, Mike, Tommy and Randy.
I guess it is true that nothing good happens without a little effort and there were some yeoman efforts put in to make this happen. 1st there was Mark. Mark arranged to get the tickets so we would all be sitting together. He patiently waited outside the park from 2pm till game time (and a little longer) to meet up with the rest of us and see that we all got our tickets and we marched in together.
Then there was Juan. After working a full shift on Friday night and getting off at 6:30am Saturday morning, he hops in the car with friend Lee and embarked on a 7 1/2 hr drive to Cincinnati. Then after getting some extra innings in the game.... they embarked on the 7 1/2 hr return trip home.
Then the trio of Mike, Tommy and Randy. We left Bowling Green, Ky around 9am completely comfortable with the notion that we would be arriving a good hour and a half to two hours before game time. We were in 2 cars as Mike was continuing on to Minn after the game to do some research on his family tree. 16 miles from the park and 2 hours before game time, we stopped and grabbed a sandwich. Taking our time and completely unrushed we ate, stretched and then loaded up for the last leg to park.
FINALLY over an hour and a half from the time we left Burger King, we walk to the front of the ticket area and meet up with Mark and Juan. Tired, frustrated, stiff yet ecstatic to finally meet our fellow Hardball Heaven comrades.
After an abbreviated minute of introductions we made our way to our seats and things started turning for the better. We quickly identified all the players that were owned on league teams. Mark had both pitchers in the game. Mike was hoping for a possible S from Cordero. Mark had J Bruce although he had opted to sit him for the day. Juan was intently interested in the performance of Drew Stubbs. In true Hardball Heaven fashion there was a lot of good natured ribbing as we watched the the game and the updates from around the league. Juan was able to keep us updated on the league scores on his iPhone.
The day was hot. Temperature was in the low 90's at game time but our seats were shaded and it was really very pleasant under the conditions. Great American Ballpark is a beautiful place and from our seats we had an excellent view of the field and were also able to look out over the Ohio River and see Kentucky on the other side. The crowd was very enthusiastic right up to the point where Kemp hit a grand slam that tied the game. (Stars immediately came to all of our minds at this point and the discussion quickly led to the pending trade)
I am convinced that it would take a week to recap all the details and nuances of the whole experience. For those that made it the event was priceless. For those of you that could not...... all I can say is you missed out...big time. We have decided however to make this an annual event and will look to move the meeting site around so hopefully others can find it easier to attend. As great as the whole experience was... there are lots of things that we would change for next time. So start saving your nickels and dimes now and make plans to attend next year when we decide where and when to meet.
As Tommy and I recapped the experience on the way home one thing that we both had noticed right away was how comfortable everyone was when we met. Here we were meeting people for the first time but yet it seemed as though we knew each other well. Totally comfortable and natural feeling. We also couldn't help but feel a little proud of how far our simple idea of assembling a group of active, dedicated fantasy managers had come.
It certainly was a slice of heaven....
Week 9 Roto Standings
Take a good look at the roto standings compared to the league standings. There are definitely some teams that are over achieving with their #'s.
Tenn Hitters would not be one of those teams as he is challenging Baseman in all offensive categories.
Pujols actually played like a 1st round pick this week!!!
There is a lot to be decided as the league is really jammed in the middle as usual. I look for all teams to have a shot at the playoffs before this is all over.
Have a good week.
6.05.2011
Seeing friends at Great American Ball Park
Fantasy baseball often can lead to harsh feelings or misguided feelings in leagues with strangers.I tend to doubt that could ever occur in Hardball Heaven after a fine Saturday night with some of our league members at the Ball Park in Cincinnati ,Ohio. I was amazed at how easy it was to connect with four other guys I had previously only known through written words on a message board,some great fellas that made me feel quite comfortable with their friendly welcome.
