Home of the Friendship League
Sunday, January 31, 2021
Friday, January 29, 2021
Montreal Protection List, (more like who's not hitting over .250 and pitching over 6.50 ERA in 2020)
Howdy y'all, (at least thats what we have to say down here)
I have been waiting to write a season eulogy for us poor, battered Grizzlies, we may need to adopt the Lions' new head football Coach, Dan Campbell's philosophy of taking out kneecaps as we slide into 2nd base. *Sigh* This season was beyond disappointing, no in person games played, all while cooped up in my apartment due to the pandemic.
As I did my research on who to keep, (strong word choice here) the Grizzlies were absolutely beyond abysmal in 2020, as most of my players either have no card, or had under 5 games played.
Anyways, as GM of the absolutely putrid Montreal Franchise, these are the players who are being kept until the draft:
Batters:
1.) DJ "I want more money" Lemathieu - 2B/3B, 2.) Carlos "I'm not THAT Carlos Santana" Santana - 1B/DH, 3.) Jacoby "Injury Prone" Jones - CF, 4.) Michael "I look like I'm 30" Chavis - 3B/1B, 5.) Michael "I'm glad to be back in Houston" Brantley - LF, 6.) Gary "Can't hit" Sanchez - Catcher, 7.) Austin ("Not Andrew" Romine - Catcher 8.) Gleyber "I can only hit HR's against Baltimore" Torres - SS/2B, 9.) Jordan "Almost got a gold Glove" Schoop - 2B 10.) Harold "I look like a Frog" Castro - UTL, 11.) Josh Reddick 12) Mallex Smith
Pitchers:
13.) Scot "Look at me" Barlow, 14. Alex "Take me home country roads" Colome - RP, 15.) Mike "Can't stop the Fire" Fiers, SP, 16.) Cam "Can't find the strike-zone" Bedrosian. 17) Kyle Gibson 18) Nick Wittgren
Non-Carded Players:
1.) Wade Miley - NL, 2.) Dawel Lugo, 3.) Brandon Dixon, 4.) Aaron Brooks, 5.) Adrian Sampson.
Cut Players:
1.) Ryan Butcher 2) Asher Wojciehowski 3) Franklin Barreto (no card)
Yu Darvish:
1.) Jordan Montgomery
2.) Roberto Osuna
There you have it, thats the list, and also The Montreal Grizzles are praying for the number one draft pick. But OPEN to possibilities of trades.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Thunder Protection List
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Fremonts Take Divisional Series in Seven
Game 1
Men 11 Fremonts nil
Game one wasn’t in doubt for long as the Men put up a 7 run
third off Trevor Bauer. Jake Odorizzi led the Men pitchers yielding five baserunners
over 7 scoreless innings. Five Men had multiple hit games with Eric Sogard’s 4 RBI and Austin Meadows’ three-run homer leading the barrage.
Game 2
Fremonts 10 Men 4
The flood gates opened in the other direction with the ‘Mont
getting runners across four of the first five innings in game two -- staking
starter Trent Thornton to a 8-3 lead. Kyle Seager hit two home runs, driving in
5 overall. Ryan Yarbrough gave up nine runs and 16 hits in just 6 2/3 innings.
Game 3
Men 4 Fremonts 2
After an off day the series moved to Minnesota. The Men
picked off single runs in the third and fourth off ‘Mont starter Zack Greinke and
Shin-Soo Choo drove in two with a one-out single in the seventh to pull the
Men over the line and give them a 2-1 series lead. Spencer Turnbull was solid
for the Men putting in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Fremonts 7 Men 4 (18 innings)
Game four is always pivotal and this was no exception. The
Men entered the top of the ninth up 4-2, three outs away from a commanding 3-1
series lead. Aroldis Chapman came in to close the deal and stuck out the first ‘Mont
hitter. Trey Mancini doubled and pinch hitter Kyle Seager walked to put the tying
run on first. Robbie Grossman stuck out to leave the heroics up to Nicky Lopez,
the 141th of 144 players taken in this year’s draft. Lopez finished the season
with a .317 slugging percentage but took Chapman to the gap scoring Mancini and
Seager and tying the score at four. The Men went quietly in the ninth taking the
game to extra innings.
There were various tense moments, but for the most part a pitcher’s
duel broke out among the bullpens over the next eight frames. And then came Jorge
Lopez for the Men. Zoom camera footage shows the Men owner cringing the moment
Trevor May ran out of gas with two outs and a man on first in the top of the 18th
– leaving him no choice but to bring in Lopez, who ended the season with a 7.79
ERA. On queue Mark Canha singled to bring home Dustin Garneau, then the dagger
came in the form of a two run Jose Ramirez home run. Ty Buttrey struck out the
side in the 18th to earn the win and put the series back level at
two apiece.
