Down Goes Dass

 

 Pittsburgh Phantoms and Wichita Bandits

1st trade was made Sunday at4:25pm

Pittsburgh  will receives Will Harris from Wichita.

Wichita will get Jose Suarez from Pittbsburgh

2nd trade was made Sunday at7:58pm

Pittsburgh  will receive Kole Calhoun and Wichita 12 round pick

Wichita will Guillermo Heredia and Pittbsburgh 5th round pick

Trade will be reviewed by a Commissioner group (Tufte, Pat, and Dave) to ensure that both teams make the minimums needed.  If one of the people on the committee is involved in the trade then Steve W. will take that persons     

 We now wait for aproval

 

The Pittsburgh General Manager has run the numbers and both meet minimums needed 

Adjustments for dealing with the 60 game season

We had the finest minds in the country break out their slide rules and calculate the necessary adjustments for dealing with the upcoming real-life MLB season.  Here is the list of changes for upcoming season(s)...

-Play 81 game season next season as normal 

-Allow TWO Yu Darvish players next year (calendar year 2021)  The players listed as Yu Darvish players are not just restricted to injured or traded players, they can also include carded players that a manager may elect to not use.

-Batters will get 180% of their at bats in real life (as opposed to the 60% we normally do)

-Pitchers will get 200% of their at bats in real life (as opposed to the 60% we normally do)

-We will protect 18 players in calendar year 2021, 17 players in calendar year 2022, and go back to our normal 16 in calendar year 2023

-Minimum at bats to be eligible to be drafted next year are 30 (as opposed to the normal 60) and 12 innings pitched (as opposed to the normal 25)

-For playoffs, players will be limited to 30% of their at-bats or innings for a series (as opposed to our normal 10%)

-Rosters for next year's draft will need 180 real-life at bats for each position and 375 innings pitched in real life (as opposed to our normal 540 ABs and 1250 IP)

-if MLB can't get many games in and wraps up too early for Strat-O-Matic cards to be made, we will do "The All-time Best Friendship League Teams" next year instead,  If we get a full season, we will do the All-time Best Friendship League Teams as a winter autoplay league.

-Everything is just for next year only, except for the gradual change in protected players (18 next year, 17 in 2022).  

MEN OPENING DAY

Out of an abundance of caution, Men Owner/GM/Manager did not want to put his computer players at risk.  Today, they decided it is OK even though COVID is worse than ever.  Play ball!!!

Friendship League at the 20 game deadline!

The first deadline has come and gone now, so it is probably a good time to take an early look at the races in each division and highlight some great performances so far.

Las Vegas has leapt to the top of the Black Plague division with a flurry of games in June.  Fremont ace Trevor Bauer is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA.  Vegas has the best team batting average so far, a healthy .298 with 37 homers in 22 games.     Defending champ Michigan is clinging to a .500 record 34 games into the season, just poised for a run at the top OR a plunge to the bottom .  -)   Michigan's Mike Minor has been major so far, 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA, enough to be in early Cy Young discussions.  Lake Erie is a little behind Michigan, but is enjoying a resurgence from Miguel Cabrera (hitting .329).  Toronto is off to a slow start but the ageless Nelson Cruz (308 with 6 HRs), Jorge Polanco (.321, 4 HRs), and Max Kepler (.313, 5 HRs) make up a pretty formidable offense.  

