Week #14
I am back after an exhausting last 3 weeks. The marriage went well and the honeymoon was unbelievable. Thanks for everyone's patience and help over the last 3 weeks as I was quite preoccupied, to say the least.
The All-Star break is upon us, leaving 4 weeks of regular season play. All four division races are still up for grabs, as are the wildcard spots in each conference. Over the past month, things have changed drastically in the league, as many of the early season leaders have fallen back to the pack, and even now chasing teams for a playoff birth.
The Oysters now hold the top team point total in the league, with the Creeping Death 3 points behind. The X-Men and Hummers are the two other division leaders. The Stingrays continue to struggle, and have fallen 5 points behind the Oysters. The' Rays do hold the top wildcard for now in the A/B conference. The Destroyers hold the second wildcard spot in that conference, with the Contributors and Blackjacks just a single point behind the Destroyers. The Vipers are 4 points out of a wildcard spot, while the Barracudas are a distant 13 points out of the playoff picture.
The defending champ Connection have made a huge comeback from their early season struggles, and now hold the top scoring average in the league. The Connection hold the top wildcard spot in the C/D Conference, with the red hot Cobras now holding the other. The Clippers are just a point behind the Cobras in the wildcard race, while the Victory have stumbled of late and sit 4 points out of the playoff race. The Wiseguys and Redbirds are both 8 points out of a playoff spot.
The player points races are also quite close, with the exceptions of 3B & OF. Barry continues to lead all individual players with 311 points, while 3B Pujols has the biggest lead of any position at 55.
The trade deadline came and went without a single deadline deal. There were few trades this year, as communication seemed to be the hardest obstacle to overcome this year. One suggestion, read and respond to e-mail!
First, we'll take a look at week #14 results, and then a little summary of each team and where they stand will follow:
Oysters 4 Clippers 1
JR/Corey nearly get the sweep as they pull a
little further ahead in the A Division. The Oysters have been on a roll,
overtaking the early season leader Stingrays a few weeks back, and they now are
the new high team point leader. The Oysters were led by HR King Giambi's 22 and
Yankees pitching with 20. The Clippers had been playing well of late, but could
only manage a 3 point win on Saturday. The Clippers had a firm grip on 2nd place
in the C Division, but have now fallen behind the dreaded Cobras. The 'Clips
were led by Fryman's 19 and the Cubs 20.
Cobras 4 Destroyers 1
This match up started off with a BANG as the
Cobras won the M-TH game by 2 points, 82-80. What looked to be a weekend shoot
out, never really materialized as the Cobras nearly walked away with a sweep of
the Destroyers. Maze/Sturken talk a good game, but the team has backed up the
talk over the last month as the Cobras have climbed back into a wildcard spot. The
Cobras were led by stud Berkman with 41, and also got 24 from $-Rod and 20 from
Mondesi. Steve was a little unhappy, to say the least, with the loss during the
week. I can't imagine the frustration to see his team follow up the 80 point
game with a 7 point game on Friday. Things only got worse as the weekend went
along, and only a Sunday 39-29 victory gave Steve any relief. The Destroyers did
crack the top 8, thanks to the big weekday game. The team was led by Nixon's 30
and Magglio's 20.
Creeping Death 5 Barracudas 0
The Commish and partner Mr. Tom Brady get
the needed sweep over the Barracudas, after their team had struggled for most of
the month of June. The Death still hold onto the division lead in the C
Division, despite all their recent troubles. The Death had a top 3 finish, led
by Durham and Rolen's 30 points apiece. Bert/Pam/Ron continue to struggle as
they have done all year. The Barracudas have the worst record in the league, but
showed last week they are capable of putting together a solid week and playing
the spoiler. The 'Cudas couldn't put together two good weeks in a row, as Burks
was the team high with 16.