Game 5
Men 9 Fremonts 5
The wheels came off again for Trevor Bauer as the Men put up
four in the first and never really looked back. The ‘Monts had a chance to tie
the game in the sixth, but Nicky Lopez was thrown out at home to end the inning.
The Men put up three in the bottom of the frame with an Aledmys Diaz double and
a Brian Goodwin single to put the game out of reach and give Jake Odorizzi his
second win of the series. The two teams returned to Las Vegas with Minnesota holding
a 3-2 series lead.
Fremonts 7 Men 4
With their back against the wall and the score 4-2 in the bottom
of the fifth, Cavan Biggio walked and Kevan Smith singled to put two men on.
Dustin Garneau came to the plate. Men catcher Omar Narvaez made probably the
first two-base catcher error in league playoff history, scoring Biggio and
Smith to tie the ballgame. Kyle Seager followed with his third home run of the
series giving the ‘Monts a lead they would not relinquish as the ‘Mont pen
threw 4 innings of one hit ball to seal the deal.
Game 7
Fremonts 4 Men 0
The fifth to last player taken in the 2017 draft, Mike
Leake, took to the hill to start game seven for the ‘Monts versus Spencer
Turnbull. Las Vegas started quickly with two runs in the first via a Biggio walk,
Ramirez triple and Marcus Semien single. And it was smooth sailing from there
as Leake and three ‘Mont relivers scattered nine hits.
There were hero’s everywhere for the Fremonts in the series. Nicky Lopez hit .333 in addition to his game four double. Jose Ramirez hit safely in six games with a .344 average. Tommy Kahnle pitched six scoreless innings out of the pen, including three in game four’s extra frames. Mike Leake had a 1.64 ERA in two starts, winning game seven.
But it was Fremont legend Kyle Seager – the Fremont all-time leader in Games, At Bats,
Hits, Runs, and Walks -- who came through with a .462/.538/1.308 slash,
3 HRs, 9 RBI and is a fitting divisional series MVP.
Sunday, January 17, 2021
2019 Regular Season Wrap-up!
Thanks to all for getting in their games and finishing the season on time! Had some close races and some great action as the season wound down. Congratulations to our three division winners (Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota) and wild-card winner (Maine)!
The Black Plague division was ruled practically from start to finish by the mighty Las Vegas Fremonts. Chuck ran away from the competition with his balanced power attack (8 batters with double-digit home run totals) and strong starting rotation. It does hurt to see Fremont SS Marcus Semien take the MVP award while I am left with the ghost of Jake Marisnick :-) The defending champion Michigan Mammoth knew they didn't have the horses to win it this year, so they are not too upset about their 2nd place finish. Rookie 3B Hunter Dozier had an all-star season, and Mitch Garver won the HR Crown with a crazy 27 homers in just 184 at bats! Lake Erie tied Michigan for second, with stalwarts Jose Altuve (21 HRs) and Miguel Cabrera (,329 average) pacing the offense. Toronto was just one game behind, with the ageless Nelson Cruz bashing all year (.333, 25 HRs, and 65 RBIs).
The Pittsburgh Phantoms firmly established themselves as one of the all-time great Friendship League with an amazing 58-23 record to run away with the Zika Division title, just two wins shy of the all-time record (60 wins by 2005 Boston). This is even more impressive when factoring in how difficult this division was. Monster stats abound with this team. Just a quick look at Pitt's primary stats show three players batting over .400 (in limited at bats, I must add). Joey Gallo, who just a short while ago seemed like he may be a modern-day Rob Deer, hit .328 with 21 homers. Rookie Eloy Jimenez cranked 25 homers. Brandon Workman dominated out of the bulpen, garnering 18 saves with a 0.86 ERA. Ken Giles vultured 7 wins (against just 1 loss). Jose Berrios (10-2, 3.23) and Shane Bieber (11-4, 4.05) were a potent one-two combo. The real drama in this division, though, came from the Battle of the Willni, as Maine and Boston were deadlocked for the wild-card bid all season. Steve's great writeup on the final game is a must read. Maine's Tyler Skaggs went 6-0, with a 2.06 ERA all season. Boston had an outstanding season from Yandy Diaz (.324, 10 HRs) and Marco Gonzales (10 wins). Mike Walter and his Montreal Grizzlies set a new league record for competing all 81 games before the leaves changed, but not much else went right as they were in this brutal division. Montreal was a very respectable 22-26 against non-division opponents. 1st Rounder D.J. Lemahieu established himself as a true superstar, hitting .317 with 20 HRs and earning a Gold Glove to boot.
