The Lake Erie Commodores


 (start inspirational heroic music now)

We have our provision and ammunition. We have our crew. It is now time for battle.We are here to prove the pundits, simulators and HAL wrong. We are willing to take on any and all comers this weekend starting on Friday. MAN THE CANNONS!

The first 10,000 fans in the park on opening day will receive a commemorative die cast miniature collectible cannon, thanks to our corporate sponsor AARP.  Ship's Ahoy!

Loggers Announce New Stadium Name

The Loggers are now playing at Lowe's LumberDome (Tampa Bay image on your screen).  Everyone needs a corporate sponsor these days, and we got ours' to build us a new field.  It's made completely out of recycled timber, so smoking is not allowed inside, or within 500 yards of the building outside.  Fireworks shows will no longer be allowed, but there will be a "Lumberjack Games" conducted following selected Friday and Saturday night games.  More promo nights to come.....including the return of the always popular "Nickel Beer Night" to Maine. 

Speaking of which....Our apologies again to Mike Trout and the Mount Pleasant organization for the horrible accident of a year ago.  We are glad the wounds are healing, and that Trout can again take the field.  In retrospect, bringing back the combination of "Nickel Beer Night" with "Free Tomahawk Night" again proved to be a bad idea.  This year, they will be separate promotions. 

2016 Draft Weekend is in the books!

And what a great time it was!  As always, big thanks to Dave Steines and his brother for hooking us up in the elegant digs that we have grown accustomed to.  More thanks to Randy for capturing some of the fun while my phone was on the fritz (Fritz Peterson?). 

 

We welcomed two new league members to the draft, PJ, who was virtual while in Alabama (with a banjo on his knee) yet still won the bingo balls and the coveted #1 overall pick.  Doug Ebbole was welcomed back into the league after a far too-long absence.  Doug's look of confusion during the madness that is the Division Rolloffs may have indicated second thoughts on his part, but looks like he recovered and is ready to go!  We welcome the Mount Pleasant Trainwrecks and the Lake Erie Commodores to the league!

 

Good eats were had at Pizzeria Uno and the IHOP, lots of heated rule debates, lots of laughs in Dave's private suite, even some time in the hot tub after those kids finally left.  More music than usual this year during the draft, from Scott's timeless 'Generic Hispanic Instrumental' for every Latin player drafted, to the classic Fats Domino 'Going to Kansas City', to the new go to song for avian-related surnames, Family Guy's Bird is the Word clip! 

 

 

 

The man who deservedly calls himself
 "The Champion"! Congratulations Mr. Mall-O-Matics!

From last year's champion to this year's
champ, bottoms up!

Steve Willnus seems to like a player left on the board...
or does he see a <gulp> GOSE?!

 

 

The official league file, with whatever rotations and lineups I have received to date, is now updated and ready to be downloaded.  A link to the 2016 Draft Results is right below that. 

 

Just one thing left to say now, and that is PLAY BALL!!!! 

Final Mall-O-Ranks...

Despite what the crazy tarot card reader at the hotel was saying....

Only HAL knows all!  Click here to see how the simulation went for your team and the league!

Mall-O-Ranks Are In!!!

You want it, you got it.  Here is where you rank post protection moves...

They made a movie about one of these guys....

Any idea which one?

Monterrey is on the move...to Mount Pleasant!

New to 2016, the Mount Pleasant Trainwrecks! Named after the best beer to come from cozy Mount Pleasant, the Trainwrecks are hop-ing to have a strong draft in their first year. Ideally, if we're winning we'll be wrecking the competition but if the team completely sucks, well you can just saying they're living up to their name so it's a win-win.

Also considered were the Troy Beavers, named after the Minor League team that never was. The Beavers would have looked to bring a new brand of exciting baseball and puns such as "Dam it!" and "he really muff-ed that grounder." Not to mention playing the classic Naked Gun scene after each home run.

First move as the Trainwrecks is making some cuts, here's my protection list:

Protected

• Brad Boxberger
• Brett Cecil
• David Price
• Kevin Jepsen
• Koji Uehara
• RA Dickey
• Trevor May
• Zach Putnam
• Stephen Vogt
• Albert Pujols
• Brett Lawrie
• Mike Trout
• Rajai Davis
• Rougned Odor
• Carlos Sanchez
• Danny Santana

Cut

• Bud Norris
• Joba Chamberlain
• Chris Carter
• David Lough
• Robinson Chirinos
• Lonnie Chisenhall

No Card

• Jarred Cosart
• Max Scherzer
• Derek Norris
• Yunel Escobar

Yu Darvish: Nick Markakis

See you all at the draft! (Kinda!)

Loggers Post 2016 Protection Players

2016 Protections
Mitch "Find me some" More Land
Alex "Corn Chowder" Avila
Ben "Zobrilla" Zobrist
Anthony (use Scooby Voice) GOSE?!
Asdrubal "Ass-Double-Dribble" Cabrera
Avisail "Little Miggy" Garcia
Jose "Joey Bats" Bautista
Nick "Catch A Falling Star" Castellanos
J.D. "Salinger" Martinez
Sonny, Sonny, Sonny Gray
Jose Quintana (end of Jaws: "Quint?"  "No.....")
Michael "Pinata" Pineda
Aaron "Chopped" Sanchez
Shawn "Don't Mistake Me for Steve" Tolleson
Luke "I am Your Father" Gregerson
Brian "Bobcats Gave Up On Me" Matusz

NL/Darvish Protected: Christian "Bale" Vasquez
Relinquishing rights to: Cliff "Clavin" Lee