Meeting Randy I came away feeling like I was meeting an old friend and that is nothing but a compliment for he was very outgoing and wanted this to work out which it did as it was a great success.I liked the man immediately,felt very comfortable and would think if we had to choose someone to guide this league we couldn't do any better. Michael I joked with about an old request I made many years ago for a picture of him that he reluctantly declined,his name of Ageless made me think he had hunch back or something.He has a tremendous sense of humor and seemed easy to get along with the kind of person you would like to know for many reasons. He joked about a Reds pitcher that was having a horrible time getting Dodgers out,he kept telling Randy that it must be one of his pitchers,lol.The poor young man pitching had a nightmare outing so it was indeed very funny commentary.
Mark Porcher was the man who found me out of a sea of humanity and extended his hand in a warm welcome prior to the start of the game.I am grateful he could recognize me as it was a hot day and we were getting frustrated trying to locate folks we never saw except for Facebook pictures.I can't express what a great time it was to meet these folks and how happy I actually was to realize that the greatness of this league is a byproduct of the greatness of its members.Mark and his Dad were really informative and also made the trip worthwhile with their easy going and kind hearted approach to this adventure.
All in all a great time was had by all and plans are in the works to maintain this excursion as an annual event.
6.04.2011
Team Spotlight on Uticans and Fear the Beard
Ok, finally finishing out the rotation. Thinking of doing a couple of teams a week for something new this season. I think the Week in Review may have been getting stale for me and I just needing some new material to write about.
Utica Tried and Tested: This is not a typical Uticans team. Compared to teams of the past, this is Utica's best overall staff. Lots of ERA's in the 2's and lots of K's. Ogando looks like the real deal in Texas. This is not a team to sleep on. Good pen also with Papelbon and Rodriguez. If Thornton can regain his form as he seems to be doing, then Uticans will be tough to beat in pitching. One looks at the offense and it really looks pretty good as well and for the most part it is decent, but there are some holes. The loss of Mauer has definitely hurt. That's the risk one takes when grabbing a catcher so early. Who would have thought Berkman would be tearing things up at 35 years of age like he is. I thought he was damaged goods honestly, but not Kerm! Great production there and from Hunter Pence (a Kerm favorite!). Also, I can't forget Adam Jones who is steady but not spectacular in his overall numbers. There is production for Cargo, but not like last year and he has to be a disappointment so far as is Justin Morneau. The team will get plenty of hits and hit for good average, but lacks pop and speed. Kerm should stay in the race with this current team, but it will be a struggle and may just be on periphereal fringe all the time. Some holes will not allow for consistency each week.
Fear the Beard: I really like Timmy's name on this one and will stick with it. Very original! FTB has had a rough go of it this season, but the last 2 weeks have really shown the bats coming to life. Look at the team's numbers this week and WOW! Timmy also has been doing all he can to pump some life into his team and I respect that! The man works at it and doesn't throw in the towel. Now, can this team keep it up? There is definitely ground to make up and W's have to be done regularly from here on out with the losses being close. Let's start with some positives and you have to begin with Matt Joyce from Tampa. He's only hitting .356 with 10 dingers, 35 runs, and 31 RBI's. Great production from someone that not many people even took note of on draft day. Also, the pickup of Eric Hosmer has worked out well. A certain player to covet in the very near future with that swing. Brian McCann is doing his usual top tier stats from the catcher spot as well. Crawford has been a disppointment to say the least, but is coming on strong, but not even coming close to playing like a first round pick. I know I got on Timmy for that one, but the numbers don't lie. That could change though the rest of the season. McCutcheon's numbers are pretty good, but one would have thought to be better. Heyward is on the DL. What looked like a sleek and shiny outfield has really let Timmy down as the OF was going to need to be heavily relied upon. Like I said before the team has come on of late, but I believe it is asking too much to continue. Not enough power in the lineup and outside of Felix Hernandez and the resurgence of Josh Beckett (can that continue?), the pitching staff is to put it bluntly.....not very good. Justin Masterson has been a nice surprise, but he is coming back down to earth. I applaud how Timmy is working his team to find the right combinations and he is succeeding to some degree, but the slow start is going to be too much to overcome as this team doesn't have all the horses to get back in the race.
