reg banner

VOLUME:XLIV ... September 1, 2018

 

21plate

LATEST NEWS

 

Summers just about history and that means we've been everywhere and seen everything the other divisions have to offer or in some cases don't have. Time now to get back to our home divisions for the final 32 games. The only league manager news I have is Mark G was in Ocean City for a week or so, Joe Jutzi was at a beach, my grandson was invited to Niagara University for tour related to his hockey skills and is hopeful of a scholarship. I do want to mention that everyone finished really early in August. Thanks guys!... That's all I've heard in the last month so let's go to the pennant races. No one has been eliminated from a pennant or wild card slot so September is going to be fun to watch.

 

DIVISION RACES

ott2 Harwell Div: Ottawa has caught up to Albuquerque and built a three game lead. The Cats were 5-4 home and a stellar 7-2 away last month. The Horsemen got beat up in August posting a dismal 3-6 at home alongside an awful 2-7 record. Armada now 8 out of first and 5 back of the Horsemen were 6-3h/5-4a last month. September will be lots of fun for those three teams. Western NY, 7 back of the Ciders are holding onto fourth. They were 5-4h/5-4a last month. Cinci was 3-6h/4-5a in August. The Redlegs are now 11 behind the Falcons and 26 out of first..... In series play with all at 14 series shows this. Ottawa has a nice 10-3-1 at home and away. Albuquerque just 8-6-0 at home and 8-4-2 on the road. The Ciders are 10-2-2 at home but just 6-6-2 away. Western NY a solid 9-3-2 at home but only 4-8-2 travelling. Cinci has tidy 8-5-1 at home mark but only 4-8-2 away.

 

lead Caray Div: Syracuse has a 22 game lead and word is they are about to hire a fat lady that sings. The Blues were a 7-2 at home and 5-4 away last month. The battle for second place is heating up. Kentucky, still holding second despite a terrible 4-5 at home and a dismal 2-7 away in August. Laurel Highlands is just three back of the Bourbons after their 5-4h/5-4a month. Read that again. Laurel Highlands is in third place and close to being in second place. Just a single game behind the Mustangs and four behind the Bourbons is Havre de Grace. The Bucs were 4-5h/3-6a in August. In last but in this fight is Bennett Run after their 4-5h/3-6a August. They're just two back of Havre de Grace..... Series play after 14 series has seen Syracuse get to a 9-2-3 at home but a lousy 5-6-3 on the road. Kentucky has won 7-5-2 at home but still somehow winless on the road with a sad 0-12-2 mark. The Mustangs are 3-8-3 at home along with 4-9-1 away. The Bucs 6-7-1 home with a 2-12-0 away. The Boilermakers are 3-9-2 at home and a little worse away with 2-12-0.

 

knob2Allen Div: Knob Noster has pulled away in this race. The Knuckleheads were an impressive 8-1 both home and away in August to open a 10 game lead. Homestead, wishing Jordan Montgomery could pitch for Knob Noster, remains in second even after a rather messy 3-6h/5-4a month. Burnsville, just two back of the Grays, holds down third after a 5-4 at home and the same on the road month. Miami Beach is now 12 back of the Blaze and 24 out of first. The Bears were 4-5 at home and 3-6 away. Only two behind them is Etiwanda. The Anteaters were 4-5h/5-4a in August..... In series match ups Knob Noster is 9-4-1 at home and away. Homestead's is only 6-6-2 at home but a very tidy 9-2-3 away. Burnsville has that same 9-2-3 at home mark with a bad 5-6-3 on the road. Miami Beach is 5-7-2 at home and 4-7-3 away. The Anteaters are 5-8-1 both home and away.

 

Wildcard: We have five teams fighting for those three slots so this battle will be fun to watch. Albuquerque is five up on Armada for the #3 slot. Homestead has #6 and is just a couple behind the Ciders. Burnsville only two back of Homestead. Still in it is Western NY who are five back of Homestead. Pretty much "Turn out the lights" time for the rest. The lottery awaits them.

 

TEAM STATS

We now have three teams hitting 250. Armada now the top dog with Knob Noster and Albuquerque. Western NY still on the bottom of this pile... The Knuckleheads lead the OBP column with Syracuse close. Four teams are under 300... Syracuse leading the way in slugging with only Havre de Grace & Etiwanda under 400... In OPS the Blues on top of four teams hitting in the 800s. There are three teams under 700... Albuquerque is the only team with more than 2200 total bases and the also have more extra base hits than anyone else... Syracuse leading the way in pure power or ISO... The K'heads have put more runners on base than anyone else... Ottawa still hammering the ball with almost 300 dingers. Etiwanda not yet at 150 here... Three teams have 1100 hits and Armada is the best. Western NY is under 900 hits... Syracuse has put over 500 guys on via the walk. Miami Beach isn't waiting around for this stat... Nobody strikes out better than Havre de Grace with almost 1200 and two teams, Armada & Etiwanda are under 1000... The best at stealing is Kentucky but Miami Beach is giving them a fight. Both are well over 100. Burnsville isn't interested in that way of advancing runners... Bennett Run batters are piñatas. Armada & Cinci get out of the way better than the rest of us... Knob Noster the best at killing rallies via dp's and Western NY just runs faster I guess... Laurel Highlands and Havre de Grace really stink it up on defense. Armada and Burnsville stellar..... On the mound none better than Burnsville although four other teams are under 4.00 in ERA. Laurel Highlands is a tad over that mark... Armada doesn't give up many long balls. Miami Beach has given up 50 more in 14 less innings... Three teams still under 400 free passes and Bennett Run is the lone team with over 500... 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

