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VOLUME:L ... September 2024

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COMMISSIONER NOTES:

 

Rosters can now expand to 30. Maximum of 14 pitchers... Heading into the homestretch and it's back to our home divisions and another crack at all four of them. There are two really tight pennant races. In the Harwell it's just a handful of games separating Albuquerque and Atlanta plus Kentucky isn't done either. In the Allen division it's a three team fight. Bennett Run barely in front of Ottawa and Sarasota. Then you look at the wildcard races and find seven teams still very much in that hunt for the three playoff slots. Gonna be a fun month!

 

HARWELL division: alb2

Albuquerque even up 9-9 (5-4h) last month saw their lead shrink. The Horsemen are +21 wins at home and +9 on the road with a +110 run differential. Atlanta 14-4 (8-1h) terrific showing last month closed the gap down to 4 games. The Black Crackers are +11 home & away and in run diff it's +109. Kentucky was a boring 9-9 (5-4h) in August to stay 7 game back. The Blue Grass Boppers are +11 at home and +5 on the road with a +50 run diff. Lancaster was 9-9 (4-5h) last month and are 16 out. The Lynx splits are +3 home and -5 away along with a -17 run diff. Uniontown's 9-9 (4-5h) record last month kept them in fifth, 21 out of first. The Raiders are -7 home, -5 away and they've got a -23 run diff.

 

CARAY division: syr2

Syracuse posted a 12-6 (7-2h) last month to add a game to their lead. The Blue are +31 record at home, +15 away with a run differential of they aren't that good +195. Manhattan slipped back to 9 out of first with an 11-7 (5-4h) record in August. The Marauders are +17 home, +11 away and the run diff is +139. Rochester was 9-9 (4-5h) last month to fall 18 games back. The Robins are +15 in home wins, -5 away with a run diff of +13. Laurel Highlands was 7-11 (4-5hh) last month and are 37 games back and eliminated from pennant contention. The Mustang splits are -7 home, -11 away with a -175 run diff. Philadelphia's 6-12 (2-7h) August puts the last and now 48 games out. The Quakers are -21 at home, -29 away with a sad -303 run diff.

 

ALLEN division: bm2

Bennett Run stumbled into a 6-12 (3-6h) record last month and barely clung to their lead. The Boilermakers are +9 at home in wins, -1 on the road with a +42 run differential. Ottawa despite a 8-10 (5-4h) month closed the gap down to one single game. The Fat Cats are +15 at home, -9 away & their run diff is +57. Sarasota's 10-8 (4-5h) month closed their games behind to just 3 games. The BucO's are +5 at home, -3 away and a run diff of +19. Iron City was 8-10 (4-5h) in August and now 23 out of first. The Houserocker splits are -21 at home, -17 away and their run diff is a league worst -148. Burnsville tied with Iron City was 8-10 (3-6h) and 23 back. The Blaze are -15 at home, -13 away and a run diff of -68.

 

WILD CARD: man2blkcr2bop2

The three slots are currently held by Manhattan with #4 up 3 on Atlanta #5 & they are up 3 on Kentucky #6. Just out of the playoffs are Rochester 3 games back of Kentucky. Ottawa 5 out, Sarasota 7 out and Lancaster 9 out. It's not likely anyone else is going to make it past them. Philadelphia is actually eliminated.

 

TEAM STATS:

Team stats: Atlanta is best in hits, triples, fewest whiffs, most steals along with a really good pitching ERA. Albuquerque tops by one in doubles and tied with Syracuse for best team batting average. Manhattan has a huge lead in walks and is a very good third in ERA. Sarasota tops in getting whiffed. Kentucky big time leader in getting hit by pitcher. Rochester rarely commits an error. Ottawa doesn't hit very well but they clearly have the best ERA. Ah, then you look at the dark side of the moon and see Laurel Highlands with the fewest hits, runners on base and AVG, OBP, OPS and lots of not pretty pitching stats. Philadelphia nearly their equal in most of those and by far the worst team ERA. Iron City the worst at runs, total bases, extra base hits and ISO%..... Home stats pretty much the same with a couple exceptions.

 