Stingrays 3 Wiseguys 2
Merv/Mike stop the bleeding a little, as the
Stingrays finally get on the winning side. After a fabulous first 6 weeks, the
Stingrays have been in a serious tailspin ever since. Gone is the division lead,
team points lead, and scoring average lead. But all is not lost for the Myers,
as they still have time to reclaim what they once held. The team was led this
week by Damon's 30 and Bagwell's 27. George/Chris continue to be inconsistent
and time just may be running out on the Wiseguys. The 'Guys have some serious
ground to make up to get back into the playoff race, and this week was a typical
up and down week that will not get the job done. The team scored 64 M-TH and got
the win, then scored 9 in a Friday loss, rebounded with 35 on Saturday for the
win, and capped it off with a 8 point game, losing Sunday and totals. Robbie
Alomar finally realized the season started and led the Wiseguys with 25.
Connection 4 Vipers 1
Scott/Chris finally have the Connection
playing like they want to defend their title on the field. This week saw the
team explode for 178 points to lead the league, as they easily turn back the
Vipers. Scott/Chris have the team firing on all cylinders, as the got 37 from
Pujols, 28 from Klesko, 25 from Olerud and 23 from Alou. Those 4 outscored the
entire Vipers team alone. Rogan's team ran into a hot team this week, although
the 93 points they scored was bad enough to tie for the league low. The Vipers
fall back in the tight B Division race, but are still just 5 points out of the
lead. The Vipers were lead by Helton's 19 this week.
X-Men
4 Redbirds 1
Al/Mike have a solid week but ended up in a
few close games to give them a little scare. The X-Men take control of the B
Division with the 4 wins and a top 8 finish. Al looks primed for one of his
usual playoff runs, as the team was led by Walker and Williams with 25 points
each. Larry/Tim continue to struggle, and can only manage a single win this
week, thanks to a tiebreaker on Saturday. The Redbirds were led by All-Star Winn
with 19.
Hummers 3 Contributors 2
In a battle of two division leaders, the
Hummers come away with the 3-2 win, and also get the final spot in the top 8.
Jeff/Scottx2 are doing their best to hold off the surging Connection in the D
Division, and still hold a 3 point lead over them. The team was led by Polanco's
29 and of course Barry with 26. John/Frank have another down week, and fall all
the way from 1st to 3rd in the B Division. It is really not as bad as it sounds
though, they are just 2 points out of the lead. The Contributors were led by SF
pitching with 24 and sub LeCroy with 18.
Blackjacks 4 Victory 1
Bill has a solid week in getting the 4 wins,
but misses out on a crucial top 8 bonus point as they finished 9th in the
league. The Blackjacks are just 2 points out of the B Division lead in the close
division race. The 'Jacks were led this week by Viagra Man with 25 and Batista's
20. Brian had another down week as the team scored just 100 points, lost 4 out
of 5, and gave up the points scoring lead, a lead they had held for quite a
while. The Victory do have a league high still though, and that is points
against scoring average at 140.0. The Victory were led this week by Ziele's 20
points.
Week
#14 Awards:
Player of the Week:
Lance Berkman, Cobras 41 Points
Berkman continues to be a stud as he leads the Cobras to a near sweep over the
Destroyers.
Pitching
Staff of the Week: Oakland, Creeping Death
29 Points
The Commish and Tom continue to get solid pitching from the A's staff, after a
dismal start to the season from the team.
Surprise of the Week: The lack of trades this year was quite disappointing to many. Many teams had a chance to improve their team, but no one was willing to pull the trigger on a deal. This is the least amount of trading in a league since I have been a part of the UAL leagues.
Sad
story of the week:
RIP Darryl Kile
Now here is a look at each team, what was good, what was bad, and where does the team stand going into the final month of the season:
Oysters: Giambi certainly has proved his worth as a top pick in the league, while Juan really hurt the team early on and looking to go on the DL yet again. The Oysters still have the talent to hold onto to the top spot in the league, a lead that is theirs to loose.
Stingrays: Damon has been big all year, while Bagwell has slumped off from past years. A close second to Bags has been EY, a complete disappointment this year. The Stingrays have fallen, can the get back up? They need to turn it on soon or all may be lost after the fantastic start to the year.