Cut like a fart in the breeze:
"The old" Billy "Barue" Butler "Did It"
Omar "Enriquo Pallazzo" Infante
Michael "Jason" Bourn "Supremacy"
Jeremy "little gust of wind, Holmes" Guthrie
Shane "Country Day Battier" Greene
"He went to" Jarrod Parker (no card, again!)
Ryan "15 pieces of Flair" Flaherty

Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: We need to talk about your flair.
Joanna: Really? I... I have fifteen pieces on. I, also...
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Well, okay. Fifteen is the minimum, okay?
Joanna: Okay.
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Now, you know it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum. Or... well, like Brian, for example, has thirty seven pieces of flair, okay. And a terrific smile.
Joanna: Okay. So you... you want me to wear more?
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Look. Joanna.
Joanna: Yeah.
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: People can get a cheeseburger anywhere, okay? They come to Chotchkie's for the atmosphere and the attitude. Okay? That's what the flair's about. It's about fun.
Joanna: Yeah. Okay. So more then, yeah?
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Look, we want you to express yourself, okay? Now if you feel that the bare minimum is enough, then okay. But some people choose to wear more and we encourage that, okay? You do want to express yourself, don't you?
Joanna: Yeah, yeah.
Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Okay. Great. Great. That's all I ask.

Wait, was the above a rerun from last year?  Rerun?!
Schwarzenager: Killian.  I'll be back.
Dawson: Only in a rerun. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm4FEjICVog

Well, we bid adieu to The Ol' Billy Barue Butler here in 2016.  While I don't compile all the lifetime team stats that Kansas City does, I'm quite sure that Billy leaves the Loggers holding the all time record for grounding into the most double plays.  He was slow, he couldn't field a position, but for a few years he could hit.  Boy could he hit, and at times, you thought he was actually on fire.  But, much like the red-hot Biederman Comet in Deep Impact, he slammed into a planet, caused a tsunami, and then receded quickly.  And boy did he recede.  WAR Ratings be damned....we still love you Billy.  Good luck catching on with some lucky team in the waiver draft that values 29 year-olds with 45 year-old bodies.  I'm sure you'll do great things.  Along with grounding into a few DP's.  Cheers to Billy. 

LOGGERMANIA!!!
Available for Trade:  Avisail "Little Miggy" Garcia.  Would also listen to monster offers for J.D. or Joey Bats too!  Channeling Thunderdome: 3 Rightfielders enter....2 Rightfielders leave....

 

 

 

Boston Bobcats Protection List for 2016

 

Protected

 

CJ Wilson

D. Keuchel

D. Pomeranez

G. Holland

M. Stroman

P. Hughes

Y. Gomes

B. Dozier

B. Holt

C. Rasmus

D. Ortiz

E. Escobar

E. Encarnacion

L. Cain

M. Betts

C. Colon

 

 

Yu Darvish player

 

N. Cotts

 

 

Cut List

 

I think have cards

 

F. Rodney

J. Vargas

J. Masterson

T. Hunter

A. Rosales

D. Murphy

R. Rua

S. Drew

 

I don't think have cards

 

AJ Pierzynski

K. Crockett

 

Phog Protection List

Left when the Phog cleared:

Schoop,J

Wieters,M+

Eaton,A*

Brantley,M*

Santana,C+

Iglesias,J

Hosmer,E*

Reddick,J*

Longoria,E

Fielder,P*

Buchholz,C

Robertson,D

Sanchez,A

Kazmir,S*

Smyly,D*

Holland,D*

Lost in the Phog:

Gomes,J

Taylor,C

Crisp,C+

Lowrie,J+

Aviles,M

Oberholtzer,B*

Otero,D

Paxton,J*

Peacock N/C

Deduno N/C

NL Keeper:

Wil Myers

 

Michigan Mammoth(s) Protection List

 

Protected
Andrew Miller
Chris Archer
Chris Tillman
Jered Weaver
Jesse Chavez
Yordano Ventura
Brian McCann
Adam Jones
Brandon Moss
Conor Gillaspie
Dustin Ackley
Elvis Andrus
Kevin Kiermaier
Logan Morrison
Manny Machado
Nick Franklin

NL
Zack Greinke

Cuts
Bryan Shaw
Fernado Salas
Joakim Soria
Joe Beimel
Marc Rzepczynski
Daniel Nava
Delmon Young
Jake Peavy
John Lackey
Jose Molina
Howie Kendrick

Mammoths are now open for trade offers...   



Pittsburgh Phantoms

Protection List

Jason Castro

Kendrys Morales

Robinson Cano

Alexei Ramirez

Mike Moustakas

Desmond Jennings

Kevin Pillar

Shin-Soo Choo

Tajuan Walker

Erasmo Ramirez

Martin Perez

Matt Shoemaker

J.A. Happ

Miguel Gonzalez

Bruce Rondon

Jon Singleton (N/C)

Yu Darvish Player

Yu Darvish

Cuts

John Danks

Hector Noesi

Neftali Feliz

CC Sabathia

David Freese

Travis Snider

Torri Hunter

Bandits Roster

Protected

Danny Salazar 

Brad Brach

Danny Duffy

Jeff Samardzija

Kelvin Herrera

Kyle Gibson

Wei-Yin Chen

Salvador Perez

Aaron Hicks

Alex Gordon

Dustin Pedroia

Erick Aybar

Kole Calhoun

Logan Forsythe

Mike Napoli

Trevor Plouffe

NL - Doug Fister

Cut

Aaron Loup

Joe Smith

Alex Rios

Austin Jackson

Don Kelly NC

Eric Sogard

Jordan Schafer

Tyler Skaggs NC

Blake Badenhop  NC

Francisco Cervelli NC 

Sean Doolittle NC