Utica Tried and Tested: This is not a typical Uticans team. Compared to teams of the past, this is Utica's best overall staff. Lots of ERA's in the 2's and lots of K's. Ogando looks like the real deal in Texas. This is not a team to sleep on. Good pen also with Papelbon and Rodriguez. If Thornton can regain his form as he seems to be doing, then Uticans will be tough to beat in pitching. One looks at the offense and it really looks pretty good as well and for the most part it is decent, but there are some holes. The loss of Mauer has definitely hurt. That's the risk one takes when grabbing a catcher so early. Who would have thought Berkman would be tearing things up at 35 years of age like he is. I thought he was damaged goods honestly, but not Kerm! Great production there and from Hunter Pence (a Kerm favorite!). Also, I can't forget Adam Jones who is steady but not spectacular in his overall numbers. There is production for Cargo, but not like last year and he has to be a disappointment so far as is Justin Morneau. The team will get plenty of hits and hit for good average, but lacks pop and speed. Kerm should stay in the race with this current team, but it will be a struggle and may just be on periphereal fringe all the time. Some holes will not allow for consistency each week.
Fear the Beard: I really like Timmy's name on this one and will stick with it. Very original! FTB has had a rough go of it this season, but the last 2 weeks have really shown the bats coming to life. Look at the team's numbers this week and WOW! Timmy also has been doing all he can to pump some life into his team and I respect that! The man works at it and doesn't throw in the towel. Now, can this team keep it up? There is definitely ground to make up and W's have to be done regularly from here on out with the losses being close. Let's start with some positives and you have to begin with Matt Joyce from Tampa. He's only hitting .356 with 10 dingers, 35 runs, and 31 RBI's. Great production from someone that not many people even took note of on draft day. Also, the pickup of Eric Hosmer has worked out well. A certain player to covet in the very near future with that swing. Brian McCann is doing his usual top tier stats from the catcher spot as well. Crawford has been a disppointment to say the least, but is coming on strong, but not even coming close to playing like a first round pick. I know I got on Timmy for that one, but the numbers don't lie. That could change though the rest of the season. McCutcheon's numbers are pretty good, but one would have thought to be better. Heyward is on the DL. What looked like a sleek and shiny outfield has really let Timmy down as the OF was going to need to be heavily relied upon. Like I said before the team has come on of late, but I believe it is asking too much to continue. Not enough power in the lineup and outside of Felix Hernandez and the resurgence of Josh Beckett (can that continue?), the pitching staff is to put it bluntly.....not very good. Justin Masterson has been a nice surprise, but he is coming back down to earth. I applaud how Timmy is working his team to find the right combinations and he is succeeding to some degree, but the slow start is going to be too much to overcome as this team doesn't have all the horses to get back in the race.
6.02.2011
Team Review Spotlight for 1st Third of the Season: Sultan of Swat and Zonk
Ok, I promised you the remaining teams and that you shall get. So without further adieu......
Sultan of Swat: The league newcomer, Chad, has had to deal with a lot in his first go around. First it was the draft, next has been the enormous amount of injuries. Yet despite all that, his team is right in the thick of it all. There have been bounce back seasons from Eithier, Granderson, and Lind (before he got hurt). This team has some pop in Fielder, Phillips, Tulo, and Upton as well. Lots of RBI's and speed, which is a rare combination. Pitching is a little weak as Sultan really could use Josh Johnson back in the rotation. Gallardo is back on track. Now Latos needs to pick it up. Very little relief pitching to speak of, hence the pickup of Lidge. This team can compete for a playoff spot, but needs to be totally healthy to do so.