Destroyers: Lowell was a steal in the 10th round, while Aurilia has come no where near the level he was at last year, hence the reason he is no longer on the team. The Destroyers are right in the thick of the playoff race, and despite last week's disappointment, the team is still playing real well these days.
Barracudas: Jeter/Kent have proved their worth up the middle, but 3rd round pick Cirillo was a huge bust as he even spent a few weeks as a free agent after being released. The Barracudas are actually rooting for a strike these days, about the only thing that can help them not finish last is an incomplete season.
X-Men: Spivey is the free agent claim of the year, while top 2 picks Chipper and Larry have been disappointing for most of the year. The team leads the most competitive division in the league, a spot the will have to fight to hold onto.
Blackjacks: Green went nuts last month, securing a few sidepots for Bill, while Ventura has been a nice late round pick. Ortiz has struggled all year, and now may not even have a regular spot when he returns from the DL. The Blackjacks have shown signs of greatness, but also have been a little inconsistent. They are right in the thick of it, and have the talent to make a long playoff run.
Contributors: Magglio/Sweeney/Castillo were a nice 2-4 round picks. Umm, they were all traded to the Destroyers in midseason.....might explain their recent struggles! Higgy in the 7th round was a steal, until he got hurt. Young in the 5th round has not worked out well. The Contributors need to get back on the winning track soon, or they might be looking at missing the playoffs.
Vipers: Vidro in round 4 was a great pick, as were his other top 3 picks. From round 6 on is where the Vipers struggled, as none of the players drafted have made any kind of contribution to the team. The Vipers have been a roller-coaster ride this year, they need a few good weeks in a row to move up in the division, the closest in the league.
Creeping Death: Torii Hunter in round 9 was one of the top steals in the draft this year, as was Salmon in round 11. Too bad the team released Salmon right before he went off for a month. Piazza has been disappointing as a 1st round pick, to say the least. The Death trail the Oysters by just 3 points for the overall lead in the league, and have a 6 point lead in their division. Playoffs seem a lock (kiss of death).
Cobras: Berkman in round 2 was questioned by a few, but he certainly has lived up to Cobra expectations. Thome in round 5 was also a nice pick. Picks 7-12 yielded the Cobras nothing though. The Cobras have been the hottest team in the league the last month, a streak they look to continue right into the playoffs.
Clippers: Burrell in round 7 and Hinske in round 9 were solid picks. Vaughn in round 6 did not pan out, and injuries to top two picks Manny/Nevin have hurt the team. The Clippers have endured injuries all year, but have remained competitive. Nevin should be back soon as the Clippers may be healthy for the first time in months as they look to make a playoff run.
Wiseguys: Konerko in round 5 was solid, while top pick Alomar has been very disappointing all year. The Wiseguys need a few sweeps after the break to get back into the playoff race.
Hummers: Anderson in round 7 was a steal, and Barry was a bonus at #5 in round one. Griffey and Ramirez were both disappointing top 4 round picks. The Hummers have had the division lead for a while now, and look to hold of the charging Connection, but should be a solid playoff contender.
Connection: Olerud was a nice pick in round 9, while Pujols and Nomar have been solid 1/2 picks. Alou and Cruz have not done much all year as 5/6 round picks. The Connection are rolling these days, and look to defend their title in the playoffs, a spot they should not have a problem making with their recent hot streak.
Victory: Soriano in round one was a big surprise, but turned out to be a solid pick. Ziele in round 10 was nice as well. Burnitz has struggled all year, and was eventually traded. The Victory were the scoring leader for a long time, but have fallen on tough times the last few weeks. They are still in the thick of the playoff race, but need to turn it up a notch real soon.
Redbirds: Sammy has been his usual self, while Delgado was a nice 3rd round pick. Hard to find another draft pick that hasn't struggled this year. The Redbirds playoff hopes are weak at best unless a huge final four weeks and help from others happens.
Good luck to everyone in week #15 after the All-Star break....... I am outta here!
The
Commish
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