jramsale bigAL Jose Altuve (Ken) way out in front now in Batting Average with a 346 stat. Eric Hosmer (Arm) & Jose Ramirez (Kno) still hitting over 300... Altuve is also the lone qualifier with a +400 OBP... In the power brackets Giancarlo Stanton the best of three over 650 slugging and of two over 1000 OPS. Justin Smoak (Bur) chasing him in both... Stanton is on top in RBI as one of three over 100. He's also the lone batter with over 50 HR or dingers as Big Al calls them... Eric Hosmer (Arm) still in front with hits, Jose Ramirez (Kno) still the best at doubles and Chris Taylor (Ben) continues to lead the triples board... Ramirez (Kno) 53/8/23 and Stanton (Syr) 31/0/53 tied for the most XBH... Joey Gallo (Ken) has taken over the long walk back to the dugout chase. Almost 200 whiffs... Joey Votto (Ott) and Chris Carpenter (Cin) are both already over 100 walks... Billy Hamilton (Ken) still the best at stealing... Todd Frazier (Hav) the worst of the worst hitters..... On the hill Chris Sale (Bur) has taken over the ERA chart. He's one of four under 3.00... Justin Verlander (WNY) the only one with 15 wins... Mad Max (Bur) way out in front of racking up K's... Stephen Strasburg (Hom) on top in WHIP with three others under 1.00. Two of the three are his team mates... Archie Bradley now at 40 saves leads the pack. Scherzer (Bur) the best at K/9 and K/BB and is 2nd in H/9 to Strasburg... Chris Archer (LHi) and Dan Straily (Hav) the best at losing games... Ivan Nova (Hav) just having a horrible season is over 7 now in ERA... Find out more on the STATS page.

 

THEN THERE'S THIS

montyThat's Jordan Montgomery (Ben) looking a bit dazed. He took the mound away at Homestead with a 5.31 ERA and got shelled. He tossed 4.0 innings, gave up 13 hits of which 3 went deep, walked 4 and each and everyone of them scored but only 15 of those 17 were earned. We turn to the other half of the series against the Grays back on his home mound at Camden Court Park. Jordan was confident he would turn things around. Hmmm, didn't happen. Over a little bit longer outing of 5 innings he still got clobbered. This time 16 hits & six of those went in the seats plus walking 4. He did strand five of those batters but 15 scored and all earned. After showering and facing local reporters post-game he said, "I need to watch the video. Maybe I'm tipping pitches". Do ya think? His new ERA is 7.41 ERA.

 

The very best hitter in the league? It's Jayson Heyward (Ben) who is hitting 391 with 23 at bats. Worst hitter is still Roughned Odor (Hav) who is now 0 for 6 but I wonder how Yan Gomes (Cin) get's in the lineup. He's hitting 121 after getting 280 at bats!.. LoCain (Arm) has upped his caught stealing tally to 16 in 45 attempts. Billy Hamilton got caught twice last month so Trea Turner (Syr) is now the best at 22 for 22... Jose Abreu (Kno) has been whacked 23 times. His teammate Jose Ramirez (Kno) has never been hit with 560 pa's... Josh Reddick (Ken) up to 7 sac flies... Jose Abreu (Kno) also leads the league in GiDP's with 21. Brian McCann (Hav) with 228 at bats hasn't hit into any... Jorge Polanco (LHi) upped his league leading messing up to 35 errors.. There are 30 batters who have yet to play

 

Kirby Yates (Ben) has a 0.00 ERA with 2.3ip... Juan Minaya (Ken) has given up 33 earned runs in 30.7ip which is a 9.68 ERA... Cole Hamels (Alb) still has his 6-0 WL record. Jared Hughes (Hav) remains the other side of the coin with 0-5... Jose Berrios (Bur) has 8 complete games... Justin Verlander (WNY) has 4 shutouts... Gerrit Cole (Mia) has been Big Al'd 39 times in 161.3ip. Josh Hader (Syr) no homers after 32.7ip... Mike Foltynewicz (Hav) has walked 76 over 121.3ip. Aaron Loup (Home) hasn't walked anyone in 8ip... Ryan Tepera (Ken) has been in 60 games. At zero games are 23 players...

 

... IMPORTANT DATES ...

calendar

 

base line

mlb logo

 

THE SHOW

 

The NL Rookie of the Year race:

acunaanderson buehlerflaherty soto

 

The AL Rookie of the Year race:

andujarohtani palkatorres wendle