In the Zika Division, Pittsburgh has exploded out of the gate with a league best 27-12 record.  The Phantoms offense has been led by Joey Gallo  (.344, 14 HRs) and rookie sensation Eloy Jimenez (.321, 12 HRs).  Charlie Morton and Jose Berrios are both 6-1, aided by a Phantom offense that has slugged 68 home runs in their 39 games!   The Willni are in hot pursuit of Pittsburgh though, as Boston and Maine are both 6 games back.  Boston has a team ERA of 5.58, a team batting average of .235, and have been outscored 119 to 102 yet are still 12-9.  THAT'S why Andy is Manager of the Year, every year!!!   Maine has by far the best team ERA in the league (3.40).  Jeff Junis is undefeated, 5-0 despite an ERA of 4.22 dragging down the rest of the Logger pitching staff.  Montreal, placed in a brutal division, is having a rough season but there are some bright spots.   DJ Lemahieu, in addition to leading the league in vowels in a last name,  is playing at an MVP level (.295, 16 HRs, Gold Glove defense).  Veterans Michael Brantley (.286 11 HRs) and Carlos Santana  (.285, 6 HRs) have provided steady bats.  The pitching staff for the Griz, though, has been a train wreck (and not the Mount Pleasant kind!).  Even without Jordan  Zimmerman to kick around, Montreal's team ERA is an ugly 5.83,and relievers Nick Wittgren (6.55), Cam Bedrosian (7.40), and Ryan Buchter (8.84) have made every late inning situation a nightmare.  Silver lining for Montreal, besides maybe being able to draft Casey Mize or Spencer Torkleson in the future, is that they are 18-24 outside their own division.  Not too bad.  Unfortunate division placement is their biggest problem this year.  Hang in there, Michael!

The Montreal Grizzlies record against
their division foes is a combined 1-14.  Ouch!

The HIV division is so far a Carr Collusion battle, with PJ's Mount Pleasant squad  a couple games ahead of my Butchers.  The Train Wreck's Eddie Rosario (.308, 8 HRs) has so far outshone bigger stars Mike Trout (.293, 7 HRs, 14 RBIs) and Carlos Correa (.317, 3 HRs).  Kansas City has the offense (66 HRs in 31 games, 6.06 runs a game) but the pitching has been dreadful (4.79 ERA).  The result, not surprisingly is a team just above .500.   We win the slugfests but lose the close ones (3-7 in one run games).  Wichita is 5th in batting average (.264) and 5th in team ERA (4.76). so do expect the Bandits to make some noise yet this season. Bandit Tim Anderson is leading the league with a.392 batting average!!!  Minnesota, much like Bill Murray early in his Army career in the movie Stripes, is "pacing myself, sir".  We hope Scott's schedule frees up a little, looking forward to some games at CBC and maybe some bubble hockey down the road this year!

Here are some highlights (and lowlights) of the season so far..

-Mount Pleasant and Maine engaged in a 17 inning battle, ultimately won 2-1 by the Train Wreck

-Mt. P's Mike Trout walked 5 times by the Loggers in a 15 inning game (jeez, pack a lunch if you ever go to a Train Wreck/Logger game!)

-Maine has the most runs scored in one game so far,with 19 against Pittsburgh

-Maine's Gio Urshela and Mount Pleasant's Nomar Mazara each had 5 hit games

-Wichita's Alex Gordon was 0 for 6 and struck out 6 times in one game against Pittsburgh

-Maine's J.D. Martinez and Michigan's Mitch Garver have the only three homer games so far

-J.D. Martinez, Michigan's Mitch Garver, and Wichita's Greg Allen each racked up 6 hits in a game

-Michigan's Mike Minor has the least hits allowed in a game so far, spinning a 4 hitter against Toronto

-Montreal starter Mike Montgomery leads for the Tide Detergent "Hung Out To Dry" award, giving up 19 hits in 6 1/3 innings against Pittsburgh

-Tyler Thornton off Las Vegas, trying to win that coveted Hung Out To Dry award, gave up 6 dingers in 4 2/3 innings against Michigan

-Pittsburgh's James Paxton has most strikeouts in a game, with 15

Amazing Frustrations in Maine

The Maine Loggers had gotten off to a fantastic 10-2 start to the season, when it all came crashing down in a series of swings and misses that this manager has never seen in 40 plus years playing this game.  After losing 2 of 3 in Mount Pleasant, the Loggers came home to host the TrainWreck for three more games.  Fans in Maine sold out the concession stand of coffee over the course of three nights.  In Game 1, the Loggers suffered FOUR injuries in the first seven innings, completely depleting the already thin Maine bench.  Mount Pleasant suffered two injuries as well, and there were three HBP (no brawl anymore, but both managers commented that this was definitely the most "brutal" game of the year).   The teams went to extra innings tied at 3-3.  It stayed that way until nearly 2 AM Eastern when Eddie Rosario launched a 3-run homer, sending Maine fans home cursing after a 6-3 loss in the 15th inning.  The teams combined for an unbelievable 30 men left on base, and what has to be a league record, combined 38 strikeouts.