Hopefully Chad is liking the league and I'm sure the league would like to hear some more from him on our message board. I know Chad has some trash talk in him!
Zonk: Another team right there in the thick of it and could be in the playoffs as well when all is said and done. The league is really bunched and this team is one of the many that can emerge. The pitching has been a pleasant surprise for Steve's team, especially Jurrjens and Correia. Jurrjens only has a 1.51 ERA. Now I would be shocked if Correia can hold it all together as he has pedestrian stuff and didn't pitch particularly well even in Petco Park. Needs Soria to get his act together and Bailey coming back healthy for a dependable bullpen, which right now it is not. The offense really isn't bad. Could use some more speed, but can just explode some weeks. Would love to have Joey Votto, but who wouldn't! Like a lot of teams there are questions marks. Can Grady Sizemore continue his resurgence? Can Nelson Cruz stay healthy enough or Aramis Ramirez? Will Ichiro hit more like his old self? This team has the pieces and should be a playoff contender all season!
OK, I have to do the last two teams a bit later. Hopefully tonight! Am on vacation right now and the day beckons. Sorry to Timmy and Kerm right now!
BASEMAN
Sultan of Swat: The league newcomer, Chad, has had to deal with a lot in his first go around. First it was the draft, next has been the enormous amount of injuries. Yet despite all that, his team is right in the thick of it all. There have been bounce back seasons from Eithier, Granderson, and Lind (before he got hurt). This team has some pop in Fielder, Phillips, Tulo, and Upton as well. Lots of RBI's and speed, which is a rare combination. Pitching is a little weak as Sultan really could use Josh Johnson back in the rotation. Gallardo is back on track. Now Latos needs to pick it up. Very little relief pitching to speak of, hence the pickup of Lidge. This team can compete for a playoff spot, but needs to be totally healthy to do so.
Hopefully Chad is liking the league and I'm sure the league would like to hear some more from him on our message board. I know Chad has some trash talk in him!
Zonk: Another team right there in the thick of it and could be in the playoffs as well when all is said and done. The league is really bunched and this team is one of the many that can emerge. The pitching has been a pleasant surprise for Steve's team, especially Jurrjens and Correia. Jurrjens only has a 1.51 ERA. Now I would be shocked if Correia can hold it all together as he has pedestrian stuff and didn't pitch particularly well even in Petco Park. Needs Soria to get his act together and Bailey coming back healthy for a dependable bullpen, which right now it is not. The offense really isn't bad. Could use some more speed, but can just explode some weeks. Would love to have Joey Votto, but who wouldn't! Like a lot of teams there are questions marks. Can Grady Sizemore continue his resurgence? Can Nelson Cruz stay healthy enough or Aramis Ramirez? Will Ichiro hit more like his old self? This team has the pieces and should be a playoff contender all season!
OK, I have to do the last two teams a bit later. Hopefully tonight! Am on vacation right now and the day beckons. Sorry to Timmy and Kerm right now!
BASEMAN
5.29.2011
Week 8 Roto Standings
And then of course there was 1 team that couldn't even muster up 40 hits.
We are entering the 2nd trimester of the season and it is time to start thinking playoffs. Only 9 games in the Win column separate 3rd and 10th place so the race is on.
Baseman continues to cruise at #1 in both the league and Roto standings as his offense is tops in 5 of 6 categories.
Here are the season-to-date roto standings.
Champs you should note that I have minimized the "pissin 'm moanin' this week.
You will also note this post is shorter...
Hardballers
5.27.2011
Rest of the Team Reviews for First Third of the Season
Ok, here it is finally, the rest of the teams in review as we are a third of the way done! Hard to believe! I am going off of last week's standings and the next team in line is Champions. Since I did my last post, there have been no changes in the top 4 teams.
