Friendship League, The Early Days

Saw this in the paper last week, and did a double take. 

Draft Weekend 2017!

Nice view from our room, digging the Crown Plaza hotel!

Wow, a great Draft Weekend for sure, March in the "D" was a fantastic time, was great to see everyone again!.  Special thanks to Dave for hooking us up in a super hotel for fleabag motel prices, to Steve Tufte for his great work as Commissioner and his preparation for the weekend, and to Jimmy for coming back from 'retirement' and helping the league out greatly! 

  

Friday Night Fights (the new rules debate and voting)

Jimmy's Corner is always interesting!  This year
brought Mr T. (in a sombrero!)



2017 Friendship League Draft is underway!




The Big Board!

Still able to watch some NCAA action during the draft

PJ's first in-person Draft experience since 1993!

Big thanks also to the Mallon girls for their highly entertaining and enjoyable video edition of "The Gerbil Show".  We all have to raise our logo game, especially that one that is "just a guy with a mustache"! 






The hotel was very nice, and I hope we get to go back to experience the penthouse meeting room next year!  There were a few awkward moments as the pairs of hotel roommates realized there was only 1 king-size bed in our rooms and not two beds.  The pullout couch beds were OK, so we avoided some potentially unpleasant sleeping arrangements  :-)     We even had a cameo appearance from new Commissioner-elect Mike Schmidt, who played Roger Goodell in announcing the first draft pick. 



1st overall pick Alex Bregman,
the pride of the Butchers

It is always amazing to have league 'firsts' 30 some years into this thing   Here are just a few of the groundbreaking things from the weekend.....

-Rules being passed and then immediately voted out by even better proposals (rule debates were intense this year, don't remember anything like that!)
-A proposed "my team for your team" trade offer!
-"Division Dinners" Saturday night where you could only sit with your new division foes
-Steam Room trade talks (a trade was NOT finalized there, so something to shoot for next year!)

We did scare away a few people lounging in the hot tub, but that is standard league activity. 

The Divisions Names were a vote between "Lesser Known Simpsons Characters" and "Beloved Dead Pets".  The Dead Pets (sounds like a punk rock band) prevailed, so we have the Sammy (Bob's cat)Division, the Licker (the league's nickname for our dog Callie) Division, and the Finnegan (Scott's dog) Division.

The new league file is available on this site to be downloaded, please do so and verify that your team is correct.  We do have a couple of important rule changes that we will have to be aware of, like all injuries are rest of game only, brawl is now only a HBP following a homer, and I think you can change your 'minor league' player each game rather than just a series.  Will update the online rules soon.

Now it's time to see if Minnesota can three-peat.  Will David Ortiz power Boston to another title in his farewell season? Did Kansas City select the right rookie out of the strong crop that was available?  Can Las Vegas and Michigan live up to HAL's pre-season simulation?  Good luck to all, should be another great season!

Let's "Play Ball"!!!!

Strat Salary Rankings

Full salary breakdown of your teams as applied by Strat365.

Breaking News....


Longtime Michigan Mammoths great CF Adam Jones joins the Manifesto team in Philly in  a trade for 1B Eric Hosmer.   The Mammoths will be saddened to see Jones in a new uniform, but welcome Hosmer with open arms.   The Mammoths have not had a steady first basemen since Adrian Gonzales was traded away....  

WAR!!

The fireworks have started already as Steve Willnus blasts the leadership of commissioner Steve Tufte.

@therealschmidt “Prior to the Yu Darvish rule that Obama implemented no one missed the protected player deadline on a technicality…Sad!”

2016 Strat Salary Rankings

Taking all our protected players and using the assigned strat player values (salaries from Strat365). Pittsburgh and Maine have plenty of room before hitting the luxury tax.

The Philadelphia Manifesto

Mine, mine, mine:

Santana
Eaton
Wieters
Hosmer
Schoop (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUZaai-p05Q)
Longoria
Iglesias
Brantley
Red dick

Smyly
Colome
Hamels
Diekman
Fiers
Osuna
Robertson

Yours....if you really want them

Fielder
Robbie Ross
Fernando Salas
Anibal Sanchez
CC Sabathia
Derek Holland

N/C

Runnynose Castillo
Stephen Drew
Tyler Flowers
Kazmir

NL : Bucholz

Wichita Roster moves

On Roster

D. Salazar

D. Duffy

K. Gibson

B. Brach

K. Herrera

W. Harris

S. Perez

M. Napoli

D. Pedroia

T. Plouffe

L. Forsythe

A. Gordon

K. Calhoun

A. Almonte

A. Hicks

D. Fister 

Protecting : Carson Smith

Cut

J Samardzija -NL

W Chen - NL

C Bassitt

F Morales - NC

T Layne

R Hanigan

A Rod

E Aybar

T Saladino

R Raburn - NC

S Fuld - NC

Train Wreck Protection List

Keepers:
Mike Trout
Carlos Correa
Albert Pujols
Roughned Odor
Sandy Leon
Rajai Davis
Eddie Rosario
David Price
Edinson Volquez
Brett Lawrie
Stephen Vogt
Bryan Shaw
Carlos Sanchez
Seth Smith
Koji Uehara
RA Dickey