Things would get worse.  In the next game, the Loggers were shutout, losing feebly 2-0.  Things would only continue to get worse for the Maine offense, which was already looking downright offensive.  In the series finale, the Loggers managed to push across a single run in 17 innings.  In the top of the 17th, with the game stalled at 1-1 for the 12th straight inning, that man, Eddie Rosario (Mount Pleasant's leadoff hitter, mind you) launched another game winner.  The Loggers had lost 5 of 6 games to MTP, despite oddly outscoring them 25-23 over those six games (thanks to a 13-2 win).

The Loggers then prepared to host Pittsburgh, coming in having scored a grand total of 1 run over the previous 36 innings.  Somehow, someway, the drought continued.  Pittsburgh won the first game 5-2.  That would be the peak of the Maine offense.  Pittsburgh then won 1-0, and 4-0 in the next two games.  Maine had scored an astounding 3 runs over 63 innings!!  (That's the equivalent of 7 full games, for those keeping score at home).

Manager Steve Willnus was ready to down an entire bottle of rum at this point.  Sensing nothing to lose, he went with the old "pull the lineup out of a hat strategy".  And what did the Loggers do, against James Paxton, who had shut them out in the 1-0 game?   They went out and scored 19 runs.   Of course, they did.   Pittsburgh finally eaked out a run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the final margin to 19-1.  The Loggers had outscored Pittsburgh 21-11 over four games, and lost three of them.  During the course of the 2-8 slide, Maine outscored it's opponents 46-34.  And won 2 of 10 games.  I have never seen anything like it.  This crazy year goes on...…….

Gonna leave you with this one, from Geoffrey Fieger's bro....and the Knack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LjsOoO0VdM

First Impressions

Outta my mind on an Opening Weekend moanin'

(I may be the only one who gets the Bob Talbert Free Press column reference but that's what you get from the oldest person in the league!)


-Early impressions are that Pittsburgh and Lake Erie are legit!  They whomped my Butchers and Mammoths in early action.  Pittsburgh's young core has matured and is ready to rule this year.  Lake Erie's doubles aces (Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole) are lights out and the other starters are tough as well.  Probably not my best choice to start the season against these two :-)

-Doug suffered the worst Opening Day 1st inning ever, as Verlander gave up two HRs in the top of the inning, and two of his first three batters were injured and left the game!

-Michigan pulled off a triple play against Pittsburgh!

-The juiced ball has arrived!  Last season, we averaged 2.4 home runs a game.  Through 19 games so far this season, we are at 3.4!  Settle in for some longer games this year

-Starting to think Steve Willnus drafted Shed Long only for the pun possibilities for next year's Protection List

-If we continue to have horrible weather and quarantine conditions, I will complete the season by Friday  :-)

All lineups and rotations sent to me so far are in the latest league file, so please download that before you play.

Play Ball!!!!

Yes, it is finally Opening Day (at least as far as the Friendship League goes)!  Got the file ready a little earlier than I thought so the season is now open to all.  Still feel free to send me any default lineups or rotations, I can add those any time.

The first game of the new season had Kansas City hosting the defending champion Michigan Mammoth.  Michigan starter Mike Minor was outdueling his counterpart, KC's Eduardo Rodriguez, staking his team to a 2-1 before the wheels came off in the bottom of the 8th.   KC newcomer Jordan Luplow blasted a three-run homer to give the Butchers the lead and eventually the victory, 4-2.    The Butchers and Mammoth split the next two games and we are suddenly three full games into the new season.  483 more to go!

Good luck to everyone, hoping for another great season!!!!

Time to PLAY BALL!!!!!

KC fans wrap up their day's work 

to make it to the big game!