PLAYER STATS: bo olson strider

We have three players hitting over 300. Bo Bichette (Atl) was 23 for 55 (418 avg) last month an jumped to the top of the batting average board. Shohei Ohtani (Syr) and Ronald Acuna Jr (Atl) the other two. Matt Olson (Bur) clubbed nine homers last month and leads the league in HR's with Ohtani behind him. Acuna is all alone leading everyone with over 170 hits. He's also our leader in triples and top man in steals with over 60. Juan Soto (Man) has a gigantic lead in walks, just one under 100 already..... On the pitching side Zach Eflin (Sar) the lone pitcher with 130 innings and an ERA in the two's. Logan Webb (Ott) trailing him. Looking at wins, Justin Verlander (Man) top man with 16. The final leg of pitchers triple crown, K's, we find Spencer Strider (Atl) way, way out in front and the only one with 200+ whiffs. George Kirby (Roc) can be found on the ERA and wins list. Gerrit Cole (Syr) is listed on the ERA, wins, K's boards. In stat head areas, Gerrit Cole (Syr) in best of four with WHIP under one. Strider (Atl) more than two k's per 9 ahead of the rest. Webb is the only one with K/BB ratio in the 9's. Blake Snell (Ken) tops in H/9 and the lone guy in the 4's..... Sometimes things go wrong. Max Muncy (Utw) the worst hitter in the league. Josh Bel (Phi) trying to better (?) him in bad. James Outman (Lan) the worst of two at 160+ whiffs. Two guys have ERA in the sixes. Charlie Morton (Utw) and worse than him Freddie Peralta (LHi). Johan Oveido (Iro) has the most loses with 17

 

PAGE TWO: kopech flaherty

Chase Silseth (Bur) has a league best 0.00 ERA in 5.0ip but how about Patrick Sandoval (Utw) with 0.55 ERA after 33ip and then there is Garrett Whitlock (Atl) at 10.12 ERA on 10+ip. Twenty guys with 1000 WL% and it's Michael King (Syr) 7-0 the best and at 000% there are a bunch but two stand out. Michael Kopech (Phi) & Jack Flaherty (Bur). They both are 0-14!. Hector Neris (Sar) has been in 64 games. Garrett Braxton (Man) has 6 complete games. Zach Eflin (Sar) has tossed 3 shutouts. Kyle Gibson (Man) in 143+ip and Johan Oveido (Iro) in 166ip have given up 32 homers. Dane Dunning (Alb) has walked 74 in 115+ip and of note Brock Burke (Bur) just 2 walks in 41ip. Taj Bradley (Phi) has a 2.07 WHIP after 100ip (156h/51bb) and Justin Topa (Man) is 0.59 WHIP after 42+ip (18h/7bb). Felix Bautista (Bur) has a 16.8 K/9 with 31ip. Ryan Borucki (Atl) has walked 2 and whiffed 29 with 24+ip...... Shohei Ohtani (Syr) has scored 108 runs. Steven Kwan (Phi) has 3 rbi in 126ab. Whit Merrifield (Roc) has 0 homers on 156ab. Victor Caratini (Iro) has 0 extra base hits with 59ab. Nico Hoerner (Ben) has 7 caught stealing of 34 tries while Esteury Ruiz (Syr) is at 0 with 50 steals. TJ Friedl (Ken) has been hit 22 times and Christian Yelich (Phi) is zero on his 492pa. Cody Bellinger (Man) has 8 sac flies and eight players have 1 sac bunt. Xander Bogaerts (Bur) has hit into 20 GiDP's which is something Jazz Chisholm (Roc) never done after 263ab. Bobby Witt Jr (Syr) has made 25 errors. Daulton Varsho (Ken) is 10 hits for 17 ab's for 588 average while Miguel Amaya (Ben) is 0 for 3 but we salute Jose Caballaro (Atl) and his 083 avg on a 4 for 48 year.

 

... IMPORTANT DATES ...

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THE SHOW

Aug 25th, Cubs at Marlins. Bottom of 8th, Marlins ahead 3-1. Burger (Mia) doubles and pushes Norby to 3rd. Cubs intentionally walk Jesus Sanchez. He trots toward first and a pinch runner is sent out for him. Sanchez heads back to the dugout. Before next pitch, the Cubs appeal at firstbase. The batter runner, is called out for failing to touch first base. "Rule 5.05(b)(1) Comment: A batter who is entitled to first base because of a base on balls, including an award of first base to a batter by an umpire following a signal from a manager, must go to first base and touch the base before other base runners are forced to advance." You would think someone in the Marlins dugout would have noticed Sanchez not touch first. The Manager, one of the coaches in the dugout, the firstbase coach. Someone. Whew!

 

If the season began after the All-Star break the top 3, on August 30th the standings and player stats would be:

 

17The announced attendance on Aug 26th, first game of doubleheader at the White Sox was 17.

 

Danny Jansen (Bsx) got to appear in box score for a June 26th game that was suspended until August 26th because he was traded from Toronto to Boston on July 27th. He was at bat in June and was the Boston catcher in August.

 

The Yankees have a Heel (Gil) and a Hill along with a Trivino and a Tre-veen-yo (Trevino). They also have a Berti and a Burdi plus an Oswald & Oswaldo.

 

The Nationals are a lot of fun to watch – even when it’s at their expense. A sure double, off the wall in deep center, turned into just your typical 8-6-2-3-2-5-4 double play. Gallo couldn't score from 2nd !

baum  

Mike Baumann (Mia) RP has a 5.40 ERA and tossed 48 innings. He began 2024 with the Orioles for 17 games, then dealt to Mariners for 18 games, who dealt him to the Giants for 1 game and then it was off to Angels for 10 games who waived him and Miami claimed him. Two games there so far