Champions: What do I say about Ed's team, except VOLATILE! This week the team is sinking like the Dow Jones. Maybe the Federal Reserve will come to his relief and prop him up a bit? Yes, Utley is back and Ed better hope he plays like his self of old because the offense is up and down like a yo-yo. But, there is hope as Ed has been making manuevers with the club and rounded out some rough edges on offense. Teh additions of Lucroy, Torres, and Crisp will help, but they aren't but lower tier players still. Castro has been the one ray of light at SS and he is a keeper. I do think the offense will improve and now there is a little more depth and balance. But, once again, Champs is relying on his pitching, which has not been lights out like last year. Hard to repeat last year's performance. Can Peavy and Colon hang in there? Is Josh Tomlin for real? We know about Lee and Halladay, but there are some question marks with the staff. Champs will be vying for a playoff spot, but will not reach third like last year. This team will need Ben Berneke to print bloated stats to win it all this year.
Tennessee Hitters: Other than the pitching, I like this team a lot. Was blessed with obtaining Ryan Braun and Adrian Gonzalez in the first two rounds. Let's just say mistakes were made. I am not sure if Jeff Francoeur can keep it up or Melky Cabrera as there are some depth issues, but Stanton is really picking up the pace and Rollins is healthy and playing steady at SS. The question is not with Beltre, Gonzalez, Braun, and Prado as we all know these guys will deliver numbers, but can the other guys keep up the pace? If so, then watch for Hitters to rise in the standings. The pitching has been lackluster so far, but has potential. I do like the K's. To put it bluntly, this team was built around offense, and hopefully the pitching will be about even. I like Hitters as a playoff team and ultimately will be entrenched somewhere in the middle of the top 6.
Hardballers: This team should be better than what it is and Randy knows it. What looked like to be a better offensive club than defensive has been just the opposite really. James Shields, Ian Kennedy, Gio Gonzalez?? These guys have been a Godsend for Hardballers so far and good thing! The K's on the staff are tough to beat. I don't care what Randy says but Ubaldo will come around, which will make the staff more dangerous. The offense has been slow to start the season, but look for that to change. There are already some signs as Pedroia and Varitek start to produce. I am not a big Carlos Quentin fan, but he has been one of the bigger performers thus far. And Alez Avila, I think this guy is for real at catcher. Another diamond in the rough for Randy. But, for Randy to be ultimately successful he needs Pujols to play like Pujols, Jeter to show he is not over the hill, and Delmon Young and Rios to play like actual major leaguers. At least 3 of the 4 better show improvement or Randy will continue to be lying on the outskirts of a playoff position. For the last two-thirds of the season, I look for this team to improve and be competing closely for a playoff spot.
Wooster Panties: Have to give a shout out to Bill, who lives in Ohio from where I am a native! Plus, after years of absense, this team is showing its mettle and hanging tough! If the season ended today, Bill would be in the playoffs, but unfortunately it doesn't. Bill can say a big thank you to the sluggers on Texas in Kinsler and Young first of all. Kinsler's average and power are down, but still has decent numbers. I guess you shouldn't piss Michael Young off like Texas did. The guy is hitting .340 with 64 hits! Hanley is starting to turn it around for the Fish and he is absolutely key. Hard to win with a top draft pick producing so dismally like Han-Ram has been doing. Yet, there is light. Also, some unheralded surprises at this point in their careers have to be Big Papi and Alfonso Soriano. These guys are producing, not like in their prime, but they are still valuable contributors. Plus with Holliday whacking the baseball all over the field, Panties has been a surprise so far this season. I still have doubts though Mr. Stansifer. If Kyle Lohse can continue those stats, then you really are living right. Not a big fan of the pitching staff as it is mediocre at best. Enjoy the good times while they last Panties as I have a hard time believing in this team all the way to the end.
Will try to post the last 4 teams soon!