Opening Day Giveaway!  Honoring

the home team and apparently

our two farm teams, the Bakers and the

Craft Beer Makers!  Go KC CBMs!!!

Jordan Luplow makes a great first impression

on the KC faithful with a game-winning HR

2020 Virtual Draft Results

Big thanks to you all!!!  We did it, a fully virtual Draft bringing us together over 1200 miles and 3 states!!!  Was not the same as getting together in person, but was certainly the next best thing.  I sent out the first LZP file, please check it right away and make sure that your roster is 100% correct.  Send me any rotations and/or lineups and I will enter them into the game.   Look for a PlayBall file later this week!!!

Preseason Simulation

Web Builder

Standings

League Leaders

Team Totals (Primary)

Team Totals (Secondary)

Newspaper Recap

Awards Voting

Record Book

Regular and Waiver Draft Results

Virtual Draft Eve 2020!

PRE-DRAFT STRAT 365 SALARY RANKINGS

Not my rankings, strat 365 salaries.....

Wichita Protected List

On roster:

Danny Duffy (SP)

Domingo German (SP,RP)

Ian Kennedy (RP)

Jose Leclerc (RP)

Matt Body(SP)

Mike Clevingler(SP)

Tim Hill (RP)

Will Harris (RP)

Danny Jansen (C)

Alex Gordon (LF)

CJ Cron (1B)

David Fletcher (2B)

Greg Allen(CF)

Kole Calhoun (RF)

Matt Chapman (3B)

Tim Anderson (SS)

Salvador Perez ( Yu Darvish)

Cut

Kelvin Herrera

Ryan Stanek

Yonder Alonso

Jose Alvarez(NC)

Zack Duke (NC)

Brian Dozier(NC)

Kevin Pillar(NC)

Matt Davidson(NC)

PITTSBURGH PHANTOMS 

PROTECTION LIST UPDATED

HITTERS

Brandon Lowe

Willy Adames

Elvis Andrus

Rafael Devers

Miguel Sano

Andrew Benintendi

Joey Gallo

Byron Buxton

Kyle Tucker

PITCHERS

Charlie Morton

James Paxton

Jose Berrios

Shane Bieber

Reynaldo Lopez
Ken Giles

Brad Hand 

CUTS

Chance Sisco

JaCoby Jones

Ronald Guzman

John Hicks 

Grayson Greiner

Logan Forsythe

Greg Bird NC

Devon Travis NC

Tony Barnette NC

Jason Hammel NC

Matt Moore NC

Yovani Gallardo NC

Yu Darvish Player

Taijuan Walker

Loggers Announce Protection List

  Loggers Announce 2020 Protection List

2020 Protections

Mitch "Find me some" More Land

Christian "Bale" Vasquez
J.D. "Salinger" Martinez
Adalberto "Not my Brother or Dad Raul" Mondesi
Avisail "Well Hello, Mrs. Cabrera" Garcia

A-Aron Hicks "From French Lick"

Luke "I am your father" Voit

Tommy "Tony" Pham "tom of the Opera"

Michael "Pinata" Pineda

Yusmeiro "Taco Bell" Petit

Felix "The Cat" Pena
Carlos "Rodan - CAW!" Rodon

Tyler "HE GONE!" Skaggs

Tyler "Toenail" Clippard "Ship"

Tyler Glasnow "Slipper"

Diego "Rivera Mural" Castillo

DARVISH/NL Protected:

Sonny, Sonny, Sonny Gray

Man up and vanished, like a fart in the wind:
Nick "Catch A Falling Star" Castellanos

Steve "Ear" Pearce

Roenis Elias "Brothers Big Boy"

Jace "Fish" Fry

Aaron "Chopped" Sanchez

Jed "Clampett" Lowrie (NL)

"Green" Jean Segura (NL)

Russell "Industrial Center" Martin (NL)

Jake "The Snake" Faria (no card)

Ryan "15 pieces of Flair" Flaherty?  Tradition!

Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: We need to talk about your flair.

MAINE LOGGERS, 1907 Team Photo