Yu Darvish:
Chris Colabello

Released:
Desmond Jennings
Carlos Santana
Kevin Jepson
Brett Cecil
Brad Boxberger
Trevor May
Xavier Cedeno
Nathan Eovaldi

NC:
Gerrardo Parra
Blaine Boyer

Lake Erie Protection List

A. Escobar J. Altuve C. Headley K. Suzuki Mi. Cabrera J. Mauer B. Guyer J. Dyson L. Chisenhall L. Martin J. Verlander C.McHugh H. Iwakuma M. Andriese J.Wilson S. Dyson Yu Darvish player Ben Revere

Bobcats Protection List

 

Keepers

 

 

Yan Gomes

Brock Holt

Mookie Betts

David Ortiz

Colby Rasmus

Lorenzo Cain

Brian Dozier

Edwin Encarnacion

Mychal Givens

Luis Severino

Rich Hill

Drew Pomeranz

Steven Wright

Dallas Keuchel

Wade Miley

Marcus Stroman

 

Darvished

 

Greg Holland

 

He Gone

 

Dan Jennings

Travis Shaw

Roberto Perez

Franklin Gutierrez

Ryan Madson

Eduardo Nunez

Phil Hughes

Eduardo Escobar

nc's

CJ Wilson

John Danks

Yu Gone 

Neal Cotts

 

 



 

Loggers Announce 2017 Protection List

2017 ProtectionsMitch "Find me some" More Land
Carlos Gomez "Adams"
Christian "Bale" Vasquez
Jose "Joey Bats" Bautista
Nick "Catch A Falling Star" Castellanos
J.D. "Salinger" Martinez
Troy "Tulo" Tulowitzki
Russell "Industrial Center" Martin
Robinson "Crusoe" Chirnos
 Sonny, Sonny, Sonny Gray
Jose Quintana (end of Jaws: "Quint?"  "No.....")
Michael "Pinata" Pineda
Aaron "Chopped" Sanchez
Luke "I am Your Father" Gregerson
Carlos "Rodan - CAW!" Rodon
Jesse "Pinkman" Hahn

NL/Darvish Protected:  Asdrubal "Ass-Double-Dribble" Cabrera
Probably a first in Friendship League history: A team protects 3 catchers. 

Cut like a fart in the breeze:
Anthony (use Scooby Voice) GOSE?!
Shawn "Don't Mistake Me for Steve" Tolleson
Ryan "Where ya" Goins
Preston "Mother" Tucker
Zach "Turn Those Machines Back On!" Duke
Matt "Oh no! We suck again!" Albers

Available in this year's draft (as he always is!) Ryan "15 pieces of Flair" Flaherty.  Tradition! 

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?  And the year before?  Rerun?!
Schwarzenager: "Killian.  I'll be back."
Dawson: "Only in a rerun." 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm4FEjICVog

Well, last year we bid adieu to The Ol' Billy Barue Butler, and now this year we have to say goodbye to longtime Logger favorite Ben "Zobrilla" Zobrist.  Zobrilla started out as a "Swiss Army Knife" for Maine, a reserve infielder, not unlike Ryan Flaherty.  But he improved.  Boy, did he improve.  Made himself into really good hitter, could steal you a bag or two, and by his early 30's he was a "1" at second base.  Unfortunately, when you have a guy on the Rays, you never know when they will trade him (hello, Will Myers?).  Fortunately, he went to the A's, who then swapped him to the Royals.  That bought him one more year with the Loggers.  Finally, he just became too damn valuable, and the Cubbies signed him.  We'll miss your bat at the top of our lineup....we'll miss your glove at 2B or in LF....we'll miss your cool nickname....we'll fondly remember "The Zobrilla Years" in Maine. 
LOGGERMANIA!!!

Kansas City Butchers 2016 Protected List

Snazzy new Butchers Hat, now available
at the Butcher Shoppe store



 

PROTECTED
Jason Kipnis
Xander Bogaerts
George Springer
C.J. Cron
Luis Valbuena
Mark Trumbo
Avasail Garcia 
Evan Gattis
Jake Marsinick
Corey Kluber
Kevin Gausman
Carlos Carrasco
Lance McCullers
Eduardo Rodriguez
Kendall Graveman
Jurickson Profar








CHOPPED
Andrew Romine
Austin Jackson
Caleb Joseph
Tommy Milone
Huston Street
Mark Lowe
Cody Anderson
Zach McAllister
Rene Rivera (UC)
Josh Hamilton (UC)

YU DARVISH PLAYER
Alex Cobb

Michigan Mammoth Protection List

Protected Andrew Miller

Chris Archer

Chris Tillman

Jered Weaver

Yordano Ventura

Brian McCann

Adam Jones

Billy Burns

Devon Travis

Elvis Andrus

Francisco Lindor

Ketel Marte

Kevin Kiermaier

Logan Morrison

Manny Machado

Paulo Orlando

NL Player Zack Greinke

Cut Hank Conger

Billy Butler

David Freese

Dustin Ackley

Omar Infante

Chi Chi Gonzales

Evan Scribner

Henry Owens

Jesse Chavez

Steve Geltz

Vidal Nuno

Change to Toronto protection list

We will keep Casali and drop Young