BASEMAN
Champions: What do I say about Ed's team, except VOLATILE! This week the team is sinking like the Dow Jones. Maybe the Federal Reserve will come to his relief and prop him up a bit? Yes, Utley is back and Ed better hope he plays like his self of old because the offense is up and down like a yo-yo. But, there is hope as Ed has been making manuevers with the club and rounded out some rough edges on offense. Teh additions of Lucroy, Torres, and Crisp will help, but they aren't but lower tier players still. Castro has been the one ray of light at SS and he is a keeper. I do think the offense will improve and now there is a little more depth and balance. But, once again, Champs is relying on his pitching, which has not been lights out like last year. Hard to repeat last year's performance. Can Peavy and Colon hang in there? Is Josh Tomlin for real? We know about Lee and Halladay, but there are some question marks with the staff. Champs will be vying for a playoff spot, but will not reach third like last year. This team will need Ben Berneke to print bloated stats to win it all this year.
Tennessee Hitters: Other than the pitching, I like this team a lot. Was blessed with obtaining Ryan Braun and Adrian Gonzalez in the first two rounds. Let's just say mistakes were made. I am not sure if Jeff Francoeur can keep it up or Melky Cabrera as there are some depth issues, but Stanton is really picking up the pace and Rollins is healthy and playing steady at SS. The question is not with Beltre, Gonzalez, Braun, and Prado as we all know these guys will deliver numbers, but can the other guys keep up the pace? If so, then watch for Hitters to rise in the standings. The pitching has been lackluster so far, but has potential. I do like the K's. To put it bluntly, this team was built around offense, and hopefully the pitching will be about even. I like Hitters as a playoff team and ultimately will be entrenched somewhere in the middle of the top 6.
Hardballers: This team should be better than what it is and Randy knows it. What looked like to be a better offensive club than defensive has been just the opposite really. James Shields, Ian Kennedy, Gio Gonzalez?? These guys have been a Godsend for Hardballers so far and good thing! The K's on the staff are tough to beat. I don't care what Randy says but Ubaldo will come around, which will make the staff more dangerous. The offense has been slow to start the season, but look for that to change. There are already some signs as Pedroia and Varitek start to produce. I am not a big Carlos Quentin fan, but he has been one of the bigger performers thus far. And Alez Avila, I think this guy is for real at catcher. Another diamond in the rough for Randy. But, for Randy to be ultimately successful he needs Pujols to play like Pujols, Jeter to show he is not over the hill, and Delmon Young and Rios to play like actual major leaguers. At least 3 of the 4 better show improvement or Randy will continue to be lying on the outskirts of a playoff position. For the last two-thirds of the season, I look for this team to improve and be competing closely for a playoff spot.
Wooster Panties: Have to give a shout out to Bill, who lives in Ohio from where I am a native! Plus, after years of absense, this team is showing its mettle and hanging tough! If the season ended today, Bill would be in the playoffs, but unfortunately it doesn't. Bill can say a big thank you to the sluggers on Texas in Kinsler and Young first of all. Kinsler's average and power are down, but still has decent numbers. I guess you shouldn't piss Michael Young off like Texas did. The guy is hitting .340 with 64 hits! Hanley is starting to turn it around for the Fish and he is absolutely key. Hard to win with a top draft pick producing so dismally like Han-Ram has been doing. Yet, there is light. Also, some unheralded surprises at this point in their careers have to be Big Papi and Alfonso Soriano. These guys are producing, not like in their prime, but they are still valuable contributors. Plus with Holliday whacking the baseball all over the field, Panties has been a surprise so far this season. I still have doubts though Mr. Stansifer. If Kyle Lohse can continue those stats, then you really are living right. Not a big fan of the pitching staff as it is mediocre at best. Enjoy the good times while they last Panties as I have a hard time believing in this team all the way to the end.
Will try to post the last 4 teams soon!
BASEMAN
5.22.2011
Week 7 Roto Standings
Hitting continues to be anemic as the league only managed a .258 avg this week. Also worth noting is that no team hit double figures in HR's despite every team having a whole 7 day schedule this week.