The HIV Division was an exercise in mediocrity almost all season as everyone was just around or way below the .500 mark all season. However, Scott's Minnesota Men surged over the final weekend to grab the title and earn their spot in the playoffs. The Men slugged 142 HR's with Jose Abreu and Austin Meadows combining for 41 of them. Brad Peacock (do peacocks caw? I guess. CAW! CAW!) went 4-0 out of the bullpen. Kansas City hit the most homers in the league (145) but the generous KC staff gave back 133 of them. Mount Pleasant had a Jekyll and Hyde season, sitting pretty in first place at mid-season only to get plastered by division opponents and dropping to the bottom of the division. Mike Trout was uncharacteristically quiet, hitting just .245 witth 20 home runs (three of those in the final game of the year - the baseball equivalent of Stat Padford!) Wichita was tied with Mount Pleasant in the basement of the division. Anthony "Sea" Bass was just one out shy of making the All-Time Leaderboard for lowest ERA by a reliever.
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The Strat Gods have not been kind to the Butchers, after losing the play-in game to Vegas last year and getting edged by Minnesota this year |
Toronto Thunder setting what I can only assume is an all-time league record with just ONE stolen base all season!!! Brett Gardner was the only player defying Manager Steve Tufte's season-long edict against stealing. They surely set a new mark by never getting caught stealing all season long :-)
Wichita's Tim Anderson won the Batting Title (.339), Michigan's Mitch Garver led all in home runs with 27, and Pittsburgh's Eloy Jimenez won the RBI total with 69. Montreal's Mallex Smith led the league in steals with 30 (29 more than the entire Toronto team :-) )Pittsburgh starter Shane Bieber led the league with 11 wins, and teammate Jose Berrios won the ERA Crown with 3.22. Lake Erie's Gerrit Cole led everyone with 195 K's. Las Vegas SS Marcus Semien was MVP, and Pittsburgh's Shane Bieber won the Cy Young. Maine's Tyler Duffey won the Rolaids Relief Pitcher award, and Pittsburgh skipper Dave Steines won the Manager of the Year award.
Mike Trout, J.D. Martinez, Francisco Lindor, Gary Sanchez, Mitch Haniger, and Joey Gallo all had three home-run games. Jackie Bradley Jr.(LAS), Rafael Laureano (BOS), and Mitch Haniger (MIC) all had seven RBI games. Toronto's Sean Manaea threw the only no-hitter this season.
Gerrit Cole's 195 K's tie him for third all-time! For more proof of how prevalent the whiff has become, three of the all-time most K's by a pitching staff happened this season!
All league history links have been updated, as have the Team Yearbooks and Encyclopedia. Happy clicking, hope that gets you all through to the next season!
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Vegas baby, Vegas!
Las Vegas - The Las Vegas Fremonts celebrated their first division championship tonight after finishing the final series of the 2019 season. While no major individual 'Mont records were broken, the 2019 edition set team records for wins (47), runs (483), home runs (127), walks (326).
Update: Fremont SS Marcus Semien was named the 2019 Friendship League MVP. Semien finished the season with 13 HRs 51 RBI, .284/.380/.491. He accepted the award saying, "Congratulations to Francisco Lindor on a great season and and probably the closest rate for this reward -- good luck in the National League next season. I share this award with my teammates and the city of Las Vegas." Fremont Director of Analytics Russel Johnson said, "While Marcus' counting stats were not league leading, he earned a 3.8 WAR, good for fourth best in the league and best among players on playoff teams." Semien famously came to the Fremonts via a mid-season trade with Kansas City that was completed on a cocktail napkin.
MEN PREVAIL IN HIV - ON TO THE THE PLAYOFFS!
Like their owner Scott Mallon in the mid to late 1990's, the Minnesota Men proved HIV was no match for them. Bring on the plague from Las Vegas!
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Game 81 Thriller for Wild Card
It came down to the final four games of the year. Maine was sitting at 43-34, while Boston was at 42-35, entering the final series in Maine. Winner to the playoffs as the wild card; loser was looking at a long winter. These two combatants were very familiar with each other, having faced off in last year's playoffs (with Maine advancing to the World Series, where they would lose to Michigan).
Maine won the first game handily, 8-3, to move to one game away from playoffs. It would not be an easy journey though. Boston won game two, 18-2 and game three 15-0 -- a 33-2 onslaught that brought both teams to the edge of elimination going to Game 81!
Game 81 was a nail-biter, as it should have been. FIVE players got injured in the game, including TWO Maine pitchers (damn 6-12 roll with the DH!). Both benches and bullpens were stretched to the limit. Game was tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 7th. Maine got two men aboard and up stepped Adalberto Mondesi. One of the most controversial picks in draft history. Most said Maine "reached" with the 11th pick of the first round four years back, including both the Boston and Pittsburgh general managers. But reach for the stars is what Mondesi did, lacing a 2-run triple into the gap. Another hit knocked him in, and Cy Young candidate Tyler Duffey closed it out with two shutout innings, and the Loggers were alive and well, with a 5-2 win, which brought 41,000 masked Logger fans streaming onto the field to celebrate.
This now makes two years in a row that Maine has ended the Bobcats season -- both times, against Bobcat starter Lance Lynn. The Phantoms are next on the Adalberto "hit list".
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