VOLUME:XLIV ... Jul 1, 2018
LATEST NEWS
Seems like it just began but the fact is we are halfway done and Burnsville has yet, except for 1 plate appearance, to use a 10th man on offense. Yep, same nine guys hitting each and every game. I don't think I've seen that before... Have a great holiday this week as we celebrate two great nations and their freedoms.
DIVISION RACES
Harwell Div: Albuquerque still out front thanks to a torrid 10-3 away mark in June and 8-6 home. Ottawa continues to chase them, four back. The Fat Cats was a very tidy 11-3 at home and 8-5 away last month. Armada still playing over 500 ball was 15-12 last month but has fallen 13 out of first and nine out of second. In fourth it's a tie between WNY & Cinci. The Falcons were 11-16 in June and Cinci the same. They're five back of Armada... In series play all but Cinci have won 6 of their 9 series at home. Not so on the road. Ottawa has won 7, Albuquerque 6 and the others have losing series road records.
Caray Div: Syracuse remains eight games in front. The Blues were 4-5 at home/5-4 away last month. Kentucky, now firmly in second is 8 back of first and five up on 3rd. They were 6-3 at home with 9 total wins. In third is Havre de Grace. The Bucs fell flat at home in June posting a dismal 1-8 home record with 4 wins in the month. Two games back of them is Bennett Run. They had the same dismal home record and the same as the Bucs on the road. Just a game behind the Boilermakers is Laurel Highlands. The Mustangs were 4-5 at home with 7 wins total... Series play shows Syracuse & Kentucky with five of 9, series wins at home, Havre with four, Laurel Highlands with three and Bennett Run just two. On the road the Blues have won 4 of 9, all but Kentucky have two series road wins. The Bourbons everyone's favorite visiting team are 0-8-1 on the road.
Allen Div: Knob Noster had a rather boring 7-6 home/6-8 away month and fell into a dead heat for first with Homestead. The Gray were 9-4 at home & 7-7 away. Just three games back of those two is Burnsville after their 8-5 home/7-7 away month. In fourth Miami posted the best record of anyone in the division last month. The Bears were only 6-7 at home but 11-3 on the road. In the cellar Etiwanda is now 14 out of first and 6 back of Miami. They were 7-6 home/5-9 away in June... In series matches Burnsville and K'heads have won 6 of 9 at home and the other three have 4 series wins at home. On the road, the Gray have won 7 of those 9, Knob Noster five and the others four of nine.
Wildcard: Back on the standing page with us at halfway. We have Ottawa, Homestead and Burnsville in the three slots, in that order. Armada is just couple out, Miami five out and three teams a couple behind the Bears. That is Kentucky, Western NY and Cinci. It's beginning to look bleak for Etiwanda, Havre de Grace, Bennett Run and Laurel Highlands.
TEAM STATS
We have three teams hitting 250 or more and everyone is hitting at least 200 after Western NY got there. Albuquerque is the leader with Syracuse and Armada trailing... The On Base column has Syracuse a hair in front of Albuquerque with Kentucky trailing them. Western NY has the worst mark here... In OPS Syracuse barely up on Albuquerque and they are the only two over 800. Western NY, Etiwanda and Havre de Grace are under 700... On top of the homer column is not the Horsemen or Blues. It's Ottawa and Homestead right behind them as the only two with 170+. Etiwanda need one more for 100... Knob Noster is the leader in extra base hits with 387 of them. Havre de Grace has 240... Syracuse, Albuquerque, Knob Noster & Homestead are well over 300 in walks. Cinci is hacking away under 250... Homestead and Burnsville hear strike 3 a lot. Armada hardly ever... Kentucky likes to run and is the only team with over 100 steals. Burnsville has now rocketed up to 9 in their 27 tries. The next lowest mark is 25 ahead of them... Knob Noster has a solid lead in hitting into DP's with 83. Western NY hasn't even hit into 40 yet. Clearly best at fielding is Armada with only 28 errors. Havre de Grace & Kentucky more than twice as bad with 59... What isn't shown on team hitting is Albuquerque best in total bases with 1480 and Havre de Grace worst at 1098. Extra base hits has Knob Noster on top with 387 with Havre de Grace at 240. Knob Noster has put 1175 people on base and Western NY only 854... On the hill Burnsville has the best ERA at 3.72 with Ottawa at 3.73. Laurel Highlands getting pasted with 5.88... It ain't easy getting the ball out of Camden Court Park in Bennett Run. Only 107 left the yard. Bandboxes in Etiwanda & Knob Noster... We have three teams with K/9 rates over 9. Five teams have K/BB rates in the threes. Fat Cats are lowest in WHIP with 1.07 and you get a 1.50 from Boilermaker hurlers..... You can see all the team stats right under the player lists on the STAT page. Do your team numbers match what I have posted as the official numbers?