Injuries are continuing to be a factor for several teams as there are at least 17 DL players occupying spots on rosters.
I promised Champs that I would quit my 'pissin n' moanin' this week but can you believe that Pujols hasn't had a HR in over 100 ABs?
Maybe as the weather starts to heat up the hitters will as well.
Here's to a good week.
Hardballers
5.16.2011
Week 6 Roto Standings
Tenn Hitters have moved up the charts a little after their dominating offensive performance this week. They beat every team in the league in every offensive category!
Any questions?
Hitting overall picked up a little but is still down for baseball overall. I was checking at Baseball Reference a day or two ago and both the American and National Leagues are batting .250 so far this season. That is the lowest total since 1972 when the leagues finished with a combined .244!
I hope this isn't the new normal
I know I have been doing a lot of 'pissin n moanin' lately about my underachieving team. I know I am not the only one with similar woes but geez.... this is getting hard to stomach.
Here's hoping the bottom half has a better week this week!
Hardballers
5.15.2011
Quarter Season Review
Here is a mini-review on the season thus far at a little over a quarter of the way done. Almost done with school for awhile and will devote more time to week in reviews in either written form or podcasts. I will briefly make comments on each team based on current league standing.
BASEMAN: Starting the season at 6-0 and having an astounding start to the season thus far. Injuries are the only obstacle that can circumvent the team's run to the top in the regular season. There will be losses coming, but this is one tough team to beat on a consistent basis. Top pick thus far has to be Jose Bautista (M-O-N-S-T-E-R!) Is going to be getting the Barry Bonds treatment.
Ageless: Great start to the season thus far and although not the flashiest team, it is putting up pretty good numbers. Howard and Weeks lead the offense. Key to Ageless' success so far has to be some solid draft in pitching with Cahill leading the way. Lost his first game today, but still pitched well. Weaver has also been brilliant, but has had a few bumps lately. The team will come back to earth a bit, but still a good overall club.
Squirrels: Boy did I peg this team wrong at the beginning of the year. This is a team with an exuberant amount of youth that is paying dividends in a big way.They all have been producing at once and Squirrels keeps playing well even with Josh Hamilton and now Ike Davis on the DL. In steps Gaby Sanchez for the Marlins. Davis and Sanchez I thought were players for maybe next year, but they are producing big time numbers early on. Forget about Neil Walker, not me! Forget about Drew Stubbs, well no longer. Colby Rasmus? Not me. These guys are all young studs and would love to have them. I thought for most it would be wait and see for next year. Juan has obviously known something we haven't. Now can they keep producing as the year goes on? I won't say they won't!
Stars: Despite 3B woes with injuries, this team is right there in the thick of it still. This team will only get better with time. Has stolen two players off the WW: Pineda and Butler. Had depth at pitching to get rid of Josh Johnson and winds up with Kemp, who is having a comeback season. Uggla hasn't even went off yet on his HR binges and has arguably one of the best players in the league with Cabrera. Just wait until the 3B get healthy. Will be fighting for the #1 or #2 spot before all is said and done. Take that to the bank.!
I will write some more on the other teams hopefully tomorrow, but time for bed. Sorry.
BASEMAN
BASEMAN: Starting the season at 6-0 and having an astounding start to the season thus far. Injuries are the only obstacle that can circumvent the team's run to the top in the regular season. There will be losses coming, but this is one tough team to beat on a consistent basis. Top pick thus far has to be Jose Bautista (M-O-N-S-T-E-R!) Is going to be getting the Barry Bonds treatment.
Ageless: Great start to the season thus far and although not the flashiest team, it is putting up pretty good numbers. Howard and Weeks lead the offense. Key to Ageless' success so far has to be some solid draft in pitching with Cahill leading the way. Lost his first game today, but still pitched well. Weaver has also been brilliant, but has had a few bumps lately. The team will come back to earth a bit, but still a good overall club.
Squirrels: Boy did I peg this team wrong at the beginning of the year. This is a team with an exuberant amount of youth that is paying dividends in a big way.They all have been producing at once and Squirrels keeps playing well even with Josh Hamilton and now Ike Davis on the DL. In steps Gaby Sanchez for the Marlins. Davis and Sanchez I thought were players for maybe next year, but they are producing big time numbers early on. Forget about Neil Walker, not me! Forget about Drew Stubbs, well no longer. Colby Rasmus? Not me. These guys are all young studs and would love to have them. I thought for most it would be wait and see for next year. Juan has obviously known something we haven't. Now can they keep producing as the year goes on? I won't say they won't!
Stars: Despite 3B woes with injuries, this team is right there in the thick of it still. This team will only get better with time. Has stolen two players off the WW: Pineda and Butler. Had depth at pitching to get rid of Josh Johnson and winds up with Kemp, who is having a comeback season. Uggla hasn't even went off yet on his HR binges and has arguably one of the best players in the league with Cabrera. Just wait until the 3B get healthy. Will be fighting for the #1 or #2 spot before all is said and done. Take that to the bank.!
I will write some more on the other teams hopefully tomorrow, but time for bed. Sorry.
BASEMAN
"These are the times that try men's souls".......
 |
| Thomas Paine |
“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot may, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
No doubt it is not reasonable to expect career average #'s from every player. Certainly Jeter is in decline and apparently even more so than I was hoping. Even Pujols has trended down the last couple of seasons but only by increments of "hundredths" of points! Rios has always been a little up and down but even he batted .284 last season. D Young is just now getting his season started as he has been dealing with minor health issues from flu-like symptoms to rib cage issues.
And my #4 pick Jimenez? OMG! He is worse than waiver fodder so far with no wins, 22 walks and a 6.67 ERA!!
We won't even get into my closer situation as I have completely abandoned my first closer pick and his backup.
It is quite possible there is a bust in that list somewhere. Maybe two of them. But I cannot at this point determine who (Jeter exception noted). So as I sit here with my worst season start ever, watching myself get kicked around week after week, I look inside myself and ask.... "do I have the courage to stay the course?"
Actually I really have no choice. I believe I drafted a good team. I believe all the players listed above are capable of good seasons (or in Jeter's case maybe just acceptable). I could react to a down player here or there but as widespread as this is I can only believe that things are going to turn for the better soon.
These are certainly the times that try men's souls.........
Hardballers
5.09.2011
Week 5 Roto Standings
Here are the Roto Standings through Week 5. I should point out that this cumulative y-t-d standings not just a weekly standing.Clearly Baseman's hot start in the standings in the league is no fluke as he also leads in the roto standings as well. In fact he leads in 4 of 6 offensive categories and is 2nd in RBI's and 3rd in AVG. He also leads the league BB's (lowest total) and ERA (lowest). The question is can he keep it up? I am sure he is convinced he can.
Stars is pacing the league in the pitching categories at the moment as his hitting has been inconsistent so far.
Lots of season left guys. No reason to panic yet. (Well a little bit of anxiety may be appropriate for some of us.... but panic.... NO WAY)
Now if I only believed my last statement all would be well.
Have a good Week 6!
Hardballers
5.02.2011
Week 4 Roto Standings
Injuries???? How many of you all have NOT had to contend with injuries? Stars has become the instant "kiss of death" for 3rd basemen.
Ageless hasn't even gotten to use his # 1 pick yet.
How's this for a draft recap. Pick #1 Pujols .245, Pick #2 Youkilis .218, Pick #3 Pedroia .265, Pick #4 Jimenez 0-2 7.20 ERA, Pick #5 Jeter .242.
I think I am beginning to understand now.....
Week 4 Roto Standings
My league standing is now below my roto standing which tells me I ain't the only one sucking.
Here's to a better May
..
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