PLAYER STATS
It's the Jose Ramirez (Kno) and Giancarlo Stanton (Syr) party right now at the top of our Top Ten lists. Stanton on top of the OBP as one of four over 400, the only guy with +700 SLG at 718, tops in OPS one of two over 1000 OPS at 1144 and the only one over 80 RBI with 83. J-Ram best of six with over 100 hits at 118, the only one over 40 doubles with 43, and also the only one with 60+ extra base hits at 62 (43/4/15)... Pretty good year going on for Justin Smoak (Bur) too. He's one of three over 30 dingers with 37 and is second to Stanton in RBI, OPS and SLG... Jose Altuve (Ken) has taken over the lead in Average. J-Ram and Stanton trailing him. Four others hitting 300... Chris Taylor (Ben) is up to a league best 11 triples... Joey Votto (Ott) and Matt Carpenter (Cin) way out in front with drawing walks at 71/68... Also a way out in front combo in steals. Billy Hamilton (Ken) & Dee Gordon (Mia) with 48 and 46... We have Michael Taylor (Ott) almost halfway to 300 whiffs... Longtime worst hitter Manny Machado (Ott) had a good month got of that list. Kyle Seager (Arm) now in a dead heat with Eric Thames (Mia) for the worst hitter in the league. Todd Frazier (Hav) almost as bad..... On the hill Jake Arrieta (Bur) has our best ERA with Stephen Strasburg (Hom) right there with him. Chris Sale (Bur) and Aaron Nola (Ken) also under 3.00 ERA... It's a three way tie for most wins at 11. There's Clayton Kershaw (Ott), team mates Corey Kluber & Stephen Strasburg (Hom)... Max Scherzer (Bur) way out in front of the K race and the K/9 chart too. Strasburg (Hom) is one of five with a WHIP under 1.00. He's at 0.81. Sale (Bur) & Scherzer (Bur) lead the K/BB stat... Strasburg (Hom), jeez he's everywhere, leads a new stat Hits per 9 with just 5.4 hits... Gerrit Cole (Mia) and Yu Darvis (Eti) the best we have at losing games with 11... Mike Foltynewicz (Hav) wearing the "Worst pitcher" title with his 8.23 ERA..... Find out more on the STATS page.
THEN THERE'S THIS
The very best hitter around? That's Jarrod Dyson (Kno) who's 3 for 7 is 429. Not bad is Starlin Castro (Hav) who's at 366 with 176pa. Worst hitter is still Roughned Odor (Hav) who is 0 for 3 but Yonder Alonso (Alb) has joined him with same stats. LoCain (Arm) has upped his league leading caught stealing mark to 9. Billy Hamilton (Ken) is 48 for 48.. Tyler Flowers (Bur) is still getting drilled. He's at 19 now. Slindin' Billy Hamilton (Ken) has never been hit in 397pa.. Elvis Andrus (Cin) has hit into 15 double plays. He needs to leave the building quicker... Byron Buxton (LHi) never has hit into one with 220pa... Jorge Polanco (LHi) has messed up 21 plays to pass Jean Segura (Syr) who has been relegated to DH..... Josh Hader (Syr) now one two with 0.00 ERA. He's done it over 9.3ip, Joe Smith (Bur) 2.0ip. Archie Bradley (WNY) has 0.81 ERA after 33.3ip. Tyler Glasnow (LHi) improved to an 11.94 ERA/34.7ip to claim league worst... We have 22 undefeated pitchers and Alex Claudio (Alb) has the best 5-0 WL record. Chris Archer (LHi) is 0-10.. Brandon Kintzler (Bur) has been in 46 games. There's 34 pitchers still with none... Kendall Graveman (Hav) still the only one with 3 shutouts... Jose Urena (80ip) has been taken deep 32 times over 114.3ip. Alex Colome (Mia) is at 0 in 28.7ip.. Mike Foltynewicz (Hav) 101.7ip and Jose Urena (Mia) 114.3ip have walked 63... Donnie Hart (Kno) hasn't walked anyone in 15.3ip... Tyler Glasnow (LHi) is giving up 15.8 hits per 9ip.
... IMPORTANT DATES ...
- August 1-3 - Trade Window
- October 1st - Playoffs
THE SHOW
Bob Sheppard speaks: Gleyber Torres (GLAY-bor), Miguel Andujar (An-DU-har), Ronald Acuna (Ah-COON-ya), Paul DeJong (DEE-yung), Wilmer Difo (DEE-fo), Luke Mailes (MAY-lee), Sam Gaviglio (Guh-VEE-leo), Jose Berrios (Beh-REE- ohs), Tyler Mahle (MAL-lee)
On May 19th, Sergio Romo (Tampa) made his first career start after 588 relief appearances. The Tampa staff ERA stood at 4.45. Tampa manager Kevin Cash said he was an "opener". Since that date no team in baseball has a better staff ERA. The Rays are 2.87 since then. Second is the Yankees at 2.96. The idea being twofold. Starting pitchers seem to have a rough time in first inning before settling in against the other teams big guns and relievers are used to being in the groove, from pitch one. After one or two innings, in comes the traditional starter and he hopefully can get through the lineup through three times. Since May 19th, the Rays starters ERA is 3.20, the best in baseball. Is this the future or just another gimmick for small market teams?